TERRY'S  GUIDE-BOOKS 


TERRY'S  MEXICO 

A  new  Guide-book  to  the  Mexican  Republic,  similar  in  every  way  to 
Terry's  Japanese  Empire,  contains  845  pages  and  27  Maps  and  Plans, 
and  is  the  inseparable  pocket  companion  of  every  intelligent  traveler 
to  Mexico. 

It  is  Historical,  Descriptive,  Practical,  Useful,  and  Trustworthy.  It 

is  kept  strictly  down-to-date,  and  is  the  only  first-class  and  satisfactory 
Guide-book  to  Mexico. 

It  is  indispensable  to  travelers,  as  it  tells  all  there  is  worth  knowing 
about  Mexico  and  its  people,  and  shows  one  how  to  see  everything 
worth  seeing  in  the  most  expeditious  and  economical  way.  It  will 
save  its  cost  the  first  day  it  is  used. 

For  Sale  in  the  United  States  at  all  the  best  bookstores,  by  the  chief 
Tourist  Agencies,  and  by  Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  4  Park  St.,  Boston, 
Mass.,  at  $2.50  a  copy. 

In  England  by  Messrs.  Gay  &  Hancock,  Ltd.,  12  and  13  Henrietta 
St.,  Covent  Garden,  London,  at  12  shillings. 

In  Mexico  at  all  the  best  bookshops,  on  all  the  railway  trains,  and  by 
the  Sonora  News  Company,  Primera  Calle  de  Gante  4,  Mexico  City, 
at  $2.50  U.  S.  money. 

In  France  at  the  Libreria  de  la  Vda.  de  Ch.  Bouret,  23  Rue  Visconti, 
Paris,  at  1 5  francs. 

TERRY'S  POCKET  INTERPRETER 

Spanish-English,  English-Spanish;  146  pages.  Price,  25  cents.  It  is 
the  best  book  of  its  kind,  and  is  the  recognized  standard  interpreter 
for  English-speaking  persons  who  wish  to  converse  in  Spanish,  and 
for  Spanish -speaking  persons  traveling  abroad.  It  contains  no  gram- 
matical rules,  but  the  figurative  pronunciation  of  each  word  is  so  clear 
that  a  person  with  no  knowledge  of  the  language  can  speak  at  once, 
and  express  almost  any  wish,  in  pure  Castilian.  Printed  on  fine  coated 
paper,  in  readable  type,  with  an  attractive  cover  design  in  colors.  Six- 
teenth Edition. 

Published  at  net  prices 


CRITICAL  OPINIONS  OF  TERRY'S  MEXICO 

" *  Terry's  Mexico 1  may  be  commended  as  a  trustworthy  handbook  for  travel- 
ers. Its  information  is  full  and  up-to-date,  and  is  given  with  a  high  degree  of 
accuracy." — New  York  Evening  Post. 

"  The  author  has  summarized  in  his  volume  more  practical  information  about 
Mexico  than  can  be  found  in  any  single  volume  on  that  country  in  English." — 
New  York  Sun. 

"  A  thoroughly  careful  guide-book  and  a  boon  to  the  Americans  who  go  to 
Mexico.    It  is  absolutely  true  to  the  conditions." — New  York  Mail. 

"  The  author  has  planned  his  volume  upon  the  model  of  the  Baedeker  guide- 
books, but  it  is  even  fuller  in  detail,  more  comprehensive  in  scope,  and  more  sa- 
vory with  human  interest  than  those  companions  of  the  European  tourist.  Al- 
together the  book  contains  such  an  amazing  amount  of  information  about  such  a 
vast  variety  of  subjects  as  to  make  it  noteworthy,  even  of  its  kind."  —  New  York 
Times. 

"  It  is  fully  as  thorough  as  any  of  Baedeker's  guides."  —  Scientific  American. 

"  Mr.  Terry  has  made  a  guide-book  that,  without  fear  of  results,  of  a  comparison, 
is  fit  to  stand  beside  anything  the  great  Baedeker,  prince  of  guide-book  makers, 
ever  turned  out."  —  St.  Louis  Globe-Democrat. 

"  The  author  has  summarized  an  immense  amount  of  general  information 
about  Mexico.    His  book  is  indispensable  to  the  tourist."  —  The  Outlook. 

"The  first  comprehensive,  exhaustive,  and  at  the  same  time  popularly  at- 
tractive guide-book  to  Mexico.  It  contains  an  amazing  amount  of  information, 
logically  and  most  interestingly  set  forth.  Although  planned  on  the  Baedeker 
model,.'  Terry1  s  Mexico1  is  more  detailed,  and  fuller  in  scope.  It  is,  moreover, 
equipped  with  more  human  interest.  It  is  important  to  add  that  within  the  past 
few  weeks  the  Mexican  government  has  officially  recognized  the  accuracy  and 
usefulness  of  this  handbook."  —  The  American  Review  of  Reviews. 

"I  keep  your  interesting  book,  '  Terry's  Mexico1  constantly  before  me.  Be- 
cause of  its  perspicuity,  and  the  exactness  of  its  data,  it  makes  a  satisfactory 
reference  book.  I  congratulate  you  on  your  laborious  work."  —  Porfirio  Diaz 
(ex-president  of  Mexico). 

"  It  is  a  marvel  of  accuracy  and  a  perfect  compendium  of  information.  You 
have  not  made  a  mere  guide-book,  but  a  book  of  human  interest,  containing  just 
those  intimate  details  which  went  to  make  up  the  charm  of  the  early  edition  of 
Richard  Ford's  i  Handbook  for  Travelers  in  Spain,'  a  book  now  a  classic,  as  I 
am  sure  '  Terry1  s  Mexico 1  will  come  to  be  regarded  by  those  who  are  able  to  ap- 
preciate sound  and  scholarly  work.  It  is  the  book  we  have  all  been  looking  for,  and 
it  will  never  be  surpassed."  — Frederic  R.  Guernsey  (Editor  of  the  Mexican 
Herald. 

"  A  work  of  the  highest  value.  It  completely  displaces  all  previous  volumes 
of  the  kind,  whether  in  English  or  Spanish."  —  New  Orleans  Picayune. 

"  Mr.  Terry  has  performed  invaluable  service  in  producing  a  guide  that  ranks 
in  character  and  thoroughness  with  the  Baedeker  publications."  —  Boston  Herald. 

"  This  is  a  combination  of  history  and  guide-book.  A  surprising  amount  of 
information  relating  to  the  external  features  of  life  in  all  parts  of  the  country  is 
packed  into  these  closely  printed  pages.  The  paper  is  thin  Bible  paper,  the 
type  is  good,  and  the  book,  which  contains  nearly  as  much  matter  as  a  volume  of 
the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica,  is  so  light  and  small  that  it  could  easily  be  carried 
in  a  coat  pocket.  To  the  traveler  in  Mexico  it  must  be  a  Vade  Mecum  of  great 
value."  —  The  Christian  Register* 


TERRY'S 


JAPANESE  EMPIRE 


INCLUDING  KOREA  AND  FORMOSA 

WITH  CHAPTERS  ON  MANCHURIA,  THE 
TRANS-SJBERIAN  RAILWAY,  AND  THE  CHIEF 
OCEAN  ROUTES  TO  JAPAN 

A  GUIDEBOOK  FOR  TRAVELERS 


T.  PHILIP  TERRY,  F.R.G.S. 


\VIT H  8  SPECIALLY  DRAWN  MAPS 


v     >  -  AND  21  PLANS 


HOUGHTON  MIFFLIN  COMPANY 

LONDON:  CONSTABLE  &  CO.,  LTD. 
TOKYO:  KYO-B U N-KWA N,  GINZA,  SHICHOME 
1914 


BY 


BOSTON  AND  NEW  YORK 


All  rights  reserved 


COPYRIGHT,  I914,  BY  T.  PHILIP  TERRY 
ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


jj?J2^YV*-fcO  _  —  — *  >» 

OLJL^     FOREWORD  7  |l+ 

So  many  tourists  now  include  Japan  (and  the  Far  East  gen- 
erally) in  their  annual  travel-plans,  that  a  trustworthy  and 
down-to-date  Guidebook  of  the  Empire  and  its  Colonial  Pos- 
sessions has  become  an  imperative  necessity.  Few  countries 
of  the  world  are  more  difficult  to  understand  without  such  a 
book,  and  few,  if  any,  are  as  fascinatingly  interesting  to  the 
traveler  properly  equipped.  While  Dai  Nippon  is  a  land  of 
singular  and  abiding  charm,  its  countless  strange  customs  and 
significant  shadowings  oftentimes  are  too  veiled  and  subtle 
to  be  readily  comprehended.  The  difficulty  of  interpreting 
them  without  misconception,  of  acquiring  the  correct  perspec- 
tive, and  maintaining  the  necessary  poise  and  reserve,  is  ever 
present.  Many  things  one  sees  are  misleading,  and  those  which 
appear  the  most  simple  sometimes  are  distinguished  by  an 
astonishing  complexity.  Nature  herself  not  unfrequently 
seems  so  exotic  in  Japan  that  to  court  accuracy,  and  avoid 
hyperbole,  considerable  forbearance  must  be  exercised  when 
describing  things  just  as  the  eye  sees  them. 

Our  aim  has  been  to  present,  in  one  handy  and  compact  vol- 
ume rather  than  in  two  more  expensive  ones,  an  unusual 
amount  of  practical,  helpful,  and  unbiased  information  about 
Japan  and  its  people,  yet  by  avoiding  bleakness  and  stodginess 
to  make  that  information  as  interesting  as  possible  compatible 
with  brevity  and  exactness.  Nearly  twelve  years  of  residence 
in  the  country,  and  repeated  journeys  on  foot  (and  otherwise) 
from  one  end  of  it  to  the  other,  have  qualified  us  to  describe 
the  things  and  places  really  worth  seeing,  and  to  advise  the 
hurried  stranger  how  to  see  them  in  the  shortest  time  and  with 
a  minimum  outlay  of  energy  and  money.  In  securing  our 
information  about  the  country  we  have  been  unwilling  to 
accept  the  reports  of  others,  preferring  in  each  case  to  go  per- 
sonally to  the  source,  thus  to  secure  data  at  first  hand  and  so  be 
able  to  inspire  the  traveler  with  confidence  in  its  accuracy.  In 
this  we  believe  the  book  is  unusual.  The  descriptions  of  Yezo, 
Formosa,  Korea,  the  Trans-Siberian  Railway,  and  others  of 
the  world-routes  to  Japan,  are,  like  the  rest  of  the  text,  the 
result  of  our  own  personal  experience.  The  detailed  account  of 
Korea,  with  the  maps  and  plans  which  accompany  it,  appears 
now  for  the  first  time  in  a  Guidebook  in  the  English  language. 
The  descriptions  and  maps  relating  to  little-known  Formosa 
are  new  and  are  the  most  complete  extant.  The  accurately 
quoted  rates  of  railways,  steamships,  and  hotels  enable  the 


IV 


FOREWORD 


traveler  to  plan  his  journey  before  undertaking  it,  and  to  know 
beforehand  what  its  cost  in  time  and  money  will  be. 

In  the  283  pages  of  introductory  matter  under  the  heading, 
Preliminary  Information,  an  effort  has  been  made  to  inter- 
pret many  things  Japanese  of  interest  to  the  traveler,  and  to 
aid  him  to  a  quick  and  satisfactory  understanding  of  them. 
This  special  knowledge  will  be  found  greatly  to  enhance  the 
pleasure  of  a  visit  to  the  Japanese  Empire.  The  monographs 
on  How  to  Reach  Japan,  Traveling  Expenses,  Money,  Guides, 
Hotels,  Inns,  and  Food;  Tips,  Plan  of  Tour,  Seasons,  Climate, 
Hints  to  Travelers,  Health,  Shops  and  Curios,  Sports,  Hunting 
and  Fishing,  Geography,  Language,  Literature,  Architecture, 
the  Government  and  its  Functions;  the  People  and  their 
Homes,  Arts,  Customs,  Religion,  and  History;  and  the  scores  of 
minor  subjects  will  be  found  of  immediate  and  permanent 
value.  The  dispassionate  estimates  of  Japan  and  the  Japanese 
are  believed  to  be  just. 

Those  unfamiliar  with  the  Japanese  language,  who  may  yet 
wish  to  travel  without  an  expensive  courier,  will  find  of  genuine 
value  the  vocabulary  at  page  cxxx  et  seq.,  as  well  as  the  ver- 
nacular equivalents  of  many  English  words  in  the  text.  The 
Japanese  words  are  transliterated  on  the  Romaji  system  ex- 
plained at  page  cxxvn,  and  the  different  spelling  of  certain 
of  them  illustrates  the  various  usages  employed  by  authori- 
ties writing  in  that  system.  Most  of  the  Chinese  equivalents 
given  are  used  in  e very-day  Japanese  speech.  In  many  places 
throughout  the  text  italic  and  other  type  forms  have  been 
employed  more  as  an  aid  to  the  eye  in  picking  out  names  from 
amid  the  Roman  characters,  than  in  an  effort  to  accord  with 
typographical  requirements. 

A  meritorious  Guidebook,  by  showing  the  careful  traveler 
how  to  obtain  the  best  returns  for  his  money  and  time,  should 
save  its  cost  the  first  day  it  is  used,  and  we  venture  to  believe 
that  such  may  be  the  case  with  this  one.  The  economically 
inclined  will  find  many  money-saving  hints  scattered  through- 
out it,  and  whosoever  essays  to  do  the  Japanese  Empire  with- 
out the  book  will  spend  considerably  more  time,  energy,  and 
money  than  are  necessary  to  the  purpose.  In  no  single  in- 
stance have  the  material  interests  of  the  traveler  been  sacri- 
ficed to  the  selfish  benefit  of  others. 

The  contents  of  the  book,  beginning  at  page  1,  are  divided 
into  Seven  Sections:  I.  Central  Japan,  Routes  1  to  12,  pages  1 
to  241.  —  II.  Northern  Japan,  Rtes.  13-18;  pp.  242  to  326.  — 
III.  Yezo,  The  Kuriles,  and  Saghalien,  Rtes.  19-23,  pp.  327 
to  364.—  IV.  Western  Japan,  Rtes.  24-38,  pp.  365  to  646.  — 
V.  Kyushu  and  The  Loochoo  and  Goto  Islands,  Rtes.  39-43, 
pp.  647  to  692.  —  VI.  Korea,  Manchuria,  and  The  Trans- 
Siberian  Rly.,  Rtes.  44-49,  pp.  693  to  760.  —  VII.  Formosa 
and  The  Pescadores,  Rtes.  50-54,  pp.  761  to  791.  —  To  each 


FOREWORD 


v 


section  is  prefixed  an  index  of  the  routes  and  subjects  treated, 
so  that  each  forms  relatively  a  complete  volume,  apart  from 
the  general  Table  of  Contents  or  the  general  Index. 

The  Maps  and  flans  were  all  drawn  specially  for  the  book, 
and  they  are  the  newest  and  most  complete  extant.  Our  sincere 
thanks  are  due  to  certain  high  officials  of  the  Japanese  Govern- 
ment, who,  by  foreshadowing  the  railway  expansion  during  the 
next  decade,  have  aided  in  making  the  chief  maps  of  unusual 
interest.  Most  of  the  city  plans  appear  now  for  the  first  time 
in  any  guidebook,  and  they  are  uniquely  valuable  to  the 
traveler. 

Japan  is  making  such  rapid  progress  that  a  Guidebook  which 
is  not  changed  every  year  quickly  becomes  obsolete.  So  con- 
stant is  this  evolution  that  sustained  accuracy  even  between 
yearly  editions  is  difficult.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
hotels  particularly  are  liable  to  change  in  name,  management, 
and  in  the  treatment  of  guests.  As  it  is  the  intention  to  keep 
the  present  book  abreast  of  the  times,  we  will  genuinely  appre- 
ciate corrections  or  suggestions  with  which  observant  travelers 
may  favor  us,  especially  such  that  will  enable  tourists  to  get 
the  best  return  for  their  money  and  time.  Such  communica- 
tions should  be  addressed  to  the  author  at  Hingham,  Mass., 
U.S.A.  Hotelmen  and  others  are  warned  against  persons  rep- 
resenting themselves  as  agents  for  Terry's  Guidebooks  and 
other  publications. 

Asterisks  (*)  indicate  excellence  and  imply  commendation,  and  because  of 
this  they  have  been  used  sparingly  and  with  caution.  While  from  the  view- 
point of  the  Japanese,  or  of  the  foreigner  familiar  with  their  superior  quali- 
ties, certain  of  the  native  inns  well  deserve  approbation,  to  recommend  them 
unreservedly  might  create  a  false  impression  in  the  mind  of  the  stranger. 
Asterisks  have  therefore  been  withheld,  but  what  the  writer  considers  the 
best  inn  in  each  place  has  been  mentioned  first  in  the  lists  under  their  proper 
headings. 

The  letter  b.  with  a  date,  after  the  name  of  a  person,  indicates  the  year  of 
his  birth,  and  d.  the  date  of  his  death. 

Where  the  word  Indian  has  been  used,  without  explanation,  British  India 
or  its  people  or  products  is  meant. 

Prices  quoted  throughout  the  Guidebook  are  in  Japanese  money  unless 
otherwise  designated. 


CONTENTS 


Page 

I.  Preliminary  Information   xi 

A.  How  to  reach  Japan   xi 

B.  Traveling  Expenses.  Money.  Ex- 
change. Banks.  Passports.  Custom- 
House.  Commercial  Travelers.  Abacus. 

Guides  .  xviii 

C.  Hotels.  Inns.  Tea-Houses  and  Res- 
taurants. Japanese  Food.  Houses.  Fur- 
nished Houses.  Tips.  Laundry    ...  xxix 

D.  Plan  of  Tour.  Tourist  Societies. 
Climate.   Seasons.    Health.    What  to 

Wear.  Hints  to  Travelers   lv 

E.  Means  of  Transportation   lxxix 

F.  Post-  and  Telegraph- Offices.  Tele- 
phones. Time   xcii 

G.  Weights  and  Measures   xcviii 

H.  Photography.    Hunting  and  Fishing  c 
I.  Tobacco.    Tea.    Rice.    Sake.  Chop- 
Sticks                                             .  cv 

J.  Shops.  Curios.  Culture  Pearls.  Rock 

Crystals.  Jade   cxii 

II.  The  Japanese  Language   cxxiii 

III.  Geographical  Sketch  cxxxvii 

Agriculture   cxxxviii 

Geology   cxxxix 

Mountains  and  Mountain  Climbing    .    .  cxxxix 

Political  Divisions   cxli 

The  River  System   cxliii 

Japanese  Lakes   cxliv 

The  Inland  Sea   cxliv 

The  Kuro-shiwo  (Japan  Stream)     .    .    .  cxly 

Hot  Mineral  Springs  .  cxlvii 

Mines   cxlviii 

IV.  The  Constitution.  Flag.  National  Hymn  . 

People.  Newspapers.  Geisha.  Beggars. 

Thieves   cl 

V.  Jujutsu.  Wrestling.  Harakiri.  Tattooing    .  clxiv 

VI.  Architecture  of  Buddhist  Temples  ....  clxxii 

Dog  of  Fo,  clxxvii. — Tennin,  clxxvii. — Kirin,  clxxviii. — Phoenix,  clxxviii. 
— Dragon,  clxxxi. — Tortoise,  clxxx. — Mausolea,  clxxxi. — Tombs,  clxxxi. 

VII.  Shinto  Architecture.  The  Torii  .....  clxxxi 
VIII.  Pagodas.  Feudal  Castles.    Bridges.  Land- 
scape Gardens.  Dwarfing   clxxxiii 

IX.  Buddhism   clxxxix 


CONTENTS  vii 

Page 

X.  Buddhist  Sects.  Divinities.  Temple  Ac- 
companiments. The  Lotus  ....  cxcix 
XI.  Shintoism.  Shinto  Shrines.   Shinto  Wor- 
ship   ccxiv 

XII.  The  Christian  Religion.  Bushido    .    .    .  ccxxi 

XIII.  A  Survey  of  Japanese  Art    ccxxii 

Painting   ccxxiv 

Color  Prints   ccxxxi 

Ivory    ccxxxvii 

Wood  Carving   ccxl 

Lacquer-Work   ccxliii 

Metal- Work   ccxlvi 

Damascening   ccxlvii 

Silver  and  Gold   ccxlviii 

Bronze   ccxlix 

Cloisonne  Enamel    ccl 

XIV.  Ceramics     .    .    ccli 

a.  The  Wares  of  Kyoto   ccliii 

b.  Satsuma  Ware    ccliv 

c.  Kiyomizu  Ware   cclvi 

d.  Kutani  Ware   cclvii 

e.  Miscellaneous  Wares   cclviii 

XV.  Literature   cclviii 

XVI.  Historical  Sketch      ........  cclxii 

XVII.  Chronological  Table    cclxxviii 

XVIII.  Bibliography   cclxxxii 

_  I.  Central  Japan. 

Route 

1.  Yokohama  and  its  Environs  3 

2.  From  Yokohama  via  Kamakura  (Enoshima)  to  Yoko- 

suka  (Uraga  and  Misaki)   28 

3.  From  Yokohama  around  Fuji-san  to  Shoji  ....  40 

4.  From  Yokohama  to  the  summit  of  Fuji-san     ...  45 

5.  From  Yokohama  to  Miyanoshita,  Lake  Hakone,  and 

Atami    .    .  54 

6.  From  Yokohama  via  Tokyo  to  Karuizawa,  Nagano, 

Naoetsu,  and  Niigata  (Sado  Island)    .....  65 

7.  From  Yokohama  to  Ikao  and  Kusatsu  85 

8.  From  Yokohama  to  the  Bonin  Islands        .    .    .  .105 

9.  From  Yokohama  via  Kawasaki,  Kamata  (Ikegami), 

and  Omori  to  Tokyo  107 

10.  Tokyo  109 

11.  From  Tokyo  to  Vries  Island   235 

12.  From  Tokyo  via  Chiba,  Sakura  (Narita),  and  Naruto 

to  Choshi  236 

1.  From  Tokyo  via  Chiba,  Soga  (Kisarazu) ,  and  Oami 

to  Katsuura  (Kominato)  241 


viii  CONTENTS 


^  II.  Northern  Japan. 

Route  Page 

13.  From  Tokyo  via  Utsunomiya  to  Nikko  (Chuzenji,  and 

Yumoto)     .   243 

14.  Nikko  and  its  Environs  243 

^^15.  From  Nikko  to  Chuzenji  and  Yumoto  296 

16.  From  Yumoto  via  the  Konsei  Pass  to  Ikao    ....  303 

17.  From  Tokyo  via  Mito,  Sendai,  Matsushima,  and 

Morioka  to  Aomori  (Yezo  Island)  305 

18.  From  Tokyo  via  Utsunomiya,  Fukushima,  Yamagata, 

and  Akita  to  Aomori  (Hokkaido)  319 

III.  Yezo,  The  Kuriles,  and  Saghalien. 

Preliminary  Information  327 

19.  Hakodate  and  its  Environs  345 

20.  From  Hakodate  via  Onuma,  Otaru,  Sapporo,  Iwami- 

zawa,  Oiwake,  Shiraoi,  and  Noboribetsu  to  Muroran  348 

21.  From  Hakodate  via  Iwamizawa,  Fukagawa,  Asahi- 

gawa,  and  Ikeda  to  Kushiro  357 

22.  The  Kurile  Islands  358 

23.  Saghalien  361 

IV.  Western  Japan. 

S  24.  From  Yokohama  via  Kozu,  Gotemba_(Fuji-san,  Shoji) , 
f  and  Shizuoka  to  Nagoya  (Kyoto,  Osaka,  and  Kobe)  367 

25.  From  Nagoya  via  Shiojiri  (Matsumoto,  Shinonoi, 

Niigata),  and  Kofu  to  Tokyo     .    .    .  _.    .    .  .384 

26.  From  (Yokohama)  Nagoya  to  Kyoto  .  (Osaka  and 

Kobe)  395 

27.  Kyoto  and  its  Environs  400 

28.  From  Kyoto  to  the  Koya-san  Monasteries  .    .    .  .511 
^*—29.  From  Kyoto  to  Amanohashidate-  « i1   i  533 

30.  From  Kyoto  via  Yonago  (Sakai  and  the  Oki  Islands), 

Matsue,  and  Izumo-Imaichi  to  Kizuki  (Shrines  of 
Izumo)  539 

31.  From  Wadayama  to  Himeji   544 

32.  From  Maibara  via  Tsuruga,  Fukui,  Kanazawa,  and 

Tsubata  (Noto  Peninsula)  to  Naoetsu     .    .    .    .  545 

33.  From  Kyoto  via  Fushimi,  Momo-yama,  and  Uji  to 

Nara  549 

34.  Nara  and  its  Environs  554 

35.  From  Nara  to  Yamada  and  the  Shrines  of  Ise     .    .  598 

36.  From  (Yokohama,  Nagoya)  Kyoto  to  Osaka  and 

Kobe   606 

37.  Kobe  and  Neighborhood  618 

38.  From  Kobe  via  Himeji,  Okayama  (Shikoku  Island), 

Hiroshima,  and  Miyajima  to  Shimonoseki    .    .    .  632 


CONTENTS 


ix 


V.    KUYSHU  AND  THE  LOOCHOO  AND  GOTO  ISLANDS. 
Route  Page 

39.  From  Shimonoseki  (Moji)  via  Hakata,  Fukuoka, 

Tosu,  Arita,  and  Saseho  to  Nagasaki  650 

40.  Nagasaki  and  its  Environs  659 

41.  From  Moji  (Shimonoseki)  via  Tosu  and  Kumamoto 

(Aso  Volcano)  to  Kagoshima  671 

42.  From  Kumamoto  via  Toshita,  Aso-san,  Takeda,  and 

Oita  to  Beppu  679 

43.  From  Beppu  via  Kokura  to  Moji  (Shimonoseki)  .    .  692 

VI.  Korea,  Manchuria,  and  the  Trans-Siberian  Railway. 

44.  From  Shimonoseki  (Japan)  to  Fusan  (Korea)  .    .    .  693 

45.  From  Fusan  via  Sanroshin  (Masanpo),  Taikyu,  Shu- 

furei,  Taiden    (Kunsan,  Mokpo),   Seikwan,  and 
Eitoho  (Jinsen,  Chemulpo)  to  Seoul  (Keijo)     .    ..  728 

46.  Seoul  and  its  Environs  731 

47.  From  Seoul  via  Ryuzan  and  Eitoho  to  Jinsen  (Che- 

mulpo) 750 

48.  From  Seoul  via  Kaijo,  Koshu  (Kenjiho),  and  Heijo 

(Chinnampo)  to  Shingishu  (Antung)  752 

49.  Manchuria  and  the  Trans-Siberian  Railway    .    .    .  756 

VII.  Formosa  (Taiwan)  and  the  Pescadores. 

50.  Keelung  (Kiirun)  774 

51.  From  Keelung  to  Taihoku  775 

52.  Taihoku  and  its  Environs  776 

53.  From  Taihoku  via  Hokuto  to  Tamsui  784 

54.  From  Taihoku  via  Toyen,  Shinchiku,  Byoritsu,  Taichu 

(Rokko),  Kagi,  and  Tainan  (Anping)  to  Takao  .    .  784 


Abbreviations 


ad.  =  address. 
Am.  pi.  =  American  plan, 
approx.  =  approximately, 
cent.  =  century;  centimeter, 
circumf.  =  circumference, 
diam.  =  diameter. 

E.  =  East;  eastern,  etc. 

F.  Fahr.  =  Fahrenheit, 
ft.  =  feet. 

Gov't.  =  Government, 
hr.  =  hour, 
in.  =  inches, 
inhabs.  =  inhabitants, 
kiloms.  =  kilometers, 
lat.  =  latitude, 
long.  =  longitude, 
lit.  =  literally. 
M.  =  miles. 


min.  =  minutes. 

mos.  =  months. 

Mt..  mt.  =  mountain. 

N.  =  North,  northern,  etc. 

pers.  =  person. 

pop.  =  population. 

Rly.,  rly.  =  railway. 

S.  =  South,  southern,  etc. 

s.  =  shilling. 

sq.,  sqr.  =  square. 

st.  =  street. 

sta.  =  station. 

tel.  =  telegraph. 

W.  =  West,  western,  etc. 

Wt.  =  weight. 

¥.  =  Japanese  dollar  mark. 

yds.  =  yards. 

yr.  =  year. 


The  other  abbreviations  employed  require  no  explanation. 


LIST  OF  MAPS 


1.  General  Map  of  Japan  and  its  Possessions,  and  their  relation  to  the 
continent  of  Asia;  facing  the  title-page. 

2.  The  Main  Island  ( Hondo) ;  Shikoku,  Awaji  and  other  outlying  islands, 
and  two  enlarged  insets;  with  a  list  of  the  chief  cities  and  places  of 
interest  and  their  locations  on  the  map,  page  cxxxvii. 

3.  Kamakura  and  Neighborhood,  p.  28. 

4.  Environs  of  Ikao,  p.  87. 

5.  Country  between  Ikao,  Kusatsu,  Karuizawa  and  Nikko,  p.  87. 

6.  Nikko  and  Environs,  p.  243. 

7.  Yezo,  and  The  Kuriles  and  Saghalien  Island,  p.  327. 

8.  Environs  of  Kyoto,  p.  499. 

9.  Koya-san,  p.  511. 

10.  Environs  of  Nara,  p.  578. 

11.  Kyushu,  and  The  Loochoo  and  Goto  Islands,  p.  647. 

12.  Korea,  with  a  portion  of  China  and  Russia,  p.  693. 

13.  Formosa  and  outlying  islands,  p.  761. 

The  heights  of  the  different  mts.  are  given  in  English  feet. 

The  swastika  shown  near  a  temple  indicates  that  it  is  Buddhist;  the 

torii  that  it  is  a  Shinto  shrine. 

The  numbers  placed  near  rly.  lines  and  prominent  cities,  are  Route 
Numbers. 


LIST  OF  PLANS 


1.  Yokohama,  p.  3. 

2.  Tokyo,  p.  109. 

3.  Shiba  Park,  p.  168. 

4.  Uyeno  Park,  p.  197. 

5.  Imperial  Museum,  p.  201. 

6.  Nikko  Mausolea,  p.  250. 

7.  Hakodate,  p.  345. 

8.  Nagoya,  p.  376. 

9.  Kyoto,  p.  400. 

10.  Nara,  p.  554. 

11.  Osaka,  p.  607. 

12.  Kobe,  p.  618. 

13.  Kobe  Former  Foreign  Settlement,  p.  620. 

14.  Nagasaki,  p.  659. 

15.  Seoul,  p.  732. 

16.  Taihoku,  p.  776. 


(Maps  and  Plans  engraved  by  C.  J.  Peters  &  Son  Company,  Boston.) 


I.  Preliminary  Information. 


A.  How  to  reach  Japan. 

From  San  Francisco.  The  commodious  ships  of  the  Toyo 
Kisen  Kaisha  (Oriental  Steamship  Co.;  office  at  625  Market 
St.;  comp.  Tokyo)  leave  fortnightly  (consult  the  company's 
handbooks)  vi&  Honolulu  (2100  M.,  6  days;  fare  $75;  12  hrs. 
stop;  local  guidebook  free,  of  the  Hawaii  Promotion  Commit- 
tee, Bishop  St.)  to  Yokohama  (3445  M.  farther,  in  11  days, 
through  fare  $200),  Kobe  ($207.50),  Nagasaki  ($222.50) 
Shanghai-Manila-Hongkong  ($225).  The  course  from  San 
Francisco  is  S.W.;  the  average  daily  run  (comp.  Time,  p. 
xcviii)  is  350  M.  From  Honolulu  (chief  city  of  the  Territory 
of  Hawaii,  on  Oahu  Island,  with  50,000  inhabs.)  the  course 
is  southward  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  (so  called  because  Capt. 
James  Oook,  the  English  navigator  who  rediscovered  them  in 
1778,  had  for  his  patron  the  4th  Earl  of  Sandwich,  First  Lord 
of  the  Admiralty)  to  lat.  24°,  thence  to  lat.  32°  and  direct 
to  the  entrance  of  the  Gulf  of  Tokyo. 

The  T.  K.  K.  works  in  conjunction  with  the  Denver  &  Rio 
Grande-Western  Pacific  Rly.,  one  of  the  grandest  scenic  routes 
of  America.  Modern  express  trains  equipped  with  every  known 
convenience  and  safety  appliance;  observation  and  dining-cars 
(a  la  carte  service),  etc.,  make  the  trip  (stop-over  privileges) 
from  San  Francisco  (crossing  California,  Nevada,  Utah,  and 
Colorado)  to  (1585  M.)  Denver  (thence  direct  to  Kansas  City, 
St.  Louis,  Chicago,  and  New  York)  in  about  2 J  days  through  a 
veritable  wonderland.  Conspicuous  features  are  the  100  M. 
of  magnificent  scenery  in  the  Feather  River  Canon  (of  the 
Sierra  Nevadas);  Ogden;  Salt  Lake  City  and  the  Great  Salt 
Lake  (elevation  4000  ft.;  area,  1600  sq.  M.;  average  depth, 
10  ft.;  70  M.  long;  30  M.  wide;  water,  26%  salt;  specific  gravity 
such  that  it  sustains  the  human  body) ;  Marshall  Pass  and  the 
Continental  Divide  (10,856  ft.);  the  Royal  Gorge  of  the 
Arkansas  River;  Colorado  Springs;  Manitou;  Pike's  Peak 
(14,109  ft.;  cog  rly.);  and  many  majestic  mt.  peaks,  mineral 
springs,  and  fashionable  resorts  of  the  American  Rockies. 
Attractive  handbooks  (finely  illustrated  in  colors)  containing 
information  of  value  to  travelers  can  be  had  (free)  of  any  of  the 
Co.'s  agents. 

San  Francisco  is  a  magnificent  city  of  manifold  sights  and  excellent  hotels, 
and  the  stranger  passing  through  it  should  plan  to  devote  a  week  at  least 
to  a  survey  of  its  unique  and  beautiful  environs.  Many  weeks  could  be 
spent  to  advantage  visiting  the  world-famed  California  resorts  which  lie 
contiguous.  Most  of  these  occupy  singularly  attractive  sites  amid  semi- 
tropic  surroundings  backed  by  wonderful  views  of  mountains  or  forests, 
or  stretches  of  entrancing  sea,  and  all  are  brooded  over  by  a  climate  so 
faultless  that  it  attracts  the  ailing  and  the  well  alike  from  all  parts  of  the 
world.    Conspicuously  excellent  among  the  San  Francisco  Hotels  is  the 


xii     HOW  TO  REACH  JAPAN  FROM  CANADA 


well-known,  popular,  and  luxurious  *  Palace,  on  Market  St.  near  the 
business  center  (rooms  only,  from  $2.50  a  day;  meals  a  la  carte  at  reason- 
able prices);  and  the  stately  and  palatial  * Fairmont  (both  recommended) , 
celebrated  for  its  delicious  food,  its  commanding  position  on  Knob  Hili 
(5  min.  from  the  business  center),  and  its  panoramic  views  of  the  city  and 
bay;  rooms  with  bath  from  $2.50;  meals  a  la  carte.  Hotel  omnibuses  (50  c.) 
and  runners  meet  all  trains.  Travelers  arriving  at  Frisco  several  days  prior 
to  date  of  sailing  can  save  storage  and  several  transfer  charges  on  baggage 
(which  will  not  be  accepted  at  the  dock  before  the  day  of  sailing)  by  deliver- 
ing checks  to  the  agent  of  the  Transfer  Co.  (trustworthy)  that  comes  aboard 
the  train,  and  by  requesting  that  trunks  be  held  and  delivered  at  the  dock 
as  required  (inclusive  charge  50  c.  per  package) . 

Japanese  Money  (useful  on  landing  in  Japan)  can  be  had  (at  about 
2  yen  for  $1  —  comp.  p.  xviii)  of  the  San  Francisco  branch  of  the  Yokohama 
Specie  Bank,  Ltd.  (Sansome  St.),  or  of  Thos.  Cook  &  Son,  689  Market  St. 
(under  the  Palace  Hotel). 

From  Canada.  The  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  (usually 
referred  to  as  the  C.P.R.)  Company's  Royal  Mail  Steamship 
Line  (called  the  '  Empress '  line)  operates  (in  conjunction 
with  the  rly.)  a  fortnightly  service  (excellent  to  the  smallest 
detail)  from  Vancouver,  B.C.  (  Vancouver  Hotel,  \  M.  from 
C.P.R.  station;  cab  25  c;  room  and  board,  from  $4  a  day; 
room  only,  from  $2),  calling  at  Victoria  {Empress  Hotel,  near 
the  ship's  landing,  rooms  only,  from  $2  a  day;  meals  a  la 
carte  at  reasonable  prices)  to  pick  up  passengers  from  San 
Francisco  (office  at  645  Market  St.)  and  southern  ports. 
Fare  from  Vancouver,  Victoria,  San  Francisco,  and  inter- 
vening points  to  (4283  M.,  in  9-12  days)  Yokohama  $200; 
Kobe  $207.50;  Nagasaki  $222.50;  and  Shanghai-Manila- 
Hongkong  $225. 

Of  peculiar  interest  to  the  leisurely  traveler  fond  of  hunting  and  pishing 
is  the  fact  that  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  traverses,  between  Montreal 
and  Vancouver  (2898  M.,  express  trains  in  4  days),  perhaps  the  finest  and 
best-stocked  wild-game  preserve  in  North  America.  Conspicuous  among  the 
big  game  of  Canada  are  the  moose,  elk,  caribou,  musk-ox,  grizzly  bear, 
black  bear,  bighorn  or  mountain  sheep,  cougar,  lynx,  and  antelope.  There 
is  a  multiplicity  of  small  fur-bearing  animals,  as  well  as  an  astonishing 
variety  of  feathered  game  and  fine  fish  (bass,  maskinonge,  land-locked  sal- 
mon, trout,  etc.).  The  company  maintains  a  special  Sportsman's  Depart- 
ment (address  General  Tourist  Agent,  Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  Mon- 
treal, Que.)  which  supplies  free  information  relating  to  the  best  camping- 
grounds,  canoe-trips,  outfits  and  supplies,  guides,  game-laws,  etc.  The 
chain  of  superb  hotels  (under  the  rly.  management,  and  often  amid  magni- 
ficent mountain  environments)  which  dot  the  line  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific,  rank  in  point  of  luxury  and  comfort  with  those  of  any  land,  and  while 
being  considerably  cheaper  than  metropolitan  hotels,  are  ideal  headquar- 
ters from  which  to  make  hunting  or  fishing  trips.  These  mountain  resorts 
(popular  open-air  sanatoriums,  with  hot  medicinal  springs,  etc.)  are  much 
frequented  by  the  foreign  residents  of  Japan  and  China. 

From  Victoria  the  ships  follow  the  Great  Circle  Track 
(shortest  to  the  Orient)  south  of  Alaska,  until  the  Aleutian 
Islands,  with  their  oftentimes  magnificent  volcanic  displays, 
are  sighted,  then  the  course  is  S.W.  to  the  Kinkazan  Light- 
house, whence  it  is  a  short  day's  run  to  the  Awa  Headland, 
at  the  entrance  to  Tokyo  Bay.  In  summer  the  North  Pacific 
is  delightfully  cool;  in  winter  the  ships  seek  the  warm  waters 


ROUND  THE  WORLD  TOURS 


xiii 


of  the  mysterious  Kuro-shiwo  (comp.  p.  cxlv)  and  follow  the 
course  of  the  current  to  the  Japanese  Coast. 

The  ships  of  both  the  foregoing  lines  compare  favorably 
in  size  (20,000  tons  and  upward),  speed,  equipment,  good 
food,  and  general  comfort  with  many  of  the  best  trans- 
atlantic liners,  and  are  strictly  modern  (wireless  telegraphy, 
electric  fans,  sufficient  lifeboats,  etc.).  Owing  to  their  popu- 
larity they  usually  run  full  during  the  spring  and  autumn  sea- 
sons, and  cabins  should  be  engaged  well  in  advance.  The 
Japanese  and  Chinese  stewards  speak  English.  The  custom- 
ary fare  for  Children  on  both  lines  is:  under  12  and  over  5 
yrs.  \  the  adult  fare;  2  and  under  5  yrs.  J;  under  2  free  (for  1 
child;  others  at  the  \  rate).  Round-trip  tickets,  good  for  6  and 
12  months,  to  Yokohama  $300  and  $350  respectively;  Kobe 
$312.50  and  $365;  Nagasaki  $334  and  $393.75;  Shanghai- 
Manila- Hongkong  $337.50  and  $393.75.  Customary  reduc- 
tion for  missionaries,  servants,  and  others.  Steamer-chairs 
rentable  on  board  for  $1  for  the  voyage.  Laundry  on  the 
ship  at  reasonable  prices.  Baggage  allowance  350  lbs.  in 
addition  to  hand-luggage;  excess  (usually  overlooked  unless 
there  is  a  big  lot)  at  3  c.  per  lb.  Travelers  from  Europe  or  the 
Atlantic  Seaboard  can  save  considerable  by  remembering 
that  a  through  ticket  (cheaper  in  proportion  than  one  bought 
on  the  Pacific  Coast)  entitles  one  to  350  lbs.  of  baggage  on 
the  transcontinental  rlys.  (where  150  lbs.  is  the  usual  allow- 
ance, and  where  excess  generally  costs  about  12  c.  a  lb.). 

Round  the  World  Tours  are  sometimes  made  (about  80 
days)  by  the  C.P.R.  Co.  in  its  own  ships  (very  popular)  at  an 
inclusive  fare  of  $639.  At  other  times  they  are  planned  in 
connection  with  the  fine  ships  of  the  Peninsular  &  Oriental 
Steam  Navigation  Co.,  the  Norddeutscher  Lloyd,  and  other 
well-known  lines,  at  prices  ranging  from  $639,  according  to 
the  countries  visited.  Time  limit  2  years.  Beside  trans- 
pacific and  transatlantic  services  the  C.P.R.  Co.  operates 
the  Canadian  Australian  Royal  Mail  Steamship  Line  between 
Vancouver  and  Hawaii  (2435  M.;  fare  to  Honolulu  $75. 1st  cl.), 
Fiji  ($200),  New  Zealand  (6250  M.;  fare  $200),  and  Aus- 
tralia (7265  M.;  to  Sydney  $200;  Melbourne  $207);  and 
world  tours  are  arranged  which  include  these  places.  Thus, 
from  Vancouver  to  Australia,  thence  to  Japan  (Nippon 
Yusen  Kaisha  Line,  p.  xvi),  Ceylon,  and  Europe,  costs 
$827.40. —  Tickets  over  the  Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha  at  the  same 
prices.  This  company  also  operates  an  excellent  bi-monthly 
service  between  Yokohama  and  South  American  ports, 
touching  at  Manzanillo  and  Salina  Cruz  (Mexico).  Detailed 
information  upon  application  to  any  of  the  company's  agents. 

The  Intermediate  Service,  or  '  One-Class  Cabin'  ships 
operated  by  both  lines  appeal  to  the  economically-inclined 


xiv   HOW  TO  REACH  JAPAN  FROM  SEATTLE 


traveler.  The  vessels  are  those  which  but  a  few  years  ago  were 
'  crack  '  liners,  but  which  have  now  been  outclassed  by  even 
larger  ones.  They  are  equal  to  the  best  class  on  certain  other 
lines  and  are  deservedly  popular.  Fare  to  Yokohama  $150; 
to  Kobe  $157.50;  Nagasaki  $171;  Shanghai-Hongkong- 
Manila  $175  (round  trip,  with  6  months'  limit,  $225;  $236.50; 
$256.50,  and  $262.50  respecti  vely ) .  —  A  special  Mixed-Rate 
round- trip  ticket  to  Japan  and  China  ports  ($262.50  to  $300 
good  for  6  months,  and  $298.90  to  $342.65  with  a  12  months' 
limit)  enables  one  to  proceed  on  the  first-class  ships  and  return 
on  an  intermediate  one,  or  vice  versa. 

Passengers  bound  for  points  beyond  Japan  are  privileged 
to  exchange  a  portion  of  their  ticket  (consult  the  ship's  Purser) 
and  travel  on  the  Japanese  Railways  (see  p.  lxxxiii)  by  paying 
a  trifling  additional  amount  to  cover  the  extra  charge  collected 
on  express  trains,  etc.    Tips  are  mentioned  at  p.  liv. 

The  Pacific  Mail  S.S.  Co.  also  operates  a  fortnightly  ser- . 
vice  from  San  Francisco  to  Japan  and  China  ports;  rates  of 
passage  practically  those  of  the  Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha. 

From  Tacoma  and  Seattle.  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  (see 
Tokyo);  fortnightly  to  (4285  M.  in  14-16  days)  Yokohama  and 
Kobe  (fare  $110,  1st  cl.;  round  trip  with  6  months'  limit 
$165);  Shanghai-Hongkong  ($125  and  $187.50),  and  Manila 
($150  and  $225).  Round  the  World  Tours  $500  (via 
Montreal)  and  (via  New  York)  $510  (2  yrs.  limit).  The  line 
operates  in  America  in  conjunction  with  the  Great  Northern 
and  the  Northern  Pacific  Railways;  and  in  Japan  (to  Europe, 
Australia,  etc.)  with  its  own  big_fleet  of  ships. 

Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  (see  Osaka),  fortnightly  to  Yoko- 
hama, Kobe,  Moji,  and  Nagasaki;  fare  $95,  1st  cl.  (thence  to 
Shanghai-Manila-Hongkong  $110).  Returning  the  (single) 
fare  from  Manila  is  $130;  Hongkong-Shanghai  $110;  and 
Japan  ports  $95.  Round  trip,  6  months'  limit  $150-165;  for 
1  yr.  $175-$190.  In  America  the  company  works  in  conjunc- 
tion with  the  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  Puget  Sound  R.R.;  in 
Japan  with  its  own  extensive  fleet  of  ships.  The  excellent 
little  guidebooks  issued  (free)  by  the  publicity  department  ('A 
Guide  to  Manchuria  and  Beyond  ';  to  'Formosa';  '  Vladivos- 
tock';  'Korea,';  'Tientsin';  'Dairen';  and  to  the  company's 
'Inland  Sea  Service ')  are  attractive  and  useful. 

Both  of  the  foregoing  lines  carry  the  American  and  Japan- 
ese mails  and  both  are  popular  with  travelers  of  modest  means. 
The  ships  carry  English-speaking  officers  and  are  equipped 
with  ample  lifeboat  facilities,  wireless  outfits,  free  libraries, 
electric  fans,  laundries,  etc.  Steamer-chairs  free.  Baggage 
allowance  350  lbs.  Rates  for  children  are:  under  12  yrs.  §  fare; 
under  4  yrs.  free  (more  than  one  child  \  rate  extra).  The  same 
privileges  are  granted  over  the  Japanese  Railways  as  those 
mentioned  above. 


HOW  TO  REACH  JAPAN  FROM  EUROPE  xv 


From  Europe.  Of  all  the  extended  ocean  voyages  of  the 
world,  none  are  equal  in  sustained  picturesque  charm  and 
value  for  tourists  to  the  45  days'  trip  from  (12,114  M.)  London 
or  Bremen  via  the  Atlantic  to  the  Mediterranean,  thence 
through  the  Suez  Canal,  Red  Sea,  Indian  Ocean,  Straits  of 
Malacca,  China  Sea,  Inland  Sea  of  Japan,  and  the  Pacific 
Ocean  to  Yokohama.  On  the  outward  voyage  ships  of  the 
chief  lines  call  every  3  or  4  days  at  some  fascinatingly  inter- 
esting port  and  usually  stop  long  enough  to  allow  passengers 
to  go  ashore  for  a  few  hours  and  wander  through  the  brilliant, 
sunlit  streets,  the  glittering  bazaars  and  shops,  the  gorgeous 
temples,  botanical  gardens,  museums,  etc.,  for  which  each  may 
be  famous.  Gibraltar,  Algiers,  Marseilles,  Genoa,  Naples, 
Brindisi,  Malta,  Port  Said,  Suez,  Aden,  Colombo,  Penang, 
Singapore,  Hongkong,  Manila,  Shanghai,  Nagasaki,  and  Kobe 
are  touched  at  by  most  of  the  ships  mentioned  hereinafter, 
and  the  booklets  (see  below)  issued  by  the  companies  usually 
give  a  condensed  historical  sketch  of  each  port  and  sufficient 
practical  information  about  it  to  enable  the  traveler  to  see  the 
things  most  worth  seeing  in  the  shortest  possible  time. 

Of  the  various  lines  which  ply  regularly  between  Europe  and 
the  Far  East,  a  limited  number  carry  the  bulk  of  the  travel, 
and  as  space  forbids  reference  to  all  of  them,  only  those  most 
popular  with  the  traveling  public  will  be  mentioned  in  detail. 
The  North  German  Lloyd  (or  Norddeutscher  Lloyd,  known 
throughout  the  East  as  the  German  Mail,  and  as  the  N.D.L.), 
the  Peninsular  &  Oriental  Steam  Navigation  Company  (called 
the  P.  &  0.  for  short),  and  the  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  (referred 
to  usually  as  the  N.Y,K.),  all  with  large  fleets,  magnificent 
ships,  and  every  refinement  necessary  to  comfortable  travel 
in  low  latitudes  (electric  fans,  air-cooled  cabins,  music  at 
meals,  libraries,  laundries,  etc.),  are  preeminent,  and  each 
possesses  individual  points  of  excellence  which  appeal  to 
travelers.  All  run  so  full  during  the  autumn,  winter,  and 
spring  that  to  secure  accommodations  one  must  apply  for 
them  well  in  advance.  This  is  especially  so  on  the  voyages  to 
Europe  between  Oct.  and  Jan.,  when  the  season  for  India 
and  Egypt  (both  are  uncomfortably  hot  in  March)  is  at  its 
height,  and  when  travelers  who  have  come  to  Japan  in 
Sept. -Nov.,  to  see  the  chrysanthemums  and  maples,  continue 
southward  through  China  and  India,  with  plans  for  Continental 
Europe  in  the  early  spring. 

Rates  of  Passage.  The  P.  &  0.  ships  sail  fortnightly  from 
London  via  many  ports  to  Yokohoma;  £65,  1st  cl.;  on  inter- 
mediate ships  (smaller  but  very  comfortable)  £59;  £44  and  £40 
respectively,  2d  cl.  Children  over  12  yrs.  full  fare;  over  3  yrs. 
|  fare;  |  fare  for  an  additional  child  under  3  yrs.  Luggage 
allowance  336  lbs.  in  addition  to  hand-baggage.  Excess  be- 
tween any  two  ports  10s.  per  cwt.  —  The  P.  &  0.  Pleasure 


xvi    HOW  TO  REACH  JAPAN  FROM  EUROPE 


Cruises  in  the  Mediterranean  are  unique  in  their  way; 
admirably  planned,  and  conducted  on  luxurious  and  perfectly 
appointed  ships  at  reasonable  rates.  For  maps,  itinerary  notes, 
sailing  dates,  fares,  etc.,  consult  the  handbooks  (attractively 
printed  in  colors)  issued  (free)  by  the  company.  The  P.  &  0. 
Pocket  Book,  a  handsomely  illustrated  guidebook  with  280 
pages  and  numerous  excellent  maps  and  plans,  is  of  imme- 
diate value  to  travelers  in  Egypt,  India,  Australia,  and  the 
Far  Fast  (price  2s.  6d.).  The  '  Motor  Map  of  Ceylon'  (free) 
in  book  form  gives  information  of  value  to  motorists.  The 
P.  &  0.  Handbook  of  Information  contains  rates,  sailing 
dates,  and  other  matter  pertaining  to  the  line.  Free  on  appli- 
cation to  any  P.  &  0.  agent.  Circular  Tickets  via  Siberia 
and  Suez,  or  vice  versa,  to  the  Far  East,  available  for  2  yrs. 
and  with  privilege  of  breaking  the  journey  at  the  principal 
places  on  the  sea  voyage,  are  to  be  had  at  fares  ranging  from 
£104,  14s.  Id.,  1st  cl.,  and  £71,  15s.  Id.,  2d  cl. 

The  North  German  Lloyd;  fortnightly  from  Antwerp, 
Bremen,  Hamburg,  Rotterdam,  and  Southampton  via  ports 
to  Yokohama;  £71,  10s.,  1st  cl.;  £48,  8s.,  2d.  cl.  Rate  for  chil- 
dren the  same  as  that  of  the  P.  &  0.  Luggage  allowance  440 
lbs.  (200  kilos),  providing  it  does  not  measure  more  than  1 
cubic  meter.  Hand-baggage  free.  Excess  baggage  £2,  10s. 
per  ton.  The  magnificently  appointed  ships  of  the  company 
are  too  well  known  to  require  description.  The  Travelers' 
Checks  and  Circular  Notes  issued  by  the  company  are 
referred  to  in  detail  at  p.  xviii.  Information  relating  to  the 
circular  voyages  through  the  South  Sea  Islands  will  be 
found  in  the  excellent  Handbooks  —  issued  frequently  (free). 

The  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  (comp.  Tokyo)  ;  fortnightly 
from  London  and  Antwerp  via  ports  to  Yokohama.  The 
largest  ships  (8000  to  15,000  tons)  come  under  Class  A;  those 
of  6000-8000  tons  under  Class  B.  Fare  by  the  former  $275, 
1st  cl.  (return  voyage  600  yen);  $190,  2d  cl.  By  the  latter 
$250,  1st  cl.  (returning  550  yen)  and  $175,  2d.  cl.  The  Hand- 
book of  Information  (in  English,  free)  issued  by  the  com- 
pany contains  data  relating  to  ships,  etc.,  and  historical 
sketches  (including  hotel  rates,  etc.)  of  the  chief  cities  of  Java, 
India,  Australia,  etc.  Steamer-chairs  free.  Children  under 
12  yrs.  \  fare;  1  under  3  yrs.  free;  others  at  \  fare. 

All  the  foregoing  lines  sell  Round-Trip  tickets  available 
for  2  yrs.  at  \\  fares.  Single-Trip  tickets  customarily  are 
good  for  12  months  and  have  stop-over  privileges.  With  the 
exception  of  those  of  the  N.Y.K.,  the  rates  of  passage  from 
Japan  to  Europe  are  about  10  per  cent  less  than  those  from 
Europe  to  Japan.  Round  the  World  tickets  (2  yrs.  limit)  over 
the  N.Y.K.  and  allied  lines  cost  from  $500  upward  accord- 
ing to  the  route  followed;  over  the  P.  &  O.  via  Canada  or  the 
U.S.A.  $638  (including  Australia  $826);  over  the  N.G.L. 


HOW  TO  REACH  JAPAN  FROM  AUSTRALIA  xvii 


$655  and  upward;  2d  cl.  in  proportion.  The  reductions  in 
fares  for  those  who  travel  overland  between  England  and 
Italy  are  mentioned  in  the  literature  of  the  several  companies. 
Steamer- trunks  for  all  ships  should  not  measure  above  33  in. 
long,  16  in.  high,  and  20  in.  wide. 

The  Messageries  Maritimes  de  France  (French  Mail  Line)  con- 
ducts a  fortnightly  service  between  Marseilles  (via  ports)  and 
Yokohama  (fare  $336,  1st  cl.)  and  is  patronized  chiefly  by  pa- 
triotic Frenchmen.  The  cuisine,  hours  of  meals,  etc.,  are  French. 

The  Trans-Siberian  Railway,  is  described  in  Rte.  49. 

From  Australia.  The  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  maintains  an 
excellent  4-weekly  service  (good  ships,  recommended)  between 
Yokohama  and  Melbourne  (7074  M. ;  37  days;  fare  £48, 1st  cl. ; 
£30  10s.,  2d  cl.),  touching  on  the  outward  voyage  at  Hong- 
kong (1808  M.;  fare  100  yen,  1st  cl.;  69  yen,  2d  cl.);  Manila 
(2439  M.;  130  and  78  yen);  Thursday  Island  (4632  M.;  £33 
and  £19);  Townsville  (5296  M.;  £38  and  £25);  Brisbane 
(5986  M.;  £44  and  £29),  and  Sydney  (6494  M.;  £47  and  £30). 
The  same  general  conditions  exist  relating  to  children,  lug- 
gage, round-trip  tickets,  etc.,  as  on  the  European  and  Ameri- 
can lines.  The  course  from  Manila  is  southward  through  the 
beautiful  East  Indies,  over  the  Sulii  and  the  Celebes  Seas; 
through  the  tortuous  passages  of  the  Molucca  or  Spice  Islands; 
thence  across  the  Banda  Sea,  the  Gulf  of  Carpentaria,  through 
Torres  Straits,and  inside  the  Great  Barrier  Reef  which  stretches 
for  over  a  thousand  miles  along  the  Pacific  shore  of  Queens- 
land. Few  voyages  in  the  East  compare  with  it  for  tropical 
beauty  and  charm.  The  natives  of  some  of  the  islands  touched' 
at  are  as  wild  as  any  cannibals,  and  wonderful  South-Sea 
Island  curios  can  be  had  in  the  shops  of  the  different  ports. 

Big  ships  of  the  North  German  Lloyd  also  make  the  trip 
every  4  weeks  from  Yokohama  to  Melbourne  (fare  £48,  1st 
cl.;  £31  2d.  cl.),  touching  at  Hongkong,  Manila,  Yap,  Bris- 
bane, and  Sydney  (£46  and  £29  10s.);  round  trip  tickets  at 
reduced  rates,  etc.;  the  same  regulations  exist  as  are  found 
on  the  European  line. 

The  P.  &  O.  Service  is  from  Yokohama  to  Colombo  (5123 
M.,  fare  £31, 1st  cl.),  thence  to  Sydney  (5556  M.;  £41, 1st  cl.; 
£29,  2d  cl.). 

Detailed  information  relating  to  all  the  lines  is  to  be  found 
in  the  different  handbooks  issued  by  them. 

Rates  of  passage,  etc.,  applying  to  the  Eastern  &  Australian 
S.S.  Co.,  Ltd.  (monthly  service  between  Yokohama  and  Austra- 
lian ports)  can  be  had  on  application  to  any  of  its  agents. 

The  Conducted  Tours  of  Thos.  Cook  &  Son;  The  Raymond  & 
Whitcomb  Co.;  The  Collver  Tours  Co.;  The  Hamburg  Ameri- 
can S.S.  Co.;  Pacific  Travel  Bureau;  Frank  Clark,  and  others 
are  varied,  popular,  and  cheap.  Full  information  concerning 
them  can  be  obtained  from  the  prospectuses  issued  by  each. 


xviii 


EXPENSES  AND  MONEY 


B.  Traveling  Expenses.  Money.  Exchange.  Banks.  Passports. 
Custom-House.  Commercial  Travelers.    Abacus.  Guides. 

Expenses.  The  cost  of  traveling  in  Japan  is  less  than  in 
Europe  or  the  United  States.  The  average  daily  outgo 
will  vary  from  8  to  15  yen  ($4  to  $7.50  U.S.  money),  accord- 
ing to  one's  requirements  and  willingness  to  forego  non-es- 
sentials. This  sum  should  include  jinriki  fares  and  might  be 
made  to  cover  2d  cl.  fares  on  railways  if  short  journeys  only 
were  made.  A  material  saving  can  be  effected  if  one  is  content 
with  simple  fare  and  environment,  modest  apartments  in 
hotels,  and  will  walk  or  use  tram-cars  instead  of  hailing  a 
motor-car  or  a  jinriki  at  every  turn.  These  last  and  guides  add 
considerably  to  the  cost  of  getting  about,  and  both  have  a  way 
of  creating  other  expenditures.  Living  is  higher  in  the  large 
cities  on  the  direct  line  of  tourist  travel  than  in  the  interior  of 
the  country,  where  from  5  to  8  yen  will  be  the  average  daily 
expense,  provided  guides  and  special  conveyances  are  elimi- 
nated. These  estimates  do  not  include  wines,  motor-trips, 
geisha  entertainments,  or  other  unusual  extras.  They  can 
be  reduced  by  25  per  cent  or  more  by  settling  in  a  place  for  a 
long  stay.  The  small  daily  cost  of  a  good  mineral  water  should 
not  be  begrudged,  as  it  is  wiser  to  economize  in  other  ways 
than  to  omit  this  necessary  health  precaution.  The  constant 
aim  of  the  writer  has  been  to  point  out  ways  of  saving  money 
and  time,  and  these  hints  will  be  found  in  their  proper  places 
throughout  the  Guidebook. 

Travelers'  Checks,  Circular  Notes,  and  Letters  of 
Credit  form  the  best  methods  for  carrying  large  sums  of 
money.  When  issued  by  well-known  and  reputable  companies 
the  first  two  possess  an  advantage  over  the  latter,  as  they  are 
not  limited  to  banks  or  special  correspondents,  and  can  be 
cashed  on  board  ships  at  sea,  and  at  hotels,  business  houses, 
banks,  or  at  steamship  offices  on  shore.  They  are  specially 
convenient  in  small  or  interior  cities  where  no  banks  exist  to 
handle  letters  of  credit,  and  the  traveler  is  saved  the  trouble 
of  sending  to  the  nearest  bank  for  funds.  Banks  in  the  Far 
East  observe  so  many  holidays  that  sometimes  they  interfere 
seriously  with  the  traveler's  plans.  Checks  and  notes  render 
one  independent  of  them.  The  North  German  Lloyd  S.S.  Co., 
the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Co.,  and  others  issue  Travelers' 
Checks  in  denominations  of  $10,  $20,  $50,  $100,  and  $200 
(American  money),  and  Circular  Notes  of  £5,  £10,  and  £20 
at  a  fixed  charge  of  50  cents  for  each  $100.  On  presentation 
of  these  the  traveler  is  paid  their  equivalent  in  the  money 
of  the  country  visited.  The  coupons  issued  by  the  best-known 
tourist  agencies  are  accepted  at  the  chief  hotels  in  Japan. 

Money  (kane;  kinsu;  kinsen,  etc.).  The  currency  of  Japan 
is  arranged  on  the  decimal  system  with  the  gold  standard  (re- 


MONEY 


xix 


verted  to  in  1897)  as  the  base.  The  monetary  unit  is  the  yen 
(Chinese:  yuen,  'round,'  a  'round  thing,'  a  'dollar')  of  100 
sen  (cents),  worth  approximately  50  American  cents;  2  shil- 
lings and  a  penny;  2  marks;  2|  francs;  or  a  Mexican  peso. 
Neither  the  silver  yen  (which  is  the  same  size  as  an  Amer. 
silver  dollar)  nor  the  gold  coins  {kin-ka)  which  the  silver 
(ain)  coins  represent  are  seen  in  circulation;  the  former  having 
been  withdrawn,  and  the  latter  being  used  chiefly  to  pay  foreign 
loans  or  their  interest.  They  can  be  had  at  par  at  nearly  any 
of  the  banks.  The  corresponding  sign  for  the  dollar  mark  in 
Japan  is  the  initial  Y  of  the  yen  with  two  horizontal  lines  across 
the  stem,  thus  ¥.  The  current  coins  and  notes  are :  — 

1  (ichi)  rin  (or  10  mo,  or  mon),  the  equivalent  of  1  mill  or  1-10  of  1  sen; 
of  copper  (dd-ka). 

5  (go)  rin;  f  sen,  or  1-200  of  one  yen  (¥1);  copper. 

1  sen  (ichi  sen),  equal  to  10  rin,  or  1-100  of  a  yen;  copper. 

2  "   (nisen),       44     "  20    44    "  1-50  "  "  44 

5  44   (go  sen),      44     44  1-20  of  1  yen,  the  only  nickel  (nickeru)  coin. 
10  44    (ju  sen),  a  dime,  or  1-10  of  a  yen;  silver. 
20  44    (ni-ju  sen),  %  of  a  yen  (the  Japanese  franc  piece);  silver. 
100  4 4   (ichi  yen  or  en);  of  paper ,(shihei) . 

5  yen;  of  gold;  also  paper;  pronounced  go  en. 
10    44    44     44      44       4  4  44         jew  en. 

The  new  20-sen  piece  is  of  an  equal  circumference  with  the 
5-sen  nickel,  and  after  dark  is  easily  mistaken  for  it.  To  avoid 
proffering  the  more  valuable  piece  where  the  nickel  is  intended, 
one  has  but  to  remember  that  the  former  has  a  milled  edge 
and  that  the  latter  is  smooth.  The  banks  take  no  coin  smaller 
than  the  rin  into  account,  but  petty  tradesmen  often  make 
calculations  in  the  mon  sl  perforated  copper  coin  equal  to 
1-1000  of  a  kwan  (the  income  of  a  daimyo  measured  in  cash), 
and  in  shu  —  ancient  rectangular  silver  coins  not  used  now. 
They  also  customarily  say  go  rin  instead  of  J  sen.  The 1  cash ■ 
(O-saisen)  of  Japan  is  1-20  of  a  sen  and  is  used  chiefly  as  an 
offering  in  the  contribution-box  (saisen-bako)  of  temples  — 
near  the  approaches  to  which  they  can  usually  be  bought. 
The  large  oblong  ones  with  a  hole  in  the  center  are  sold  in 
curio-shops  at  a  small  advance  of  their  face  value  (8  rin). 
The  name  Tempo  (an  abbreviation  of  Temposen)  is  due  to  the 
fact  that  the  legitimate  coins  (now  rare)  were  minted  during 
the  Tempo  era  (8th  cent.)  and  struck  again  in  1830-43  (with- 
drawn between  1873-85).  Five- and  10-sen  pieces,  and  1-yen 
notes  are  sometimes  1  cornered '  by  speculators,  and  to  supply 
the  demand  and  profit  by  it,  small  exchange-booths  stand  just 
outside  the  entrance  to  many  of  the  prominent  rly.  stations. 
Money  is  exchanged  for  a  premium  of  1  per  cent. 

Bank  Bills  (redeemable  in  gold,  at  par)  of  1,  5,  10,  100,  and 
1000  yen  circulate  from  government  and  private  banks  and  are 
beautifully  printed  (at  Tokyo,  in  the  Insatsu  Kyoku)  on  tough 
but  fine  native  paper  manufactured  specially  for  the  purpose. 
The  paper,  silver,  and  nickel  monies  are  freely  counterfeited. 


V 
\ 


XX 


MONEY 


Values  are  expressed  in  Japanese  and  English.  The  vignettes 
on  certain  of  the  notes  refer  to  episodes  in  the  history  of  the 
nation,  or  picture  historical  or  mythological  characters.  Bills 
of  the  Bank  of  Japan  (Nippon  Ginko)  have  a  wider  circulation 
than  others.  A  medallion  of  the  old  silver  yen  may  be  seen 
on  the  back  of  the  1-yen  note.  The  5-yen  is  uniquely  handsome; 
when  held  against  the  light  the  blank  medallion  discloses  the 
smiling,  mischievous  face  of  the  elusive  Daikoku,  'God  of 
Wealth/  The  fine  portrait  is  of  Sugawara  Michizane,  and  the 
shrine  on  the  reverse,  the  Kitano  Tenjin  (in  Kyoto).  On  the 
face  of  the  10-yen  note  is  the  16-petal  imperial  chrysanthe- 
mum, a  portrait  of  Wake  Kiyomaro,  and  a  shrine  (the  Go-o- 
jinsha)  erected  to  his  memory  near  the  old  Imperial  Palace  in 
Kyoto.  The  vignette  of  a  running  wild  boar  on  the  reverse  is 
not,  as  is  commonly  supposed,  due  to  the  money  being  printed 
in  the  Year  of  the  Boar,  but  because  Kiyomaro  was  fond  of 
hunting  this  animal,  and  that  a  pair  of  them,  carved  out  of 
stone,  stand  before  and  guard  the  entrance  to  his  shrine,  in 
place  of  the  customary  Dogs  of  Fo.  The  portrait  on  the  face 
of  the  100-yen  note  is  of  Fujiwara  Kamatari,  with  his  favorite 
temple  ( Tamu-no-mine)  in  Yamato.  An  illustration  of  the  Bank 
of  Japan  is  shown  on  the  reverse.  The  notes  of  small  denomina- 
tions are  the  most  convenient  to  carry  and  use  in  the  interior  of 
Japan,  as  change  for  a  100-yen  bill  is  not  always  to  be  had. 

The  regulation  fineness  of  the  coins  is :  Gold,  900  parts  with 
100  of  copper;  silver,  800  and  200;  nickel,  750  with  250  of  cop- 
per; copper,  950  with  40  parts  of  tin  and  10  of  zinc.  The  new 
20-  and  50-sen  pieces  are  considerably  smaller  than  the  earlier 
coins  they  are  gradually  replacing.  The  gold  coins  carry 
wreaths  and  crests  of  the  imperial  chrysanthemum  and  the 
Paulownia  imperialism  with  the  date,  the  words  Dai  Nippon 
(Great  Japan),  and  the  rising  sun.  The  mythological  dragon* 
is  disappearing  from  the  national  coins.  While  American  and 
English  money  will  be  received  in  many  of  the  Japanese  hotels 
and  business  houses,  very  little  foreign  money  of  any  kind  is 
found  circulating  in  Japan.  The  traveler  has  to  be  on  his  guard 
chiefly  against  counterfeits.  Perforated  money  is  rarely  met 
with,  as  coins  have  never  been  used  as  ornaments  in  Japan. 
Any  public  display  of  money  should  be  avoided,  as  pickpockets, 
though  not  numerous,  are  extraordinarily  skillful. 

Prior  to  a.d.  708  the  coined  money  used  m  Japan  came  from  China,  whence 
also  came  the  idea  of  a  mint  for  making  it.  Silver  was  discovered  in  Tsu- 
shima in  a.d.  674,  but  it  was  not  until  during  the  Wado  era  (708-715)  that 
copper  was  found  in  the  Chichibu  Range  in  Musashi,  and  Japan  established 
(in  the  Province  of  Omi)  her  first  mint  and  struck  her  first  coins.  The 
tokens  were  chiefly  of  copper,  for  although  an  issue  of  silver  and  of  gold 
coins  was  made  in  760,  the  idea  of  monometalism  pleased  the  people,  and 
copper  became  the  current  coin  of  the  realm.  In  the  early  days  when  a  mer- 
chant acquired  gold  or  silver  bullion  he  usually  followed  the  ancient  Chinese 
custom  of  cutting  it  into  parallelograms  of  the  required  size  and  paying  it 
out  by  weight.  Later,  considerable  quantities  of  these  metals  were  sent  to 
China  in  exchange  for  Chinese  copper  tokens  for  which  a  national  demand 


EXCHANGE 


xxi 


existed  —  for  the  casting  of  idols  and  other  temple  ornaments.  At  first  the 
ratio  between  silver  and  copper  was  1  to  4;  later  it  was  fixed  at  1  to  25,  and 
finally  1  to  10.  Between  760  and  958  other  mints  were  established  at 
Harima,  Nagato,  and  Dazaifu,  and  from  these  and  the  original  Omi  mint  11 
new  sets  of  coins  were  issued.  Counterfeiters  became  so  plentiful  and  so 
bold  that  those  convicted  were  enslaved  or  beheaded,  while  accessories  to 
the  crime  were  made  gov't  slaves.  In  958,  Buddhistic  zeal  made  it  impos- 
sible for  Japan  to  maintain  her  metallic  currency.  As  the  mints  were  small 
affairs  which  did  not  absorb  more  than  20  tons  of  copper  a  year,  and  as  the 
rage  for  temple  bells  and  idols  grew  at  such  a  pace  that  every  ounce  of  cop- 
per obtainable  was  used  in  making  them,  the  gov't  mints  closed  and  did 
not  operate  again  for  6  centuries,  or  during  the  time  of  Hideyoshi  in  1587. 
Their  closure  was  hastened  by  the  gov't  device  of  debasing  the  coinage, 
which  soon  became  almost  as  worthless  as  inflated  paper  money.  The 
Dutch  traders  withdrew  an  immense  amount  of  gold,  silver,  and  copper 
from  the  country,  and  it  is  said  that  in  the  16th  and  17th  centuries  the 
value  of  this  amounted  to  £9,500,000. 

'  In  the  last  quarter  of  the  16th  cent,  a  wholly  new  departure  was  made 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Taiko  —  that  great  captain,  administrator,  poli- 
tician, statesman,  and  art  patron,  whose  influence  for  progress  was  felt  in 
almost  every  region  of  Japan's  national  existence.  At  the  mint  founded  by 
him,  and  placed  under  the  direction  of  the  Goto  family  (the  greatest  workers 
in  metal  Japan  ever  possessed),  a  coin  was  struck  magnificent  in  dimen- 
sions and  entirely  original  in  design.  The  easiest  way  to  conceive  it  is  to 
suppose  16  guineas  beaten  into  an  oval  plate,  its  surface  hammered  in  wave 
pattern  and  having  the  superscription,  "ten  ryo  "  boldly  written  in  black 
ink.  It  was  certainly  a  very  remarkable  transition  from  a  little  copper 
token,  not  an  inch  in  diameter  and  worth  only  a  fraction  of  a  farthing,  to  a 
slab  of  gold  as  large  as  a  man's  open  hand  and  worth  16  guineas.  This 
Oban  (or  large  plate)  contained  about  68  per  cent  of  gold  and  29  per  cent  of 
silver.  Owing  to  the  large  percentage  of  silver,  its  surface  had  a  pale,  silvery 
cast,  and  to  give  it  the  appearance  of  pure  gold  the  mint,  rather  than  go  to 
the  added  expense  of  gilding  it,  dissolved  the  silver  from  the  surface  layers. 
Other  gold  coins  were  also  struck,  —  a  5-ryo  piece,  a  1-ryo  and  a  %-ryo  piece, 
—  and  there  were  also  silver  coins  somewhat  similar  in  shape  and  design, 
though  of  smaller  dimensions.' 

Paper  money  became  popular  about  the  middle  of  the  17th  cent.,  and 
soon  thereafter  upward  of  1700  varieties  of  notes  were  circulating  in  the 
various  districts.  There  were  gold,  silver,  rice,  and  a  long  list  of  notes  re- 
deemable in  as  many  articles,  the  circulation  of  each  kind  being  limited  to 
the  confines  of  the  issuing  fiefs.  Many  are  still  in  existence  and  they  occupy 
in  Japan  much  the  same  position  that  Confederate  money  does  in  the  United 
States.  The  currency  system  established  at  the  beginning  of  the  Meiji  era 
was  based  on  the  gold  standard,  with  the  gold  yen  as  the  unit.  The  first 
modern  mint  was  established  (under  British  auspices)  at  Osaka  in  1871,  and 
it  has  been  operating  ever  since.  The  employees  now  are  Japanese. 

Numismatists  will  be  interested  in  the  handsome  ryo  pieces,  and  in  the 
various  little  iron,  copper,  bronze,  and  silver  coins  issued  prior  to  1870. 
These  with  the  paper  money  of  earlier  times  are  often  to  be  found  in  the 
curio-3tores;  framed  in  groups  purporting  to  be  complete  collections,  with 
historical  data  referring  to  the  issues.  Buyers  should  be  sure  that  the  ryo 
pieces  are  up  to  the  standard  of  weight  and  fineness. 

Exchange.  The  variations  in  the  exchange  between  Japanese 
and  foreign  monies  is  slight,  —  depending  upon  the  demand 
and  market  quotations,  —  but  even  small  differences  amount 
to  considerable  in  large  transactions,  and  before  putting  such 
through,  the  traveler  is  advised  to  consult  some  business  friend 
familiar  with  the  idiosyncracies  of  the  money  market,  or  to 
scan  the  daily  quotations  (under  'Exchange')  in  the  news- 
papers. If  the  London  price  of  bar  silver  shows  even  a  minute 
difference,  the  exchange  rate  is  apt  to  operate  in  sympathy 


xxii 


EXCHANGE 


with  it.  When  the  quotations  are  disadvantageous,  the  tra- 
veler should  hold  off  for  a  few  days  until  the  market  regains  its 
normal  tone.  For  the  checks,  circular  notes,  and  letters  of 
credit  mentioned  under  Money,  the  exchange  at  sight  is  usually 
about  2  yen  for  1  American  dollar;  English  money  being  a 
trifle  less  owing  to  the  inherent  difference  in  value.  If  the  holder 
of  such  symbols  has  business  friends  in  Japan  with  financial 
obligations  to  meet  in  Europe  or  America,  he  can  often  make  ti 
more  advantageous  deal  with  them  than  with  the  foreign 
banks  —  both  parties  to  the  transaction  saving  a  trifle  in  the 
form  of  commissions.  The  difference  between  the  buying  and 
selling  rates  of  exchange  is  a  potent  factor  in  the  large  divi- 
dends which  the  foreign  banks  are  usually  enabled  to  pay, 
and  as  these  petty  '  squeezes '  cannot  always  be  dodged,  it 
behooves  the  traveler  to  sell  his 'drafts,  etc.,  to  the  highest 
bidder.  He  will  therefore  wish  to  remember  that  certain  of  the 
large  native  institutions  (whose  trustworthiness  is  beyond  all 
question),  with  branches  in  the  chief  cities  of  the  world,  often- 
times work  on  closer  margins  than  the  foreigners.  The  Yoko- 
hama Specie  Bank,  Ltd.,  has  a  branch  at  London,  and  the 
traveler,  with  Japanese  money  which  he  wishes  to  deposit  in 
Japan  in  exchange  for  an  order  which  he  can  cash  at  sight  in 
London,  can  sometimes  effect  a  saving  by  selling  it  to  them. 
If,  for  example,  a  draft  for  £150  is  wanted  and  the  foreign  bank 
quotes  exchange  at  the  rate  of  2s.  3-8d.  (which  would  mean 
yen  1476.92)  against  the  offer  of  the  Japanese  bank  of  2s. 
7-1M.  (yen  1473.14)  a  saving  of  yen  3.78  would  be  effected 
(yen  2.50  on  £100;  yen  1.26  on  £50;  and  51  sen  on  £20).  It 
should  be  remembered  that  a  better  price  can  usually  be  ob- 
tained for  foreign  money  in  Japan  than  for  Japanese  money 
in  a  foreign  country. 

The  market  for  cash  money  is  capricious,  depending  usually 
upon  the  supply  and  demand,  or  the  whim  of  the  money- 
changer. Although  the  yen  is  quoted  officially  as  worth  a  trifle? 
less  ($0.4935)  than  50  cents  U.S.  money,  foreign  banks  often t 
persist  in  throwing  the  exchange  the  other  way  and  giving  a  ; 
little  less  than  double  (say  198  yen  for  $100)  for  American 
currency,  and  still  less  for  silver  coins  —  which  are  supposed 
to  be  costly  to  transport.  Gold  coins  find  a  ready  sale  in  TokyO  ; 
and  will  usually  bring  double  their  face  value.  The  best  price 
for  gold  can  generally  be  obtained  from  the  Chinese  money- 
changers, who  will  take  a  small  profit  if  they  cannot  get  a  large 
one.  A  saving  of  1  per  cent  can  often  be  made  by  shopping 
about  until  the  best  offer  is  found.  When  one  wishes  to  buy  \ 
foreign  money,  its  value  is  suddenly  enhanced,  the  exchange  J 
going  the  other  way  and  always  to  the  profit  of  the  broker.  J 
The  difference  in  the  value  of  gold,  currency,  and  fractional  / 
silver  is  also  made  light  of  or  lost  sight  of,  all  being  quoted  at 
the  highest  rate.  Buyers  of  Russian  money  may  wish  to 


BANKS 


xxiii 


remember  that  when  the  exchange  is  normal  certain  brokers 
in  Yokohama  will  demand  106  yen,  for  100  roubles,  while  others 
will  take  104  yen.  An  even  better  rate  can  be  secured  in  Seoul 
(Korea).  Chinese  fractional  currency  should  be  accepted  with 
caution,  as  it  is  often  discounted  heavily.  Before  buying  ex- 
change on  China,  consult  some  friend  familiar  with  local  con- 
ditions. In  this  case  also  the  native  banks  will  often  quote 
better  rates  than  the  foreign  ones. 

The  traveler  who  expects  to  remain  in  Japan  for  any  length 
of  time  can  earn  interest  (usually  2  per  cent  on  daily  balances 
above  200  yen)  on  his  spare  money  by  opening  a  current  ac- 
count with  one  of  the  banks,  and  checking  against  it  as  he  needs 
it.  It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that  this  interest  is 
added  to  the  account  at  the  end  of  6  months,  and  if  the  ac- 
count is  drawn  down  before,  and  the  interest  is  not  called  for, 
it  may  be  overlooked.  A  materially  better  rate  can  be  ob-' 
tained  by  means  of  '  Time  Deposits/  for  6  or  12  months.  The 
rate  fluctuates,  but  the  foreign  banks  usually  pay  3  J  to  4  per 
cent,  respectively,  and  the  native  banks  4  to  6  per  cent. 

The  Exchange  Brokers  often  seen  speeding  about  the 
foreign  settlements  of  the  sometime  treaty  ports,  in  jinrikis 
drawn  by  2  to  3  fleet  coolies,  act  as  go-betweens  with  the  mer- 
chants and  the  banks. 

Exchange  Tables,  in  handy  book  form,  showing  the  value 
of  U.S.A.,  English,  and  other  monies  at  the  various  rates  of 
exchange,  may  be  had  of  local  book  dealers. 

Banks  {Ginko)  where  Travelers'  Checks,  Circular  Notes, 
Letters  of  Credit,  etc.,  can  be  cashed  (see  Exchange)  are  es- 
tablished in  all  the  large  port  cities  of  the  Pacific.  In  planning 
journeys  the  traveler  will  do  well  to  scan  the  newspapers  for 
advertisements  of  the  numerous  bank  holidays.  The  Yoko- 
hama Specie  Bank,  Ltd.  ;  the  Bank  of  Japan;  Mitsui  Ginko; 
Dai  Ichi  Ginko,  and  others  among  the  Japanese  banks  rank 
on  a  par  with  the  foreign  institutions  and  possess  the  advantage 
of  branches  in  the  interior  and  remote  cities  where  foreign 
banks  are  not  represented.  The  best  known  among  these  are 
the  Chartered  Bank  of  India,  Australia,  and  China  (English); 
International  Banking  Corporation  (American);  Deutsch- 
Asiatische  Bank  (German);  Honkgong  &  Shanghai  Banking 
Co.  (China),  etc.  Tourists  may  like  to  remember  that  although 
no  small  part  of  the  large  annual  profits  of  the  foreign  banks 
are  derived  from  the  exchange  on  the  many  drafts,  etc.,  pre- 
sented by  the  army  of  travelers  who  visit  Japan,  some  profess 
not  to  care  for  the  business,  and  treat  small  financial  deals  with 
scant  courtesy.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Japanese  banks,  Tour- 
ist Agencies,  etc.,  cater  for  the  business  and  often  make  it  more 
advantageous  for  the  traveler  to  deal  with  them.  (See  Money.) 


xxiv 


CUSTOM-HOUSE 


Passports  (kitte,  tegata)  are  unnecessary  in  Japan.  They  are 
sometimes  useful,  particularly  in  official  circles,  when  the  tra- 
veler wishes  to  establish  his  identity.  Englishmen  may  secure 
them  (cost  2  shillings)  from  the  Passport  Department  of  the 
Foreign  Office,  at  London;  Americans  must  apply  (cost  $2)  to 
the  Bureau  of  Citizenship,  State  Department,  Washington, 
D.C.  /  They  can  be  secured  at  the  American  Embassy  at 
Tokyo,  or  the  Consulate  General  at  Yokohama,  at  a  cost  of 
¥4.02.  If  a  regular  passport  is  required,  from  2  to  3  months 
must  elapse  before  it  can  come  from  Washington;  otherwise 
the  traveler  is  supplied  with  an  Emergency  Passport,  applying 
(6  months'  limit)  to  the  countries  which  he  specifically  signi- 
fies his  desire  to  travel  through.}  A  single  document,  properly 
viseed,  serves  for  a  man  and  his  family.  Passports  are  requi- 
site for  Siberia  and  Russia;  without  them  travelers  will  be 
turned  back  at  the  frontier.  They  must  have  the  vise  of  a 
Russian  Consul;  cost  in  Yokohama,  ¥2.36. 

The  Imperial  Japanese  Custom-House  (Zeikwan)  has 
branches  (English  spoken)  at  all  ports  of  entry.  The  formali- 
ties are  never  to  be  dreaded.  Duties  on  many  imported  articles 
are  high,  but  incoming  travelers  are  welcomed  and  are  allowed 
an  unusually  liberal  amount  of  baggage.  All  the  articles  neces- 
sary to  a  long  sea  voyage  are  passed  free,  and  each  traveler 
may  bring  with  him  a  camera,  a  typewriter,  steamer-chairs, 
books,  manuscripts,  documents,  tools,  and  instruments  of 
professional  necessity  in  so  far  as  they  correspond  to  the  social 
or  commercial  status  of  the  owner,  samples  of  merchandise 
only  fit  to  be  used  as  such,  etc.  (See  Automobiles.)  The  offi- 
cials are  courteous  and  lenient,  and  neither  accept  nor  expect 
fees.  One's  belongings  are  inspected  rather  than  examined,  and 
are  never  dumped  out,  rummaged,  or  crumpled  to  facilitate  a 
rigid  overhauling.  Tobacco  and  cigars  are  sought  (50  cigars  or 
cigarettes  free)  and  the  traveler  is  asked  if  he  has  any.  Any 
attempt  to  smuggle  opium  or  the  utensils  for  smoking  it 
(strictly  forbidden  entrance  to  the  country)  may  provoke  seri- 
ous trouble.  Personal  effects  and  furniture  of  foreigners 
coming  to  reside  in  Japan  are  admitted  free  of  duty  if  they 
have  been  used  and  are  not  for  sale.  While  it  is  usually  wise  to 
superintend  personally  the  inspection  of  one's  belongings  in 
transit  through  the  custom-house,  the  runners  for  the  best- 
known  hotels  are  trustworthy,  and  often  are  able  to  attend  to 
such  matters  more  expeditiously  and  satisfactorily  than  the 
traveler  himself.  Courtesy  on  the  part  of  the  stranger  is  a 
valuable  asset  in  custom-house  transactions. 

Commercial  Travelers  are  not  taxed  in  Japan,  and  they  can 
have  the  import  duties  on  samples  used  for  the  purpose  of 
collecting  orders  refunded  upon  reexportation,  if  they  will 
make  their  wishes  known  at  the  port  of  entry  at  the  time  of  en- 


COMMERCIAL  TRAVELERS 


tering  the  goods.  Samples,  which  owing  to  their  nature  cannot 
be  easily  identified,  must  be  marked  in  some  way.  Caution  is 
necessary  in  declaring  firearms,  as  a  special  permit  is  required 
before  a  Japanese  can  own  one,  and  a  revolver  found  in  the 
possession  of  a  person  without  a  permit  might  lead  to  unpleas- 
ant investigations.  When  an  appreciable  quantity  of  mer- 
chandise is  imported,  one  unacquainted  with  the  intricacies  of 
the  new  tariff  may  effect  a  considerable  saving  in  duties  by 
having  the  goods  passed  in  by  a  reputable  shipping  broker; 
by  procuring  a  copy  of  the  latest  (English)  edition  of  the  Im- 
port Tariff  of  Japan  with  the  customs  laws  and  regulations 
(cost  about  2  yen  at  any  bookstore);  or  by  consulting  some 
business  friend  before  making  the  declaration.  There  are 
preferential  duties  (subject  to  change),  and  by  having  a  Certi- 
ficate of  Origin  accompany  imports  one  may,  provided  he 
knows  something  of  the  privileges  granted  to  the  specially 
favored  contracting  Powers,  save  a  third  or  more  of  the  duties 
assessed.  Many  articles  pay  duty  according  to  weight;  others 
are  assessed  ad  valorem. 

As  an  aid  to  commercial  travelers  small  lists  of  the  chief 
import  commission  houses  will  be  found  under  the  Yokohama 
and  Kobe  headings.  Much  of  the  import  (and  export)  business 
is  done  through  commission  houses,  which  act  as  intermedi- 
aries between  the  manufacturer  or  shipper  and  the  consumer. 
The  majority  of  Japanese  merchants  demand  long-time  pay- 
ments or  terms  on  goods,  which  Americans  particularly  refuse 
to  grant  unless  they  are  amply  guaranteed.  The  usual  proce- 
dure, therefore,  is  to  quote  the  lowest  cash  prices  (f.o.b.  factory 
or  seaport)  to  the  resident  commission  merchant,  and  display 
samples  in  his  showroom.  The  latter  draws  up  a  pro-forma 
invoice,  which  includes  cost,  freight,  insurance,  customs  duties, 
etc.,  adds  his  commission,  and  agrees  on  the  prices  which  he 
will  quote  to  the  trade,  either  with  cost,  insurance,  and  freight 
(termed  'Cif '  prices),  delivered  at  the  custom-house  quay,  or 
in  the  buyer's  wareroom.  The  importer  agrees  to  pay  for  the 
goods  through  a  draft  on  the  bank  at  30,  60,  or  90  days  (after 
they  are  shipped),  and  often  allows  his  customer  from  3  to  6 
months  (covered  by  notes  or  contracts)  in  which  to  pay  for 
them.  The  traveler  then  calls  on  the  merchants,  accompanied 
by  an  English-speaking  Japanese  banto  (salesman) ,  who  quotes 
the  laid-down  prices  and  invites  the  prospective  buyer  to 
inspect  the  samples.  Business  is  usually  done  on  a  2^  or  5  per 
cent  margin.  If  there  is  a  cash  discount  of  2  to  5  per  cent,  this 
is  sometimes  split  with  the  customer.  Certain  of  the  native 
firms  are  wealthy  and  trustworthy.  The  Japanese  are  keen 
business  men,  but  they  conduct  their  operations  with  a  degree 
of  slowness  which  recks  not  of  the  value  of  time ;  and  they  will 
not  be  hurried.  The  vicious  and  misleading  statement  that  all 
Japanese  merchants  are  dishonest  is  as  unjust  as  it  is  untrue. 


xxvi 


GUIDES 


There  is  no  lack  of  graceless  rascals  among  the  Japanese,  but 
the  proportion  of  honest  men  is  apparently  about  the  same  as 
that  of  any  other  civilized  country. 

The  Abacus,  or  soroban  (Chinese:  swanpan,  or  'counting- 
board'),  is  used  largely  in  arithmetical  calculations  by  Japanese. 
With  this  early  Phenician  or  Grecian  instrument,  the  solu- 
tion of  intricate  problems  in  foreign  exchange,  and  other  propo- 
sitions are  found  quickly  and  ingeniously.  The  commercial 
traveler  will  find  it  to  his  interest  to  learn  the  operation  of  it,  as 
a  knowledge  of  how  to  read  it  only  is  useful  at  times.  The 
soroban  is  a  shallow  case  or  frame  of  various  lengths  and 
widths,  crossed  longitudinally  by  a  bar  which  divides  it  into 
two  unequal  compartments.  These  are  crossed  vertically  by 
(usually  13)  wires  or  bamboo  rods,  with  1  ball  (2  in  the  Chinese 
instrument)  on  each  stick  above  the  transversal  bar,  and  5 
below.  The  upper  bead  stands  for  5  units,  and  each  of  the 
lower  ones  for  1  unit,  so  that  there  are  10  units  on  each  stick. 
When  the  balls  on  any  rod  are  taken  for  units,  those  next  to  the 
right  stand  for  tens,  the  third  for  hundreds,  and  so  on.  Simple 
calculations  in  addition  and  subtraction  are  done  on  this 
machine  with  accuracy  and  speed,  but  if  an  error  be  made  the 
whole  must  be  performed  again,  since  the  result  appears  only 
when  the  sum  is  finished. 

Guides  (Annai-nin;  sendachi;  but  better  known  as 1  guides') 
can  be  hired  at  almost  any  of  the  hotels  or  Tourist  Agencies,  — 
the  latter  making  it  a  part  of  their  business  to  supply  them. 
There  are  numerous  Guide  Associations,  or  Guilds,  the  mem- 
bers of  which  speak  English  and  Japanese  (sometimes  a  little 
French).  Their  pay  is  4  yen  a  day  for  1  or  2  persons  (50  sen 
additional  per  person  when  there  are  more  than  2  in  a  party), 
besides  rly.  fare  (2d  or  3d  cl.)  and  jinriki  hire.  They  are  sup- 
posed to  provide  their  own  food:  as  a  rule  they  prefer  riding  to 
walking.  Some  are  honest,  and  in  certain  cases  are  useful; 
others  are  incompetent  and  are  noteworthy  for  their  unblush- 
ing ignorance  of  the  history  and  ancient  customs  of  their  own 
people,  for  the  inaccuracy  of  the  information  supplied  to  their 
employers,  for  an  ingrained  and  exasperating  tendency  to 
overpay  and  Hip'  their  nationals  at  their  patron's  expense 
(thereby  acquiring  if  not  a  direct  commission,  at  least  a  re- 
flected glory),  and  for  an  apparently  ineradicable  propensity  to 
collect  a. '  squeeze'  on  everything  bought  through  them  or  at 
shops  where  they  act  as  interpreters.  Some  are  guilty  of  black- 
listing reputable  shops,  .hotels,  and  resorts  where  a  percentage 
of  their  master's  bill  is  not  paid  over  to  them,  and,  by  belittling 
them,  induce  their  patrons  to  go  to  places  where  commissions 
can  be  counted  upon.  For  unless  proprietors  accede  to  the 
demands,  and  overcharge  patrons  for  the  benefit  of  the  guide, 
guests  and  customers  are  taken  elsewhere.  This  corrupt  prac- 


GUIDES 


xxvii 


tice  has  become  so  intolerable  that  certain  hotel-keepers, 
tradesmen,  and  government  officials  are  leagued  in  an  effort  to 
abate  the  nuisance.  Correct  values  of  Japanese  curios  are  so 
little  understood  by  many  strangers  that  dishonest  guides  have 
been  known  to  induce  their  employers  to  pay  absurd  prices  for 
alleged  works  of  art  and  pocket  half  the  excess  over  and  above 
the  right  price.  Because  of  this  predatory  habit  many  of  the 
best  dealers  will  not  permit  certain  guides  on  their  premises. 
In  other  places  prices  go  up  at  sight  of  them,  to  the  disadvant- 
age of  purchasers.  As  a  rule  no  confidence  should  be  placed  in 
the  guide's  judgment  of  antiques,  and  even  less  in  his  criticism 
of  the  contents  of  this  Guidebook.  It  may  be  accepted  as  a  safe 
axiom  that  the  majority  of  guides  occupy  a  low  place  in  the 
esteem  of  cultivated  Japanese,  a  fact  which  travelers  will  do 
well  to  bear  in  mind  in  cases  where  an  interpreter  is  needed  on 
delicate  missions  or  at  interviews  with  prominent  men.  Intel- 
ligent, bi-lingual  Japanese  can  always  be  obtained  for  such 
services.  (Comp.  p.  cxvi.) 

So  prevalent  is  the  (erroneous)  idea  that  Japan  is  a  difficult 
country  to  travel  in  that  some  timid  persons  employ  guides  at 
4  yen  &  day  to  conduct  them  about  the  streets  of  Yokohama 
and  Tokyo,  and  to  go  with  them  to  such  well-known  places  as 
Nikko,  Kyoto,  Kobe,  etc.  In  all  of  these,  English  is  widely 
spoken,  and  all  the  best  hotels  have  information  bureaus  con- 
ducted by  helpful  men  who  can  supply  a  local  English-speaking 
guide  at  a  moment's  notice.  At  some  of  the  hotels  in  the 
interior  the  alert  management  supplies  guides  free  or  at  a  small 
cost.  Others  have  trained  the  local  coolies  into  a  combination 
of  efficient  guide  and  porter  willing  to  walk  all  day  and  carry  a 
50-lb.  load  beside,  for  yen  1.50  or  thereabouts.  They  are  more 
familiar  with  local  conditions  than  guides  brought  (at  an  ex- 
pense of  salary  and  rly.  fare)  from  a  distance,  and  unlike  the 
latter  are  not  averse  to  making  pack-horses  of  themselves. 
Certain  Tokyo  students  fond  of  adventure  spend  their  summer 
vacation  at  popular  resorts  in  the  interior  of  the  country,  and 
earn  a  little  money  as  waiters  in  the  hotels,  as  guides,  and  in 
other  capacities.  As  a  rule  they  are  guileless,  optimistic,  cheer- 
ful, and  intelligent,  and  they  make  thoroughly  enjoyable  com- 
panions on  long  tramps.  At  other  places  alert  boys  eager  to 
earn  a  yen  and  to  show  beauty  spots  to  travelers  will  be  found. 
The  rising  generation  is  so  eager  to  learn  English  that  likable, 
bright-faced  country  lads  sometimes  attach  themselves  to 
strangers  and  act  as  self -constituted  guides  merely  for  the 
pleasure  derived  from  showing  the  local  sights  to  appreciative 
persons  and  for  the  English  practice  they  get.  They  often  re- 
fuse fees,  and,  when  made  to  take  them,  do  so  reluctantly  and 
shamefacedly. 

A  willing  jinriki-man  is  often  as  useful  as  a  hired  guide,  and 
better  in  that  he  provides  locomotion  as  well.  While  intelligent 


v 


xxviii 


GUIDES 


and  trustworthy  guides  are  unquestionably  useful  to  strangers 
undertaking  long  trips  in  the  interior,  —  particularly  to  those 
acquainted  with  the  language  or  customs  of  the  country,  — 
almost  any  self-reliant,  amiable,  and  adaptable  person  with  no 
more  knowledge  of  the  vernacular  than  he  can  extract  from  a 
good  pocket  phrasebook  can,  with  this  Guidebook,  travel 
unattended  and  with  perfect  safety  to  any  place  in  the  Mika- 
do's realm,  and  not  fail  to  get  the  information  he  seeks.  By 
traveling  thus  on  his  own  resources  he  will  gain  a  knowledge  of 
the  people  and  local  conditions  that  he  would  not  otherwise 
acquire;  not  to  mention  the  saving  of  from  6  to  10  yen  a  day  in 
guide  hire  and  unnecessary  fees.  It  is  usually  under  such  cir- 
cumstances that  the  traveler  gets  an  inkling  of  the  truer  and 
better  nature  of  the  Japanese;  each  one  of  whom,  at  sight  of  a 
solitary  stranger,  seems  possessed  of  a  genuine,  ungrudging, 
and  entirely  unselfish  desire  to  help  him  on  his  way.  It  thus 
happens  that  such  a  one  often  gets  better  treatment  than  he 
expects,  and  is  rarely  at  a  loss  for  some  one  to  help  him  out  of 
difficulties  —  if  slight  temporary  inconveniences  can  be  so 
classed.  Women  traveling  alone  might  not  find  the  conditions 
so  satisfying.  N 
The  custom  of  certain  foreigners  of  giving  their  guides  ample 
funds  in  advance  to  pay  current  expenses  is  almost  as  incom- 
prehensible to  foreign  residents  as  the  equally  reprehensible 
one  of  treating  them  as  equals  (rather  than  as  servants);  of 
dining  with  them;  accepting  their  advice  where  to  go,  etc. 
Such  demonstrations  of  equality  amaze  thoughtful  Japanese, 
and  often  cause  them  to  alter  their  opinion  of  the  foreigner's 
standing.  The  traveler  should  study  the  Guidebook,  make  up 
his  mind  where  he  wishes  to  go  and  what  he  wants  to  see,  then 
instruct  his  courier  accordingly.  Remonstrances  should  be 
discountenanced,  and  all  impertinence  checked  at  the  outset* 
Should  the  guide  ask  for  a  testimonial  on  the  termination  of  his 
agreement,  this  should,  in  justice  to  other  travelers,  be  truthful 
and  moderate,  else  a  deceitful  rascal  may  be  confirmed  in  his 
faults.  The  traveler  should  never  go  where  a  guide  insists  upon  i 
taking  him*  nor  should  he  accept  his  advice  as  to  the  right' 
prices  to  be  paid  at  tea-houses,  etc.  The  old  custom  of  expect- 
ing the  provident  to  pay  for  the  shortcomings  of  the  improvi- 
dent is  deeply  rooted  in  the  Japanese  mind.  All  Occidentals 
are  supposed  to  be  wealthy,  and  able  and  willing  to  pay  con- 
siderably more  for  a  service  or  an  article  than  would  a  poor 
native.  The  observant  stranger  will  have  this  curious  habit 
brought  sharply  to  his  notice  frequently  while  traveling  in 
Japan.  In  some  places  foreigners  are  charged  five  or  six  times 
as  much  as  a  native  would  be,  in  the  belief  that  they  neither 
know  nor  care.  Travelers  to  rural  Japan  and  to  places  off  the 
beaten  track  of  travel  are  frequently  astonished  at  the  low 
prices  charged  in  shops  or  inns,  where  no  distinction  is  made 


HOTELS 


xxix 


between  foreigners  and  natives.  They  are  also  apt  to  be  sur- 
prised at  the  way  prices  rise  after  a  foreign  tourist  accom- 
panied by  a  courier  has  passed  that  way.  Before  employing  a 
man  for  an  important  journey,  consult  the  hotel  manager  and 
learn  if  the  guide's  robust  imagination  is  accompanied  by  facts. 
The  latter  should  also  be  questioned  shrewdly  as  to  his  knowl- 
edge of  the  places  to  be  visited.  A  good  general  rule  is  to  place 
but  small  credence  in  his  windy  phraseology  or  in  the  authen- 
ticity of  his  information.  One  can  always  rid  one's  self  of  the 
unwelcome  attention  of  a  self-constituted  guide  by  a  threat  to 
appeal  to  the  police.  —  It  remains  to  be  said  that  the  aim  of 
the  writer  is  to  help  the  economically-inclined  tourist  to  travel 
as  cheaply  as  possible  in  a  country  which  is  all  too  rapidly 
acquiring  a  reputation  for  high  prices.  Descriptions  of  certain 
places  have  been  detailed  so  that  strangers  may  have  no 
difficulty  in  visiting  and  understanding  them. 

C.  Hotels.  Inns.  Tea-Houses  and  Restaurants.  Japanese  Food. 
Houses.  Furnished  Houses.  Tips.  Laundry. 
Hotels  (hoteru).  The  standard  of  excellence  of  the  hotels  of 
Japan  is  rising  steadily,  and  the  best  establishments  now  com- 
pare favorably  with  similar  high-class  places  in  Europe  and 
America.  It  is  the  aim  of  the  Hotel  Association  —  to  which 
many  of  the  hotelmen  belong  —  to  make  the  hotels  of  the 
Empire  more  and  more  comfortable  for,  and  acceptable  to, 
foreign  travelers;  and  the  attractive  hostelries  of  Yokohama, 
Tokyo,  Kobe,  Kyoto,  and  Nara  —  all  managed  by  foreigners 
or  by  English-speaking  Japanese  who  have  lived  abroad,  — 
usually  surprise  tourists  by  their  modern  equipment  and  com- 
fort. Certain  of  them  are  peculiarly  pleasing  to  the  man  of 
taste,  as  they  suggest  the  tranquillity  and  cheer  of  the  old 
taverns  of  Colonial  times.  There  are  at  present  200  hotels  in 
the  Empire,  with  3500  rooms  and  lodgings  for  5000  persons, 
and  the  number  grows  steadily.  The  aim  of  the  hotel-keeper  is 
to  provide  good  food  and  comfort  rather  than  architectural 
splendor.  Seismological  and  climatic  considerations  have 
necessarily  entered  largely  into  the  construction  of  the  present- 
day  hotels,  and  the  absence  of  that  exaggerated  and  useless 
luxury  now  such  a  pronounced  characteristic  of  some  Occi- 
dental hotels,  is  of  direct  advantage  to  the  traveler  of  modest 
means,  since  he  is  not  expected  to  pay  heavily  for  something 
which  he  can  neither  eat  nor  carry  away  with  him.  The  stand- 
ards of  cleanliness,  punctuality,  trustworthiness,  personal 
attention  to  guests,  and  an  ever-present  eagerness  to  make 
their  stay  comfortable,  are  higher  than  those  of  many  Euro- 
pean hotels.  In  Japan  the  manager  meets,  knows,  and  looks 
after,  every  one  of  his  guests ;  and  by  so  doing,  makes  each  one 
feel  more  at  home  than  at  present  seems  possible  in  other 
countries.  What  some  of  the  hotels  lack  in  architectural  im- 


XXX 


HOTEL  RATES 


portance,  is  counterbalanced  by  exquisite  views  of  sea  and 
mountain,  obtainable  from  the  windows  and  the  ever-popular 
balconies.  To  the  average  traveler  these  are  more  pleasing  than 
massive  onyx  hallways  (which  might  come  down  with  crushing 
effect  during  an  earthquake)  and  red  plush  fittings.  Telephones 
are  more  in  evidence  than  elevators,  but  as  few  of  the  hotels 
are  more  than  2-3  stories,  the  lack  of  the  latter  is  not  felt. 

It  is  to  the  credit  of  hotelmen  generally  throughout  Japan 
that  only  a  small  percentage  of  them  (and  they  are  mentioned 
in  their  proper  places  in  the  Guidebook)  resort  to  the  low 
trickery  practiced  on  unsuspecting  travelers  by  the  predatory 
managers  (and  menials)  of  alleged  first-class  hotels  in  Europe. 
The  little  cheats  and  exasperating  overcharges  are  here  con- 
spicuous by  their  absence.  Bills  are  payable  at  the  cashier's 
desk  (except  in  native  inns)  and  are  not  allowed  to  be  pre- 
sented by  covetous  servants  expectant  of  life  annuities  for 
fugitive  services  of  doubtful  worth.  The  managers,  not  the 
servants,  conduct  the  hotels,  and  no  one  is  allowed  to  harass 
the  departing  guest  for  tips.  In  Japan  one  rarely  leaves  a  hotel 
with  that  feeling  of  discomfiture  so  well  understood  by  tra- 
velers of  modest  means  and  a  well-defined  sense  of  justice. 
Calculated  attempts  to  overcharge  in  bills  are  happily  rare. 
It  is  customary  for  a  traveler  to  learn  the  given  name  of  his 
room  or  table-boy,  and  call  him  by  it;  or  by  the  accepted 
1 Boy'  or  (more  politely)  'Boy  san.'  Undersized  boys  are  gen- 
erally called  by,  and  answer  willingly  to,  the  word  Chiisai  — 
4  small'  (pronounced  chee-sigh). 

The  most  progressive  hotels  are  now  equipped  with  Informa- 
tion Bureaus  conducted  by  English-speaking  clerks,  that  are 
of  considerable  help  to  travelers.  Certain  of  them  publish 
monthly  magazines,  in  English,  devoted  to  the  traveler's 
interests,  along  with  rly.  time-cards,  local  maps,  etc.  They 
also  purchase  tickets  for  guests,  attend  to  the  checking  of 
luggage,  and  perform  numerous  valuable  services  free.  Be- 
cause of  the  lack  of  evening  entertainments  in  English,  certain 
of  the  hotel  managers  plan  enjoyable  concerts,  juggling  exhibi- 
tions, musical  entertainments,  dances,  and  the  like,  and  these 
are  given  in  the  dining-room,  free  to  guests.  The  Grand  Hotel 
at  Yokohama  celebrates  the  arrival  of  a  transpacific  steam- 
ship with  a  dance  and  musicale,  arranged  in  honor  of  the 
arriving  guests.  New- Year  dances  with  their  attendant  festivi- 
ties are  holiday  features  of  certain  of  the  hotels,  and  during 
Christmas  Week  rooms  must  be  spoken  for  in  advance.  At  this 
time  the  Miyako  Hotel  at  Kyoto  is  thronged  with  foreign  resi- 
dents from  Kobe  and  other  cities,  and  much  jollity  reigns. 

Rates:  Most  of  the  hotels  are  conducted  on  the  'American 
Plan,'  in  which  a  fixed  charge  (ranging  from  3  to  20  yen)  is 
made  per  day  for  room  and  board,  with  no  irritating  extras  for 
lights  or  service.  Arrangements  on  the '  European  Plan,'  which 


HOTEL  RATES 


xxxi 


is  understood  to  mean  one  price  for  lodgings  and  a  separate 
charge  for  meals,  can  be  made  at  any  of  them.  The  scarcity  of 
well-appointed  restaurants  or  caf6s  in  American  or  Continental 
style,  where  one  may  dine  well,  makes  it  advisable  for  travelers 
to  engage  their  lodgings  on  the  American  plan,  which  is  prac- 
tically standard  throughout  the  country.  The  rates  usually 
include  considerably  more  than  one  gets  in  hotels  elsewhere; 
early  morning  coffee,  with  toast  and  jam,  or  marmalade,  or 
fruit,  is  served  in  the  traveler's  room  about  6  a.m.,  and  an 
ample  American  breakfast  in  the  dining-room  between  7  and 
9.30.  Tiffin  (Chinese,  tschi  fan — 'to  eat  rice';  'meal-time')  is 
served  from  12  to  2.30  p.m.,  and  comprises  the  dishes  custom- 
ary in  an  American  hotel.  At  4  p.m.  or  thereafter,  hot  tea  and 
toast  (or  cake)  is  served  either  in  one's  room  or  on  the  hotel 
veranda,  and  is  included  in  the  daily  rate.  Dinner  (or  supper) 
is  a  repetition  on  a  larger  scale  of  the  midday  meal.  Baths 
(plain  water  in  some  hotels;  hot  mineral  water  in  others)  are 
also  free.  In  some  places  coal  is  charged  for  at  25  sen  sl  scuttle; 
in  others  one  is  required  to  sign  a  chit 1  for  each  bucket,  but  its 
cost  is  not  charged  against  him.  The  idea  is  to  keep  a  check 
on  the  servants  and  make  the  guest  economical  of  the  coal. 
For  the  same  purpose,  chits  are  required  in  some  places  for 
coffee  and  tea. 

In  arranging  for  lodgings  the  traveler  should  always  ask 
what  the  price  includes.  Almost  any  of  the  hotels  will  rent 
rooms  without  board  (prices  on  application),  and  table-board 
only  will  be  furnished  if  wanted  (75  to  100  yen  a  month).  The 
average  charge  for  single  meals  is:  breakfast  75  sen  to  1  yen; 
luncheon  ¥1  to  ¥1.25;  dinner  ¥1.50  to  ¥2.  Most  of  the 
hotels  take  guests  by  the  week  or  month  at  a  reduction  of  the 
daily  rate ;  and  when  2  persons  occupy  one  room  a  lower  price 
is  often  made.  The  most  popular  places  are  usually  filled  in 
the  busy  seasons  (March-June,  and  Sept.-Nov.),  at  which 
times  it  is  well  to  arrange  for  lodgings  in  advance.  Rates 
stiffen  during  these  periods,  but  in  the  off  season,  when  tourist 
travel  is  comparatively  light,  better  terms  can  sometimes  be 
made.  An  excellent  feature  of  the  hotels  is  that  the  room-boys 
and  maids  do  valet  service  in  addition  to  their  other  duties  (no 
extra  fees;  see  p.  liv),  and  clean,  press,  and  fold  clothes;  care 
for  shoes,  hats,  and  wraps;  prepare  the  bath,  assist  one  to 
dress;  arrange  the  flowers  on  the  table;  and  make  themselves  so 
generally  useful  and  indispensable  that  Americans  marvel  at 
the  political  short-sightedness  that  excludes  such  admirable 
servants  from  the  United  States,  —  where  perhaps  no  single 

1  Chits,  or  chittys  (Hindustani,  chitthi,  a  'note  of  indebtedness';  a  'note 
or  letter')  are  used  extensively  in  the  Far  East  in  lieu  of  ready  money. 
Things  bought  at  stores,  clubs,  etc.,  are  signed  for  by  means  of  them;  chit- 
books,  are  sent  out  with  letters  or  memoranda  for  the  signature  of  the  re- 
cipient; and  monthly  accounts  are  checked  from  the  chits  attached  to  them. 
They  frequently  take  the  place  of  I  O  U's  and  similar  obligations. 


xxxii 


HOTEL  ROOMS— FOOD 


question  so  vexes  and  ages  American  women  as  the  exasperat- 
ing servant  problem. 

The  Rooms  differ  but  little  from  those  of  American  hotels, 
excepting  that  many  of  them  do  not  have  set  bowls  or  running 
water.  As  the  N.  winds  bring  chilling  qualities  in  winter,  and 
the  breezes  from  the  S.  a  refreshing  coolness  in  summer,  a  room 
with  a  southern  exposure  will  be  found  the  best  at  all  seasons 
—  particularly  in  winter,  when  it  is  flooded  with  warm  sun- 
shine. Open  fires  are  more  common  than  stoves. 

The  Food  in  many  of  the  first-class  hotels  is  excellent,  and 
covers  a  wider  range  than  that  often  served  in  the  highest- 
priced  establishments  of  Europe.  Wild  boar,  venison,  pheas- 
ant, wild  ducks,  quail,  frog's-legs;  an  astonishing  variety  of 
delicious  fish,  including  lobsters,  terrapin,  and  oysters;  mush- 
rooms, strawberries,  asparagus,  and  many  minor  dainties  are 
much  commoner  in  Japan  than  in  the  U.S.A.,  and  are  seen 
frequently  on  the  tables  of  the  best  hotels.  Occidental  cookery 
appeals  to  the  excellent  Japanese  chefs,  and  they  acquire  the 
intricate  processes  of  preparing  foreign-style  dishes  with  singu- 
lar readiness.  Translations  of  foreign  cookbooks  exist.  Dishes 
in  the  native  style  of  cookery  are  rarely  served  at  hotels  under 
foreign  management,  and  in  order  to  get  them  one  must  go  to  a 
native  inn  or  restaurant.  Milk  is  classed  as  an  extra  in  many 
hotels,  and  must  be  paid  for  at  10  sen  a  glass.  In  justice  to  the 
hotel  management  travelers  should  bear  in  mind  that  all  the 
Australian,  Canadian,  European,  and  American  imported  stuffs 
(wines,  jams,  biscuits,  pickles,  cheeses,  and  a  host  of  tinned  and 
packed  provisions)  are  taxed  heavily  at  the  custom-house,  and 
that  this  large  and  necessary  expense  must  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration when  rates  are  quoted;  also  that  the  butter  and 
cheese  (called  Hakodate  cheese)  made  in-Yezo  Island  are 
superior  to  some  of  the  imported.  In  many  hotels  the  excellent 
idea  of  numbering  the  items  on  the  menu  is  carried  out. 
Those  table-boys  or  maids  who  may  not  understand  English 
learn  the  numbers  (the  Japanese  equivalents  of  which  the 
traveler  is  advised  to  acquire),  and  by  citing  these,  the  traveler 
is  served  with  his  selection. 

Certain  of  the  minor  hotels  have  yet  to  realize  the  impor- 
tance of  having  separate  toilet-rooms  for  men  and  women,  and 
in  furnishing  good  soap  instead  of  the  cheap,  lurid,  home-made 
article.  In  these  places  one  should  always  inspect  the  under 
sheet  on  the  bed,  as  this  often  serves  for  as  many  travelers  as 
will  fail  to  note  its  lack  of  freshness.  The  most  prominent 
hotels  in  the  port  cities  maintain  speedy  power  launches  that 
meet  incoming  ships,  and  land  passengers  and  their  luggage 
quicker  than  the  ships'  boats.  The  English-speaking  runners 
have  the  name  of  the  hotel  embroidered  on  their  caps,  while  the 
luggage  coolies  (ninsoku)  usually  wear  blue  blouses  with  some 
distinguishing  mark  in  the  center  of  the  back.  —  The  tele- 


HOTEL  SERVICE 


xxxiii 


graphic  addresses  of  the  different  hotels  have  been  added  to  the 
references  to  them,  as  an  aid  to  travelers  who  may  wish  to  wire 
for  rooms.  —  While  thefts  from  hotel  rooms  are  rare,  both  for 
safety  and  to  remove  temptation  from  .those  who  might  other- 
wise remain  honest,  money  and  valuables  should  not  be 
exposed  needlessly. 

Characteristic  and  delightful  features  of  certain  of  the 
interior  cities  and  towns  are  hotels  in  semi-foreign  style; 
pleasing  combinations  of  foreign  hostelries  and  native  inns, 
with  the  comforts  of  the  former  and  the  peculiar  charm  of  the 
latter.  They  make  a  special  bid  for  foreign  travelers,  and  serve 
foreign  food  in  ways  no  less  dainty  and  satisfactory  than  those 
of  the  seaport  hotels.  The  quaintly  garbed,  sloe-eyed  Japanese 
maidens  who  bow  the  traveler  a  deep  welcome  at  the  door, 
minister  to  him  like  an  attentive  nurse  while  he  is  beneath  the 
patron's  roof,  and  bid  him  a  sorrowful  saydnara  when  his 
noiseless  jinriki  bears  him- away  from  the  hospitable  porch,  are 
very  pleasing  remembrances  of  these  attractive'places.  Hotels 
of  this  class  (like  the  Miyako  at  Kyoto,  and  the  Kanaya  at 
Nikko)  are  customarily  so  situated  that  one  may  enjoy  delight- 
ful and  scarcely  forgettable  views  of  mountain,  valley,  town,  or 
sea  from  their  glassed-in  verandas,  and  to  the  average  tourist 
their  manifest  picturesqueness  far  outweighs  what  they  may 
lack  in  luxurious  fittings  and  massiveness.  A  felicitous  blend 
of  the  Orient  and  the  Occident  is  displayed  in  their  architec- 
tural designs,  where  florid  and  quaintly  sculptured  temple- 
fittings  aid  in  the  interior  ornamentation.  Balconies,  etc.,  in 
the  style  of  those  of  ancient  palaces  enrich  the  exterior.  In 
some  of  them  one  may,  by  taking  up  his  lodgings  in  the  Japan- 
ese wing,  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  living  in  Japanese  fashion  but 
dining  in  Western  style.  Such  suites  are  usually  furnished 
simply,  and  in  consequence  are  cheaper  than  those  of  the 
European  quarter,  but  they  are  no  less  comfortable,  particu- 
larly when  supplied  with  foreign  beds. 

The  proprietors  of  these  places  (as  well  as  of  many  excellent 
country  inns)  usually  give  them  their  personal  attention,  and 
the  limits  to  which  they  will  go  to  make  a  foreign  guest  com- 
fortable are  oftentimes  astonishing.  If  the  breakfast  hour  be 
7  o'clock  and  the  traveler  wishes  to  depart  at  5,  the  entire 
household  is  stirring  at  4,  for  the  average  Japanese  host  would 
think  it  rude,  indeed,  and  inhospitable,  to  allow  a  guest  to 
leave,  no  matter  how  early,  without  a  hot  breakfast  to  cheer 
him  on  his  way.  The  trouble  involved  is  neither  considered, 
nor  charged  for.  Lafcadio  Hearn  mentions  (Glimpses  of  Un- 
familiar Japan,  p.  130)  the  landlord  of  an  inn  who  prepared  the 
hot  water  for  his  bath,  then  insisted  upon  washing  him  with  his 
own  hands;  while  the  wife,  painfully  in  doubt  about  her  ability 
to  please  him,  cooked  a  charming  repast  for  two  men  and  apolo- 
gized for  not  being  able  to  offer  him  more! 


xxxiv 


JAPANESE  INNS 


Travelers  may  wish  to  remember  that  certain  hotels,  tourist- 
agents,  guides,  and  jinriki-men  work  in  with  one  another,  and 
laud  their  connections  to  the  detriment  of  the  outsider.  The 
clerks  in  certain  hotels  hold  financial  interests  in  others,  and 
are  therefore  biased  in  their  opinions.  When  one  is  uncertain 
where  one  wishes  to  lodge,  the  hotel  manager,  not  the  clerk, 
should  be  consulted.  When  possible  the  traveler  should  make 
up  his  mind  where  he  will  stop  and  not  allow  his  judgment  to 
be  influenced.  The  jinriki-man  will  always  take  him  to  the 
place  which  pays  him  the  largest  commission.  Great  care  has 
been  employed  in  the  selection  of  the  hotels  and  inns  recom- 
mended in  the  Guidebook,  and  the  tourist  will  find  them  .the 
best  in  each  place.  Whosoever  warns  the  traveler  that  all  the 
hotels  of  the  interior  are  poor,  and  that  the  food  is  uneatable, 
should  be  discredited. 

Japanese  Inns  (yadoya,  hatagoya,  etc.)  are  to  be  found  in 
every  city  and  town  of  any  size,  and  while  their  special  com- 
forts do  not  appeal  to  the  taste  of  all  Occidentals,  the  best  em- 
body many  pleasing  and  distinctive  features  —  particularly 
those  in  which  the  fine  old  native  customs  are  unchanged  and 
the  native  courtesy  unspoiled.  (Comp.  Houses,  p.  xlvii.)  While 
the  innkeeper  (yadoya  no  teishu)  and  his  helpful  wife  (okami 
san)  do  not  always  speak  English,  they  are  often  devotion  it- 
self to  their  guests,  and  make  each  believe  himself  the  most 
honored  one.  Albeit  the  Japanese  consider  the  well-appointed 
yadoya  peculiarly  comfortable  and  satisfying,  foreigners  find 
much  in  them  to  criticize .  To  many  the  food  is  illusive ;  the  fleas 
inordinately  hungry ;  the  toilet  arrangements  abominable  and 
suggestive  of  typhoid;  the  lack  of  chairs,  beds,  and  other  fur- 
niture inconvenient;  and  the  native  indifference  to  privacy 
exasperating.  Westerners  do  not,  as  a  rule,  relish  the  idea  of 
having  giggling  nesans  (lit./ elder  sisters  '),or  serving-maids, 
traipse  unannounced  through  their  apartments  at  all  hours, 
whether  one  be  asleep  or  awake;  dressed,  undressing,  or  un- 
dressed; nor  do  they  want  women  to  scrub  them  in  their  baths! 
Be  a  yadoya  ever  so  good,  it  grows  very  tiresome  to  foreigners 
after  a  few  days  spent  in  it,  and  lengthy  sojourns  should  be 
planned  only  for  places  where  Occidental  conveniences  are 
obtainable. 

Owing  to  the  great  fires  which  so  often  scourge  Japanese  cities,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  give  definite  information  about  every  inn  in  the  Empire  and  expect 
it  to  hold  true  between  editions  of  the  Guidebook.  Even  where  the  names 
are  given,  it  is  well  for  one  to  ask  hotel  managers  or  innkeepers  which  is  the 
best  in  the  place  to  be  visited,  since  the  management  of  old  inns  change  and 
new  ones  start  up  to  meet  the  increasing  demands  of  travel.  As  a  rule  the 
new  ones  aim  to  introduce  comforts  that  will  appeal  to  foreigners,  and  in  this 
sense  are  sometimes  more  desirable  than  the  more  conservative  ones. 

The  regulation  inns  are  customarily  of  one  invariable  type, 
but  differing  as  to  size,  location,  and  surroundings.  Many  of 
them  use  well-water  for  drinking  and  cooking  purposes.  At 


RATES  AT  INNS 


XXXV 


Buddhist  settlements  like  that  of  Kdya-san  (p.  511)  the  trav- 
eler must  lodge  at  a  monastery  and  be  served  by  the  monks  in 
charge .  Except  in  very  small  and  remote  places  there  is  seldom 
any  difficulty  in  securing  a  lodging  and  food.  There  are  no 
inns  in  Japan  where  the  traveler  is  waylaid  and  robbed;  and 
perhaps  none  where  it  is  unsafe  to  lodge. 

Many  innkeepers  now  try  to  attract  foreign  tourists  by  call- 
ing their  places  hotels,  and  it  has  been  our  aim  to  correct  the 
misconception  where  possible,  and  to  make  the  necessary  dis- 
tinction between  them.  Those  who  thus  advertise  their  tav- 
erns have  in  some  cases  equipped  them  with  a  so-called  semi- 
foreign  wing  furnished  with  poor  beds,  stained-pine  wash- 
stands,  and  tawdry  fitments  for  which  several  times  the  usual 
rate  is  asked.  In  such  cases  it  is  often  more  economical  to 
engage  a  room  in  the  Japanese  part  of  the  house  and  have  • 
whatever  foreign  food  one  can  get  served  in  it.  Certain  of  the 
best  purely  native  inns  have  in  reserve  a  small  dining-table, 
chairs,  knives,  forks,  spoons,  aged  butter,  pathetic  coffee,  and 
other  things  considered  essential  to  the  comTort  of  foreigners. 
Milk  is  fast  becoming  necessary  to  the  Japanese  and  it  can  be 
obtained  in  many  out-of-the-way  places.  It  is  usually  sold 
(boiled)  in  small  bottles  (bin)  containing  \  pint  (6  sen),  and  if 
the  innkeeper  has  n't  it  he  will  send  out  and  get  it.  By  adding 
salt  and  sugar  to  the  always  obtainable  hot  boiled  rice,  and 
pouring  milk  over  it,  a  palatable  substitute  for  porridge  is 
obtained.  Some  inns  possess  a  skillet  in  which  eggs,  potatoes, 
and  'bif-tekki  '  (usually  very  tough)  can  be  fried.  Boiled  eggs 
are  always  to  be  had,  and  bread  can  be  toasted  over  the 
hibachi.  A  careful  register  is  kept'  at  inns  of  foreign  guests  (so 
that  the  police  may  keep  track  of  strangers) ,  and  prudent  trav- 
elers will  write  only  precise  information  on  the  paper  handed 
to  them,  avoiding  levity  and  statements  which  they  may  at 
any  time  be  called  upon  to  confirm.  They  will  also  do  well  to 
follow  the  native  custom  of  carrying  their  own  towels  (tenugui) 
and  soap  (shabon),  as  not  a  few  of  the  natives  suffer  from 
ophthalmia  and  skin-diseases.  Some  inns  make  it  a  custom  to 
present  departing  guests  with  a  pair  of  soft  sleazy  cotton  tow- 
els stamped  with  some  pretty  pattern  in  blue,  or  with  the 
crest  or  the  ideographic  name  of  the  hotel.  Paper  fans  or 
knickknacks  sometimes  take  the  place  of  these.  Foreign 
towels  asked  for  at  inns  are  apt  to  be  charged  for  at  50-75 
sen  each.  Valuable  belongings  should  never  be  taken  to,  or  left 
at,  native  inns,  because  of  the  constant  danger  of  fire.  If  one 
is  obliged  to  leave  luggage,  one  should  see  that  it  is  stored  in  the 
fireproof  godown. 

Rates  vary  with  the  standing  of  the  house,  its  reputation 
for  special  dishes,  the  popularity  of  the  serving-maids,  and 
the  cupidity  of  the  proprietor.  Some  innkeepers,  devoid  of  a 
sense  of  proportion  and  of  future  possibilities,  charge  foreigners 


xxxvi 


JAPANESE  INNS 


prices  which,  not  high  when  viewed  from  an  Occidental  stand- 
point, are  absurdly  out  of  proportion  to  those  asked  of  natives 
—  who  know  what  rates  ought  to  be.  While  respect  for  the 
Japanese  libel  laws  makes  it  imperative  to  be  guarded  in  one's 
references  to  those  places  where  the  traveler  is  robbed  under 
the  guise  of  exchange,  the  reader  will  have  no  difficulty  in 
understanding  the  allusions  to  be  found  scattered  throughout 
the  Guidebook ;  they  are  the  result  of  personal  experience  sup- 
plemented by  that  of  others,  and  they  will  be  found  trust- 
worthy. The  prudent  traveler  will  always  ask  what  the  prices 
include,  before  he  agrees  to  them.  In  traveling  it  is  also  a  good 
idea  to  carry  a  letter  of  introduction  from  one  innkeeper  to 
another,  as  this  often  serves  as  a  check  on  extortion.  The  hon- 
est hotelmen  throughout  the  Empire  are  trying  hard  to  better 
conditions  and  make  travel  easier  and  cheaper  for  tourists,  as 
well  as  to  inspire  the  less  intelligent  classes  with  a  realizing 
sense  of  what  is  due  to  foreign  guests. 

The  customary  charge  in  an  ordinary  inn  for  hatago,  which  is 
understood  to  comprise  supper,  bed,  and  breakfast  (tiffin  is 
usually  extra),  ranges  from  ¥1.50  to  ¥3.50,  with  an  extra 
charge  for  special  dishes .  In  'some  places  guests  are  asked  what 
class  they  prefer;  a  modest  room  with  plain  food,  or  better 
apartments  with  food  to  match.  The  higher  rate  (¥3.50) 
may  include  a  small  suite  overlooking  a  pretty  garden  (always 
preferable  to  rooms  overlooking  the  street)  with  2  or  3  more 
dishes  at  meals.  Foreigners  are  asked  if  they  will  have  Japa- 
nese or  foreign  food  (see  p.  xxxii).  Unless  special,  high-priced 
dishes  are  demanded,  the  former  will  be  found  cheaper,  as  it  is 
nearly  always  ready  and  requires  no  special  preparation.  The 
best  food  is  not  always  to  be  had  in  the  most  pretentious 
places.  In  certain  modest  inns,  where  the  rooms  are  as  bare  as 
a  monk's  cell,  and  the  general  appearance  of  austerity  might 
argue  a  strict  economy,  there  will  often  come,  as  an  agreeable 
surprise,  dainty  food  served  in  dishes  that  delight  the  lover  of 
beautiful  porcelain  or  lacquer.  Later  the  traveler  may  learn 
that  the  place  enjoys  fame  for  some  savory  specialty  —  eels 
boiled  in  soy,  broiled  crayfish,  stewed  octopus,  buckwheat- 
macaroni,  or  the  like.  Many  of  the  inns  do,  in  fact,  specialize 
in  foods  peculiar  to  certain  localities,  and  are  noted  for  native 
dainties  in  or  out  of  season.  (In  some  of  them  one  may  select 
live  fish  from  a  pool  and  have  it  cooked  to  order)  The  better- 
class  inns,  removed  from  the  beaten  track  of  travel,  can  usu- 
ally supply  chicken,  indifferent  roast-beef,  and  beefsteak, 
while  those  near  the  sea  always  serve  delicious  fish  in  a  variety 
of  ways,  or  broiled  lobsters  and  shrimps  (which  should  not  be 
eaten  until  the  alimentary  canal  is  removed). 

Many  inns  do  not  display  signs  in  foreign  languages,  and  are 
therefore  not  easy  to  locate.  Those  which  face  rly .  stations  are 
generally  flush  with  the  street,  and  have  an  upper  balcony. 


JAPANESE  INNS 


xxxvii 


Others  sit  considerably  back  from  the  street,  and  are  some- 
times approached  through  a  mediaeval  gateway  (leading  to  a 
passageway  flanked  by  fences  or  houses)  hung  with  lanterns, 
adorned  with  a  sanded  electric-light  globe  with  the  name  in 
black  on  it,  and  surmounted  by  a  chevaux-de-frise  of  split  bam- 
boo. Some  inns  are  lighted  by  acetylene  gas  or  electricity;  in 
others  a  lamp  or  a  candle  lights  the  traveler  to  bed.  Not  un- 
frequently  country  inns  occupy  beautiful  sites  on  hills,  or  near 
rivers  or  the  sea,  in  the  midst  of  charming  gardens,  with  fine 
views.  The  entrance  is  most  always  a  roofed  vestibule  with  a 
well-trodden  earthen  floor  backed  by  a  raised  platform  about 
20  in.  high,  forming  at  once  a  seat  and  the  outer  extension  of 
the  ground  floor.  A  scattered  line  of  shoes,  sandals,  and  geta ' 
belonging  to  guests  usually  lie  along  it,  and  at  one  side  is  a  cup- 
board where  umbrellas  and  foot  wear  are  deposited.  A  big  drop  • 
octagon  clock  on  the  wall,  a  low  desk,  an  hibachi,  and  a  pile  of 
cushions  generally  complete  the  office  equipment.  The  trav- 
eler's jinriki  customarily  deposits  him  in  the  vestibule,  at  the 
edge  of  the  platform,  beneath  the  overhang  of  the  roof.  Shouts 
of  0  kyaku  san  ('  honorable  visitor  ')  apprise  the  master  and 
the  maids  that  a  guest  is  arriving,  and  all  hurry  forward  to 
receive  him,  uttering  cries  of  welcome  and  bowing  glossy  black 
heads  to  the  floor.  As  the  traveler  sits  on  the  platform,  a  serv-  j 
ant  removes  his  shoes,  and  others  divest  him  of  his  wraps. 
Shoes  are  rarely  cleaned,  and  if  they  be  wet  or  muddy  they  are 
left  untouched.  (Comp.  p.lxxvii.)  Habitual  frequenters  of  inns 
often  provide  themselves  with  foot-coverings,  to  slip  over  [ 
shoes  and  thus  be  able  to  wear  them  to  the  apartment.  Without  ] 
them  one  must  don  the  heellessslippers  furnished,  or  go  to  one's  f 
room  unshod .  As  the  master  of  the  tavern  calls  out  the  number 
of  the  room,  the  maids  conduct  one  either  down  a  long  passage- 
way on  the  same  floor  or  up  flights  of  highly  polished,  slippery 
stairs  without  guard-rails  and  placed  customarily  at  a  dan-* 
gerous  angle.    Unless  otherwise  instructed,  foreigners  are/ 
generally  conducted  to  the  best  suite,  consisting  of  two  spac-s 
ious  rooms  separated  by  sliding  wall-panels  (fusuma;  karal 
kami).  These  constitute  the  partitions  throughout  the  house) 
each  floor  of  which  can  thus  be  quickly  converted  into  one' 
vast  room.  As  there  are  neither  locks  nor  catches,  and  as  it  is 
the  custom  for  maids  to  enter  rooms  at  any  and  all  times- 
without  knocking,  privacy  is  lacking  entirely.  In  high-class 
inns  suites  are  marked  by  elegant  and  striking  simplicity. 
They  are  devoid  of  every  comfort  essential  to  Occidentals, 
but  quite  satisfy  the  Japanese,  who  spend  hours  squatting  in 
them  or  lying  flat  on  their  stomachs,  with  heels  in  the  air. 

The  f  usuma  are  sometimes  decorated  richly  with  pure  gold- 
leaf;  with  landscape  or  other  scenes,  and  framed  in  highly 
polished  wood.  The  pillars  of  the  slightly  raised  alcove  {toko- 
noma)  are  of  grained  or  gnarled  wood,  plain  or  carved.  The  silk 


xxxviii 


JAPANESE  INNS 


or  paper  kakemono,  or  scroll,  which  hangs  against  the  wall 
portrays  usually  one  of  the  Seven  Gods  of  Good  Luck,  a  Chin- 
ese landscape  copied  from  a  costly  original  by  some  famous 
painter,  portraits  of  the  Sixteen  Rakan,  a  text. in  classic  Chin- 
ese from  Mencius  or  Confucius,  a  picture  of  Daruma,  a  maxim 
from  the  Buddhist  Sutra,  or  a  poem  in  the  handwriting  of  some 
defunct  celebrity.  Beneath,  on  the  dais  of  highly  polished 
keyaki-wood  rests  a  bronze  or  porcelain  vase,  with  a  sprig  of 
something  green,  or  a  delicate  flower.  Extreme  care  is  often 
given  to  the  arrangement  of  this,  which  always  dips  to  the 
correct  angle,  and  carries  some  significant  sentiment.  A  shelf 
built  into  the  wall  at  one  side  of  the  alcove  affords  space  for 
•clothing  which  one  may  not  wish  to  place  on  the  floor.  There 
is  no  stick  of  furniture,  and  often  not  a  peg  on  which  to  hang  a 
pocket-mirror.  A  campaniform  or  a  heart-shaped  window, 
defended  by  bamboo  rods  and  perhaps  a  small  shoji  or  paper- 
covered  screen  (garasu  shoji,  or  glass  windows  are  rare),  or 
maybe  a  narrow,  sliding  ventilator  above  the  fusuma,  admit 
light  and  air.  Foreigners  will  do  well  to  choose  a  room  with 
such  a  vent,  as  the  shutters  which  run  the  length  of  the  outer 
balcony  are  slid  into  position  about  10  p.m.  (the  police  insist 
upon  their  being  closed)  —  often  with  a  great  clatter  —  and 
successfully  exclude  all  air.  The  traveler  who  cannot  sleep 
without  fresh  air,  in  a  tightly  sealed  apartment,  may  demand 
that  a  space  be  left  in  the  shutters  opposite  his  room.  The 
native  distaste  for  pure  air  is  marked. 

In  the  general  run  of  inns  the  upper  rooms  are  the  most 
desirable,  but  those  houses  with  pretty  landscape  gardens  not 
unfrequently  have  attractive  ground-floor  suites  with  bits  of 
the  garden  allotted  to  them.  The  simplest  rooms  are  often 
rendered  very  dainty  and  artistic  by  the  little  touches  which 
the  Japanese  know  how  to  apply  with  such  deftness.  The  ceil- 
ings may  be  formed  of  extraordinarily  wide  and  beautifully 
grained  cryptomeria  wood  of  a  fine  gray  color  traversed  by  a 
black  stripe.  The  thin  boards  of  the  partition  above  the 
fusuma  are  pierced  customarily  with  some  pictorial  design  ex- 
hibiting a  few  skillfully  incised  lines  suggesting  Fuji-san, 
with  storks  winging  their  slow  flight  across  the  snow-capped 
cone;  a  flight  of  sparrows;  peacocks  standing  on  the  limb  of  a 
flowering  cherry  tree ;  or  a  marshy  place  to  which  wild  ducks 
are  descending.  The  floors  are  covered  with  soft  straw  mats, 
and  extreme  tidiness  is  the  salient  characteristic.  Although  it 
is  considered  slovenly  to  wash  in  the  bedroom,  innkeepers  will 
often  capitulate  to  foreign  eccentricity  and  order  a  brass  basin 
of  hot  water  placed  on  the  balcony.  Wash-basins  stand  in  a 
row  near  the  centre  of  the  inn  on  the  lower  floor,  and  hither 
guests  are  supposed  to  repair  to  make  their  toilet  (and,  in  the 
case  of  foreigners,  be  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes).  One  should  al- 
ways insist  upon  having  a  room  as  remote  as  possible  from  the 


JAPANESE  INNS 


xxxix 


offensive  chozu-ba,  or  benjo  (w.c),  which,  although  placed 
ordinarily  at  the  end  of  a  long  passage,  is  nevertheless  the 
most  prominent  object  in  the  house.  The  nesans  usually  con- 
duct strangers  to  it  (poor  toilet-paper),  and  sometimes  remain 
until  driven  off  (a  custom  rather  than  a  willful  offense  against 
propriety) . 

While  the  traveler  is  fitting  himself  to  his  quarters  a  brazen 
hibachi  of  pleasing,  artistic  shape,  with  handles  formed  of 
Korean  lion-heads  crunching  rings,  is  brought  in  and  placed  in 
a  convenient  place;  new  and  clean  charcoal  twigs  are  placed 
on  the  live  coals  occupying  a  sort  of  glowing  crater  in  a  minia- 
ture Fuji-yama  of  fine,  soft  ash,  and  are  started  to  burn  with  a 
great  scattering  of  small  sparks.  Exaggerated  iron  chop-sticks 
are  stuck  upright  in  the  ashen  cone,  and  a  quaint  iron  tea- 
kettle is  filled  with  water  and  set  over  the  iron  tripod  to  boil.. 
A  smaller  hibachi  for  smokers  is  placed  in  another  part  of  the 
room,  and  a  dainty  tray  with  handleless, teacups,  a  porcelain 
pot,  and  a  metal  canister  of  tea  is  placed  near  the  big  hibachi 
(which  should  always  be  put  out  of  the  room  before  retiring). 
Floor  mats  to  sit  upon,  a  beautiful  lacquered  box  of  sweets, 
or  kwashi  (called  tezukuriii  home-made),  and  other  creature 
comforts  are  soon  added,  along  with  a  neatly  folded  dressing- 
gown  (yukata),  towels,  and  sandals.  A  maid  or  the  landlord 
now  presents  a  slip  of  paper  on  which  one  must  write  one's 
name,  profession,  age,  sex,  condition  in  life,  destination,  and 
provenience.  Stripping  and  donning  the  gaudy  bath-kimono 
one  is  conducted  to  the  bath  (usually  at  the  end  of  a  long, 
draughty  corridor),  where  one  will  be  fortunate  if  one  gets  an 
individual  tub  not  already  occupied  by  men  and  women  bath- 
ers. In  resorts  where  there  are  mineral  springs,  the  tubs  con- 
tain flowing  water;  in  places  where  this  commodity  is  re- 
latively scarce,  it  is  apt  not  to  be  fresh.  Unless  the  door  is 
secured  in  some  manner,  one  is  apt  to  be  interrupted  by  others 
who  come  to  share  the  tub.(  Sitting  on  the  small  stool  near 
the  pool  or  tub,  one  soaps  one's  self,  pours  water  over  the  body 
with  the  dipper,  then  enters  the  water  for  a  short  immersion. 
The  Japanese  custom  is  take  no  notice  of  one's  bathing  com- 
panions, be  they  men  or  women,  unless  one  is  inclined  to  con- 
verse. A  survey  of  one's  physical  characteristics  is  apparently 
never  thought  of  \ 

Food  is  servea  in  the  guest's  room  on  a  lacquered  tray,  gen- 
erally at  whatever  hour  one  may  wish  it.  The  three  meals  are 
marked  by  considerable  sameness,  and  consist  ordinarily  of 
fish  in  some  form;  tea,  boiled  eggs  or  a  sweet  omelette;  two 
soups  in  small  covered  lacquer  bowls;  chopped  relishes  and 
sliced  pickles;  and  steaming  rice  taken  from  a  wooden  tub 
holding  about  a  peck,  beside  which  the  nesan  kneels  ready  to 
refill  the  china  bowl.  One  of  the  soups  may  be  made  of  fish, 
with  bits  of  vegetables  floating  in  it ;  or  of  lobster,  or  seaweed, 


xl 


JAPANESE  INNS 


in  which  case  it  is  amazingly  thin  and  unpalatable ;  the  other 
of  beans,  bean-curd  or  something  of  that  nature.  Salt  is  not 
provided  unless  asked  for.  Many  of  the  dishes  are  cooked  in 
soy,  a  tiny  dish  of  which  is  supplied  for  dipping  bits  into  before 
eating  them.  Certain  of  the  inns  serve  delicious  bamboo- 
shoots;  others  buckwheat-macaroni,  or  boiled  eels  or  other 
specialties.  The  raw  carp  cut  into  thin,  pinkish  slices  should  be 
avoided.  One  can  usually  get  a  spoon  and  a  fork  to  replace  the 
chop-sticks  on  the  tray.  A  little  curry-powder  will  often  render 
dishes  more  palatable.  Bottles  of  the  Thermos  type  enable  one 
to  piece  out  a  meal  with  hot  coffee  or  the  like.  The  low  table 
on  which  the  trays  are  placed  is  call  zen.1 

Piles  of  quilts,  or  futons  (kept  in  air-tight  closets  during  the 
day)  are  spread  out  on  the  mats  to  form  the  bed;  the  single 
under-sheet  (be  sure  it  is  clean)  is  tacked  fast  to  the  quilt. 
There  is  no  upper  sheet,  and  no  blanket.  The  cover  is  a  large, 
thickly  padded  futon,  often  of  silk,  with  its  upper  end  thick- 
ened into  a  fat,  smothering  roll.  Over  this  part  the  foreigner 
will  generally  wish  to  pin  a  towel,  to  prevent  it  coming  in  con- 
tact with  his  face  —  as  it  has  with  those  of  scores  of  others. 
When  piled  high  the  quilts  are  comfortable,  and  one  does  not 
feel  the  rigidity  of  the  floor.  A  satisfactory  pillow  can  be  made 
by  doubling  a  cushion  and  enveloping  it  in  a  big  towel.  (The 
pillow  usually  offered  to  foreigners  will  poison  the  sleep  of 
the  most  phlegmatic.  It  is  an  extraordinarily  hard,  sausage- 
shaped  contrivance  stuffed  tightly  with  oat-husks  or  some  simi- 
lar unyielding  substance,  and  with  a  dark  surface  that  appar- 
ently has  been  slept  on  many  times.  An  air-pillow  is  useful  in 
such  cases)  Flea-powder  is  often  essential  when  one  sleeps  on 
the  ground*  floor,  for  here  Pulex  irritans  is  usually  as  numerous 
as  he  is  hungry.  He  can  often  be  debarred  from  a  too  personal 
intimacy  by  speading  sheets  of  oiled  paper  on  the  matting 
beneath  the  futons,  and  sprinkling  a  train  of  the  powder  along 
its  edges.  To  cope  with  the  plague  of  these  light  saltatorial 
carnivora,  old  travelers  recommend  a  wide  sleeping-bag  of  thin 
but  strong  habutae  (silk)  drawn  round  the  neck  by  a  string. 
They  are  very  light  and  can  be  obtained  at  any  silk-mercer's. 
Others  carry  sheets  (which  are  much  heavier  and  bulkier),  and 
pillow-slips  for  the  native  cushions.  In  justice  to  innkeepers 
it  should  be  added  that  fleas  are  not  an  indication  of  filth  or 
slovenliness;  the  incessant  rains  drive  them  into  the  houses, 
where  the  style  of  floor  covering  offers  them  pleasing  and  im- 
pregnable positions. 

The  best  inns  provide  mosquito-nets  (kaya,  or  kacho)  in  the 
form  of  voluminous  nets  (usually  dyed  green)  8-10  ft.  sq., 

1  Zen  is  also  used  to  express  the  act  of  preparing  food,  and  is  used  as  a 
numeral  in  counting  food  served  in  a  cup  or  bowl,  as:  Meshi  san  zen=S  cups 
of  boiled  rice;  Shiru  ni  zen=2  cups  of  soup;  Hashi  ichi  zen  =  a  pair  of  chop- 
sticks. Go-zen  is  boiled  rice,  or  a  meal;  O-zen  wo  sueru= to  set  a  table;  Zen 
ni  tsuku= to  sit  at  a  table. 


JAPANESE  TEA-HOUSES  AND  RESTAURANTS  xli 


almost  as  large  as  the  room  in  which  they  are  hung  —  by 
means  of  metal  rings  (kaya-no-tsurite)  on  hooks  in  posts.  Ser- 
vants are  often  immune  from  bites,  and  their  word  that  no 
mosquitoes  (ka)  exist  cannot  be  relied  upon.  The  prevalence  of 
water  in  Japanese  towns,  and  of  paddy-fields  in  the  environs, 
account  for  the  multiplicity  of  these  voracious  and  vexatious 
insects.  On  entering  an  inn  where  one  expects  to  remain  over- 
night, one  should  tell  the  okami  san  to  hang  up  a  mosquito-net 
(kaya  wo  tsuru) ,  else  sleep  may  be  impossible.  In  the  absence  of 
nets  (which,  because  of  being  kept  in  close  closets,  are  always 
disagreeably  musty),  a  little  pungent  oil  of  peppermint  (hakka) 
will  keep  the  pests  away  while  the  odor  lasts .  The  native-made 
netting  (kayaji)  is  considerably  cheaper  than  the  imported. 
Ladies  who  find  their  nets  too  large  had  best  complain  of  the 
matter  in  a  guarded  manner,  since  in  certain  districts  of  Japan 
for  a  widow  to  mention  that  her  mosquito-net  is  too  large  is 
equivalent  to  a  disposition  on  her  part  to  name  the  day. 


**"  Formerly  the  perplexing  chadai  (lit.,  *  tea-price')  system 
prevailed  in  the  inns,  and  when  a  traveler  entered  he  handed 
to  the  proprietor,  for  distribution  among  the  servants,  a  gratu- 
ity commensurate  in  value  to  the  service  he  expected  to  receive 
while  sojourning  under  his  roof.  If  it  was  not  handed  in  in 
advance,  a  sum  to  cover  it  was  added  to  the  hill  —  which  was 
adjusted  in  proportion.  The  system  still  exists  in  some  places, 
but  it  is  so  complicated  and  unsatisfactory  that  many  rich 
Japanese,  who  are  expected  to  pay  according  to  their  station, 
find  it  too  expensive,  and  go  to  foreign  hotels  for  their  enjoy- 
ment. Under  the  system  the  innkeeper  serves  not  in  accord- 
ance with  what  he  ought  to  do,  but  in  ratio  to  the  chadai  he 
receives.  As  a  general  rule  foreigners  are  not  expected  to  be 
familiar  with  the  method,  and  the  prices  quoted  them  by  an 
innkeeper  include  all  he  expects  to  receive.  Tips  (p.  liv)  to 
the  servants  are  optional  with  travelers.  Not  a  few  of  the  inns 
in  the  larger  cities  have  branches  (shiten)  near  the  rly.  stations, 
which  operate  under  the  firm  name.  The  kichin-yado  is  a  cheap 
inn  where  poor  travelers  lodge  and  are  charged  merely  for  the 
wood  with  which  they  cook  their  rice. 

The  Japanese  Tea-House  (chaya)  differs  from  the  Restau- 
rant (ryoriya)  in  that  at  the  former  tea  and  light  refreshments 
(cakes,  soft  drinks,  fruit,  and  the  like)  only  are  to  be  had,  while 
the  latter  are,  in  a  way,  similar  to  the  eating-houses  of  the  Occi* 
dent.  Anciently  a  national  institution  of  great  popularity,  the 
chaya  has  dwindled  to  the  modest  establishment  maintained 
by  poor  but  thrifty  women  who  eke  out  a  slender  livelihood  by 
the  returns  from  a  stock  in  trade  worth  scarcely  more  than  50 
yen.  The  oft-mentioned  cha-no-yu  ceremony  of  Old  Japan  is 
rapidly  becoming  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  the  old-fashioned 
chaya  and  chaseki  are  disappearing  with  it.  Some  of  the  modern 
chayas  —  particularly  those  scattered  along  the  country  high- 


xlii 


JAPANESE  FOOD 


ways  —  provide  the  wayfarer  with  a  bare  lodging  and  a  meager 
repast,  but  they  are  not  classed  with  yadoyas.  The  customary 
charge  for  tea  and  cakes,  a  dish  of  hot  soba,  and  two  or  three 
bowls  of  boiled  rice  is  25  sen.  For  a  tiny  pot  of  tea  and  a  slice  of 
kasutera,  or  a  handful  of  crackers  at  one  of  the  omnipresent  tea- 
houses by  the  roadside  or  near  waterfalls,  the  Japanese  pay 
2-3  sen ;  the  foreigner,  10  sen.  The  tea  is  bought  in  bulk  and 
costs  the  vender  at  the  rate  of  about  1  sen  for  enough  for  50  or 
more  pots. 

Many  of  the  restaurants  are  rapidly  adapting  themselves  to 
the  new  order  of  things,  —  to  enable  them  to  compete  with  the 
modern  clubs  and  the  like,  —  and  certain  of  those  in  the  larger 
cities  are  gradually  assuming  the  character  of  those  of  the  West. 
Many  in  the  style  of  the  old  regime  remain,  and  serve  dainties 
in  and  out  of  season  at  New  York  and  London  prices.  They 
and  their  geisha  accompaniment  are  kept  alive  by  the  Japan- 
ese who  frequent  them  (often  for  social  reasons  rather  than  for 
food) ;  and  despite  the  fact  that  in  some  of  them  a  good  dinner 
may  cost  anywhere  from  10  to  50  yen,  men  go  there  for  fear  that 
to  be  seen  in  a  modest-priced  place  might  impair  their  financial 
standing.  A  fairly  good  tiffin  may  be  had  in  some  of  them  for 
from  3  to  5  yen.  The  Japanese  find  a  famous  restaurant  or  two 
in  almost  every  city  ward  in  Tokyo,  while  in  nearly  every  street 
are  less  famous  ones  where  the  peculiar  national  dishes  are 
served  at  popular  prices.  Certain  of  them  are  famed  for  special 
dishes  (eels  and  rice;  buckwheat-macaroni,  etc.)  and  for  the 
individual  grace  and  charm  of  the  geisha,  but  few  of  them 
make  a  direct  appeal  to  the  foreigner  —  to  whom  they  are  as 
strangely  uncomfortable  as  the  food  is  unpalatable.  There  are 
no  showy  exteriors,  no  opulent  and  classic  interiors.  Out- 
wardly the  most  celebrated  is  difficult  to  distinguish  from  the 
adjacent  dwelling. 

The  Seiyo-ryori,  or  foreign-style  Restaurant  that  makes  a 
direct  appeal  to  the  seiydjin,  or  foreigner,  and  purports  to 
serve  food  in  the  Western  style  (seiydgata),  has  its  habitat 
chiefly  in  Tokyo,  and  is  yet  in  a  state  of  evolution. 

Japanese  Food  (tabemono)  is  of  wide  range  and  amazing 
variety.  It  is  as  much  the  delight  of  the  native  —  whose 
tastes  are  catholic,  and  who  regards  the  Nipponese  cookery  as 
the  best  extant  —  as  it  is  the  despair  of  the  foreigner,  who  con- 
siders most  of  it  mawkish  and  unsatisfying.  He  fails  signally  to 
thrive  long  upon  it,  while  the  native  who  turns  to  foreign  food 
(yoshoku)  to  the  exclusion  of  his  own,  relinquishes  the  former 
with  pleasure,  and  reverts  to  the  latter  with  renewed  zest. 

[^he  notion  entertained  abroad  that  the  Japanese  as  a  nation 
live  on  rice  is  erroneous ;  those  who  can  afford  this  now  rela- 
*  I  tively  expensive  grain  eat  it  in  quantities,  but  the  main  food  of 

\J,he  poorer  folks  consists  of  groats,  barley,  millet,  buckwheat, 


JAPANESE  FOOD 


xliii 


[beans,  fish  (and  many  marine  products),  and  vegetables. 
iRice  is  a  luxury  with  thousands  of  the  peasants;  it  takes  the 
[place  of  bread  with  the  well-conditioned;  and  wherever  it  is 
I  eaten  to  the  exclusion  of  other  foods  it  produces  (because  the 
fthin  phosphorous  skin  is  polished  off  it)  the  prevalent  beri- 
beri. The  proportion  of  animal  food  is  small.  Beans  eaten  in  a 
variety  of  ways  occupy  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  food  of  all 
classes  and  they  supply  the  nitrogenous  matter  essential  to 
those  who  rarely  eat  meat  and  who  do  not  get  the  casein  ob- 
tained by  cheese-eating  peoples.  The  soy-bean  (daizu;  omame) 
ranks  first  in  extent,  variety  of  us^  and  value  among  the  pulse 
of  Japan,  and  in  point  of  nutriment  is  quite  near  to  meat.  It 
contains  nearly  two  fifths  of  its  weight  in  legumin,  nearly  one 
sixth  in  fat,  and  is  rich  in  nitrogen.  It  is  to  the  Nipponese 
what  frijoles  are  to  Mexicans  and  garbanzos  (chick-peas)  to 
Spaniards.  Of  the  numerous  varieties  some  are  made  into 
curd,  and  into  the  widely  celebrated  bean-sauce  (the  Worces- 
tershire of  Asia)  called  shoyu  (sho,  soy;  yu,  oil),  and  which  is 
almost  as  indispensable  as  rice.  It  forms  the  daily  relish  of  the 
rich  man  and  the  beggar,  and  is  in  as  general  use  as  tea  and 
tobacco.  The  Japanese  first  became  acquainted  (in  1542) 
with  bread  and  similar  baked  foods  through  the  Portuguese, 
and  from  them  they  adopted  the  first  article  and  called  it  by 
the  Spanish  pan;  and  a  spongy,  saffron-yellow  cake,  which 
they  named  kasutera  (pron.  kas-teh-rah) ,  from  Castile.  The 
Portuguese  also  introduced  maize,  the  mahiz  of  the  Carib- 
beans,  which  Columbus  found  growing  in  Hispaniola,  and 
which  he  carried  to  Europe,  whence  it  spread  over  the  civilized 
world.  When  the  Japanese  adopted  it,  they  called  it  td-moro- 
koshi  (Chinese  sorghum)  io-kibi  (Chinese  millet) ,  Satsuma-kibi 
(because  it  was  planted  first  in  Satsuma  Province) ,  and  Nanban 
kibi  (millet  of  the  Southern  barbarians),  because  it  was  intro- 
duced by  those  whom  the  natives  considered  barbarians. 
Maize  is  gradually  becoming  a  valuable  food  product,  though 
the  plant  does  not  possess  the  same  character  as  certain  of  the 
maize  plants  of  America. 

The  average  Japanese  lives  temperately  and  frugally,  but 
eats  noisily  and  rapidly.  Before  the  introduction  of  Buddhism, 
fish,  flesh  of  wild  animals,  roots,  and  a  few  fruits  formed  the 
food  of  the  people.  Buddhist  influence  caused  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  meat  diet,  and  cultivated  vegetables  of  various 
kinds  came  more  into  prominence  —  chief  among  them  rice. 
Most  important  among  the  starch-furnishing  tubers  is  the 
sato-imo  {'  village  potato ')  or  Caladium  Colocasia  (the  taroor 
kalo  of  Hawaii ;  yu-tao  of  China ;  oto  of  Central  America) .  Then 
follow  sweet  potatoes,  Irish  potatoes  (introduced  by  the  Dutch 
and  called  Jagatara-imo,  from  Jacatra,  the  earlier  designation 
for  Batavia) ;  the  rhizoma  of  the  lotus  flower;  bamboo  shoots, 
etc.  Perhaps  the  most  conspicuous  among  the  vegetables  are 


xliv 


JAPANESE  FOOD 


the  long  white  radishes  called  daikon  (Raphanus  salivus;  re- 
ferred to  by  foreigners  as  the  Japanese  Limburger),  highly  es- 
teemed and  eaten  by  all  classes.  Near  Kyoto  and  Kagoshima 
they  attain  to  extraordinary  size  and  often  weigh  several 
pounds.  When  boiled  they  are  not  unlike  turnips;  but  when 
pickled  the  odor  of  putrefaction  is  singularly  offensive  to 
foreigners.  Slices  of  the  pickled  product  are  served  as  a  relish 
with  every  native  meal.  The  beautiful  dark  violet  fruit  of  the 
egg-plant  (nasu),  partly  cooked  fresh  in  soup,  or  salted  and 
used  instead  of  daikon,  is  also  much  esteemed.  Several  varie- 
ties of  mushrooms  (take)  are  popular.  —  The  decline  of  Bud- 
dhism and  the  adoption  of  Western  customs  have  wrought  a 
marked  change  in  the  Japanese  diet.  Milk  (from  Holstein 
cows),  cheese,  butter,  eggs,  bread,  meat,  flour,  fowls,  wild 
game,  fish  in  limitless  variety,  beer,  whiskey,  and  the  like  are 
consumed  by  whosoever  (outside  the  priesthood)  can  afford 
them.  Jams  are  made  in  several  towns,  and  the  consumption 
of  fruit  grows  steadily. 

Seaweed  in  almost  endless  variety  enters  largely  into  food- 
stuns.!  iNot  only  are  the  giants  of  the  marine  flora  taken  up  and 
utilized  in  various  ways,  but  also  the  more  delicate  red  and 
green  sorts  —  the  use  of  which  has  been  adopted  by  other 
nations.  Most  of  the  edible  green  and  red  algae  bear  the  generic 
term  nori,  while  the  words  umi-kusa,  or  kai-sd  (which  also 
means  beche-de-mer) ,  are  used  for  algae  in  general.  Many  of 
the  weeds  are  eaten  fresh,  others  in  soup.  Some  are  dried  or 
pickled  and  eaten  in  vinegar.  They  usually  appear  in  com- 
merce in  the  form  of  little  packages,  to  the  sale  of  which  special 
stores  are  dedicated.  Certain  varieties  are  converted  into  jelly. 
Among  the  curious  things  eaten  may  be  mentioned  whale- 
meat;  scmid,  slices  of  raw  fish  (sashimi),  to  which  cholera  is 
often  traceable;  sea-slugs;  grilled  ape  (considered  a  great  del- 
icacy) ;  and  other  things  which  foreigners  consider  detestable. 
— An  elaborate  Japanese  dinner  comprises  many  trays  each 
of  three  or  four  courses,  and  usually  much  more  than  a  sane 
person  should  eat  at  a  sitting  if  The  custom  of  sweeping  the 

j  food  (with  chop-sticks)  into  the  back  of  the  mouth,  then  wash- 
ing it  down  with  soup  drunk  from  a  bowl,  and  without  chew- 
ing, gives  rise  to  the  national  complaint,  dyspepsia)  Banquets 

I  are  considered  incomplete  without  geisha  to  interject  sparkle 
and  jollity.  If  the  deadly  drum-beating  does  not  give  the 

t .  foreign  guest  a  tight  headache,  frequent  sippingsof  the  harm- 

' '  less-appearing  but  treacherous  sake  and  the  pickling  green  tea 
will  provide  the  necessary  pain  under  the  waistcoat.  The  Jap- 
anese are  hospitable  to  a  fault,  and  are  inordinately  fond  of 
giving  banquets  (sometimes  at  home,  but  more  often  at  res- 
I  taurants) .  Tea  and  cake  without  sugar  and  milk  are  set  before 
all  visitors  at  a  Japanese  house.  Tea  and  crackers  are  often 
served  free  in  shops.  In  the  foreign  business  houses  of  Yoko- 


JAPANESE  FOOD 


xlv 


fiama  and  Kobe  the  pleasing  custom  is  followed  of  serving  tea 
with  sugar  and  milk  to  employees  at  4  p.m.  and  to  whosoever 
happens  to  be  on  the  premises  at  that  time. 

Travelers  will  find  the  following  list  of  native  dishes  useful 
when  dining  at  native  inns  or  restaurants;  additional  words 
will  be  found  in  the  vocabulary  at  p.  cxxx. 

Chicken  (tori).  Iri-tori:  chicken  boiled  and  served  with 
vegetable-oil.  —  Yaki-tori:  roast  chicken. — Tori-nabe:  chicken 
stewed  in  a  kettle  or  fried  in  a  pan. 

Fish  (sakana).  Ni-zakana:  cooked  or  boiled  fish.  —  Sui- 
mono:  fish-soup.  —  Shioyaki:  fish  salted,  then  baked.  — 
Teriyaki:  fish  in  a  sauce  of  soy,  mirin,  and  sugar;  — Su-no- 
mono:  shell-fish  (or  other  raw  fish)  eaten  with  vinegar.  — 
Arai:  raw  fish  washed  in  cold  water  or  chilled  with  ice.  — 
Namasu:  the  same  served  with  vinegar  and  cold  stewed  vege- 
tables. —  Sashimi:  raw  fish  cut  in  thin  slices  and  eaten  after 
being  dipped  in  shoyu.  —  Kabayaki:  fish  which  is  first  steamed 
then  dipped  into  soy  and  roasted  (or  eels  cut  open  on  the  dorsal 
line,  covered  with  soy  mixed  with  sugar,  and  roasted).  The 
latter  dish,  usually  called  Unagi-no-kabayaki,  is  a  favorite 
with  the  Japanese,  and  is  usually  prepared  specially  in  restau- 
rants which  owe  their  fame  to  its  savory  quality  (and  are  often 
called  Unagiya,  or  places  where  eels  are  served) .  Unagi-meshi 
consists  of  boiled  rice  mixed  or  covered  with  bits  of  roast  eel.  — 
Kamaboko:  hashed  fish  seasoned  with  salt  and  sake,  rolled 
round  a  stick,  and  baked  (so  called  from  its  resemblance  to  the 
gamaboko,  or  cat-tail  (Typha  japonica) .  Tempura:  fried  fish; 
fritters;  fish-cutlets.  —  Sakana-tempura,  or  fish-fritters  (of  a 
sort  of  trout),  make  a  widely  popular  dish  in  which  some  na- 
tive cooks  excel.  Some  of  the  most  popular  restaurants  in 
Tokyo  (and  elsewhere)  are  those  at  which  this  is  the  only  dish 
provided.  — Ebi  no  tempura:  fried  shrimps.  —  Tempura-soba: 
sobakiri  (a  buckwheat  vermicelli)  mixed  with  fried  fish.  — 
Hachi-zakana:  a  large  fish  salted  and  broiled,  or  boiled  in  soy. 
—  Uman:  picked-up  fish  or  fowl  boiled  (with  lotus-roots  and 
potatoes)  in  soy  and  flavored  with  mirin.  —  O-hira:  boiled 
fish  floating  in  soup  or  served  alone. 

Eggs  (tamago).  Tamagoyaki:  eggs  beaten,  mixed  with  salt 
and  sugar,  and  cooked  in  the  form  of  an  omelette.  — Tamagoio- 
ji:  vermicelli  (or  other  food)  covered  with  beaten  eggs,  then 
boiled  into  a  kind  of  soup. —  Iri-tamago:  eggs  stirred,  then 
boiled  in  shoyu.  —  Ude-tamago:  steamed  eggs.  — Han-juku: 
soft-boiled  eggs.  —  Nama-no-tamago:  raw  eggs.  — Tamago  no 
kimi:  the  yolk  of  an  egg.  —  Tamago  no  shiromi :  the  white  of  an 
egg.  —  Tamago  no  kara:  eggshell. 

Meat  (niku;ushi;  gyu-nabe,  etc.).  Ushi-nabe:  stewed  beef. — 
Yose-nabe:  hashed  meat.  —  Beefsteak  is  usually  pronounced 
bij-tekki. 


xlvi 


JAPANESE  FOOD 


Rice  (comp.  p.  cx)  is  called  by  many  names:  men  say  meshi; 
a  more  polite  term  is  gozen ;  and  the  cultured  term  (used  by 
ladies)  is  gohan.  Foreigners  soon  grow  fond  of  the  unusually 
excellent  native  rice,  which  is  cooked  in  such  a  way  that  every 
grain  retains  its  integrity  ,  yet  each  is  just  sti  cky  enough  to  per- 
mit a  mass  to  be  lifted  easily  with  chop-sticks  without  dropping 
a  grain.  Azuki-meshi :  rice  and  red  pea-beans  mixed  (boiled) . — 
Mochi :  small  dough-cakes  made  of  rice  and  sold  throughout 
Japan.  —  Sushi:  a  general  name  for  food  of  boiled  rice  and  fish, 
eggs,  vegetables,  etc.,  seasoned  with  vinegar  and  soy.  As  an 
affix  the  form  is  changed  into  zushi.  —  Chirashi-zushi:  boiled 
rice  relished  with  salt  and  vinegar,  and  mixed  with  cooked  fish, 
eggs,  vegetables,  etc.,  chopped  fine.  —  Hako-zushi:  the  above 
placed  in  a  wood  box  and  pressed.  —  Inari-zushi:  fried  tofu 
stuffed  with  chirashi-zushi.  —  Maki-zushi:  boiled  rice  and 
other  vegetables  rolled  and  wrapped  in  a  sheet  of  the  seaweed 
called  Asakusa-nori.  —  Mushi-zushi:  a  kind  of  chirashi-zushi 
put  in  a  porcelain  bowl  and  steamed.  —  Nigiri-zushi:  a  ball  of 
boiled  rice  seasoned  with  salt  and  vinegar,  and  covered  with  a 
piece  of  pickled  fish  or  something  of  the  kind.  —  Funa-zushi: 
carp  (funa)  in  boiled  rice  seasoned  with  vinegar  and  salt  (a 
specialty  of  the  Province  of  Omi) .  —  Kombu-zushi:  fish  seas- 
oned with  vinegar  and  wrapped  in  a  piece  of  the  edible  sea- 
weed known  as  Laminar ia  jap onica.  A  differentiation  of  this 
popular  food  is  the  Kom  bumaki:  baked  or  roasted  fish  wrapped 
in  kombu,  then  tied,  and  boiled  in  sugar  and  soy. 

Various.  —  Chawan-mushi:  a  popular  stew  (or  thick  cus- 
tardy  soup)  of  eggs,  fish  (or  chicken) ,  and  vegetables  mixed .  — 
Chawan:  literally  a  tea-cup,  but  meaning  a  thin  fish  soup  with 
mushrooms.  —  Tsukudani:  small  fish  boiled  in  soy  and  used  as 
a  relish  or  condiment  (named  for  Tsukudaji?na,  a  place  in 
Tokyo  famous  for  its  preparation).  —  Oden:  a  stew  (greatly 
enjoyed  by  the  proletariat)  of  fried  bean-curd,  lotus-roots, 
potatoes,  etc.  — Kuchitori:  a  side-dish  or  dessert  of  confec- 
tionery (boiled  sweet  chestnuts,  a  sweet  omelette,  or  the 
like).  —  Aemono:  a  salad  of  bean-sauce  or  pounded  sesamum 
seeds. — Kd-no-mono:  pickled  daikon,  egg-plant,  cabbage, 
or  the  like.  —  Shiruko:  rice-cakes  boiled  in,  and  covered  with 
an  (crushed  beans  sweetened  with  sugar) .  —  Imagawayaki: 
wheaten  dough  stuffed  with  bean-sugar  and  baked  on  a  copper 
pan ;  the  name  is  derived  from  Imagawa-bashi,  Tokyo,  where  it 
was  first  made.  The  article  is  popular  with  children  of  the 
commonalty.  Foreigners  should  be  careful  that  it  is  made 
properly,  as  the  metropolitan  newspapers  reported  recently 
the  poisoning  of  over  a  hundred  persons  who  had  eaten  the 
cake  made  at  a  wayside  shop.  —  Sembei:  a  cracknel  (or  native 
cookie)  made  of  rice  or  wheaten  flour;  when  salt  is  added  it  is 
called  shio-sembei. 

Ame,  a  starch-sugar  mixed  with  dextrine  and  water,  is  a 


JAPANESE  HOUSES 


xlvii 


popular  sweet  and  comes  to  market  in  the  form  of  midzu  (or 
fluid)  ame,  a  very  thick  yellow  syrup  (like  honey);  and  a 
doughy  substance  flavored  to  the  taste.  Both  are  sold  in  con- 
fectionery shops.  The  latter  is  popular  among  foreigners. 

Soup  (shiru).  Tofu-jiru:  bean-curd  soup.  —  Miso-shiru: 
bean-soup  with  vegetables. 

Beverages.  Sake  and  beer  are  popular.  —  Tamagozake: 
eggnog  made  by  stirring  beaten  eggs  and  sweetened  sake  over  a 
slow  fire.  —  Tamagoyu:  a  milder  form  of  the  above  composed 
of  beaten  eggs,  hot  water,  and  sugar.  Generally  speaking,  th'e) 
Japanese  are  a  sober  people,  and  drunkenness  is  not  a  na- 1 
tional  vice. 

Houses  (ie;  uchi;  etc.).  The  ordinary  Japanese  dwelling  is 
a  cellarless,  box-like  structure  destitute  of  architectural  char-  . 
acter,  but  is  oftentimes  graceful  and  dainty.  It  pleases  the 
Japanese  as  much  as  it  displeases  some  foreigners.  The  former 
regard  it  as  like  the  good  wine  that  needs  no  bush.  The  latter 
have  anathematized  it  in  many  languages.  The  famous  critic, 
Dr.  Rein,  has  this  to  say  of  it:  — 

'In  the  architecture  and  internal  arrangement  of  their 
dwellings  the  Japanese  have  not  developed  so  much  talent  and 
taste  as  in  many  other  things ;  yet  even  here  we  cannot  fail  to 
remark  a  commendable  sense  of  cleanliness.  The  Japanese 
house  lacks  chiefly  solidity  and  comfort,  and  therefore  two  of 
the  fundamental  conditions  which  we  are  accustomed  to  re- 
quire in  every  house :  solidity,  inasmuch  as  it  is  slightly  con- 
structed, of  wood  and  other  inflammable  materials,  and  is  in  a 
high  degree  exposed  to  destruction  by  fire  and  water;  comfort, 
since  it  is  without  furniture,  and  provides  no  sufficient  protec- 
tion against  cold,  damp,  and  smoke.  These  three  things,  to 
which  we  must  add  evil  odors  from  the  sanitary  arrangements, 
the  hardly  ever  absent  rats,  and  sometimes  also  fleas  and 
mosquitoes,  are  the  frequent  torments  of  the  traveler,  in  a 
Japanese  hostelry. 

'  The  generality  of  houses  throughout  the  country  are  built 
upon  one  common  plan;  but  the  size  and  fineness  of  the  ma- 
terials employed,  varies.  The  ordinary  dwelling-house  is  alto- 
gether calculated  for  a  family  of  4  or  5  persons,  and  agreeably 
with  the  modest  means  and  requirements  of  its  owner,  is  small 
and  simple,  and  as  it  can  be  erected  for  a  few  hundred  yen,  it  of 
course  presents  a  common,  poverty-stricken  aspect,  without 
any  decoration  or  convenient  fittings.  How  far  this  style  of 
building  has  been  determined  and  limited  by  the  frequent 
occurrence  of  violent  earthquakes  and  disastrous  fires,  it  is 
difficult  to  say.  The  chief  building  materials  are  furnished  by 
various  pines  and  firs,  and  for  the  better  class  of  houses,  by 
cryptomerias.  The  Japanese  house  is  a  low  building,  of  one  or 
two  stories,  of  light  framework,  without  foundation,  and  with 


xlviii 


HOUSES  AND  TATAMI 


a  heavy  roof.  The  latter  is  supported  on  wooden  posts  resting 
on  unhewn  stones.  Its  main  supporters  are  strong  beams, 
which  are  carefully  fitted  together.  The  roof  leans  at  an  obtuse 
angle,  as  a  rule  overhangs  considerably,  is,  in  the  case  of  dwell- 
ing-houses, simple,  in  the  case  of  temples  and  old  castles  gen- 
erally turned  upwards  toward  the  edge  as  in  Chinese  pagodas, 
in  the  villages  still  for  the  most  part  covered  with  straw,  in  the 
towns  with  shingles  or  tiles.  There  can  be  no  question  that  in 
the  construction  and  covering  of  their  roofs  the  Japanese  dis- 
play great  skill,  and  that  the  thick  tile  or  straw  roof  has  a  care 
and  attention  bestowed  upon  it  which  we  frequently  miss  else- 
where. Parallel  to,  and  behind  the  row  of  posts  erected  at 
intervals  of  about  6  ft.,  upon  which  the  roof  rests,  runs  again  a 
second  row.  The  interval  of  3  ft.  between  the  two  is  intended 
for  a  veranda.  As  soon  as  the  heavy  roof  rests  upon  these  posts 
and  the  beams  connecting  them,  the  carpenter  (daiku)  has 
done  his  work  and  the  finer  workmanship  of  the  cabinet-maker 
(sashi-mono-ya)  begins.  The  house,  therefore,  without  a  foun- 
dation, and  resting  upon  the  corner-stones  from  2  to  3  ft.  above 
the  ground,  is  to  some  extent  in  the  air,  though  it  is  not  uncom- 
mon to  add  a  wall  afterwards  or  to  cover  in  the  spaces  between 
the  corner-stones  with  planking. 

'  The  size  of  the  rooms,  indeed  the  whole  ground-plan  of  the 
houses,  is  determined  by  the  tatami,1  or  rush  mats,  with  which 
the  boarded  floors  are  covered.  They  form,  without  exception, 
right  angles  of  6  ft.  in  length,  and  3  ft.  in  breadth,  and  are 
padded  on  the  under  side  to  a  thickness  of  an  inch  or  more  with 
straw  matwork  of  coarse  stuff,  and  bound  at  the  edges  with 
strips  of  stuff.  In  accordance  with  these,  rooms  of  4,  6,  8,  10, 
12,  etc.,  mats  are  spoken  of.  The  average  height  of  the  rooms  is 
from  1\  to  9  ft.  They  are  separated  from  one  another  by  fu- 
suma  partitions,  which  may  be  opened  or  removed  altogether. 
These  are  frames  or  shutters  of  the  size  of  the  tatami,  covered 
on  both  sides  with  stout  wall-paper  or  karakami  (in  well-to-do 
houses  even  with  gold  paper),  and  running  between  grooved 
beams.  The  space  of  from  2  to  4  ft.  broad  between  the  upper 
cross-beam  which  bounds  such  a  partition  wall  and  the  roof  is 
either  closed  and  painted  blue,  rose-colored,  or  white, or  is  fitted 
with  fine  and  artistically  carved  open  woodwork.  Besides  the 
divisions  of  the  rooms  just  mentioned,  which  is  involved  in  the 
plan  of  the  house,  there  is  another  still  more  movable  division, 
produced  by  beautiful  folding  screens  (bydbu).  The  Japanese 

1  The  best  tatami  are  made  of  wara,  or  rice-straw,  closely  bound  and 
braided  together,  constituting  their  toko,  or  bed;  they  are  fastened  at  the 
borders  with  strips  of  cloth  (silk  in  the  case  of  mats  for  the  Imperial  house- 
hold), and  covered  and  held  fast  by  beautifully  woven  rush  mats  on  the 
upper  side  (omote).  The  Loochoo  Islands,  Bungo  and  other  provinces  of 
Kyushu,  and  above  all  Bingo  (in  Hiroshima  Prefecture)  and  the  neighbor- 
ing provinces,  are  celebrated  for  their  rushes  and  mats.  Bingo-omote  are 
valued  most,  being  dearer  and  handsomer  than  those  of  Bungo,  but  less 
strong. 


HOUSES  AND  HIBACHI 


xlix 


rooms  receive  their  light  through  the  shoji.  These  are  shutters 
something  like  the  fusuma,  but  are  converted  by  finely  planed 
laths,  running  lengthways  and  crossways,  into  a  network  of 
squares,  over  which  tough  transparent  paper  is  pasted  from  the 
outside.  The  shoji,  therefore,  represent  our  windows. 

'  The  veranda  is  open  throughout  the  day  in  fine  weather,  as 
are  the  rooms  looking  upon  the  street ;  but  in  the  evening  and 
in  rainy  weather,  is  closed  by  the  so-called  rain-doors  (amado), 
to  protect  the  house  from  intruders  and  the  paper  panes  from 
becoming  wet.  This  protection  consists  of  boards  running  in 
grooves,  and  fastened  from  within  by  a  bolt  in  the  last  of  them. 
If  any  one  desires  admission  into  an  ordinary  house,  he  goes 
up  to  the  shutter-door  and  calls  out,  "  Gomen-nasai  I  "  (I  beg 
your  pardon) ;  or,  less  politely, "  Moshi,  moshi! "  (I  say,  I  say!) 
and  also  claps  his  hands,  upon  which  the  door  is  opened.  The. 
best  rooms  are  always  found  at  the  back  of  the  house,  where 
the  veranda  leads  into  the  little  garden.  At  the  side,  and 
reached  from  the  veranda  by  a  boarded  passage,  is  placed  the 
closet.  Toward  the  street  generally  lies  the  living-room  of  the 
family,  and  not  unfrequently  also  the  kitchen,  which,  like  the 
rest  of  the  house,  is  without  a  chimney,  so  that  the  usual  fuel  — 
charcoal  prepared  from  oak  and  chestnut  wood  —  sometimes 
fills  all  the  dwelling-rooms  with  smoke,  and  not  unfrequently 
affects  the  cleanliness  here  prevailing. 

'  The  Japanese  rooms  lack  sufficient  privacy  and  anything 
like  comfort.  We  miss  in  them  chairs  and  tables,  beds  and 
other  things.  The  native  does  not  need  them.  He  leaves  his  geta 
or  zori  at  the  door,  so  as  not  to  soil  the  beautiful  mats,  and  is 
never  more  comfortable  than  when  resting  upon  his  knees  and 
heels.  There  are  but  two  articles  of  furniture  indispensable  to 
him  —  the  hibachi  and  the  tabako-bon,  i.e.,  the  fire-basin  and 
the  tobacco-tray.  The  hibachi  is  a  portable  apparatus  con- 
sisting of  a  round  brazen  or  bronze  bowl,  or  a  wooden  box,  lined 
with  fireproof  clay  along  the  margin,  and  wood-ashes  in  the 
middle,  upon  which  are  placed  glowing  wood  embers.  The 
tabako-bon  is  a  tray  with  a  similar  arrangement  of  glowing 
coal,  and  a  spittoon,  instead  of  which  a  piece  of  bamboo-cane  is 
often  employed.  The  hibachi  serves  the  purpose  of  lighting  a 
pipe  as  well  as  of  giving  warmth.  For  the  latter  purpose  the 
older  arrangement,  the  kotatsu,  a  large  square  opening  in  the 
floor,  which  is  half  filled  with  fireproof  clay  and  wood-ashes, 
like  a  hibachi,  and  has  in  the  middle  a  little  heap  of  glowing 
coals,  seems  better  adapted.  Near  it,  the  inmates  of  the  house, 
covering  themselves  with  quilted  mattresses,  seek  protection 
against  the  cold  of  the  long  winter  nights.  In  many  rooms, 
especially  in  the  finest,  the  one  fixed  wall  forms  a  sort  of  recess. 
The  one  half  of  it  is  called  tokonoma.  The  floor  of  the  room  is 
here  raised  from  2  to  4  inches  high,  for  a  width  of  from  24  to 
30  inches,  and  frequently  has  placed  upon  it  two  vases  with 


1 


JAPANESE  HOUSES 


flowering  branches  of  some  favorite  plant ;  between  them  for- 
merly stood  the  katana-kake,  or  sword-rest.  The  wall  behind 
it  is  decorated  with  a  kakemono.  The  second  half  of  the  wall 
forms  a  bay,  occupied  by  small  cupboards  with  sliding  doors, 
and  black  lacquered  chests,  to  receive  the  bedding,  which  is 
only  taken  out  immediately  before  bedtime.  This  consists  of 
(1)  the  futon,  or  mattress,  tightly  stuffed  with  cotton  or  silk 
wadding;  (2)  the  kaimaki,  or  night-dress,  a  sort  of  caftan  with 
wide  sleeves,  which  in  winter  is  also  stoutly  wadded;  and 
(3)  the  makura,  or  pillow.  This  is  a  small  stool  without  feet, 
having  a  crescent-shaped  piece  cut  out,  and  covered  by  a  pil- 
low-slip of  paper  or  cotton.  Covered  with  the  kaimaki  {in 
which  the  fleas  are  said  to  make  themselves  very  much  at 
home),  stretched  upon  the  futon,  which  is  spread  out  immedi- 
ately on  the  tatami  (also  said  to  be  a  happy  hunting-ground  for 
nomi),  resting  with  the  back  of  the  neck  in  the  saddle  of  the 
makura  (the  adamantine  rigidity  of  which  is  distressing  to  for- 
.  eigners),  the  Japanese  enjoys  his  repose,  while  the  extended 
mosquito-net  shelters  him  from  the  omnipresent  ka. 

4  The  rooms  are  illuminated  at  night  by  paper  lamps  {andon) 
or  rosoku  (candles  of  vegetable  tallow) ,  and  by  a  large  standing 
paper  lantern  in  which  the  andon  burns  quietly.  Electric  lights 
and  kerosene  lamps  are  now  commonly  used  in  the  larger  cities. 
In  one  room  of  every  Japanese  house  is  the  domestic  altar, 
kami-dana,  or  sacred  shrine,  a  wooden  Shinto  temple  in  mini- 
ature, in  which,  among  other  things,  are  kept  little  tablets 
bearing  the  names  of  the  gods,  before  which  the  master  of  the 
house  every  day  performs  his  devotions.  The  space  between 
the  boarded  and  papered  ceiling  and  the  roofs  of  nouses  is  usu- 
ally inhabited  by  rats,  which  at  night  visit  the  sleeping-rooms, 
devour  the  stearme  candles,  and  otherwise  make  themselves 
troublesome.  In  the  country  the  houses  are  for  the  most  part 
detached,  while  in  the  towns  one  wooden  structure  immedi- 
ately succeeds  another,  which  causes  a  great  risk  from  fire. 
Apart  from  this  the  construction  of  the  Japanese  house  is  un- 
doubtedly ill-adapted  to  the  climate.  Though  it  secures  cool, 
airy  apartments  in  the  heat  of  summer,  during  the  much  longer 
cold  winter,  it  affords  no  adequate  protection  against  the  cold 
air  which  everywhere  penetrates  through  the  joints  and 
chinks. 

4  The  slight  structures  in  which  trades-folk  carry  on  their 
business,  are  wooden  edifices,  generally  of  2  stories  and  occa- 
sionally of  3,  their  front  room  completely  exposed  to  the  street, 
or  separated  from  it  by  a  curtain  formed  of  strips  of  linen,  and 
their  back  rooms  opening,  by  means  of  paper-covered  sliding- 
doors,  on  a  miniature  garden.  At  night  these  houses  are  her- 
metically sealed  by  wooden  sliding-doors,  so  that  whatever 
might  be  claimed  for  their  method  of  construction  as  allowing 
the  atmosphere  to  percolate  freely  during  the  daytime,  they 


JAPANESE  HOUSES 


li 


become  oppressively  close  and  insanitary  when  closed  for  the 
night.  Strange  to  say,  too,  the  members  of  the  family  seldom, 
and  the  servants  never,  sleep  in  the  second  story,  where  air 
might  be  admitted  without  giving  access  to  thieves.  Thus,  for 
some  at  any  rate  of  its  inmates,  a  Japanese  residence  is  always 
essentially  unwholesome  in  summer  owing  to  defective  venti- 
lation. Further,  it  promotes  immodesty  and  therefore  im- 
morality ;  for  in  its  stifling  atmosphere  all  covering  at  night 
becomes  unendurable,  while,  at  the  same  time,  paper  sliding- 
doors  are  quite  ineffective  to  segregate  one  room  from  another. 
Yet  another  grave  defect  of  the  Japanese  house  is  that  it  acts 
like  a  cupping-machine  to  draw  up  noxious  vapors  from  the 
soil.  For  the  floors  being  closely  constructed  so  as  to  prevent 
the  overlaid  mats  from  decaying,  and  the  ground  underneath 
being  left  in  its  natural  state,  its  miasmal  exhalations  find, 
ready  access  to  the  chambers  above.  ^Meither  can  it  truly  be 
said  that  a  Japanese  house  is  remarkable  for  cleanliness.  It 
certainly  looks  clean,  because  the  neat  mats,  the  well-polished 
veranda,  the  knotless  timbers,  and  the  white  paper  give  an 
impression  of  purity  and  careful  preservation.  But  these  very 
mats  which  contribute  so  greatly  to  the  general  effect  of  tidi- 
ness are  incomparable  dirt  traps.  They  are  not  removed  for 
cleaning  purposes  more  than  twice  a  year,  in  many  houses  not 
more  than  once,  and  an  almost  incredible  quantity  of  dirt  is 
thus  found  to  have  accumulated  beneath  them  and  in  their 
interstices?)  So  long,  however,  as  the  Japanese  sits  and  sleeps 
upon  the  fltfor,  he  must  have  mats.  And  he  must  also  have  the 
charcoal-burning  brazier,  which  is  undoubtedly  an  unwhole- 
some element  in  his  life,  whether  he  bends  over  it  inhaling  its 
carbonic-acid  fumes,  or  places  it  under  his  quilt  to  warm  his 
feet.' 

The  anka,  a  small  box  in  which  live  charcoal  is  kept,  and 
which  is  put  under  the  futons  in  winter,  is  unhealthy,  and 
besides  suffocating  many  babies,  is  said  to  be  responsible  for 
25%  of  the  fires  which  devastate  the  cities  with  such  appall- 
ing frequency.  The  flimsy  character  of  the  average  house  is 
demonstrated  in  these  fires,  which  burn  by  thousands.  As  a 
rule  more  attention  is  paid  to  satin-surfaced  boards  and  care- 
ful joinery  in  a  native  house  than  to  hygiene  or  solidity.  For- 
eign influence  is,  however,  producing  a  great  change  in  the 
architecture  of  the  larger  cities ;  the  employment  of  bricks  and 
iron  as  building  materials  (even  marble)  is  increasing  steadily, 
and  these  with  stone  are  replacing  wood  in  the  houses  of  those 
who  can  afford  them.  In  the  newer  structures  the  Oriental 
inheritance  expresses  itself  in  domes  and  spires,  copper- 
sheathed,  and  resembling  in  shape  those  of  Persia  and  India. 
It  is  said  that  there  is  no  danger  from  asphyxiation  where  the 
finer  grades  of  charcoal  are  used  in  the  sleeping-rooms  of  native 
houses.  Also  that  the  big  spiders  (kumo)  so  often  seen  are 


lii 


FURNISHED  HOUSES 


harmless.  The  Japanese  walls  have  not  only  ears  but  eyes,  and 
the  foreigner  not  unfrequently  sees  one  of  these  looking  in- 
tently at  him  through  a  small  hole  in  the  paper  of  the  shoji. 
Occasionally  one  may  detect  a  finger  in  the  act  of  making  such 
a  hole,  or  enlarging  one  already  made.  The  paper  is  fixed  to 
the  framework  so  tightly  that  when  a  hole  is  made  in  it  a  sud- 
den explosive  report  is  heard.  To  obviate  this  the  tip  of  the 
finger  is  usually  moistened,  then  a  slight  twisting  motion  en- 
ables the  hole  to  be  made  quite  noiselessly. 

Godowns  (from  the  Malay  godong,  a  warehouse),  or  store- 
houses (dozo),  differ  from  ordinary  houses  in  that  they  are 
rendered  fireproof  by  plastered  walls.  The  prototype  of 
those  now  in  use  is  believed  to  have  become  popular  with 
Kyoto  merchants  in  the  13th  cent. 

Furnished  Houses  are  nearly  always  to  be  rented  in  cities- 
like  Tokyo,  Yokohama,  or  Kobe,  and  persons  intending  to 
remain'in  Japan  for  a  long  time  may  find  them  advantageous. 
As  a  rule  they  are  let  (consult  the  daily  newspapers  for  adver- 
tisements) by  well-to-do  foreign  residents  leaving  for  Europe 
or  America  for  a  6-12  months'  furlough.  The  servants  and 
all  the  family  belongings  are  customarily  turned  over  to  the 
lessee,  and  one  takes  possession  of  the  house  in  the  smooth 
running  order  in  which  it  is  supposed  to  be  left  at  the  end  of 
the  stipulated  time.  In  many  cases  carriages  and  horses  are 
included.  Generally  speaking,  the  servants  are  trustworthy 
and  tractable,  and  in  cases  where  they  have  been  in  the  house 
for  years  and  are  left  practically  in  charge  by  the  master,  with 
instructions  to  be  on  their  good  behavior,  they  do  not  betray 
their  trust,  and  foreigners  find  the  experience  agreeable.  Such 
a  household  will  almost  run  itself,  generally  with  a  total  ab- 
sence of  care  or  worry  on  the  part  of  the  stranger,  who  may 
enter  with  his  trunks  and  find  his  bath  prepared  and  his  break- 
fast about  ready  to  serve;  and  leave  6 or  12  months  later  by 
merely  loading  his  luggage  into  a  cart  and  bidding  the  servants 
good-bye.  A  well-furnished,  attractive,  detached  house  with  a 
flower-garden  can  sometimes  be  rented  completely  furnished 
and  equipped  with  servants  for  150-200  yen  a  month,  or  more 
in  proportion  to  the  size,  location,  and  furnishings.  A  retinue 
of  servants  (cook,  house-boy,  amah,  gardener,  and  coolie)  may 
cost  a  total  of  100  yen  more,  while  the  food  will  vary  with  the 
taste  and  requirements  of  the  lessee.  400-500  yen  should 
easily  cover  the  monthly  cost  of  living  (modestly)  for  2-3  per- 
sons. While  the  Japanese  pay  3-5  yen  for  a  cook ;  5-7  yen  for  a 
seamstress;  7-15  yen  for  a  good  amah,  etc.,  foreigners  are 
expected  to  pay  more.  An  experienced  Chinese  butler  will  cost 
27-30  yen  sl  month;  a  good  Japanese  boy,  15-30  yen;  a  coolie, 
15  yen;  amah,  17-20  yen;  cook  (rydrinin,  or  cook-san),  SO  yen; 
coachman  (betto),  30  yen.  Carriages  can  be  rented  from  the 
livery-stable  at  about  60  yen  a  month.  The  monthly  rate  (at 


SERVANTS 


liii 


the  stable)  for  boarding  a  horse  and  keeping  the  carriage  in 
trim  is  40  yen.  Fee  to  the  betto,  5  yen. 

If  servants  are  well  treated  and  are  not  scolded,  they  will 
serve  one  with  extraordinary  devotion,  and  in  a  manner  that 
will  be  a  revelation  to  Americans.  By  having  cook-san  present 
his  account  (for  all  kitchen  expenses)  at  the  end  of  the  week, 
and  submit  daily  a  list  of  the  things  he  may  like  to  have,  the 
mistress  need  never  enter  the  kitchen,  nor  know  until  she  is 
served  what  is  to  be  placed  on  the  dining-table.  If  she  is  ex- 
pecting friends,  be  there  two  or  a  dozen,  she  has  but  to  tell  the 
cook  the  number  invited,  and  the  style  of  meal  wanted,  and  it 
will  be  served  promptly  and  in  many  cases  as  daintily  and 
sumptuously  as  the  most  exacting  could  wish.  Poverty  has 
taught  many  of  the  Japanese  an  economy  that  serves  excel- 
lently where  one  has  a  limited  income ;  while  a  natural  aptitude 
combined  with  inherent  skill  enable  many  cooks  to  prepare 
dishes  that  would  delight  the  soul  of  a  French  chef.  Servants 
prefer  their  own  food  to  that  of  the  foreigner,  and  eat  it,  the 
while  saving  all  the  left-overs  from  the  table  to  be  worked  up 
into  attractive  and  appetizing  dishes  for  the  next  meal.  A 
housemaid's  work  is  often  done  by  the  1  boy/  the  amah  serving 
as  a  child's  nurse  or  as  madame's  maid. 

Persons  renting  unfurnished  houses  are  often  able  to  furnish 
them  cheaply  and  quickly  through  the  auction-sales  which  are 
a  feature  of  the  port  cities.  Foreign  residents  leaving  Japan 
dispose  of  their  belongings  through  this  medium,  or,  if  assured 
of  a  better  price,  sell  their  furnishings  complete  to  the  second- 
hand stores.  Advertisements  of  both  appear  in  the  daily  news- 
papers in  English.  Foreigners  rarely  employ  the  services  of  the 
Keian  (Employment  Agency,  or  the  Agent)  when  they  need 
servants,  but  inquire  about  among  their  friends.  The  Keian 
babd  —  an  old  woman  who  makes  it  a  business  to  get  servants 
for  one  —  is  sometimes  useful .  A  small  present  now  and  then  to 
trusted  servants  keeps  them  contented  and  faithful. 

The  concierge,  that  bane  of  life  in  France,  the  janitor,  and 
other  necessary  evils  in  so-called  civilized  countries,  are  un- 
known in  Japan  where  the  servant  problem  is  no  problem,  and 
housekeeping  is  perhaps  easier  than  in  any  other  country  of 
the  world.  The  stranger  may  like  to  remember  that  in  Japan 
servants  regard  their  master  as  a  friend  rather  than  as  a  ty- 
rant, and  the  feeling  is  soon  reciprocated.  If  one  detects  a 
servant  in  a  fault,  it  is  better  to  have  it  out  with  the  offender 
at  once ;  for  if  one  overlooks  it,  the  result  may  prove  disastrous 
to  discipline.  The  desire  to  take  servants  home  with  one,  to 
America  or  England,  is  often  rendered  impossible  *  by  the 
difficulties  placed  in  the  way  (particularly  in  the  case  of 
amahs)  by  the  authorities,  who  maintain  a  strict  surveillance 
on  all  native  women  who  leave  the  country.  Information 
under  this  head  is  obtainable  at  one's  consulate. 


liv 


TIPS  —  LAUNDRY 


Tips  (sobana).  The  tipping  system  has  yet  to  attain  in 
Japan  and  on  the  Pacific  Ocean  the  shameless  tyranny  that 
characterizes  it  in  Europe  and  on  the  Atlantic.  The  Chinese 
'  boys '  on  the  Canadian  Pacific  ships,  and  the  Japanese  on 
those  of  the  Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha  are  not  permitted  to  solicit 
tips,  and  are  usually  grateful  for  much  smaller  fees  than  those 
often  demanded  by  the  greedy  and  presumptuous  servants 
(covetous  ingrateswho  successfully  poison  the  pleasure  of  a  trip 
abroad)  on  transatlantic  liners  and  in  European  hotels.  It  is 
customary,  but  is  not  obligatory,  to  give  the  deck-boy  on  a 
transpacific  ship  $  1 ;  the  table-boy  $2 ;  cabin-boy  $2 ;  boots  $  1 ; 
bath-boy  $1;  and  the  stewardess  (if  her  services  are  com- 
manded) $2,  —  all  in  American  money.  The  9-17  days' 
voyage  thus  costs  one  $9,  or  less  than  5%  of  the  regular  fare 
on  the  best  ships.  —  No  definite  schedule  has  been  applied  to 
tipping  in  Japan,  since  many  Japanese  in  lowly  positions 
have  too  much  pride  to  sell  their  self-respect  for  money  they 
have  not  earned.  When  a  Japanese  can  do  a  foreigner  a 
courteous  service,  it  is  done  usually  in  an  ungrudging  man- 
ner, and  not  for  the  sake  of  financial  reward.  The  Chinese 
'  pidgin  '-English  cumshaw  (according  to  Giles,  the  Amoy 
pronunciation  of  Chinese  kan  seay,  ' grateful  thanks')  is  the 
word  used  by  Chinese  servants  for  a  tip.  The  customary 
tip  for  a  foreigner  in  a  hotel  in  Japan  is  1  yen  a  week  to  each 
of  his  servants  —  table-,  room-,  and  bath-boy.  Americans 
are  gradually  upsetting  this  easily  supportable  arrangement, 
but  the  traveler  who  does  not  fee  in  excess  of  this  amount 
makes  it  easier  for  those  who  follow  him.  Many  native  serv- 
ants prefer  presents  (miyage)  to  tips,  as  Japan  is  'a  land  of 
present  making.'  It  remains  to  be  said  that  in  Japan,  blackmail 
is  never  resorted  to  to  extort  tips,  and  that  hotel  proprietors, 
discountenance,  rather  than  favor,  the  giving  of  big  tips  to> 
their  servants.  The  writer  makes  it  a  point  to  abide  by  no  ar- 
bitrary rule  fixed  by  any  hotel  or  steamship  company,  but  to 
fee  in  strict  accordance  with  the  service  rendered.  Tips  are  not 
expected  by  railway-men  and  a  host  of  others  to  whom  they  are 
given  in  Europe,  and  least  of  all  by  Japanese  holding  official 
positions  of  any  kind.  Pride  of  race  and  position  often  extends 
to  the  lowest  among  the  Japanese,  and  on  this  lower  rung  of  the 
social  ladder  the  native  shibboleth  of  courtesy  and  helpfulness 
is  oftentimes  the  most  in  evidence. 

Laundry  (sentaku)  is  done  excellently  and  at  reasonable 
prices  by  Japanese  women.  In  some  of  the  country  villages, 
where  starch  is  unobtainable,  the  work  is  apt  to  be  unsatisfac- 
tory, but  in  the  port  cities  it  is  done  better  (and  much  cheaper) 
than  in  America.  Residents  customarily  pay  4  yen  for  100 
pieces  irrespective  of  size  —  handkerchiefs  and  collars  being 
counted  the  same  as  skirts  or  shirt-waists  or  coats.  The  hotels 
charge  from  5  to  6  yen  per  100,  and  some  will  present  lists  at  so  * 


PLAN  OF  TOUR 


lv 


much  per  piece,  thus  making  the  cost  considerably  higher.  If 
the  traveler  finds  the  steam  laundries  (sentakuya)  patronized 
by  certain  of  the  hotels  too  destructive,  he  will  save  both  his 
fine  clothing  and  money  by  obtaining  from  some  resident  the 
name  of  a  good  laundress. 

D.  Plan  of  Tour.  Tourist  Societies.   Climate.  Seasons. 
Health.  What  to  Wear.  Hints  to  Travelers. 

Plan  of  Tour.  Of  the  fifteen  thousand  or  more  tourists  who 
visit  Japan  each  year  and  collectively  spend  50  million  yen 
there,  too  many  content  themselves  with  treading  the  beaten 
tracks  of  travel;  some  because  limited  for  time;  others  be- 
cause of  the  prevalent  belief  that  to  penetrate  to  the  interior 
without  a  guide  is  impracticable  and  is  fraught  with  many  dis- 
comforts; and  still  others  who  think  that  a  few  of  the  places 
contiguous  to  the  coast  exhaust  the  sights  of  the  Empire.  The 
ideas  of  one  traveler  as  to  what  is  and  is  not  worth  seeing  are 
likely  to  be  so  at  variance  with  those  of  another  that  it  is  diffi- 
cult, if  not  impossible,  to  plan  a  tour  that  would  fulfill  the 
requirements,  or  meet  with  the  approval,  of  even  a  limited 
number  of  persons  of  different  temperaments  and  aims.  In 
view  of  the  long  journey  most  travelers  must  make  to  reach 
Japan,  they  should,  in  justice  to  themselves,  visit  as  many  as 
possible  of  the  places  really  worth  seeing.  While  it  is  manifestly 
impossible  to  estimate  correctly  the  taste  of  every  traveler  as 
regards  meritorious  sights,  it  should  be  remembered  that 
Japanese  ideas  of  what  is  beautiful  often  clash  with  those  of 
Occidentals,  who  should  take  with  a  large  grain  of  salt  many 
of  the  flamboyant  eulogies  of  places  set  forth  in  certain  of  the 
local  guidebooks.  It  may  be  accepted  as  a  safe  axiom  that  a 
liberal  percentage  of  the  above-mentionedplaces  are  not  worth 
the  time,  money,  or  effort  spent  in  reaching  them.  The  con- 
stant aim  of  the  writer  has  been  to  point  out  and  describe  the 
localities  and  objects  worth  seeing,  and  to  advise  the  traveler 
against  others. 

There  is  no  dearth  of  things  which  one  ought  to  see  in  Japan, 
for  it  is  a  wonderland  in  the  broadest  sense  of  the  word.  It  is  a 
felicitous  blend  of  the  cold  Northland  and  the  warm  semi- 
tropics;  of  Norway  and  New  Zealand ;  of  the  languorous,  lotus- 
eating  Orient,  and  the  virile,  materialistic  Occident.  It  is  a 
region  of  striking  contrasts  and  puzzling  contradictions,  with  a 
fascination  peculiarly  its  own  —  one  which  grows  rather  than 
palls  upon  one.  Here  the  pine  and  the  bamboo  —  emblems  of 
willowy  grace  and  of  somber  strength  —  thrive  side  by  side, 
and  here  the  old  and  the  new  —  the  10th  and  the  20th  centuries 
—  are  so  strangely  and  inextricably  blended  that  to  separate 
the  fusion  were  impossible.  Barnyard  fowls  with  tails  14  ft. 
long,  and  cats  without  tails;  women  with  jet-black  teeth  and 


Ivi 


PLAN  OF  TOUR 


no  eyebrows;  shaven-pated  babies  and  bonzes;  big  wrestlers 
and  bantam  chickens;  dwarf  trees  and  others  that  in  size  are 
brothers  to  the  giant  sequoias  of  the  Pacific  Coast  of  America, 
give  one  an  inkling  of  its  grotesqueries  —  as  do  the  charming 
people  themselves,  melancholy  by  instinct  and  inheritance, 
yet  with  faces  almost  perpetually  wreathed  in  smiles.  In  few 
countries  of  the  world  is  nature  so  pitilessly  savage,  yet  withal 
so  delightful,  and  in  few  does  she  express  her  elemental  pas- 
sions, and  varying  moods  in  so  remarkable  a  way.  Roaring, 
screeching  volcanoes  that  vomit  their  scorching  wrath  over 
miles  of  peaceful  valley-land,  and  sometimes  shake  the  Em- 
pire to  its  foundations  by  their  internal  and  ceaseless  con- 
flicts, dot  the  country  from  frigid  Yezo  at  the  N.  to  warm  Sat- 
suma  at  the  S.,  yet  some  of  them  rise  skyward  in  cones  so 
graceful  and  so  tenderly  beautiful  that  thousands  of  pilgrims 
from  the  remotest  limits  of  the  realm  believe  them  em- 
bodied spirits,  and  come  with  travelers  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  to  worship  and  ascend  them.  On  their  flower-decked 
flanks,  warmed  by  the  subterranean  fires  which  seem  never 
to  grow  cold,  are  some  of  the  quaintest  health  resorts  im- 
aginable; perched  like  eagles'  nests  amid  ancient  groves  of 
noble  cryptomerias,  grotesque  pines,  and  myriad  deciduous 
trees  whence  one  may  look  down  past  smiling,  sunlit  plains 
and  valleys  to  blue,  junk-flecked  seas  so  beautiful  that  one 
stands  spellbound  at  sight  of  them. 

Plunging  rivers  that  form  splendid  waterfalls,  cascades,  and 
rapids,  and  inland  seas  and  lakes  so  charming  that  those  of  few 
countries  of  the  globe  can  aspire  to  vie  with  them,  are  frequent 
features  of  the  islands;  in  whose  ancient  groves  sit  gigantic 
bronze  Buddhas  and  barbarically  splendid  Buddhist  temples 
erected  more  than  a  millenium  ago,  when  savage  hordes  ranged 
from  the  Big  Horn  to  Peru,  and  time  had  yet  to  mark  three 
hundred  years  before  Columbus  could  be  born.  A  list  of  the 
many  curious  places  in  Japan  would  read  almost  like  a  compil- 
ation from  the  Arabian  Nights.  Miniature  Niagaras,  Yosem- 
ites,  and  Yellowstones;  duplicates  of  the  Terraces  of  New 
Zealand  and  the  Hill  Stations  of  India,  are  scattered  promis- 
cuously throughout  the  islands,  where  the  Black  Fellows  of 
Australia  are  replaced  by  the  hairy  Ainus  of  Yezo,  and  the 
shrines  of  Ise,  of  Kdya-san,  and  a  score  of  others  recall  those  of 
Lourdes  and  Arabia,  Benares,  and  Guadalupe.  Miniature 
surface  volcanoes  which  throw  out  boiling  mud,  scalding 
water,  and  blistering  steam,  whose  environing  crusts  are  so 
thin  and  unstable  that  an  unusual  pressure  of  the  foot  precipi- 
tates the  unwary  into  seething  fires  below;  whistling,  sputter- 
ing, spiteful  geysers,  sulphuric  fumaroles,  lakes  of  boiling  acid, 
gorges  reeking  of  pestiferous  fumes  that  come  straight  from  the 
infernal  regions  —  all  these  veritable  hell-kitchens  are  so  com- 
mon that  they  scarcely  call  for  special  mention.  Not  unfre- 


PLAN  OF  TOUR 


lvii 


quently  the  traveler  in  Japan  comes  to  some  specifically  vol- 
canic region  where  the  people  of  an  entire  village  cook  their 
food  in  surface  holes  made  in  the  thin  and  treacherous  crust 
which  forms  their  earth ;  in  others  he  will  be  lulled  to  sleep  by 
the  muffled  groaning  of  some  grouchy  volcano  and  awake  to 
find  the  house-roof  white  with  the  ashes  or  the  small  stones 
which  the  uneasy  monster  has  spewed  out  in  the  night. 

Ashes  sometimes  fall  in  Tokyo  from  the  volcanoes  at  the 
W.  and  N.,  and  in  dozens  of  native  villages  the  street  gutters 
run  perpetually  with  steaming  water  that  spurts  boiling 
from  the  adjacent  mountain-side  and  leaves  a  trail  of  iron-rust 
or  a  coat  of  sulphur-plush  wherever  it  goes.  In  such  places 
(notably  Ikao,  Kusatsu,  etc. ;  see  the  index)  the  water  is  piped 
into  the  houses,  where  it  pours  direct  into  the  primitive  baths, 
and  thus  enables  the  stranger  to  get  a  bit  nearer  to  nature's 
heart  than  he  has  perchance  been  before.  On  misting  days, 
when  the  clouds  hang  low  and  prevent  the  steam  from  rising, 
certain  of  these  towns  look  like  transplanted  bits  of  the  infer- 
nal region,  and  the  low-hanging  stench  of  plutonian  sulphur 
fumes  which  brood  above  them  do  not  detract  from  the  simile. 
Here,  too,  as  well  as  in  many  similar  places  in  Japan,  one  may 
witness  the  somewhat  curious  and  unusual  (to  Occidentals) 
spectacle  of  scores  of  men  and  women,  old  and  young,  plump 
and  wrinkled,  charming  and  otherwise,  bathing  promiscuously, 
but  overstepping  in  no  wise  the  modesty  of  nature.  There  are 
many  such  baths  in  Japan;  at  Beppu  one  may  see  almost  any 
number  of  innocent  nude  bathers  stretched  on  the  beach,  with 
piles  of  healing  sand  scattered  over  them;  while  in  the  adjacent 
bath-houses  the  scene  is  decidedly  haremesque.  At  some  of  the 
hot-spring  resorts  in  the  mountains,  the  near-by  gorges  ring 
and  echo  ceaselessly  to  the  pulsing  and  thumping  of  suppressed 
natural  forces.  The  sputtering,  blistering  jets  of  water  that 
jerk  out  of  the  hillsides  are  chased  by  angry,  hissing  clouds  of 
scarifying  steam  that  at  times  screech  like  raucous  power- 
whistles,  and  drown  the  sibilant  sound  of  the  dry  but  super- 
heated winds  that  stream  from  venomous  f umaroles  where  the 
fever-smitten  soil  shows  ominous,  glowing  red  heat  in  the 
cracks  a  few  inches  below  the  surface .  In  this  land  most  of  the 
volcanoes  are  easily  accessible,  and  often  within  a  short  stroll 
of  the  hotel  one  may  stand  at  the  rim  of  some  gasping,  dying 
crater,  and,  while  gazing  down  into  nature's  restless  glowing 
workshop,  applaud  its  futile  efforts  to  send  the  white-hot  fire 
high  enough  to  chastise  irreverent  spectators.  The  Japanese 
show  such  disregard  for  some  of  the  volcanoes  that  they  live 
and  have  their  being  within  the  very  walls  of  the  craters  them- 
selves. At  Aso-san  upward  of  a  hundred  villages  dot  the  inner 
slopes  of  the  once  gigantic  vent  whose  internal  fires  are  slowly 
cooling,  but  which  still  have  strength  enough  to  smoke  inces- 
santly and  occasionally  to  dart  up  flames  that  scorch  impru- 


Iviii 


PLAN  OF  TOUR 


dent  investigators.  Not  far  from  this  intensely  interesting 
spot  is  the  quaint  little  town  of  Takeda,  in  a  sort  of  Happy 
Valley  reached  through  forty  or  more  tunnels  cut  through 
the  old  crater  wall. 

So  varied  is  the  Japanese  climate  that  while  flowers  are 
blooming  on  the  E.  or  Pacific  Coast,  beyond  the  great  barrier 
range  which  forms  thebackbone  of  the  main  island,  near  the  W. 
coast,  overlooking  the  Japan  Sea  and  distant  Siberia,  the  land 
is  often  buried  under  from  10  to  20  ft.  of  snow.  Here  one  may 
witness  the  curious  spectacle  of  a  town  literally  buried  out  of 
sight,  with  sleighs  traveling  on  the  snow-crust  above*  the 
streets,  higher  than  the  house-tops.  The  inhabitants  circulate 
below  through  mole-like  tunnels,  and  beneath  arcades  built 
with  the  purpose  of  upholding  the  snow  and  permitting  the 
people  to  conduct  their  daily  business  despite  the  elements. 
The  Kuro-shiwo,  that  warm  stream  which  flows  past  the  Japan- 
ese islands  to  Kamchatka  and  the  Pacific  Coast  of  America,  and 
which  perchance  carried  on  its  dark  bosom  (comp.  p.  cxlvi) 
the  prototypes  of  the  first  Americans,  makes  of  the  Pacific 
Coast  of  Japan  a  floral  paradise  where  the  horticulturist's 
ancient  and  wonderful  art  attains  its  finest  achievement. 
Whole  mountain-sides,  gorges,  lowlands,  and  plains  are  car- 
peted at  times  with  graceful  lilies-of-the-valley,  wild  wistaria, 
columbine,  flaming  azaleas,  clematis,  ferns,  and  such  a  host  of 
flowering  trees  and  shrubs  that  a  book  would  be  needed  to 
catalogue  them.  It  is  essentially  a  land  of  plum,  peach,  pear, 
and  cherry  blossoms,  and  one  where  acres  and  acres  of  iris 
and  lotus  and  chrysanthemums  bedeck  the  country  in  season, 
and  where  in  autumn  the  hill-slopes  are  so  scarlet  with  turn- 
ing maples  that  they  resemble  volcanoes  turned  wrong-side- 
out.  The  wild  flowers  of  Ikao  and  other  mt.  resorts  are 
almost  as  numerous  and  as  charming  as  those  of  Cape  Town. 
Perched  amid  some  of  these  floral  groves,  at  vantage-points 
whence  ravishing  and  romantic  seascapes  are  visible,  are  the 
gorgeous  mausolea  of  the  dead  shoguns ;  richly  and  bar- 
barically  adorned  with  paintings  and  sculptures,  demons 
and  gilded  dragons,  and  with  oratories  equipped  with  all 
the  glittering  paraphernalia  of  Indian  Buddhism;  entranc- 
ing in  its  Oriental  suggestiveness,  and  of  a  fascinating  mys- 
ticism. 

It  would  be  futile  to  attempt  to  classify  all  the  beauty  spots, 
for  they  are  legion;  to  be  seen  at  their  best,  many  of  them  must 
be  visited  at  certain  seasons,  when  they  flame  like  gorgeous 
sunsets  before  retiring  into  temporary  eclipse .  It  thus  happens 
that  months  can  be  spent  in  Japan  without  exhausting  its  at- 
tractions. Months  must,  in  fact,  be  spent  here  if  the  traveler 
would  see  it  in  all  its  seasonal  moods,  for  art  is  so  leagued  with 
nature  that  every  month  has  its  special  captivating  charm. 
The  lustrous  blue  skies  that  produce  mild,  sunny,  brilliant 


PLAN  OF  TOUR 


lix 


Jan.  days  from  Tokyo  to  Kyushu,  oftentimes  coax  out  the  Feb. 
plum  blooms  before  their  time,  and  they  are  quickly  followed 
by  the  peach  blossoms  in  March,  the  pear  and  cherry  blooms  of 
April  (when  the  land  is  a  veritable  paradise),  the  gorgeous 
wistaria  of  May,  the  irises  of  winsome  June,  the  regal  peonies  of 
July,  the  sultana-like  lotuses  of  Aug.,  the  stately  chrysanthe- 
mums of  Sept.  and  Oct.,  the  wonderful  maples  of  Nov.  and  the 
clear,  flower-flecked  Indian-summer-like  days  of  crisp  Decem- 
ber. Interspersed  are  a  host  of  other  flowers  and  picturesque 
festivals  that  are  always  a  delight  to  the  stranger.  In  some 
districts  flowers  bloom  in  the  open  all  the  year  round,  as  the 
so-called  winter  of  the  Pacific  Coast  south  of  Tokyo  is  naught 
but  a  polite  term  to  express  a  season  of  bright,  fresh,  brilliant 
days,  and  sharp,  sleepful  nights.  For  weeks  in  the  spring  a 
lovely  opalescent  haze  is  apt  to  veil  the  snow-crowned  peaks, 
rendering  views  of  them  impossible.  Thus  many  a  traveler  to 
Japan  in  spring  sees  nothing  at  all  of  Fuji-san  or  the  other 
cloud-capped  giants  of  the  Central  Range  —  unless,  indeed,  he 
sets  himself  to  watch  constantly  and  chances  to  get  a  fugitive 
glimpse  of  them  between  passing  cloud  groups.  Nikko  is  in- 
cluded in  the  itinerary  oi  almost  every  traveler  to  Japan,  but  j 
whosoever  sees  it  in  spring  and  fails  to  return  in  the  summer  j 
and  penetrate  to  beautiful  and  restful  Chuzenji;  to  the  still  / 
more  distant  Yumoto,  and  thence  onward  over  the  Konsei  Passr 
to  Ikao ;  or  fails  even  to  see  it  in  autumn  when  it  is  clad  in  its 
scarlet  coat  of  turning  maples,  or  in  winter  when  it  lies 
white  and  still  beneath  its  snowy  mantle  of  royal  ermine,  can- 
not be  said  to  know  it.  Nor  does  one  appreciate  the  full  beauty 
of  the  splendid  waterfalls  of  the  region,  which  thunder  in  their 
summer  solitudes  but  are  hushed  and  frozen  in  winter. 
^  Although  the  Japanese  class  Matsushima,  Miyajima,  and 
Amanohashidate  as  the  *  Three  Great  Sights,'  two  at  least  of 
these  san-kei  (3  scenes  or  views)  are  apt  not  to  prove  such  to 
the  average  Occidental.  Matsushima,  unquestionably  the 
loveliest  of  the  trio,  possesses  an  irresistible  charm,  but  the  man 
from  the  forceful  and  mighty  West  usually  regards  the  rugged 
beauty  of  the  little-traveled  Hokkaido,  with  its  strange,  sad- 
faced  Ainu  (lees  of  a  mysterious  aboriginal  race),  its  entrancing 
seacoasts  and  views,  its  primeval,  grizzly-bear  haunted  forests, 
and  its  spouting  volcanoes  and  semi-arctic  characteristics,  of 
equal  if  not  of  greater  interest ;  likewise  the  incomparable  Nikko 
with  its  barbarically  splendid  mausolea  and  its^roves  of  won- 
derful trees.  The  graceful  and  beguiling  charm  of  old  Kyoto, 
—  the  practically  unchanged  imperial  city  where  the  heart  of 
Old  Japan  beat  for  upward  of  a  thousand  years,  —  or  that  of 
somnolent  but  historic  Nara ,  with  its  unique  museum  and  its 
colossal  bronze  Buddha,  makes  a  singularly  strong  appeal. 
Many,  too,  will  want  to  go  again  and  again  to  Kamakura,  the 
sometime  Ashikaga  capital;  to  see  its  wonderful  Daibutsu; 


lx 


PLAN  OF  TOUR 


fairy  Enoshima,  its  pendent  pearl ;  and  the  glory  of  its  seacoast 
backed  by  the  peerless  Fuji-san.  The  very  permanence  of  these 
and  many  other  places  in  Japan  appeals  to  the  materialistic 
westerner,  much  more  than  the  somewhat  fugitive  charms  of 
the  san-kei,  which  are  dependent  upon  the  tranquillity  of  the 
adjacent  sea  to  enhance  their  feminine  graces.  The  stern  but 
majestic  outlines  of  certain  of  the  stupendous  volcanic  ranges 
whose  sublimely  beautiful,  sky-scraping  ramparts  reluctantly 
doff  their  arctic  caps,  and  the  trembling,  agonizing  volcanoes 
themselves  are  infinitely  more  suggestive  of  strength  and  pur- 
pose than  the  softer  charms  of  the  languorous  Lake  of  Omi,  or 
even  the  exquisite  but  capricious  Inland  Sea.  Peaceful  Shoji, 
tucked  away  in  its  half-forgotten  fold  oiFuji's  sweeping  skirts,  I 
has  a  singular  trick  of  gripping  the  heart  of  the  nature-lover  ' 
and  of  luring  him  back  to  the  winsome  bosom  of  its  almost^ 
fathomless  lake;  and  few  indeed  are  the  travelers  who,  having 
once  seen  Ikao  and  Haruna,  Kusatsu  and  Karuizawa,  Aso-san 
and  the  Riviera-like  Beppu,  but  wish  to  return  to  them  over 
and  over  again. 

Most  travelers  to  Japan  will  wish  to  see  one  at  least  of  the 
great  white  feudal  castles — -those  massively  fortified  and 
moat-encircled  structures  which  make  such  spendidly  im- 
posing pictures  in  the  green  landscape,  and  which  speak  so 
eloquently  of  shogun  and  samurai,  and  of  the  ronin  and  war- 
riors of  the  olden  days.  One  of  the  finest  and  most  accessible 
of  these  is  at^^^,  and  the  immense  structure,  when  seen, 
makes  a  lasting  impression.  The  above  are  but  a  few  of  the 
age-old  fascinations  of  this  singularly  attractive  land;  one 
which  has  gained  the  good  will  of  peaceful  and  progressive  na- 
tions by  the  urbanity  of  its  people;  its  pleasing  national  life; 
the  proud  position  which  its  honorable  government  occupies 
on  the  world's  stage ;  the  irresistible  allurements  of  its  temples, 
gardens,  mountains,  and  seas;  and  its  acknowledged  su- 
premacy in  those  gentle  arts  and  refinements  which  sweeten 
existence  and  add  to  its  amenity. 

Few  countries  of  the  world  possess  a  past  so  far-reaching  and 
a  history  more  interesting  than  that  of  Japan.  And  in  few 
countries  are  there  so  many  existing  relics  of  the  early  years  of 
the  nation's  life.  Not  many  peoples  cling  as  pertinaciously  to 
the  old  customs  as  do  the  Nipponese,  and  many  of  these  are 
inextricably  and  picturesquely  interwoven  in  their  daily  lives. 
Almost  every  street  of  a  Japanese  town  is  as  suggestive  of  the 
Middle  Ages  as  it  is  of  the  20th  century,  and  this  mediaeval 
flavor  usually  possesses  a  special  charm  for  the  Westerner. 
The  mt.  peaks,  the  valleys,  the  ancient  groves,  the  temples, 
lakes,  castles,  and  palaces  are  all  steeped  in  mythology  or 
storied  romance,  while  petrographic  reminders  of  the  twilight 
history  of  the  people  exist  in  many  forms  —  stone  or  bronze 
lanterns,  statuary  or  monuments  of  warriors  and  bonzes,  etc. 


PLAN  OF  TOUR 


lxi 


If  they  do  not  look  down  from  every  hillside,  they  are  always 
to  be  found  tucked  away  in  sacred  thickets,  in  caves  or  in  val- 
leys, on  islands,  and  even  on  the  loftiest  mt.  tops. 

In  most  countries  •  the  penalty  of  travel  is  to  find  things  not 
quite  those  of  our  dreams"  but  this  can  scarcely  be  said  of 
Japan ;  for  of  all  the  brilliant  empires  of  the  opulent  East  it  is 
perhaps  the  most  attractive  and  the  most  satisfying.  Many 
find  it  all  too  satisfying,  and  are  thus  reminded  of  the  significant 
dictum,  1  traveling  is  one  of  the  saddest  pleasures  in  life.'  For 
to  see  Japan  and  learn  its  charm  is  equivalent  to  drinking  the 
waters  of  Guadalupe;  the  craving  to  return  is  implanted,  and 
it  clamors  to  be  appeased.  Perhaps  in  no  country  of  the  world 
is  there,  within  the  same  narrow  limits,  so  much  that  is  beauti- 
ful and  interesting,  and  so  many  readily  accessible  sights.  Its 
museums  and  art  galleries,  its  temples  and  mausolea,  are  rich 
in  the  accumulated  treasures  of  the  ages ;  and  as  a  fitting  corol- 
lary '  life  in  Japan  is  something  so  placid  and  kindly  and  gentle 
that  it  is  just  like  one  of  those  dreams  in  which  everybody  is 
good-natured  about  everything. 1 

There  is  a  peculiar  charm  about  Tramping  in  Japan,  one 
unfortunately  better  known  to  the  sinewy  and  enduring  Brit- 
isher and  German  than  to  the  time-begrudging,  comfort-seek- 
ing American —  who  too  often  feels  that  where  a  jinriki  can't 
go,  he  won't  go.  It  is  indubitably  true  that  the  traveler  who 
comes  to  Japan  unprepared  to  walk  over  some  of  its  lofty  mt. 
passes,  and  to  penetrate  on  foot  to  some  of  the  remote  places 
yet  untouched  by  the  blighting  hand  of  progress,  —  for  a  first- 
hand glimpse  of  one  of  the  quaintest  civilizations  the  world  has 
produced,  —  loses  something  which  the  sometime  treaty-ports 
cannot  make  up  to  him  —  for  the  heterogeneous  treaty-ports 
no  more  reflect  the  life  of  rural  Nippon  than  Barcelona  does 
that  of  Andalucia,  or  Paris  that  of  Provence.  Those  who  love 
to  view  the  world  from  its  high  and  wild  places  will  find  the 
panoramas,  which  the  eye  surveys  from  many  of  the  great  ele- 
vations of  the  Japanese  mts.,  so  entrancingly  beautiful  that, 
metaphorically  speaking,  they  would  send  the  blood  coursing 
and  tingling  through  the  veins  of  a  stone  Buddha.  For  a  full 
and  complete  enjoyment  of  these  trips  one  should  start  prac- 
tically baggageless,  care-free,  and  happy,  with  a  heart  attuned 
to  the  rhythm  oTthe  universe,  and  with  unchecked  joy  bub- 
bling up  from  the  soul.  The  man  who  will  be  oblivious  to  slight 
personal  discomforts,  who  will  sing  the  rollicking  songs  of  his 
youth  as  he  tramps  blithely  over  the  grand,  silent,  upland 
plains  or  oyer  knife  ridges  thousands  of  feet  above  the  quaint 
hamlets,  dimpling  lakes,  or  the  dreamy  sea  below,  will  take 
out  a  new  lease  on  life  and  drop  ten  years  from  his  shoulders. 
By  caviling  not  at  the  mediaeval  character  of  some  of  the  way- 
side inns  —  veritable  relics  of  feudal  times  —  and  by  radiating 
good  nature  wherever  he  goes,  he  will  be  surprised  at  the 


Ixii 


PLAN  OF  TOUR 


abiding  picturesqueness  of  the  country  and  the  intensely  hu- 
man character  of  the  Quakerish  people. 

The  Japanese  are  inveterate  trampers,  and  the  women  and 
children  are  as  confirmed  in  the  habit  as  the  men.  They  swarm 
across  their  lovely  country  like  Teutons  in  the  Tyrol,  thread- 
ing the  magnificent  forests  and  climbing  the  highest  peaks 
with  a  fearlessness  and  an  agility  which  commands  the  admi- 
ration. Even  on  the  loneliest  mt.  trail  one  will  sometimes 
meet  or  overtake  travel-stained  pilgrims  or  Buddhist  priests 
in  yellow  robes  and  with  jingling  staffs  seeking  some  distant 
shrine;  a  bespectacled  Japanese  professor  hunting  bugs  or 
butterflies;  an  Austrian  army  officer  with  rucksack  and  put- 
tees, 1  doing '  Japan  on  his  furlough ;  or  young  soldiers  mapping 
the  regiop  or  surveying  for  a  military  highroad.  On  the  main- 
traveled  roads  one  is  scarcely  ever  out  of  sight  of  peasants  or 
bonzes;  groups  of  holiday-making  students  shouting  for  the 
pure  joy  of  being  alive,  or  leaping  and  gamboling  like  frisky 
young  chamois;  embassy  attaches  or  newspaper  men  out  of  the 
grind  for  a  brief  respite,  or  bands  of  schoolboys  or  girls  herded 
by  some  benevolent  tutor  who  points  out  the  beauty  spots  or 
leads  them  in  person  (an  excellent  German  idea)  to  some  hal- 
lowed place,  some  volcano  or  sacred  peak,  so  that  they  may  see 
it  with  their  own  eyes  and  become  more  patriotic  and  wiser  for 
having  done  so. 

The  lure  of  these  inland  places,  particularly  to  the  lover  of 
fine  scenery,  is  irresistible.  An  experience  in  one's  life  which 
is  not  easily  forgotten  is  the  twilight  of  certain  of  these  halcyon 
days  when  the  wayfarer,  tired  but  happy,  with  one  or  more 
scenic  scalps  hanging  at  his  belt,  reaches  his  quaint  inn  with  its 
whole-hearted  welcome  and  its  cheer,  and  listens  to  the  happy 
chatter  and  the  tales  of  the  day's  adventures  of  those  who  fore- 
gather there.  The  average  tourist  who  sticks  closely  to  the 
flesh-pots  of  the  foreign  ports,  or  treads  safely  and  contentedly 
the  beaten  tracks  of  travel,  recks  little,  indeed,  of  the  great, 
ever-flowing  stream  of  picturesque  life  that  pulses  steadily 
through  all  the  highways  and  byways  of  rural  Japan.  Happy  is 
the  man  who  counts  in  his  recollections  the  records  of  some  of 
these  country  hikes.  Nor  will  he  soon  forget  what  wholly  ad- 
mirable and  cheerful  companions  the  Japanese  pilgrims  make, 
and  how  easy  it  is  to  understand  them,  when,  as  it  so  often 
happens,  the  quondam  friend  speaks  a  few  score  words  of  Eng- 
lish, and  understands  as  readily  the  other  few  score  Japanese 
words  the  traveler  knows.  For  hours  they  may  tramp  together 
talking  on  many  subjects ;  repeating  words  over  and  over,  halt- 
ing and  gesticulating;  now  stopping  to  trace  out  an  idea  in  the 
dust  of  the  road,  the  while  getting  the  gist  of  the  other's  drift, 
kindling  friendships  that  last  through  years,  and  each  amazed 
and  secretly  pleased  at  his  efficiency  in  the  other's  language! 
It  is  an  unadulterated  joy  to  get  away  from  the  hybrid  treaty- 


PLAN  OF  TOUR 


Ixiii 


ports  with  their  ignoble,  clashing  ambitions,  and  to  tread  the 
sweet  countryside  where  strange  flowers  bloom,  rivulets  chat- 
ter and  sparkle,  the  sunlight  glints  on  a  distant  sail,  and  a 
gentle  breeze  sighs  wistfully  through  the  fragrant  pines  and 
cryptomerias.  No  one  can  be  said  to  have  seen  Japan  who  has 
not  taken  such  jaunts;  who  has  not  tramped  through  the 
Kyushu  wonderland ;  over  the  old  Yamato  trails ;  through  sin- 
uous paths  to  Kdya-san ;  to  the  remote  valleys  of  Echigo  and 
Shinano;  or  to  the  singular  Ainu  settlements  of  fascinating 
Yezo. 

Contrary  to  the  accepted  belief,  travel  to  the  chief  places  of 
Japan  is  easy.  The  difficulties  which  are  supposed  to  arise 
from  a  lack  of  knowledge  of  the  spoken  language  have  been 
exaggerated.  The  constant  efforts  of  the  railway  manage- 
ment, the  hotelmen,  the  different  tourist  bureaus,  and  of  pri- 
vate individuals,  seconded  by  the  ever  alert  newspapers,  have 
wrought  many  excellent  changes  and  improvements.  The  rail- 
ways in  particular  have  been  indefatigable  in  their  efforts  to 
minimize  the  friction  of  travel,  and  they  propose  to  stop  only 
when  Japan  is  made  into  a  second  Switzerland  for  tourists.. 
From  their  private  schools  they  have  stationed  English-speak- 
ing employees  in  almost  all  the  chief  points  where  travelers 
foregather,  and  this  language  may  be  said  now  to  be  widely 
spoken.  Nearly  every  hotel  in  the  Empire  has  one  or  more  em- 
ployees who  can  talk  in  English  to  foreign  guests,  and  the 
tourist  cannot  wander  far  afield  without  hearing  it  spoken. 
The  Japanese  have  the  German's  genius  for  making  the  trav- 
eler comfortable  on  the  sea,  and  every  year  sees  more  luxurious 
and  speedy  steamers  added  to  the  already  excellent  coastwise 
and  deep-sea  service.  In  many  of  the  remote  regions  of  the 
islands  the  speedy  railway  and  the  electric  trolley  are  pushing 
aside  the  basha  and  the  jinriki,  and  excellent  highroads  now 
gridiron  the  land  from  Yezo  to  Kyushu.  The  improvements 
in  the  hotels  and  inns  are  almost  as  marked  as  those  in  the 
transportation  system,  and  many  unlooked-for  conveniences 
are  accorded  the  traveler  in  both.  The  highways  by  day  or 
night  are  safer  than  certain  of  the  thoroughfares  of  Chicago  or 
the  French  metropolis. 

In  few  countries  are  travelers  treated  with  greater  individual 
consideration.  The  average  Japanese  is  usually  so  pleased  to 
find  foreigners  interested  in  his  homeland  and  its  civilization 
that  he  is  apparently  never  too  busy  to  describe  them.  This 
friendly  spirit  animates  the  nation  from  the  topmost  official 
of  the  intensely  aristocratic  but  non-snobbish  (and  never  ser- 
vile) government  down  to  the  humblest  peasant;  and  one  of  the 
most  winning  traits  of  the  people  is  their  impersonal  polite- 
ness and  their  readiness  to  be  helpful  and  friendly,  particularly 
toward  those  who  approach  Japan  and  its  institutions  in  a 
spirit  of  amiable  tolerance  and  good  will.  It  can  truthfully  be 


Ixiv 


PLAN  OF  TOUR 


said  of  the  Japanese  that  no  people  can  be  more  obliging  when 
once  they  learn  what  is  wanted  of  them.  The  overcrowding  in 
street-cars,  the  manifest  lack  of  deference  to  women,  the  hurry 
to  appropriate  the  best  seat  in  a  train,  or  the  abominable  habits 
of  certain  of  the  proletariat,  are  due  to  ignorance  and  a  millen- 
nium of  training,  less  than  to  selfishness  and  immodesty.  For 
when  one  reflects  upon  the  brutal  and  inhuman  treatment 
meted  out  by  the  swashbuckling  military  to  the  inoffensive, 
law-abiding  peasantry  during  the  centuries  which  preceded  the 
Meiji  era,  one  marvels  at  the  perfect  courtesy  and  winsomeness 
of  their  modern  descendants. 

To  conduct  personally  a  foreigner  through  a  temple  or  a 
museum,  or  even  to  accompany  him  on  foot  from  one  town  to 
another,  seems  to  be  the  duty  and  pleasure  of  many  Japanese 
one  meets.  At  times  much  of  this  naive  willingness  to  help  is 
positively  embarrassing.  Does  one  question  a  passing  bonze, 
a  student,  or  some  other  good  soul  regarding  a  temple  miles 
away,  that  person  is  apt  instantly  to  assure  the  questioner  that 
he  is  going  to  that  spot  himself,  and  despite  all  remonstrances 
he  will  trudge  along  a  blistering  country  pike  for  miles  in  the 
sun,  happy  in  the  companionship  of  some  one  to  whom  he  may 
be  of  service,  or  from  whom  he  may  pick  up  a  few  words  of  Eng- 
lish —  for  which  the  Japanese  have  a  passion.  To  offer  a  fee  is 
often  to  offend  a  well-meaning  person.  It  happens  sometimes 
that  a  schoolboy  anxious  to  gratify  an  innocent  pride  and  shine 
as  a  linguist  among  his  townspeople  will  constitute  himself  a 
guide  and  will  stick  like  a  burr  to  a  stranger  who  does  not  need 
him  and  who  wishes  fervently,  without  appearing  rude,  to  dis- 
lodge him.  The  Japanese  express  this  embarrassing  politeness 
by  Arigata-meiwaku  (literally:  ' useless  kindness/  or  a  gift 
indifferent  to,  or  even  detrimental  to  the  receiver).  Country 
priests  will,  as  a  rule,  show  the  interested  stranger  into  every 
nook  and  cranny  of  the  vast  temple  in  their  charge,  beam  with 
pleasure  when  one  praises  some  wonderful  wood  carving  or 
painting,  and  if  need  be,  bring  out  the  temple  records  written 
in  beautifully  symmetrical  ideographs  and  help  to  identify  the 
objects  one  by  one.  Because  of  the  special  facilities  for  making 
travelers  to  Japan  comfortable,  and  due  also  to  other  causes, 
the  Empire  is  rapidly  becoming  a  summer  rendezvous  for  the 
wilted,  sunbaked  women  and  children  of  the  Chinese  and  East 
Indian  littorals.  Many  of  them  spend  the  hottest  summer 
months  in  the  cool  mt.  resorts,  or  at  some  of  the  many  mineral 
springs  in  the  country,  and  return  to  their  semi-equatorial 
homes  in  the  autumn.  Because  of  this  returning  tide  of  travel, 
certain  of  the  steamships  plying  between  the  southern  ports 
and  China  are  liable  to  be  full  at  specified  times  (reference  is 
made  to  this  at  Nagasaki).  Warships  of  the  different  nations 
stationed  in  East  Indian  waters  often  steam  up  the  Japan  coast 
when  life  becomes  almost  unendurable  at  Hongkong  and 


TOURIST  SOCIETIES 


lxv 


elsewhere,  and  when  the  sailors  swarm  on  shore  at  the  ports 
they  add  a  decidedly  picturesque  element  to  the  native  life. 
/  Many  of  the  places  of  interest  in  Central  Japan  are  within 
relatively  short  distances  of  one  another.  Tokyo  is  but  18  M. 
(J  hr.)  from  Yokohama;  Ikao  is  7§  hrs. ;  Kyoto  11,  and  Kobe  12 
hrs.  —  with  good  and  frequent  rly.  service.  Nikko  is  4  J  hrs. 
from  Tokyo;  and  Matsushima,  the  finest  of  the  1 three  sights/ 
about  8  hrs.  The  traveler  who  lands  at  Yokohama  and  plans 
to  proceed  later  to  China  and  the  S.  can  arrange  his  trips 
through  the  N.  part  of  the  island  and  visit  Kamakura,  Kyoto, 
Nara,  Kobe,  etc.;  on  his  way  S.,  without  having  to  double  on 
his  tracks.  On  the  other  hand,  those  who  approach  the  country 
from  China  or  Korea  may  visit  the  chief  intervening  places  en 
route  northward.  The  interchangeable  railway-steamship 
tickets  are  referred  to  at  p.  Ixxxiii.  The  Gov't  Rlys.  sell  circular 
tickets  which  include  many  places  of  interest,  and  Thos.  Cook  &  J 
Son;  Minami  &Sons;  the  Collver  Tours  Co.,  Raymond  &  Whit-\ 
comb  Co.,  and  other  tourist  agencies  arrange  tours  of  different 
lengths,  independent,  personally  conducted,  or  otherwise;  with 
or  without  guides.  The  specimen  tours  advertised  by  them 
range  from  a  few  places  to  be  visited  within  10  days  to  an  ex- 
tensive trip  occupying  6  weeks.  The  itineraries  followed  are 
shown  in  their  special  booklets.  From  Feb.  to  early  June,  and 
from  Sept.  to  Nov.  are  the  popular  seasons  in  Japan,  albeit 
the  country  is  now  regarded  as  an  all-the-y ear-round  resort. 
The  greatest  influx  of  travelers  takes  place  in  March  and  early 
April,  coincident  with  the  blossoming  of  the  cherry  trees;  and 
in  Oct.  and  Nov.,  when  the  changing  maples  are  in  their  prime. 
At  this  time  come  those  travelers  from  America  bound  ulti- 
mately for  British  India  and  the  East  Indies  —  where  travel  is 
comfortable  during  the  short  winter  months  only.  The  hotels 
are  likely  to  be  filled  in  the  spring  and  autumn,  and  it  is  ad- 
visable to  bespeak  accommodations. 

The  Japan  Tourist  Bureau,  with  headquarters  in  the  Im- 
perial Gov't  Rly.  building  at  Tokyo,  is  of  interest  to  travelers. 
It  was  organized  in  1912  under  the  auspices  of  the  Gov't  Rlys., 
the  South  Manchurian  Rly.,  the  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha,  the 
Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha,  and  the  Imperial  Hotel  (of  Tokyo).  Its 
chief  aim  is  to  be  of  assistance  to  visiting  tourists,  to  which  end 
offices  that  will  eventually  evolve  into  free  Information  Bu- 
reaus are  being  established  in  the  various  cities  of  Japan, 
Korea,  Manchuria,  and  Formosa.  Other  objects  are  to  improve 
the  transportation  service;  build  new  and  better  hotels;  adver- 
tise Japan  abroad;  suppress  questionable  practices  on  the  part 
of  merchants  and  innkeepers,  etc.  The  association  is  of  a  high 
order,  and  tourists  may  find  it  of  material  use. 

The  Welcome  Society  of  Japan  (Kihin  Kai)  founded  in 
1893,  with  headquarters  at  Tokyo,  has  for  its  object  the  wel- 
coming of  foreign  visitors  to  Japan  and  the  rendering  of  assist- 


Ixvi 


CLIMATE  AND  MONSOONS 


ance  during  their  stay.  While  the  founders  pay  (toward  its 
upkeep)  an  annual  fee  of  5  yen,  tourists  are  asked  to  pay  3  yen, 
in  return  for  which  they  and  their  families  receive  all  the  privi- 
leges of  the  society.  They  are  supplied  with  booklets,  maps, 
letters  of  introduction,  passes  to  landscape  gardens,  museums, 
temples,  and  the  like,  where  such  are  necessary,  and  with  what- 
ever information  they  may  wish.  Guides  are  hired,  purchases 
made,  etc.,  and  badges  and  certificates  of  membership  are 
given.  The  society  has  the  support  of  the  Imperial  Japanese 
Household,  and  is  backed  by  men  of  the  highest  integrity.  It  is 
not  intended  as  a  money-making  institution. 

Climate.  The  odd  physical  configuration  of  Japan  gives  it  a 
number  of  temperatures  and  several  distinct  (and  uncertain) 
climates.  Its  great  length  (about  2000  M.  from  Kamchatka, 
in  the  semi- Arctic  region,  to  Formosa,  in  the  semi-tropics),  and 
the  variety  of  its  orographical  constitution,  account,  in  part, 
for  the  lack  of  uniformity  in  the  climate.  This  is  particularly  so 
between  the  opposite  extremes  of  the  Main  Island,  which  is 
long  and  in  places  narrow;  is  flanked  by  seas,  and  has  a  chain  of 
high  mts.  along  its  spine.  The  Kuriles,  which  are  related  to 
Siberia  in  situation  and  climate,  are  cold;  Central  Japan  is 
temperate;  and  Formosa  is  hot.  The  climates  are  influenced 
strongly  by  the  winds  which  blow  over  from  Siberia,  by  the 
gales  which  whip  down  from  the  Arctic  Circle;  by  the  mon- 
soons 1  and  typhoons  (comp.  Seasons)  which  blow  up  from  the 
China  Sea;  and  by  the  whims  of  the  mysterious  Kuro-shiwo 
(which  see) ,  which  may,  by  setting  closer  to  the  Nippon  shore, 
or  by  swinging  round  some  newly  formed  volcano  on  the  ocean's 
floor,  bring  summer  weather  to  E.  Japan  in  midwinter,  hasten 
or  delay  the  customary  seasons,  or  alter  normal  conditions  by 
an  appreciable  number  of  degrees.  The  rainfall,  which  is  above 
the  average  in  most  countries,  varies  greatly  in  different  years. 
A  noteworthy  fact  is  that  in  certain  districts  these  seasons 
neither  begin  nor  end  in  consonance  with  the  dates  the  Japan- 
ese set  for  them.  The  great  imperative  call  of  the  young  year 
may  bring  the  plum  blossoms  out  in  all  their  beauty  in  Feb., 
and  the  land  may  be  redolent  of  spring  and  bright  with  other 
flowers,  yet  the  season  may  be  ended  by  April  snowstorms  in 
Tokyo,  or  flurries  in  Nikko,  even  in  May,  to  the  astonishment 
of  the  cherry  blooms  and  the  disgust  of  the  heliophilouschild- 
ren.  Blizzards  will  sometimes  screech  over  the  Hokkaido  while 
summer  loiters  amid  the  pines  and  palmettoes  of  Suruga,  or 
along  the  lovely  shores  of  the  Inland  Sea. 

1  Monsoons  (Arabic,  Mausim,  'strong  wind').  In  the  China  Sea  the 
Southwest  Monsoon  begins  about  the  end  of  April  and  lasts  until  the  middle 
of  Oct. ;  it  continues  longer  to  the  southward  of  11°  N.  lat.  than  farther  to  the 
northward.  This  monsoon  is  not  so  strong  as  the  Northeast  Monsoon,  which 
commences  in  Sept.  in  the  N.  part  of  the  China  Sea  but  rarely  reaches  the  S. 
part  until  Nov.  It  generally  bursts  with  a  gale  and  blows  heavily  eastward 
of  Formosa  in  Dec.-Feb.  It  ends  in  March. 


SEASONS 


lxvii 


The  sway  of  the  monsoons  is  disputed  by  the  equatorial 
current,  and  its  W.  branch,  the  Tsushima  current,  both  of 
which  aid  to  produce  cooler  summers  and  milder  winters,  and 
considerable  moisture  throughout  the  year.  In  Kyushu  the 
alleged  winter  sometimes  fails  entirely  to  put  in  an  appearance, 
and  a  glowing  atmosphere  of  gold  and  blue  broods  above 
flower-decked  meadows  and  seas  as  lovely  as  those  of  Sicily  or 
Greece.  Only  abnormal  weather  brings  snow  and  cold  to  the 
coast  of  this  favored  island. ' 

Seasons.  Japan  proper  recognizes  two  seasons;  the  nyubai 
(pron.  new-by'),  or  rainy  season,  and  the  dry  season  (kawaku). 
Although  the  former  is  supposed  to  begin  June  11  and  extend 
over  2  or  3  weeks,  in  reality  it  commences  in  April  and  gradu- 
ally acquires  such  enthusiasm  that  in  June  it  rains  as  if  the 
bottom  had  dropped  out  of  things,  then  continues  through 
July  and  even  into  Aug.,  before  it  slacks  to  a  sniffling,  spas- 
modic drizzle.  Throughout  the  summer,  therefore,  one  may 
confidently  expect  1  cUy  in  3  to  be  rainy,  and  oftentimes  12- 
14  out  of  the  month,  f  For  the  traveler  in  Japan  to  wait  for 
clear  days  is  like  stepping  into  a  doorway  on  the  Strand  and 
waiting  for  the  crowd- to  pass/-  While  the  emphatic  quality  of 
the  Japanese  climate  is  wetness,  the  nyubai  is  sui  generis,  for 
it  is  of  a  mugginess  unknown  anywhere  in  the  United  States. 
To  prevent  spots  and  ruin,  kid  gloves,  chiffon,  dainty  leather 
things,  furs,  etc.,  must  be  put  in  air-tight  receptacles;  the 
heat  (in  Yokohama,  Tokyo,  etc.)  takes  the  starch  out  of 
things  generally,  makes  the  silver-plating  on  knives  and 
spoons  buckle  and  peel,  rusts  iron  and  steel,  causes  fungi 
landscapes  to  grow  on  dress-suits,  leather  valises,  and  cloth- 
ing hung  in  dark  closets,  spoils  cigarettes  not  sealed  her- 
metically in  tins,  mildews  many  things,  and  fills  one  with 
a  lassitude  difficult  to  shake  off.  On  sunny  days  the  streets 
are  strewn  with  raised  umbrellas  and  other  objects  set  out  to 
dry,  and  balconies  are  draped  with  clothing,  bed-covering,  and 
the  like.  Heat  prostrations  are  rare.;  the  nights  are  tempered 
by  sea-breezes,  and  the  air  generally  is  devoid  of  the  deadly 
qualities  of  July  in  New  York  or  the  middle  West  of  the  U.S.A. 
The  excessive  rains  cause  serious  fluvial  irregularities  that  send 
rivers  surging  and  dashing  out  of  their  banks  to  waste  the  land, 
inflict  serious  damage  on  the  railways,  and  oftentimes  flood 
Tokyo,  with  considerable  destruction  to  life  and  property. 
While  essential  to  the  rice  crop  and  to  the  general  fertility  of 
the  land,  these  rains  constitute  one  of  the  sorrows  of  the  coun- 
try. While  Tokyo  is  classed  as  one  of  the  dryest  places  in  the 
country,  it  has  58  inches  of  yearly  rainfall  (against  125  in.  of 
S.  E.  Kyushu),  and  parts  of  the  city  are  often  submerged  be- 
neath the  torrential  downpours. 

The  beginning  of  the  end  of  the  nyubai  is  ushered  in  with  the 
tsuyu  (soo'you)  or  bai-u,  which  the  Japanese  say  comes  with 


lxviii 


TYPHOONS 


the  stealthiness  of  mist  but  goes  out  with  peals  of  thunder.  It 
is  a  gloomy,  muggy,  lowering,  sticky,  rainy  season  which 
jangles  delicate  nerves  and  makes  fat  men  peevish  and  profane 
—  particularly  when  it  is  accompanied  (as  is  often  the  case)  by 
a  big,  jarring  jishin  (earthquake) .  The  humidity  is  more  trying 
than  the  heat,  and  at  this  period  certain  improperly  balanced 
folks  develop  suicidal  tendencies.  The  leisurely  traveler  will 
do  well  to  secure  comfortable  quarters  in  a  good  hotel,  elimi- 
nate brain-storms  and  cocktails,  and '  sit  tight '  till  the  clouds 
pass,  for  traveling  in  the  interior  is  fraught  with  wettings, 
vexations,  and  delays.  The  native  inns  provide  no  fires  by 
which  to  dry  one's  clothing ;  the  swollen  streams  wash  out  the 
highways ;  no  rain-coat  will  keep  out  the  driving,  slanting,  pen- 
etrating wet;  the  inns  are  the  acme  of  cheerlessness,  and  the 
lack  of  refrigerated  refreshments  makes  a  huge  void  in  one's 
existence.  The  mornings  are  sometimes  bright,  and  in  moun- 
tainous districts  trips  should  be  planned  accordingly,  since 
thunderstorms  are  apt  to  break  between  3  and  5  p.m.  Plums 
begin  to  ripen  about  this  time  and  the  cries  of  the  fruit-vender 
are  heard  in  the  land ;  the  yellowish-green  product  looks  colicky 
to  foreigners,  but  it  is  a  time-honored  custom  in  Yedo  for  the 
people  to  buy  them,  and  the  combination  of  green  fruit  and 
hot  days  no  doubt  increases  the  death-roll  in  the  metropolis. 
The  Doyd,  or  period  of  greatest  heat,  is  supposed  to  begin  July 
20,  and  end  about  Aug.  10,  and  for  Japanese  and  foreigners  it  is 
the  most  trying  time  of  the  year.  The  farmers  attach  great  im- 
portance to  the  first  3  days,  believing  that  if  these  be  broiling, 
the  crops  will  be  good.  While  the  thermometers  of  Tokyo  run 
into  the  90's,  a  sort  of  hushed  expectancy  fills  the  souls  of  the 
people,  for  Neptune's  wrath  in  the  shape  of  the  dreaded  sea- 
bred  revolving  storms  known  as  typhoons  break  over  the  land 
at  this  time  and  render  the  most  phlegmatic  a  bit  nervous. 
The  elements  scourge  the  country  as  if  they  bore  a  grudge 
against  it ;  they  seem  possessed  of  the  many  demons  which  glare 
from  the  myriad  temples,  and  they  snatch  the  tiles  from  the 
house-roofs,  uproot  trees,  demolish  fences,  and  send  crystal 
rods  of  rain  darting  against  the  ground  as  if  they  would  trans- 
fix it. 

Typhoons  (Taifu) ,  prolonged  cyclonic  storms  of  great  intensity,  that  cor- 
respond to  the  West  Indian  hurricanes  which  occur  in  the  same  latitudes  in 
the  W.  hemisphere,  pass  along  the  Japanese  seaboard  in  July,  Aug.,  and 
Sept.,  and  sometimes  do  great  damage  to  property  on  land  and  sea.  Some 
believe  the  name  is  derived  from  the  Chinese  ta-fung,  or  '  great  wind,'  while 
others  prefer  to  think  it  associated  with  Typhon,  in  Greek  mythology  the  son 
of  Typhoeus,  and  the  father  of  the  winds.  The  3-4  typhoons  which  thrash 
the  coast  of  Japan  and  Korea  each  year  usually  originate  E.  of  Formosa  and 
thence  travel  N.,  passing  over  or  near  the  Nansei  group  of  islands.  Having 
arrived  at  the  parallel  of  30°  N.,  the  majority  curve  to  the  N.E.  through  Van 
Diemen  Strait,  and  continue  in  that  direction  either  along  or  over  the  S.  and 
S.E.  coasts  of  Japan,  and  out  into  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Some,  having  gained 
the  S.E.  side  of  Kyushu,  recurve  to  the  N.  through  Bungo  Channel,  or 
across  to  Shikoku  and  up  the  Kii  Channel,  thence  passing  across  the  Inland 


SEASONS 


lxix 


Sea  and  the  W.  part  of  Hondo  in  a  N.  course,  reach  the  Sea  of  Japan,  where 
they  follow  the  coast  and  pass  out  to  sea  through  Tsugaru  Strait.  The  mean 
rate  at  which  the  centers  of  typhoons  travel  in  Japan  is  from  5  to  35  M.  per 
hour,  although  some  acquire  the  extraordinary  velocity  of  100  M.  If  those 
with  a  velocity  of  less  than  10  M.  per  hour  be  termed  slow,  and  those  with  a 
velocity  greater  than  15  M.  per  hour  quick,  then  three  fourths  of  the  Japan- 
ese typhoons  are  quick  and  one  fourth  slow.  Those  of  July-Aug.  are  usually, 
though  not  always,  slow  ones;  while  those  of  Sept.  and  Oct.  are  quick.  The 
fierce  ones  are  called  (by  the  Chinese)  tieh  kii,  or  4  iron  whirlwinds.'  •  Some  of 
those  which  visit  Japan  do  not  spend  their  fury  at  sea,  but  reserve  it  for  the 
land  and  cause  immense  damage.  Contrary  to  the  general  impression  a 
'  well-formed  '  typhoon  is  not  merely  a  gale  of  wind  with  a  calm  spot  in  the 
center.  These  calm  rings  may  have  a  diameter  of  anywhere  from  2  M.  to  50 
M.,  belted  by  a  ring  generally  less  than  a  mile  wide  in  which  light  winds  pre- 
vail, and  with  a  sort  of  outer  shell  anywhere  from  200  to  1000  M.  thick,  where 
the  real  force  lies.  This  force  treats  great  ships  as  if  they  were  corks,  and 
usually  levels  everything  in  its  path.  Its  movement  is  indicated  by  the 
barometer  and  an  instrument  known  as  the  barocyclonometer,  which  indi- 
cates by  needles  like  those  of  a  compass  the  direction  of  the  typhoon.  Japan 
is  usually  apprised  several  days  in  advance  of  the  coming  of  a  typhoon,  and 
storm  signals  along  the  coast  warn  the  seamen.  An  irregular  movement  of 
the  barometer,  followed  by  a  fall;  also  a  rapid  rise  followed  by  a  fall,  perhaps 
unsteady  at  first,  are  suspicious  signs.  Oppressive  heat  accompanied  by  a 
hazy  atmosphere,  a  halo  round  the  sun,  livid  tints  at  sunset,  heavy  leaden 
clouds,  and  fitful  gust3  of  wind  and  rain  are  some  signs  of  the  approach  of  a 
typhoon;  also  a  broken  irregular  sea  or  swell  generally  from  a  different  direc- 
tion from  the  wind.  The  inhabitants  of  the  China  coast,  who  also  suffer 
greatly  from  typhoons,  say  that  a  few  days  before  one  comes  on,  a  slight 
noise  is  heard  at  intervals,  whirling  round  and  then  stopping,  sometimes 
impetuous  and  sometimes  slow.  This  is  a  4  typhoon  brewing.'  The  normal 
pressure  in  Japan  during  the  typhoon  months  is  about  29.84  inches  in  July- 
Aug.;  29.92  in  Sept.;  or  from  29.88  in  W.  Kyushu  to  29.96  in  S.  E.  Yezo 
during  that  month,  and  30.04  inches  in  Oct.  A  doggerel  by  which  for- 
eigners in  Japan  remember  the  typhoon  months  runs  thus:  4  June  too  soon, 
July  look  shy;  August  you  must;  September  remember;  October  all  over.' 
It  is  estimated  that  an  average  of  472  persons  are  killed  in  Japan  by  storms 
each  year.  The  great  annual  Sept.  gale — 4  The  gigantic  Stormwind  of 
the  equinox  '  —  is  accountable  for  much  of  this  damage.  This  line  storm, 
of  the  autumnal  equinox  (Shuburi),  the  most  dreaded  of  all,  comes  at 
a  critical  time  for  the  farmers;  the  NihyaWu-tdka,  the  210th  day  from  the 
beginning  of  the  first  spring  month  according  to  the  old  calendar,  usually 
falls  on  Sept.  1  or  2,  when  the  early  variety  (wase)  of  rice  is  in  bloom  and 
ready  to  change  from  flower  to  grain.  If  a  typhoon  occurs  at  this  time  (which 
usually  happens),  and  but  a  fifth  of  the  crop  is  damaged,  it  means  a  mone- 
tary loss  of  more  than  100  million  yen.  The  storm  damage  to  crops  is  usually 
enormous  in  Sept.,  for  ten  days  after  the  Nihyaku-toka  comes  the  Nihyaku- 
hatsuka,  or  period  when  the  middle  crop  (nakate)  rice  is  in  bloom  and  the 
late  rice  (okute)  is  coming  to  maturity.  The  buckwheat  (soba)  crop  can  also 
suffer  serious  damage  in  this  month  and  influence  throughout  the  year  the 
cost  of  the  macaroni  made  from  it.  The  line  storm  often  brings  tidal  waves 
in  its  trail  to  the  coasts  of  Mie,  Shizuoka,  Kanagawa,  and  Chiba  prefectures. 
Odawara  and  Tokyo  sometimes  suffer  considerably  from  these  visitations. 

The  hot  days  after  the  doyd  are  oftentimes  hotter  than  their 
prototypes;  they  correspond  to  our '  dog-days'  and  are  called 
zansho,  or '  remaining  heat.'  The  rain  now  falls  intermittently, 
and  heavy  storms  of  2-3  days'  duration  are  often  features  of 
the  season.  Bursts  of  fine  weather  follow  them,  and  about  mid- 
September  a  cool  tang  is  noticeable  in  the  air;  along  with  it 
come  persistent  downpours  (which  often  last  through  to  mid- 
October)  and  cause  Sept.  to  be  considered  (in  the  Yokohama- 
Tokyo  region)  the  rainiest  month  of  the  year  (against  January 
as  the  dryest).   A  sort  of  Indian  Summer  called  Koharu 


Ixx 


SEASONS 


C Little  Spring')  is  now  ushered  in,  with  mild  weather  and  a 
splendor  indescribable.  The  whole  land  sparkles  and  glistens 
like  a  sunlit  jewel.  The  grieving  clouds  are  gone;  the  weeping, 
soaking  rains  have  been  replaced  by  dry,  clear,  crisp  weather, 
which  is  not  only  beautiful  for  mountain  tramping  or  country- 
trips,  but  is  the  most  trustworthy  of  the  year  for  sight-seeing. 
The  displays  of  chrysanthemums  and  other  autumnal  flowers 
are  gorgeous  beyond  compare,  and  are  worth  coming  across 
the  world  to  see.  Snow  is  apt  to  fall  after  the  2d  week  in 
Oct.  from  Nikko  N.,  and  travelers  to  Yezo  or  Saghalien  may 
find  the  cold  uncomfortable.  Many  of  the  mts.  don  their 
winter  capes  of  ermine  in  Sept.  and  Oct.,  and  in  the  latter 
month  (harvest-time)  the  temple  courts  are  usually  yellow 
with  the  brilliant  falling  leaves  of  the  icho  trees.  The  Nov.  and 
Dec.  days  in  Central  Japan  are  fine  and  still,  with  a  tang  of 
frost  about  their  edges ;  brilliant  sunshine  is  a  constant  feature, 
and  it  seems  to  possess  a  golden  quality  not  observed  elsewhere. 
Nov.  is  called  Momiji-dzuki  (' red-leaf  month '),  and  to  many  is 
the  most  delightful  of  the  year;  the  maple  displays  (magnificent 
at  Kyoto)  should  be  seen  by  every  stranger  to  Japan.  During 
this  season  of  wonderful  calm  the  trying  summer  is  forgotten 
and  the  Japanese  omit  to  search  the  sky  for  weather  indications 
or  to  remark :  1  Tsukini  murakumo  hanani  kaze'  —  '  No  perfec- 
tion can  be  looked  for  when  clouds  cross  the  moon  or  the  wind 
sways  the  flowers/ 

Jan.,  Feb.,  and  March  bring  snow  flurries  in  Tokyo  and  Yoko- 
hama, but  the  white  mantle  does  not  harmonize  with  the  cam- 
ellias which  bloom  throughout  the  year  in  the  open,  nor  with 
the  dainty  plum  blossoms  which  come  out  in  Jan. ;  and  it  does 
not  remain  long  upon  the  ground.  The  midwinter  (chuto)  tem- 
perature is  raw  and  penetrating,  with  excessive  humidity, 
rather  than  extreme- cold.  To  a  German  or  a  New  Englander  it 
is  an  amiable  farce,  and  but  little  like  the  winters  of  Dresden 
or  Boston.  The  period  of  so-called  greatest  cold  begins  in 
late  Jan.  and  ends  early  in  Feb. ;  it  is  called  daikan,  to  differen- 
tiate it  from  the  short  period  of  1  small  cold '  (shokan)  which 
follows  it.  Winter's  dying  gasp  is  called  yokan,  or  'remaining 
cold.'  The  Japanese  take  the  daikan  seriously.  Although  the 
thermometer  may  range  anywhere  between  30°  and  50° 
(Fahr.)  above,  they  bundle  up  in  greatcoats  oftentimes  heavily 
lined  with  fur;  wear  thick  and  bushy  rabbit-skin  ear-flaps; 
bury  heads  and  necks  in  voluminous  coat  collars,  and  convince 
themselves  that  they  are  in  imminent  danger  of  frost-bite  — 
just  as  the  people  of  N.  Japan  and  Yezo  are  in  reality.  To  the 
average  red-blooded  foreigner  a  spring  overcoat  is  a  burden, 
and  old  Sol  seems  to  smile  sardonically  at  the  native  effort  to 
keep  teeth  from  chattering.  The  vernal  season  with  all  its 
glorious  promise  begins  March  18,  and  the  7  days  which  inter- 
vene between  winter  and  spring  are  called  Higan,  and  are 


SEASONS 


lxxi 


dedicated  to  the  worship  of  Buddha.  The  plum  blossoms  and 
the  nightingale  —  harbingers  of  spring,  as  the  wistaria  and  the 
cuckoo  are  of  summer  —  are  now  abroad,  and  the  Japanese 
say, '  The  winter  is  past,  and  the  voice  of  the  turtle  is  heard  in 
our  land.' 

The  mean  temperature  is  about  40°  in  Jan.;  38°  in  Feb.;  44° 
in  March;  54°  in  April;  62°  in  May;  68°  in  June;  75°  in  July; 
78°  in  Aug.7with  a  mean  maximum  of  86°) ;  71°  in  Sept;  60°  in 
Oct.;  50°  in  Nov.,  and  41°  in  Dec.  About  140  days  of  each 
year  are  rainy,  and  148  nights  are  frosty.  Snow  falls  about  12 
times  during  the  year  (4  in  Jan.  and  4  in  Feb.),  but  it  rarely 
falls  throughout  any  one  day  or  night.  Thunderstorms  are 
neither  frequent  nor  violent;  from  4  to  10  occur  in  Yokohama 
each  year.  In  the  Inland  Sea  the  heaviest  rainfall  is  in  June; 
on  the  S.W.  coast  of  Kyushu  from  April  to  June.  Most  rain 
falls  in  the  S.  E.  part  of  Japan,  especially  on  the  E.  coasts  of 
Kyushu  and  Shikoku,  where  the  annual  quantity  reaches  an 
average  of  100  inches.  Fogs  are  frequent  along  the  Pacific 
coast  in  spring  and  summer,  and  they  often  idealize  the  sea 
and  shore 

An  entirely  different  set  of  conditions  prevails  at  the  N.,  and 
beyond  the  great  barrier  range  which  separates  Tokyo  from  the 
Sea  of  Japan.  Here,  where  the  country  is  not  influenced  by  the 
equatorial  current,  and  is  exposed  to  the  fierce  Siberian  winds, 
rigorous  winter  (Genkan)  prevails.  Often  while  flowers  are 
blooming  at  Tokyo  and  the  W.,  entire  villages  in  the  provinces 
of  Shinano,  Echigo,  Uzen,  and  Mutsu  are  buried  under  10  ft. 
or  more  of  snow,  and  the  people  are  forced  to  follow  their  voca- 
tions in  the  curious  manner  described  at  p.  lviii.  Here  5-6  ft.  of 
snow  may  remain  on  the  ground  for  weeks  on  end,  while  the 
15-20  ft.  drifts  in  the  valleys  and  ravines  snow-in  the  rly. 
trains  and  hold  them  prisoners  for  days  at  a  time.  The  lofty 
mts.  are  all  snow-covered,  and  the  contrast  between  the  frost- 
bound  giants  and  the  smiling,  summer-like  landscape  of  the 
Pacific  slope  is  complete.  From  some  of  these  mts.  the  snow 
melts  and  disappears  only  when  the  summer  is  exceptionally 
warm.  Usually  these  are  like  the  summers  of  Tokyo,  oppres- 
sively hot.  The  summer  temperature  of  Niigata  varies  but 
little  from  that  of  Tokyo,  while  the  winters  are  many  degrees 
colder;  quite  Arctic  in  their  severity.  The  provinces  between 
the  Japan  Sea  and  the  Pacific  present  remarkable  peculiarities 
of  climate ;  in  the  valleys  deep  snow  covers  the  ground  through- 
out the  winter,  and  the  sky  is  wrapped  in  a  dark  veil  of  clouds, 
so  that  bright  days  are  a  rarity.  The  traveler  who  stands  on 
one  of  the  high  passes  of  the  Central  Mt.  Range  in  Dec,  mid- 
way between  the  Japan  Sea  and  Tokyo,  will  note  with  surprise 
that  while  toward  the  Pacific  the  skies  may  be  blue  and  the  air 
clear,  with  a  suggestion  of  spring,  deep-gray  clouds  brood 
above  the  lonely  Japan  Sea.    Many  of  the  people  of  the 


Ixxii 


STORM  SIGNALS 


coast  sit  in  the  upper  rooms  of  their  houses  in  order  to  enjoy 
the  daylight.  Shinano  is  a  region  of  blizzards  that  are  a  bane 
to  the  rly.  company.  On  the  W.  coast  there  are  two  months 
of  maximum  rainfall,  July  and  Nov. 

The  frigid  winters  of  the  N.  are  6-7  months  long,  with  a 
correspondingly  late  spring,  and  occasionally  a  cool  summer. 
Heavy,  warm  snows  sometimes  fall  thickly  and  softly  in  Cen- 
tral Japan,  between  Yokohama  and  Kobe,  but  they  disappear 
quickly.  The  relative  moisture  is  greater  in  the  S.  of  Japan 
than  at  the  N.;  on  the  average  it  amounts  to  82%  for  the 
warm  season,  71%  for  the  cold,  and  76%  for  the  year.  The 
rainy  season  of  early  summer  begins  later  and  later  as  we 
go  N.,  and  finally  coalesces  in  Yezo  (where  it  is  neither  so  hot 
nor  so  wet)  with  the  autumn  rains.  —  When  a  drought  is  feared 
in  rural  Japan,  the  peasant  farmers  send  out  parties  to  climb 
mt.  peaks  and  pray  for  rain.  Men  with  good  lungs  make  their 
way  to  shrines  dedicated  to  the  mt.  goblins,  and,  with  branches 
of  creeping-pine  brought  up  from  below,  make  bonfires,  and 
give  a  mimic  representation  of  the  kind  of  storm  they  would 
like.  If  the  sculptured  idol  in  the  shrine  fails  to  take  heed  of 
their  supplication,  he  is  not  unfrequently  dragged  out  and 
pitched  headforemost  into  an  evil-smelling  paddy-field,  so  that 
he  may  know  how  it  feels  to  need  water ! 

To  facilitate  a  ready  understanding  of  its  weather  reports 
the  Meteorological  Observatory  has  divided  Japan  into  10  dis- 
tricts, as  follows:  (1)  Formosa  and  the  Loochoo  Islands;  (2)  S. 
half  of  Kyushu  and  Shikoku  Islands;  (3)  Inland  Sea;  (4)  N.W. 
Kyushu  and  the  W.  coast  of  the  Main  Island  as  far  N.  as 
Kyoto;  (5)  from  Ise  to  Tokyo  and  the  Tonegawa;  (6)  the 
interior  provinces  to  the  N.  of  the  5th  district,  from  Hida  on 
the  W.  to  Iwashiro  on  the  E. ;  (7)  the  N.W.  coast  from  Wakasa 
to  Ugo;  (8)  the  Pacific  coast  from  the  Tonegawa  to  Sendai  and 
Miyako;  (9)  Rikuchu  Province  and  the  W.  half  of  Yezo  Island; 
(10)  the  E.  half  of  Yezo  and  the  Kurile  Islands.  An  outline 
sketch  of  this  will  be  found  in  certain  of  the  newspapers,  under 
the  daily  weather  forecast. 

Storm  Signals  as  follows  are  shown  from  all  the  fully 
equipped  signal  stations  on  the  coast  of  Japan. 


Day  signal 

Night  signal 

Indication 

A  red  ball 

A  red  light 

Threatening  weather  is  ex- 
pected 

Stormy  weather  expected 

Heavy  storm  expected,  wind 
shifting  from  E.  to  S. 

Heavy  storm  expected,  wind 
shifting  from  E.  to  N. 

Storm  warnings  have  been  is- 
sued in  certain  other  districts 

A  red  cylinder 
A  red  cone,  point 

upward 
A  red  cone,  point 

downward 
A  white  diamond 

A  green  light 
A  red  over  a  green 
light 

A  green  over  a  red 

light 
A  white  light 

HEALTH 


Ixxiii 


They  will  be  of  interest  to  travelers  planning  sea  trips,  as  high 
winds  are  apt  to  produce  boisterous  or  choppy  seas.  Signal 
staffs  are  painted  red  and  white  in  bands.  Typhoon  signals 
are  made  (by  day)  from  a  mast  with  a  yard,  by  means  of  shapes, 
colored  red,  used  as  symbols;  and  by  night  by  means  of  colored 
lights.  At  Yokohama  they  are  exposed  from  the  French  Ha- 
toba,  and-  are  visible  from  any  of  the  hotels  facing  the  Bund. 

In  addition  to  the  above  the  following  signals  are  made  dur- 
ing daylight  to  indicate  probable  weather  for  the  next  24  hrs. : 

A  white  triangular  flag  indicates  N.  or  N.E.  winds. 
A  green  triangular  flag  indicates  E.  and  S.E.  winds. 
A  red  triangular  flag  indicates  S.  or  S.W.  winds. 
A  blue  triangular  flag  indicates  W.  or  N.W.  winds. 
A  white  square  flag  indicates  fair  weather. 
A  blue  square  flag  indicates  rain. 
A  red  square  flag  indicates  cloudy  weather. 
A  green  square  flag  indicates  snow. 

A  red  and  white  burgee  indicates  that  strong  winds  or  gales  are  probable 
in  the  neighborhood. 

Health.  Japan  is  as  healthy  as  any  country  similarly  situated, 
and  the  advanced  sanitary  measures  insisted  upon  rigidly  by  the 
authorities  are  steadily  diminishing  the  mortality  returns.  But 
as  it  is  very  difficult  to  impress  upon  an  ignorant  lower  class 
the  necessity  for  observing  hygienic  rules,  it  devolves  upon  the 
traveler  to  take  certain  precautions  to  guard  against  the  dis- 
eases which  sometimes  prevail.  Of  these  one  of  the  most  for- 
midable is  dysentery,  a  malady  usually  traceable  to  indiscreet 
eating  or  drinking.  As  the  most  persistent  conveyors  of  the 
germs  are  water  and  milk,  the  unimmune  cannot  be  too  strongly  ? 
cautioned  against  drinking  either  that  has  not  been  boiled >. 
Filtering  is  thought  not  to  remove  the  germs  from  water,  and 
as  the  native  servants  are  oftentimes  ignorant  of  the  most  fun- 
damental principles  of  hygiene,  and  are  as  careless  about  pollut- 
ing the  water-supply  as  they  are  in  boiling  it  and  then  leaving 
it  uncovered,  the  safest  plan  is  to  attend  personally  to  its  prep- 
aration or  to  drink  one  of  the  good  mineral  waters  bottled  in 
the  country.  Aerated  water  should  be  drunk  in  preference  to 
plain  water,  even  in  private  houses,  and  the  water  at  rly.  sta- 
tions should  be  rigorously  avoided.  Water  in  which  tea  is 
steeped  cannot  be  depended  upon,  since  it  is  not  the  custom  to 
bring  it  to  a  boil.  Wells  are  common  in  Japan,  and  the  water  is 
apt  to  be  dangerous.  The  prudent  traveler  will  hesitate  before 
drinking  from  any  spring  or  rivulet,  however  clear  it  may  look, 
unless  he  is  at  its  source;  otherwise  it  is  almost  sure  to  drain 
one  or  more  paddy-fields  fertilized  with  unspeakable  filth ;  or 
to  incur  the  risk  of  pollution  higher  up.  Rice-fields,  which 
necessitate  water  and  enriching,  sometimes  occupy  unusually 
high  places,  and  the  loftiest  spring  in  the  Empire  (on  the  sum- 
mit of  Fuji-san),  is  contaminated  by  thousands  of  pilgrims 
each  year.  As  certain  natives  have  no  scruples  against  copying 
the  labels  of  meritorious  articles  (particularly  food-stuffs)  and 


Ixxiv 


HEALTH 


selling  grossly  adulterated  shams  for  the  real  thing,  the  traveler 
has  to  be  on  his  guard  constantly,  as  the  dealers  seem  callous 
to  the  danger  to  health  arising  from  them.  Imported  and  lo- 
cally produced  beers  and  mineral  waters  come  in  for  particular 
attention  on  the  part  of  these  gentry,  and  so  dangerous  and 
abominable  are  some  of  the  beverages  bottled  by  unscrupulous 
merchants,  that  the  Gov't  recently  instituted  a  crusade  against 
them,  and  forbade  the  admixture  in  drinks  of  methyl  alcohol, 
aniline  dyes,  and  other  impure  and  deleterious  substances. 
Japan  is  a  land  of  natural  mineral  springs,  but  the  water  is  not 
always  bottled  with  the  care  which  health  now  demands.  One 
of  the  oldest,  best-known,  and  most  popular  mineral  waters 
(widely  drunk  by  foreigners)  is  the  Takaradzuka  Tansan. 
Many  bottlers  of  mineral  water  use  the  word  tansan  0  carbonic 
acid  ')  on  their  labels,  but  travelers  will  do  well  to  demand  the 
original  (large  bottles,  dai-bin,  30-35  sen;  smaller  ones,  ko-bin, 
or  chiisai,  20  sen;  splits,  10-12  sen),  since  this  is  known  to  be 
wholesome.  A  visit  to  the  uniquely  beautiful  spring  (near 
Kobe,  Rte.  37)  where  it  is  prepared  (travelers  welcome)  is 
also  recommended.  A  strict  adherence  to  the  best  in  Japan 
may  be  the  stitch  in  time  that  will  save  an  attack  of  typhoid 
and  six  weeks  in  the  hospital. 

Beer  (biiru  —  an  adaptation  from  the  English  word)  is  now 
almost  as  much  the  national  drink  of  Japan  as  it  is  of  Germany, 
and  vast  quantities  are  brewed  and  drunk  in  the  Empire  — 
where  it  was  introduced  about  1870.  Some  of  that  made 
locally  is  considerably  cheaper  than  the  imported,  and  equally 
palatable.  The  'Sapporo/  '  Ebisu,'  '  Asahi,'  and  '  Munchener' 
brands  (unknown  marks  should  be  avoided)  of  the  Dai  Nippon 
Brewery  Company,  Ltd.,  —  a  huge,  12  million  yen  corporation 
with  several  immense  breweries  and  an  output  of  10  million 
gallons  yearly,  —  are  among  the  brands  (large  bottles,  35  sen  ; 
small  ones,  20  sen)  liked  by  foreigners.  The  breweries  have  a 
reputation  for  cleanliness  and  are  said  to  be  modeled  after, 
and  conducted  on  the  lines  of,  the  best  ones  of  Germany.  The 
hops  used  are  grown  in  Japan. 

Strangers  will  do  well  to  eat  sparingly  of  unfamiliar  fruits 
and  vegetables  until  they  become  acquainted  with  their  after 
effects.  Unwashed  ground  fruits  (strawberries,  and  the  like), 
should  not  be  eaten,  nor  should  unclean  lettuce,  or  raw  fish. 
Smallpox  sometimes  ravages  the  rural  districts,  but  foreigners 
seem  singularly  exempt  —  no  doubt  due  to  better  sanitary 
measures.  The  same  applies  to  cholera,  which  killed  30,000 
natives  in  1890,  and  2000  in  1912.  The  alert  health  officers  are 
usually  successful  in  keeping  the  bubonic  plague  under  control, 
but  are  not  so  markedly  fortunate  with  consumption  and  other 
diseases  of  the  respiratory  organs,  which  kill  10,000  out  of  the 
40,000  persons  who  die  during  each  year  in  Tokyo  alone.  Other 
diseases  prevalent  among  the  Japanese,  but  against  which 


WHAT  TO  WEAR 


lxxv 


foreigners  can  readily  adopt  preventive  measures,  are  dyspepsia 
(due  to  fast  and  improper  eating) ;  beri-beri,  or  kakke  (caused 
by  eating  too  much  polished  rice) ;  and  trachoma,  which  physi- 
cians believe  is  due  to  public  bathing  and  various  unhygienic 
customs.  Dysentery  may  be  said  to  be  endemic;  it  remains 
quiescent  for  a  time,  then  (usually  in  summer)  becomes  diffused, 
and  is  so  widely  distributed  (impure  water,  etc.)  that  25,000 
cases  have  been  known  in  the  Empire  at  one  time.  As  it  has 
been  determined  definitely  that  many  diseases  are  communi- 
cated (through  food  and  drink)  by  the  agency  of  flies  (not  very' 
numerous  in  Japan),  and  that  the  bubonic  plague  is  carried  by ) 
Pulex  serraticeps  (unusually  common),  the  traveler  can  take- 
the  necessary  precautions.  It  is  of  great  importance  to  avoid 
sudden  chills,  and  strangers  should  not  only  wear  the  cholera- 
band  mentioned  at  p.  lxxvii,  but  should  refrain  from  trifling  with 
slight  indispositions  —  which  may  lead  to  more  serious  things. 
There  are  excellent  foreign  physicians  in  all  the  large  Japanese  , 
ports,  and  their  fees  are  reasonable.  Tourists  easily  affected  by 
poison  ivy  and  similar  substances  may  like  to  remember  that I 
certain  cheap  lacquered  articles  may  not  be  handled  in  moist, 
hot  weather  with  impunity,  as  the  varnish  used  on  them  is  E 
made  of  a  species  of  sumac  that  is  poisonous  to  susceptible 
persons. 

What  to  wear.  Foreigners  in  the  Far  East  are  usually  hos- 
pitable to  a  fault,  and  even  total  strangers  unequipped  with 
letters  of  introduction  rarely  get  out  of  the  country  without 
being  entertained  by  some  one.  The  Japanese  are  no. whit  less 
prompt  to  open  their  hearts  and  doors  —  or  those  of  some 
charming  tea-house  —  to  travelers  from  across  the  water,  and 
the  prudent  person  will  include  a  dress-suit  or  one  for  semi-dress 
in  his  or  her  outfit.  Although  many  persons  dress  for  dinner  on 
the  transpacific  ships,  the  custom  is  not  so  strongly  implanted 
as  on  those  plying  between  Japan  and  Europe;  fancy-dress 
balls  and  dances  are  features  on  both,  and  experienced  travelers 
usually  provide  themselves  with  some  sort  of  a  bizarre  outfit 
before  starting.  Men  invited  to  the  Imperial  Garden  Parties 
at  Tokyo  are  always  given  engraved  cards  advising  that  top 
hats  and  frock  coats  (Prince  Albert)  are  de  rigueur  (admit- 
tance refused  without  them).  Ladies  should  remember  that 
mourning  costumes  are  tabooed  at  these  functions,  and  that 
whosoever  persists  in  wearing  one  may  be  turned  back  at  the 
gate.  £The  same  clothing  that  one  finds  comfortable  in  the 
Norths  the  United  States  or  Europe  in  the  spring,  autumn, 
and  winter  will  be  suitable  for  Central  and  Northern  Japan 
during  the  same  seasons/}  Fur  coats  and  sealskins  are  unneces- 
sary in  any  part  of  the  country  W.  of  Tokyo  (except  on  mt. 
tops),  arid  when  one  leaves  the  U.S.A.  with  garments  of  the 
latter,  they  should  be  registered  and  a  permit  secured,  to  pre- 
vent confiscation  or  the  imposition  of  heavy  duties  when  they 


lxxvi 


WHAT  TO  WEAR 


are  returned.  Thin  clothing  is  worn  through  the  hot  summer  — 
flannels,  cotton  duck,  and  thin  silks  being  popular.  Without 
these,  and  white  shoes  and  hats,  one  may  find  difficulty  in 
keeping  cool.  (  Indian  pith-helmets,  or  solar-topees  (cost  4-5 
yen)  form  the  favorite  headgear  of  the  foreign  residents  in 
Japan,  and  men  and  women  alike  wear  them^  Strangers  who 
wear  the  special  bamboo  sun-hats  favored  by  coolies  are  apt 
to  be  derided  by  the  latter.  White  suits  for  men  and  women 
are  made  quickly  and  cheaply  by  the  Chinese  tailors  who 
infest  the  hotels  and  plague  the  incoming  traveler,  but  they 
know  so  little  about  fitting  the  '  foreign  devil '  and  so  much 
i  about 4  squeezing '  him  that  he  does  best  who  goes  to  a  first- 
class  foreign  tailor  and  buys  outfits  in  which  he  is  not  ashamed 
to  appear  when  he  returns  home.  Complete  wardrobes,  from 
beautiful  silken  underwear  to  heavy,  fur-lined  coats,  can  be 
bought  cheaper  in  Japan  than  in  Europe  or  America,  but  boots 
and  shoes  are  dearer.  Women  like  the  quality,  workmanship, 
and  price  of  the  silk  dresses,  skirts,  and  exquisite  hand-em- 
broidered shirt-waists  made  in  Japan.  For  knockabout  waists, 
the  uniquely  excellent  and  oftentimes  very  pretty  native  cotton 
crape  (momen  chijimi)  is  as  serviceable  as  it  is  for  the  universal 
kimono.  It  comes  in  solid  colors,  stripes,  and  figured  patterns 
(in  several  grades),  and  the  best  outwears  any  foreign  material 
of  similar  make.  For  men's  shirts  (the  best  cost  36  yen  per 
dozen)  and  pyjamas  (Hindustani,  Pyjammas,  or  drawers). it 
is  admirable.  Even  the  destructive  American  laundries  seem 
unable  to  shorten  its  long  life,  and  no  other  shirt  material  is  so 
widely  popular  with  foreigners.  Drill  suitings  are  a  bit  cheaper 
in  China  than  in  Japan,  because  of  the  import  duty,  but  so 
many  inferior  grades  of  cloth  are  made  up  specially  for  that 
market,  that  travelers  buying  outfits  in  the  China  ports  must 
be  on  their  guard.  Rubber-soled  canvas  shoes  are  the  best  for 
a  ship's  deck.  For  8-9  months  of  the  year,  ladies  in  Yokohama 
and  Tokyo  need  thin  blouses  for  the  day,  and  a  wrap,  not  too 
thin,  as  soon  as  the  sun  goes  down.  Even  in  summer  the  nights 
(because  of  the  excessive  dampness)  are  apt  to  be  chilly.  A 
rain-coat  is  essential;  those  who  can  find  the  space  should  come 
equipped  with  two  —  a  heavy  one  for  winter  and  a  light  one  for 
summer,  at  which  time  the  warm  rains  make  of  a  winter  mack- 


sometimes  as  essential  on  the  Pacific  Ocean  as  on  the  Atlantic; 
they  make  desirable  additions  to  one's  bed  on  cold  nights,  and 
are  useful  when  riding  in  jinrikis  or  in  unheated  cars  A  The 
traveler  may  like  to  remember  that  moths  abound  in  Japan, 
and  that  constant  vigilance  is  required  to  keep  them  out  of 
.  woolen  things.  Also  that  the  ships  of  the  Canadian  Pacific 
Royal  Mail  Line  and  those  of  the  Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha  have 
laundries  aboard  which  make  unnecessary  extensive  outfits  for 
a  9-17  day  voyage.  Unacclimated  tourists  are  strongly  recom- 


intosh  an  almost  intolerable 


blankets  are 


HINTS  TO  TRAVELERS 


lxxvii 


mended  to  wear  (at  all]  times)  a  flannel  *  kamarband 1  (often 
called  cholera-band)  in  the  form  of  a  strip  of  flannel  or  woolen 
cloth  8-12  inches  wide  bound  round  the  stomach;  they  are 
widely  used  in  India,  China,  and  Japan;  are  on  sale  at  most 
drapers'  establishments,  and  are  excellent  safeguards  against 
dysentery  and  allied  ills  (which  often  result  from  a  chill) . 

Hints  to  Travelers.  An  ample  supply  of  visiting-cards 
should  be  taken  to  the  Far  East,  where  they  are  in  constant  use. 
Firearms  should  be  left  at  home,  as  they  are  not  needed  in 
Japan  —  where  life  is  safe.  In  traveling,  a  steamer  trunk  or  a 
blanket-roll  with  capacious  pockets  is  better  than  a  big,  heavy 
trunk  (always  out  of  place  at  inns),  as  either  can  be  carried  in  a 
jinriki.  If  possible  heavy  trunks  should  be  stored  on  first  land- 
ing, and  only  thoSe^Hten along  that  can  be  easily  handled  by 
a  120-lb.  man.  There  are  shipping-agents  in  every  port  who 
make  a  business  of  caring  for  travelers'  luggage,  and  re-ship- 
ping it  wherever  wanted.  The  straw  hampers  (kori)  so  much 
used  by  the  Japanese  make  excellent  and  cheap  additions  to 
one's  luggage,  and  save  more  expensive  trunks.  The  floors 
of  most  Japanese  dwellings  are  straw  mats  covered  with  a  fine, 
softer  straw  fabric  so  easily  injured  by  heavy  shoes  or  clogs 
that  it  is  customary  to  remove  these  before  entering  a  room. 
Japanese  men  who  can  afford  them  wear  kid-leather  gaiters, 
with  rubber  gussets,  or  a  type  of  kid  slipper  known  to  the  shoe 
trade  as  the  1  Faust '  model.  The  iron  nails  in  foreign-made 
shoes  so  often  leave  indentations  in  the  soft  wood  of  floors, 
porches,  stairs,  sills,  and  the  like  that  modern  offices,  museums, 
hotels,  and  other  public  buildings  are  usually  provided  with 
ordinary  floors.  Shoes  must,  however,  be  removed  before  one 
can  enter  temples,  and  where  foot-covering  is  not  provided  by 
the  priest  in  charge,  the  traveler  should  carry  with  him  slippers 
or  the  well-known  blue  cotton  slip-overs  (uwa-gutsu)  which  any 
native  cobbler  (kutsushi)  will  make  to  measure  for  about  a  yen. 
They  are  useful  in  many  places,  and  particularly  at  inns,  where 
the  slippers  provided  are  generally  too  small  for  foreigners. 

Pedestrians  in  Japan  should  travel  lightly,  and  remember 
that  a  little  talc-powder  shaken  into  shoes  cools  chafed  feet  and 
makes  walking  easier.  They  are  cautioned  against  giving  inn- 
keepers wet  or  muddy  boots  (kutsu)  to  be  dried  or  cleaned 
before  the  kitchen  (daidokoro)  fire,  for  very  likely  they  will  be 
turned  over  to  some  ignorant  or  thoughtless  servant  who  will 
place  them  too  near  the  hot  coals  and  thus  burn  them  stiff. 
This  either  warps  them  so  that  one  has  difficulty  in  getting 
them  on,  or  it  renders  them  so  brittle  that  after  a  few  hours' 
use  they  fall  to  pieces.  More  than  one  pedestrian  (the  writer 
included)  has  had  to  complete  journeys  shod  with  straw  san- 
dals, as  foreign  boots  or  shoes  are  not  always  obtainable  in 
country  districts.  Women  will  find  the  excellent  silk  bloomers, 
as  well  as  short  skirts,  made  by  the  local  tailors,  very  useful  on 


lxxviii 


HINTS  TO  TRAVELERS 


country  trips  which  include  mt.  climbing.  Old  shoes  are  best  to 
walk  in,  and  it  is  risky  to  start  out  on  a  long  tramp  with  new 
shoes  not  yet  accommodated  to  the  feet.  Mt.  climbers  should 
always  wear  (in  addition  to  regular  footwear)  the  cheap  and 
comfortable  sandal  (waraji,  made  of  war  a,  or  '  straw ' ;  cost 
10-20  sen  a  pair  and  obtainable  anywhere),  as  they  not  only 
save  shoe  leather,  but  make  walking  much  more  comfortable. 
They  are  invaluable  on  steep  inclines  or  slippery  paths  where 
a  misstep  might  prove  inconvenient.  Big  ones,  to  fit  foreign 
feet,  can  usually  be  had  at  the  country  hotels.  New  suit-cases 
and  the  like  taken  on  country  trips  should  be  protected  by  can- 
vas covers,  particularly  where  pack-animals  are  used,  as  the 
process  of  roping  them  on  often  damages  them.  Two  steamer 
trunks,  or  packages  of  a  similar  size,  constitute  the  accepted 
limit  for  pack-horses.  Cameras  should  be  protected  by  the 
oiled  (and  waterproofed)  paper  (abura-gami)  for  sale  almost 
everywhere  (12-15  sen  for  a  big  sheet) ;  it  serves  excellently 
in  lieu  of  a  rain-coat;  is  very  light;  takes  up  but  little  room,  and_ 
often  pays  for  itself  many  times  over.  The  native  umbrellaTl 
(karakasa)  made  of  the  same  material  will  keep  off  a  driving 
rain  more  effectively  than  will  a  silk  one.  A  white  cover  for  the 
ordinary  umbrella  is  desirable  (pongee  covers  are  on  sale  at 
drapers'  shops).  In  mountainous  districts  a  good  field-glass 
and  a  compass  are  indispensable.  Gloves  also  preserve  the 
hands  from  the  bites  of  sand-flies;  vaseline,  the  face  from  sun- 
burn; and  goggles,  the  eyes  from  the  glare  of  snow  or  sand. 

The  social  forms  in^the  foreign  communities  in  Japan  are 
similar  to  those  of  England  and  America,  with  a  trifle  more 
punctiliousness  than  characterizes  those  of  the  latter  country. 
The  Japanese  are  patterns  of  politeness,  and  the  intelligent 
classes  understand  the  various  forms  in  vogue  abroad.  The 
traveler  who  believes  that  laxity  in  their  observance  will  not 
be  noticed  deceives  himself  only,  and  pays  for  the  deception 
by  the  loss  in  esteem  of  a  people  whose  good  will  is  well  worth 
having.  On  the  other  hand,  the  tolerant  Japanese  do  not  expect 
strangers  to  understand  the  intricacies  of  their  own  stilted  eti- 
quette, and  they  are  quick  to  overlook  and  forgive  uninten- 
tional slights  or  slips,  —  particularly  in  the  case  of  strangers 
who  accord  them  the  respect  they  deserve.  Ladies  must  accus- 
tom themselves  to  the  distressing  habits  and  semi-nude  persons 
of  coolies,  jinriki-men  and  others  of  the  lower-classes,  as  the 
tendency  to  improvement  is  not  yet  noticeable.  The  Anglo- 
Saxons  have  established  a  reputation  for  truthfulness  and  jus- 
tice throughout  Asia,  and  it  is  the  duty  of  each  individual  to 
maintain  it. 

When  riding  or  driving  one  should  remember  that  the  Japan- 
ese rule  of  the  road  follows  the  English  (not  the  American  or 
Continental)  system,  and  that  it  is  imperative  to  turn  to  the 
left  (not  to  the  right)  when  vehicles  or  pedestrians  are  met.  In 


RAILWAYS 


Ixxix 


the  Far  East  the  North  is  the  sacred  quarter,  and  the  quarter 
whence  trouble  is  supposed  to  come.  Anciently  the  sovereign 
stood  in  the  North  on  all  state  occasions,  and  his  palace  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  city  faced  the  South.  The  dead  are  sup- 
posed to  be  laid  with  their  heads  to  the  North,  and  when  pos- 
sible the  living  carefully  avoid  this  position  for  sleep.  Hasty 
generalizations  made  by  immature  observers  to  the  effect  that 
Japanese  babies  don't  cry,  the  birds  don't  sing,  the  flowers  are  1 
ordorless,  and  the  fruits  tasteless,  etc.,  are  as  silly  as  unquali- 
fied statements  of  a  like  nature  are  usually.  The  babies  and 
the  flowers  —  at  once  tearful  and  fragrant  —  are  much  like 
those  of  other  lands.  The  passionate  love-song  of  the  nightin- 
gale is  one  of  the  sweefest  things  heard  in  the  Japanese  forest ; 
and  while  the  native  pear  may  be  tasteless,  the  seductive  cured 
persimmon  is  of  a  flavor  so  fine  and  delicate  that  life  with- 
out it  is  drab  and  cheerless!  If  the  people  appear  inscrutable,  it 
is  owing  in  great  part  to  centuries  of  training,  and  to  the  fact 
that  the  average  Japanese  has  considerable  self-restraint  and 
is  a  better  and  more  non-committal  listener  than  the  average 
Occidental.  These  who  consider  the  women  the  personification 
of  meekness  should  remember  the  witty  Frenchman's  remark: 
'  La  lemgue  des  femmes  est  leur  epee,  et  elles  ne  la  laissent  pas 
r outlier.'  Militant  and  loquacious  suffragettes  rule  many  a 
Japanese  household,  the  henpecked  husbands  in  which  wish 
devoutly  that  their  demure-appearing  spouses  possessed  less 
of  that  naive  self-consciousness  which  impressionist  writers 
deny  them.  Many  of  the  suicides  registered  among  women  are 
said  to  be  due  as  much  to  spite  as  to  love.  The  open-minded, 
patient,  and  receptive  traveler  will  get  the  most  out  of  his  visit 
to  Japan.  While  it  may  be  difficult  sometimes  for  him  to  rec- 
oncile 20th  cent,  progress  and  enlightenment  with  the  sacred 
horses,  the  weird  gods  and  devils,  and  the  idolatrous  practices 
in  the  temples,  he  will  be  reminded  that  Japan  has  a  large 
population  which  still  clings  tenaciously  to  the  old  customs 
and  creeds.  And  it  is  well  for  the  traveler  that  they  do  so,  for 
when  this  picturesque  and  harmless  element  is  eliminated,  and 
the  people  adopt  in  toto  the  doleful  monotony  of  Western  dress 
and  custom,  there  will  be  little  worth  seeing  in  Dai  Nippon 
apart  from  Fuji-san  and  the  'Three  Great  Sights.' 

E.  Means  of  Transportation.1 

The  Railways  (tetsudd,  or 1  iron  road')  are  owned  and  oper- 
ated chiefly  by  the  Railway  Bureau  (tetsudokyoku)  of  the  Im- 

1  The  best  railway  guide  (ryoko  annai)  is  issued  (under  the  title  of  Train 
Service)  free  (new  editions  about  once  every  3  months)  by  the  Traffic  Depart- 
ment of  the  Rly.  Bureau;  copies  (in  English)  are  obtainable  at  any  large 
station.  Besides  time-tables  which  embrace  all  the  train  data  the  tourist  is 
apt  to  want,  the  booklet  contains  considerable  useful  information  relating  to 
traffic  rules  and  regulations,  excursion  tickets,  etc.,  and  to  points  of  interest 


Ixxx 


RAILWAYS 


perial  Japanese  Gov't,  and  are  excellent,  well-managed,  and 
remarkably  safe.  In  point  of  general  trustworthiness  and 
equipment  they  compare  favorably  with  those  of  the  most  pro- 
gressive countries  of  the  world.  The  extensive  system  is  under- 
going steady  improvement,  and  the  aim  of  the  Gov't  is  to  grid- 
iron the  Empire  with  railroads  which  eventually  will  rank  as 
high  as  those  of  America,  Germany,  and  England.  The  narrow 
gauge  (3  ft.  5  in.)  precludes  the  doubtful  luxury  of  high  speeds, 
but  so  makes  for  safety  that  bad  accidents  are  rare.  The  lines 
are  run  on  business  methods,  to  please  and  to  serve  the  public, 
and  the  system  is  almost  as  thorough  as  that  of  Germany. 
Local  trains  (kisha,  or  nami-gisha)  run  at  a  speed  ranging  from 
17-25  M.  an  hr.;  express  trains  (kyukd-ressha)  at  a  25-35  M. 
rate.  Distances  are  relatively  short,  and  as  the  scenery  along 
many  of  the  lines  is  not  only  charming  but  in  places  magnifi- 
cent, the  stranger  should  plan  to  do  as  much  traveling  as  pos- 
sible by  daylight/  Local  trains  that  follow  expresses  are  often- 
times less  crowded  and  therefore  more  comfortable  than  the 
former,  besides  being  cheaper^  The  Continental,  or  English  \ 
type  of  compartment  carriage  is  run  on  many  of  them,  and 
from  such  cars  one  can  not  only  get  better  views  of  the  country, 
but  the  long  seats  facilitate  lying  down.  One  not  unfrequently 
has  the  entire  compartment  of  a  1st  or  even  a  2d.  cl.  car  to  one's 
self,  with  the  added  privacy  not  possible  in  the  corridor  cars 
(kyahusha),  with  a  central  aisle  and  a  line  of  seats  backing  up 
against  the  windows,  run  on  fast  trains.  The  best  equipment 
includes  toilet  arrangements;  electric  lights,  fans,  and  bells; 
steam  heat;  thermometers  to  register  the  temperature;  slippers 
for  the  use  of  passengers;  and  many  little  conveniences  as 
pleasing  as  they  are  unexpected.  While  the  hypercritical  per- 
son usually  finds  things  at  which  to  grumble,  the  thoughtful 
and  considerate  traveler  will  remember  that  98%  of  the  travel 
is  Japanese  (5%  1st  cl.;  20%  2d;  and  75%  3d),  and  that  to  in- 
troduce costly  refinements  to  please  the  remaining  2  %m  would 
entail  a  financial  hardship  which  almost  any  company  would 
hesitate  to  undertake.  Furthermore,  the  insular  folks  consider 
the  trains  now  running  as  marvels  of  human  ingenuity  and 
magnificent  mechanical  achievements. 

The  1st  and  2d  cl.  compartments  differ  only  in  the  uphol- 
stering; they  are  generally  separated  merely  by  a  partition, 
and  both  are  clean,  well-cared-for,  and  liberally  patronized  by 
foreigners  and  natives  alike.  Foreign  residents  —  particularly 
the  common-sense  British  and  Germans  —  usually  travel  2d 

throughout  the  Empire.  The  rly.  map  in  colors  is  excellent.  The  Depart- 
ment also  issues  from  time  to  time  handsome  and  desirable  pictorial  literature 
(guidebooks,!picture-albums  and  the  like),  which  not  only  are  useful,  but  are 
artistic  and  desirable  souvenirs.  Apply  to  the  Traffic  Department,  Imperial 
Gov't  Rlys.,  Gofuku-bashi,  Tokyo;  English  spoken.  Yoshio  Kinoshtta, 
Traffic  Manager;  Giichiroh  Nakatani,  Ass't  T.  Mgr.;  S.  Mikami,  General 
Passenger  Agent.  , 


RAILWAYS 


lxxxi 


cl.  The  3d  cl.  cars  are  not  unfrequently  packed  to  suffocation 
~~6y  people  of  the  commonalty,  and  as  they  are  often  devoid  of 
toilet  conveniences  they  are  not  liked  by  foreigners. 

First-Class  Cars  (joto)  have  white  stripes  on  their  sides;  the 
2d  cl.  (ckuto)  blue,  and  the  3d  cl.  (kato)  red;  the  corresponding 
tickets  (kippu)  are  white,  blue,  and  red.  As  the  stations  are 
fenced  in,  tickets  must  be  shown  and  snipped  at  the  wicket 
separating  the  waiting-room  (machiaishitsu)  from  the  platform 
before  one  can  enter,  and  must  be  given  up  before  one  can 
leave.  Commendable  features  are  the  placards  fastened  to  the 
outside  of  cars  and  marked  with  their  destination  (sometimes 
the  terminal  station  rather  than  the  town  itself).  Inspectors 
often  pass  through  cars  in  transit  to  look  at  tickets  to  prevent 
holders  of  a  lower  class  riding  in  cars  of  a  higher  (an  offense 
punishable  by  a  heavy  fine).  Mail-cars  (yubin-sha)  bear  the 
distinguishing  mark  of  the  Imperial  Post-Office.  The  Greek 
fret,  or  key  ornament,  is  used  extensively  on  rly.  property. 
Stations  (suteishon)  are  not  called  in  the  cars,  but  men  pass  up 
and  down  the  platform,  before  the  car  windows,  and  shout  the 
names  repeatedly.  At  intervals  on  the  station  platforms  are 
sign-boards  with  the  name  of  the  station  proper,  the  one  just 
passed,  and  the  one  to  come;  along  with  the  respective  distances 
in  miles  and  chains.  By  this  device  the  traveler  can  be  ready  to 
disembark  when  his  station  is  reached.  Signboards  in  English 
and  Japanese  also  designate  the  chief  points  of  interest  in  the 
immediate  vicinity,  with  distances  and  direction.  These  origi- 
nally were  intended  for  pilgrims,  who  often  travel  in  bands 
from  place  to  place.  In  front  of  certain  big  stations  are  huge, 
skillfully  painted  maps  of  the  environs,  or  plans  of  the  towns, 
illustrating  pictorially  the  location  of  temples,  waterfalls, 
hotels,  and  the  like.  Other  white-painted  signs  standing  up- 
right at  intervals  on  the  station  platform  give  the  name  of  the 
place  in  Chinese  ideographs,  and  cursive  Japanese  —  the 
former  as  an  aid  to  the  intelligent  element,  the  latter  for  the 
elucidation  of  those  of  limited  understanding.  The  time-cards 
and  lists  of  fares,  in  plain,  readable  English  type,  pasted  on 
bulletin-boards  and  displayed  on  the  station  wall  (usually  near 
the  ticket-window),  are  of  great  convenience,  as  are  also  the 
Bulletin  Boards  for  Travelers'  Messages  (kokuchiban) , 
now  permanent  features  of  the  large  stations.  Travelers  may 
leave  chalk-written  messages  on  these  for  belated  friends  or 
others,  who  after  reading  them  erase  them.  All  writing  is  rubbed 
off  by  the  station  master  (eki-in)  at  the  end  of  6  hrs.  English 
and  Japanese  newspapers  are  on  file  in  the  waiting-rooms,  where 
automatic  indicators  and  a  clock  show  when  the  next  train 
leaves.  The  native  love  of  flowers  often  expresses  itself  at  the 
stations,  where  the  traveler  may  see  well-tended  parterres  of 
lovely  flowers;  gnarled  pine  trees  with  branches  reaching  many 
yards  up  and  down  the  graveled  walk;  tiers  of  dwarfed  trees  in 


lxxxii 


RAILWAYS 


pots,  or  hedges  of  flowering  plum,  peach,  camellia,  and  the  like. 
The  chrysanthemum  displays  in  season  are  sometimes  impos- 
ing. Check-rooms  (called  cloak-rooms,  or  keitaihin  ichiji 
azukarijo),  where  parcels  can  be  checked  (2-5  sen  for  24  hrs.), 
are  maintained  at  all  stations,  along  with  (at  the  larger  places) 
an  Information  Bureau  where  English  is  spoken.  The  names  of 
stations  are  apt  to  be  changed  at  any  time. 

Passenger  Trains  are  always  in  charge  of  a  passenger  guard 
(sha-cho),  an  English-speaking  Japanese  who  wears  a  red  band 
on  his  coat-sleeve,  who  is  always  polite,  and  solicitous  of  the 
comfort  of  travelers,  and  who  does  not  expect  a  tip  every  time 
he  extends  a  courtesy  to  a  stranger.  Trains  leave  terminal 
stations  on  the  left  track  and  enter  on  the  right.  Employees, 
even  to  the  engineers  (kikwan-shi) ,  wear  white  gloves,  and  the 
station  master  carries  a  truncheon  as  a  warrant  of  his  authority. 
When  a  train  is  ready  to  start,  a  station  employee  rings  a  hand- 
bell, the  guard  blows  a  shrill  blast  on  a  pocket-whistle,  and 
after  receiving  an  answering  toot  from  the  engineer,  climbs 
aboard  without  further  ado. 

The  Train  Boy,  a  prominent  functionary  whose  official  title 
is  'Boy/  and  who  has  no  affinity  with  the  ' peanut  butcher'  of 
America,  is  often  of  considerable  service  to  foreigners  traveling 
in  Japan.  He  is  usually  a  very  civil,  well-appearing,  amiable 
youngster,  in  a  spruce  uniform,  and  his  duties  are  to  make  him- 
self generally  useful.  He  raises  or  lowers  the  windows  when  the 
sun  is  too  strong  or  the  train  enters  a  tunnel ;  sends  telegrams 
for  passengers,  brushes  their  clothes,  buys  their  tea  or  bento, 
and  is  always  grateful  for  any  tip  given  him.  As  the  Japanese 
are  curiously  thoughtless  about  their  personal  belongings,  and 
as  the  '  boy'  is  frequently  called  upon  to  return  bundles  that 
have  been  left  in  the  seats  by  careless  folks,  the  traveler  should 
see  that  his  hand-baggage  is  not  taken  by  mistake.  Thieving 
from  cars  is  happily  rare. 

Tickets  (kippu)  are  on  sale  at  all  stations  and  at  the  chief 
tourist  agencies  throughout  the  country  (Thos.  .Cook,  and 
others).  Except  in  special  cases  the  1st  cl.  fare  is  2J  sen,  the 
2d,  1J,  and  the  3d,  1  sen  a  mile;  with  a  transit  tax  of  5  sen 
under  50  M. ;  20  sen  under  100  M. ;  40  sen  under  200  M. ;  and  50 
sen  above  200  for  1st  cl.,  and  3,  10,  20,  and  25  sen  respectively 
for  2d  cl.  An  extra  fare  of  yen  1.50  1st  cl.,  and  1  yen  2d  cl., 
irrespective  of  distance,  is  charged  on  ordinary  express  trains; 
and  3  yen  under  400  M.  and  5  yen _over  400  on  the  limited  ex- 
press trains  (de  luxe,  between  Tokyo  and  Shimonoseki ;  observa- 
tion cars  —  tembosha;  special  dinners,  etc.)  with  a  1st  cl. 
ticket;  and  2  and  3  yen,  2d  cl.  Consult  the  rly.  time-tables. 
The  fares  quoted  throughout  the  Guidebook  are  approximate 
only,  and  are  subject  to  change.  Circular  or  coupon  tickets 
are  issued  at  a  reduction  of  the  regular  fare.  Platform  tickets 


RAILWAYS 


lxxxiii 


that  permit  one  to  pass  through  the  station  wicket  and  meet 
trains  are  to  be  had  at  2-5  sen.  £By  virtue  of  a  special  arrange- 
ment with  the  chief  steamship  companies,  tourists  holding 
tickets  over  their  lines,  between  Yokohama  and  Nagasaki,  or 
Shimonoseki,  may  exchange  them  (at  par)  for  tickets  over  the 
rlyA  By  this  plan  one  who  approaches  Japan  from  China  may 
disembark  at  Nagasaki  and  finish  the  journey  by  rail  and  thus 
get  a  better  idea  of  the  country  than  would  be  possible  other- 
wise. Transpacific  passengers  southward-bound  can  exchange 
their  steamer  tickets  for  others  at  Yokohama,  proceed  overland, 
and  regain  the  ship  at  any  desired  point.  Round-the-world 
tickets  are  also  issued  by  the  rly.  company  at  low  rates  (consult 
the  Traffic  Department  of  the  Imperial  Rlys.,  or  Thos.  Cook  & 
Son).  Favored  travelers  may  like  to  remember  that  passes  over 
the  Japanese  rlys.  are  not  valid  on  steamships  operated  in  con- 
nection with  them;  nor  in  Korea  or  Manchuria  (unless  so  speci- 
fied). A,  ticket  (booking)  office  is  kippu  no  uridokoro]  ticket- 
.  agent  (many  women  employed)  is  kippu-uri. 

Sleeping  Cars  (shindai-sha)  are  run  on  the  express  trains; 
fares  range  from  3-4  yen  per  night,  for  a  single  (not  large 
enough  for  2  pers.)  1st  cl.  berth;  and  from  yen  2.50  for  a  single 
berth,  to  yen  3.50  for  a  double  one  of  the  2d  cl. 

Baggage  (nimotsu)  is  checked  much  after  the  manner  in 
vogue  in  America;  100  kin  (133  lbs.)  are  allowed  free  on  every 
1st  cl.  ticket;  60  kin  (80  lbs.),  2d  cl. ;  and  30  kin  (40  lbs.),  3d  cl. 
Weights  are  computed  in  kin  and  lbs.,  and  distances  in  miles 
and  cho.  (See  Measures.)  Excess  wt.  (chokwa  kinryo)  is  charged 
for  at  the.  rate  of  7  sen  for  1  kin  for  500  M.  or  under.  Over- 
charge is  ryokin.  Check  is  chekki  (an  adaptation  from  the 
English  word).  Baggageman  is  tenimotsu  gakari.  Baggage- 
room,  toriatsukaijo.  Baggage-car,  tenimotsu-sha.  A  limited 
amount  only  of  hand-luggage  is  allowed  in  the  coach  with  each  i 
passenger  (2  or  3  suit-cases,  a  roll,  etc.).  The  red-capped  por-  ( 
ters  (eki-fu)  who  carry  hand-baggage  (2  sen  per  load,  or  as 
many  pieces  as  the  man  can  carry  conveniently;  4  sen  in  the 
Hokkaido)  from  the  waiting-room  to  the  train  (they  are  not 
permitted  to  enter  cars  or  solicit),  or  vice  versa,  are  employed 
by  an  independent  company,  and  a  rly.  bulletin  posted  in  the 
station  requests  travelers  to  pay  the  regulation  fee  only.  When 
they  carry  one's  luggage  to  a  tram-car,  a  near-by  inn,  or  a 
jinriki,  or  perform  any  unusual  service,  a  small  additional 
fee  is  customary  and  advisable.  Any  attempt  at  overcharge 
should  be  frowned  upon  and  reported  to  the  station  agent. 

The  rly.  operates  a  cheap,  efficient,  and  trustworthy  Express 
Service  on  its  trains.  A  special  quick-delivery  service  for  lug- 
gage is  in  vogue  in  the  chief  cities,  and  packages,  irrespective  of 
size  or  weight,  will  be  delivered  (present  check  at  baggage- 
room)  within  a  radius  of  3^  M.  for  5-12  sen. 


lxxxiv 


RAILWAYS 


Lost  Property  found  in  rly.  cars  or  stations  is  held  for  5 
days,  after  which  time  it  is  sent  to  the  police  office  nearest  the 
place  where  it  was  found,  and  is  held  there  until  claimed. 

Dining  Cars  (shakudo-sha) ,  with  a  la  carte  service  and  Eng- 
lish-speaking waiters,  are  run  on  the  trains  so  indicated  in  the 
rly.  train  service  book.  Many  of  the  larger  stations  possess 
(usually  upstairs  )  Refreshment  Rooms  (ekinai  rydriten),  where 
plain  but  wholesome  food  is  served  at  reasonable  prices.  The 
Station  Hotels  under  the  rly.  management  are  often  excellent. 
At  many  of  the  stations  local  specialties  (tokubetsu)  of  the 
towns  in  the  shape  of  varied  sweetmeats,  biscuits,  and  similar 
things  are  sold  in  attractive  little  packages,  firkins,  or  jars, 
which  travelers  take  home  with  them.  The  unique  and  not 
unpalatable  bento,  —  a  sort  of  national  sandwich,  —  put  up 
(usually  cold)  in  thin,  flat,  twin  boxes  (bento-bako)  of  dainty 
white  wood  (1  in.  high,  5-7  in.  long),  along  with  a  paper  napkin 
(kuchifuki)  and  a  pair  of  chop-sticks  (hashi),  and  sold  at  many 
stations,  is  distinctively  Japanese  and  widely  popular.  The 
quality -of  the  contents  varies  with  the  locality;  some  places 
enjoy  a  national  reputation  for  the  good  things  put  into  the 
bento,  and  when  possible,  travelers  wait  until  they  reach  such  a 
station,  then  buy  it.  A  designating  mark  on  the  rly.  service 
book  indicates  stations  where  it  is  on  sale,  and  the  train-boys 
know  which  is  best.  Frequent  references  are  made  to  them  in 
the  Guidebook.  Besides  the  full  box  of  plain  boiled  rice,  the 
ordinary  (15  sen)  bento  contains  usually  (varying  with  the 
locality)  a  few  bits  of  vegetables,  a  slice  of  sweet  omelette 
(tamago-yaki) ,  a  few  boiled  black  beans  (nimame),  also  sweet; 
a  piece  of  broiled  fish  (yaki-zakana)  or  steamed  eel  (unagi  no 
kabayaki) ;  pickled  lotus-root  (renkon) ;  seaweed  (kobu) ;  bean- 
curd  (kamaboko);  red  ginger  (shoga)]  scraps  of  boiled  meat 
(gyu-niku) ;  black  mushrooms  (shiitake) ;  a  bit  of  pickled  octo- 
pus (ika)  or  minute  Crustacea  (tsukudani) ;  and  a  slice  of  pickled 
daikon  —  which  has  been  referred  to  as  1  an  ingenious  pickle, 
for  after  once  getting  its  flavor  well  over  your  mouth,  you  will 
eat  anything  to  get  rid  of  the  taste! '  The  first-class,  or  joto  bento 
(25-30  sen),  is  sometimes  sold  in  attractive  crockery  dishes, 
or  in  fancy  boxes  containing  an  assortment  of  dainties  a  bit 
more  varied  than  the  foregoing.  The  buffets  on  certain  of  the 
trains  are  celebrated  locally  for  savory  dishes  of  boiled  rice 
and  stewed  eels.  Rice-cakes  (mochi)  the  size  of  codfish  balls 
are  sold  at  many  stations ;  the  kernel  of  yokan,  or  sweet  bean- 
paste,  which  usually  forms  their  center,  is  one  of  the  national 
specialties,  and  is  often  sold  in  separate  boxes.  Regular  ham 
sandwiches  (pron.  san-doy' -chee)  are  becoming  popular.  A 
tiny,  sleazy  bag  of  native  tea  (cha)  submerged  in  a  'cute'  and 
sometimes  daintily  decorated  glazed  earthenware  tea-pot 
(cha-bin)  filled  with  hot  water  and  supplied  with  an  earthen- 
ware tea-cup  (cha-wan),  is  sold  at  many  stations  for  3-5  sen 


RAILWAYS  lxxxv 

for  the  complete  outfit.  Also  hot,  boiled  (cow's)  milk  {gyu-nyu; 
pron.  yoon-you')  in  bottles  (6-12  sen)  —  which  would  be  better 
if  not  so  thoroughly 'baptized'  in  the  excellent  water  of  the 
country.  On  some  of  the  station  platforms  are  miniature  delica- 
tessen shops,  where  tinned  and  bottled  goodies  are  on  sale. 
Tobacco,  fruit  (some  of  it  excellent),  cigarettes,  newspapers, 
and  a  host  of  such  things  are  hawked  about  at  the  big  stations 
by  green-capped  vendors  with  raucous  voices.  The  tinned 
salmon  from  the  Hokkaido,  the  fruit  jams,  the  (Takaradzuka) 
Tansan  mineral  water,  and  the  (loaf)  bread  are  good.  The 
butter  and  the  'bif-tekki'  served  in  some  places  are  to  be 
avoided. 

The  first  rly.  in  Japan  was  begun  (under  the  supervision  of  English  engi- 
neers) in  IS^and  the  18  M.  between  Tokyo  and  Yokohama  were  completed 
2  yrs.  latefl'^he  stretch  between  Kobe  and  Osaka  was  opened  to  public 
traffic  in  May,  1874 ;  that  to  Kyoto  in  1877,  and  soon  thereafter  the  old  Japan- 
ese capital  was  connected  by  rail  with  the  new.  In  1899,  Japan  had  a  thou- 
sand miles  of  completed  rly.,  and  certain  of  the  short  country  lines  were  oper- 
ated by  man-power,  the  diminutive  cars  being  pushed  along  Decauville  rails 
by  squads  of  coolies.  By  1903  there  were  4237  M.  and  the  Japanese  had 
learned  not  only  how  to  construct  the  most  difficult  lines,  along  with  bridges 
(tetsudokyo)  and  rolling-stock,  but  also  how  to  operate  them  at  a  profit.  In 
1913  there  were  6000  working  miles  in  the  Empire,  4624  of  which  belonged 
to  the  State;  the  gross  income  from  them  was  100  million  yen  or  more,  and 
the  net  profit  20  millions.  Passengers  to  the  number  of  155  millions  were 
carried  safely,  and  the  freight  traffic  was  proportionately  large.  The  pro- 
jected rlys.  —  new  sections  of  which  are  opened  to  traffic  almost  every 
month  —  penetrate  many  of  the  hitherto  remote  places,  and  total  upward  of 
10,000  additional  miles.  Construction  costs  vary  from  60,000  yen  per  mile, 
over  level  country,  to  200,000  yen  in  mountainous  regions.  Certain  of  the 
lines  (notably  the  Chud,  line)  rank  with  the  most  difficult  rly.  construc- 
tional feats  in  the  world.  In  1906  the  bulk  of  the  private  rlys.  (2823  M.)  were 
nationalized,  and  transferred  to  State  management,  at  a  cost  of  yen  487,- 
880,000.  The  astonishing  development  of  the  Japanese  rlys.  is  due  in  great 
part  to  the  constructive  genius  of  the  President  of  the  Rly.  Bureau,  Baron 
Shimpe\  Goto,  sometime  Colonial  Governor  of  Formosa. 

American,  English,  and  German  locomotives  {kikwan-sha;  kama)  in  the 
order  named,  adapted  to  Japanese  requirements,  are  used;  the  former  on  the 
mountainous  sections,  the  latter  on  the  electrified  portions.  The  road-bed  is 
first-class  and  is  well  maintained ;  the  busy  trains  hustle  over  the  lines  with 
the  accuracy  and  trustworthiness  of  those  of  England.  American  rails  and 
car-wheels  are  used ;  the  sleepers  (ties)  are  of  chestnut  (kuri  —  7  millions 
used  yearly)  and  cypress  in  some  places  sheathed  with  iron.  The  timber 
employed  in  the  framework  of  the  rly.  carriages  is  the  Keyaki  (Zelkowa 
Keaki) ,  a  hard,  strong,  dark-brown  wood  (which  resembles  somewhat  the 
beech,  and  which  in  Japan  takes  the  place  of  oak),  with  a  fine  grain  like 
that  of  teak,  which  takes  a  good  polish,  stands  damp  well,  but  is  apt  to  warp 
when  exposed  to  the  sun.  The  floors,  roofs,  and  sides  are  of  red  pine. 

Washouts  Qiokai,  or  4  collapse  ' — more  explicitly,  Suigai  ni  yoru  senro 
hdkai)  are  the  bane  of  the  rlys.  in  Japan,  and  they  cost  the  administration 
millions  each  year ;  they  are  handled  with  a  skill  which  excites  the  admiration 
of  foreigners.  When  a  train  slows  up  at  a  point  that  has  been  washed  out,  a 
small  army  of  willing  porters  (employed  by  the  company)  swarms  through 
the  cars,  and  relieves  the  passengers  of  all  luggage.  A  check  for  each  piece  is 
handed  the  owner,  and  careful  hands  transfer  it  to  a  waiting  train  beyond. 
Chairs  (or  boats),  palanquins,  jinrikis,  and  other  means  of  transport  spring 
up  apparently  from  nowhere,  and  whosoever  does  not  care  to»walk  is  carried. 
In  remarkably  quick  time,  and  with  a  total  absence  of  friction  or  annoyance, 
one  finds  one's  self  in  a  good  seat,  in  a  train  on  the  other  side  of  the  trouble, 
ready  to  continue  the  journey. 

The  somewhat  puzzling  nomenclature  of  the  different  rly.  lines  is  related 


lxxxvi 


AUTOMOBILES 


directly  to  the  cities  and  districts  through  which  they  run.  (Comp.  Terri- 
torial Divisions,  p.  cxli).  The  Tokaido  Line  is  known  as  the  East  Coast 
Route;  the  Hokuroku  as  the  North-Land  Line;  the  Sanyo,  as  the  Sunny  Side 
of  the  Mt.  Line;  the  San-in,  as  the  Shady  Side  of  the  Mt.  The  Ban-Tan  Line, 
which  runs  through  the  provinces  of  Harima  (Chinese:  Ban-shu)  and  Tajima 
(Tan-shu),  derives  its  name  from  the  first  syllable  of  each  of  these  words. 
Kwansei  (or  Kansei)  is  referred  to  at  p.  cxliii;  Sangu  in  lite.  35.  The  word 
Joban  is  formed  by  contracting  the  old  names  for  the  provinces  of  Hitachi 
and  Iwaki,  through  which  the  Joban  Line  passes.  The  same  process  applied 
to  Iwashiro  and|  Echigo  Provinces  produces  Gan-etsu.  Ou,  the  name  of  a 
district,  is  contracted  from  Mutsu,  Uzen,  and  Ugo  Provinces;  Shin-etsu, 
from  Shinano  and  Echigo;  Sobu,  from  Musashi,  Shimosa,  and  Kazusa;  Boso, 
from  Awa  and  Shimosa;  Chikuho,  from  Chikuzen,  Buzen,  and  Bungo,  etc. 
When  the  Japanese  speak  of  Buzen  and  Bungo  collectively,  they  say  Hoshu. 
Ryomo  is  the  arbitrary  name  for  Kozuke  and  Shimozuke,  notwithstanding 
there  are  no  provinces  of  the  name  of  Hoshu  and  Ryomo. 

Automobiles  (jidosha  —  gee-doh'-shah)  are  popular  in  Japan, 
and  garages  (same  name  in  use)  are  being  opened  in  many  of 
the  chief  cities.  Cars  are  on  call  at  most  of  the  big  hotels,  which 
usually  maintain  private  garages.  In  provincial  places  motor- 
cars are  replacing  the  lumbering  stage-coach,  and  attention  is 
being  given  to  the  improvement  of  the  highways.  Many  de- 
lightful trips  are  possible  from  Tokyo,  Yokohama,  Kyoto, 
and  Kobe  —  where  the  usual  charge  for  a  touring-car  and 
chauffeur  is  5  yen  per  hr.,  with  a  minimum  charge  of  15  yen. 
For  a  party  of  3  or  more  an  auto  is  cheaper  (and  speedier)  for 
sight-seeing  than  a  relative  number  of  jinrikis.  The  excellent 
Japan  Chronicle  often  publishes  instructive  descriptions  of 
motor-trips  through  the  interior  of  the  country,  and  illustrates 
them  by  valuable  (because  clear  and  down-to-date)  sketch- 
maps.  While  it  is  more  within  the  province  of  a  special  auto- 
mobile pathfinder  to  describe  in  detail  the  country  roads,  the 
writer  has  nevertheless  carried  out  minute  personal  observa- 
tions for  those  travelers  specially  interested,  and  these  refer- 
ences will  be  found  in  their  proper  places  throughout  the  Guide- 
book. Some  of  the  larger  cities  possess  automobile  touring 
clubs,  references  to  which  will  be  found  in  the  daily  news- 
papers, and  from  whose  members  the  traveler  can  always  get 
valuable  information.  The  Nippon  Automobile  Association, 
with  headquarters  at  Tokyo  (many  foreign  members),  pub- 
lishes (monthly,  in  English)  a  magazine  called  the  J idosha,  of 
considerable  interest  to  owners  of  motor-cars,  motor-boats,  and 
flying-machines.  The  views  from  some  of  the  easily  accessible 
(by  motor)  mountain  passes  of  Japan  are  of  a  beauty  never  to 
be  forgotten. 

The  motorist  should  not  rely  too  implicitly  on  the  informa- 
tion he  may  get  from  farmers  about  roads;  the  average  peasant 
sees  no  disadvantages  in  a  mt.  path  that  would  make  a  goat 
dizzy;  and  a  road  littered  with  stones  looks  as  good  to  him  as 
any  other.  The  omnipresent  basha  will  traverse  an  elevated 
highway  that  the  most  reckless  motorist  would  balk  at,  but 
because  the  rickety  bridges  have  not  fallen  (perhaps  a  sheer 


TAXICABS  AND  TRAM-CARS 


lxxxvii 


thousand  feet)  beneath  him  on  that  particular  trip,  the  basha- 
driver  will  pronounce  the  road  in  excellent  state.  Never  ask  a 
countryman  if  such  and  such  a  place  is  such  and  such  a  distance 
off,  for  he  will  usually  confirm  your  query,  whether  the  goal  is  2 
or  22  cho  distant.  Many  of  the  city  streets  have  no  sidewalks, 
and  as  the  native  children  live  practically  out  of  doors,  it  has 
become  necessary  for  the  authorities  to  draft  drastic  measures 
governing  the  speed  of  automobiles.  The  stranger  who  intends 
to  apply  for  a  license  (10  yen  a  year)  should  acquaint  himself 
with  these.  The  sectional  maps  (on  sale  at  the  bookstores), 
issued  by  the  Geographical  Department  of  the  Gov't,  are  use- 
ful. Motorists  may  like  to  remember  that  many  of  the  country 
roads  and  bridges  are  only  6-15  ft.  wide,  and  that  the  latter  are 
not  always  strong  enough  to  bear  up  under  a  heavy  touring- 
car.  It  is  well  to  remember  also  that  during  and  just  after  the 
summer  rains  the  island  roads  may  be  impassable  for  weeks  at 
a  time.  Oct.-Dec.  is  the  best  season  for  motor-trips.  The  wages 
of  a  Japanese  chauffeur  who  speaks  a  little  English  vary  from 
30  to  50  yen  a  month.  The  Gov't  tax  on  cars  is  60-80  yen  a 
year.  Gasolene  (same  word  used)  is  obtainable  in  most  towns 
at  50  sen  a  gallon,  in  5-gal.  tins  (which  can  be  resold  at  10  sen, 
whence  the  reluctance  of  the  chauffeur  to  discard  them).  The 
freight  rate  from  San  Francisco  to  Japan  on  automobiles 
(crated)  is  $12  a  ton  of  40  cubic  ft.  An  ordinary  touring-car 
measures  about  8  tons  when  packed.  The  freight  rate  on  the 
Japanese  rlys.  is  20  sen  per  mile,  with  a  minimum  charge  of  4 
yen.  The  present  customs  duty  (apt  to  change)  on  cars  enter- 
ing Japan  is  50  per  cent  ad  valorem  (general  tariff)  unless 
accompanied  by  a  certificate  of  origin,  in  which  case  it  is 
admitted  under  the  conventional  tariff  at  35%  (favored 
nation  clause).  Parts  pay  25%  duty.  Cars  and  parts  retail 
for  about  2J  times  (in  yen)  the  selling  price  at  the  point  of 
manufacture.  Cars  to  be  used  by  tourists  for  motoring  in 
Japan  pass  in  free  of  duty  under  a  guaranty  (represented  by  a 
deposit  of  the  amount  of  the  duty)  that  they  will  be  shipped 
out  of  the  country  before  12  months.  Persons  coming  to  Japan 
to  live  can  bring  in  a  car  free  of  duty. 

Taxicabs  (the  word  'Taxi'  is  in  general  use)  are  fast  coming 
into  vogue,  and  are  in  use  in  certain  of  the  large  cities. 

Electric  Tram-Cars  (densha  —  den,  electricity;  sha,  carriage) 
are  rapidly  replacing  the  slower  horse-railways  (tetsudd-basha) ; 
they  not  only  furnish  a  cheap  and  good  service  in  the  cities  and 
towns,  but  are  fast  taking  the  place  of  the  jinriki  and  basha  in 
country  districts.  They  are  very  useful  for  taking  travelers  to 
out-of-the-way  places  not  yet  reached  by  the  steam  rlys.  — 
to  which  they  act  as  valuable  feeders.  Fares  generally  are 
cheaper  than  in  the  West.  The  1st  and  2d  cl.  cars  differ  but 
little  in  furnishing,  and  the  latter  are  about  one  third  cheaper. 


Ixxxviii 


THE  JINRIKISHA 


The  3d  cl.,  though  materially  cheaper  than  the  1st,  attract  the 
frowsy  folks,  and  are  not  liked  by  foreigners.  Overcrowding  is 
the  main  disadvantage,  but  as  a  Japanese  crowd  is  rarely  offen- 
sive to  the  eye  or  nose,  one  suffers  no  actual  discomfort.  For- 
eigners generally  are  supposed  to  be  unwilling  to  ride  in  the 
cars,  and  the  Japanese  rarely  mention  them  as  possible  means 
of  locomotion.  In  places  where  they  are  the  chief  factors  of 
communication  between  points,  special  cars  are  often  reserved 
for  tourists,  who  sometimes  elect  to  pay  7  or  8  yen  to  be  alone, 
rather  than  40  or  50  sen  and  have  company.  Guides  almost 
invariably  advise  their  patrons  to  hire  special  cars,  and  unless 
one  expresses  a  preference  one  is  usually  ushered  into  one  (in 
country  districts)  and  expected  to  pay  the  full  rate.  In  places 
like  Tokyo  and  Kyoto,  where  distances  are  great  and  jinriki 
fares  high,  one  can  save  both  time  and  money  by  using  trams. 
The  custom  of  selling  round-trip  tickets  is  referred  to  under 
Tokyo.  In  many  country  places  tickets  are  sold  from  offices 
near  the  tram  terminal.  Detailed  reference  to  the  chief  lines 
are  made  in  their  proper  places  in  the  Guidebook. 

The  Jinrikisha  (from  jin,  man ;riki,  power;  and  sha,  vehicle), 
called  (by  foreigners)  rikisha  or  rickshaw  (by  the  Japanese  gen- 
erally), jinriki,  and  (more  politely)  kuruma,  dates  from  1869, 
and  owes  its  inception  to  an  American  missionary  named 
Goble,  who  by  converting  (at  Shinagawa,  near  Yokohama)  a 
baby-carriage  into  a  vehicle  in  which  he  could  take  his  invalid 
wife  out  for  an  airing,  provided  a  means  of  locomotion  now 
popular  in  countries  as  far  distant  as  South  Africa.  The  first 
application  for  a  patent  for  it  was  filed  in  1870  by  Takayama 
Kosaku.  The  original  wooden-wheeled '  pull-man-car '  has  under- 
gone considerable  elaboration,  the  best  now  possessing  nickled 
wheels  and  rubber  tires  and  costing  about  100  yen  (against 
30-40  for  the  old  ones).  Many  private  individuals  own  their 
machines  and  employ  (25-30  yen  a  month)  a  man  (shafu, 
jinrikishafu,  kurumaya)  to  pull  it.  Many  shafu  own  their 
machines  and  pay  a  tax  to  the  municipality  to  be  allowed  to 
offer  them  for  hire.  In  some  places  a  schedule  of  prices  is  fixed 
by  the  authorities  and  posted  at  the  police  station  and  other 
places.  In  the  absence  of  these,  the  men  fix  their  own  prices  — 
which  are  often  flexible  and  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  service 
rendered.  The  rates  posted  at  fashionable  hotels  are  usually 
about  25%  higher  than  those  quoted  in  the  street.  About 
25%  above  the  regulation  fare  is  expected  in  bad  weather,  or 
when  the  passenger  is  heavy,  or  has  heavy  luggage  with  him; 
50%  more  after  10  p.m. 

When  the  vehicle  is  hired  by  the  hour,  it  is  supposed  that  one 
will  make  occasional  stops  and  thus  afford  the  coolie  a  chance 
to  rest;  a  steady  20-25  min.  run  without  intermission  is  consid- 
ered as  worth  the  hr.  price.  A  sinewy,  willing  man  can  run  25- 
30  M.  a  day  (regarded  as  a  good  day's  work),  and  repeat  it 


THE  JINRIKISHA 


lxxxix 


several  days  in  succession;  5  M.  an  hr.  on  a  fair  road  is  good 
speed.  Jinrikis  are  often  employed  for  long  cross-country, 
trips,  and  as  a  rule  the  traveler  will  find  them  more  satisfactory 
than  the  contemptuous  and  contumacious  native  horse.  Good 
rikisha-men  make  satisfactory  guides;  they  are  usually  scarce 
during  planting  and  harvesting  seasons,  when  field- work 
demands  their  time,  and  prices  are  then  considerably  higher 
than  when  steady  employment  is  lacking.  On  long  runs  over 
mountainous  country  the  traveler  must  either  take  the  hills 
afoot  or  engage  a  pushman  (ato  o  shi),  or  an  extra  puller  to  run 
tandem  (sakitsuna,  or  tsunahike)  with  the  regular  man.  On 
uneven  roads  the  former  is  often  necessary  to  prevent  the 
somewhat  capricious  vehicle  from  tipping  over  sidewise.  The 
tendency  to  tip  backward  when  the  passenger  is  inside  and 
the  puller  releases  the  thills,  is  very  marked.  Dogs  are  employed 
to  help  pull  jinrikis  in  certain  parts  of  Japan. 

Jinriki-stands  are  always  found  near  rly.  stations  (in  which 
case  they  are  called  teishaba)  and  at  various  points  in  towns 
(when  they  are  called  keiryujo).  Rates  demanded  at  the  for- 
mer place  are  usually  about  25%  higher  than  at  stands  near 
by.  Handy  to  almost  every  stand  is  a  push-cart  or  wheeled 
truck  (niguruma)  on  which  the  men  haul  heavy  trunks  and  the 
like;  two  or  more  fairly  large  trunks,,  along  with  a  steamer  trunk 
and  several  pieces  of  hand-luggage,  can  often  be  piled  upon  one 
of  these  carts,  and  taken  from  the  hotel  to  a  rly.  station  or 
steamer  landing  for  25-35  sen  (for  \  M.  or  more)  or  40-50  sen 
(1  M.  or  thereabout). 

Fares  have  an  upward  tendency;  foreigners  (all  of  whom  are 
classed  as  kanemochi,  or '  rich  men ')  are  always  expected  to  pay 
more  than  natives.  In  the  absence  of  a  fixed  schedule  it  is 
advisable  to  ask  the  man  beforehand  what  his  charge  will  be. 
If  it  appears  too  high,  he  should  be  told  what  will  be  given  him. 
The  former  15-20  sen  an  hr.  rate  has  risen  in  many  places  to 
50-60  sen.  Waits  are  usually  charged  for  at  one  half  the  hr. 
rate.  If  one's  time  is  limited,  and  one  employs  a  jinriki  by  the 
hr.,  it  is  better  to  pay  any  reasonable  sum,  as  otherwise  the 
man  will  contrive  to  kill  time,  and  defeat  one's  purpose.  Lazy 
men  are  strict  observers  of  the  exasperating  custom  of  never 
passing  ahead  of  an  older  man,  or  a  tired  runner  overtaken  on 
the  road.  In  such  cases  the  traveler  may  wish  to  say:  Saki  no 
shafu  ni  kotowatte  hyaku  hashire  ('  Apologize  to  the  man  in 
front  and  pass  him').  Absurd  prices  are  exacted  of  strangers 
in  seaport  towns.  It  is  not  unusual  for  certain  jinriki-men 
in  Yokohama  and  Kobe  to  demand  ¥1  from  the  landing  or 
station  to  the  hotel  when  the  correct  fare  may  be  10-15  sen. 
In  cases  of  dispute  the  traveler  should  always,  when  possible, 
consult  the  hotel  manager,  as  clerks  are  apt  to  side  with  their 
countrymen.  If  one  does  not  know  the  exact  fare,  ask  the  man- 
ager to  pay.  A  curious,  and  to  the  foreigner  an  incomprehen- 


xc 


HORSES 


sible,  kink  in  the  native  character  nearly  always  prompts  the 
overpaid  kurumaya  to  demand  more  ('mo  go  sen,  or  'mo  ju- 
sen,'  another  5  sen,  or  10  sen,  as  the  case  may  be)  unless  he 
knows  that  the  extra  amount  is  given  for  good  service.  A  man 
who  is  heavily  overpaid  is  also  apt  to  make  it  uncomfortable 
for  the  next  stranger.  The  prices  current  in  different  places 
are  quoted  in  the  Guidebook  under  the  proper  heading.  The 
average  country  charge  is  15-20  sen  a  mile. 

If  the  traveler  who  has  previously  engaged  a  jinriki  for  a 
journey  wishes  the  runner  to  be  at  his  door,  say,  at  5  a.m.,  he 
should  order  him  to  come  at  4,  and  be  prepared  to  send  some 
one  for  him  at  4.30,  as  unpunctuality  is  a  characteristic.  The 
runner's  advice  as  to  the  correct  amount  to  pay  for  wayside 
refreshments,  or  any  service  rendered,  is  worthless,  as  the  in- 
stinct to  overpay  his  nationals  at  the  expense  of  the  alien  is 
ingrained.  A  class  which  travelers  sometimes  come  in  contact 
with  is  the  moro-shafu  ('shady  men')  who  are  in  league  with 
brothels  and  bad  characters,  and  who  take  strangers  to  lonely 
places  for  purposes  of  robbery.  A  sakate  (sake  money)  or  tip  is 
usually  given  a  good  man  for  exceptional  service.  The  life  of  a 
shafu  is  hard,  and  his  earnings  (in  Tokyo)  from  ¥60  to  ¥100 
a  month.  Night-men  in  Tokyo  are  called  (contemptuously) 
yonashi  ('men  with  no  night'),  and  are  looked  down  upon. 
College  men  who  sometimes  adopt  the  calling  for  the  temporary 
gain,  are  known  as  kuga  kusei.  The  best  runners  die  young 
(heart  failure),  and  when  the  pitiable  drawback  of  age  overtakes 
the  others,  they  are  often  forced  to  seek  different  employment. 

Horses  (uma;  pron.  m'ma)  are  plentiful,  but  the  native  ani- 
mal (of  Mongolian  breed  and  origin)  is  such  an  ill-favored, 
badly  trained,  unruly  beast,  that  he  is  to  be  avoided.  The 
average  horse  is  small  of  stature,  with  a  thick  head,  mane,  and 
belly;  trots  loosely  and  awkwardly;  gets  into  a  sweat  easily; 
bites  viciously  if  one  approaches  too  near  (whence  the  muzzles 
in  common  use),  and  screams  like  a  fiend  when  displeased. 
They  no  doubt  are  ill-tempered  because  badly  treated;  the 
custom  is  to  make  them  stand  in  stalls  with  their  heads  toward 
the  entrance,  and  to  tie  them  so  tightly  to  the  right  and  left 
posts  that  they  can  with  difficulty  lie  down.  In  certain  dis- 
tricts (N.  Japan)  mares  only  are  used  for  beasts  of  burden, 
while  in  others  (Tokyo,  Yokohama,  etc.)  one  rarely  sees  any- 
thing but  stallions.  Asses  and  mules  are  unknown.  The  don- 
key, which  would  prove  the  ideal '  short  and  simple  animal  of 
the  poor,'  is  nowhere  found.  Oxen  anciently  took  the  place  of 
horses  as  draught-animals,  and  (with  bulls)  are  still  used  in 
many  places.  In  country  districts  horses  not  unfrequently  go 
'  barefoot '  or  are  shod  with  straw  sandals.  In  the  larger  cities, 
and  at  certain  country  resorts  frequented  by  foreigners,  im- 
ported horses  with  comfortable  saddles  can  be  hired  at  reason- 
able prices.  It  is  considered  axiomatic  that  horses  are  unsat- 


BASHA  —  THE  KAGO 


xci 


isfactory  means  of  conveyance  in  the  interior  of  Japan,  where 
grain,  shelter,  good  grooms,  decent  saddles,  and  the  like  are 
unobtainable.  The  big  breeding-establishments  conducted  by 
the  Gov't  in  different  places  in  the  Empire  produce  horses  for 
the  army. 

The  Basha  ('horse-carriage/),  called  derisively  gara-gara 
0  rattle')  by  some  foreigners,  is  a  species  of  omnibus  bearing 
the  same  relation  to  rural  Japan  that  the  Concord  stage- 
coach did  to  Colonial  America.  It  is  a  single-horse-drawn, 
4-wheeled  vehicle,  covered  with  a  cheap  top  usually  too  low 
for  the  comfort  of  foreigners;  often  seatless  and  springless, 
but  employed  extensively  between  country  towns,  where  it  vi- 
brates daily,  like  a  busy  but  dilapidated  shuttle.  Bashas  are 
considerably  cheaper  (about  3  sen  a  mile)  than  jinrikis,  and 
they  possess  the  advantage  of  not  making  it  necessary  for  one 
to  get  out  and  walk  up  steep  or  muddy  hills  in  a  streaming  rain. 
Few  among  the  local  institutions  have  come  in  for  more  un- 
merited malediction.  Travelers  unaccustomed  to  support  tem- 
porary inconvenience  execrate  them  in  blistering  terms,  but 
the  leg-weary  pilgrim  who  has  tramped  along  Japan's  extraor- 
dinarily uneven  and  grotesquely  articulated  backbone  from 
Aomori  to  Kagoshima,  thence  up  and  down  the  convergent 
wrinkles  between  the  Pacific  and  the  Japan  Sea,  regard  them 
differently,  and  hearken  with  unalloyed  pleasure  to  the  clarion 
blasts  (from  a  tin  horn)  which  announce  their  approach  (or 
leaving).  The  point  of  departure  for  the  basha  is  generally  its 
own  baiting-stable  —  often  near  the  chief  hotel  or  inn.  On 
prominent  routes  there  are  (customarily)  special,  2-seated 
vehicles  (accommodating  4  persons  comfortably)  for  those  who 
object  to  sitting  flat  on  the  floor  wedged  in  between  sleepy 
natives.  Four  1st  cl.  fares  are  usually  demanded  for  these  — ■ 
in  which  hand-luggage  only  can  be  stowed.  Information  re- 
garding bashas  can  always  be  obtained  from  the  innkeeper  (who 
not  unusually  is  a  stockholder  in  the  enterprise).  As  country 
roads  are  subject  to  wash-outs,  important  matters  should  not 
be  allowed  to  hinge  upon  close  basha  connections.  From  20  to 
25  M.  a  day  is  the  average  journey  —  during  which  the  atten- 
uated horse  is  sometimes  fed  as  many  as  6-8  times ! 

The  Kago  ('basket'),  a  sort  of  basket-seat  carried  on  the 
shoulders  of  men  (one  in  front  and  one  behind)  by  means  of  a 
long  pole  from  which  it  swings,  is  more  suitable  for  small  people 
than  the  average  traveler,  who  is  apt  to  find  it  uncomfortable. 
It  is  frequently  used  (demand  a  big  one)  in  mt.  districts;  fares 
varying  according  to  distance  and  local  conditions.  The  mod- 
ern kago  is  not  unlike  a  palanquin  with  no  room  for  one's  feet, 
which  must  be  doubled  under  or  brought  over  tailor-fashion, 
as  one  sits  in  it.  Each  is  provided  with  a  light  bamboo-covered 
roof,  and  some  have  side  curtains  to  deflect  the  sun's  rays.  A 


xcii 


POST-OFFICES 


vastly  more  satisfactory  and  comfortable  contrivance  —  one 
which,  in  fact,  suggests  considerable  luxury  —  is  the  'chair/  an 
open,  cane  sedan-chair  borne  aloft  on  two  poles,  extensively 
used  in  Hongkong,  and  popular  in  the  mt.  districts  of  Japan. 
Prices  will  be  found  in  different  places  throughout  the  Guide- 
book. Kagos  can  be  carried  up  mt.  trails  where  *  chairs' 
would  prove  awkward,  but  ladies  particularly  will  prefer  the 
latter  when  practicable. 

F.  Post-  and  Telegraph-Offices.  Telephones.  Time. 

Post-Off  ices  (yubinkyoku)  are  always  distinguishable  by  a 
small  sign  showing  a  symbol  like  an  exaggerated  capital  T, 
composed  of  three  red  lines  with  a  white  bar  across  the  top,  and 
painted  on  a  white  ground.  The  same  token  appears  on  the  rly. 
mail-cars.  English  is  customarily  spoken  at  the  main  offices  in 
the  large  cities  and  ports.  The  post-  and  telegraph-offices  are 
usually  to  be  found  in  the  same  building  and  they  are  open  from 
6-7  a.m.  to  10  p.m.  Travelers  often  find  it  more  convenient  to 
dispatch  their  mail  from  the  hotel,  where  stamps  are  always  on 
sale  and  special  care  is  accorded  letters.  The  local  (English) 
newspapers  publish  the  dates  of  the  arrival  and  departure  of 
mail-ships,  and  the  hours  when  the  mails  for  abroad  close  at 
the  post-office.  Tourists  may  like  to  remember  that  letters  for 
Atlantic  Coast  points  of  the  U.S.A.  often  reach  their  destina- 
tion a  day  or  two  earlier  if  marked  *via  Siberia' ;  also  that 
ships  crossing  the  N.  Pacific  make  the  transit  in  several  days' 
less  time  than  those  which  touch  at  Honolulu.  The  Japanese 
postal  service  is  prompt  and  efficient.  Addresses  should  be 
written  simply  and  legibly,  as  the  majority  of  the  postmen 
(yubin-kyakufu)  are  unable  to  read  plain  English,  much  less 
abbreviations.  Despite  this  handicap  they  are  remarkably 
exact  in  getting  mail  matter  to  its  rightful  owner;  tracing  him 
with  the  dogged  persistence  of  the  British  postal  authorities. 
The  excellent  governmental  system  of  registering  the  names  of 
foreign  visitors  to  the  Empire,  and  of  keeping  a  friendly  and 
paternal  eye  upon  them  while  they  are  1  within  the  gates,'  is  of 
considerable  help  to  the  service.  Mails  are  delivered  at  frequent 
intervals  during  the  day.  Houses  in  Japan  are  not  always 
numbered,  and  in  default  of  exact  information  the  postman 
sometimes  relies  upon  his  knowledge  of  the  houses  and  inhabi- 
tants of  his  district  to  deliver  mail-matter.  This  will  usually  be 
delivered  more  expeditiously  if  the  ward  (ku)  of  the  city  in 
which  the  recipient  resides  is  appended  to  the  address.  In  the 
case  of  letters  mailed  to  Japanese,  one  should,  if  convenient, 
subjoin  the  address  in  the  vernacular.  This  is,  in  fact,  some- 
times desirable  on  letters  to  foreigners;  it  always  insures  prompt 
delivery. 

Most  travelers  prefer  to  have  their  mail  come  in  the  care  of 


POST-OFFICES 


xciii 


their  hotel  or  bankers.  If  it  is  sent  to  ' General  Delivery' 
(Poste  restante)  to  be  held  until  called  for,  the  postmaster  in  the 
receiving  offices  should  be  notified,  and  requested  to  hold  it. 
Otherwise,  after  advertising  it  for  10  days  (on  a  printed  slip 
exposed  in  the  lobby  of  the  P.O.),  it  is  returned  or  sent  to  the 
Department  of  Communications  (in  Tokyo),  where  it  is  opened. 
If  the  contents  give  any  clue  to  the  sender,  it  is  returned.  If  not, 
it  is  held  for  6  mos.,  then  destroyed.  If  the  contents  are  of 
value,  they  are  sold,  and  if  not  claimed  within  2  yrs.  are  ap- 
propriated by  the  State  Treasury.  One  should  remember  also 
that  under  ordinary  circumstances  Poste-restante  mail  is  held 
at  the  receiving  office  for  30  days  only,  following  the  day  of  "its 
arrival.  The  postmaster  (yubinkyoku  cho)  will  notify  the  ad- 
dressee of  such  mail  being  held  for  him  for  a  S-sen  fee.  If  the 
route  to  be  traversed  by  letters  is  not  written  on  them  (cus- 
tomary in  the  Far  East),  the  postmaster  will  use  his  judgment 
in  routing  them.  Mails  to  go  'via  Siberia'  (quickest  route  to 
Europe)  must  be  so  marked,  else  the  Russian  Gov't  will  refuse 
to  transport  them.  The  list  of  articles  not  accepted  for  trans- 
mission differs  but  little  from  that  of  other  countries.  Any  one 
who  ships  opium,  or  utensils  for  smoking  it,  through  the  mail, 
is  apt  to  be  fined;  the  articles  will  be  confiscated.  A  special 
permit  must  be  obtained  from  the  Gov't  to  send  tobacco 
through  the  P.O. 

Registered  Letters  (kakitome-yubin)  are  charged  for  at  7  sen 
per  cover.  A  certification  notice  of  the  hour  of  posting  (valu- 
able in  cases  of  patent-rights,  mining-claims,  etc.)  will  be  issued 
for  15  sen. 

A  Special  Delivery  service  (sokutatsubin)  is  in  vogue  at 
some  offices.  The  letter,  accompanied  by  a  fee  of  10-15  sen 
must  be  delivered  at  the  office,  and  a  request  made  that  it 
be  given  special  attention. 

Street  Boxes  (yubin-bako) ,  of  metal,  of  excellent  design, 
stand  at  many  points  in  the  different  cities,  and  mail  (yubin)  is 
collected  from  them  many  times  a  day.  To  post  a  letter  is: 
Yubin  ni  dasu. 

Postal  Money-Orders  (yubin-gdwase,  or  kawase  —  small  ones 
are  ko-gaviase)  are  issued  on  the  following  countries  at  the  rates 
and  up  to  the  amounts  named:  To  the  United  States,  Hawaii, 
the  Philippine  Is.,  Guam,  the  Panama  Canal  Zone,  and 
Canada,  $100  (U.S.  gold)  at  10  sen  for  each  $10  or  fraction 
thereof.  —  Great  Britain,  the  British  Colonies,  Possessions  and 
Protectorates,  Malta,  Gibraltar,  Constantinople,  British 
Honduras,  B.  W.  Indies,  B.  Guiana,  Danish  W.  Indies,  Dutch 
W.  Indies,  Guiana,  Panama,  Costa  Rica,  Tunis,  Fiji  Is., 
(through  the  intermediary  of  the  British  P.O.  at  London), 
£40,  at  10  sen  for  £1  or  fraction.  —  Germany,  German  New 
Guinea,  Caroline  Is.,  Marshall  Is.,  Samoa,  Kiauchow,  Tsinanfu, 


xciv 


POSTAGE-STAMPS 


and  Weihsien,  800  marks,  10  sen  per  40  M.  or  fraction.  — 
France,  Belgium,  Italy,  Greece,  Switzerland,  Luxemburg,  Por- 
tugal, The  Argentine  Republic,  Chile,  Peru,  Brazil,  Egypt, 
Montenegro,  French  Indo-China,  Servia,  1000  francs,  10  sen 
per  50  fr.  or  fraction.  —  Bulgaria,  500  francs,  same  rate.  — 
Mexico,  200  pesos,  10  sen  for  20  pesos  or  fraction.  —  Siam, 
400  yen,  10  sen  for  20  yen  or  fraction.  —  Norway,  Sweden,  and 
Denmark,  620  Kr.  at  10  sen  for  36  Kr.  —  Austria,  and  Bosnia- 
Herzegovina,  1000  Kr.,  10  sen  for  50  Kr.  or  fraction.  —  Hun- 
gary, 1000  Kor.,  10  sen  for  50  Kor.  or  fraction.  —  Russia  (except 
Finland),  £30  (through  the  British  P.O.)  at  10  sen  for  £1  or 
fraction.  —  The  Commonwealth  of  Australia  and  New  Zealand, 
Br.  India,  Br.  North  Borneo,  Burma,  Ceylon,  The  Straits  Set- 
tlements, and  The  Federated  Malay  States,  Hongkong,  Macao, 
Hoi-how,  Ningpo,  and  Wei-Hai-Wei  (through  the  British  P.O. 
at  Hongkong),  $400  (silver)  at  10  sen  for  $10  or  fraction.  — 
The  Netherlands  and  the  Dutch  E.  Indies,  480  florins,  at  10 
sen  for  every  25  fl.  or  fraction.  —  The  maximum  amount 
of  an  Inland  Postal  Money-Order  is  ¥100,  for  which  a  com- 
mission of  42  sen  is  charged;  the  average  rate  is  6  sen  for  ¥10, 
10  for  ¥20,  and  so  on.  —  There  is  a  Telegraphic  Money-Order 
System  between  Japan  and  Korea,  Formosa,  and  Saghalien. 

Post-cards  (yubin-hagaki)  are  of  5  denominations:  ordinary 
within  the  Empire  1 J  sen;  with  prepaid  reply  3  sen;  letter- 
card,  3  sen;  foreign  (countries  in  the  Postal  Union),  4  sen;  with 
prepaid  reply,  8  sen.  There  is  a  local  restriction  against  writing 
on  the  face  of  cards  other  than  pictorial,  albeit  cards  posted  at 
Japanese  offices  in  China  may  be  so  employed.  Privately 
printed  post-cards  larger  than  the  official  cards  will  not  be 
accepted  for  mailing;  nor  will  those  of  a  pornographic  nature. 

Postage-Stamps  (yubin-gitte)  are  of  17  denominations,  as 
follows:  \  sen  (5,  or  go  rin),  1  sen,  1§,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  8,  10,  15,  20, 
25,  50  sen,  and  ¥1,  ¥5,  and  ¥10.  Books  containing  18  S-sen 
stamps  and  30  \\-sen  stamps  are  on  sale  at  ¥1  each;  and 
others  with  18  10-sen,  36  4-sen,  and  12  2-sen  stamps  at  ¥3.50 
each,  f  Travelers  can  earn  the  gratitude  of  stay-at-home  col- 
lectorVby  putting  a  number'  of  stamps  of  different  denomin- 
ations on  their  letters} —  Commemorative  Stamps  are  issued 
on  special  occasions,  the  most  important  recent  ones  were 
struck  in  commemoration  of  the  25th  anniversary  of  the  wed- 
ding of  the  late  Emperor;  one  on  the  accession  of  the  present 
Emperor;  on  the  Japan-China  War;  and  on  the  occasion  of  the 
amalgamation  of  the  Korean  post  and  telegraph  services  with 
those  of  Japan.  New- Year  stamps  are  occasionally  issued  by 
institutions  of  great  public  benefit  —  notably  the  Kumamoto 
Leper  Hospital,  whose  stamps  are  adaptations  of  those  issued 
by  the  Anti-Tuberculosis  Society  of  the  U.S.A.  International 
reply  coupons  (equivalent  in  value  to  postage-stamps  and  to  be 


POSTAL  RATES 


xcv 


used  for  prepayment  of  an  answer  to  a  letter)  are  now  em- 
ployed in  the  U.S.A.,  Great  Britain,  Germany,  France,  Austria- 
Hungary,  Italy,  Belgium,  The  Netherlands,  Sweden,  Norway, 
Switzerland,  Denmark,  Mexico,  Spain,  Chile,  Canada,  India, 
Ceylon,  The  Straits  Settlements,  Hongkong,  Siam,  etc.  They 
cost  12  sen  in  Japan  and  are  exchangeable  for  postage-stamps 
worth  10  sen. 

The  first  regular  postal  system  was  established  in  Japan  during  the 
Tokugawa  Shogunate,  when  two-sworded  men  wearing  a  special  uniform  car- 
ried official  correspondence  between  Kyoto  and  Yedo.  In  1663  the  business 
men  of  those  cities  and  of  Osaka  organized  a  service  of  runners  who  made  the 
trip  between  Yedo  and  Kyoto,  via  Osaka,  about  3  times  a  month.  In  1871 
the  present  Gov't  formally  opened  a  letter-post  service  between  Tokyo, 
Yokohama,  Kyoto,  and  Osaka,  and  the  system  was  modeled  upon  those  in 
vogue  at  the  time  in  America  and  Europe.  The  first  set  of  postage-stamps 
was  issued  on  the  day  the  plan  became  operative.  Early  in  1872  the  service 
was  extended  to  Kobe,  Nagasaki,  Niigata,  and  Hakodate.  The  first  postal 
convention  between  Japan  and  the  U.S.A.  became  effective  Jan.  1,  1875. 
Japan  was  formally  admitted  into  the  General  Postal  Union  June  20,  1877. 
The  first  stamp  issue  of  March,  1871,  was  followed  by  others  in  Feb.,  July, 
and  Sept.,  1872;  April  and  June,  1873;  Jan.  and  Feb.,  1874;  Jan.,  Feb., 
March,  and  Aug.,  1875;  March,  May,  and  June,  1876;  June,  Aug.,  and  Nov., 
1877;  June,  1879;  Jan.,  1883;  Feb.,  1888;  May,  1892;  March,  1894;  Aug., 
1896;  Jan.,  April,  and  Oct.,  1899;  Jan.,  May,  and  Oct.,  1900;  March,  1901; 
July,  1905;  April,  1906.  The  stamps  of  the  Taisho  era  were  issued  in  1913. 
Certain  of  the  old  stamps  are  valued  as  high  as  ¥1500,  but  philatelists  will 
wish  to  remember  that  old  stamps  are  counterfeited  in  Japan  and  that  great 
care  must  be  exercised  in  buying  them. 

Postal  Rates  are  higher  than  those  of  the  U.S.  or  Great 
Britain.  Ordinary  sealed  letters  (tegami)  within  the  Empire,  3 
sen  up  to  4  momme  (15  grms.)  and  3  sen  for  each  additional  4 
momme  or  fraction.  Foreign  letters  (to  countries  within  the 
Postal  Union)  are  sent  at  the  uniform  rate  of  10  sen  for  each 
5.3  momme  (20  grms.) ;  for  each  additional  20  grmsTor  fraction, 
6  sen.  The  traveler  may  like  to  remember  that  one  of  the  new 
(Japanese)  50-sen  silver  coins  weighs  a  trifle  under  15  grms., 
and  a  50-  and  20-sen  piece,  along  with  a  5-sen  nickle,  about  20 
grms.  It  is  advisable  to  instruct  correspondents  abroad  to  put 
the  right  amount  of  postage  on  letters  for  Japan  (5  c.  gold  in 
the  U.S.A.),  as  in  all  cases  of  insufficiency  of  postage  the 
addressee  is  required  to  pay  double  the  deficiency.  If  he  re- 
fuses, the  article  is  returned  to  the  sender,  who  is  asked  to  pay. 
.  Postal  Savings  Banks  (yubin-chokin)  are  operated  at  cer- 
tain of  the  post-offices.  The  smallest  deposit  received  is  10 
sen  (it  can  be  made  in  postage-stamps) ;  the  largest,  1000  yen. 
Interest  at  the  rate  of  4J%  per  annum  is  paid  on  all  deposits. 

Postal  Parcels  (tsutsumi)  are  subject  to  the  rules  of  the  Par- 
cel Post  Convention  of  the  Postal  Union,  or  according  to  the 
special  agreements  which  Japan  has  made  with  countries  not 
included  in  thM  association.  Usually  the  destination  (as 
'American  Parcel/  'English  Parcel/  or  the  like)  must  be 
marked  thereon,  and  a  Customs  Declaration  (obtainable  free 
at  the  P.O.)  prepared  and  sent  with  it.  Values,  weights,  and 


xcvi 


TELEGRAPH-OFFICES 


dimensions  (apt  to  change)  vary  according  to  the  different 
countries  and  agreements.  Union  Parcels  (which  must  be  so 
marked)  destined  for  countries  included  in  the  Union,  must  not 
measure  more  than  60  centimetres  (23.62  in.)  in  any  direction, 
nor  contain  more  than  25  cubic  decimetres  of  bulk.  Parcels 
which  do  not  exceed  20  cm.  (8  in.)  in  breadth  or  depth  may 
measure  up  to  1  metre  (39.37  in.)  in  length;  limit  of  weight,  5 
kilogrammes  (11  lbs.).  Costs  vary  with  the  route  by  which 
they  travel.  For  instance:  To  Germany  or  France,  by  sea  (Suez 
Canal,  time  about  50  days),  90  sen,  up  to  1  kilo,  and  ¥1.30, 
up  to  5  kilos.  If ' via  Siberia'  (about  15  days),  ¥2.30  to  ¥2.50 
for  1  or  5  kilos.  Parcels  for  the  United  States  and  its  Insular 
Possessions,  including  the  Panama  Canal  Zone,  Great  Britain, 
Hongkong,  The  Straits  Settlements,  and  Australia,  may  meas- 
ure 3  ft.  6  in.  in  length  (or  6  ft.  in  length  and  girth  combined) 
and  weigh  11  lbs.  In  the  former  case  they  must  not  be  sealed 
with  wax  or  lead,  but  must  permit  of  easy  customs  examina- 
tion. Rates  of  postage :  24  sen  for  120  momme  (1  lb.)  or  fraction 
thereof.  Parcels  sent  through  (or  to)  Russia  must  be  packed 
in  wooden  or  metal  boxes  or  in  linen  bags,  and  not  in  paper  or 
cardboard.  Addresses  must  be  written  in  ink.  Parcels  for 
Canada  may  measure  up  to  2  ft.  in  length,  and  1  ft.  in  breath 
or  in  depth,  and  weigh  7  lbs.  Postage  40  sen  for  each  1  lb.  To 
Mexico  90  sen  up  to  1  kilo,  and  ¥2.30  up  to  5  kilos. 

The  Weights  and  Dimensions  of  articles  to  be  sent  by 
(foreign)  Letter  Post  are:  Dimensions:  Length,  39  cm.  (15  in., 
or  1  shaku,  3  sun) ;  breadth,  26  cm.  (10  in.,  or  8|  sun) ;  width,  15 
cm.  (6  in.,  or  5  sun).  Rolls  must  not  exceed  75  cm.  (29|  in.)  in 
length,  and  10  cm.  (4  in.)  in  diameter,  nor  must  they  weigh  over 
2  kilos.  (4.4  lbs).  There  is  no  limit  to  the  weight  or  dimensions 
of  letters.  Samples  of  merchandise  may  weigh  up  to  375 
grms.  (100  momme) ;  postage  up  to  100  grms.  4  sen,  and  2  sen 
for  each  additional  50  grms.  Books,  Manuscripts,  Photo- 
graphs, Commercial  Papers,  and  the  like  are  accepted  as  4th 
cl.  matter  at  2  sen  up  to  112  grms.  (30  m.omme),  and  2  sen  for 
every  additional  30  momme  up  to  100  momme.  Packages  must 
not  be  over  30  cm.  (12  in.)  long,  20  cm.  (8  in.)  broad,  or  10  cm. 
(4  in.)  deep.  Rolls  must  not  be  over  12  in.  (30  cm.)  long  or  6  in. 
(15  cm.)  in  diam.  —  The  limits  of  weights  and  dimensions  for 
local  postal  parcels  are:  Dimensions:  up  to  60  cm.  (2  shaku,  or 
feet)  in  length,  breadth,  or  depth.  Parcels  not  exceeding  15 
cm.  (5  sun,  or  6  in.)  in  breadth  and  depth  may  measure  up  to 
90  cm.  (3  shaku,  or  35  in.)  in  length.  Weights :  up  to  6000  grms. 
(1600  momme,  or  13|  lbs.).  Between  Japan,  Korea,  and  China 
(including  Manchuria),  1500  momme  (12J  lbs.). 

Telegraph-Offices  (denshin-kyoku)  are  usually  operated  [the 
telegraph  is  a  Gov't  monopoly]  conjointly  with  the  post-offices 
(in  which  case  the  office  is  called  yubin-denshin-kyoku),  and 
they  are  to  be  found  all  over  Japan.  The  service  (denshinki)  is 


CABLEGRAMS  —  TELEPHONES  xcvii 


good  and  cheap.  English  is  not  always  spoken  in  the  branch 
offices,  nor  are  messages  (denshin)  in  the  English  language 
accepted  by  them.  In  such  cases  they  must  be  taken  to  the 
central  or  main  office,  where  expert  operators  transmit  them 
with  accuracy  and  speed.  Travelers  usually  find  it  more  con- 
venient to  deliver  messages  to  the  hotel  manager,  who  will 
send  them  to  the  proper  receiving  office.  The  Japanese  kana 
characters  (see  p.  cxxvi)  are  customarily  employed  to  send  tele- 
grams in  the  Empire,  and  where  a  message  is  destined  for  a 
Japanese,  one  can  save  something  by  having  it  translated  into 
the  vernacular.  A  combination  of  Japanese  and  foreign  words 
is  not  permitted.  Messages  are  often  sent  in  the  Romaji,  or 
romanized  Japanese,  in  which  case  no  word  must  exceed  15 
letters.  The  address  and  signature  are  always  charged  for. 
Urgent  telegrams  take  precedence  over  ordinary  ones  and  are 
charged  for  at  3  times  the  regular  rate.  Charges  for  Telegrams 
within  the  limits  of  any  city  are:  In  kana,  10  sen  for  each  15 
characters,  and  3  sen  for  every  added  5  characters;  in  Romaji 
(or  English),  15  sen  for  every  5  words,  and  3  sen  for  each  addi- 
tional word.  —  Anywhere  within  the  Empire  proper,  20  sen 
for  a  kana  message  of  15  characters,  and  an  added  5  sen  for 
every  additional  5  characters  or  less;  romanized  (or  English) 
telegrams,  25  sen  for  the  first  5  words,  and  5  sen  extra  for 
each  added  word.  For  a  5- word  message  to  Korea,  Formosa, 
Saghalien,  or  the  Bonin  Islands,  40  sen;  for  a  15-character 
kana  message,  30  sen.  —  To  send  a  telegram  is:  Denshin  wo 
kakeru. 

Cablegrams  to  Europe  and  America  are  costly,  and  a  cable- 
code  should  be  used  where  possible.  Words  in  the  code  language 
must  not  contain  more  than  10  letters,  and  hyphenated  words 
are  counted  as  two.  Such  words  as  New  York,  San  Francisco, 
etc.,  go  as  a  single  word.  'Codified  messages  received  in  Japan 
will  not  be  delivered  unless^the  recipient  registers  (or  has  regis- 
tered) a  code-word  address.)  The  usual  cost  of  this  is  ¥12  per 
annum,  but  in  special  cases"  an  address  may  be  registered  tem- 
porarily for  ¥1.20  a  month.  Cablegrams'  can  be  repeated  to 
any  part  of  the  Empire  at  the  regular  inland  rate.  Undelivered 
messages  are  advertised  in  the  (foreign)  daily  newspapers  for  a 
brief  period.  There  are  several  submarine  cables  (kaitei  densen, 
or  'ocean-bed  wires '),  and  as  rates  are  at  present  being  read- 
justed they  are  not  quoted  here.  Consult  the  hotel  manager. 
The  Wireless  Telegraph  Service  is  being  extended. 

Telephones  (denwa-ki)  are  in  use  in  most  of  the  Japanese 
cities,  but  as  the  operators  do  not  always  speak  English,  the 
service  is  not  used  by  travelers  as  much  as  would  otherwise  be 
the  case.  Booths  are  to  be  found  in  all  the  hotels.  The  telephone 
officials  classify  the  conversation  area  as 'ordinary/  'long  dis- 
tance/ and '  special  long  distance.'  The  service  is  being  steadily 


xcviii      TIME  — WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES 


improved  and  enlarged.  The  usual  charge  for  a  5-min.  conver- 
sation (automatic  booths)  within  the  limits  of  any  city  is  5 
sen.  Long-distance  rates  are  graded  according  to  the  distance, 
ranging  from  20  sen  for  25  M.  (Yokohama-Tokyo,  for  example) 
to  ¥1  for  250  M.  and  ¥2  for  600  M.  The  night  rate  (8  p.m.  to 
7  a.m.)  is  about  25%  less.  A  long-distance  telephone  is  called 
chokyori ;  telephone  office,  denwa  kokankyoku  or  denwa-jd) ; 
central  office,  child  denwa-kokankyoku  (or  denwa  kokwan-jd). 

Time.  Japan  employs  one  uniform  standard  time  computed 
for  135  degrees  E.  longitude,  or  9  hrs.  fast  of  mean  time  at 
Greenwich.  When,  therefore,  it  is  mean  noon  at  Greenwich  it  is 
9.19  p.m.  at  Yokohama  (and  7.04  a.m.  at  New  York).  The 
actual  difference  in  time  between  Yokohama  and  San  Francisco 
is  6  hrs.,  31  min.,  and  44  sec,  but  ships  steaming  W.  drop  from 
20  to  30  min.  each  day  (depending  upon  the  speed)  and  leave 
an  entire  day  at  the  180th  parallel  —  picking  it  up  on  the  re- 
turn voyage. 

G.  Weights  and  Measures 

Distances  by  rly.  are  calculated  in  English  (or  American) 
miles  and  chains;  on  highways  and  streets  by  ri  (the  Japanese 
mile)  and  cho.  Many  English  terms  are  coming  into  general 
use,  and  inch,  yard,  dozen,  pound,  foot,  etc.,  are  understood 
and  used  by  many.  Travelers  will  find  the  following  approxi- 
mate tables  of  equivalents  useful. 


Japanese 

English 

Metric  System 

1  ri 

=  36  cho 

or  2.4403  M.  (say 
358  ft.    (  " 

2\  M.) 

3.927  kilometres 

1  cho 

=  60  ken 

A  M.) 

109.  metres 

10  shaku 

=    1  jo 

10  ft.    (  " 

3.01  yds.) 

3.03 

6  shaku 

=    1  ken 

1.88yd.    (  '* 

6  ft.) 

1.81 

10  sun 

=    1  shaku 

"     11.93  in.    (  " 

1  ft.) 

3.03  decimetres 

10  bu 

=    1  sun 

1.17  in.    (  " 

W  ft.) 

3.03  centimetres 

1  bu 

1.43  line   (  " 

1!  in.) 

3.03  millimetres 

One  geographical  mile  equals  1.886  ri  (which  in  some  parts  of  the  Empire 
has  50  cho) .  Fifteen  cho  make  about  1  Eng.  M. ;  and  29  ri  equal  1  degree.  The 
ri  should  not  be  confounded  with  its  prototype,  the  Chinese  U,  which  usually 
is  reckoned  at  2.02839  Eng.  ft.  (2.6  U  to  1  M.).  —  The  hiro  (fathom)  of 
about  6  ft.  equals  the  ken.  —  To  reduce  miles  to  ri,  divide  the  number  of 
miles  by  2.44.  —  To  convert  ri  into  miles  multiply  the  number  of  ri  by  2.44. 
—  For  practical  purposes  1  kilometre  equals  §  (.625)  of  1  Eng.  M.  (8  kilom.  to 
5  M.) ;  1  M.  =  1.6  kilom.  To  convert  kilom.  into  miles,  divide  by  8  and  multi- 
ply by  5.  To  convert  miles  into  kilom.,  multiply  by  8  and  divide  by  5.  To  con- 
vert meters  into  inches,  multiply  by  40;  and  to  convert  inches  into  meters, 


uiviue  uy  -±w.  _  . 

Approximate  equivalents  of  Japanese  cho  and  ri  in  English  (and  U.S.A.) 
miles,  and  kilometres. 


Cho 

Miles 

Kilometres 

Ri 

Miles 

Kilometres 

1 

.07 

.112 

1 

2.44 

3.904 

2 

.14 

.224 

2 

4.88 

7.808 

3 

.20 

.320 

3 

7.32 

11.712 

4 

.27 

.432 

4 

9.76 

15.616 

5 

.34 

.544 

5 

12.20 

19.520 

6 

.41 

.656 

6 

14.64 

23.424 

7 

.47 

.752 

7 

17.08 

27.328 

WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  xcix 


Chd 

Miles 

Kilometres 

8 

.54 

.864 

9 

.61 

.976 

10 

.68 

1.088 

11 

.75 

1.200 

12 

.81 

1.296 

13 

.88 

1.408 

14 

.95 

1.520 

15 

1.02 

1.632 

16 

1.08 

1.728 

17 

1.15 

1.840 

18 

1.22 

1.952 

19 

1.29 

2.064 

20 

1.36 

2.176 

21 

1.42 

2.272 

22 

1.49 

2.384 

23 

1.56 

2.496 

24 

1.63 

2.608 

25 

1.69 

2.704 

26 

1.76 

2.816 

27 

1.83 

2.928 

28 

1.90 

3.040 

29 

1.97 

3.152 

30 

2.03 

3.248 

31 

2.10 

3.360 

32 

2.17 

3.472 

33 

2.24 

3.584 

34 

2.30 

3.680 

35 

2.37 

3.792 

36 

2.44 

3.904 

Ri 

Miles 

Kilometres 

8 

19.52 

31.232 

9 

21.96 

35.136 

10 

24.40 

39.040 

11 

26.84 

42*944 

12 

29*28 

46*848 

13 

31*72 

50.752 

14 

34.16 

54*656 

15 

36*60 

58  \f\C\ 

16 

39*04 

62.464 

17 

41.49 

66.384 

18 

43*93 

70.288 

19 

46.37 

74.192 

20 

48*81 

78*096 

21 

51.25 

82.000 

22 

53!  69 

85*904 

23 

56*13 

89*808 

OJ7.0UO 

24 

58.57 

93.712 

25 

61*01 

97.616 

26 

63.45 

101*520 

27 

65.89 

105.42 

28 

68.33 

109*32 

29 

70.77 

113*23 

30 

73  20 

117  12 

31 

75*65 

121*04 

32 

78.09 

124.94 

33 

80.53 

128.84 

34 

82.97 

132.75 

35 

85.41 

136.65 

36 

87.85 

140.56 

Land  or  Agrarian  Measures. 

Japanese  English  Metric  System 

1  ri  sq.       =  5.9552  sq.  miles  =  15  kilometres,  423  sq.  metres 

1  chd  =  10  tan     2.4507  acres  99  ares,  1735  centiares 

1  tan  =  300  tsubo 

(or  10  se)  0.2450     44  9      44  9173 
1  tsubo       =  1  bu  (or  36 

sq.  shaku)  3.9538  sq.  yards  3.3057  sq.  metres 

Town  lots,  parks,  building-sites,  etc.,  are  measured  by  tsubo,  1210  of 
which  are  about  1  acre,  —  which  equals  4  tan  and  10  bu.  The  tsubo  is  the  size 
of  two  Japanese  mats  {tatami  or  jo)  placed  side  by  side;  these  measure  (each) 
3x6  shaku  (or  feet),  and  serve  as  a  unit  for  superficial  measurements — ■ 
particularly  in  a  house.  Rooms  are  made  to  accommodate  so  many  mats. 
If  a  house  has  an  area  of  50  tsubo,  it  is  understood  that  it  is  a  hundred-mat 
house  —  the  rooms  being  called  6-,  8-,  10-mat  rooms  and  upward.  Architects 
usually  figure  on  the  cost  of  ordinary  Japanese  dwellings  at  so  much  per 
tsubo.  Mining  concessions  are  granted  in  terms  of  tsubo. 


Measure  of  Capacity. 

English 

39.703  gal.,  or  4.963  bushels. 
3  970     44    44  5      44  i 
1.58   qt.  (about  108  cu.  in.) 


Japanese 

1  koku  =  10  to 
1  to      =10  sho 
10  go      =1  sho 
1  go      =10  shaku  0.3176  pt.  (1.271  gills) 


Metric  System 

1  hectolitre,  80  litres 
1  decalitre,  80  44 
1  litre,  80  centilitres 
0  litre,  80  decalitres 


The  koku  (  =  10  to  =  100  sho  =  1,000  go  =  10,000  shaku)  was  formerly 
employed  in  computing  the  income  (in  rice)  of  the  feudal  lords,  etc.  That 
of  the  smaller  samurai  was  computed  in  bags  Qiyo)  —  at  present  used  to 
measure  (indeterminate  size)  charcoal.  A  bundle  of  firewood  is  called  wa. 


c 


PHOTOGRAPHY 


Cloth  Measure. 

The  unit  shaku  (or  kujirajaku)  is  differentiated  from  the  1  distance  foot ' 
(kanejaku)  by  being  longer.  (Comp.  the  two  tables.)  In  cheap  materials 
the  tan  is  apt  to  be  short;  in  others  long. 

Japanese  English  Metric  System 

10  bu  =0.1  shaku  =  1  sun         1.4913  in.  4  centimetres 

10  sun  =1    "      (or  foot)        14.9130  in.  38 
1  tan,  or  piece,  varies  between  26  and  30  shaku  long. 
1  hiki  =  2  tan,  of  expensive  stuff,  measures  about  52  shaku. 

Weights. 

The  unit  of  weight  is  called  momme  (monme),  from  the  mon-weight,  so 
designated  because  the  smallest  iron  coin  (mon,  the  Chinese  mace)  used  to 
be  taken  as  the  basis  of  weight.  One  momme  (mohm'-may)  equals  3.756512 
grammes  ;  hence  1  grm.  =  0.266204  momme.  Albeit  the  Japanese  lb.  wt. 
of  160  momme  (about  1^  lbs.  avoirdupois)  is  used  for  certain  commodities, 
others  are  sold  by  the  Chinese  kin  of  120  momme,  which  is  about  1  lb. 
avoirdupois.  A  still  lighter  lb.,  of  100  momme,  is  used  for  tobacco  at  retail. 
As  silk  manufactured  goods  (stockings,  underwear,  etc.)  are  sold  by  momme 
weight,  travelers  may  wish  to  fix  these  differences  in  the  mind  and  refer  to 
them  when  making  purchases.  Ounce  is  onsu. 

Japanese  English  Metric  System 

1  kwan  (pron.  kahm'-may)  =  1000  8J  lbs.  avoirdupois 

momme  (or  10.04  lbs.  troy)    3.750  kilogrammes 

1  kin  (160  momme,  see  above)  1.323  lbs.  avoirdupois 

(or  1.60  lbs.  troy)  6.900  hectogrammes 

1  momme  =  10  fun  2.11  drams,  or  2.41  dwts.  3.750  grammes 

The  Chinese  pecul  =  100  catties  or  100  kin  ~  60.104  kilogrammes,  is 
employed  in  certain  of  the  Japanese  imports  and  exports.  10  kin  =  6.0104 
kilogrammes. 

H.  Photography.  Hunting  and  Fishing. 

Photography  (shashinjutsu) .  The  customs  regulations  per- 
mit the  traveler  to  bring  one  camera  (kikai)  in  free  of  duty. 
Imported  plates  (dry  plates  are  kampan)  films  (the  words 
'  Kodak  '  and  1  film '  are  understood  almost  everywhere  in  the 
trade),  and  other  photographic  supplies  (tripod  is  mitsu-ashi; 
developer,  genzo ;  ray-filter;  toriwaku  ;  plate-holder,  sashiwaku) 
are  on  sale  in  all  the  big  port  cities  and  in  many  of  the  interior 
places.  While  photographers  (the  man  —  shashinshi  —  and  his 
shop  are  usually  called  shashinya)  are  accorded  liberal  facilities 
in  Japan,  they  should  refrain  from  taking  pictures  (shashin)  in 
or  near  strategic  zones  (references  to  which  will  be  found  in 
their  proper  places),  as  they  are  generally  of  a  military  or  naval 
character  with  fortifications  and  topographical  features  which 
the  authorities  wish  to  preserve  secret.  Such  places  are  indi- 
cated by  a  dotted  circle  on  the  maps  of  the  several  territorial 
divisions  of  the  Empire,  and  are  marked  on  the  spot  by  sign- 
boards (in  English)  warning  travelers  off.  Permission  to  photo- 
graph (shashin  wo  toru)  within  a  6|  M.  radius  of  any  fortifi- 
cation must  be  secured  from  the  local  police.  Temples  should 
never  be  photographed  without  the  permission  of  the  priest  in 
charge,  as  certain  of  the  establishments  derive  an  income  from 
the  sale  of  picture  post-cards,  and  the  photographic  privilege 


PHOTOGRAPHY 


ci 


must  be  paid  for.  The  national  politeness  should  not  lead  stran- 
gers to  conclude  that  the  laws  are  flexible,  and  that  fortresses, 
arsenals,  castles,  temples,  and  the  like  can  be  photographed 
with  impunity.  When  in  doubt  ask  some  one  in  authority. 

The  Japanese  excel  in  a  noteworthy  way  in  the  art  of  pho- 
tographing, developing,  and  coloring,  and  few  if  any  surpass 
them.  Certain  of  the  best  photographing  establishments  at 
Yokohama  have  stock  pictures  of  places  and  scenes  in  almost 
every  part  of  the  Empire,  and  the  amateur  unacquainted  with 
atmospheric  conditions  will  often  find  among  them  better 
pictures  than  he  could  perhaps  take  himself.  Dampness  is  the 
emphatic  quality  of  the  air,  and  the  sunlight  is  deceptive.  It  is 
neither  so  brilliant  nor  so  strong  as  that  of  British  India,  but 
owing  to  the  prevailing  green  foliage  it  often  casts  a  greenish 
light,  and  causes  under-exposure.  These  often  occur  also  in  the 
narrow  streets  where  the  houses  cast  sharp  shadows.  For  in- 
stantaneous summer  exposures  (instantaneous  photography  is 
hayatori  shashin),  one  should  face  the  sun,  else  the  shadows 
may  be  heavy.  A  No.  16  diaphragm  with  an  exposure  of  23 
of  a  second  gives  the  best  result.  For  sea  views  use  a  No.  32 
and  give  a  J  second  exposure.  Longer  exposures  are  the  rule 
in  winter,  when  from  9  a.m.  to  4  p.m.  is  the  best  time  to  photo- 
graph. Snap-shots  taken  at  any  season  before  9  and  after  4  are 
apt  to  be  unsatisfactory,  even  though  the  sun  be  shining 
brightly.  Rest  the  camera  on  something  stable,  and  allow  from 
1  to  10  seconds  when  photographing  under  trees.  It  is  well  to 
remember  that  paper  umbrellas  cast  wide  shadows,  and  make 
it  difficult  to  take  faces  under  them.  Also  that  in  the  damp  sea- 
son films  should  not  remain  in  the  camera  for  any  length  of 
time;  unless  kept  in  a  tin  case  they  are  apt  to  spoil.  Owing  to 
peculiar  climatological  conditions  films  on  a  roll  will  some- 
times show  under-exposures,  while  others  are  over-exposed. 
The  low  ceilings  in  mausolea,  and  the  masses  of  heavy  shadows 
which  cluster  beneath  temple  roofs,  often  produce  poor  results. 
The  sulphur-fumes  which  emanate  from  volcanoes  are  very  apt  * 
to  attack  the  silver  in  films  brought  into  proximity  to  them, 
and  to  ruin  isochromatic  plates  even  when  these  are  protected 
by  dark  slides.  Exposed  films  will  be  found  to  be  covered  with 
blotches,  and  parts  of  the  negatives  will  be  positive.  Ordinary 
plates  are  the  best  for  such  work,  as  the  sulphurous  vapors  do 
not  always  affect  them.  Considerable  care  is  required  to  de- 
velop films  and  plates  properly  in  Japan,  and  they  should  be 
given  only  to  the  best  workmen.  K.  Tamamura,  of  Yokohama, 
who  is  celebrated  for  fine  photography,  makes  a  specialty  of 
developing  work  for  travelers,  and  of  making  beautifully  col- 
ored lantern-slides  (gentd-ita)  from  their  pictures.  The  cost  of 
these  (English  and  American  sizes)  is  ¥50-70  per  100.  The 
fee  for  developing  a  roll  of  films  or  a  doz.  plates  is  60  sen;  for 
printing  on  Birox  paper,  4x5,  13  sen  each;  on  No.  2, 12  sen; 


cii 


HUNTING  AND  FISHING 


P.O. P.  paper  10  sen  and  8  sen  respectively.  An  extra  charge  of 
10  sen  each  is  made  for  coloring  pictures.  At  the  present  time 
4x5  No.  3a  films  cost  ¥1.80;  No.  2,  ¥1.70.  The  names  of  the 
different  imported  papers  are  known  to,  and  are  used  by, 
local  photographers.  As  a  rule  it  is  unwise  to  take  undeveloped 
films  or  plates  out  of  the  country,  for  on  reaching  home  they 
may  be  found  imperfect.  Nor  should  valuable  exposures  be 
turned  over  to  country  workmen. 

Hunting  and  Fishing.  The  island  fauna  is  meager,  but  the 
bear  (kuma),  deer  (shika),  wolf  {yama-inu,  or  mt.  dog),  wild 
boar  (li,  or  shishi,  very  numerous),  badger  (tanuki),  fox  (kit- 
sune),  hare  (usagi;  usagi  no  ko  is  a  coney),  and  the  red- 
cheeked,  anthropoid  ape  (saru)  all  furnish  sport  for  the  hunter 
(kariudo,  rydshi).  The  splendid  (brown)  grizzly  bear  (O/a- 
kuma)  of  Yezo,  which  the  Ainu  kill  with  poisoned  arrows,  is 
the  largest  and  fiercest  among  the  wild  animals,  and  strangers 
unacquainted  with  its  power  are  advised  to  approach  it  with 
caution.  Almost  equally  large  ice-bears  (ursus  maritimus)  are 
to  be  found  occasionally  in  the  Kuriles,  whither  they  are 
brought  by  the  Arctic  current.  The  milder,  common  Japanese 
bear  (black  with  a  white  spot  at  the  throat)  attains  a  length  of 
6  ft.  or  more,  and  is  often  met  with  in  the  mts.  of  N.  Japan. 
[Foreigners  often  go  from  Japan  to  Korea  on  hunting  expedi- 
tions there  to  seek  the  fine  Korean  bear,  and  the  splendid 
striped  tigers  which  infest  the  country.]  The  stag,  a  graceful 
creature,  smaller  and  slenderer  than  its  European  brother, 
carries  eight-branched  antlers  and  is  frequently  found  in  many 
parts  of  Japan.  The  Asiatic  antelope  (kamoshika)  is  the  chamois 
of  Japan,  where  it  frequents  the  high  mts.  of  the  interior.  It  is 
as  shy  as  the  Alpine  ibex,  and  usually  as  difficult  to  approach. 
The  natives  make  pets  of  deer,  and  in  such  places  as  Nara 
hundreds  roam  through  the  streets  and  the  temple  grounds 
unmolested;  their  dappled  summer  coat  changes  to  a  heavy 
brown  one  in  winter.  In  Oct.  and  Feb.  hunters  from  the 
Imperial  Household  repair  to  one  or  more  of  the  Imperial 
Preserves  (Ikao,  Nikkd,  etc.)  and  slay  a  number  of  deer  for 
royal  consumption. 

Wild  boars  are  the  only  representatives  of  the  cloven-footed 
animals,  and  the  species  resembles  closely  its  European  con- 
gener. In  some  parts  of  the  country  they  devastate  the  grow- 
ing crops,  and  are  exterminated  by  the  natives.  The  pelts  of 
the  rare  black  foxes  of  Saghalien  sometimes  bring  ¥1000. 
Hares  are_raised  for  their  skins,  which  when  dyed  and  elabo- 
rated (in  Osaka)  closely  resemble  otter  skins  and  are  often  sold 
to  the  unsuspecting  as  such.  The  unfortunate  monkeys,  which 
dwell  amid  the  rocks  near  waterfalls,  are  eaten  by  the  natives. 
The  animal  (often  pictured  in  Japanese  art)  has  long,  brown- 
ish-gray hair,  a  red  face,  and  a  striated  posterior  which  looks 
as  if  the  creature  had  been  sitting  in  red  paint;  certain  of  the 


HUNTING  AND  FISHING 


ciii 


species  (Inuus  speciosus)  are  tailless.  They  are  shy,  serious, 
unfriendly,  and  they  know  how  to  bite.  They  so  often  antici- 
pate the  peasants  in  harvesting  their  pulse  and  millet  that  the 
latter  skin  them  with  glee  and  eat  them  with  gusto  when  they 
can  capture  them.  This  is  not  easy,  as  the  sly  quadrumana 
know  about  the  Imperial  Preserves  and  rarely  allow  them- 
selves to  be  caught  beyond  their  limits.  The  pedestrian  in 
rural  Japan  with  sufficient  patience  to  look  for  these  monkeys 
and  study  their  almost  human  habits  will  find  them  of  unfail- 
ing interest.  Usually  they  sit  so  quietly  that  one  must  watch 
(with  a  good  glass)  for  some  time  before  spying  them.  The  best 
season  is  in  the  winter,  when  the  trees  are  stripped  of  their 
foliage.  On  a  pleasant  sunny  day  bands  of  a  hundred  or  more 
come  out  to  hunt  for  food;  among  them  many  mothers  with 
little  ones  pick-a-back.  The  more  selfish  and  sagacious  among 
the  old  males  oftentimes  send  the  youngsters  out  to  scout,  and 
when  these  have  filled  their  cheek-pouches  with  chestnuts  or 
other  goodies,  their  elders  descend  from  their  safe  perches,  grab 
the  unsuspecting  victims  by  the  nape  of  the  neck,  force  their 
heads  against  the  ground,  and  (in  a  very  human  fashion) 
punch  their  cheeks  until  they  disgorge  their  store! 

Pheasants  of  the  copper  and  green  varieties  abound,  and  the 
native  name,  kiji,  is  an  onomatopoetic  imitation  of  the  sound 
made  by  them.  Wild  geese,  teal,  snipe,  woodcock,  wild  pigeons 
and  other  game  haunt  the  lakes  and  woods,  and  ptarmigan 
(called  raicho,  or  *  thunder-bird'  because  it  is  supposed  to  be 
responsible  for  the  thunderstorms  in  the  high  mts.  where  it  is 
found)  are  more  or  less  common  in  Central  Japan.  A  favorite 
native  pastime  (for  which  a  special  license  is  required)  is  the 
snaring  of  thrushes  (tsugumi)  which  pass  over  Nikko  in  great 
numbers  during  their  migratory  flights  —  usually  in  Oct.  It  is 
said  that  their  voices  are  hoarse  and  strident  in  winter,  but 
tuneful  in  spring  and  summer.  With  characteristic  Japanese 
ingenuity,  live  decoys  are  subjected  to  a  long,  laborious,  and 
systematic  training  wherein  are  employed  infinite  patience,  a 
graduated  temperature,  darkened  rooms,  and  lights.  The  re- 
sult is  that  the  voices  of  the  decoys  (which  when  well  trained 
sell  for  as  much  as  ¥25)  develop  their  richest  notes  at  the  season 
when  the  wild  birds  pass  over  the  hills.  On  the  tops  of  these 
hills  the  decoys  are  placed  in  cages  near  an  elaborate  system  of 
very  fine  but  strong  silken  nets  attached  to  upright  stakes. 
When  the  migrating  birds  hear  the  summer  notes  of  the  de- 
coys, they  drop  to  the  earth  in  vast  numbers  and  many  are 
entangled  in  the  nets  and  captured.  They  are  called  golden 
plover  and  are  eaten.  Robins  (komadori)  are  also  caught  in 
great  numbers.  The  open  season  for  game  begins  Oct.  15  and 
closes  March  31,  but  pheasants  cannot  be  shot  before  Nov.  1. 
A  hunter's  license  (easily  obtainable  through  the  hotel  man- 
agement) costs  about  ¥7.  Guns  and  ammunition  are  not  al- 


civ 


GOLDFISH 


ways  to  be  had  in  rural  Japan.  —  Children  in  Japan  hunt  the 
countless  cicada  (semi),  whose  stridulous  shrilling  vibrates 
through  the  woods  during  the  long  Japanese  summer.  There 
are  many  species;  the  noisiest  among  the  insects  are  the  males, 
whose  capture  is  effected  by  means  of  long  bamboo  poles 
smeared  with  birdlime.  Once  caught,  they  are  sold  to  dealers 
in  entomological  curiosities  and  imprisoned  in  tiny  bamboo 
cages,  for  the  edification  of  the  musically  inclined.  The  old 
Greek  distich,  — 

'Happy  the  cicadas'  lives, 
For  they  all  have  voiceless  wives,'  — 

would  no  doubt  be  more  applicable  did  not  the  males  cause 
their  own  undoing  by  too  much  chirping! 

Fishing  is  one  of  the  greatest  among  the  native  industries. 
The  seas  which  gird  the  Empire  abound  in  fine  piscine  types, 
and  the  yearly  catch  (which  includes  1500  whales  —  kujira) 
amounts  to  ¥150,000,000  and  gives  employment  to  3,000,000 
persons  and  420,000  boats.  Fifty  or  more  varieties  of  fish, 
ranging  from  pilchard  (iwashi)  to  squid  (ika),  possess  a  com- 
mercial value,  and  may  usually  be  seen  in  the  great  Japanese 
fish-markets  (sakana-ichi)  of  Tokyo.  The  rivers  are  well 
stocked  with  many  varieties  of  fresh-water  fishes;  those  of 
Yezo  contain  fine  salmon  in  practically  inexhaustible  quanti- 
ties. The  best-known  varieties  of  fish  are  mentioned  in 
numerous  places  throughout  the  Guidebook.  Fishing- trips 
can  always  be  planned  with  the  assistance  of  the  hotel  man- 
ager. One  of  the  curious  marine  types  which  the  traveler  will 
sometimes  see  in  a  fishmonger's  shop  is  the  gorgeously  resplen- 
dent chsetodontoid  fish  (Holacanthus  imperator)  called  the 
'  Emperor  of  Japan.'  A  remarkable  product  of  the  warm 
waters  along  the  coast  is  the  hideous  (man-eating,  it  is  said) 
giant  Japanese  spider-crab  (Macrochira  kcemferi),  the  largest 
known  crustacean;  dried  specimens  of  these  are  preserved  in 
several  of  the  local  museums.  Cuttle-fish  are  caught  in 
countless  thousands  along  the  coast,  and  besides  forming  a 
staple  article  of  diet  among  certain  of  the  people,  they  are 
dried  and  exported  in  huge  quantities  to  China.  The  local 
taste  favors  the  tiny  ones,  12-15  in.  long,  with  a  reddish  tinge 
to  the  white  (cooked)  flesh.  Ambulating  vendors  of  boiled 
ika  are  familiar  figures  in  the  native  towns.  The  Oki  fisheries 
are  famous  throughout  the  country,  and  here  a  single  fisher- 
man has  been  known  to  catch  upward  of  2000  cuttle-fish  in 
a  single  night.  In  addition  to  the  sepia,  the  island  coast 
supplies  also  the  formidable  octopus  (tako),  which  sometimes 
weigh  125  lbs.  Cormorant  fishing  is  described  under  Gifu. 

Goldfish  of  two  species  are  bred  by  the  Japanese,  the  common 
golden  carp  (higoi),  and  the  essentially  different  kingyo 
(Carassus  auratus)  which  is  principally  distinguished  by  a 


TOBACCO 


cv 


peculiar  trifurcation  of  the  long  anal  fins  —  two  equally  long 
but  more  horizontally  situated  side  fins  being  found  besides 
the  perpendicular  steering-fin.  Both  species  are  numerous, 
but  the  latter  is  developed  in  more  bizarre  ways.  They  are 
members  of  the  carp  family  (of  the  Cyprinidce)  and  were 
originally  taken  from  China  to  Europe  in  the  17th  cent.  The 
rich  red,  golden,  silver,  black,  and  other  colors  are  produced 
artificially  and  propagated  by  selection.  In  a  state  of  nature 
the  fish  is  of  a  dull,  olivaceous  green,  to  which  it  tends  to 
revert  if  left  to  itself  on  escaping  from  cultivation.  Of  the 
original  52  variants  a  few  only  have  been  selected  by  the  Jap- 
anese as  playthings,  and  these  are  reared  in  fish-pools  and  tubs. 
4  The  effects  of  domestication  in  changing  the  natural  form  of 
the  fish  are  great;  specimens  are  often  seen  without  any  dorsal 
fin,  and  the  tail  and  other  fins  tufted  and  lobed  to  such  a 
degree  as  to  resemble  artificial  appendages  or  wings  rather 
than  natural  organs.  The  eyes  are  developed  till  the  globe 
projects  beyond  the  socket  like  goggles,  presenting  an  extra- 
ordinary appearance.  The  usual  color  is  of  a  ruddy  golden 
hue,  but  both  sexes  exhibit  a  silvery  or  blackish  tint  at  certain 
stages  of  their  growth;  and  one  variety,  called  the  silver-fish, 
retains  this  shade  all  its  life/  Wherever  the  Japanese  fore- 
gather on  festival  days  there  will  be  found  the  goldfish  vendor, 
with  many  buckets  and  shallow  pails  filled  with  tiny,  fan- 
tailed  specimens  which  can  be  bought  for  a  few  sen  and  which 
the  nature-loving  pater-  or  mater-familias  carry  home  in  the 
netted  transparent  glass  globes  made  for  the  purpose.  The 
goldfish  sellers  are  common  features  of  the  Japanese  city 
streets,  and  the  fish  are  everywhere  in  garden  pools  and  temple 
ponds.  In  the  latter  places  fat  golden  carp,  measuring  12-15 
in.  long,  scramble  near  the  bank  for  the  food  which  young  and 
old  bring  to  them. 

I.  Tobacco.  Tea.  Rice.  Sake.  Chop-Sticks. 

Tobacco  was  brought  to  Nagasaki  by  Portuguese  traders 
early  in  the  17th  cent.,  and  as  the  Japanese  had  no  name  for  it 
they  called  it  tabako.  Its  stimulating  and  aromatic  qualities 
delighted  the  natives,  and  the  habit  of  smoking  or  '  drinking 
tobacco '  was  soon  practiced  eagerly  by  both  sexes.  In  1612 
the  Shogun  Ieyasu  framed  ineffectual  laws  against  planting  or 
smoking  the  weed;  but  this  lost  none  of  its  popularity,  and 
non-smokers,  even  among  women,  are  now  rare.  From  the 
time  tobacco  was  first  planted  in  1605  it  spread  unequally 
throughout  the  islands;  that  grown  in  Satsuma  is  prized  by 
the  natives,  but  foreigners  usually  consider  it  too  sweet.  In 
the  manufacture  and  sale  of  tobacco,  which  is  a  Gov't  mon- 
opoly, upward  of  128,000  persons  are  employed  (29,000 
women) ;  annual  sales  amount  to  76,000,000  yen.  In  addition 


cvi 


TEA 


to  the  home  products,  numerous  foreign  brands  of  cigars, 
cigarettes,  and  smoking-tobacco  are  imported,  despite  the 
fact  that  the  practically  prohibitive  duty  of  355%  greatly 
increases  their  cost.  Chewing-tobacco  is  not  made.  Retail 
prices  are  fixed  by  the  Monopoly  Bureau,  and  are  the  same 
throughout  the  country. 

Tea,1  or  cha  (usually  called  O-cha,  'honorable  tea'),  the 
national  beverage  of  the  Japanese,  is  believed  by  them  to  be 
necessary  to  health.  The  tea  plant  (Camellia  theifera,  or  Thea 
Sinensis),  a  shrub  3-6  ft.  high,  with  thin  leaves  4-8  in.  long, 
1  to  2 J  in.  broad  and  tapering  toward  both  ends;  and  with 
small,  white,  single,  slightly  fragrant  flowers  about  1J  in. 
broad,  is  believed  to  have  existed  in  Japan  from  time  imme- 
morial, but  the  peculiar  properties  of  its  leaves  (which 
contain  water,  theine,  extract,  gum,  ashes,  potash,  and  gel- 
atinous silica)  were  not  well  known  until  about  the  12th  cent., 
when  the  abbot  Myoe,  of  the  Togano  Monastery  (Zen  sect  of 
Buddhists),  near  Kyoto,  learned  (in  China,  where  the  tea 
shrub  was  cultivated  for  its  refreshing  infusion  as  far  back 
as  a.d.  350)  of  the  9  virtues  possessed  by  the  leaf.  Securing 
a  book  of  directions  for  the  culture  of  the  plant,  and  a  bag  of 
choice  seed,  he  planted  these  near  Kyoto,  whence  some  were 
later  transplanted  at  Uji  —  which  ever  since  has  been  the 
chief  center  of  tea-growing  in  Japan,  and  where,  because  of 
intimate  knowledge  regarding  its  cultivation,  and  the  extreme 
care  bestowed  upon  the  preparation  of  the  leaf,  some  of  the 
finest  Japanese  teas  are  produced.  Other  authorities  place 
the  introduction  of  tea  in  the  9th  cent.,  and  point  to  the  fact 
that  in  a.d.  815  the  Emperor  Saga,  on  visiting  a  monastery  in 
Omi,  was  regaled  with  tea,  and  that  the  drink  having  met  with 
his  approval,  he  issued  a  mandate  for  the  establishment  of 
tea-gardens  in  various  places  in  the  Five  Home  Provinces. 
Also  that  he  failed  to  popularize  it,  and  that  for  3  cent,  its 
name  was  forgotten.  It  was  not  until  a  hundred  years  after 
Myoe  planted  his  first  seed  that  the  tipple  came  into  favor 
among  the  upper  classes ;  the  fine  leaf  was  then  so  rare  and  so 
highly  prized  that  'a  small  quantity  of  it,  inclosed  in  a  little 
jar  of  pottery,  used  to  be  given  to  warriors  as  a  reward  for 
deeds  of  special  prowess,  and  the  fortunate  recipients  assem- 

1  Our  word  tea  is  derived  from  the  common  sound  of  the  character  for 
the  plant  at  Amoy,  where  it  is  tay;  at  Canton  and  Peking  it  is  cha;  at 
Shanghai,  dzo;  and  at  Fuchau,  ta.  The  Japanese,  Russians,  and  Portuguese 
have  retained  the  word  cha  (pron.  chah) ;  the  Spanish  is  te;  and  the  Italians 
have  both  te  and  cha.  In  Japanese  the  tea-plant  is  cha-no-ki;  tea-grounds, 
chagara;  tea-caddy,  cha-ire;  tea-tray,  chabon;  tea-pot,  chabin;  tea-pot  stand, 
chabin-shiki;  vessels  and  utensils  for  making  tea,  chadbgu;  tea-jar,  cha- 
tsubo;  tea-cup,  chawan;  a  portable  chest  in  which  one  carries  all  the  neces- 
saries for  tea-making,  chabento;  a  ladle  used  in  tea-making,  chabishaku; 
tea-stirrer  (of  bamboo),  chtisen;  a  tea-manufacturer,  chashi;  a  tea-store, 
chaya;  and  a  professional  tea-maker,  cha  no  soshd.  A  tea-chest  or  box  is 
chabako.  Chairo.  the  tea  color,  is  popular  among  Japanese. 


TEA 


cvii 


bled  their  relatives  and  friends  to  partake  of  the  precious  gift.' 
It  did  not  come  into  general  use  among  the  lower  classes  until 
early  in  the  17th  cent.,  or  about  the  time  (1610)  when  it  be- 
came generally  known  in  Europe  (whither  it  was  brought  by  the 
Dutch  East  India  Co.,  and  not  by  the  Jesuits,  as  is  commonly 
believed).  It  was  not  listed  as  a  new  article  of  commerce  in 
Europe  until  1660,  from  which  time  England  held  a  monopoly 
of  it  until  1834.  The  first  tea  sold  in  London  brought  sixty 
shillings  a  pound. 

Although  in  S.  Japan  the  Camellia  often  reaches  a  height 
of  20-30  ft.  and  is  justly  classified  as  a  tree  (with  light,  ash- 
colored  bark,  and  large  elliptical  leaves),  where  cultivated  the 
plant  is  taught  a  contracted  habit  and  is  not  allowed  to  attain 
a  height  of  more  than  3  or  4  ft.  This  facilitates  picking  and  is 
supposed  to  improve  the  quality  of  the  smaller,  more  obtuse, 
glabrous  and  leathery  leaves.  The  teas  most  cultivated  are 
the  hybrids  of  the  wild  Assam  (Thea  Assamica)  plant,  and  the 
Chinese;  the  latter  (two  varieties  known  as  Thea  Bohea,  and 
Thea  Viridis  —  black,  and  green  tea)  being  considered  inferior 
to  the  former.  Almost  all  Japan  tea  is  green,  though  some  black 
tea  is  manufactured  from  wild  leaves.  The  chief  source  of 
the  black  tea  in  Japan  is  Formosa,  which  see.  The  principal 
tea  districts  begin  at  the  33d  and  reach  to  the  40th  degree  of 
N.  lat.;  the  shrub  does  not  thrive  well  farther  N.  than  38°. 
Climate,  soil,  and  method  of  preparation,  together  with 
difference  of  character  in  the  bushes,  have  the  greatest  influ- 
ence on  the  quality  of  the  finished  tea.  A  moist  sandy  loam 
on  the  lower  slopes  of  hills  (about  350  plants  to  each  1000  sq. 
yds.),  is  the  best  bottom  for  a  tea  plantation  (chabatake; 
chayen).  In  Japan  the  seeds  are  usually  planted  in  terraces;  in 
3  yrs.  the  bushes  are  fine,  dense,  and  semi-spherical  in  shape, 
and  are  ready  to  yield  the  first  picking  (best  between  the  5th 
and  10th  yrs.)  of  leaves  —  which  takes  place  about  the  begin- 
ning of  May  and  lasts  3  or  4  weeks.  The  process  (chatsumi)  is 
repeated  in  June,  and  sometimes  in  July.  In  some  instances 
the  tender,  partly  developed  leaves  from  which  the  white  down 
has  not  yet  departed  are  picked  (by  women  and  girls)  in 
April  and  they  yield  the  choicest  and  most  expensive  tea.  In 
some  districts  the  gardens  are  roofed  over  before  the  picking 
(into  bamboo  baskets  called  chatsumikago)  begins,  to  protect 
the  bushes  from  the  cold  dew  —  which  reddens  the  young 
leaves  and  gives  them  a  bitter  taste.  From  this  period  on  to 
the  18th  yr.  there  follows  a  gradual  diminution  until  new  plants 
are  required.  As  quickly  as  possible  after  being  picked  the 
leaves  are  steamed  for  about  a  half-minute,  the  process  bring- 
ing the  oil  to  the  surface  and  giving  the  characteristic  tea  odor. 
They  are  then  spread  out  on  straw  mats  or  tables,  fanned  and 
cooled. 

Tea  Firing,  the  next  most  important  process,  is  done  in  tea- 


cviii 


TEA 


firing  godowns,  many  of  which  will  be  noted  in  cities  where 
the  tea  is  prepared.  After  observing  the  process,  and  watching 
the  half-naked,  perspiring  men  and  women  bending  above  the 
great  kettles  and  allowing  the  rain  of  sweat  invoked  by  the 
high  temperature  (120°  F.)  to  fall  therein,  upon  the  tea,  one  is 
apt  to  eschew  tea  for  a  while.  The  workers  manipulate  the 
leaves  for  many  minutes,  rolling  them  into  balls  with  moist 
hands,  as  the  troughs  rotate  above  the  fire.  When  the  super- 
heated mass  has  taken  on  a  dark  olive-green  color,  and  the 
separate  leaves  are  curled,  twisted,  and  rolled,  two  or  more 
firings  at  a  lower  temperature  are  given  them,  when  the 
dried  leaf  is  found  to  be  quite  brittle.  Four  lbs.  of  fresh  tea- 
leaves  generally  yield  about  1  lb.  of  the  finished  article  of 
commerce. 

The  Coloring  (which  is  applied  to  green  tea  only,  and  which 
is  now  frowned  upon  by  the  U.S.  Gov't)  is  imparted  toward 
the  close  of  the  last  firing.  A  tiny  bit  of  Prussian  blue  and 
Chinese  soapstone  (in  China)  or  gypsum  (in  Japan)  in  the 
proportion  of  4  to  1,  is  added  and  is  readily  absorbed  by  the 
moist,  warm  leaves.  The  only  rational  end  this  coloring  serves 
is  to  heighten  the  pronounced  green  of  the  leaves.  The  scent- 
ing of  tea,  so  common  in  China,  is  not  practiced  much  in 
Japan,  albeit  one  sometimes  meets  with  teas  to  which  a  special 
fragrance  has  been  imparted  by  pouring  hot  water  on  a  mix- 
ture of  the  odorous  blossoms  (separated  from  their  stems  and 
calyxes)  of  jasmine,  gardenia,  cherry  blooms,  orange  blossoms, 
etc.  When  the  tea  is  otherwise  ready,  it  is  mixed  at  the  rate  of 
100  lbs.  of  tea  to  40  lbs.  of  the  flowers,  and  allowed  to  remain 
in  contact  for  24  hrs.  They  are  then  separated  by  sifting, 
fanning,  and  picking.  The  tea  takes  from  them  their  moisture 
and  aroma,  both  of  which  can  be  eliminated  again  by  a  quick 
heating.  The  '  bouquet '  thus  acquired  remains  from  1  to  6 
yrs.,  according  to  quality  and  strength,  if  the  tea  is  carefully 
packed.  The  so-called  '  Tea  of  Heaven  1  is  prepared  from  the 
leaves  of  Hydrangea  serrata. 

Japanese  Tea,  unlike  that  of  China,  when  made  with  boil- 
ing water  will  give  a  bitter  decoction:  the  finer  the  quality  of 
the  tea,  the  more  care  is  required  in  making  it.  Careful 
travelers  who  drink  tea  in  the  absence  of  boiled  water  may 
wish  to  remember  that  the  water  is  not  always  boiled.  Also 
that  the  tea  served  at  wayside  tea-houses  is  not  always  of  the 
best  grade;  a  half-peck  basket  of  the  crudely  treated  leaves 
sells  for  2  sen,  and  when  one  pays  10  sen  for  a  small  pot  the 
profit  is  about  1000%.  The  Japanese  drinks  tea  at  every  meal 
as  well  as  between  times,  sipping  it  plain,  without  milk  or 
sugar,  and  sometimes  mixing  it  with  his  rice.  No  sooner  has 
the  traveler  in  the  interior  of  Japan  sat  down  in  an  inn  than 
a  basin  with  some  glowing  coals  is  set  before  him  to  light  his 
pipe  by  and  tea  to  refresh  him.  When  a  customer  enters  a 


CHA-NO-YU  CEREMONY 


cix 


native  shop,  it  is  a  point  of  etiquette  in  the  house  that  a  cup 
of  green  tea  be  set  before  him  at  once,  before  proceeding  to 
business  —  perchance  as  a  stimulant  to  trade!  While  the  tiny, 
handleless  cups,  from  which  rise  little  spirals  of  steam,  and  in 
the  bottom  of  which  a  few  diminutive  bits  of  leaf  usually 
swirl  about,  look  innocent  enough,  —  reminding  one  strongly 
of  the  cambric  tea  of  youth,  —  too  assiduous  a  devotion  to 
these  small  temptations  help  to  tan  one's  internal  economy  to 
the  consistency  of  good  shoe-leather,  and  to  promote  an  indi- 
gestion which  only  hard  exercise  can  relieve.  It  is  not,  however, 
to  the  tea  one  drinks  in  the  Orient  that  the  poet  referred  when 
he  called  it  'Tea!  thou  soft,  thou  sober,  sage,  and  venerable 
liquid;  .  .  .  thou  female-tongue-running,  smile-smoothing, 
heart-opening,  wink-tipping  cordial,  to  whose  glorious  insip- 
idity I  owe  the  happiest  moment  of  my  life';  for  the  tea  as 
served  there  cannot  be  said  to  appeal  to  the  Western  taste. 

Excessive  use,  especially  of  green  tea,  affects  the  nervous 
system  unfavorably.  Its  action  is  stimulating  and  invigorat- 
ing, and  owing  to  the  presence  of  tannin,  more  or  less  astrin- 
gent. Its  main  quality  depends  upon  the  alkaloid  theine,  which 
accelerates  the  circulation  of  the  blood  and  is  held  to  retard 
the  waste  of  the  tissues.1  While  tea  contains  but  trifling  nutri- 
ment, it  diminishes  the  desire  for  food.  Cheap  tea  (sencha)  is 
drunk  by  the  commonalty,  while  the  better  class  pay  from  15 
to  35  sen  a  lb.  for  good  grades;  the  choice  young  leaves  of  fine 
tea  (gyokuro)  picked  in  April  bring  from  ¥6  to  ¥12  a  kwamme 
(about  8  J  lbs.)>  albeit  30  days  later  the  price  drops  to  ¥3-4. 
In  quality  and  quantity  the  provinces  of  Central  Hondo  £ake- 
the  lead  in  tea  production;  tea  raised  outside  the  district  lying 
between  34°  and  36°  N.  lat.,  is  usually  of  a  poorer  quality. 
The  center  of  tea  production  in  Japan  is  Shizuoaka  which 
turns  out  annually  about  2,500,000  kwan,  valued  at  5,260,000 
yen,  or  more  than  one  half  the  total  production  (varies  from 
10  to  13  million  yen)  of  the  country.  Miye  comes  next  with 
530,000  kwan,  valued  at  1,080,000  yen.  The  Kyoto  district 
grows  about  622,000  kwan,  valued  at  880,000  yen.  About 
10,000  kwan  of  black  tea,  valued  at  20,000  yen,  is  produced 
each  year.  -  Tea  Traders'  Guilds  handle  the  output,  of  which 
the  United  States  and  Canada  take  the  major  part. 

The  Cha-no-yu  (lit.,  'hot  water  for  tea')  ceremony  so 
popular  in  Old  Japan  (whither  it  was  brought  from  China  by 
the  Buddhist  abbot  Essai,  between  1203  and  1218),  though 
formerly  a  cult  characterized  by  a  subtlety  and  complexity  of 
social  etiquette  extraordinarily  elaborate  in  its  finished  details, 
is  out  of  touch  with  the  times  and  is  falling  gradually  into 
disuse.  Europeans  find  the  ceremony  only  tolerably  interest- 
ing at  first,  and  singularly  monotonous  when  witnessed  a 
second  time.  It  came  into  great  prominence  in  the  15th  cent, 
when  the  Ashikaga  shogun,  Yoshimasa,  built  the  first  chaseki  or 


cx 


RICE 


'tea-chamber'  and  called  it  the  Silver  Pavilion  (see  Kyoto) ;  and 
it  attained  to  a  still  higher  development  when  Sen-no-Rikyu 
(1520-91)  codified  it  and  drew  up  regulations  that  are 
observed  to  the  present  day.  The  intricate  performance  is 
described  in  detail  in  Capt.  Brinkley's  Oriental  Series,  and  a 
modified  form  of  it  can  be  witnessed  at  certain  of  the  metro- 
politan tea-houses  (cha-ya)  by  giving  notice  in  advance.  The 
tea  is  whipped  into  a  light-green  froth  and  served  in  lacquered 
bowls  resting  upon  a  presentoir,  or  stand.  The  white  rice- 
flour  cakes  are  usually  as  dry  as  the  ceremony.  The  traveler 
should  arrange  for  such  exhibitions  with  the  hotel  manager,  as 
guides  not  unfrequently  take  one  to  tea-houses  known  as 
machiai-jaya  (assignation  houses),  which  abound  in  every  big 
city,  and  which  are  usually  patronized  by  a  class  with  which 
the  tourist  will  not  wish  to  come  in  contact.  In  any  event,  the 
modern  cha-no-yu  is  but  a  travesty  of  the  ancient  cult. 

Rice  (Oryza  sativa.  Japanese,  kome,  etc.),  a  member  of  the 
grass  family  with  some  44  cultivated  varieties  and  about  200 
subspecies,  is  grown  extensively  in  Japan,  where  (as  in  India, 
China,  Malaysia,  etc.)  it  forms  a  larger  part  of  the  diet  of 
many  of  the  people  than  the  product  of  any  other  one  plant. 
It  is  closely  bound  up  with  the  life  'of  the  Japanese,  whose 
language  has  a  different  word  for  almost  every  particular 
form  of  it.  Over  75%  of  rice  substance  consists  of  starchy 
matter,  but  it  is  deficient  in  albuminoids  (the  flesh-forming 
material),  and  is  thus  best  adapted  for  use  in  warm  climates. 
The  grain  was  cultivated  in  the  monsoon  region  of  Asia  far 
•  back  in  antiquity;  and  although  certain  traces  of  its  origin 
are  lost,  it  is  believed  to  have  reached  Japan  from  India  by 
way  of  China  and  Korea.  The  peasantry  regard  it  as  a  direct 
gift  from  the  rice-goddess;  the  Siberians  know  it  as  Saracen 
millet;-  and  it  is  said  to  be  the  chief  daily  food  for  at  least  one 
third  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  world.  The  Japanese  product 
commands  a  higher  price  than  that  of  Java,  China,  or  India, 
for  which  reason  it  is  exported  as  a  luxury  to  many  parts  of 
the  Asiatic  littoral.  A  poorer  grade  comes  back  to  be  con- 
sumed by  the  peasantry,  who  cannot  afford  to  eat  the  grain 
they  raise  in  their  own  fields!  The  best  native  quality  shows 
a  medium-sized  handsome  grain,  with  a  dull  silky  luster  and 
a  glossy  fracture.  Rice-lovers  soon  learn  to  distinguish  it  from 
the  cheaper  imported  product,  and  in  country  inns  to  demand 
mochi-gome,  or  glutinous  rice,  rather  than  the  uruchi,  or  com- 
mon article.  The  rice  (or  paddy)  field  is  called  ta;  the  young 
shoots  or  sprouts,  nae.  The  sowing  of  the  plant  begins  toward 
the  end  of  April  or  early  in  May,  and  it  is  transplanted  30-45 
days  later  (according  to  the  district).  When  it  is  fairly  well 
developed  in  the  field  it  is  called  ine.  It  blossoms  in  early  Sept., 
and  the  harvest  lasts  from  late  Sept.  into  Nov.  The  unhulled 
grain  is  momi,  and  the  cleaned  grain  hakumai.  When  this  is 


SAKE 


cxi 


boiled  it  is  called  by  the  several  names  mentioned  at  p.  xlvi. 
The  rice-straw  is  used  in  a  variety  of  ways,  and  is  made  up  into 
mats,  rope,  and  other  coarse  fabrics.  Foreigners  find  the  rice- 
fields  particularly  in  evidence  in  the  late  spring  because  of  the 
intolerable  stench  which  arises  from  them.  The  cool  weather 
holds  this  in  abeyance,  but  with  the  warm  June  sunshine  it 
emerges  to  defile  the  country  walks,  to  remind  the  visitor  of  the 
loose  habits  of  the  natives,  and  to  poison  the  atmosphere  of 
many  a  charming  spot. 

Sake  (pron.  sah'-kay),  a  pale,  deceptive,  intoxicating  liquor 
distilled  from  common  fermented  rice  and  containing  about 
12%  of  alcohol,  is  to  the  Japanese  what  the  allied  arrack  is  to 
the  Chinese  —  from  whom  the  idea  of  sake  and  the  complex 
process  of  distillation  (consult  The  Industries  of  Japan,  by 
J.  J.  Rein,  p.  97)  were  received.  It  is  the  popular  tipple  of  all 
classes,  who  take  it  warm,  at  the  beginning  of  a  meal ;  a  little 
of  it  flushes  their  faces,  and  mounts  into  their  heads,  while  a 
lot  of  it  disturbs  their  equilibrium  and  tends  to  pickle  their 
intestines.  Foreign  critics  —  to  many  of  whom  it  is  destest- 
able  —  have  compared  it  to '  weak  sherry  which  has  been  kept 
in  a  beer-bottle/  The  natives  regard  it  as  a  toddy  rather  than 
a  neat  spirit  on  which  to  get  drunk.  When  this  infelicitous 
state  appears  desirable,  they  now  have  recourse  to  the  pungent 
and  vitriolic  beverages  (seiydshu)  of  the  foreigner.  The  latter 
should  remember  that  sake  and  wine  should  not  be  taken  at 
the  same  repast  except  by  those  hardened  to  the  confusing 
results  of  ■  mixed  drinks.'  Shochu,  sl  stronger  liquor  distilled 
from  the  dreg's  of  sake,  contains  from  25  to  50%  of  alcohol, 
and  resembles  the  gin  of  the  alien  and  the  samshu  (lit.,  'thrice 
fired')  of  the  Chinese.  Drunk  in  small  quantities  it  produces 
a  moderate  stupefaction,  but  undue  familiarity  with  it  engen- 
ders sinister  results  and  renders  one  limp  to  the  finger-tips. 
The  comparatively  temperate  Japanese  rather  prefer  mirin, 
a  sweetish  liquor,  ranging  from  yellow  to  brown  in  color,  with 
the  consistency  of  oil,  an  aroma  peculiar  to  itself,  and  with 
practically  the  same  quantity  of  alcohol  as  sake  proper.  When 
old,  it  is  called  komirin,  and  is  then  darker,  sweeter,  and  more 
highly  prized.  Great  quantities,  under  the  name  of  toso-shu 
or  toso,  are  drunk  in  every  house  after  the  first  congratulations 
at  New  Year,  not  only  by  every  member  of  the  family,  but  also 
when  the  New  Year's  calls  are  made.  Shiro  (white)  sake,  a 
sweet  drink  with  the  appearance  of  milk,  is  manufactured  by 
converting  glutinous  rice  into  meal,  mixing  this  with  water, 
and  adding  a  little  sake.  It  has  but  a  slight  flustering  effect, 
and  is  liked  by  all  classes.  Children  drink  it,  and  use  it  at 
girls'  and  dolls'  festivals.  The  chief  sake  distilleries  are  at 
Nishinomiya,  near  Kobe,  where  the  best  brands  (Sakura 
Masamune  and  Kiku  Masamune  are  high  in  favor)  are  pro- 
duced. The  terms  'rice-beer'  and  'rice-brandy '  do  not  properly 


cxii 


CHOP-STICKS  —  SHOPS 


characterize  sake.  A  doburoku-ya  is  a  vendor  of  inferior  un- 
strained sake  drunk  by  laborers. 

Chop-sticks  (hashi)  were  perhaps  introduced  by  the  Chin- 
ese, who  call  them  '  kwai  tsz,'  or  'nimble  lads.'  A  little  practice 
enables  one  to  learn  the  trick  of  holding  and  handling  them; 
the  lower  stick  is  usually  pressed  firmly  against  the  3d  finger, 
while  the  upper  one  —  which  plays  on  the  other  like  the  half 
of  a  pair  of  tongs  —  is  held  loosely  between  the  thumb  and 
the  forefinger.  With  them  the  eater  pinches  up  the  food 
already  cut  into  mouthfuls  or  so  cooked  as  to  be  readily  manip- 
ulated, and  conveys  it  to  the  mouth.  The  bowl  of  rice,  etc.,  is 
often  brought  to  the  lips,  and  the  contents  swept  into  the 
mouth  with  the  hashi,  the  liquid  part  being  drunk.  A  Japanese 
does  not  consider  any  one  expert  with  chop-sticks  who  cannot 
pick  up  150  dried  peas  with  them  in  one  minute.  The  lead- 
pencil-like  sticks,  which  taper  at  one  end,  are  made  in  many 
sizes  —  the  long  ones  being  used  deftly  in  cooking. 

J.  Shops.  Curios.  Culture  Pearls.  Rock  Crystals.  Jade. 

Shops  (see  Curios)  in  Japan  are  legion  and  as  a  rule  highly 
interesting.  In  the  big  establishments  conducted  along  foreign 
lines,  prices  are  marked  in  plain  figures  and  are  not  deviated 
from  unless  purchases  amount  to  a  considerable  sum,  in  which 
case  a  little  amiable  bargaining  may  result  in  a  small  reduction. 
Absurd  values  are  placed  on  articles  in  some  of  the  native 
shops,  and  four  or  five  times  as  much  as  a  thing  is  worth  is 
demanded  —  particularly  from  foreigners.  Dealers  often  work 
on  the  supposition  that  by  asking  a  high  price  for  a  thing  they 
will  be  offered  at  least  one  half,  and  thus  get  more  than  it  is 
worth.  English  is  now  spoken  in  most  of  the  best  establish- 
ments. Not  a  few  of  these  are  known  by  single  words  as 
Takashimaya  ( Takashima,  the  place  where  the  proprietor  was 
born,  and  ya,  store);  Yamatoya,  Mikimoto,  Yamato,  etc.  In 
the  purely  native  shops  tea  in  tiny  cups  is  offered  to  the  visitor, 
and  soft  cushions  (zabuton)  are  brought  forward  for  one  to  sit 
upon.  Where  the  floors  are  covered  with  matting,  foot-cover- 
ings are  slipped  over  one's  shoes  by  servants  in  waiting  at  the 
entrance.  Prettily  appointed  tea-rooms,  somewhat  after  the 
Western  fashion,  where  hot  tea  and  cakes  or  crackers  are 
served  free  at  all  hours,  are  becoming  features  of  some  of  the 
larger  shops,  and  in  several  of  them  light  luncheons  are  served 
daintily  and  cheaply.  Ladies  find  the  silk  shops  (kinumonoya) 
of  absorbing  interest;  their  varied  stocks,  particularly  the 
hand-made  embroideries,  are  cheaper  than  similar  ones  in  the 
U.S.A.  A  pleasing  feature  is  that  skilled  workmen  are  always 
ready  to  carry  out  the  individual  ideas  of  the  visitor  and  to 
make  anything,  from  exquisitely  fine  silk  underwear  to  the 
most  gorgeous  mandarin  coat  on  short  notice  and  at  reasonable 


CURIOS 


cxiii 


prices.  The  shops  recommended  in  various  places  in  the  Guide- 
book have  English-speaking  clerks,  and  are  usually  conducted 
in  European  or  American  ways,  with  fixed  prices,  etc.  Shops 
in  Japan  open  early. 

Curios  (furuddgu,  koto)  abound  in  Japan,  and  while  many 
are  of  rare  merit  and  beauty,  others  are  of  poor  quality  and 
doubtful  paternity  (see  p.  cxiv).  Perhaps  no  country  of  the 
world  has  been  so  assiduously  ransacked  and  so  stripped  of 
genuine  antiques  as  has  Japan,  but  that  real  old  art  treasures 
are  still  to  be  found  occasionally  is  proved  by  the  fact  (one  all 
too  frequently  heralded  in  the  newspapers)  that  thieves  make 
big  hauls  of  temple  treasures  from  time  to  time  and  that  these 
promptly  find  their  way  into  the  regular  channels  of  trade. 
Many  of  the  sometime  rich  Buddhist  temples  (often  veritable 
treasure-houses  of  beautiful  antiques)  are  now  in  financial 
straits,  and  every  now  and  then  they  auction  off  thousands 
of  yen  worth  of  their  cherished  relics.  It  is  common  knowledge, 
however,  that  at  such  sales  (notably  that  of  the  Kyoto  Nishi 
Hongwanji,  in  1913,  where  nearly  one  half  million  yen  were 
realized)  local  collectors  pay  surprisingly  high  prices  for  master- 
pieces in  bronze  or  porcelain,  old  screens  or  color-prints.  In 
fact,  the  prices  which  wealthy  Japanese  will  pay  for  original 
specimens  of  the  early  native  art  are  almost  incomprehensible 
to  foreigners.  An  article  which  from  a  detached  viewpoint 
may  have  no  pretentions  to  artistic  beauty,  but  which  may 
once  have  reposed  in  the  collection  of  an  early  mikado  or 
shogun,  albeit  its  intrinsic  worth  may  not  be  more  than  25  yen, 
may  bring  anywhere  from  ¥100  to  ¥50,000.  (Comp.  p.  cxviii.) 
A  folding  screen  by  Korin  or  Kano  Tanyu:  a  sculptured  wood 
figure  by  Kukai  or  Unkei ;  a  bit  of  genuine  Shonzui  (now  as 
rare,  as  well  known,  and  as  highly  prized  as  a  painting  by  some 
great  master) ;  or  any  heirloom  of  a  shadowy  shogun  will  bring, 
in  the  land  of  its  production,  not  ten,  but  a  hundred  times  as 
much  as  the  average  Occidental  collector  would  pay  for  it. 
And  the  risk  in  buying  such  things  is  as  great  as  their  cost,  for 
even  the  shrewdest  native  antiquarians  (than  which  few 
indeed  are  more  alert)  are  not  unfrequently  1  singed 1  by  their 
equally  astute  countrymen,  —  who  forge  antiques  with  such 
skill  that  originals  often  look  tawdry  beside  them !  —  In  a  coun- 
try like  Japan  where  there  are  no  'lost  arts/  and  where  it  is 
easier  for  a  skilled  craftsman,  with  a  highly  developed  artistic 
sense,  to  make  a  meritorious  article  than  a  meretricious  one, 
new  methods  of  fleecing  the  credulous  arise  almost  daily.  So 
amazingly  expert  are  the  counterfeiters,  and  so  profitable  their 
work,  that  there  are  now  recognized  centers  where  'old 
curios 7  are  made  to  order  in  any  quantity.  Osaka  heads  the 
list  as  the  greatest  emporium  of  fake  antiquities,  but  Tokyo  is 
striving  to  wrest  its  supremacy  from  it.  Even  dignified  Kobe 
is  headquarters  of  the  elevating  art  of  imitating  postage- 


cxiv 


CURIOS 


stamps,  and  other  native  cities  are  forging  ahead  for  honors 
along  similar  lines.  Hundreds  of  paintings  are  said  to  be  sent 
each  year  from  Tokyo  to  farmhouses  in  distant  provinces, 
where  they  are  hung  in  the  living-rooms  until  by  exposure  to 
charcoal  smoke  they  acquire  the  begrimed  mellowness  so 
necessary  to  the  appearance  of  correct  'old  masters.'  The  fol- 
lowing editorial,  written  by  a  collector  of  international  repute, 
appeared  in  the  Japan  Daily  Herald  of  May  3,  1912,  and  is 
reproduced  here  because  of  its  peculiar  value  to  foreign 
travelers :  — 

The  news  that  the  Osaka  police  have  made  an  attempt  to  check  the 
trade  in  forged  art  objects  will  come  as  a  very  pleasant  surprise  to  all 
admirers  of  the  real  art  of  Japan.  For  many  years  past  there  has  been  an 
increasing  demand  from  abroad  for  the  work  of  Japanese  masters.  As  the 
supply  available  was  in  no  wise  sufficient  to  meet  this  demand  Japanese 
dealers,  not  to  be  outdone,  hit  upon  the  expedient  of  extensively  manu- 
facturing 4  ancient  art '  objects.  So  widespread  has  this  system  of  forgery 
become  that  to-day  it  forms  collectively  a  great  industry.  Of  the  painters  of 
Old  Japan,  every  master  of  note  has  been  forged  dozens,  nay,  hundreds  of 
times,  and,  strange  to  say,  by  artists  who  could,  by  their  ability,  have 
made  a  name  for  themselves  if  they  had  inscribed  their  own  signature,  and 
not  that  of  a  long-dead  master,  on  their  productions.  Color-prints,  too, 
are  now  turned  out  literally  by  the  thousand  in  Osaka  and  Tokyo,  and  so 
cleverly  are  some  of  these  '  old  '  prints  produced  that  more  than  a  passing 
knowledge  of  the  originals  is  requisite  to  enable  the  prospective  purchaser 
to  discover  the  fraud.  From  Sukenobu  down  to  Hiroshige  the  whole  line  of 
nishikiye  painters  have  been  copied  by  the  forgers,  often  in  a  manner  that 
almost  defies  detection.  The  paper  on  which  the  prints  have  been  pro- 
duced has  been  stained,  smoked,  and  softened  to  coincide  with  the  texture 
and  color  of  the  old  prints,  and  '  register '  is,  in  some  of  the  forgeries,  even 
more  perfect  than  in  the  originals.  In  many  cases  the  use  of  aniline  colors 
discloses  the  fraud,  but  in  some  cases  even  this  test  is  not  applicable.  The 
Shimbi  Shoin  of  Tokyo  has  produced  thousands  of  copies  of  old  master- 
pieces, but  has  frankly  published  them  as  reproductions.  As  matters  stand 
to-day,  we  can  state,  without  fear  of  contradiction,  that  more  than  90 
%  of  the  4  old  '  prints  sold  to  foreigners  in  Yokohama  and  other  ports, 
have  been  produced  within  the  past  three  years.  Netsuke  and  '  ivory ' 
carvings,  the  body  of  which  is  of  bone  or  composition,  are  stained  to 
imitate  old  ivories,  and  any  famous  name  which  occurs  to  the  manufacturer 
is  inscribed  thereon.  These,  too,  find  a  ready  market  among  tourists,  who 
on  arrival  home  often  find  that  the  '  solid  ivory '  carvings  have  fallen  to 
pieces  in*  the  boxes  in  which  they  were  stored.  Lacquer  has  not  been 
neglected,  and  forgeries,  especially  of  the  higher-priced  work,  is  exceedingly 
difficult  to  detect,  time  only  showing  the  inferiority  of  the  lacquer  and 
unseasoned  nature  of  the  wood  base.  We  once  had  the  privilege  of  witness- 
ing the  manufacture  of  '  old '  bronzes,  and  well  remember  the  chemical 
baths  in  which  reposed  dozens  of  castings  undergoing  the  ageing  process 
for  the  foreign  markets.  The  latest  art  objects  to  attract  the  attention  of 
the  maker  of  antiquities  are  sword-fittings.  Kozuka  handles  have  been 
counterfeited  for  some  years  past,  but  it  is  only  recently,  we  believe,  that 
the  forgery  of  tsuba  (sword-guards)  has  taken  place  on  really  commercial 
lines.  Until  two  or  three  years  ago  the  only  forgeries  met  with  were  those 
tsuba  originally  unsigned,  but  on  which  an  enterprising  dealer  had  chiseled 
the  name  of  a  famous  chiseler  or  inlayer,  often  disregarding  the  fact  that 
the  work  on  the  tsuba  was  quite  foreign  to  that  of  the  master  whose  name 
had  been  used.  Old  porcelain,  too,  has  been  extensively  fabricated  to  meet 
a  growing  demand,  and  we  have  seen  several  pieces  of  4  Ming'  blue-and- 
white  proved  to  have  been  produced  quite  recently  in  Japanese  kilns.  In 
modern  work,  too,  deception  has  been  carried  to  its  extreme  limits.  In 
silverware  an  outer  shell  of  silver  has  been  filled  with  base  metal;  so-called 
18-carat  goldware  has  proved  to  be  but  12  or  14  carat;  damascene-work 


CURIOS 


cxv 


in  which  the  '  gold  '  proves  to  have  been  a  gilded  alloy:  all  these  have  been 
and  are  still  being  disposed  of  to  the  uninitiated  at  prices  many  times  above 
their  value. 

It  has  been  stated  on  more  than  one  occasion  that  the  purchaser  himself 
is  to  blame  in  this  matter,  but  we  cannot  altogether  agree  with  this  opinion. 
Coming  as  he  does  to  a  country  in  every  way  different  from  that  to  which  he 
has  been  accustomed,  he  has  to  rely  to  a  great  extent  on  what  he  reads  and 
hears.  The  guidebooks  are  strangely  silent  on  the  dangers  of  purchasing 
curios  in  Japan,  while  the  class  of  people  with  whom  the  tourist  comes  into 
contact  also  finds  it  far  more  remunerative  to  turn  a  blind  eye  to  the  spolia- 
tion of  tourists  by  curio-dealers  than  to  advise  them  to  exercise  caution  or 
to  get  into  touch  with  those  who  could  give  them  sound  advice  on  the  merits 
or  demerits  of  art  objects.  All  the  world  over  the  chief  asset  of  the  average 
curio-dealer  is  his  ability  to  deceive  his  customers,  either  by  direct  false- 
hood or  inference  —  and  in  Japan  the  dealer  has,  perhaps,  even  less  regard 
for  the  truth  than  his  confrere  abroad. 

There  is  no  short  cut  to  knowledge  of  Japanese  curios;  experience,  more 
or  less  costly,  being  the  only  method  by  which  a  collector  can  separate  the 
genuine  from  the  forged  productions.  If  would-be  purchasers  would  only 
pay  a  few  visits  to  the  Museum  at  Uyeno  (see  Tokyo),  or  seek  the  advice  of 
collectors  living  in  the  country,  they  would  at  least  have  a  reasonable 
chance  of  ascertaining  where  genuine  art  objects  could  be  secured,  and 
also  what  would  be  a  reasonable  price  to  pay  for  such  curios. 

In  conclusion,  we  can  only  remark  that  if  the  local  police  follow  the  lead 
set  by  their  Osaka  contemporaries  they  should  secure  a  rich,  haul  of  for- 
geries in  this  city.  No  doubt  a  raid,  such  as  that  carried  out  in  Osaka,  would 
evoke  a  great  deal  of  criticism  from  those  directly  or  indirectly  concerned, 
but  it  would  have  the  virtue  of  checking  the  fast-spreading  discontent 
amongst  tourists  who  have  returned  home  from  visits  to  Japan  only  to  find 
that  their  curios  have  developed  irreparable  defects  on  the  journey. 

The  traveler  should  not  infer  from  the  above  that  there  are 
no  honest  dealers  in  Japan.  On  the  contrary,  there  are  many, 
not  a  few  of  them  thoroughly  competent  connoisseurs,  who 
have  the  confidence  of  foreign  residents  and  travelers,  and  who 
will  not  discredit  themselves  by  deceiving  their  customers. 
The  aim  of  the  writer  has  been  to  exclude  certain  crafty  and 
unworthy  dealers  from  the  Guidebook,  and  to  give  prominence 
to  those  of  known  repute,  with  an  unwillingness  either  to 
barter  their  reputation  for  a  trumpery  temporary  gain,  or  to 
betrajr  the  confidence  the  traveler  imposes  in  them.  An  excel- 
lent plan  is  to  make  no  purchases  hurriedly ;  by  going  first  to 
the  best  shop  in  a  place  and  getting  the  ideas  of  the  dealer,  his 
prices,  his  reasons  for  asking  them,  and  his  remarks  on  quality, 
then  by  making  mental  notes  of  the  salient  characteristics  of 
high-grade  articles,  lower  grades  and  spurious  goods  can  more 
readily  be  detected.  Any  reputable  house  will  send  things  out 
on  approval,  and  by  getting  the  expert  advice  of  some  friend 
on  these,  the  traveler  is  pretty  sure  of  not  being  deceived.  It 
should  be  borne  in  mind  always  that  in  the  end  the  finest  and 
costliest  things  are  the  best  and  most  satisfactory.  Genuine 
art  objects  can  rarely  be  bought  at  lower  than  market  prices, 
and  whosoever  has  a  notion  that  he  is  getting  a  '  valuable  find  ' 
at  one  half  its  value  is  usually  getting  duped  instead.  Also  it 
should  be  remembered  that  the  best  dealers  guarantee  things 
as  represented,  and  that  those  with  a  reputation  to  maintain 
are  much  easier  to  get  satisfaction  from  than  a  crafty  wight 


cxvi 


CURIOS 


whose  entire  stock  in  trade  may  not  be  worth  ¥500.  The 
first  cannot  afford  to  play  unfair,  while  the  second  is  usually 
disdainful  of  what  the  shorn  one  thinks  of  him.  Caution  is 
necessary  in  dealing  with  traders  who  importune  visitors  at 
the  hotels,  unless  they  represent  some  well-known  shop,  or  can 
be  vouched  for  by  the  hotel  manager.  It  may  be  accepted  as 
a  safe  axiom  that  purchases  can  be  made  more  advantageously 
at  headquarters  than  of  peddlers. 

In  almost  every  Japanese  port  city  there  are  foreigners  who 
have  spent  many  years  and  small  fortunes  in  making  collec- 
tions of  Japanese  art  objects;  some  to  gratify  a  passion  for  the 
beautiful  in  art;  others  to  make  complete  collections  which 
they  sell  later  to  museums  or  wealthy  enthusiasts  who  have 
neither  the  time  nor  the  experience  to  collect  the  things  them- 
selves. In  Yokohama  alone  there  are  a  dozen  or  more  such 
men,  each  of  whom  takes  a  gentleman's  pleasure  in  being  help- 
ful to  a  properly  accredited  stranger  genuinely  interested  in 
the  national  arts  of  Japan.  Mr.  Hugh  G.  Ball,  the  Managing 
Editor  of  the  Japan  Daily  Herald,  a  connoisseur  of  faultless 
judgment,  collects  (for  his  own  pleasure  solely)  sword-guards 
and  porcelains,  and  is  an  authority  not  only  on  these  but  on 
inro  as  well;  Mr.  William  Lawrence  Keane  collects  color-prints, 
etc.,  and  others  (names  can  be  had  from  some  resident) 
specialize  in  various  things.  Mr.  Okura,  of  Tokyo,  possesses 
a  collection  of  antiques  even  more  wonderful  than  that  of  the 
Imperial  Museum;  and  there  are  many  other  beautiful  collec- 
tions in  the  metropolis.  A  common  bond  of  sympathy  exists 
between  all  collectors,  and  by  getting  in  touch  with  one  and 
profiting  by  his  advice  the  traveler  can  often  save  himself 
money,  time,  and  chagrin.  — Mr.  Robert  Young,  of  Kobe,  has  a 
knowledge  of  things  Japanese  possessed  by  few  men;  and  Mr. 
M.  Hamaguchi,  of  the  Miyako  Hotel,  at  Kyoto,  is  an  anti- 
quarian of  note  (as  well  as  a  deep  student  of  Buddhism).  There 
also  exist,  in  some  of  the  cities,  honorable  (English-speaking) 
men  of  high  ideals  but  modest  incomes  whose  hobby  is  the 
assembling,  in  a  small  way,  of  representative  collections  of 
color-prints,  tsuba,  inro,  netsuke,  and  the  like;  and  who,  when 
they  have  acquired  a  few  hundred  pieces  (desirable  and  usually 
inexpensive  collections),  sell  them  at  a  reasonable  percentage 
above  their  cost.  While  in  pursuit  of  this  hobby  they  absorb 
information  pertaining  to  dealers  and  art  objects  peculiarly 
valuable  to  intending  purchasers,  and  whosoever  of  this  class 
can  command  their  services  is  fortunate.  They  are  not  guides, 
and  they  do  not  accept  commissions  from  dealers,  but  they  are 
willing  to  act  with  foreigners  in  the  capacity  of  an  expert 
buyer,  as  an  interpreter,  or  a  companion  on  rambles  through 
the  city.  A  card  or  a  letter  from  some  acquaintance,  and  a  fair 
fee  (¥5  a  day  is  advisable)  will  enlist  their  services.  Such 
a  man  is  usually  known  to  the  hotel  manager  or  a  foreign 


CURIOS 


cxvii 


resident.  Mr.  T.  Suzuki,  67  Ryudo  Machi,  Azabu-ku,  Tokyo, 
is  recommended  as  expert  in  the  correct  classification  of  many 
Japanese  art-wares,  and  as  an  agreeable  and  trustworthy  com- 
panion (speaks  fluent  English). 

In  Tokyo  and  other  cities  there  are  certain  organized  socie- 
ties whose  members  profess  to  be  art  connoisseurs,  and  who 
accept  on  sale  (for  a  commission)  various  art  products.  Their 
dealings  are  chiefly  with  their  own  nationals,  and  the  average 
foreigner  will  no  doubt  find  more  to  suit  his  fancy  in  one  of  the 
regulation  curio-shops  ( Kotoya) .  There  also  exist  dealers  who 
carry  their  commercial  ingenuity  to  the  extent  of  purporting 
to  be  so  exclusive  as  to  require  letters  of  introduction  from  an 
embassy  or  a  legation  before  admitting  strangers  to  their  ultra- 
precious  displays.  The  credulous  rich  may  perchance  be  able  to 
obtain  the  necessary  certificate  of  character  through  those  min- 
isters, ambassadors,  or  consuls  who  lend  themselves  to  the  plan. 

As  a  general  rule  the  best  curios  produced  in  the  Empire 
gravitate  naturally  to  those  cities  where  foreign  travelers  fore- 
gather in  the  greatest  numbers,  and  in  these  places  the  most 
satisfactory  collections  can  always  be  found.  It  is  a  delusion 
to  believe  that  one  can  pick  up  valuable  curios  at  low  prices 
in  remote  places  overlooked  by  others.  It  is  safe  to  assume 
that  no  ransackable  place  of  importance  has  been  disregarded 
by  the  hustling  representatives  of  the  largest  curio-dealers 
(doguya) .  Every  crack  and  cranny  in  Japan  has  been  searched 
and  frisked  by  these  alert  emissaries,  and  not  only  have  they 
drained  certain  regions  of  all  their  good  things,  but  have  some- 
times replaced  those  removed  by  forged  ones  from  Tokyo  or 
Osaka!  Whatever  may  have  been  neglected  by  these  hawk- 
eyed  buyers  have  been  snapped  up  promptly  by  local  collectors, 
—  who  now  more  than  ever  are  alive  to  the  scarcity  and 
steadily  rising  values  of  meritorious  things.  Not  a  few  of  the 
so-called  '  temple  heirlooms '  on  sale  at  Nikko,  Nara,  and 
other  frequented  resorts  have  been  sent  there  from  manufac- 
turing centers,  and  discriminating  buyers  have  learned  long 
since  that  they  can  save  haulage  by  buying  them  in  the  port 
cities.  Japanese  artists  can  nearly  always  be  seen  in  the  great 
museum  at  Nara,  or  hovering  about  the  mausolea  in  Nikko, 
copying  the  beautiful  objects  preserved  there,  and  few  indeed 
are  the  masterpieces  that  have  not  been  reproduced  not  once 
but  hundreds  of  times.  In  cases  where  only  one  or  two  famous 
paintings  or  carvings  are  known  to  exist,  authentic  copies  find 
a  ready  sale  among  native  collectors,  and  artists  are  kept  busy 
making  them.  In  this  connection  it  is  worth  remembering  that 
many  modern  works  of  art  are  in  reality  much  superior  to 
those  of  the  past.  The  present-day  craftsman  is  often  much 
defter  than  his  groping  prototype,  and  where  equally  good 
materials  are  employed,  new  work  is  not  unfrequently  prefer- 
able to  the  old. 


cxviii 


CURIOS 


The  fancy  prices  which  dealers  sometimes  demand  for  their 
wares  are  not  always  unjustifiable.  Kameoka,  Motonobu,  Masa- 
nobu,  Shubun,  and  other  masters  of  the  early  schools  of  painting 
are  to  the  Japanese  what  Velasquez,  Raphael,  Van  Dyck,  Mu- 
rillo,  and  others  are  to  us.  Kobo-Daishi  looms  quite  as  large  in 
the  Buddhistic  mind  as  Shakespeare  does  in  ours,  and  the  aver- 
age Japanese  collector  would  pay  more  for  an  authentic  master- 
piece by  Unkei  than  he  would  for  a  nude  figure  by  Michel- 
angelo. Yoshitsune  is  the  native  Bayard,  and  any  article  that 
was  his  is  as  precious  to  the  antiquarian  as  Napoleon's  sword, 
or  George  Washington's  watch  would  be  to  us.  Bits  of  lacquer 
that  once  belonged  to  the  militant  Nobunaga,  or  an  iron  rice- 
pot  which  the  monkey-faced  but  stout-hearted  Hideyoshi  used 
in  his  camp,  now  bring  almost  their  weight  in  gold,  irrespective 
of  their  size.  And  in  this  connection  an  old  rice-pot  is  much 
more  valuable  to  a  Japanese  than  a  new  one,  because  the 
metallic  taste  has  been  burned  out  of  it,  just  as  old  lacquer  is 
considerably  less  '  tasty '  than  a  new  piece.  Furthermore,  it 
is  not  even  to  be  hoped  that  the  natives  will  ever  discard  the 
unjust  contention  that  a  wealthy  foreigner  should  not  pay 
more  for  an  article  than  a  poor  (and  of  course  more  deserving) 
Japanese.  During  feudal  times  the  rich  were  made  to  pay  for 
the  poor;  and  as  the  industrious,  saving,  and  self-denying  in 
the  Occident  are  always  expected  to  carry  the  shiftless  spend- 
thrift, so  in  Japan  it  follows  logically  that  any  one  with  means 
enough  to  come  to  such  a  distant  country  should  not  object 
to  paying  more  for  a  thing  than  a  native  is  asked! 

The  stranger  should  be  constantly  on  his  guard  when  dealing 
with  unknown  firms.  In  the  Far  East  courtesy  and  suave 
mannerisms  are  often  like  the  beauty  that  is  but  skin  deep, 
and  the  most  shameless  impositions  are  practiced  in  quarters 
where  one  would  not  look  for  them.  It  should  be  remembered 
that  certain  Japanese  are  as  tricky  as  they  are  polite,  and  that 
their  resourcefulness  and  imitative  ability  are  equaled  only 
by  their  lack  of  scruples.  The  traveler  is  also  warned  against 
the  'fake'  auctions  manipulated  with  the  help  of  'price- 
boosters,'  where  perforated  bronzes,  jaded  curios,  and  many 
trumpery  things  are  unloaded  on  the  unwary.  The  lure  of  the 
antique  is  so  strong  that  one  does  not  always  exercise  one's 
best  judgment  in  auction-rooms  where  trashy  stuff  under  the 
guise  of  'daimyd  collections'  is  disposed  of  at  stiff  prices.  On 
the  other  hand,  one  is  often  able  to  pick  up  excellent  pieces  of 
bric-a-brac  at  the  legitimate  salesrooms  in  Yokohama  and 
Kobe,  when  the  collection  of  some  foreigner  is  sold  on  account 
of  death  or  other  causes.  Consult  the  newspapers  for  adver- 
tisements. 

Although  some  of  the  large  curio  establishments  will  pack 
and  ship  goods  satisfactorily,  it  is  customary,  and  in  some 
instances  desirable,  to  have  purchases  delivered  (packed  or 


CULTURE  PEARLS 


cxix 


otherwise)  to  some  reputable  forwarding  agent  to  be  held  in 
his  storeroom  until  the  traveler  has  completed  his  purchases; 
then  to  have  the  lot  shipped  at  one  time.  Freight  charges  and 
friction  can  be  saved  by  adopting  this  plan.  Unknown  deal- 
ers cannot  always  be  trusted  to  use  intelligent  care  in  the  pack- 
ing of  fragile  things  easily  broken  on  a  long  sea  voyage.  A  good 
shipping  agent  usually  knows  the  best,  safest,  quickest,  and 
most  economical  sea  route  (select  some  S.S.  company  known 
for  its  willingness  to  adjust  claims),  and  in  most  cases  can  save 
the  traveler  both  money  and  time.  Fine  curios  should  always 
be  insured  against  theft,  and  shipped,  when  possible,  even  at  a 
slight  advance  of  freight,  on  a  passenger  steamer. 

Culture  Pearls  (yoshoku  shinju) .  The  cultivation  on  a  scien- 
tific basis  of  fine  pearls  (shinju)  is  carried  on  in  a  unique  way 
in  the  Bay  of  Ago,  Shima  Province,  by  Mr.  S.  Mikimoto,  the 
owner  of  the  Mikimoto  Pearl  Culture  Farm,  and  the  process  is 
unusually  interesting.  In  this  beautiful  and  sequestered  stretch 
of  sheltered  sea,  pearls  to  the  value  of  a  king's  ransom  are 
parked  and  harvested  each  year,  to  be  shipped  to  all  parts  of 
the  world  to  take  the  place  of  the  diminishing  supply  of  these 
faultless  natural  gems.  Here  pearls  can  be  ingeniously  grown 
to  order  in  almost  any  shape  demanded  by  fashion's  devotees. 
It  is  essentially  a  woman's  business,  for  women  plant  and  har- 
vest them,  that  their  sisters  may  wear  them.  The  Farm  lies  a 
few  miles  S.  of  the  famous  Shrines  of  Ise  (Rte.  35)  in  a  pictur- 
esque region  warmed  oy  the  saline  waters  of  the  Kuro-shiwo, 
and  protected  from  e  .irewd  winds  by  low  promontories  and  a 
lovely,  bay-indented  coast.  Northward  of  the  middle  of  Ago 
Bay  lies  the  small  island  of  Tatokujima,  the  center  of  the 
Mikimoto  enterprise.  A  cluster  of  huts  where  the  oysters  are 
opened  and  the  perils  sorted,  and  a  smiling  sea  where  they  are 
grown  and  gathered,  give  but  little  idea  of  the  charm  and  value 
of  the  industry.  The  sea  for  50  nautical  miles  around  is  leased, 
and  strewn  along  the  ocean  floor  are  the  margaritiferous  beds. 
The  undertaking  dates  from  1890,  but  it  was  not  until  1898 
that  the  first  pearls  were  gathered  and  marketed.  The  annual 
output  now  is  over  a  million  yen.  Several  hundred  persons  are 
employed.  The  pearls  are  sorted  and  mounted  at  the  fine 
Mikimoto  Pearl  Store  (shinjuya)  at  Tokyo  (comp.  p.  113) 
where  the  traveler  may  see  the  different  formative  processes 
of  pearls  in  the  making,  and  an  extraordinarily  beautiful  collec- 
tion of  mounted  and  unmounted  gems.  The  lover  of  exquisite 
things  should  ask  to  see  the  famous  Gumbai  Sen,  or  War  Fan, 
a  copy  (in  fine  gold  and  pearls  —  805  all  told)  of  one  brought 
from  Korea  in  the  Middle  Ages.  Permits  (English  spoken) 
may  also  be  obtained  here  to  visit  the  Farm. 

The  method  of  producing  the  pearls  is  simple;  during  July 
and  August  numbers  of  small  stones  are  placed  in  shallow  spots 
near  the  shore,  where  the  oyster  spawn  is  most  abundant.  This 


cxx 


CULTURE  PEARLS 


spat  soon  attaches  itself  (by  threads  which  it  secretes)  to  them, 
and  they  are  then  carefully  removed  and  parked  in  deeper 
water,  in  beds  prepared  for  them.  At  the  end  of  3  yrs.,  after 
having  been  subjected  to  the  first  operation  in  the  production 
of  the  pearl,  they  are  removed  farther  to  sea,  and  put  into 
water  about  7  fathoms  deep,  where  they  will  not  die  from  cold. 
This  process  consists  merely  of  introducing  into  the  shell,  and 
fixing  it  there,  a  round  bit  of  nacre  to  serve  as  the  center  for 
the  finished  gem.  The  morbid  and  abnormal  process  of  cover- 
ing this  with  nacreous  secretions  begins  as  soon  as  the  irritating 
foreign  substance  makes  itself  felt,  and  it  continues  until  it 
ceases  to  cause  further  irritation.  At  the  end  of  about  4  yrs.  so 
many  successive  layers  of  mother-of-pearl  have  been  placed 
upon  the  offending  particle  that  the  pearl  is  formed.  Natural 
laws  reduce  greatly  the  production  of  these.  In  many  instances 
the  inserted  ball  is  ejected;  in  others  the  numerous  enemies  of 
the  oyster  (starfishes,  squid,  borers,  and  several  carnivorous 
gastropods)  make  havoc  with  the  industry.  Chief  among  the 
evils  is  the  invasion  of  the  oyster-beds  of  what  is  called  the 
Okashiwo,  or  'red  current/  —  microscopic  organisms  in  such 
numbers  that  the  sea  is  tinted  by  their  presence.  They  undo 
the  work  of  years,  and  are  as  destructive  as  the  mirumo,  a 
species  of  seaweed  which  by  its  luxuriant  growth  covers  the 
beds  and  smothers  the  occupants. 

The  Divers  (ama)  are  women  who  possess  the  ability  to 
remain  submerged  longer  than  men.  ^hey  commence  their 
curious  profession  when  about  14  yrs.  old,  and  spend  the 
greater  part  of  each  year  (from  March  t  \  Dec.)  in  the  water. 
Very  little  work  is  done  in  Jan.  or  Feb.,  because  of  the  cold. 
The  women  wear  a  special  white  costume  consisting  of  knicker- 
bockers, a  short  skirt,  and  a  blouse.  The  hair  is  twisted  in  a 
tight  knot  on  top  of  the  head,  and  glasses  prevent  the  salt 
water  from  entering  the  eyes.  Each  diver  carries  a  small  tub 
suspended  from  the  waist,  into  which  the  oysters  are  put,  to 
be  later  dumped  into  the  boat  that  takes  them  to  the  fishing- 
ground.  No  special  outfit  of  weights  or  the  like  is  used;  the 
women  sink  to  the  bottom  and  remain  there  from  2  to  3  min. 
each  time.  Stories  of  hardy  Amazons  who  can  remain  under 
water  without  air  for  5  min.  should  be  discredited.  In  the 
gathering  season,  in  early  Dec,  when  the  oysters  have  attained 
their  greatest  growth,  3  or  4  experienced  divers  (bet?t  between 
25  and  35  yrs.  of  age)  will  bring  up  a  thousand  or  more  pearl- 
bearing  bivalves  in  the  6-8  hrs.  which  constitute  a  day's  work. 
A  lively  woman  will  bring  up  a  hundred  from  10  fathoms  in  60 
seconds.  Wages  range  from  50  sen  to  ¥2  a  day.  Like  the 
divers  of  Toha  (Rte.  35),  these  women  soon  lose  their/  freshness 
and  become  almost  repulsive  —  with  rough  skins  and  hair 
rusted  by  the  brackish  water.  The  menfolks  prize  t  hem  more 
for  what  they  earn  than  for  how  they  look,  and  are  <\uite  con- 


CULTURE  PEARLS 


cxxi 


tent  to  loaf  while  their  spouses  dive  for  the  wherewithal  to 
keep  the  rice-pot  boiling.  They  are  interesting  figures  when 
they  dive  and  splash  and  thrash  about  in  the  water,  uttering 
hoarse  whistling  sounds  as  they  go  under  and  when  they  come  up. 
The  oysters  (kaki)  which  they  seek,  and  which  produce  the  cov- 
eted pearls,  abound  in  Japanese  waters  and  belong  to  the  Av- 
iculidse  (Margaritifera  martensii)  and  resemble  closely  the  pearl- 
producing  oyster  (Meleagrina  margaritifera)  of  the  Indian  seas. 

The  Pearls  possess  in  a  marked  degree  all  the  features 
of  the  finest  natural  gems,  with  the  enchanting  satiny  luster, 
and  the  tender  iridescent  rose  and  faint  blue  sheen  aimed  at 
but  never  attained  by  the  makers  of  imitations.  The  shift- 
ing play  of  these  exquisitely  delicate  tints  is  much  like  that  of  a 
faultless  opal,  which  sends  a  deep  flame  from  its  heart  rather 
than  from  its  surface.  The  jewels  bear  no  relation  either  in 
color,  texture,  or  worth  to  the  '  Roman  '  '  Venetian/  or 
'  Lemaire  '  pearls  or  any  of  the  various  false  gems  manu- 
factured of  pearl-essence,  whitefish,  or  nacreous  substances. 
On  the  other  hand,  they  possess  the  matchless  rounded  shape 
and  the  chemical  properties  (calcium  carbonate  interstratified 
with  animal  substance)  of  true  Oriental,  or  virgin  pearls.  Like 
these  they  are  easily  dissolved  by  acids  or  destroyed  by  heat. 
Perhaps  the  only  difference  between  them  and  the  costliest 
natural  pearls  is  the  small  flattened  plane  on  one  side,  where 
they  adhered  to  the  shell  of  the  oyster  that  fashioned  them. 
In  this  respect  they  resemble  the  well-known  '  perle  boutan  ' 
(named  for  Dr.  Louis  Boutan,  of  Paris),  a  famous  example  of 
which  is  the  '  Southern  Cross/  found  in  West  Australia  and 
valued  at  £10,000.  They  rank  with  perfectly  symmetrical 
pearls  in  every  case  except  in  that  of  making  necklaces  — 
where  the  flattened  surface  would  show. 

Pearls  are  not  hoarded  in  Japan,  as  in  China  and  India,  for 
their  value  and  beauty,  since  jewelry  was  neither  worn  nor 
made  in  Old  Japan.  With  the  adoption  of  Western  ways  it  has 
come  somewhat  into  vogue,  but  not  to  the  same  extent  as  in 
other  countries.  The  gems  are  therefore  cultivated  chiefly  to 
meet  the  foreign  demand  —  which  grows  daily;  the  annual 
imports  into  the  U.S.  alone  amounting  to  $10,000,000.  The 
price  of  the  Japanese  product  is  about  one  fourth  that  of  the 
fine  pearls  of  Ceylon,  Australia,  and  the  Persian  Gulf.  Pearls 
are  sold  by  the  pearl-grain,  four  grains  equaling  one  carat. 
Their  value  depends  upon  their  perfection  of  form  (round, 
pear-shaped,  or  perfectly  oval  are  the  costliest),  their  luster  or 
*  orient 1  and  purity  of  color  (a  satiny  white  or  bluish- white  is 
best),  and  their  size.  A  five-grain  pearl  may  be  worth  20  times 
as  much  as  a  one-grain  pearl.  A  simple  but  effective  way  to 
distinguish  true  pearls  from  imitations  is  to  touch  them  to  the 
tongue;  the  former  are  always  cold,  while  the  latter  absorb 
heat  and  soon  become  warm. 


cxxii  ROCK-CRYSTALS  —  JADE 


Rock-Crystals  (suisho,  or  tsehi-ye  —  •  crystallized  water  ') 
are  found  in  various  places  in  Japan  (notably  in  Kii  Province), 
and  the  semi-precious,  semi-mystic  balls  (suishd-tama)  possess 
a  special  fascination  for  the  natives,  with  whom  divining  by 
rock-crystals  was  anciently  something  of  an  art.  The  Japanese 
quartz  excels  the  Chinese  in  clearness  and  transparency;  it 
has  a  hardness  of  7  (as  against  10  of  the  diamond),  a  specific 
gravity  of  2.65,  and  often  contains  beautiful  little  tufts  of  hair- 
like amiantus  —  in  which  case  it  is  called  kusa-iri-suisho,  or 
'grass-holding  crystal/  The  balls  are  polished  with  garnet- 
sand  of  different  degrees  of  fineness  —  the  best  coming  from 
Kongo-san,  near  Yoshino,  in  Yamato  Province.  Fine  speci- 

•  mens  of  suisho  bring  almost  fabulous  prices  —  one  in  the  J.  P. 
Morgan  collection  now  in  New  York  having  sold  for  £10,000  at 
auction.  The  crystallographer  will  be  interested  in  the  hand- 
some ones  contained  in  the  Okura  Private  Museum  at  Tokyo. 
Good  crystals  sometimes  find  their  way  into  the  curio-shops, 
but  the  traveler  should  be  on  his  guard  against  imitations,  and 
remember  that  a  4-5-inch  ball  of  peerless  quality  may  com- 
mand thousands  of  yen.  The  imitations  are  easily  distinguished 
by  their  more  or  less  bluish  coruscations,  their  small  conduc- 
tivity of  heat,  and  by  their  greater  softness.  The  most  valu- 
able among  the  Buddhist  rosaries  are  made  of  rock-crystal. 
A  crystal  in  the  possession  of  the  Mikado  measures  upward 
of  6  in.  The  most  perfect  (and  valuable)  specimen  in  the  world 
is  perhaps  that  in  the  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  in  Boston.  It  was 
found  on  a  mt.  in  Kai  Province  in  1876;  the  prism  was  18  in. 
high,  14§  in.  wide,  and  12  in.  thick.  The  cutting  and  polishing 
of  it  was  begun  in  Dec,  1881,  and  completed  in  June,  1884. 
The  finished  sphere,  flawless  and  of  a  remarkable  purity, 
weighs  19  lbs.  and  measures  7\  in.  (.185  mm.). 

/  Jade  (Japanese :  hisui, 1  kingfisher ' ;  Chinese :  fei-tsui, 1  king- 
fisher-plumes ')  is  very  popular  in  Japan,  where  much  is  sold, 
but  none  produced.  As  many  tourists  to  the  Far  East  take 
bits  of  jade  jewelry  home  as  souvenirs  or  ornaments,  they  may 
wish  to  remember  that  the  value  of  jade  in  the  eyes  of  the 
Chinese  —  the  greatest  users  of  it  —  depends  chiefly  upon  its 
sonorousness  and  color.  The  3  varieties  of  the  silicate  of 
alumina,  called  jade,  nephrite,  and  jadeite  by  mineralogists, 
are  all  named  yuh  by  the  Chinese,  who  prize  them  above  all 
the  semi-precious  stones.  Jade  is  a  tough,  compact  stone, 
varying  from  nearly  white  to  dark  green  in  color,  with  a  specific 
gravity  of  from  2.9  to  3.1.  When  freshly  broken  it  is  less  hard 
than  after  a  short  exposure.  A  greenish- white  color  (a  fine 
apple-green)  is  the  most  highly  prized  (a  plain  color  of  any 
shade  being  of  less  value),  and  the  costliest  specimens  are 
brought  from  Yunnan  and  Khoten.  The  most  common  colors 
are  grayish-green  and  dark  grass-green;  internally  it  is 
scarcely  glimmering.  Its  fracture  is  splintery;  splinters  white; 


THE  JAPANESE  LANGUAGE  cxxiii 


mass,  semi-transparent  and  cloudy;  it  scratches  glass  strongly, 
and  can  itself  generally  be  scratched  by  flint  or  quartz;  but 
while  not  excessively  hard  it  is  remarkable  for  toughness.  A 
variety  of  a  dark  green  color  containing  iron  has  been  called 
chloromelanite.  A  spurious  jade  made  in  Germany  is  sold 
extensively  in  the  Far  East.  It  is  often  set  up  in  the  style  of 
gold  ring  so  much  in  vogue  with  the  Chinese,  and  care  is 
necessary  to  distinguish  it.  Chrysoprase,  a  variety  of  trans- 
lucent chalcedony  of  a  beautiful  apple-green  color,  and  of  a 
hardness  little  inferior  to  that  of  flint,  is  brought  from  Russia, 
and  is  so  like  the  finest  and  most  highly  prized  jade  (but  con- 
siderably cheaper)  that  not  a  little  of  it  is  palmed  off  on  unsus- 
pecting travelers  as  the  true  article.  A  greenstone  (tri clinic 
feldspar  and  hornblende)  found  in  Japan  bears  a  faint  resem- 
blance to  coarse  jadeite,  but  no  attempt  is  made  to  deceive 
the  unwary.  Beads  of  it  strung  on  long  strings  can  be  bought 
at  Enoshima  and  other  places  for  50-80  sen.  Constant  watch- 
fulness is  needed  to  prevent  being  swindled  when  buying  jade 
either  in  Japan  or  China. 

II.  The  Japanese  Language 

The  Japanese  Language,  with  upward  of  66,000  words 
(a  big  percentage  of  which  are  Chinese),  belongs  to  the 
Turanian  or  Tartar  family,  and  like  its  cognate  tongues, 
Korean,  Manchu,  and  Chinese,  is  agglutinative  (as  opposed 
to  inflective  or  inflectional  languages).  It  has  no  relationship 
with  the  tongues  of  Europe,  but  like  all  agglutinative  lan- 
guages (of  which  Turkish  is  an  example),  the  verb  comes  at 
the  end  of  the  sentence  and  after  the  object  which  it  governs. 

The  want  of  inflection  to  distinguish  gender,  number,1  and  case,  as  well 
as  in  the  case  of  the  verb  to  distinguish  tense  and  mood,  is  replaced  by 
words  which  follow  the  principal  word  as  postpositions  or  affixes.  _  Their  use 
makes  the  language  decidedly  difficult,  and  is  only  a  partial  equivalent  for 
the  wealth  secured  to  a  tongue  by  inflections.  There  is  no  article;  the  pro- 
nouns and  numerals  are  nouns;  and  in  these  there  is  no  distinction  of 
gender  or  number.  There  are  in  reality  but  two  parts  of  speech,  the  verb 
and  the  noun.  The  true  adjectives  and  the  adverbs  are  a  species  of  neuter 
verb.  The  nominative  is  formed  by  the  affix  wa  or  ga,  the  genitive  by  no, 
the  dative  by  ni,  the  accusative  by  o.  The  verb  has  only  the  three  principal 
tenses,  present,  past,  and  future.  There  are  no  diphthongs  proper. 

The  peculiar  construction  of  the  language  is  very  puzzling  to  most  for- 
eigners, the  grammar  being  unique  and  beset  with  difficulties.  Not  only 
does  it  appear  twisted  and  topsy-turvy,  but  what  is  plain  sense  to  the 
Japanese  smacks 'strongly  of  nonsense  to  the  stranger.  When  the  former 
wishes  to  say,  '  What  is  this  made  of  ?  '  he  phrases  it  thus:  Kore  wa,  nan  de  de- 


1  The  pluralization  of  certain  words  used  in  the  Guidebook  has  been 
necessary  for  clearness:  Daimyds  has  been  used  instead  of  the  more  correct 
daimyd;  shdguns  for  shogun,  etc.  To  preserve  sense,  '  temple  '  has  often 
been  added  to  its  Japanese  equivalent  ji;  '  mountain '  to  yama;  4  river '  to 
gawa,  etc.  Since  no  hard-and-fast  rule  exists  relative  to  hyphenated  words, 
the  writer  has  in  many  cases  followed  ,  the  lead  of  the  compiler  of  the 
Romaji  dictionary  and,  to  save  space,  has  eliminated  hyphens  where 
possible. 


cxxiv 


THE  JAPANESE  LANGUAGE 


kite  orimasu?  which,  translated  literally,  reads:  — '  This  as  for,  what  by  event- 
uating is?  '  '  How  far  are  you  going?  '  —  Doko  made  o  ide  ni  narimasuf  — 
becomes:  'Where  till,  honorable  exit  to  becomes?'  'What  is  this  called 
in  Japanese?  '  is,  Kono  mono  wa,  Nihon-go  de  nan  to  moshimasu  ka?  or, 
'  This  thing,  as  for,  Japan  language  by,  what  that  say?  '  '  There  is  no 
money: '  Kane  ga  nai,  or,  'Money  is  n't.'  'I  am  sorry  for  your  sake,'  O 
kinodoku  sama;  '  Honorable  poison-of-the  spirit,  Mr. ! '  Periphrasis  is  as 
conspicuous  by  its  presence  as  trite  language  is  by  its  absence. 

Other  difficulties  abound.  Among  the  higher  classes  a  stilted  etiquette 
has  developed  almost  inconceivable  complexity  in  the  language,  and  a 
system  has  been  evolved  that  would  require  many  years  of  training  to 
master.  The  Mikado  and  other  exalted  personages  employ  expressions 
forbidden  to  the  commonalty,  which  also  has  peculiarities  of  its  own. 
There  is  also  a  sort  of  sex-differentiation  of  language,  and  educated  women 
make  use  of  words  and  phrases  not  employed  by  men.  For  almost  every- 
thing there  are  several  different  words  in  Japanese,  and  others  in  Cliinese. 
Anonei,  an  exclamatory  expletive,  is  much  used  by  TokyS  people  in  familiar 
conversation,  and  is  meant  to  call  attention  (like,  '  Say! '  or  '  Look  Here!  '). 
So  desu  ('  It  is  so  '),  or  So  desu  ka !  ('  Indeed  ! ')  is  the  common  expression  of 
surprise.  Do  itashimashite,  '  Don't  mention  it,'  is  equally  common;  as  is 
also  Shikata  ga  nai,  '  It  can't  be  helped.' 

The  language  in  its  different  phases  is  so  difficult  for  the 
Japanese  themselves  to  learn  correctly  that  English  seems  easy 
in  comparison,  and  they  acquire  this  quickly  and  well.  St. 
Francis  Xavier  is  reported  to  have*  said  of  Japanese  that  it  was 
an  invention  of  'a  conciliabule  of  devils  to  torture  the  faithful.' 
Be  this  as  it  may,  the  traveler  who  will  devote  a  little  time 
each  day  to  the  study  of  it  will  soon  be  able  to  get  along,  and 
he  will  find  that  it  possesses  compensatory  advantages  pecu- 
liar to  itself.  A  knowledge  of  it,  even  though  slight,  is  a  pass- 
port to  the  confidence  of  the  people,  who  remove  one  of  the 
greatest  stumbling-blocks  in  the  acquisition  of  any  foreign 
language,  by  never  laughing  at  mistakes  one  may  make  in 
speaking.  The  pronunciation  is  relatively  easy,  and  to  the 
ear  of  the  stranger  quite  uniform.  The  vowels  have  practically 
the  phonetic  values  of  those  of  Spanish  or  Italian,  and  the  conso- 
nants those  of  English.  When  written  in  Romaji,  the  words  end 
in  vowels  and  have  a  straightforward  and  friendly  look  like  those 
of  English  or  Castilian.  There  are  no  difficult  consonantal 
combinations  such  as  one  finds  often  in  Slavonic  and  allied 
tongues,  and  the  intonation  is  pleasing.  The  simplicity  of  the 
pronunciation  makes  it  easy  for  the  stranger  with  a  good 
phrasebook  (about  ¥1  in  any  foreign  bookstore)  to  get 
about,  for  some  of  them  show  the  figurative  pronunciation, 
and  are  supposed  to  contain  the  phrases  one  usually  needs. 
Albeit  Tokyo  is  supposed  to  possess  a  distinctive  dialect,  and 
other  districts  to  afford  striking  differences  in  speech  (like  the 
Nambu  dialect  of  Aomori;  that  of  Kaga,  etc.);  and  although 
the  Edokko  (who  often  regard  themselves  in  the  same  fine 
light  as  the  Parisians)  smile  at  the  Osaka  man  who  apes  the 
metropolitan  twang,  the  stranger  unaware  of  slight  differences 
will  find  little  or  no  difficulty  in  getting  along  anywhere  on  the 
*  Main  Island.  The  same  applies  also  to  Kyushu  and  Yezo, 
barring  the  Ainu  settlements  of  the  latter  island. 


THE  JAPANESE  LANGUAGE 


Japanese  is  a  mosaic*  of  Chinese  and  indigenous  words 
pieced  out  with  foreign  hybrids  taken  from  the  Dutch,  Portu- 
guese, French,  English,  and  from  whatsoever  nation  has  left 
its  impress  upon  it.  The  number  of  words  made  necessary  by 
the  introduction  of  Western  civilization  is  large  and  is  growing 
constantly.  New  terms  are  being  added  almost  daily,  those 
needed  in  the  sciences  being  taken  from  Chinese  and  other 
foreign  languages,  with  a  large  number  of  Chinese  ideographs 
to  form  compounds,  such  as  steamship  (jd-ki-sen),  railway 
(tetsu-dd),  photograph  ('copy- truth'  —  sha-shin),  etc.  Jap- 
anese words  do  not  always  lend  themselves  to  the  formation  of 
new  or  compound  words,  and  in  this  way  Chinese  helps  it  out 
much  as  Greek  or  Latin  is  drawn  upon  by  the  English  tongue. 
The  labor  and  difficulty  of  learning  Japanese  is  increased 
enormously  by  the  admixture  of  Chinese  ideographs,  for  when 
introduced  originally,  these  were  not  kept  distinct,  so  that  in 
the  written  or  printed  text  of  to-day  some  are  regarded  as 
words  while  others  symbolize  sounds. 

To  know  a  Chinese  character  involves  a  knowledge  of  its  sounds,  of 
which  there  may  oe  several,  and  of  its  meanings,  of  which  also  there  may 
be  more  than  one.  The  latest  authoritative  dictionary  (the  Koki  Jiten) 
shows  47,216  different  Chinese  characters,  of  which  some  3000  are  in 
common  use.  A  Japanese  scholar  would  probably  know  6000  of  them,  and  an 
ordinary  man  but  a  very  few  hundred :  what  is  called  a  'high  '  set  of  type 
of  Chinese  characters  as  used  in  a  Tokyo  printing-office  consists  of  about 
9500.  Being  ideographic  they  symbolize  natural  objects  by  their  images  or 
are  formed  by  the  association  of  ideas,  onomatopoeia,  and  demonstrative 
figures;  and,  being  figurative  and  illusive,  some  characters  may  have  one  or 
another  meaning,  so  that  it  is  difficult  to  catch  the  real  meaning  in  each  case, 
their  modifications  and  uses  being  also  different.  They  are  therefore  full  of 
disadvantages  as  instruments  of  the  expression  of  thought.  It  takes  years 
of  practice  and  great  diligence  for  the  eye  to  distinguish  the  Chinese  and 
Japanese  letters  and  characters,  and  for  the  hand  to  imitate  them  easily 
with  the  India-ink  brush.  But  in  this  way  the  eye  acquires  great  facility  in 
recognizing  and  grasping  form  and  proportion,  and  the  hand  the  dexterity 
to  reproduce  them  both  with  truth.  The  eye  and  the  hand  of  the  Japanese 
are  on  the  average  more  practiced  than  those  of  the  European.  Even  the 
ordinary  man  can  generally  make  a  fairly  good  map  or  a  sketch  of  a  route 
or  an  article.  Certain  of  the  natives  take  unwearied  pains  to  write  the 
oftentimes  highly  elegant  characters  of  their  language  in  a  beautiful, 
uniform,  and  well-proportioned  manner.  When  these  are  skillfully  drawn 
on  fine  paper,  painted  on  exquisite  porcelain,  or  chiseled  in  low  relief  on 
marble  or  bronze,  they  make  singularly  artistic  and  satisfying  figures.  Not 
only  do  they  form  unlimited  motives  for  the  decoration  of  art  products,  but 
the  conspicuous  achievements  of  the  people  in  the  various  branches  of 
their  artistic  industry,  especially  as  regards  taste  and  decoration,  are 
indubitably  due  in  some  measure  to  the  skill  acquired  by  the  painting  of 
Chinese  word  characters  with  the  brush  and  ink.  All  of  the  six  different 
styles  of  writing  employed  by  the  Chinese  (which  correspond  to  black  let- 
ter, script,  italic,  roman,  etc.,  in  English)  are  reproduced  with  great  skill  by 
the  Japanese,  particularly  the  chuen  shu,  or  the  style  known  to  foreigners 
as  the  seal  character,  from  its  use  in  seals  and  ornamental  inscriptions.  The 
most  popular  and  widely  used  is  perhaps  the  U  shu,  or  style  of  official  attend- 
ants, an  elegant  and  highly  artistic  form  employed  chiefly  in  engrossing 
documents. 

The  man  of  ordinary  education  in  Japan  is  supposed  to  write  at  least  three 
of  the  various  styles,  the  two  most  popular  of  which,  for  regular  use,  are 
the  kaisho  (formal,  regular,  or  square  style),  and  the  gydsho,  a  semi- 
cursive  style  occupying  an  intermediate  position  between  the  square  and 


cxxvi  THE  JAPANESE  LANGUAGE 


the  cursive.  As  a  rule  children  learn  about  500  of  the  Chinese  ideographs, 
and  many  do  not  acquire  more  when  they  grow  up.  For  this  reason  in 
newspapers  and  books  written  for  popular  reading  there  are  generally  placed 
by  thr  side  of  the  Chinese  characters  their  Japanese  sounds  or  meaning  in 
kana — -a  necessary  addition  to  insure  an  understanding  of  them.  The 
ability  of  the  Japanese  to  read  the  Chinese  characters  enables  the  two 
peoples  to  communicate  easily  in  writing.  They  cannot,  however,  under- 
stand? the  spoken  language,  for,  although  the  Chinese  root-characters  have 
remained  the  same,  their  pronunciation  has,  under  the  influence  of  the 
euphonious  Japanese  idiom,  undergone  a  remarkable  metamorphosis  —  the 
guttural  sounds  of  the  Chinese  having  wholly  disappeared.  4  Thus,  like  the 
Chinese,  the  Japanese  has  ceased  to  distinguish  many  abstract  words  by 
their  pronunication,  and  has  kept  an  astonishing  number  of  homonyms, 
whose  various  meanings  can  easily  be  recognized  by  the  context  and  the 
order  of  the  words,  and  in  some  cases  by  the  written  characters.  Literally 
the  language  is  a  combination  of  two  different  idioms,  of  which  one 
descends  from  the  old  Japanese,  the  Yamato  kotoba  (language  of  Yamato, 
or  Japan),  the  other  from  the  Chinese.  It  has  been  compared  to  the  Eng- 
lish composed  from  Teutonic  and  Romance  sources.  As  the  stock  of  words 
employed  by  a  cultivated  Englishman  shows  a  higher  percentage  of 
Romance  than  of  Teutonic  words,  so,  too,  the  better-educated  Japanese 
prefers  to  make  use,  at  all  events  in  writing,  of  the  Chinese  portion  of  his 
conglomerate  speech.  But  these  two  elements  of  the  language  of  Japan, 
thoroughly  as  they  are  intermingled  and  fused  in  oral  intercourse,  preserve, 
in  writing,  their  original  character,  in  so  far  that  the  words  of  Chinese 
origin  are  reproduced  in  their  old  root-signs,  and  those  of  Japanese  origin 
in  the  syllabic  writing.' 

The  Japanese  possessed  no  letters  or  written  characters  until 
the  introduction  of  certain  features  of  Chinese  civilization  in 
the  5th  cent.  'The  Chinese  and  Japanese  languages  being 
radically  different,  the  Chinese  characters  could  not  be  used 
at  once,  and  it  was  by  a  gradual  process  that  the  present  alpha- 
bet was  evolved.  The  Chinese  use  ideographs  to  represent 
words,  mostly  monosyllabic.  On  the  introduction  of  ^  Chinese 
literature  into  Japan  these  signs  were  made  use  of  in  two  ways: 
one  as  signs  of  sounds;  the  other  as  signs  of  words,  as  in  the 
original,  but  calling  them  by  their  Japanese  equivalents. 
Gradually,  in  using  them  as  sounds,  a  method  developed,  so 
that  certain  characters  were  always  used  for  particular 
Japanese  sounds.  The  native  way  of  expressing  these  sounds  in 
writing  changed  with  time,  so  that  after  the  lapse  of  centuries 
they  differed  materially  from  the  originals,  and  gave  rise  to 
two  sets  of  characters  for  the  Japanese  alphabet.'  (Baron 
Kikuchi.)  The  celebrated  scholar  Kobo-Daishi  (p.  511),  who 
spent  many  years  in  China  and  who  knew  Chinese  as  well  as 
Sanskrit  and  Pali  (writes  Dr.  Rein),  introduced  in  the  9th  cent, 
the  kata-kana,  the  Japanese  syllabic  writing,  selecting  47 
Chinese  ideograms  which  he  simplified  and  adopted  as  signs 
for  as  many  syllables,  to  which  a  48th  sign  was  added  for  the 
final  and  nasal  n  of  many  Sinico- Japanese  words ;  for  this  kata- 
kana  served  also  for  the  transliteration  of  Chinese  signs  for  all 
those  who  did  not  understand  them.  The  Japanese  alphabet 
which  thus  came  into  use  is  also  called,  after  its  first  three 
syllables,  I-ro-ha.  Besides  the  simple  angular  and  quadratic 
signs  of  the  kata-kana  there  gradually  came  into  use  (about 


THE  JAPANESE  LANGUAGE  cxxvii 


809)  a  cursive  writing,  the  hira-kana  (hira  means  flat, 
smooth),  in  which  the  corners  are  rounded  off,  and  the  lines 
connected  with  one  another.  This  hira-kana  is  the  writing  of 
the  people,  while  the  educated  and  official  classes  employ 
exclusively  or  predominantly  the  Chinese  ideograms. 

The  name  kata-kana  is  derived  from  kata,  1  the  half  of  a  pair,'  kari,  4  bor- 
row '  and  na,  '  name.'  They  are  syllables  which  were  borrowed  from  'the 
halves  of  Chinese  names,  or  ideograms.  There  are  4  styles  of  kana  charac- 
ters: manyo,  or  antique;  hentai,  or  modified;  hira,  or  plain;  and  kana, 
or  curt.  The  manyo  and  hentai  styles  are  limited  in  use  "and  are  em- 
ployed by  antique  and  classic  writers.  The  hira-kana  (also  ascribed  to 
Kobo-Daishi),  though  much  more  widely  used  than  the  kata-kana  (which  is 
somewhat  inconvenient  for  writing  in  a  running  hand) ,  is  yet  less  generally 
serviceable,  and  there  is  a  tendency  to  displace  the  former  by  the  latter. 
Both,  being  independent  letters,  fulfill  each  their  function,  so  that  a  knowl- 
edge of  one  of  them  can  be  recognized  as  forming  the  rudiments  of  primary 
education.  As  the  kana  characters  are  phonetic  they  can  be  written  just  as 
they  are  sounded  or  pronounced,  and  being  rhythmic  (the  47  letters  form  a 
poem  called  Iroha-uta,  known  to  almost  every  child) ,  though  few  in  number, 
they  can  express  complicated  ideas  and  can  represent  a  great  variety  of 
speech.  They  are  simple  in  their  composition,  and  can  be  learned  with  little 
effort.  The  student  of  Japanese  often  meets  with  the  Iroha  in  ingenious 
and  fanciful  applications,  one  being  the  Iroha-datoe,  or  47  popular  sayings, 
each  of  which  commences  with  a  different  syllabic  sound. 

The  foreigner,  anxious  to  gain  a  quick  knowledge  of  Japan- 
ese without  having  to  undertake  the  laborious  task  of  learning 
to  read  and  write  the  native  symbols,  has  recourse  usually  to 
transliterated  Japanese  as  expressed  phonetically  under  the 
system  adopted  by  the  Romaji  Kwai,  or  Romanization 
Society,  —  whose  aim  is  to  replace  with  roman  letters  the 
ideograms  and  tokens  employed  in  the  Chinese  and  Japanese 
styles  of  writing.  This  will,  however,  give  him  linguistic 
facility  only,  as  the  newspapers  and  most  of  the  books  are 
printed  in  Chinese  and  kana ;  only  a  few  dictionaries,  phrase- 
books,  signs,  and  an  occasional  novel  being  printed  in  the 
roman  types. 

The  Romaji  alphabet  employs  22  of  the  letters  used  in  English,  I  and  v 
having  no  corresponding  sounds  in  Japanese,  and  q  being  disregarded.  The 
unabridged  dictionary  printed  in  Romaji  gives  an  inkling  of  the  sound  of 
the  spoken  language  by  showing  that  about  2160  words  begin  with  the 
letter  a;  1960  with  b;  2000,  c;  1400,  d;  600,  e;  1080,  /;  1440,  g;  5160,  h;  2960,  i; 
1600,  j;  13,600,  k;  4880,  m;  2800,  n;  2160,  o;  less  than  100,  p;  1440,  r;  10, 
240  s;  5560,  t;  1640,  u;  520,  w;  2540,  y;  and  800,  z.  —  C  is  never  used  in  its 
hard  sound,  or  g  in  its  soft  sound.  The  vowels  a,  e,  i,  o,  u,  though  supposed 
to  have  only  one  sound  each,  are  often  shorter  and  natter  than  the  rule 
would  indicate;  unless  marked  with  the  sign  of  long  quantity  they  are 
usually  pronounced  full  and  clear  as  in  Spanish  and  German. 

o  is  pronounced  like  a  in  father  (as  Shiba  —  she'-bah) . 

e  "  "         "    ay  in  may ;  (as  Meiji  —  may'-jee). 

t  "  "         "    i  in  machine  (as  Manji  —  mahn'-jee). 

o  "  "         "    o  in  oh  (as  Kobe — koh'-bay). 

u  "  "         "   u  in  rule  (as  Sumida  —  soo-me'-dah) . 

Syllables  are  not  unfrequently  contracted,  and  the  vowels,  when  a  hori- 
zontal line  is  placed  over  them,  become  long;  6  then  has  the  sound  of  o  in 
bone,  and  u  that  of  oo  in  moon.  This  is  supposed  to  be  the  only  stress  used  in 
the  language,  but  the  quick  ear  will  detect  a  slight  tonic  accent  in  many 
words,  varying  in  different  localities.  The  lengthening  of  the  sound  often 


cxxviii  THE  JAPANESE  LANGUAGE 


gives  a  different  meaning  to  the  word,  and  corresponds  in  a  way  to  the 
inflection  in  the  Cantonese  tongue,  as:  dozo,  please;  dozo,  a  godown,  or 
storehouse.  The  long  a,  e,  and  i  are  seldom  used,  except  in  interjections. 
Whepv  such  sounds  occur  they  are  usually  represented  by  doubling  the 
letters,  as  aa,  and  ii.  When  two  vowels  come  together,  as  ai,  au,  iu,  and  ou, 
they  should  be  pronounced  separately.  The  vowel  i  is  usually  short  and  often 
loses  its  sound,  as  hito  (man),  shita  (tongue),  which  very  nearly  have  the 
sou?  d  of  h'to  (or  shtoh)  and  shta.  The  letter  u  is  often  mute,  particularly 
in  a  word  like  Hakusan  (pronounced  Haksan).  In  the  Romaji  spelling, 
mute  vowels  are  often  shown  with  a  curved  line  over  them,  as:  I  ii,  etc. 
F  is  not  a  labio-dental  as  in  English;  the  sound  is  made  by  letting  the 
breath  escape  softly  through  the  lips.  S  before  a,  e,  o,  and  u  (as  sa,  se, 
so,  and  su)  is  pronounced  as  in  English.  In  the  syllable  shi,  the  sh  is  pro- 
nounced nearly  as  in  English,  or  like  the  German  sch  and  not  like  a 
simple  s.  The  correct  pronunciation  is  something  between  s  and  sch  (an  s 
sound  with  an  appended  aspirate  for  the  h).  In  the  syllable  chi  the  ch  is 
sounded  as  in  English  and  as  the  German  tsch,  and  in  ji  the  j  is  sounded  like 
something  between  ds  and  dsch.  R  is  commonly  pronounced  as  in  English. 
In  some  places  it  has  a  rolling  sound,  while  in  others  it  almost  verges  into  I. 
In  many  localities  in  Kyushu,  and  in  some  places  in  the  N.  part  of  the 
Main  Island,  r  is  pronounced  with  difficulty,  or  sometimes  never  uttered. 
G  has  a  hard  sound  at  the  beginning  of  a  word,  nearly  throughout  the 
whole  Empire.  In  some  places  it  has  a  sound  like  ng  in  among  and  sing, 
when  in  the  middle  of  a  word.  Thus  Nagasaki  is  pronounced  Nang-ah-sah'- 
key;  kago,  kang'-oh,  etc.  Y  is  pronounced  like  the  German  j,  though  not 
throughout  the  whole  series  of  syllables  beginning  with  it,  for  yi  is  even 
by  its  character  not  distinguished  from  i,  and  ye  but  slightly  so  from  e.  The 
two  letters  y  and  i  are  often  used  interchangeably.  Z  is  usually  pronounced 
as  a  soft  s.  The  T  in  words  like  Tsuruga  is  often  silent,  as  soo-roong'-ah. 

The  phonetic  transliteration  of  the  language  has  many 
inconveniences,  as  at  best  it  represents  merely  the  shadow  of 
the  thing,  while  the  ideograms  are  its  substance.  In  the 
absence  of  fixed  methods,  individuals  undertake  orthographic 
reforms  with  the  result  that  a  great  diversity  is  manifest  in  the 
spelling  of  different  words.  The  common  tendency  is  to  elimi- 
nate and  condense.  The  material  progress  of  the  Japanese 
during  the  last  few  decades  has  had  a  singularly  condensing 
and  shortening  effect  on  the  spoken  la"hguage,  which  is  in  a 
state  of  constant  transition.  Those  writers  who  have  broken 
away  from  the  old  traditions  seem  to  be  consciously  or  uncon- 
sciously searching  for  a  new  style  suitable  to  the  age.  Despite 
the  manifold  advantages  of  the  Romaji,  only  a  very  few  thou- 
sands out  of  the  50  million  Japanese  read  it,  and  when  these 
seek  to  express  words  after  the  system,  they  frequently  elide 
letters,  chiefly  consonants.  It  thus  befalls  that  in  modern 
writing  Gwaimusho  (Foreign  Office)  is  usually  spelled 
Gaimusho:  shi  wo  is  often  shio;  kwan  is  usually  kan;  kwaisha, 
kaisha;  kwannon,  kannon;  midzu,  mizu;  Shidzuoka,  Shizuoka; 
and  so  on.  What  the  traveler  will,  therefore,  often  consider 
mistakes  in  spelling  are  merely  idiosyncracies.  While  some 
writers  use  the  hyphen  for  joining  words,  others  leave  it  out. 
Students  who  seek  words  in  a  Romaji  dictionary,  and  are  un- 
able to  find  them,  may  often  have  light  thrown  on  the  subject 
by  referring  to  Nigori.1  So  rapidly  is  the  language  changing 

1  Nigori,  or  the  modification  of  impure  syllables,  is  employed  extensively 
in  the  Japanese;  the  law  governing  its  use  '  is  that  the  initial  surd  (ch,  sh,  ft 


THE  JAPANESE  LANGUAGE 


cxxix 


that  a  grammar  written  20  yrs.  ago  is  now  considered  pedantic 
in  some  quarters.  The  tendency  in  Tokyo  is  to  swallr  n  ter- 
minations and  join  worcjs  as  the  French  do,  —  particularly 
when  the  second  word  begins  with  a  g.  Students  of  the  lan- 
guage are  often  perplexed  by  the  refusal  of  certain  squeamish 
persons  to  use  words  possessing  a  double  meaning,  such  as  shi, 
which  means  four  and  also  death  —  distasteful  in  its  suggestive- 
ness.  Likewise  shichi,  the  accepted  word  for  seven,  but  which 
means  death-door.  Nana,  the  more  polite  term  for  the  number, 
is  used  by  many. 

The  honorifics  so  often  referred  to  by  writers  are  not  as 
grandiloquent  as  they  might  seem,  and  they  usually  serve  as 
a  polite  form  of  address  to  which  cultured  Japanese  are  so 
accustomed  that  no  special  note  is  taken  of  them.  They 
should  not  be  applied  to  one's  self.  Nor  should  the  traveler 
take  too  literally  the  native  custom  of  deprecating  everything 
Japanese,  as  such  expressions  are  usually  as  airy  as  Spanish 
compliments  —  and  as  meaningless.  The  words  Ijin-san, 
which  travelers  hear  so  often  from  the  lips  of  children,  though 
meaning  i  foreign  barbarian  1  in  its  broadest  sense,  is  meant 
merely  to  qualify  one  as  a  foreigner.  Country-folks  usually 
say  Gwai-koku-jin,  or  'outside-country  man.'  Ketojin, 1  hairy 
foreigner/  is  used  in  a  contemptuous  sense. 

The  traveler  may  like  to  remember  that  the  curious  and 
inelegant  jargon  current  along  the  China  coast,  and  not  inaptly 
called  '  broken  china/  is  not  used  in  Japan,  as  the  Japanese 
who  sets  himself  the  task  of  learning  English  usually  does  it 
exceptionally  well.  Even  some  coolies  speak  English  with  a 
facility  not  at  all  flattering  to  the  linguistically  deficient 
Anglo-Saxon,  who  cherishes  the  hollow  belief  that  as  English 
will  some  day  become  the  universal  language  he  need  make  no 
effort  to  learn  any  other.  While  some  natives  during  the  learn- 
ing stage  speak  English  in  a  clipped  manner,  eliminating  arti- 
cles and  prepositions,  and  employing  the  infinitives  of  verbs 
instead  of  the  tenses,  their  speech  bears  no  resemblance  to  the 
droll  pidgin-English  of  the  Chinese  littoral.  There  is,  in  fact, 
no  Lingua  Franca  deserving  of  the  name  in  Japan. 

A  speaking  knowledge  of  the  numerals  shown  hereinafter 
will  be  found  useful  in  many  cases.  The  menus  in  hotels  and 
restaurants  often  have  numbers  opposite  the  Japanese  names 
of  dishes,  and  in  the  treaty  ports  houses  are  often  known  by 
numbers  rather  than  by  the  names  of  the  occupants. 

h,  k,  s,  ts,  or  t)  of  an  independent  word  —  especially  of  a  noun  —  changes 
into  the  corresponding  sonant  (j,  b,  g,  z,  or  d)  when  the  word  is  used  as  the 
second  member  of  a  compound,  as:  ryori-Jaya,  "  an  eating-house  " ;  from 
ryori,  "  cookery,"  and  Chaya,  "  a  tea-house  ";  yane-Bune,  "  a  house-boat," 
from  yane,  "a  roof,"  and  Fune,  "a  vessel,"  etc.' 


cxxx 


JAPANESE  VOCABULARY 


Above,  ue  ni. 
After,  no  nochi  ni. 
Afterward,  nochi  ni. 
All;  whole,  mina. 
Also,  yahari. 
Among,  uchi  ni. 
At,  ni. 

Become,  (to)  ni  nam. 
Before,  no  mae  ni. 
Behind,  no  ushiro  ni. 
Beneath,  shita  ni. 
Besides,  no  hoka  ni. 
Between,  no  aida  ni. 
Beyond,  no  saki  ni. 
Big-  okii. 

BilJ/of  fare,  kondate. 
Black,  kuroi. 
Blue,  aoi  ;  ai. 
Boat,  June  ;  kobune. 
Boil  (water),  wakasu. 
Box,  hako. 
Boy,  otoko  no  ko. 
Bread,  pan. 
Breakfast,  asa-han.  _ 
Bridge,  hashi ;  bashi. 
Broad,  hiroi. 
Brown,  kuri-iro. 
Busy,  isogashii. 
Button,  botan. 
Buy  (to),  kau. 
By,  ni  ;  de. 

Call  (to),  yobu. 
Can  (able),  dekiru. 
Carry  (to),  hakobu. 
Cat,  neko. 

Catch  (to),  tsUkamaeru. 
Chair,  isu. 
Charcoal,  sumi. 
Child,  kodomo. 
China,  Shina. 
Cigar,  maki-tabako. 
Cigarette,  kami-maki- 

tabako. 
Clean,  kirei  na. 
Clever,  riko  na. 
Clock  (or  watch),  tokei. 
Clothes,  kimono. 
Cloud,  kumo. 
Coal,  sekitan. 
Coat;  overcoat,  uwagi. 
Coffee,  kohi. 
Cold,  tsumetai. 
Cold  weather,  samui. 
Color,  iro. 
Comb,  kushi. 
Come  (to),  kuru. 
Consul,  ryoji. 
Consulate,  ryojikwan. 
Cool,  suzushii. 
Corkscrew,  kuchi-nuki. 


Japanese  Vocabulary 

Cotton,  momen.  • 
Crab,  kani. 
Crape,  chirimen. 
Crowd,  dzei. 
Cry  (to),  naku. 
Cup,  chawan. 
Curtain,  mado-kake. 
Custom-house,  zeikwan. 

Damp,  shimeppoi. 
Dance  (to),  odoru. _ 
Dangerous,  abunai. 
Dark,  kurai. 
Daughter,  mus'ume. 
Dawn,  yo-ake. 
Day,  hi. 
Daytime,  hiru. 
Dear  (high),  takai. 
Deck  (ship's),  kampan. 
Deep,  fukai. 
Dentist,  ha-isha. 
Devil,  oni. 

Diarrhea,  geri. 

Dictionary,  jibiki;  jisho. 

Die  (to),  shinuru. 

Different,  betsu  no. 

Difficult,  muzukashii. 

Dining-room,  shokuma. 

Dinner,  ban-meshi ;  yu- 
shoku. 

Dirty,  kitanai. 

Disease,  bydki. 

Dish,  sara  ;  bon. 

Dislike  (to),  kirau. 

Do  (to),  sum ;  itasu. 

Dog,  inu  ;  chin. 

Door,  to  ;  mon. 

Down,  shimo ;  shita. 

Downfall,  horobi. 

Downward,  shita  ni. 

Drawer,  hiki-dashi. 

Dreary,  uttdshii. 

Drink  (to),  nomu. 

Drop  (to),  ochiru. 

Dust,  gomi  ;  chiri. 

Duty  (custom's),  zei. 

Ear,  mimi ;  (of  corn) ,  ho. 
Earth,  tsuchi. 
Earthquake,  jishin. 
East,  higashi ;  to. 
Easy,  yasui ;  tayasui. 
Eat  (to),  taberu. 
End,  shimai ;  owari. 
Envelope,  jobukuro. 
Even,  demo;  sae. 
Ever,  itsu-made  mo. 
Every,  goto  ni. 
Everywhere,  doko  nite 
mo. 

Except,  hoka-ni. 
Eye,  me  ;  manako. 


Face,  kao  ;  tsura. 
Fall  (to),  ochiru. 
Fan,  ogi  ;  sensu. 
Fare,  chin ;  chinsen. 
Fast,  hayaku. 
Father,  chichi. 
Feel  (to),  oboeru. 
Fever,  netsu. 
Few,  sukunai. 
Fill  (to),  mitaseru. 
Find  (to) ,  au  ;  ataru. 
Fine    (choice),    hosoi : 

rippa  na. 
Finger,  yubi. 
Finish  (to),  shimau. 
Fire,  hi;  kwaji. 
Fire-arm,  teppo. 
First-rate,  dai-ichiban- 

no. 
Flea,  nomi. 
Floor,  yuka. 
Flower,  hana. 
Fly  (insect) ,  hai  ;  abu. 
Follow  (to) ,  tsuite  iku. 
Foot,  ashi. 
For,  tame  ni. 
Foreign,  gwai. 
Foreigner,  gwaikokujin. 
Forget  (to),  wasureru. 
Fork  (pronged) ,  niku- 

sashi. 
From,  kara  ;  yori. 
Front,  omote. 
Fruit,  mizu-kwashi. 
Full,  ippai  ;  mitsuru. 

Garden,  niwa ;  koen. 
Germany,  Doitsu. 
Get  (to) ,  uru  ;  ukeru. 
Girl,  musume. 
Give  (to),  yam. 
Glad,  ureshii. 
Glass,  garasu  ;  biidoro. 
Glove,  tebukuro. 
Go  (to),  iku ;  yuku. 
Go  down,  kudaru. 
Go  up,  noboru. 
Go  with,  tomonau. 
Good,  yoroshii  ;  yoi. 
Great,  okii. 
Green,  aoi ;  midori. 
Guarantee,  ukeai. 
Guest,  kyaku. 
Guidebook,  dochuki. 

Hair,  ke ;  kami. 
Half,  han  ;  hambun. 
Hand,  te. 

Handkerchief,  hankechi. 
Harbor,  minato. 
Hard,  katai. 
Hat,  boshi;  shappo. 


JAPANESE  VOCABULARY 


CXXXl 


Have  (to),  motsu;  aru. 
He,  ano  hito;  are. 
Head,  atama;  kashira. 
Headache,  zutsu. 
Hear  (to),  kiku. 
Heavy,  omoi;  omotai. 
Heel,  kakato. 
Hell,  jigoku. 
Help  (to) ,  sewa  wo  suru, 
Hen,  mendori. 
Here,  koko ;  kochira. 
High,  takai. 
Him,  kare;  zare. 
Himself,  mizukara. 
Hold    (to) ,    motsu ; 

tamotsu. 
Hole,  ana. 
Holiday,  matsuribi. 
Honest,  shojiki  na. 
Hospital,  bydin. 
Hot,  atsui. 
How,  do;  ikaga. 
However,  keredomo. 
Husband,  otto. 
Hush  (to),  shizumeru. 

Ice,  kori  ;  hizai. 
Idle,  asobu. 
Idol,  zo  ;  moku-zo. 
If,  moshi ;  naraba. 
Ignorance,  shiranu  koto. 
Ignorant,  shiranu. 
Ill  (sick),  ambai  warui. 
In,  ni. 

Indeed,  jitsu  ni. 
Indecent,  busaho  na. 
Insect,  mushi. 
Inside,  naka  ni. 
Insipid,  aji  no  nai. 
Instantly,  sokuji  ni. 
Instead,  kawari  ni. 
Intelligence,  saichi. 
Into,  ni;  uchi;  naka. 
Introduce,  tebiki  wo 

suru. 
Itself,  hitori  de. 
Ivy,  tsuta. 

Jackass,  roba. 
Jail,  roya. 

Japanese,  Nippon  no. 
Jelly,  ante. 
Jewelry,  tamazaiku. 
Joke,  jodan ;  share. 
Jolt,  ugoku  ;  ureru. 
Journey,  tabi ;  ryd-ko. 
Joy,  yorokobi ;  etsu. 
Jug,  tokkuri. 
Juggler,  yashi. 
Jump,  tobu;  haneru. 
Junction,  awaseru  koto. 
Junk,  fune. 
Just  (adv.),  chodo. 
Just  now,  tadaima. 
Just  so,  ari  no  mama. 


Kettle,  tetsubin. 
Key,  kagi. 
Kick  (to),  keru. 
Kill  (to),  korosu. 
Kind  (sort),  shurui. 
Kind  (good),  shinsetsu. 
Kiss  (to),  kuchisu. 
Kiss  (a),  kuchitsuke. 
.  Knee,  hiza. 
Knife,  hbcho  ;  kogatana 
Know  (to),  shiru. 

Label,  fuda ;  meifuda. 
Lady,  onna. 
Lamp,  rampu. 
Large,  okii. 
Last,  owari  no. 
Late,  osoi. 
Laugh  (to),  warau. 
Learn  (to),  narau. 
Least,  ichi-ban  chiisai. 
Leather,  kawa. 
Leave  (to),  shirizoku. 
Left,  hidari  no. 
Leg,  ashi. 

Legation,  koshikwan. 
Legging,  kyahan. 
Length,  nagasa. 
Leper,  raibyo-yami. 
Less,  chiisai. 
Lesson,  nikkwa. 
Letter  (missive) ,  tegami 
Liar,  uso-tsuki. 
Lie,  uso  wo  tsuku. 
Life,  inochi. 
Lift  (to),  mochi-ageru. 
Light,  karui ;  akari. 
Lightning,  inazuma. 
Like  (similar),  onaji. 
Like  (to),  konomu;  suku. 
Likely,  tabun. 
Likewise,  mata ;  yappari. 
Lily,  yuri. 
Liquid,  mizu-mono. 
List,  tammono. 
Listen  (to),  kiku. 
Literature,  gakumon. 
Lithograph,  ishizuri. 
Little,  sukoshi ;  chiisai. 
Live  (to),  oru  ;  iru. 
Lively,  ki  no  karui. 
Liver,  kan  no  zo. 
Lizard,  imori. 
(a)  Load,  da;  katsugi. 
Lobster,  kuruma-ebi. 
Lock,  jo;  jomae. 
Lock  (to),  jo  wo  orosu. 
Lonely,  samushii. 
Long,  nagai  ;  cho. 
Look  (to),  miru. 
Loot,  bundori-mono. 
Lose  (to),  ushinau. 
Loss,  son-shitsu. 
Lost,  nakunatta. 
Loud,  takai;  tsuyoi. 


Louse,  shirami. 
Love  (to),  ai  suru. 
Lovely,  kawai. 
Luggage,  nimotsu. 
Lump,  katamari. 
Lunatic,  kichigai. 

Madam,  oku-sama. 
Magnificent,  rippa  na. 
Maid-servant,  jochu. 
Mail   (P-O),  hikyaku; 

yubin. 
Make  (to),  koshiraeru. 
Malaria,  jaki ;  akki. 
Mamma,  okka-san;  haha. 
Man,  hito ;  nin. 
Manager,  shihai-nin. 
Many,  takusan. 
Map,  kuni-ezu  ;  chizu. 
Mark,  shirushi. 
Market,  ichi  ;  sdba. 
Marvelous,  ayashii. 
Master,  danna. 
Match  (sulphur) ,  tsukegi. 
Meal  (repast) ,  meshi. 
Meaning,  kokoro'. 
Meanwhile,  sono  aida  ni' 
Measurement,    nori ; 

sumpo. 
Meat,  niku;  tabemono. 
Medicine,  kusuri. 
Melon,  uri. 
Melt  (to),  tokasu. 
Mend  (to),  naosu. 
Merchant,  akindo. 
Message,  kojo. 
Messenger,  tsukai. 
Middle,  mannaka. 
Mild,  umai;  hodoyoi. 
Mile,  ri ;  mairu. 
Milk,  chichi ;  gyu-nyu. 
Mine  (personal),  wata- 

kushi  no. 
Mirror,  kagami. 
Miserable,  nanju  na. 
Missionary,  kyoshi. 
Mistake,  ayamachi. 
Mistress,  okami-san. 
Money,  kane;  kinsu. 
Money-changer,  ryogae- 

ya. 

Monkey,  saru. 
Moonlight,  tsuki-akari. 
More,  motto ;  mada. 
Mosquito,  ka. 
Mouse,  hatsuka-nezumi. 
Mouth,  kuchi. 
Move  (to) ,  ugoku  ;  ugo- 
kasu. 

Much,  takusan;  tanto. 
Mucilage,  nori. 
Muck,  koyashi. 
Mud,  doro. 
Muddy,  nigosu. 
Muggy,  shikki  no. 


CXXX11 


JAPANESE  VOCABULARY 


Mulberry,  kuwa;  kdzu. 
Mule,  usagi-uma ;  ra. 
Music,  gaku ;  hayashi. 
Musk-melon,  makuwa- 
uri. 

Must  (adv.),  kanarazu. 
Mustard,  karashi. 
My    (pronoun),  wata- 
kushi  no. 

Nail,  kugi ;  tsume. 
Naked,  hadaka  na. 
Name,  na  ;  namae. 
Napkin,  kuchifuki. 
Narrow,  semai ;  hosoi. 
Nasty,  mazui ;  musai. 
Nation,  jim-min  ;  koku- 
min . 

Naughty,  warui;  ashiki. 
Near,  chikai;  tejikaku. 
Nearly,  chikaku;  masani. 
Neat;  nice,  kirei  na. 
Necessary,  kanarazu. 
Neck,  kubi  ;  nodo. 
Necklace,  kubi-tama. 
Need,  yd ;  iriryo. 
Needle,  hari. 
Needlework,  nuimono. 
Neighborhood,  kinjo. 
Neither,  nao  mata. 
Nervous,  shinkei  no. 
Nest,  su.  Net,  ami. 
Neuralgia,  shinkei-tsu. 
Never,  itsu-mademo. 
Nevertheless,  keredomo. 
New,  atarashii;  shin. 
Newspaper,  shimbunshi. 
Next,  tsugi  no. 
Nicely,  yoku. 
Night-clothes,  nemaki. 
No,  iiye  ;  iya ;  nai. 
Nobody,  dare  mo  nai. 
Noise,  oto ;  ne. 
Noiseless,  oto  no  nai. 
Noisy,  yakamashii. 
None,  dare  mo  nai. 
Nonsense,    oroka  nam 
koto. 

Nor,  mo  ;  nao  ;  mata. 
North,  kita. 
Nose,  hana. 

Not  yet,  mada.    Is  not, 
nai. 

Nothing,  nani  mo  nai. 
Now,  ima  ;  tdji. 
Nowhere,    doko  ni  mo 
nai. 

Number,  ban;  insu. 
Nurse,  mori;  kaiho-nin. 
Nut,  mi. 
Nut-shell,  kara. 

Oak,  kashi  no  ki. 
Oar,  ro. 
Ocean,  umi. 


Of,  no. 

Of  course,  mochiron. 
Office,  yakusho. 
Officer,  yakunin. 
Often,  tabi-tabi. 
Oil,  abura ;  yu. 
Oily,  aburake  aru. 
Old  (thing) ,  furui. 
Olive,  kanran. 
Omnibus,  noriai-basha. 
On,  ue  ni.  Once,  ichido. 
One's  self,  jibun. 
Onion,  negi. 
Only,  bakari. 
Onward,  susumu. 
Open,  hiraita. 
Opposite,  mukai  no. 
Optician,  meganeshi. 
Or,  aruiwa ;  ka  ;  ya. 
Ordinary,  tsune  no. 
Original,  moto  no. 
Other,  hoka  no ;  betsuno. 
Ought,  beki ;  hazu. 
Our,  watakushi-domo. 
Out;  outside,  soto. 
Over,  ue ;  yo. 
Over  again,  kaeru. 
Oversleep,  ne-sugiru. 
Owner,  nushi. 
Oyster,  kaki. 

Package,  tsutsumi. 
Pack-horse,  ni-uma. 
Paint,  penki ;  nurimono. 
Pan,  sara ;  nabe. 
Papa,  ototsan. 
Paper,  kami. 
Parasol,  higasa. 
Pass  (to),  toru. 
Path,  komichi. 
Pay  (to)  harau. 
Peg,  ki-kuge.  Pen,  fude. 
Pencil,  empitsu. 
Pepper  (black),  koshd. 
Pepper   (red) ,  togara- 
shi. 

Perfectly,  mattaku. 
Perfumery,  kaori-mono . 
Perhaps,  okata  ;  tabun. 
Permit,  menjo. 
Pick  up  (to),  hirou. 
Piece,  kire  ;  hashi. 
Pillow,  makura. 
Pin,  hari. 
Pistol,  pistoru. 
Place,  tokoro. 
Plate,  sara. 
Platform,  dai. 
Pneumonia,  haikinsho. 
Pocket,  kakushi. 
Poison,  doku. 
Pongee,  tsumugi. 
Poor,  bimbo. 
Pretty,  kirei  na. 
Price;  cost,  nedan. 


Pull  (to),  hiku. 
Put  in  (to),  ireru. 

Quaint,  mezurashii. 
Quick,  hayai. 
Quickly,  hayaku* 
Quiet,  shizuka  na. 
Quietly,  shizuka  ni. 
Quilt,  futon. 
Quit  (to),  yameru. 

Rag,  boro. 
Rain,  ame. 
Rain-coat,  kappa. 
Raisin,  hoshi-budo. 
Rapidly,  isoide. 
Rather,  kaete. 
Read  (to),  yomu. 
Ready,  shitaku  ga  aru. 
Real,  jitsu  na. 
Red,  akai. 
Ride  (to),  noru. 
Risky,  abunaki. 
Road,  michi. 
Room,  heya. 
Rope,  nawa. 
Rough,  arai.  < 
Round,  marui. 
Run  (to),  kakeru. 
Rusty,  sabita. 

Saddle,  kura. 
Saucer,  sara. 
See  (to),  miru. 
Sell  (to),  uru. 
Servant,  hokonin. 
Shirt,  shatsu. 
Shoe,  kutsu. 
Short,  mijikai. 
Shoulder,  kata. 
Show  (to),  miseru. 
Side,  kata ;  katawara. 
Since,  kara. 
Size,  okisa. 
Skin,  kawa. 
Sleep  (to),  neru. 
Slow,  osoi  ;  yurui. 
Small,  chiisai. 
Smell  (to) ,  kagu. 
Smelly,  kusai. 
Smoke,  kemuri. 
Soap,  shabon. 
Soft,  yawaraka  na.  _ 
Softly,  yawaraka  ni. 
Some,  aru  ;  saru. 
Somebody,  aru  hito. 
Somehow,  tokaku. 
Soon,  jiki-ni. 
Sour,  suppai. 
South,  minami. 
Spoil  (to),  sonjiru. 
Spectacles,  megane. 
Spider,  kumo. 
Spoon,  saji. 
Square,  shikaku  na. 


JAPANESE  VOCABULARY 


CXXXlll 


Stand  (to),  tatsu. 
Star,  hoshi. 
Sticky,  nebai. 
Stone,  ishi. 
Stop  (to),  tomaru. 
Storm,  arashi. 
Straight,  mattsugu. 
Strangely,  ayashiku. 
Stranger,  shiranai  hito. 
String,  ito;  nawa. 
Strong,  tsuyoi. 
Study  (to),  manabu. 
Stupid,  don  na. 
Sugar,  sato. 
Sun,  hi;  nichirin. 
Sunlight,  hinata. 
Supper,  yu-meshi. 
Sweet,  amai ;  umai. 
Sweetheart,  ki-ni-iri. 
Swim  (to),  oyogu. 
Sure,  tashika  naru. 
Sword,  katana. 

Table,  tsukue. 
Table-cloth,  handai- 

shiki. 
Tack,  byo. 
Take  (to),  toru. 
Talk  (to),  hanasu. 
Tall,  sei-takai.  * 
Taste,  aji;  ajiwa. 
Than,  yori. 
That,  sore;  are. 
Them,  karera  wo. 
Then,  sono  toki. 
There,  achi ;  achira. 
They,  kare-ra ;  sore. 
Thief,  dorobo. 
Thing,  mono. 
Think  (to),  omou. 
This,  kore ;  kono. 
Though,  keredomo. 
Thread,  ito. 
Through,  toru. 
Thumb,  oya-yubi. 
Tide,  shio. 
Tiffin,  hiru-gozen. 
Tight,  katai. 
Tightly,  kataku. 
Till,  made. 
Time,  toki. 
To,  ni ;  ye ;  made. 
Together,  issho  ni. 
Tongue,  shita. 
Too,  sugiru. 
Tooth,  ha ;  me. 
Tooth-brush,  yoji. 
Touch  (to),  ataru. 
Tough,  katai. 
Toward,  mukatte. 
Town,  machi ;  joka. 
Transfer,  utsushi. 
Trouble,  shimpai. 
Trunk,  fiako;  hitsu. 


Turn  (to),  mawaru. 
Twice,  ni-do ;  futa-tabi. 

Ugly,  mi-nikui. 
Ultimately,  hate  ni. 
Umbrella,  karakasa. 
Unable,  dekinu. 
Unbearable,  koraera- 
renu. 

Unbecoming,  niawanu. 
Unbolt  (to),  hiraku. 
Unbutton  (to),  hazusu. 
Uncivil,  aisd-mo-nai. 
Uncle,  oji-san. 
Unclean,  kegareru. 
Uncomfortable,    ki  ni 

kanawazu. 
Uncommon,  mezurashii. 
Under,  no  shita  ni. 
Under-clothing,  shitagi. 
Underdone,  nama-yake. 
Undermost,  ichiban 

shita. 
Underneath,  shita. 
Undo  (to),  hazusu. 
Undressed,  hadaka  naru. 
Undrinkable,  nomarenu. 
Uneatable,  taberarenu. 
Unequal,  sorowanu. 
Uneven,  fu-soroi. 
Unexpected,  fui  no. 
Unfair,  tadashikaranu. 
Unfinished,  sumanu. 
Unfit,  kanawanu. 
Unfold,  hirogeru. 
Unfortunate,  fuko  na. 
Unfurnished,  dogu 

nashi. 

Ungraceful,  busaho  na. 
Unhealthy,  doku  ni  naru. 
Up,  ue ;  kami. 
Upon,  ue  ni. 
Upper,  ue  no. 
Upside  down,  saka- 

sama. 
Us,  watakushi-domo . 
Use  (to),  tsukai. 
Useless,  yd  nitatanu. 
Usually,  taitei. 

Vacant,  kara. 
Value,  atai ;  nedan. 
Various,  iro-iro  no. 
Vermin,  mushi. 
Very,  taiso ;  hanahada. 
View,  keshiki. 
Vile;  vulgar,  iy 


Wages,  kyu-kin. 
Walk  (to),  aruku. 
Walking-stick,  tsue. 
Walnut,  kurumi. 
Want  (to),  hoshii. 
Warm,  atatakai. 


Wash  (to),  arau. 
Water  (cold),  mizu. 
Water  (hot),  yu. 
Water-melon,  suika. 
Way,  michi;  do. 
Weak,  yowai. 
Weary,  tsukareru. 
Weather,  tenki. 
Weight,  mekata. 
West,  nishi ;  sai. 
Wet,  nuretaru. 
Wet  (to),  nureru. 
Wharf,  hatoba. 
What,  nani. 
Whatever,  nani  nite  mo. 
When,  itsu ;  toki. 
Whenever,  itsudemo. 
Where,  tokoro ;  doko. 
Wherever,  dokodemo 
Whether,  dochira. 
Which,  dochira;  dore. 
While,  toki ;  ori. 
Whip,  muchi. 
White,  shiroi;  haku.  - 
Whither,  doko  ye. 
Who,  dare;  donata. 
Whoever,  daredemo. 
Whom,  dare;  dono  hito. 
Whose,  dare  no. 
Why,  naze;  nani  yue. 
Wicked,  aku  na. 
Wide,  hiroi. 
Widow,  goke. 
Wife,  tsuma. 
Willingly,  shinkara. 
Wind,  kaze;  fu. 
Window,  mado. 
Windy,  kazegachi  na. 
Wine,  sake  ;  budoshu. 
Wing,  hane. 
Wish,  negai. 
With,  to  issho  ni. 
Within,  uchi;  naka. 
Without,  soto ;  hoka. 
Woman,  onna. 
Word,  kotoba;  ji. 
Work,  shigoto. 
World,  sekai. 
Worm,  mushi. 
Worse,  nao  warui.  • 
Worthless,    ne-uchi  ga 
nai. 

Wrap  up  (to),  tsutsumu. 
Write  (to),  kaku. 

Yellow,  ki-iro. 
Yes,  hai;  sayd. 
Yet,  mada. 
Yonder,  asuko. 
You,  anata. 
Young,  wakai. 
Your,  anata  no. 
Yourself;  anata-jibun. 
Youthful,  itokenai. 


cxxxiv 


JAPANESE  PHRASES 


Japanese  Phrases 


Good-morning,  O  hayd. 

Good-bye,  Saydnara. 

Good-evening,  Komban  wa. 

Good-night,  O  yasumi  nasai. 

Thank  you,  Arigato. 

Welcome,  Irasshaimashi. 

Please  come  in,  O  hairi  nasai. 

Please  sit  down ,  D  bzo  o  kake  na- 

i*iie4  sai. 

I  don't  know,  Shirimasen. 

What  time  is  it?  Nan-ji  desu,  kaf 

When  is  it?  Itsu  desu  kaf 

What  is  it?  Nan  desu  ka? 

Which  is  best?  Dochi  ga  yoro- 
shiif 

What  is  the  fare?  Chinsen  wa  ikuraf 
What  do  you  say?  Nan  to  osshai- 

*  masuf 

It  is  too  dear,  Amari  takai. 

Come  here,  Oide  nasai. 

That  won't  do,  Sore  ja  ikemasen. 

That  is  not  so,  So  ja  nai. 

Do  you   under-  Wakarimasu  ka? 
stand? 

Look  at  it,  Go-ran  nasai. 

Wait  a  minute,  Sukoshi  mate. 

Don't  do  that,  So  shicha  ikenai. 

Can  you  go?.  Ikaremasu  kaf 

Are  you  ready?  Mo  yoroshii  kaf 

I  can,  Dekimasu. 

I  can't,  Dekimasen. 

That  is  enough ,  Mo  yoroshii. 
It  does  n't  matter,  Kamaimasen. 

No  more,  Mo  takusan. 

Is  that  so?  So  desu  kaf  _ 
I  beg  your  pardon,  Gomen  nasai. 
I  don't  understand,  Wakarimasen. 

Who  is  it?  Dare  desu  kaf 

Where  is  it?    _  Doko  desu  kaf 

How  much  is  it?  Ikura  desu  kaf 

Please  show  me,  Misete  kudasai. 

That  will  do,  Sore  de  yoroshii. 
I  don't  want  that,  Are  wa  irimasen. 

It  is  cheap,  Yasui. 

Take  care!  Abunai  yo! 

That  is  all  right,  Yoroshii. 

Look  here !  Chotto  ! 

What  do  you  Nan  no  go  yd  desu 

want?  kaf 

How  are  you?  Ikaga  desu  kaf 

Show  him  in,  O  toshi  mose. 

Please  hurry!  Hayaku! 

I  can't  go,  Ikaremasen. 

I  tell  you  I  don't  Shiranai  yo. 

know, 

Wait  there,  Achira  ye  matte. 

Let  us  go,  Iko  ya. 

If  possible,  Narubeku  wa. 

This  won't  do,  Kore  de  wa  ikenai. 

That  is  bad,  it  his  Are    wa  warui; 

is  good,  kore   wa  yoro- 
shii. 

What     is     your  0  namaye  wa  nan 

name  ?  to  iu  f 


In  a  few  days,  Kinjitsu. 
Stop!  Mate! 
Go  away!  Ike! 
It  can't  be  helped,  Shikata  ga  nai. 
Anything  will  do,  Nandemo  ii. 
It  is  very  nice,       Kekko  desu. 
I  see!  Indeed!  Naruhodo! 
I  won't  wait,         Machi  wa  shima- 
sen. 

Is  there?  Arimasti,  ka? 

Is  it  far?  Toi  desu  ka? 

I  am  hungry,        Hara  ga  hette  iru. 
I  am  an  American,  Watakushi  wa 
Amerika-jin 
desu. 

I  am  an  English-  Watakushi  wa  Igi- 

man,        <  risu-jin  desu. 

Is  that  all  right?   Sore  de  yoroshii 
ka? 

Pray  don't  men-  Do  itashimashite. 
tion  it, 

What  is  the  fare  Hoteru    made  no 
to  the  hotel?         chinsen  wa  ikura 
desu  ka? 

Where  is  the  Post  Yubin-kyoku  wa 
Office?  dochira  de  gozai- 

masu  ka? 

What  do  you  call*  Kore  wa  Nihon 
this  in  Japa-  de  nan  to  moshi- 
nese?  masu  ka? 

I  don't  care,         Kamai  ya  shinai. 
There  is,  Arimasu. 
Is  it  near?  Chiko  gozaimasu 

ka? 

I  am  thirsty,        Nodo  ga  kawaki- 
mashita. 

Do  you  speak     Ei-go  wo  go-zonji 

English?  desti,  ka? 

What  is  the  mat-  Do  nasutta  no  desu 

ter?  ka? 
I  feel  very  sorry,  Sore  wa   o  kino- 
doku  sama  de  go- 
zaimasu. 

I  am  very  glad  to  Yoku  o  ide  nasai- 

see  you,  mashita. 
Where     is    the    Benjo   wa  doku 

W.  C?  desu  kaf 

Where  is  the  Rail-  Suteishon    wa  do- 
way  Station?         chira   de  gozai- 
masu ka? 

Please  write  the  Ddka  Nihon  no 
address  in  Japa-  moji  de  tokoro 
nese,  wo  kaite  kudasai. 

My  name  is         Watakushi  wa 
Suzuki,  Suzuki  to  mosh- 

imasu. 

Both  of  them,       Rionin  to  mo. 
Until  to-morrow,  Miyonichi  made. 
From  Yokohama  Yokohama  kara 

to  Tokyo,  Tokyo  made. 

It  is  not  worth  Iu  made  mo  nai. 

mentioning, 
Has  he  come?       Kita  kaf 
Has  he  gone?        Itta  kaf 


NUMERALS,  ETC. 


cxxxv 


Numerals.  The  Japanese  employ  two  series:  their  own,  and  those  borrowed 
from  the  Chinese;  the  former  extend  no  further  than  the  number  ten. 


List 

Chinese 

Japanese 

41 

One 

Ichi 

HUotsu 

50 

Two 

Ni 

Futatsu 

51 

Three 

San 

Mitsu 

60 

Four 

Shi 

Yotsu 

61 

Five 

Go 

Itsutsu 

70 

Six 

Roku 

Mutsu 

71 

Seven 

Shichi 

Nanatsu 

80 

Eight 

Hachi 

Yatsu 

81 

Nine 

Ku 

Kokonotsu 

90 

Ten 

Ju 

To 

91 

11 

Ju-ichi 

100 

12 

Ju-ni 

200 

13 

Ju-san 

300 

14 

Ju-shi 

400 

15 

Ju-go 

500 

16 

Ju-roku 

600 

17 

Ju-shichi 

700 

18 

Ju-hachi 

800 

19 

Ju-ku 

900 

20 

Ni-ju 

1000 

21 

Ni-ju  ichi 

,2000 

22 

Ni-ju  ni 

3000 

23 

Ni-ju  san 

4000 

24 

Ni-ju  shi 

5000 

25 

Ni-ju  go 

6000 

26 

Ni-ju  roku 

7000 

27 

Ni-ju  shichi 

8000 

28 

Ni-ju  hachi 

9000 

29 

Ni-ju  ku 

10,000 

30 

San-ju 

100,000 

31 

San-ju  ichi,  etc. 

A  million 

40 

Shi-ju 

Shi-ju  ichi,  etc. 
Go-ju 

Go-ju  ichi,  etc. 
Roku-ju 

Roku-ju  ichi,  etc. 
Shichi-ju 

Shichi-ju  ichi,  etc. 
Hachi-ju 

Hachi-ju  ichi,  etc. 
Ku-ju 

Ku-ju  ichi,  etc. 

Hyaku  (or  Ip-pyaku) 

Ni-hyaku 

Sam-byaku 

Shi-hyaku 

Go-hyaku 

Rop-pyaku 

Shichi-hyaku 

Hap-pyaku 

Ku-hyaku 

Sen  (also  1  cent)  * 

Ni-sen 

San-zen 

Shi-sen 

Go-sen 

Roku-sen. 

Shichi-sen 

Has-sen 

Ku-sen 

Ichi-man 

Ju-man 

Hyaku-man 


Ordinal  Numbers  can  be  formed  of  the  above  by  prefixing]Z)ai,  as  Dai-ichit 
first;  Dai-ni,  second;  Dai-go,  fifth;  Dai-ju,  tenth;  Dai-ju-go,  fifteenth,  etc. 
House  Numbers  can  be  expressed  by  the  addition  of  ban,  as:  Number  1, 


Ichi-ban;  No.  2, 
shi-ju-ni-ban. 


Ni-ban;  No.  28,    Ni-ju-hachi-ban;  No.  242,  Ni-hyaku 


Expressions  of  Time 


Second 

Bid 

Moment 

Kata-toki 

Minute 

Fun  {pun) 

(1  minute 

ip-pun 

5  minutes 

go  fun) 

An  hour 

Ichi-jikan 

Han-jikan 

i  " 

Jugo-fun 

A  day 

Ichi-nichi 

To-day 

Konnichi 

Yesterday 

Sakujitsu 

To-morrow 

Myonichi 

Midday 

Mahiru;  Shogo 

Night 

Yoru 

Midnight 

Yonaka 

Evening 

Yube 

Morning 

Asa 

Sunrise 

Hi-no-de 

Sunset 

Hi-no-iri 

Afternoon 
Every  day 
A  week 
Every  week 
Next  week 
A  fortnight 
A  month 
A  year 
A  century 
Leap-year 
Christmas 
New  Year's  day 
The  Holidays 


Hirusugi 

Mai-nichi 

Isshu 

Mai-isshu-kan 

Tsugi  no  isshu-kan 

Nishu-kan 

Hitotsuki 

Ichi-nen 

Hyaku-nen 

Uru-doshi 

Kirisuto  no  tanjo-bi 

Ganjitsu 

Kyujitsu 


Spring 
Summer 
Autumn 
Winter 


The  Seasons 

Haru 
Natsu 
Aki 
Fuyu 


cxxxvi 


EXPRESSIONS  OF  TIME 


The  Hours 


Days  of  the  Week 


One  o'clock 

Ichi-ji 

Sunday 

Nichiyd  bi 

2 

Ni-ji 

Monday 

Getsuyd  bi 

3 

San-ji 

Tuesday 

Kayo  bi 

4 

Yo-ji 

Wednesday 

Suiyo  bi 

5 

Go-ji 

Thursday 

Mokuyo  bi 

6 

Roku-ji 

Friday 

Kinyo  bi 

7 

Shichi-ji 

Saturday 

Doyd  bi 

8 

H  achi-ji 

9 

Ku-ji 

Bi  (or  hi)  11  day  "  is  often  omit 

10 

Jii-ji 

Thus   for  Sunday 

one  may 

11 

Ju-ichi-ji 

Nichiyd-bi  or  Nichiyd. 

12 

Ju-ni-$i 

say 


1st, 
2d, 
3d, 
4th, 
5th, 
®h, 
7th, 
8th, 
9th, 
10th, 
11th, 
12th, 
13th, 
14th, 
15th, 
16th, 
17th, 
18th, 
19th, 
20th, 
21st, 
22d, 
23d, 
24th, 
25th, 
26th, 
27th, 
28th, 
29th, 
30th, 
31st, 


Days  of  the  Month 

Tsuitachi 

Futsuka 

Mikka 

Yokka 

Itsuka 

Muika 

Nanuka 

Yoka 

Kokonoka 

Toka 

J  u-ichi-nichi 
J  u-ni-nichi 
J  u-san-nichi 
J  u-yokka 
J  u-go-nichi 
J  u-roku-nichi 
J  u-shichi-nichi 
J  u-hachi-nichi 
J  u-ku-nichi 
Hatsuka 


The  Months 


■j  u-ichi-nichi 
'-j  u-ni-nichi 
■j  u-san-nichi 
-j  u-yokka 
■j  u-go-nichi 
'-j  u-roku-nichi 
■j  u-shichi-nichi 
-j  u-hachi-nichi 
Ni-ju-nichi 
San-ju-nichi 
San-j u-ichi-nichi 


January 

(or  Ichi-getsu 
February 
March 
April 
May 
June 
July 
August 
September 
October 
November 
December 


Sho-gatsu 
— 1  month) 
Ni-gatsu 
San-gatsu 
Shi-gatsu 
Go-gatsiX 
Roku-gatsu 
Shichi-gatsu 
Hachi-gatsu 
Ku-gatsu 
Ju-gatsu 
J  u-ichi-gatsu 
J  u-ni-\ 


the 


year 


of 
the 


The  last  day  of  the  month  is 
Misoka ;  of  the  year,  Omisoka. 

The  month  is  usually  divided  into 
3  jun,  the  first  10  days  being  called 
jojun,  the  2d  chujun,  and  the  3d 
gejun.  One  day  is  ichi-nichi,  not 
tsuitachi. 


The  Years 

Tiger  (Ki-no-e  Tora) 
Hare  ( Ki-no-to  U) 
Dragon  (Hi-no-e  Tatsv) 
Serpent  (Hi-no-to  Mi) 
Horse  (Tsuchi-no-e 

Uma) 
Goat  (Tsuchi-no-to 

Hitsuji) 
Monkey  {Ka-no-e  Saru) 
Cock  ( Ka-no-to  Tori) 
Dog  (Mizu-no-e  Inu) 
Boar  (Mizu-no-to  I) 
Rat  (Mizu-no-e  Ne) 
Ox  (Mizu-no-to  Ushi) 

The  above  12  signs  of  the  zodiac 
(ju-ni-shi)  begin  with  the  Year  of 
the  Rat  and  repeat  themselves  when 
the  Year  of  the  Boar  is  reached: 
thus,  1926  will  be  the  Year  of  the 
Tiger.  Roughly  speaking  the  old 
Japanese  calendar  is  about  one 
month  behind  the  present  Gregorian 
dates. 


1914 
1915 
1916 
1917 
1918 

1919 

1920 
1921 
1922 
1923 
1924 
1925 


Many  additional  Japanese  equivalents  of  English  words  will  be  found 
under  their  proper  headings  throughout  the  Guidebook. 


GEOGRAPHY 


cxxxvii 


III.  Geographical  Sketch 

The  Japanese  Empire,  exclusive  of  Korea,  consists  of  5£ 
large  islands  and  about  4000  small  ones,  which  stretch  in  a 
long,  thin,  uneven  line  for  upward  of  2000  M.  between  22°  and 
51°  of  lat.  N.  and  120°  and  156°  of  long.  E.  of  Greenwich. 
Formosa,  the  3d  largest,  at  the  S.W.  limit,  and  the  Kuriles  at 
the  N.E.,  are  antipodal  geographically  as  well  as  climatically, 
since  the  former,  astride  the  Tropic  of  Cancer,  is  as  sunny  and 
as  hot  as  the  latter  are  foggy  and  cold.  To  most  foreigners  the 
real  Japan  is  the  Main  Island  {Hondo,  or  Honshu  —  'main 
part';  also  Jikata  —  'mainland')  which  curves  like  a  great 
crescent-shaped  barrier  reef  for  800  M.  (1170  M.  long  by  i>he 
rly.)  up  and  down  the  Russian- Asiatic  littoral  from  which 
it  is  separated  by  the  Japan  Sea.  At  no  part  is  Hondo  more 
than  200  M.  wide,  and  the  average  width  is  about  75  M.  On 
this  great  island  (said  to  be  the  5th  largest  in  the  world),  with 
its  beautifully  indented  coast-line  of  6630  M.,  are  38  millions  ; 
of  people,  and  the  important  cities  of  Tokyo,  Yokohama, 
Kyoto,  Osaka,  Kobe,  42  lesser  cities,  960  towns,  and  8641 
villages.  Its  estimated  area  of  86,300  sq.  m.  makes  it  approxi- 
mately the  size  of  Great  Britain,  or  of  New  York  and  Indiana 
States  combined. 

Viewed  from  the  mainland  (of  Siberia)  the  island  resembles 
the  inner  edge  of  a  boomerang  curved  in  its  own  plane  to  nearly 
an  arc  of  a  circle,  with  Aomori  at  its  topmost  point,  and 
Shimonoseki  at  the  bottom.  Tokyo,  lying  about  midway  of 
these  places,  facing  the  Pacific  Ocean,  at  the  heel  of  the 
instrument,  marks  a  point  where  the  land  bends  gracefully 
and  sweeps  due  N.  and  S.  Between  the  capital  and  Shimono- 
seki the  trend  is  southward  with  a  westwardly  pull.  At  the  last- 
named  point,  Kyushu,  the  4th  largest  of  the  islands,  is  visible 
across  the  narrow  Shimonoseki  Strait,  pending  N.  and  S.  like 
a  gigantic  pear-shaped  pearl.  It  counterbalances  in  a  striking 
way  the  great  northern  island  of  Yezo  (the  2d  largest),  and 
makes  of  the  3  chief  islands  a  well-defined  reverse  curve. 
Nagasaki,  Kumamoto,  Kagoshima,  the  famed  province  of 
Satsuma,  the  active  volcano  of  Aso,  and  the  quaint  hot  springs 
of  Beppu,  are  the  places  in  Kyushu  best  known  to  foreign 
travelers.  East  of  this  island,  across  the  Bungo  Channel,  lies 
Shikoku,  the  5th  island,  separated  from  the  S.W.  coast  of 
Hondo  by  the  renowned  and  romantically  beautiful  Inland 
Sea,  which  with  Fuji-san  is  perhaps  the  best  known  of  all  the 
physical  features  of  the  Japanese  Empire.  Saghalien,  the  S. 
half  of  which  belongs  to  Japan,  lies  to  the  N.  of  Yezo  (see  the 
map).  The  most  important  of  the  remaining  possessions  are 
the  Loochoo  and  Bonin  Islands,  Sado,  Oshima  (largest  of  the 
Seven  Isles  of  Izu),  Oki,  Awaji,  Tsushima,  and  the  Goto  group. 
The  total  area  of  the  Japanese  possessions  (barring  Korea)  is 


cxxxviii 


AGRICULTURE 


172,852  sq.  m.  —  which  is  practically  that  of  Sweden,  and 
which,  crowded  into  the  borders  of  the  American  State  of 
Texas,  would  still  leave  the  Texans  a  margin  in  their  favor  of 
92,928  sq.  m. 

t  Agriculture.  —  The  land  of  the  Empire  proper  (Hondo, 
Kyushu,  Shikoku,  Yezo,  and  the  minor  islands)  is  marked  by 
numerous  artificial  terraces  (dai)  upon  which  centuries  of  time 
and  labor  have  been  expended,  and  which  now  produces  the 
vast  rice-crop  (50  million  koku  valued  at  800  million  yen)  that 
partly  feeds  the  nation.  Some  of  these  terraces  extend  far  up 
the  mt.  slopes,  and  are  not  unfrequently  held  in  place  by  mas- 
sive stone  walls.  Much  of  the  land  is  worthless  hara,  —  broad 
surfaces  that  spread  like  rolling  prairies  round  the  bases  of  the 
high  mts.,  and  are  covered  with  sword-like  bamboo-grass  that 
cuts  the  intestines  of  sheep  that  essay  to  feed  upon  it.  Forests 
(hayashi)  cover  about  59%  of  the  country,  and  with  the 
bare  ridges  and  miles  of  sand-hills  along  the  coast,  coupled 
with  the  mts.,  make  up  four  fifths  of  the  total  area  of  140,000 
sq.  m.  This  leaves  an  estimated  tillable  area  of  17%  with  an 
actual  cultivated  area  of  12%,  or  less  than  one  eighth  of  the 
entire  country.  On  this  limited  surface  agricultural  products 
valued  at  1J  billion  yen  are  produced  annually  —  two  crops 
a  year  being  taken  from  one  third  of  the  arable  area.  Sixty 
er  cent  of  the  population  are  engaged  in  farming,  thus  con- 
rming  the  proverb  that  agriculture  is  the  prop  of  the  country 
— '  No  wa  kuni  no  moto.'  This  result  is  attained  only  by  the 
utmost  diligence,  as  the  soil,  which  is  largely  the  product  of 
old  shales,  and  granite  and  trachytic  eruptions  decomposed  by 
the  weather,  has  small  natural  fertility.  Newly  broken  ground 
yields  but  scant  harvests.  Nowhere  else  in  the  world  is  fertil- 
izer (koyashi  or  hoe)  more  carefully  and  industriously  collected 
and  drawn  from  various  sources,  or  more  rationally  utilized 
than  in  Japan. 

In  Central  Japan  there  are  vast  sylvan  stretches  as  prim- 
itive as  they  were  a  millennium  ago.  The  (approx.)  56  million 
acres  of  practically  virgin  forest  (which  have  been  under  the 
direct  protection  of  the  Imperial  Gov't  since  the  9th  cent.)  are 
divided  into  Protection  and  Utilization  Forests;  the  former 
is  subdivided  into  Ordinary  and  Absolute;  the  latter  consists 
of  about  12,000  acres  maintained  intact,  the  felling  of  trees 
being  forbidden.  The  increasing  demand  for  timber  for  ship- 
building, rly.  ties,  housebuilding,  etc.,  made  it  necessary  (in 
1907)  for  the  Gov't  to  revise  the  Forestry  Laws;  trees  are  now 
planted  according  to  system,  and  efforts  are  being  made  to 
maintain  the  forests  at  a  certain  standard  of  productiveness. 
Most  of  the  mts.  are  heavily  wooded  far  up  their  sides  and  are 
belted  with  a  host  of  fine  deciduous  and  evergreen  trees, 
prominent  among  them  Spanish  chestnuts,  beeches,  magno- 
lias, cryptomerias,  oaks,  pines,  bamboos,  many  varieties  of 


GEOLOGY 


cxxxix 


maples,  cherries,  etc.;  and  they  impart  a  perennial  greenness 
like  that  of  Ireland  or  Ceylon.  Scattered  among  them  is  an 
unusual  lot  of  beautiful  flowering  trees,  and  these,  along  with 
the  omnipresent  camellias  and  other  flowers,  add  greatly  to 
the  country's  charm.  Plains  extend  along  the  lower  courses 
of  certain  of  the  large  rivers,  but  they  are  few  in  number. 
The  most  important  are  the  Plain  of  the  Kwanto,  N.  of  Tokyo 
Bay,  on  the  Tone  and  Sumida  Rivers;  the  Plains  of  Mino, 
Owari,  and  Ise  on  the  Kisogawa  and  the  Ise-no-umi ;  the  Plain 
of  Osaka,  on  the  Yodogawa;  that  of  Echigo  on  the  Shinano 
River;  Sendai,  on  the  Abukuma  and  the  Bay  of  Sendai,  and, 
lastly,  the  Plain  of  Ishikari,  in  Yezo.  As  a  rule,  hill  and  valley 
continually  succeed  each  other  on  the  Main  Island.  Yezq.js 
practically  a  mountain  mass.  A  landscape  view  without* 
mountains  is  as  rare  in  Japan  as  a  seascape  without  ships.  «gf 

Geologically  Japan  is  a  young  and  growing  country.  Many 
active  volcanoes  are  constantly  at  work  on  it,  and  in  many  parts 
of  it  the  earth's  crust  is  never  quite  still.  In  some  places 
(notably  at  Beppu)  the  volcanic  fires  are  so  near  the  surface, 
and  the  crust  or  skin  is  so  thin,  that  the  people  utilize  the 
natural  heat  for  cooking  purposes.  In  the  geological  formation 
of  the  main  island  plutonic  rocks,  especially  granite;  volcanic 
trachyte  and  dolerite,  and  Palaeozoic  schists,  predominate. 
The  basis  of  Hondo  consists  of  granite,  syenite,  diorite,  dia- 
base, and  related  kinds  of  rock.  Often  the  old  crystalline  rocks 
are  for  long  distances  overlaid  by  very  old  schists  and  quartz- 
ites.  In  general  they  follow  the  main  direction  of  the  island 
from  S.W.  to  N.E.  In  some  districts  Mesozoic  sand-  and  lime- 
stone are  found  in  connection  with  it,  and  frequently  Tertiary 
formations.  Volcanic  masses  break  through  and  overlie  all 
these  rocks  and  deposits  in  innumerable  places.  Granite  plays 
a  prominent  part  in  the  composition  of  many  of  the  mts. 

High  Mountains  stud  the  Empire  throughout  its  length, 
and  the  massive  axial  chain  which  reaches  from  Yezo  to 
Kyushu  covers,  with  its  paralleling  and  intersecting  ranges, 
about  seven  eighths  of  the  entire  country.  From  the  seacoast 
the  land  slopes  up  gradually  into  hills,  thence  into  lesser  peaks 
and  high  plateaus,  and  finally  into  lofty  ridges.  From  the 
shores  the  land  plunges  abruptly  into  deep  water,  confirming 
the  belief  that  Japan  is  the  emerged  crest  of  a  vast  submarine 
mt. — '  perhaps  the  edge  of  the  hard  rock  left  by  the  sub- 
mergence of  the  earth-crust  which  now  floors  the  Sea  of  Japan 
and  the  Gulf  of  Tartary.'  While  stern,  sky-scraping  ramparts 
and  beetling  crags  are  conspicuous  features  on  the  Main 
Island,  —  particularly  in  Central  Japan,  —  rounded  forms 
predominate  and  aid  materially  to  produce  the  exquisite  land- 
scapes for  which  the  country  is  celebrated.  Hundreds  of  the 
mts.  now  quiet  were  once  blazing  furnaces;  of  the  200  or  more 
volcanoes,  50  are  said  to  be  periodically  active.  A  correct  list 


cxl 


MOUNTAINS 


of  the  most  violent  ones  is  difficult  to  form,  since  every  now 
and  then  some  alleged  dead  volcano  comes  suddenly  to  life, 
and  if  it  does  not  devastate  its  surroundings,  it  succeeds  in 
terrorizing  the  people  by  its  threatening^.  Volcanoes  not  un- 
frequently  form  on  the  floor  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  adjacent  to 
Japan,  and  often,  alter  poking  a  fiery  head  above  the  surface 
of  the  sea,  retire  to  submarine  depths  amid  a  great  hissing  and 
spluttering.  If  they  solidify  into  geographical  points,  and 
become  permanent  neighbors,  they  not  unfrequently  give  rise 
to  international  bickerings,  and  become  touchstones  to  the 
greedy,  land-grabbing  nations  whose  ships  seem  to  lie  in  wait 
for  such  uprisings.  Besides  the  masses  and  fields  of  scoria  one 
meets  with  almost  everywhere,  other  evidences  of  the  fierce 
unrest  of  the  past  are  noticed.  Solfataras  exist  in  active  opera- 
tion in  many  places;  beds  of  sulphur  abound,  and  sulphur 
springs  may  be  found  in  almost  every  province. 

The  culminating  point  of  the  Japanese  Empire  is  Mt. 
Morrison,  in  Formosa.  The  highest  peak  in  Japan  proper  is 
the  lordly  Fuji-san, 1  which  always  gets  into  one's  mental  back- 
ground at  the  mention  of  Japan.'  The  most  stupendous 
mountain  mass  is  the  Shinano-Hida  Range,  an  awe-inspiring 
group  of  colossal  granite  giants  astride  the  border  of  Shinano 
and  Hida  Provinces,  whence  the  name.  Their  culminating 
point  (2d  highest  on  the  Main  Island),  is  Yarigatake,  often 
referred  to  as  the  Japanese  Matterhorn.  To  the  S.,  but  linked 
to  it  by  a  great  arete,  is  Hodaka-yama  (10,150  ft.),  spoken  of  as 
the  highest  granite  peak  in  the  country.  Its  name,  *  mountain 
of  the  standing  ears  of  corn,'  is  due  to  the  picturesque  towers 
and  pinnacles  which  rise  from  its  ridges.  The  loftiest  peak  of 
the  great  Kiso  Range,  of  Shinano  Province,  is  Komagatake. 
Tate-yama,  or ' beacon  mountain'  (often  called  by  its  Chinese 
name,  Ryusan,  or  ' Dragon  Peak'),  rises  9700  ft.  above  the 
sea,  in  Etchu  Province,  and  attracts  thousands  of  pilgrims 
yearly.  One  of  the  most  imposing  peaks  on  the  W.  Coast  is 
the  snow-capped  Haku-san  (Shiro-yama) ,  called  poetically 
the  1  White  Mountain  of  Kaga '  (province).  Nearly  every  high 
peak  with  any  pretense  to  grace  or  beauty,  and  from  which 
fine  panoramas  are  visible,  has  been  sanctified  by  the  nature- 
loving  people,  and  the  Buddhists  have  erected  shrines  on  their 
summits  to  which  thousands  of  religionists  go  each  year.  All 
the  mt.  peaks  of  any  prominence  are  mentioned  in  their 
proper  places  in  the  Guidebook.  Mts.  of  eternal  snow  are  not 
features  of  Japan  proper;  many  of  the  loftiest  peaks  are  heavily 
mantled  with  snow  from  Oct.  to  late  spring,  but  the  summer 
sun  melts  most  of  it,  and  leaves  only  streaks  and  patches. 

Strangers  unacquainted  with  the  unruly  nature  of  the  sup- 
posed extinct  volcanoes  of  Japan  will  do  well  to  approach  them 
cautiously,  as  they  are  not  to  be  trusted.  Bandai-san  slept 
for  a  millennium,  then  suddenly  exploded,  blew  off  its  cap,  and 


POLITICAL  DIVISIONS 


cxli 


killed  400  persons.  Asama-yama,  the  most  accessible  active 
volcano  on  the  Main  Island,  has  periods  of  sullen  quiescence, 
but  it  is  as  rude  and  as  vicious  as  a  rogue  elephant,  and  seems 
to  try  to  kill  all  who  come  within  its  sphere.  Hoary-headed 
Fuji  is  thought  by  many  to  harbor  white-hot  passions  in  its 
heart,  and  to  be  gathering  its  forces  for  another  outbreak.  The 
traveler,  desirous  of  seeing  a  volcano  at  work  without  running 
the  risk  of  incurring  its  displeasure,  is  recommended  to  try  the 
grouchy  but  harmless  Aso-san,  in  Kyushu.  Though  one  of 
nature's  most  colossal  ruins,  and  still  addicted  to  smoking 
violently,  it  is  in  reality  as  gentle  as  an  old  cow,  and  contents 
itself  with  grumbling  and  puffing  out  huge  jets  of  steam. 
Ladies  can  reach  the  summit  without  undue  exertion,  and  there 
are  no  knife-ridges  or  disconcerting  precipices  to  upset  one's 
physical  poise.  Steam  rises  incessantly  from  a  host  of  the 
peaks  scattered  throughout  the  Empire,  and  the  daily  news- 
papers refer  to  any  unwonted  or  violent  eruptions. 

Mountain  Climbing  must  be  done  in  summer,  for  when  the  peaks  are  snow- 
covered,  the  authorities  consider  them  unsafe  and  officially  '  close  '  them 
until  the  snows  melt.  The  4  opening  '  of  the  best-known  mts.  is  usually 
heralded  in  the  newspapers.  No  high  passes  should  be  attempted  before 
May.  Guides  often  refuse  to  ascend  them  before  this  date.  The  '  mountain 
opening  '  {yama-biraki)  of  the  so-called  sacred  peaks  is  usually  attended  by 
an  elaborate  religious  ceremony  conducted  by  the  priests  in  charge  of  the 
shrine  at  the  top,  and  aimed  to  propitiate  the  gods.  While  the  gov't  officials 
will  not  forcibly  restrain  a  determined  winter  climber,  except  in  cases  of  par- 
ticularly dangerous  volcanoes,  travelers  should  remember  that  attempts 
to  scale  Fuji-san  out  of  season,  when  avalanches  are  on  the  move,  have  re- 
sulted in  disaster.  Outfits  can  be  bought  at  the  Yokohama  and  Kobe  stores 
which  make  a  specialty  of  them.  In  his  excellent  book,  Mountaineering  in 
the  Japanese  Alps,  the  Rev.  Walter  Weston  gives  prospective  climbers  much 
valuable  advice. 

Political  Divisions.  —  The  Empire  is  divided  into  Nine  Cir- 
cuits, or  groups  of  provinces  that  correspond  in  a  way  to  the 
Eastern,  Central,  Middle,  Western,  etc.,  States  of  the  U.S.A. 
The  system  is  said  to  have  been  inaugurated  by  the  Empress 
Jingo  in  a.d.  250,  when  she  divided  the  original  provinces  of 
her  realm  into  the  imperial  domains  now  known  as  the 
Gokinai  (or  kinai),  'Five  Home  Provinces.'  Originally  each 
province  (shu,  in  Chinese)  had  only  a  Chinese  name.  The 
subjoined  list  shows  them  with  both  the  Chinese  and  Japan- 
ese nomenclature. 

GOKINAI,  OR  FIVE  HOME  PROVINCES,.  MAIN  ISLAND 


/  apanese 
name 


Chinese 
name 


Prefecture 
in  which 
located 


Superficial 
area  of  the 
prefecture 


Seat  of 
prefectural 
gov't 


Population 
of 

prefecture 


in  sq.  m. 


Yamashiro  Joshu 

Yamato  Washu 

Kawachi  Kashu 

Izumi  Senshu 

Settsu  Sesshu 


KySto 

Nara 

Osaka 

Osaka 

Hyogo 


1760 
1200 
689 
689 
3320 


Ky5to 

Nara 

Osaka 

Osaka 

Hyogo 


1,032,481 
595,654 
1,563,143 
1,563,143 
1,883,568 


cxlii 


POLITICAL  DIVISIONS 


TOKAIDO  (EASTERN  SEA  ROAD),  WITH  15  PROVINCES, 


MAIN  ISLAND 

Iga 

Ishu 

Miye 

2190 

Tsu 

1,092,789 

Ise 

Seishu 

lVLiye 

2190 

Tsu 

1,092,789 

Shima 

Shishu 

Miye 

2190 

Tsu 

1,092,789 

Owari 

Bishu 

1860 

Nagoya 

1,789,275 

Mikawa 

Sanshu 

A  Vi 

1860 

Nagoya 

1,789,275 

Totomi 

Enshu 

fcinzuolca 

3000 

Shizuoka 

1,375,525 

Suruga 

Sunshu 

Shizuoka 

3000 

Shizuoka 

1,375,525 

Kai 

Koshu 

Yamanashi 

1720 

Kofu 

573,261 

Izu  (Idzu) 

Zushu 

Shizuoka 

3000 

Shizuoka 

1,375,525 

Sagami 

Soshu 

Kanagawa 

926 

Yokohama 

942,876 

Musashi 

Bushu 

Saitama 

1580 

Urawa 

1,304,397 

Awa 

Boshu 

Chiba 

1940 

Chiba 

1,384,768 

Kazusa 

Soshu 

Chiba 

1940 

Chiba 

1,384,768 

Shimosa 

Soshu 

Chiba 

1940 

Chiba 

1,384,768 

Hitachi 

Joshu 

Ibaraki 

2290 

Mito 

1,273,123 

TOSANDO 

(EASTERN  MOUNTAIN  ROAD),  WITH  13  PROVINCES, 

MAIN  ISLAND 

Omi 

Goshu 

Shiga 

1540 

Otsu 

759,959 

Mino 

'  Noshu 

Gifu 

4000 

Gifu 

1,074,858 

Hida 

Hishu 

Gifu 

4000 

Gifu 

1,074,858 

Shinano 

Shinshu 

Nagano 

5080 

Nagano 

1,393,539 

Kotsuke 

Joshu 

Gumma 

2420 

Maebashi 

913,466 

Shimotsuke 

Yashu 

Tochigi 

2450 

Utsunomiya 

923,242 

Iwaki 

Qshu 

Fukushima 

5070 

Fukushima 

1,225,444 

Iwashiro 

Qshu 

Fukushima 

5070 

Fukushima 

1,225,444 

Rikuzen 

Qshu 

Miyagi 

3220 

Sendai 

950,227 

Rikuchu 

Qshu 

Iwate 

5350 

Morioka 

800,665 

Mutsu 

Oshu 

Aomori 

3620 

Aomori 

716,118 

Uzen 

Ushu 

Yamagata 

3580 

Yamagata 

938,016 

Ugo 

Ushu 

Akita 

4490 

Akita 

893,970 

HOKUROKUDO  (NORTH-LAND  ROAD), 

WITH  7  PROVINCES, 

MAIN  ISLAND 

Wakasa 

Jakushu 

Fukui 

1620 

Fukui 

666,509 

Echizen 

Esshu 

Fukui 

1620 

Fukui 

666,509 

Kaga 

Kashu 

Ishikawa 

1600 

Kanazawa 

828,815 

Noto 

Noshu 

Ishikawa 

1600 

Kanazawa 

828,815 

Etchu 

Esshu 

Toyama 

1580 

Toyama 

829,596 

Echigo 

Esshu 

Niigata 

4910 

Niigata 

1,955,992 

Sado  (Is.) 

Sashu 

Niigata 

4910 

Niigata 

1,955,992 

SANIN-DO 

(SHADY-SIDE-OF-THE-MOUNTAIN  ROAD),  WITH 

8  PROVINCES,  MAIN  ISLAND 

Tamba 

Tango 

Tajima 

Inaba 

Hoki 

Izumo 

Iwami 

Oki  (island) 

SANYODO 


Tanshu 

Tanshu 

Tanshu 

Inshu 

Hakushu 

Unshu 

Sekishii 

Inshu 


Kyoto 

Kyoto 

Hyogo 

Tottori 

Tottori 

Shimane 

Shimane 

Shimane 


1760 
1760 
3320 
1335 
1335 
2590 
2590 
2590 


Kyoto 

Kyoto 

Hyogo 

Tottori 

Tottori 

Matsue 

Matsue 

Matsue 


(SUNNY-SIDE-OF-THE- 
8  PROVINCES 


MOUNTAIN-ROAD) , 
MAIN  ISLAND 


,032,481 
,032,481 
,883,568 
452,411 
452,411 
757,678 
757,678 
757,678 

WITH 


Harima  Banshu  Hyogo 

Mimasaka  Sakushu  Okayama 

Bizen  Bishu  Okayama 

Bitchu  Bishu  Okayama 

Bingo  Bishu  Hiroshima 

Aki  Geishu  Hiroshima 

Suwo  Boshu  Yamaguchi 

Nagato  Choshu  Yamaguchi 
The  two  foregoing  circuits  are  generally 
tral-Lands. 


3320  Himeji  1,883,568 

2500  Okayama  1,226,014 

2500  Okayama  1,226,014 

2500  Okayama  1,226,014 

3100  Hiroshima  1,595,259 

3100  Hiroshima  1,595,259 

2320  Yamaguchi,  1,068,952 

2320  Yamaguchi  1,068,952 
referred  to  as  Chugoku,  or  Cen- 


THE  RIVER  SYSTEM 


cxliii 


NANKAIDO  (SOUTH-SEA  ROAD),  WITH  6  PROVINCES,  MAIN 
ISLAND,  AWAJI,  AND  SHIKOKU  ISLANDS 


Kii 

Awaji  Island 
Awa  (Shikoku) 
Sanuki  (Shikoku) 
lyo  (Shikoku) 
Tosa  (Shikoku) 


Kishu 

Tanshu 

Ashu 

Sanshu 

Yoshu 

Toshu 


Wakayama 

Hyogo 

Tokushima 

Kagawa 

Ehime 

Kochi 


1850 
3320 
842 
676 
2030 
2740 


Wakayama 

Hyogo 

Tokushima 

Takamatsu 

Matsuyama 

Rochi 


754,414 
1,883,568 

749,791 

755,643 
1,101,137 

681,739 


SAIKAIDO  (WEST-SEA  ROAD),  WITH  9  PROVINCES,  KYUSHU, 
IKI,  AND  TSUSHIMA  ISLANDS 


Chikuzen  (Kyushu) 
Chikugo  (Kyushu) 
Buzen  (Kyushu) 
Bungo  (Kyushu) 
Hizen  (Kyushu) 
Higo  (Kyushu) 
Hyuga  (Kyushu) 
Osumi  (Kyushu) 
Satsuma  (Kyushu) 
Iki  Island 
Tsushima  Island 


Chikushu  Fukuoka  1890  Fukuoka  1,587,860 
Chikushu  Fukuoka  1890  Fukuoka  1,587,860' 
Hoshu        Oita  2400    Qita  905,206. 

Hoshu        Oita  2400    Oita  905,206 

Hishu        Saga  954    Saga  703,585 

Hishu  Kumamoto  2770  Kumamoto  1,276,206- 
Nisshu  Miyazaki  2900  Miyazaki  529,803 
Gushu  Kagoshima  3560  Kagoshima  1,299,235 
Sasshu  Kagoshima  3560  Kagoshima  1,299,235 
Ishu  Nagasaki      1400    Nagasaki  945,039 

Taishu       Nagasaki     1400    Nagasaki  945,039 
The  Loochoo  Islands  (Ryukyu  or  Okinawa),  with  a  Prefectural  Office 
at  Okinawa,  are  included  in  the  above. 

Hokkaido  (North-Sea  Road),  or  Hokushu  (or  Yezo),  includes  the 
Kurile  Islands,  and  is  divided  into  Oshima,  Shiribeshi,  Ishikari,  Teshio, 
Kitami,  Iburi,  Hidaka,  Tokachi,  Kushiro,  and  Nemuro  Provinces.  Super- 
ficial area,  35,739  sq.  m.    Pop..  1,137,460.  (See  the  Index.) 

In  ancient  times  a  barrier  extended  from  Osaka  to  the  border 
of  Yamato  and  Omi  Provinces,  and  separated  the  (then)  33  E. 
from  the  33  W.  provinces.  The  former  were  called  Kwansei  (or 
Kuwansei), '  Westward  of  the  Gate/  and  the  latter  Kwanto  (or 
Kuwanto),  'Eastward  of  the  Gate.'  During  the  Tokugawa  re- 
gime, when  the  shogun  had  his  capital  at  Yedo,  the  pass  over  the 
Hakone  Mts.  was  strictly  guarded  by  a  great  gate  (kwan),  and 
by  extension  the  Kwanto  was  considered  to  embrace  the  8  pro- 
vinces (Musashi,  Awa,  Kazusa,  Shimosa,  Kotsuke,  Shimotsuke, 
Hitachi,  and  Sagami)  to  the  E.  of  the  Hakone  Mts.  The  pro- 
vinces to  the  W.  of  these  mts.  are  known  collectively  as  Kwansei. 
All  the  provinces  of  Japan  together  are  known  as  Goki  hachidd. 

The  River  System  is  more  varied  than  extensive.  The  nar- 
rowness of  the  Main  Island,  the  relatively  small  size  of  the 
others,  and  the  general  rugged  configuration,  converts  most 
of  the  short  rivers  (kawa;  gawa)  into  impetuous  torrents  which 
plunge  down  from  the  mts.  and  in  their  swift  course  to  the  sea 
form  many  beautiful  waterfalls,  rapids,  and  cascades.  The 
longest  rivers  are  navigable  by  big  boats  only  for  a  short  dis- 
tance from  their  mouths.  As  a  rule  they  take  their  names  from 
the  mt.,  province,  or  ken  at  their  source;  changing  them  often 
to  correspond  with  those  of  the  districts  through  which  they 
flow.  Nearly  all  run  through  unusually  picturesque  surround- 
ings, and  nearly  all  abound  in  fine  fish.  The  area  kept  perma- 
nently waste  by  the  unruly  nature  of  the  rivers  is  enormous. 
After  a  heavy  storm  small  streams  not  infrequently  become 
torrents  a  mile  or  more  wide,  that  sweep  resistlessly  over  a 


cxliv 


LAKES 


wilderness  of  stones  and  gravel  where  fruitful  fields  ought  to 
be.  The  traveler,  who  to-day  crosses  a  clear,  whimpering  brook 
on  a  plank  flung  athwart  it,  may  to-morrow  find  it  a  roaring 
flood  bearing  wrecked  houses  and  trees  to  the  sea.  All  the 
important  rivers,  lakes,  and  waterfalls  are  mentioned  in  their 
proper  places  in  the  Guidebook. 

The  Japanese  Lakes  (ko;  kosui;  mizuumi),  particularly 
those  of  the  highlands  (Chuzenji,  Yumoto,  Haruna,  etc.),  are 
famed  for  their  beauty  and  picturesque  environment.  The 
chain  of  lakelets  girdling  Fuji-san  are  veritable  gems,  and 
besides  possessing  excellent  fish,  they  have  no  visible  outlets. 
In  the  deep-blue,  splendidly  transparent  and  reflective  waters 
are  fine  salmon-trout  (masu)  generally  found  only  in  rivers 
communicating  with  the  sea;  as  well  as  two  other  species  of  the 
Salmonidae  (the  amemasu,  and  the  iwana).  These  lakes  are 
as  much  a  puzzle  to  the  Japanese  as  the  seal-infested  Baikal 
is  to  the  Russians.  The  largest  of  the  lakes  of  Japan  is  the 
poetic  and  romanticalfy  beautiful  Lake  of  Omi  (see  Index). 

The  Inland  Sea  (Seto  Uchi,  or  Seio-uchi-no-umi, i  Sea  within 
the  strait ')  celebrated  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful  natural 
features  of  Japan,  extends  for  about  240  M.  along  the  Pacific 
side  of  the  Main  Island,  from  Shimonoseki  at  the  W.  to  Osaka 
at  the  E.  Its  width  varies  from  3  to  30  M.,  and  it  is  bounded 
on  the  S.  by  Shikoku  Is.  It  communicates  with  the  Japan  Sea 
through  Shimonoseki  (anciently  Van  der  Capellen)  Strait, 
and  with  the  Pacific  Ocean  through  the  Bungo  Channel 
(between  Kyushu  and  the  W.  coast  of  Shikoku),  and  the  Kii 
Channel  (at  its  E.  end).  At  this  point,  between  Awaji  Is.  and 
Shikoku,  is  the  dreaded  Naruto  Whirlpool,  where  the  angry 
sea  boils  and  eddies  with  a  loud  noise  and  races  seaward  with 
extreme  violence.  Despite  its  relative  shallowness  (4  to  40 
fathoms)  the  Inland  Sea  can  be  navigated  with  safety  at  all 
seasons.  Fog  and  the  many  islets  with  which  it  is  sown  are 
the  chief  hindrances.  The  smoothness  of  its  fish-infested 
waters  and  the  beauty  of  its  embayed  shores  appeal  to  sailors 
and  travelers  alike,  and  most  ships  plying  along  the  Nippon 
coast  navigate  it  on  the  voyage  between  Kobe  and  Nagasaki. 
Its  divisions  (nadas,  or  '  seas ')  are  named  for  the  provinces 
whose  shores  they  wash.  Thus,  the  E.  section  as  far  as  Akashi 
Strait  is  called  Izumi-nada,  and  proceeding  W.  there  follow  the 
Harima-,  Bingo-,  Iyo-,  and  Suwo-nado^  The  sjtretch  off  Kobe 
is  called  Kobe-no-minato,  and  that  off  Osaka,  Osaka-no-minato 
(also  Naniwa-no-tsu, i  swift-waves  bay  ')•  Many  of  the  islands 
of  the  Inland  Sea  are  terraced  to  their  summits  and  covered 
with  paddy-fields  or  pine  groves.  The  fishing-hamlets  of  the 
shore  are  strikingly  picturesque.  A  yachting  trip  through  this 
exaggerated  lake  in  fine  weather  is  something  long  to  be  remem- 
'vbered.  Yachts  fully  manned  by  experienced,  English-speaking 
Seamen  can  be  hired  of  the  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  or  the 


THE  KURO-SHIWO 


cxlv 


Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha.  Travelers  of  modest  means  can  enjoy 
its  beauties  from  the  deck  of  one  of  the  several  steamships  of 
the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  plying  between  Kobe  and  Miyajima- 
Shimonoseki-Beppu,  etc.  For  hours  of  sailing,  rates  of  pas- 
sage, etc.,  consult  any  of  the  company's  agents. 

The  Kuro-shiwo  (kuro,  black;  shiwo,  salt,  or  brine),  a  warm 
oceanic  surface  current  spoken  of  by  sailors  as  the  Japan 
Stream,  and  often  referred  to  (erroneously)  as  the  Japan  Gulf 
Stream  (because  of  its  similarity  to  the  Atlantic  Gulf  Stream), 
plays  an  important  part  in  the  meteorological  phenomena  of 
Japan;  in  the  production  of  its  flora  and  its  fauna,  as  well  as 
in  the  character  and  habits  of  its  people.  (Comp.  Climate.)  It 
arises  from  the  N.  equatorial  current  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  at  a 
point  between  Luzon  and  Formosa;  from  about  lat.  20°  N.  it 
flows  along  the  E.  side  of  Formosa  and  along  the  S.  of  the 
Loochoos  to  about  the  26th  parallel,  where  it  forks,  the  main 
current  trending  N.  and  N.E.  until  it  washes  the  E.  coasts  of 
Kyushu,  Shikoku,  and  Hondo  in  succession.  Above  lat.  38° 
N.  it  takes  a  more  easterly  direction,  finally  bending  S.  of  the 
Aleutian  Islands  and  making  for  the  coast  of  North  America, 
which  it  follows  from  the  N.W.  from  Sitka  to  Cape  St.  Lucas 
(Lower  California)  under  the  name  of  the  North  Pacific  Drift. 
A  small  arm  of  it  maintains  the  N.E.  direction  N.  of  lat.  38°, 
and  at  some  distance  from  the  coast  between  Kamchatka  and 
the  Aleutian  Islands,  flows  into  Behring  Sea.  The  main  body 
of  the  current  is  joined  S.  of  Formosa  by  the  N.E.  drift  from 
the  China  Sea,  where  its  limits  and  velocity  are  considerably 
influenced  by  the  monsoons  which  sweep  over  that  sea.  As  it 
approaches  Kyushu  a  small  offshoot  retains  the  N.  direction, 
and  rushing  round  the  W.  of  this  island  and  the  Goto  group  it 
flows  E.  of  Tsushima  (by  which  name  it  is  often  called)  and 
enters  the  Sea  of  Japan  through  the  Korea  Strait.  Flowing 
across  the  Sea  of  Japan  from  S.W.  to  N.E.,  it  proceeds  partly 
through  the  Tsugaru  Straits  (but  principally  out  through  the 
Straits  of  La  Perouse)  and  soon  merges  with  the  S.  waters  of 
the  Okhotsk  Sea.  It  washes  the  W.  of  Yezo  and  the  S.E.  of 
Saghalien,  and  may  be  observed  here  as  far  as  Patience  Bay. 

The  Kuro-shiwo  was  observed  by  the  Dutch  navigator  Vries 
as  early  as  1643,  on  his  voyage  in  the  Castricum,  and  it  is  also 
mentioned  by  many  later  discoverers.  Its  velocity  between 
Formosa  and  Van  Diemen  Strait  is  30-50  M.  a  day,  during  the 
S.W.  monsoon,  and  somewhat  less  in  the  N.E.  monsoon. 
Between  the  meridians  of  Van  Diemen  Strait  and  the  Gulf  of 
Tokyo,  the  velocity  is  20  to  100  M.  a  day,  being  greatest  in  the 
axis  of  the  current,  decreasing  toward  the  edges,  and  some- 
what less  in  the  winter  than  in  the  summer.  Its  mean  rate  in 
this  locality  is  about  2\  knots  an  hr.  The  rate  decreases  to 
20  to  40  M.  a  day  eastward  of  Japan  and  is  less  than  that  E. 
of  the  meridian  of  150°  E.  Its  breadth  between  Formosa  and 


cxlvi 


THE  KURO-SHIWO 


the  Miyakojima  group  is  about  100  M. ;  in  lat.  30°  N.,  W.  of  the 
Tokara  Islands,  it  is  200-250  M.  wide;  and  E.  of  Van  Diemen 
Strait,  to  about  the  meridian  of  133°  E.,  it  is  about  250  M. 
broad  in  winter  and  300  M.  in  other  seasons  of  the  year. 
Between  the  meridians  of  133°  and  140°  E.,  its  breadth  is 
upwards  of  300  M.  in  winter,  400  in  spring  and  autumn,  and 
500  in  summer.  The  surface  temperatures  of  the  Kuro-shiwo 
are  not  always  equal;  W.  of  the  Nansei  group  it  has  its  mini- 
mum mean  temperature  in  Feb.  and  March,  when  it  is  about 
67°;  and  its  maximum  mean  in  Aug.,  when  it  is  about  83°.  It 
varies  considerably  at  other  places  along  its  course.  It  is 
usually  5°  to  15°  warmer  than  the  waters  that  bound  it  on 
either  side,  while  in  Feb.  on  the  S.  coast  of  Japan  it  is  from 
8°  to  14°  warmer  than  the  air  (in  Aug.  the  air  is  2°  warmer  than 
the  water).  Where  it  meets  the  cold  Arctic  counter-currents, 
or  where  islands  (especially  the  Loochoos)  and  shallows  pro- 
duce eddies  and  whirlpools,  there  result  great  breakers  and 
high  waves;  then  violent  rainstorms  in  the  S.  and  thick  fogs 
in  the  N.  are  frequent,  and  the  sea  snarls  and  surges  and  makes 
some  transpacific  travelers  uncomfortable  while  they  are 
crossing  the  current.  Occasionally  some  unknown  force  (per- 
haps a  submarine  volcanic  disturbance)  will  set  the  Kuro- 
shiwo  running  in  toward  the  entrance  to  Tokyo  Gulf  and  the 
N.  shore  of  the  island,  and  if  this  occurs  in  the  winter  (which 
not  infrequently  happens)  Tokyo  and  Yokohama  experience 
spring  weather,  and  winter  decamps  from  Kamakura  and  the 
sheltered  resorts  to  the  S.  of  it.  Under  a  cloudy  sky  the  color 
of  the  Kuro-shiwo  is  gray;  in  sunshine  a  deep,  dark  blue,  and 
this  conspicuously  dark  tint  gives  rise  to  its  name  '  Black 
Current,'  since  the  Japanese  sailor  is  said  not  to  distinguish 
between  dark-blue  and  black. 

The  Kuro-shiwo  is  of  peculiar  and  abiding  interest  to  Americans,  since 
many  striking  analogies  support  the  hypothesis  that  the  forebears  of  the 
countless  thousands  of  Indians  who  once  roamed  over  the  American  con- 
tinent reached  its  shores  on  the  bosom  of  this  tepid  stream.  History  records 
that  the  Apaches  (of  the  Athapascan  family,  whose  original  home  was  in 
Alaska),  the  Toltecs,  the  Chichimecs,  the  Aztecs  or  Mexica,  and  many  of  the 
kindred  races  of  the  Nahuatlacs  who  came  successively  from  the  misty 
North  down  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  swarmed  off,  at  some  remote  date,  from  a 
great  hive  of  tinted  nations  in  the  Far  Northwest  —  perhaps  near  the  point 
where  the  Kuro-shiwo  sweeps  close  in  to  the  American  shore.  More  than 
one  dismantled  Asiatic  junk  has  drifted  on  the  bosom  of  this  stream  to  the 
Pacific  Coast  of  America,  and  such  a  vessel  could  go  easily  from  China  to 
California  and  not  be  out  of  sight  of  land  for  more  than  a  very  few  days  at 
a  time.  4  Without  ascending  to  the  high  northern  latitudes,  where  the  con- 
tinents of  Asia  and  America  approach  within  fifty  miles  pf  each  other,  it 
would  be  easy  for  the  inhabitant  of  Eastern  Tartary  or  Japan  to  steer  his 
boat  from  islet  to  islet,  quite  across  to  the  American  shore,  without  ever 
being  on  the  ocean  more  than  two  days  at  a  time.'  On  June  3,  1912,  a  Jap- 
anese fishing-boat  (the  Sumiyoshi  Maru)  was  blown  off  shore  near  Kinkazan 
Is.  (p.  313),  and  after  45  days  of  drifting  without  rudder,  oars,  or  sails,  it 
landed  its  five  half-starved  fishermen  on  the  California  coast  near  San 
Francisco.  Many  curious  points  of  resemblance  with  the  early  Mexicans 
are  discernible  in  the  Mongol  races,  some  of  them  quite  extraordinary.  The 
description  (by  Marco  Polo)  of  Kublai  Khan's  court  might  well  pass  for 


MINERAL  SPRINGS 


cxlvii 


that  of  Montezuma  as  described  by  Bernal  Diaz  in  his  Historia  de  la  Con- 
quista  de  Mejico.  The  peculiar  chronological  system  of  the  Aztecs,  their 
method  of  distributing  the  years  into  cycles,  and  of  reckoning  by  means  of 
periodical  series  instead  of  numbers,  was  anciently  used  by  the  various 
Asiatic  nations  of  the  Mongol  family  from  India  to  Japan.  Both  the  Tar- 
tars and  the  Aztecs  indicated  (as  do  the  Japanese  to-day)  the  year  by  its 
signs;  as  the  'year  of  the  hare,'  or 'tiger,'  etc.  Many  of  the  sacerdotal 
rites  of  the  Mexica  resemble  those  of  the  Buddhists,  while  the  Otomi  lan- 
guage (which  anciently  covered  a  wider  territory  than  any  other  but  the 
Nahuatl  in  New  Spain)  shows  a  singular  affinity  to  the  Chinese  of  the 
Middle  Kingdom.  The  fact  that  the  first  Yucatecos  seen  by  Columbus  (in 
1502,  on  his  4th  and  last  voyage)  wore  queues  and  had  slanting  eyes,  and 
that  not  a  few  of  the  people  of  Yucatan,  as  well  as  those  of  Dominica,  still 
have  the  latter  obliquely  cast,  leads  one  to  speculate  upon  the  possibility  of  the 
early  settlers  of  those  regions  having  been  aberrant  Chinese,  Koreans,  or 
Japanese. 

Though  not  startling  in  its  novelty  it  is  nevertheless  more  than  a  mere 
coincidence  that  certain  of  the  architectonic  phases  of  the  oldest  Korean 
temples  suggest  a  strong  affinity  with  the  ruined  palaces  of  Palenque,  in 
the  Mexican  State  of  Chiapas;  and  of  Chichen-Itza,  in  Yucatan.  [Comp. 
Terry's  Mexico,  pp.  566,  and  581].  That  the  fylfot  (or  swastika)  should  oc- 
cur as  frequently  on  prehistoric  Mexican  pottery  (as  well  as  that  of  the 
Mound-Builders  of  Ohio)  as  it  does  on  Greek  antiquities  of  the  Mycenaean 
epoch,  and  ancient  ware  of  China,  Korea,  and  Japan,  is  no  less  significant 
than  the  fact  that  the  Yang  and  Yin,  the  two  principles  of  Chinese  philos- 
ophy, have  been  found  incised  on  shell  gorgets  of  the  '  people  of  the  Flints,' 
who  existed  seons  of  ages  ago  along  the  Red  River  of  Arkansas.  When 
Hernan  Cortez  came  to  Mexico  in  1519,  the  illiterate  Tarascan  Indians  of 
Michoacan  (State)  knew  how  to  harden  copper,  and  to  make  beautiful 
pictures  by  cunningly  attaching  the  resplendent  plumage  of  the  wings  of 
humming  birds  to  different  fabrics,  just  as  the  Cantonese  do  to-day  with 
bird-wings  and  metal. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  Kuro-shiwo,  is  the  Oya-shiwo,  a 
cold  current  which  flows  down  from  the  polar  regions  along  the 
W.  coast  of  Kamchatka  toward  the  Kuriles,  which  it  washes 
in  their  entire  length  after  receiving  a  weaker  current  from  the 
E.  side  of  the  great  Siberian  peninsula  near  Cape  Lopatka. 
Flowing  down  the  E.  coast  of  Yezo,  and  materially  altering 
the  climatic  conditions  of  that  island,  it  proceeds  down  the  E. 
coast  of  Hondo.  Another  current  from  the  Sea  of  Okhotsk, 
running  between  the  continent  and  Saghalien,  is  flooded  by 
the  cold  water  of  the  Amur,  to  later  trail  S.  through  the 
Tataric  channel  and  along  the  W.  coast  of  the  Sea  of  Japan. 
These  and  certain  other  currents  account  for  the  remarkable 
differences  of  climate  and  temperature  which  one  often  notes  in 
Japan  in  places  but  a  few  geographical  miles  apart.  Certain 
of  the  N.  currents  are  similar  to  the  Labrador  current  along 
the  North  American  coast,  in  that  they  bring  with  them  a 
great  wealth  of  fine  fish,  mollusks,  Crustacea,  and  other 
valuable  marine  creatures;  the  catching,  preparation,  and  sale 
of  which  give  employment  to  thousands  of  Japanese,  Koreans, 
and  Chinese,  and  add  immense  riches  to  the  three  nations. 

Hot  Mineral  Springs  (onsen ;  ideyu)  abound  in  Japan  and 
are  the  surface  expressions  of  the  intense  volcanic  energy 
which  everywhere  underlies  it.  Of  the  thousand  or  more  known 
springs  (430  of  which  are  of  medicinal  value),  saline,  sulphur, 


cxlviii 


MINES 


and  acid  waters  predominate  —  ranging  in  temperature  from 
icy  cold  to  220°  F.  The  hot  sulphur  springs  usually  occur  on 
the  slopes  of  dying  or  quiescent  volcanoes,  most  often  from 
2000  to  3000  ft.  above  the  sea  level.  The  solfataras  are  gen- 
erally classified  as  Big  Hells  (d-jigoku)  or  Little  Hells  (ko- 
jigoku),  and  with  their  accompanying  springs  are  used  by 
ailing  Japanese  in  thousands,  of  both  sexes,  who  often  bathe 
in  them  in  innocent  promiscuity.  The  higher  the  temperature 
of  the  water,  the  greater  sanatory  qualities  the  natives  think 
it  possesses,  and  it  is  not  unusual  for  bathers  to  enter  pools 
heated  naturally  to  120°  F.  The  Yubana,  or  '  hot-water 
flowers/  deposited  in  the  solfataras  are  taken  home  by  ailing 
ones  and  used  in  a  similar  way  to  the  Sprudel  Salts  of  Karls- 
bad. The  iron  deposits  are  used  for  dyeing  cloth.  While 
certain  of  the  springs  are  marked  by  a  geyser-like  rhythm  of 
ebb  and  flow,  there  is  but  one  real  geyser  in  the  Empire  (at 
Atami).  Certain  of  the  cold  springs  (notably  the  Tansan 
Spring  at  Takaradzuka,  near  Kobe,  produce  delicious  table- 
water  which  is  exported  to  many  parts  of  the  world. 

Mines.  —  Mining  for  coal,  gold,  silver,  and  copper  is  said 
to  have  been  carried  on  as  early  as  the  7th  cent.  Many  mines 
were  opened  during  the  15th  cent.,  but  as  the  tools  used  by 
the  miners  (kanehori)  consisted  only  of  a  hammer  and  a  wedge, 
the  workings  were  on  a  small  scale.  That  the  old  mines  were 
productive  is  evidenced  by  the  writings  (in  1779)  of  Kaempfer, 
who  says  that  between  1600  and  1641  the  Dutch  traders  car- 
ried away  a  yearly  average  of  50  tons  of  silver  valued  at  over 
£411,700;  and  that  later  they  exchanged  their  wares  for  copper 
only  and  carried  away  about  1000  tons  a  yr.  In  10  yrs.,  writes 
Arai  Hakuseki  (in  1708),  'this  empire  is  drained  of  all  the 
gold,  silver,  and  copper  (to  the  value  of  £2,250,000)  extracted 
from  the  mines  during  the  sway  of  Ieyasu  and  since  his  time; 
mainly  exchanged  for  trinkets  and  gewgaws.'  The  first  explo- 
sives used  in  mining  were  introduced  in  1872  by  an  American 
named  Pumpelly  (counselor  of  the  Gov't  Mining  Dep't),  who 
used  an  explosive  in  a  lead  mine  in  Yezo.  In  1868,  Nabeshima, 
the  feudal  lord  of  Saga  Province,  in  conjunction  with  an  Eng- 
lishman named  Glover,  sunk  the  first  European  shaft  (in 
Sakashima).  After  the  Restoration  the  Imperial  Gov't  took 
over  the  mining  industry  and  placed  the  chief  mines  and 
collieries  under  the  Bureau  of  Mining  (Kozankyoku).  For- 
eigners were  employed,  Occidental  systems  of  mining,  smelt- 
ing, and  transportation  were  adopted,  and  at  the  same  time 
(1872)  an  engineering  school  for  instruction  in  mining  and 
metallurgy  was  established.  When  these  sciences  had  received 
the  impetus  aimed  at  by  the  Gov't,  the  latter  began  releasing 
the  mines,  to  be  worked  under  private  ownership.  Since  1900, 
foreigners  have  been  able  legally  to  hold  mining  concessions, 
provided  they  work  under  Japanese  laws.  The  mining  law 


MINES 


cxlix 


recognizes  as  minerals  and  mineral  ores:  gold  (exclusive  of 
placer-gold),  silver,  copper,  lead,  tin  (sand  tin  excluded), 
hematite,  antimony,  quicksilver,  zinc,  iron  (with  the  exception 
of  iron  sand),  manganese  and  arsenic,  plumbago,  coals,  kero- 
sene, sulphur,  bismuth,  phosphorus,  peat,  and  asphalt.  Sand- 
ore  diggings  are  distinguished  by  law  from  other  kinds  of  ore, 
and  no  foreigner  is  allowed  to  hold  an  interest  in  this  industry. 
The  scope  of  a  concession  has  been  limited  to  a  minimum  of 
10,000  tsubo  and  a  maximum  of  600,000  tsubo  for  coal;  and 
from  3000  to  600,000  tsubo  for  other  minerals.  The  chief 
exports  from  the  mines  are  coal  and  copper. 

Copper  (do,  or  akagane  — 'red  metal')  is  one  of  the  great^ 
est  national  assets,  as  Japan  is  now  the  2d  largest  producer  1 
(the  U.S.  is  1st)  of  the  world's  annual  output  of  copper.  The 
number  of  mines  producing  over  60  tons  each  of  blister  oopper 
(specially  valued  for  its  purity)  per  yr.  is  48;  the  annual  output 
being  upward  (increasing  steadily)  of  55,000  tons.  The  Ashio 
Mine  (Rte.  14)  and  the  Besshi  Mine  (Rte.  38)  are  among  the 
largest  producers.  German  and  American  machinery  is  used. 
The  3  principal  veins  (of  the  30  or  more)  of  the  former  mine 
(33,  20,  and  6  ft.  respectively)  are  found  in  liparite  of  the 
Palaeozoic  strata.  The  Besshi  mine  is  in  the  Do-san,  or  copper 
mountain,  celebrated  throughout  the  country.  The  ore  is 
copper  pyrite,  with  considerable  iron  pyrites.  Copper  is  sel- 
dom found  native  or  in  oxydized  form  in  Japan;  the  principal 
ores  are  chalcopyrite  and  bornite;  iron  pyrites  and  zinc  blende 
being  almost  always  present,  often  with  galena.  A  complex 
sulphide  ore,  composed  of  a  close  mixture  of  barite  zinc  blende 
and  galena,  and  often  containing  pyrites  and  chalcopyrites,  is 
widely  distributed  in  Japan.  The  gold  and  silver  found  in  it 
add  to  its  value. 

Coal  (sekitan),  which  with  copper  forms  80%  of  the  mineral 
output  of  Japan  (total  value  110  million  yen  a  year),  is  found 
in  many  places,  and  upward  of  16  million  tons,  valued  at 
approx.  56  million  yen,  are  mined  annually.  The  largest  coal 
mines  (sekitan-ko)  are  in  Kyushu,  where  the  finest  quality  is 
produced.  Unlike  the  coal-producing  formation  in  Europe 
and  America,  where  the  coal  is  found  in  the  Carboniferous 
strata  (later  era  of  the  Palaeozoic  age),  the  oldest  of  the  coal- 
bearing  seams  in  Japan  are  in  the  rocks  of  the  Mesozoic  era, 
and  its  origin  is  of  lacustrine  formation.  Many  leaf  impressions 
of  deciduous  plants  are  found  in  the  shales  accompanying  it. 

Oil  (sekitan-yu)  is  found  in  various  parts  of  the  country  and 
occurs  chiefly  in  the  Eocene  of  the  Tertiary  formation,  although 
it  is  encountered  in  small  quantities  in  the  diluvium  and  allu- 
vium. It  is  usually  contained  in  shale  and  sandstone  between 
impervious  layers  under  pressure,  so  that  it  escapes  sometimes 
under  considerable  force.  The  wells  vary  in  depth  from  300  to 


cl 


THE  CONSTITUTION 


2000  ft.  The  crude  product  resembles  more  closely  the  Russian 
and  Californian  oil  rather  than  that  of  Pennsylvania,  and  it 
provides  about  50%  burning  oil.  Each  year  adds  to  the  num- 
ber of  fields  and  the  output.  Natural  gas  issues  from  numerous 
places  in  Japan.  The  annual  production  of  gold,  silver,  iron, 
and  petroleum  ranges  between  4  and  5  million  yen  in  value. 
Cinnabar  and  quicksilver  are  produced  in  the  Hokkaido. 

IV.  The  Constitution.  Flag.  National  Hymn. 
People.  Newspapers.  Geisha.  Beggars.  Thieves. 

The  Constitution 1  of  Japan  (Seitai),  promulgated  Feb.  11, 
1889,  provides  that  the  Empire  shall  be  reigned  over  and 
governed  '  by  a  line  of  Emperors  unbroken  for  ages  eternal 7 ; 
the  executive  power  is  therefore  vested  in  the  Emperor,  and  is 
exercised  by  him  through  ten  ministers  whom  he  appoints  and 
who  are  responsible  to  him.  The  Imperial  Throne  is  succeeded 
to  by  male  descendants  in  the  male  line  of  Imperial  ancestors 
—  customarily  by  the  Imperial  eldest  son.  Upon  the  accession 
to  the  throne  a  new  era  (nengo)  is  inaugurated  (a  system  modi- 
fied at  the  time  of  the  Restoration),  and  the  name  of  it  remains 
unchanged  during  the  whole  reign.  The  present  (1914)  era  of 
Taisho,  or  1  Great  Justice/  succeeded  (in  1912)  the  Meiji,  or 
era  of  ' Enlightened  Rule.'  The  son  of  the  Emperor  who  is 
Heir-apparent,  is  called  Kotaishi  (or  Kotaishi  denka,  1  His 
Highness  the  Prince  Imperial  ') ;  if  the  Heir-apparent  is  the 
Imperial  grandson,  he  is  called  Kotaison;  both  attain  their 
majority  at  18.  Should  the  Emperor  be  a  minor,  a  Regency  is 
instituted.  The  Imperial  Family  usually  includes  the  Grand 
Empress-Dowager;  the  Empress-Dowager;  the  Empress;  the 
Kotaishi  and  his  consort;  the  Imperial  Princes  and  their  con- 
sorts; the  Imperial  Princesses;  the  Princes  and  their  consorts; 
and  the  Princesses.  The  members  of  the  Imperial  Family  are 
under  the  control  of  the  Emperor,  who  is  said  to  support  them 
all.  From  his  funded  property  (supposed  to  amount  to  about 
50  million  yen)  he  grants  handsome  sums  with  patents  of 
nobility ;  makes  liberal  allowances  to  cabinet  ministers  by  way 
of  supplement  to  their  salaries;  pays  the  honoraria  that  goes 
with  orders  and  medals;  gives  large  amounts  to  charity,  and 
devotes  considerable  sums  to  the  encouragement  of  art. 

The  present  Mikado,  Yoshihito,  who  is  124th  of  the  line  from  Jimmu 
Tenno,  and  who  succeeded  to  the  mikadoate  July  30, 1912,  was  born  in  To- 
kyo Aug.  31, 1879,  and  is  the  3d  son  of  the  late  Emperor  Mutsuhito.  He  was 
married  May  23,  1900,  to  Princess  Sadako  (who  is  5  yrs.  younger),  the  4th 


1  The  Constitution,  a  famous  document  sometimes  referred  to  as  the 
'Magna  Charta  of  Japanese  Liberty,'  replaced  the  feudal  system  (abolished 
in  1871)  of  the  Tokugawa  Shogunate  (overthrown  in  1868),  and  was  drawn 
up  chiefly  by  Marquis  ltd  Hirobumi,  and  Barons  Suyematsu  and  Kaneko. 
The  law  of  local  self-government  for  cities,  towns,  and  villages  became  oper- 
ative April  1,  1889. 


GOVERNMENT 


cli 


daughter  of  Prince  Kujo  Michitaka.  He  speaks  English  and  French  and 
writes  poetry. 

The  word  '  Mikado  '  is  derived  from  mi,  '  exalted,'  and  kado,  '  door  '  (as 
in  the  Sublime  Porte) .  The  Chinese  characters  employed  to  express  the  term 
mean  '  Honorable  Gate.'  The  notion  is  that  the  Mikado  is  too  far  above 
ordinary  mortals  to  be  spoken  of  directly;  hence  the  Gate  of  the  Palace  is 
used  as  a  figure  for  him.  As  it  is  considered  disrespectful  to  call  an  emperor 
by  his  name,  the  Japanese  Emperor  is  known  colloquially  as  Tenshi  Sama 
C  Son  of  Heaven').  Rulers  of  other  nations  are  called  Kotei  ('August 
Emperor ') .  The  custom  of  giving  a  canonical  name  (okurina)  to  an  Em- 
peror after  his  death  or  abdication  (a  name  signifying  some  characteristic 
which  distinguished  him  or  his  reign)  was  introduced  from  China  in  the  8th 
cent.,  when  a  scholar  named  Mifune  selected  (by  the  order  of  the  Emperor 
Kwammu)  canonical  names  for  all  the  Emperors  down  to  that  time.  An 
Empress  regnant  is  styled  Tenno  ('  Heavenly  Augustness'). 

In  theory  the  Japanese  Gov't  is  patriarchal.  The  Emperor 
is. the  sire;  his  officers  the  responsible  elders  of  the  provinces, 
prefectures,  and  departments,  as  a  father  of  a  household  is  of 
its  inmates.  Its  policy  toward  the  people  (komin)  is  unusually 
benevolent  and  paternal,  few  gov'ts  being  more  genuinely 
solicitous  of  the  welfare  of  its  children.  In  practice  the  gov't 
is  a  bureaucracy,  as  the  leaders,  being  responsible  only  to  the 
Emperor,  cannot  be  dismissed  by  the  people  in  a  direct  way. 

Beside  a  Privy  Council  (Sumitsu-in),  which  is  composed  of 
statesmen  of  wisdom  and  experience,  who  are  consulted  by 
the  Emperor  on  important  matters,  the  Imperial  Cabinet 
(Naikaku),  whose  tenure  of  office  depends  solely  upon  the  will 
and  pleasure  of  the  Sovereign,  is  appointed  by  him  and  cannot 
be  dismissed  by  Parliament.  This  consists  of  the  Prime 
Minister,  or  Premier  (salary  ¥10,000  ayr.);  the  Minister  of 
Foreign  Affairs  (whose  office,  the  Gaimusho,  is  usually  called 
Foreign  Office) ;  Minister  of  the  Interior  (Naimusho,  or  Home 
Dept.);  Minister  of  Finance  (Okurasho,  or  Financial  Dept.); 
Minister  of  War  (Rikugunsho,  or  War  Dept.) ;  Minister  of  the 
Navy  ( Kaigunsho,  or  Dept.  of  the  Navy) ;  Minister  of  Justice 
(Shihosho,  or  Dept.  of  Justice);  Minister  of  Education 
(Mombusho,  or  Dept.  of  Education);  Minister  of  Agriculture 
and  Commerce  (Noshdmusho,  or  Dept.  of  A.  and  C);  and 
Minister  of  Communications  (Teishinsho,  or  Dept.  of  C),  who 
rank  officially  in  the  order  named.  To  these  should  be  added 
the  Kunaisho,  or  Imperial  Household  Dept.  located  within 
the  compound  of  the  Imperial  Palace.  The  Imperial  Gov't 
Rly.  Bureau  (Tetsudd-in)  is  under  the  control  of  the  Dept.  of 
Communications.  English  might  be  said  to  be  the  official 
language,  since  it  is  spoken  in  all  the  depts.  Most  of  the  above 
represent  a  modified  revival  of  the  system  of  the  Six  Boards, 
introduced  from  China  in  the  7th  cent.,  just  as  the  local  admin- 
istrative system,  though  bearing  a  striking  likeness  to  that  of 
France,  is  likewise  an  adaptation  of  the  early  Chinese  method. 

The  choice  of  the  Premier  is  determined  by  various  political 
reasons,  and  the  other  ministers,  who  are  appointed  on  his 
advice,  are  usually  supposed  to  share  his  political  views.  The 


clii 


GOVERNMENT 


Diet  (or  Parliament)  is  comprised  of  two  houses  —  a  House  of 
Peers  {Kizoku-in),  and  a  House  of  Representatives  (Shugi-iri). 
It  is  convened  every  year;  the  session  lasts  3  mos.,  and  may  be 
prolonged  by  Imperial  order.  When  urgent  necessity  arises, 
an  extraordinary  session  may  be  convoked.  The  House  of 
Peers,  with  300  or  more  members,  consists  partially  of  non- 
elected  and  partially  of  elected  members.  Princes  and  Mar- 
quises (some  55  in  all)  sit  by  right  of  heredity  and  title;  in  this 
non-elective  section  are  also  120  or  more  Imperial  nominees, 
selected  by  the  Sovereign  from  among  men  of  conspicuous 
erudition  or  public  services,  who  sit  for  life.  To  the  elective 
section  belong  Counts,  Viscounts,  and  Barons,  who  are  elected 
by  their  respective  orders;  and  representatives  of  the  highest 
taxpayers  elected  by  their  class,  each  prefecture  returning  one 
member. 

The  House  of  Representatives  (or  House  of  Commons)  is 
composed  of  members  (about  380)  elected  by  the  people 
(Japanese  subjects  25  yrs.  of  age  and  over,  and  who  pay  taxes 
of  ¥10  a  yr.  or  more)  according  to  the  provisions  of  the 
Election  Law.  Both  the  Upper  (members  elected  for  7  yrs.) 
and  the  Lower  House  (members  elected  for  4  yrs.) have  each 
a  President  nominated  by  the  Sovereign  from  among  three 
names  selected  by  the  House.  —  The  head  of  a  dept.  is  usually 
assisted  by  a  Jikwan  (literally  1  next  official'),  usually  trans- 
lated as  Vice-Minister.  The  latter  does  not  necessarily  change 
with  the  Minister,  notwithstanding  he  is  so  much  identified 
with  his  policy,  —  for  he  has  the  right  to  speak  in  the  Diet  for 
or  against  any  measure  connected  with  the  dept.,  by  the  order 
or  with  the  consent  of  the  Minister,  and  generally  acts  for  the 
Minister  in  the  committees,  for  personal  or  other  reasons. 
At  present  it  is  more  usual  for  a  Vice-Minister  to  retire  with 
the  Minister  than  to  remain  under  the  next  Minister.  Below 
the  Vice-Ministers  there  are  directors  of  bureaus,  secretaries, 
councilors  in  all  the  depts.,  besides  certain  officials  who  are 
peculiar  to  certain  depts. 

Under  the  direct  control  of  the  Imperial  Cabinet  are  the 
Bureau  of  Decorations  (dealing  with  awards  of  orders,  medals, 
etc.);  the  Legislative  Bureau  (which  drafts  projects  of  laws 
and  Imperial  Ordinances);  the  Pension  Bureau,  and  the 
Statistical  and  Official  Gazette  Bureaus.  Attached  also  to  the 
Cabinet  is  the  State  Higher  Civil  Service  Examination  Com- 
mission, which  examines  candidates  for  all  Higher  State  Civil 
Service,  excepting  the  Diplomatic  Service  —  for  which  exam- 
inations are  held  under  a  different  commission  in  the  Dept. 
of  Foreign  Affairs.  State  officials  are  divided  into  3  classes, 
according  to  their  mode  of  appointment:  the  Chokunin  (who 
are  appointed  by  the  Emperor  on  the  recommendation  of  the 
Cabinet);  the  Sonin  (who  are  appointed  by  the  Sovereign  on 
the  recommendation  of  the  head  of  a  dept.);  and  the  Hannin, 


GOVERNMENT 


cliii 


whose  appointments  are  made  by  the  head  of  a  dept.,  or  some- 
times even  a  lower  authority.  The  two  former  are  classed  as 
high  officials.  The  Cabinet  Ministers,  Privy  Councilors,  and 
a  few  others  are  called  Shinnin.  The  average  life  of  a  Cabinet 
is  2  yrs. ;  to  date,  the  longest  has  lived  4  yrs.  and  8  mos. 

The  Empire  proper  (exclusive  of  Yezo  and  the  Kuriles; 
Formosa,  and  Korea)  was  originally,  for  political  purposes, 
divided  (by  Sujin  Tenno,  97-30  B.C.,  so  it  is  said)  into  pro- 
vinces (kuni),  of  which  there  are  at  present  84  (mentioned 
hereinbefore).  For  its  better  administration  it  is  now  parceled 
into  3  fu  (Chinese:  'large  department')  or  metropolitan  dis- 
tricts (Tokyo,  Kyoto,  and  Osaka),  and  43  prefectures  (ken; 
Chinese:  Nan,  or  'walled  inclosure'),  each  presided  over  by 
prefects,  or  prefectural  governors  (chiji),  appointed  by  the 
Emperor  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Cabinet.  Besides 
forming  divisions  of  the  state  local  administration,  they  are 
the  largest  self-governing  bodies,  with  perhaps  the  exception 
of  Korea,  Formosa,  and  Yezo,  each  of  which  is  administered  as 
a  dependency  with  its  own  prefectures.  In  each  ken  —  which 
are  often  named  for  the  principal  towns  within  them,  and  which 
as  often  embrace  one  or  more  provinces  —  there  is  a  prefec- 
tural assembly,  composed  of  members  elected  by  the  people 
every  4  yrs.  The  number  of  members  is  30  in  a  prefecture 
with  a  population  under  700,000,  increasing  by  one  for  every 
50,000  above  this  up  to  1  million,  and  for  every  70,000  over 
1  million.  Each  ken  (or  state),  exclusive  of  the  shi  (cities),  is 
subdivided  into  gun  (districts  or  counties)  or  sub-prefectures 
having  over  each  a  guncho,  or  sub-prefect,  appointed  by  the 
Emperor  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Minister  of  the 
Interior;  and  a  sub-prefectural  assembly  composed  of  members 
elected  by  the  people.  The  districts  are  further  subdivided 
into  cho  or  machi  (towns)  and  son  or  mura  (villages).  The  shi 
(which  are  subdivided  into  ku  or  wards),  the  cho,  and  the  son 
(or  cho-son)  are  corporate  bodies  with  complete  self-governing 
powers.  In  a  shi  the  administration  is  conducted  by  a  shi-cho 
(mayor)  who  is  appointed  (by  the  Minister  of  the  Interior)  for 
a  term  of  6  yrs.;  by  ass't  mayors  (3  in  Tokyo,  2  in  Kyoto,  and 
1  in  Osaka)  and  elected  by  the  assembly.  A  cho  or  son  is  gov- 
erned by  a  cho-cho,  or  son-chb  (mayor  or  headman),  elected 
by  the  assembly  for  a  term  of  4  yrs.  A  prefectural  office  is 
called  a  kencho.  The  Municipal  Code  (shisei)  and  a  town  and 
village  code  (cho-sonsei)  were  issued  in  1888;  the  District  Code 
(gunsei)  appeared  in  1898.  Gov't  grafters  (or  'rats  under  tnT7, 
altar,'  as  the  Chinese  proverb  puts  it)  are  commendably  rare. 
The  gov't  revenues  —  collected  from  taxation  (including  ar4 
stamp-tax),  the  customs-houses,  the  railway,  salt,  camphor, 
and  tobacco  monopolies,  and  from  other  sources  —  amount 
(in  a  normal  year)  to  about  500  million  yen ;  expenses  are  often 
more  than  this.  The  war  which  Japan  was  obliged  to  under- 


cliv 


FLAG  AND  NATIONAL  HYMN 


take  with  Russia  in  order  to  protect  her  existence  as  a  free 
nation  added  enormously  to  the  national  debt,  which  is  now 
about  2  billion  yen.  An  expensive  army  and  navy  add  materi- 
ally to  the  burden  of  taxation. 

Under  the  present  progressive  Gov't,  universities,  colleges, 
and  schools  of  various  grades  dot  the  country  and  are  attended 
(compulsory)  by  97%  of  the  native  children  of  school  age.  In 
all  girls7  schools  the  following  woman's  educational  song  com- 
posed of  a  poem  written  by  the  Empress  (Dowager)  in  1876, 
and  set  to  music,  is  sung  on  appropriate  occasions:  — 

'Migaka  zu  ba,  '  If  we  polish  not 

Tama  mo  Kagami  mo  A  gem  or  a  mirror 

Nani  ka  sen,  What  good  will  it  be? 


The  National  Flag  ( Hino?naru-no-hata,  or  flag  —  hata  —  of 
the  hinomaru,  or  red  ball  representing  the  sun)  was  adopted 
in  1859  to  distinguish  the  ensign  of  commerce  from  the 
Imperial  flag.  It  shows  a  brilliant  red  ball  on  a  white  ground, 
and  is  perchance  symbolic  of  the  purity  of  the  'Land  of  the 
Rising  Sun.'  The  War-Flag  shows  a  red  sun  radiating  16 
beams  to  the  edge  of  a  white  field.  A  gold  chrysanthemum 
(kiku)  on  a  purple  ground  shows  on  the  standard  borne  before 
the  Mikado,  and  also  forms  the  Imperial  Crest  (Kiku-no- 
hana-?non)  corresponding  to  the  coat-of-arms  in  European 
heraldry.  It  replaced,  in  1868,  the  trefoil  crest  of  the  Tokugawa 
feudatary,  and  is  represented  by  16  rounded  petals,  which 
radiate  from  a  small  circle  in  the  center,  and  which  at  their 
outer  edges  are  rounded  and  connected  by  16  tiny  arcs  that 
represent  a  second  circle  of  flower  radii.  Some  authorities 
believe  that  it  is  a  modified  form  of  the  Wheel  of  the  Law; 
others  that  it  is  an  emblem  of  the  sun,  since  the  number  of 
petals  corresponds  to  the  number  of  rays  which  proceed  from 
the  sun  depicted  on  the  war-flag.  The  number  is  believed  not 
to  have  been  selected  at  haphazard,  since  it  is  one  of  those 
produced  by  multiplying  two  by  itself,  of  which  there  are 
examples  in  the  four  cardinal  points;  the  8  kwa,  or  diagrams, 
of  Chinese  philosophy;  the  32  points  of  the  compass;  and  the 
64  hexagrams  of  the  Yih-king.  Surface  indications  are  that  it 
is  merely  a  differentiation  of  the  order  of  ideas  symbolized  on 
the  old  Korean  flag  (see  the  index).  So  far  as  is  known  the 
chrysanthemum  appeared  for  the  first  time  upon  the  hilt  of 
a  sword  belonging  to  the  Emperor  Gotoba  (1186-98).  It  shows 
frequently  now  on  gov't  documents,  banners,  coins,  etc.,  and 
its  use  is  interdicted  to  the  public. 

A  second  crest  (Kiri-no-mori)  of  a  more  private  character, 
and  used  by  the  family  of  the  Mikado,  represents  three  leaves 
and  clusters  of  flowers  of  the  Paulownia  imperialis,  a  genus  of 
ornamental  trees  of  the  family  Scrophulariaceae,  named  after 
Anna  Paulowna,  daughter  of  the  Czar  Paul  L 


Manabi  no  michi  mo 
Kaku  koso  ari  kere.' 


With  the  way  of  learning 
It  is  the  same.' 


THE  PEOPLE 


civ 


The  leaves  are  put  together  like  those  of  the  clove,  and  are  connected 
through  their  central  nerves  by  a  ring.  Of  the  3  clusters  of  flowers  which  rise 
symmetrically  above  the  grouped  leaves,"  the  central  one  bears  7  flowers, 
and  each  of  the  lateral  ones  5.  When  individuals  of  the  commonalty  copy 
this  crest  they  usually  employ  5  and  3  flowers  instead  of  7  and  5.  The  tree, 
though  not  indigenous,  is  a  striking  and  oft-recurring  feature  in  Japanese 
landscapes.  It  is  largely  cultivated  for  its  light  wood,  much  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  lacquer-wares,  bric-a-brac,  geta,  cabinet-drawers,  play- 
things, and  many  small  boxes,  etc.  It  is  remarkably  strong  and  does  not 
warp  easily.  As  if  cognizant  of  the  Imperial  favor  and  of  its  own  dignity, 
the  tree  is  rarely  if  ever  found  in  groves,  or  otherwise  like  a  forest  tree,  but  is 
more  often  seen  standing  alone,  or  at  some  distance  from  its  companions. 
The  flowers  are  of  a  beautiful  lilac  or  light  purple,  and  at  a  distance  look  like 
catalpa.  They  are  fragrant,  resemble  in  form  those  of  the  '  lion's  mouth,' 
and  achieve  perfection  in  May.  A  peculiarity  is  that  toward  the  end  of 
summer  the  flower-buds  of  the  next  season  form  on  the  branches.  The  large, 
heart-shaped  leaves,  simulate  those  of  the  kindred  catalpa  varieties,  but 
are  a  darker  green,  and  appear  earlier.  The  tree  loves  the  south,  and 
pines  in  the  north. 

The  Japanese  National  Hymn  ( Kimi  ga  yo)  has  been  trans- 
lated by  Prof.  Basil  Hall  Chamberlain,  as  follows:  Kimi  ga 
yo  wa  Chiyo  ni  Yachiyo  ni  Sazareishi  no  Iwawo  to  nari  te  Koke 
no  musu  made:  ' A  thousand  years  of  happy  reign  be  thine; 
|  Rule  on,  my  lord,  till  what  are  pebbles  now  |  By  age  united  f 
to  mighty  rocks  shall  grow  |  Whose  venerable  sides  the  moss 
doth  line.' 

The  People  (comp.  lxiv.,  lxxix).  Ten  different  native  races 
dwell  within  the  Japanese  Empire  between  the  habitat  of  the 
Saghalien  Giryaks  and  the  head-hunters  of  Formosa,  and  of 
these  the  Nipponese  proper  are  the  most  numerous.  Scattered 
among  the  50  million  subjects  (27,000  of  whom  are  lunatics; 
70,000  blind;  and  60,000 always  in  prison)  are  18,000 foreigners, 
—  9000  Chinese,  2500  British,  1700  Americans,  800  Germans, 
600  French,  and  the  remainder  divided  among  33  different 
nations.  The  last  4  nationalities  cited  are  a  picked  class  above 
the  average  in  intelligence.  Half-castes  (called  generally  by 
the  more  euphemistic  term  *  Eurasians')  are  numerous  and 
are  represented  by  persons  one  of  whose  parents  is  European, 
or  of  pure  European  descent,  and  the  other  Asiatic.  There  are 
about  102  men  for  every  100  women,  and  with  the  exception 
of  the  U.S.  and  Russia  the  population  increases  (now  1.37% 
per  annum,  against  2J%  for  the  entire  century  which  ended 
with  1846)  at  a  more  rapid  rate  than  that  of  any  other  civilized 
country.  Upward  of  500  among  the  Japanese  are  millionaires, 
154  of  whom  live  in  Tokyo.  Despite  the  thousands  of  babies, 
1  with  little  soiled  faces  and  unattended  noses,'  which  one  sees 
on  the  streets  (the  open-air  nurseries  of  Nippon),  infant  mor- 
tality is  high.  Among  the  well-conditioned  classes  many  per- 
sons die  between  40  and  50  yrs.  of  age.  Notwithstanding 
their  lives  of  unremitting  toil,  some  of  the  heavy,  round-faced 
peasants  reach  the  century  mark.  All  age  early  in  life,  and 
there  is  a  notable  lack  of  hale  old  people. 

The  Japanese  have  been  described  so  often  and  so  minutely 


clvi 


THE  PEOPLE 


by  superior  writers  that  no  effort  at  soul-vivisection  will  be 
attempted  here.  Almost  every  graphic  adjective  in  the  English 
language  has  been  applied  to  them  at  one  time  or  another,  in 
cloying  praise  or  vitriolic  abuse  —  without  appreciable  results. 
Whosoever  would  essay  to  know  them  and  to  get  along  with 
them  must  first  divorce  from  his  mind  nine  tenths  of  the 
frothy  nonsense  written  about  them  by  enthusiastic  and 
inexact  impressionists,  and  consider  them  as  just  what  they 
appear  to  be  —  an  intensely  human,  earnest,  industrious, 
proud,  clever,  amiable,  non-snobbish,  helpful,  friendly,  song- 
ful, untuneful,  non-whistling,  cheerful,  but  not  always  happy, 
people.  They  are  not  all  artists  or  samurai,  poets  or  Chester- 
fields. The  polished  gentleman  and  the  truculent,  uncultured 
boor  exist  side  by  side,  and  the  good  is  mixed  with  the  bad  in  a 
thoroughly  human  proportion  —  about  equal  to  that  in  their 
nearest  European  analogue,  the  high-strung,  whimsical,  won- 
derfully artistic,  but  practical  and  likable,  French  nation. 
They  possess  qualities  that  are  peculiarly  endearing  to  sym- 
pathetic Occidentals,  who  read  in  their  faces  the  indelible 
impress  which  20  centuries  of  strange  history  has  left  upon 
them. 

While  the  traveled  Japanese  is  as  broad-minded  as  any  other\ 
keen  observer,  and  appreciates  the  advancement  of  the  West,  \ 
the  innocently  hidebound  stay-at-home  considers  chop-sticks  J 
decidedly  more  civilized  than  pronged  forks,  and  the  native7 
culture  and  customs  superior  to  all  others.  To  attempt  to 
change  this  rigid  belief  is  like  arguing  against  the  Equator. 
Therefore,  the  traveler  who  approaches  Japan  in  a  tolerant, 
non-critical,  appreciative  mood,  will  get  through  it  with  a 
minimum  of  friction,  and  while  enjoying  his  visit  as  he  would 
perhaps  to  no  other  country  on  the  globe,  will  in  turn  leave 
pleasant  memories  wherever  he  stops. 

The  racial  dislike  for  Occidentals,  which  lies  near  to  the  heart 
of  all  Orientals,  is  admirably  repressed  by  the  sagacious 
Japanese,  who  present  to  foreigners  a  front  much  more  pleas- 
ing than  that  shown  by  other  tinted  races.  In  no  country  is 
consideration  for  aliens  or  the  code  of  social  courtesy  so  much 
in  evidence,  and  the  people  as  a  whole  extend  this  ungrudg- 
ingly to  whosoever  visits  their  country  —  be  he  enemy  or 
friend.  Fanatics  and  malevolent  persons  are  rarely  met.  By 
being  non-controversial  and  dignified;  by  refraining  from  mis- 
taking the  people  for  Mongolians  and  calling  them  '  John' 
or  '  Little  Japs ' ; 1  by  not  referring  to  them  as  '  natives '  (in  a 
tribal  sense)  or  as  '  butterflies '  (which  assuredly  they  are 

1  The  people  dislike  being  called  '  Japs,'  as  they  consider  it  a  depreca- 
tive term.  With  them  butterflies  are  symbols  of  inconstancy.  In  using  the 
word  '  native,'  and  the  abbreviations  '  Jap  '  and  '  Japs  '  in  this  Guidebook 
the  author  has  aimed  only  at  euphony  and  economy  of  space.  He  means  no 
disrespect  to  the  Japanese  people,  for  whom  he  entertains  a  profound  and 
unalterable  esteem. 


NEWSPAPERS 


clvii 


not),  the  stranger  will  gain  the  esteem  of  those  whose  good 
opinion  is  worth  prizing.  In  dealing  with  the  Japanese  —  who 
with  justice  consider  themselves  the  equals  of  any  civilized 
peoples  —  nothing  can  be  gained  by  arrogance  or  threats. 
Mildness  and  forbearance  are  virtues  which  will  stand  the 
traveler  in  good  stead.  Courtesy  is  the  shibboleth  of  all  classes, 
and  the  lowest  coolie  (a  term  applied  to  the  unskilled  native 
laborer)  usually  responds  to  it  instantly.  They  are  rightly  very 
sensitive  to  profanity  when  applied  to  them,  and  as  their  own 
language  offers  them  no  profane  equivalents,  they  sometimes 
retaliate  by  physical  force.  An  appeal  or  a  request  in  Japan 
is  always  more  potent  than  a  command,  —  and  a  gentle  irony 
will  burn  deeper  than  profanity  into  the  Japanese  soul. 

Many  of  the  national  customs  are  the  results  of  more  than 
2000  yrs.  of  inheritance,  and  they  are  in  consequence  difficult 
to  break  away  from.  Some  are  so  superior  to  Occidental  prac- 
tices that  it  were  a  pity  to  attempt  to  change  them.  Each 
traveler  will  form  his  own  opinion  of  their  ethical  worth  — 
which  opinion  may  or  may  not  prove  correct,  and  which  may 
perhaps  be  discarded  entirely  after  a  lengthy  stay  in  the  coun- 
try. Things  one  sees  in  Japan  are  not  always  readily  under- 
stood, and  those  which  are  the  most  simple  in  appearance  are 
often  distinguished  by  an  almost  unbelievable  complexity. 
More  than  one  effort  has  been  made  by  Westerners  to  uncover 
the  Japanese  soul-stream,  but  usually  without  success.  The 
gifted  Lafcadio  Hearn,  who  was  one  of  the  greatest  Occiden- 
tal interpreters  of  Japanese  motives  of  his  epoch,  wrote: 
'  After  living  a  long  time  among  the  Japanese  I  know  and 
understand  them  no  better  now  than  the  first  day  I  landed 
among  them.  The  spirit  of  the  nation  is  unique;  it  combines 
"  Oriental  virtue  and  European  practicality.  The  Japanese  have 
absorbed  all  of  our  civilization  and  yet  keep  it  concealed  under 
the  flower  and  poetry  of  ancient  Nippon.  From  this  union  of 
apparently  discordant  characteristics  is  born  an  inscrutable, 
strange,  and  mysterious  f Greediness/ 

Newspapers  (shimbunshi)  are  found  in  every  Japanese  city 
of  importance  (about  2000  in  the  Empire),  and  while  some  of 
them  compare  favorably  with  the  great  journals  of  Europe 
and  America,  others  constitute  the  real  '  Yellow  Peril '  of 
international  relations.  Of  the  40  or  more  daily  newspapers 
printed  in  the  vernacular  in  Tokyo,  about  20  are  important. 
There  are  11  Press  Bureaus  in  the  metropolis  and  a  huge 
reading  public  avid  for  news  of  the  outer  world  and  its  progress. 
From  1  to  2  sen  is  the  customary  retail  price,  and  the  newsboys 
are  distinguished  by  clusters  of  small  bells  at  the  waist,  which 
jingle  as  the  wearers  speed  through  the  streets.  The  Japanese 
newspapers  (of  Tokyo,  the  center  of  journalism  in  Japan) 
quoted  most  frequently  by  the  foreign  press  are  perhaps  the 
following:  The  Tokyo  Asahi  ('  Morning  Sun'),  a  companion 


clviii 


NEWSPAPERS 


sheet  of  the  excellent  Osaka  Asahi),  a  non-partisan,  liberal, 
progressive  and  dignified  journal  much  liked  by  the  better 
classes ;  impartial  and  trustworthy.  The  Jiji  Skimp o  ('  Times ' ; 
i  Gazette')?  the  semi-official  organ  of  commerce  and  industry, 
finds  most  of  its  readers  among  officials  and  business  men. 
Its  famous  founder  YuMchi  Fukuzawa,  the  Sage  of  Mitla, 
brought  it  to  a  high  standard  of  excellence  before  his  death. 
The  Kokumin  Shimbun  ('  Nation'),  formerly  the  political 
organ  of  a  certain  one-time  powerful  Cabinet,  devotes  con- 
siderable space  to  foreign  matters  (has  an  English  dept.),  is 
newsy,  progressive,  well  written,  and  has  a  daily  circulation 
of  about  200,000.  It  is  essentially  a  citizen's  paper,  and  by 
striving  to  interpret  foreign  advancement  introduces  many 
new  ideas  to  the  Japanese.  The  Hochi  Shimbun  (' News'),  a 
saffron-hued  daily  (a.m.  and  p.m.  editions),  enjoys  a  huge 
circulation  among  the  Fourth  Estate  and  gratifies  its  feverish 
taste  by  war-talk  and  lurid  illustrations.  The  Yorodzu  (lit. 
'all  sorts  of  things')  opposes  the  Gov't  and  frequently  dips 
its  editorial  pen  in  vitriol.  The  Mainichi,  the  Nichi-  Nichi,  the 
Niroku,  and  many  others  are  read  and  liked  by  separate  classes. 
Illuminated  Sunday  Editions  containing  translations  of 
foreign  fiction  (French  novels  are  popular);  agony  columns, 
pornographic  pictures,  and  some  of  the  good  and  bad  features 
of  Occidental  newspapers,  characterize  many  of  them,  and  all 
exercise  a  certain  influence  within  their  respective  spheres. 
The  poor  paper  on  which  most  of  them  are  printed  is  made  in 
Japan  (where  some  of  the  finest  paper  in  the' world  is  produced). 
Newspapers  are  controlled  by  the  Press  Law,  which  is  liberal. 
There  are  a  number  of  lady  journalists  of  note. 
'    Whosoever  is  interested  in  Japanese  art  should  at  least  see  a 


copy  of  the  richly  illustrated  monthly  magazine  known  to  art 
connoisseurs  throughout  the  world  as  The  Kokka,  and  pub- 
lished by  The  Kokka  Co.,  Yazaemoncho,  Kyobashi-ku,  Tokyo. 
Though  somewhat  expensive  (¥2.50  a  copy,  with  40  sen 
extra  for  foreign  postage),  each  number  (usually  about  35 
pages)  contains  2  colored  plates  and  4  or  5  admirable  collo- 
type reproductions  of  the  most  famous  paintings  or  objects 
(in  themselves  worth  the  price)  of  Japanese  art.  The  articles 
on  the  methods  employed  by  the  Japanese  in  the  applied  arts 
are  highly  interesting.  The  Kokka  ranks  high  among  the  fine 
art  publications  of  the  world. 

Perchance  of  greater  interest  to  foreign  travelers  than  the 
vernacular  press  are  the  uniquely  excellent  dailies  (and  week- 
lies) printed  in  English  (and  German) .  Some  of  them  are  veri- 
table mines  of  information  about  the  country,  its  people  and 
institutions,  as  they  are  conducted  by  scholarly  men  versed 
equally  in  the  lore  of  the  East  and  the  affairs  of  Europe  and 
the  West.  Few  foreigners  know  the  highways  and  byways  of 
Japan,  or  understand  the  people  better,  than  these  editors, 


NEWSPAPERS 


clix 


and  few  individuals  have  wielded  so  powerful  an  influence  for 
good  in  the  progressive  upbuilding  of  the  present  Empire. 
While  apprising  foreigners  of  the  trend  of  the  undercurrent 
of  Japanese  thought,  they  perform  an  invaluable  work  for 
Japan  by  keeping  its  people  in  touch  daily  with  the  ideals  and 
progress  of  the  Occident.  Most  of  the  papers  were  founded 
about  the  time  of  the  Restoration,  and  as  a  rule  each  possesses 
characteristics  which  distinguishes  it  from  its  fellows.  These  ■ 
features  are  often  of  immediate  interest  to  visiting  strangers;  I 
conspicuous  among  them  are  the  foreign  cablegrams;  arriving  I 
and  sailing  dates  of  the  principal  steamships;  daily  rates  of  [ 
exchange  (of  direct  value  to  travelers  carrying  letters  of  credit, 
etc.)  J  the  whereabouts  (within  the  Empire)  of  tourists  (hotel 
lists,  etc.);  valuable  information  (advertisements  and  special 
data)  relating  to  the  different  hotels;  descriptions,  accompanied  j 
by  excellent  sketch  maps,  of  various  country  trips;  railway 
time-tables;  weather  reports;  and  many  minor  matters.  All 
devote  some  space  to  daily  happenings  in  China  and  the 
Philippines.  Particularly  noteworthy  features  of  the  leading 
newspapers  are  the  Weekly  Editions,  which  contain  in  a 
condensed  form  the  political,  commercial,  financial,  and  gen- 
eral news,  and  which  are  adapted  for  mailing  abroad  and  for 
filing  as  records  of  the  daily  progress  of  events.  The  usual 
subscription  rate  for  the  daily  papers  is  10  sen  for  a  single 
copy;  ¥1.50-2  a  month;  ¥12-24  a  year.  Postage  to  any  part 
of  Japan,  China,  or  Korea  (where  there  is  a  Japanese  P.O.), 
25  sen  extra  per  month;  to  other  points  in  the  Postal  Union, 
¥1.50.  For  the  weekly  edition,  25-30  sen  a  copy;  ¥1  a  month, 
or  ¥10  per  annum.  Postage  in  Japan  50  sen  a,  year  extra;  to 
Europe  or  America  ¥2-3  a  yr.  The  Directories  issued  by 
certain  of  the  papers  are  a  combination  of  year-book,  blue- 
book,  etc.,  and  contain  an  immense  amount  of  interesting 
information  relating  to  the  country.  Trustworthiness  and 
moderation  rather  than  sensationalism  are  salient  features  of 
the  foreign  press  in  Japan. 

The  Japan  Chronicle,  the  leading  morning  daily  newspaper 
(printed  in  Kobe)  of  W.  Japan,  was  established  in  1868,  and 
is  noted  for  its  brilliant  editorials;  its  progressive,  altruistic, 
fearless  character;  and  as  a  splendid  type  of  dignified  British 
journalism  transplanted  to  alien  soil.  It  bears  practically  the 
same  relation  to  Japan  that  the  excellent  London  Standard  does 
to  England,  or  the  Boston  Evening  Transcript  to  New  Eng- 
land. Its  (Scotch)  editor  is  one  of  the  most  celebrated  living 
Japanologists. 

The  Japan  Advertiser  is  printed  every  morning  in  Tokyo,! 
and  is  a  typical  live,  hustling,  newsy,  pithy,  adaptable,  and  \ 
resourceful  American  newspaper.  Its  management,  methods,  / 
and  ideals  are  American,  and  its  circulation  is  large  and  far-/ 
reaching.  Independent  and  aggressive,  it  is  a  power  in  the! 


clx 


NEWSPAPERS 


/  business  world  and  represents  the  highest  type  of  strictly 
American  journalism  in  the  Far  East.  It  stands  for  the  inter- 
ests of  foreigners  of  whatever  nationality  or  creed. 

The  Japan  Times,  also  published  every  morning  in  Tokyo, 
is  ably  edited  (on  American  lines),  by  Motosada  Zumoto  (a 
Japanese  graduate  of  a  well-known  American  University), 
who  in  turn  is  a  somewhat  striking  example  of  the  broad- 
mindedness  and  astonishing  adaptability  of  a  certain  type  of 
progressive  Japanese.  That  an  attractive  newspaper  should 
be  written  and  printed  in  practically  faultless  English  by  a 
staff  of  Japanese  writers  and  printers  in  the  sometime  exclusive 
capital  of  the  old  Tycoons,  is  extraordinary  if  not  unique.  The 
Seoul  Press,  of  Seoul,  Korea,  is  perhaps  the  only  similar  case 
in  the  Far  East,  and  this  paper  was  also  established  by  Mr. 
Zumoto.  The  object  of  both  (semi-official)  papers  is  to  improve 
the  friendly  relations  between  Japanese  and  foreigners,  and  to 
enlighten  both  reciprocally  upon  the  undercurrent  of  thought 
at  home  and  abroad. 

The  Japan  Gazette,  an  erudite,  independent,  non-sensa- 
tional, thoroughly  British  newspaper,  founded  in  1867  and 
published  every  afternoon  in  Yokohama,  is  of  unfailing  inter- 
/  est  to  travelers.  The  Wednesday  and  Saturday  editions  con- 
tain, besides  the  usual  matter,  a  recapitulation  of  the  social 
doings  of  the  week  of  the  foreigners  in  Japan.  It  is  an  accepted 
authority  on  all  matters  concerning  Nippon,  and  the  Japan 
Directory  (a  combination  of  cyclopaedia,  social  blue-book,  and 
directory  combined),  published  every  January  (700  pages, 
price  ¥5)  in  connection  with  it,  is  the  best  of  its  kind.  It  is- 
valuable  as  a  reference  book. 

The  Japan  Daily  Herald,  an  afternoon  newspaper  pub- 
lished also  at  Yokohama,  though  ably  edited  by  an  English 
journalist  widely  known  as  an  authority  on  Japanese  applied 
art,  defends  German  (as  well  as  British  and  American)  inter- 
ests in  the  Far  East.  Travelers  will  often  find  in  its  columns 
valuable  information  relating  to  walking-trips  through  rural 
Japan,  as  well  as  expert  criticism  on  the  art  products  of  the 
Empire!  It  was  founded  in  1861,  and  is  in  consequence  one  of 
the  oldest  foreign  dailies  in  Japan. 

The  Japan  Daily  Mail,  founded  in  1865  by  the  late  Capt. 
Brinkley  (b.  1841;  d.  1912),  a  morning  paper  published  in 
Tokyo,  is  known  far  and  wide  as  a  valuable  mirror  of  con- 
temporaneous Japanese  history.  It  is  of  sustained  interest  to 
the  student  of  art,  religion,  and  politics  in  Japan,  and  its 
weekly  summary  of  the  Japanese  religious  press  is  an  invalu- 
able aid  to  a  correct  understanding  of  the  progress  of  Chris- 
tianity among  the  Japanese.  Though  pro-Japanese  in  tone, 
it  is  read  by  almost  every  foreigner  in  the  Empire  for  its 
brilliant  exposition  of  Japanese  thought.   The  Weekly  Edi- 


GEISHA 


clxi 


tion  is  a  review  of  Japanese  commerce,  politics,  literature, 
and  art. 

Other  journals  of  note  are  the  excellent  Kobe  Herald, 
mentioned  under  Kobe;  the  Nagasaki  Press;  the  Deutsch- 
Japan  Post  (published  weekly  inYokohama,  in  German) ;  the 
Far  East  (published  weekly  in  Tokyo,  in  English) ;  the  Box  of 
Curios,  a  widely  known  and  popular  weekly  printed  at  Yoko- 
hama; and  the  various  literary,  religious,  commercial,  and 
other  publications  issued  by  the  Methodist  Publishing  House, 
of  Tokyo,  the  Liberal  News  Agency,  of  Tokyo,  etc.  The  Japan 
Magazine,  an  illustrated  monthly  published  (in  English)  at 
Tokyo,  costs  ¥5  a  year  ($3  gold  in  the  U.S.A.  and  12s.  in 
England). 

Geisha  (in  the  Tokyo  dialect  an  '  accomplished  person 1 ; 
geiko  and  maiko  in  the  Osaka  and  Kyoto  dialect)  bear  more  or 
less  the  same  relation  to  life  in  Japan  that  nautch-girls  do  to 
that  of  India,  and  ballad-singers  to  China.  They  came  promi- 
nently into  vogue  during  the  9th  cent,  when  their  prototypes, 
the  shirabiyoshi,  or  '  White-measure  Markers '  (so-called 
because  they  appeared  originally  in  snow-white  robes,  carry- 
ing a  white-sheathed  sword  and  wearing  a  man's  head-dress) 
made  themselves  so  popular  at  the  Imperial  Court  that  the 
Emperor  Uda  1  took  one  of  them  to  his  arms/  and  by  so  doing 
elevated  and  popularized  their  profession.  Their  influence  has 
always  been  powerful,  and  it  is  recorded  that  in  1710,  dancing- 
girls  as  a  class  were  '  such  potent  perverters  of  good  morals 
that  the  authorities  endeavored  to  suppress  the  growing  evil 
by  prohibiting  the  teaching  of  dancing  under  penalty  of  expul- 
sion from  house  and  district/  Despite  adverse  legislation  the 
geisha  throve  and  is  to-day  apparently  an  ineradicable  feature 
of  the  national  life.  Nearly  every  big  ward  in  Tokyo  has  its 
geisha  quarter  (geisha-machi),  where  from  200  to  500  women 
are  visited  (usually  in  machiai,  or  assignation  houses)  by  all 
classes.  Says  an  authority: '  While  the  geisha  is  mistress  of  all 
the  seductive  arts,  seduction  is  not  necessarily  her  trade,  and 
whereas  she  never  forgets  to  be  a  lady,  she  takes  care  never 
to  be  mistaken  for  one.  Although  dancing  contributes  much 
to  her  grace  of  movement,  it  constitutes  only  a  minor  part  of 
her  professional  role.  This  she  may  tread  lawfully  by  purchas- 
ing a  special  license  in  addition  to  her  geisha  ticket,  or  she  may 
follow  it  in  secrecy  and  danger.  She  earns  hundreds  of  yen 
monthly,  for  if  she  is  in  vogue,  she  has  invitations  to  "  present 
her  face  "  at  many  reunions  on  the  same  day.  A  banquet  is 
considered  incomplete  without  geisha,  and  they  are  often  called 
in  to  enliven  a  simple  luncheon,  to  accompany  boating- 
parties,  etc.'  — ^Foreigners  usually  find  geisha  entertainments 
painfully  destitute  of  interest  or  excitement.  The  women 
themselves  are  often  not  only  deficient  in  good  looks,  but  some- 
times are  bad  dancers  as  well.  Though  they  do  not  lead  the 


clxii 


GEISHA 


life  of  vestal  virgins,  coquettish  ardor  and  passion  rarely  show 
themselves  in  their  dances.  Occidentals  soon  tire  of  their 
pantomimic  evolutions,  their  falsetto  voices,  and  their  doleful, 
recitative  singing,  and  one  is  rarely  willing  to  sit  through  a 
-second  performance.  In  his  somewhat  idealized  descriptions 
of  life  in  Japan,  Mr.  Lafcadio  Hearn  writes  (in  Glimpses  of 
Unfamiliar  Japan,  vol.  n,  p.  525  et  seq.): 

1  Nothing  is  more  silent  than  the  beginning  of  a  Japanese  banquet;  and  no 
one,  except  a  native,  who  observes  the  opening  scene,  could  possibly  imagine 
the  tumultuous  ending.  The  robed  guests  take  their  places,  quite  noise- 
lessly, and  without  speech,  upon  the  kneeling-cushions.  The  lacquered 
services  are  laid  upon  the  matting  before  them  by  maidens  whose  bare  feet 
make  no  sound.  For  a  while  there  is  only  smiling  and  flitting,  as  in  dreams. 
You  are  not  likely  to  hear  any  voices  from  without,  as  a  banqueting-house  is 
usually  secluded  from  the  street  by  spacious  gardens.  At  last  the  master  of 
ceremonies,  host  or  provider,  breaks  the  hush  with  the  consecrated  formula: 
O-somatsu  degozarimasu  ga  !  dozo  o-hashi !  whereat  all  present  bow  silently, 
take  up  their  chop-sticks,  and  fall  to.  But  hashi,  deftly  used,  cannot  be 
heard  at  all.  The  maidens  pour  warm  sake  into  the  cup  of  each  guest  with- 
out making  the  least  sound;  and  it  is  not  until  several  dishes  have  been 
emptied,  and  several  cups  of  sake  absorbed,  that  tongues  are  loosened. 

'  Then,  all  at  once,  with  a  little  burst  of  laughter,  a  number  of  young  girls 
enter,  make  the  customary  prostration  of  greeting,  glide  into  the  open  space 
between  the  ranks  of  the  guests,  and  begin  to  serve  the  wine  with  a  grace 
and  dexterity  of  which  no  common  maid  is  capable.  They  are  pretty;  they 
are  clad  in  very  costly  robes  of  silk;  they  are  girdled  like  queens;  and  the 
beautiful  dressed  hair  of  each  is  decked  with  mock  flowers,  with  wonder- 
ful combs  and  pins,  and  with  curious  ornaments  of  gold.  They  greet  the 
stranger  as  if  they  had  always  known  him;  they  jest,  laugh,  and  utter  funny 
little  cries.  These  are  the  geisha,  or  dancing-girls,  hired  for  the  banquet. 
Samisen,  or  native  guitars,  tinkle.  The  dancers  withdraw  to  a  clear  space  at 
the  farther  end  of  the  banqueting-hall,  always  vast  enough  to  admit  of  many 
more  guests  than  ever  assemble  upon  common  occasions.  Some  form  the 
orchestra,  under  the  direction  of  a  woman  of  uncertain  age ;  there  are  several 
samisen,  and  a  tiny  drum  played  by  a  child.  Others,  singly  or  in  pairs,  per- 
form the  dance.  It  may  be  swift  or  merry,  consisting  wholly  of  graceful 
posturing,  —  two  girls  dancing  together  with  such  coincidence  of  step  and 
gesture  as  only  years  of  training  could  render  possible".  But  more  frequently 
it  is  rather  like  acting  than  like  what  we  Occidentals  call  dancing, —  acting 
accompanied  with  extraordinary  waving  of  sleeves  and  fans,  and  with  a  play 
of  eyes  and  features,  sweet,  subtle,  subdued,  wholly  Oriental.  There  are 
more  voluptuous  dances  known  to  geisha,  but  upon  ordinary  occasions  and 
before  refined  audiences  they  portray  beautiful  old  Japanese  traditions,  like 
the  legend  of  the  fisher  Urashima  (p.  cclix),  beloved  by  the  Sea  God's  daugh- 
ter; and  at  intervals  they  sing  ancient  Chinese  poems,  expressing  a  natural 
emotion  with  delicious  vividness  by  a  few  exquisite  words.  And  always 
they  pour  the  wine,  —  that  warm,  pale  yellow,  drowsy  wine  which  fills  the 
veins  with  soft  contentment,  making  a  faint  sense  of  ecstasy,  through  which, 
as  through  some  poppied  sleep,  the  commonplace  becomes  wondrous  and 
blissful,  and  the  geisha  Maids  of  Paradise,  and  the  world  much  sweeter  than, 
in  the  natural  order  of  things,  it  could  ever  possibly  be. 

'  The  banquet,  at  first  so  silent,  slowly  changes  to  a  merry  tumult.  The 
company  breaks  ranks,  forms  groups;  and  from  group  to  group  the  girls  pass, 
laughing,  prattling,  —  still  pouring  sake  into  the  cups  which  are  being  ex- 
changed (as  compliments  between  guests  and  friends)  and  emptied  with  low 
bows.  Men  begin  to  sing  old  samurai  songs,  old  Chinese  poems.  One  or  two 
even  dance.  A  geisha  tucks  her  robe  well  up  to  her  knees;  and  the  samisen 
strikes  up  the  quick  melody,  Kompira  fune-fune.  As  the  music  plays  she 
begins  to  run' lightly  and  swiftly  in  a  figure  of  8,  and  a  young  man,  carrying 
a  sake  bottle  and  cup,  also  runs  in  the  same  figure  of  8.  If  the  two  meet  on 
a  line,  the  one  through  whose  error  the  meeting  happens  must  drink  a  cup  of 
sake.  The  music  becomes  quicker  and  quicker  and  the  runners  run  faster  and 


BEGGARS  —  THIEVES 


clxiii 


faster,  for  they  must  keep  time  to  the  melody;  and  the  geisha  wins.  In  an- 
other part  of  the  room,  guests  and  geisha  are  playing  ken.  They  sing  as  they 
play,  facing  each  other,  and  clap  their  hands,  and  fling  out  their  fingers  at 
intervals  with  little  cries;  and  the  samisen  keep  time.  Now,  to  play  ken  with 
a  geisha  requires  a  perfectly  cool  head ,  a  quick  eye  and  much  practice.  Hav- 
ing been  trained  from  childhood  to  play  all  kinds  of  ken  —  and  there  are 
many  —  she  generally  loses  only  for  politeness,  when  she  loses  at  all.  The 
signs  of  the  most  common  ken  are  a  Man,  a  Fox,  and  a  Gun.  If  the  geisha 
makes  the  sign  of  the  Gun,  you  must  instantly,  and  in  exact  time  to  the 
music,  make  the  sign  of  the  Fox,  who  cannot  use  the  Gun.  For  if  you  make 
the  sign  of  the  Man,  then  she  will  answer  with  the  sign  of  the  Fox,  who  can 
deceive  the  Man,  and  she  loses.  And  if  she  makes  the  sign  of  the  Fox  first, 
then  you  should  make  the  sign  of  the  Gun,  by  which  the  Fox  can  be  killed. 
But  all  the  while  you  must  watch  her  bright  eyes  and  supple  hands.  These 
are  pretty,  and  if  you  suffer  yourself,  just  for  one  fraction  of  a  second,  to 
think  how  pretty  they  are,  you  are  bewitched  and  vanquished. 

'  Notwithstanding  all  this  apparent  comradeship,  a  certain  rigid  decorum 
between  guest  and  geisha  is  invariably  preserved  at  a  Japanese  banquet. 
However  flushed  with  wine  a  guest  may  become,  you  will  never  see  him 
attempt  to  caress  a  girl;  he  never  forgets  that  she  appears  at  the  festivities 
only  as  a  human  flower,  to  be  looked  at,  not  to  be  touched.  The  familiarity 
which  foreign  tourists  in  Japan  frequently  permit  themselves  with  geisha 
or  with  waiter-girls,  though  endured  with  smiling  patience,  is  really  much 
disliked,  and  considered  by  native  observers  an  evidence  of  extreme  vulgar- 
ity. For  a  time  the  merriment  grows;  but  as  midnight  draws  near,  the  guests 
begin  to  slip  away,  one  by  one,  unnoticed.  Then  the  din  gradually  dies  down, 
the  music  stops;  and  at  last  the  geisha,  having  escorted  the  last  of  the  feast- 
ers  to  the  door,  with  laughing  cries  of  Sayonara,  can  sit  down  alone  to 
break  their  long  fast  in  the  deserted  hall. 

'  The  geisha  is  only  what  she  has  been  made  in  answer  to  foolish  human 
desire  for  the  illusion  of  love  mixed  with  youth  and  grace,  but  without  re- 
grets or  responsibilities  :  wherefore  she  has  been  taught,  besides  ken,  to  play 
at  hearts.  Now,  the  eternal  law  is  that  people  may  play  with  impunity  at 
any  game  in  this  unhappy  world  except  three,  which  are  called  Life,  Love, 
and  Death.  Those  the  gods  have  reserved  to  themselves,  because  nobody 
else  can  learn  to  play  them  without  doing  mischief.  Therefore,  to  play  with 
a  geisha  any  game  more  serious  than  ken,  or  at  least  go,  is  displeasing  to  the 
gods.' 

Beggars  (kojiki)  are  relatively  scarce  in  Japan,  as  there  is 
usually  work  for  all  and  all  are  generally  willing  to  work.  A 
few  slinking,  wheedling  mendicants  congregate  about  the 
temples  of  the  large  cities  and  at  popular  resorts,  but  they  are 
never  as  importunate  as  the  foreign  beach-combers  of  Yoko- 
hama —  frowsy  jetsam  who  make  a  business  of  imposing  upon 
the  charitably  disposed  and  by  means  of  hard-luck  tales  secure 
enough  each  day  to  keep  them  supplied  with  vitriolic  grog. 
Strangers  are  warned  against  the  wiles  of  the  foreign  sailor  who"' 
has  'lost  his  ship/  etc.,  and  who  in  reality  is  an  old  resident  of 
the  locality.  The  local  charities  and  the  Salvation  Army  look 
out  and  care  for  the  worthy  poor,  and  visitors  can  help  them  in 
their  noble  and  self-sacrificing  work  by  contributions  of  cash. 

Thieves  (dorobo;  nusubito,  etc.)  are  rapidly  on  the  increase, 
and  the  140-odd  prisons  of  the  Empire  receive  each  year 
upward  of  18,000  persons  convicted  of  thefts  of  property.  The 
Japanese  proverb:  Hin  sureba  don  sum,  'Poverty  makes  a 
man  stupid  (and  thievish)/  no  doubt  has  much  to  do  with  the 
rapid  growth  of  crime,  for  untold  thousands  of  the  poorer 
class  find  life,*m  a  financial  sense,  an  almost  intolerable  burden. 


clxiv 


JUJUTSU 


As  a  race  the  nation  is  honest.  The  traveler  from  those  Latin 
countries,  where  only  the  atmosphere  can  be  left  out  of  doors 
.  with  impunity,  marvels  at  the  host  of  attractive  things  strewn 
across  the  open  shop-fronts  and  in  the  streets  of  Japanese 
towns,  as  well  as  at  the  apparent  carelessness  with  which 
money  and  valuable  objects  are  left  unprotected.  While  for- 
eigners have  hitherto  been  more  or  less  neglected  by  the 
dorobo,  they  now  have  to  be  on  their  guard  against  them, 
particularly  the  pickpockets  (suri),  as  this  light-fingered  gentry 
has  learned  that  foreign  pockets  are  usually  more  opulent  and 
get-at-able  then  the  native  kakushi,  and  special  attention  is 
being  accorded  them.  Hotel  thefts  are  rare.  The  wily  Nip- 
ponese thief  prefers  generally  to  pick  a  pocket  in  a  crowded 
car  or  thoroughfare,  or  to  obtain  money  by  some  subtle  ruse 
rather  than  to  risk  his  precious  neck  by  a  burglarious  opera- 
tion; or  to  steal  openly  and  run  for  it.  Geisha  are  at  the  bottom 
of  many  breaches  of  confidence  on  the  part  of  young  men  in 
Japan.  —  The  Japanese  police  are  amazingly  efficient  in 
locating  stolen  things,  and  by  reporting  a  loss  promptly  to 
police  headquarters,  one  stands  an  excellent  chance  of  recov- 
ering the  goods. 

V.  Jujutsu.  Wrestling.  Harakiri.  Tattooing. 

Jujutsu  or  Judo  (pron.  jew-joots',  jew-doh'),  perhaps  one 
of  the  most  subtle  and  unique  of  the  Oriental  sciences,  is  pop- 
ular among  Japanese,  by  whom  it  is  extensively  practiced. 
Complete  self-control  and  an  intimate  knowledge  of  physics  as 
related  to  the  human  body  are  its  prominent  characteristics. 
Possessed  of  it  a  jujutsu  expert  (jujutsuka)  is  usually  able  to 
win  in  very  unequal  physical  contests  and  to  overpower  an 
opponent  of  considerably  greater  muscular  strength.  While 
it  has  its  nearest  analogue  in  wrestling,  it  is  of  much  greater 
refinement  and  potency;  the  stratagem  of  causing  the 
aggressor  to  injure  himself,  in  direct  proportion  to  his  loss  of 
self-command  and  to  the  force  exerted  by  him,  is  frequently 
employed.  Historians  disagree  as  to  its  origin.  Some  believe  it 
was  known  in  mythological  times  and  was  used  by  crafty  gods 
one  against  the  other.  It  gradually  came  into  prominence  in 
Japan  about  3  centuries  ago.  According  to  the. records  of  one 
popular  school  of  the  art,  in  the  16th  cent,  a  learned  physicist, 
Akiyama  Shir  obex,  of  Hirato  (in  Kyushu),  in  order  to  add  to  his 
knowledge,  went  to  China.  There,  during  a  three  years'  course 
of  study,  he  learned  some  special  tricks  of  a  Chinese  system  of 
boxing  called  (by  the  Japanese)  hakuda.  In  this  Confucian 
game  striking  and  kicking  are  said  to  have  been  chiefly 
employed  to  disable  an  adversary.  On  his  return  to  Japan 
Shirobei  taught  this  system,  but  as  it  was  neither  scientific  nor 
extensive,  its  vogue  soon  lapsed.  Thereupon  he  set  about  its 


JUJUTSU 


clxv 


elaboration.  Being  a  Shinto  devotee  he  repaired  to  the  cele- 
brated shrine  of  Tenjin,  at  Dazaifu,  in  Chikuzen  Province, 
where  he  prayed  earnestly,  fasted  rigorously,  and  meditated 
long  and  deeply.  Toward  the  end  of  a  trying  fast,  he  fell  into 
a  deep  sleep  and  dreamed  that  he  saw  a  tall  pine  and  a  willow 
tree  defending  themselves  against  a  great  snowstorm.  The 
former  put  forth  its  great  strength  and  resisted  the  weight  of  the 
snow  on  its  branches,  only  to  have  them  broken.  The  willow 
branches,  being  both  supple  and  pliant,  bent  far  enough 
beneath  the  weight  to  permit  it  to  slip  off,  then  sprang  back 
to  position  unhurt. 

Realizing  that  an  important  secret  —  that  of  apparently 
yielding,  but  in  reality  winning,  by  pliancy  —  had  been 
revealed  to  him,  the  student  worked  upon  the  system  until  he 
had  developed  more  than  300  tricks,  which  he  taught  in  a 
school  called  by  him  Yo  Shin-ryu,  or  i  Spirit  of  the  Willow- 
Tree  School*.'  This  was  later  merged  with  other  schools  where 
slightly  different  systems  were  taught,  under  the  name  of  the 
Tenjin  Shin  yo  ryu;  so-called  from  the  shrine  where  the  secret 
was  revealed.  In  time  other  schools  became  known  as  jujutsu 
(the  nearest  English  equivalent  of  which  is  the  1  art  of  pliancy) 
taijutsu  ('body-art '),  yawara  (' gentle-art'),  etc.;  but  all  had 
for  their  fundamental  principle  .the  substitution  of  craftiness 
for  strength,  the  crippling  of  an  adversary  by  deflecting  his 
own  strength  against  him,  and  of  winning  by  ostensibly  yield- 
ing. For  many  years  the  science  was  the  predilection  of  the 
warlike  samurai.  In  their  hours  of  leisure  and  practice  they 
developed  it  to  a  high  degree,  passing  its  secrets  down  to 
posterity.  With  the  abolition  of  feudalism,  jujutsu  shared  the 
fate  of  many  mediaeval  things  and  fell  into  decadence.  In 
1882,  Prof.  Jigoro  Kano,  an  eminent  educationist  and  at 
present  the  greatest  living  exponent  of  jujutsu,  revived  it,  and 
after  years  of  study  began  to  teach  it  to  young  Japanese. 
Elaborating  and  advancing  it  to  an  extent  undreamed-of  in 
feudal  times,  and  calling  it  by  the  name  judo  ('principle/  or 
'doctrine'  of  pliancy;  by  which  name  it  is  now  commonly 
known),  he  succeeded  in  establishing  scores  of  schools  through- 
out the  Japanese  Empire,  as  well  as  awakening  a  world-wide 
interest  in  the  singular  art. 

The  advanced  system  of  judo  embodies  the  best  qualities  of 
the  numerous  other  systems  supplemented  by  a  scientific 
application  of  psychology  and  physical  dynamics  wanting  in 
its  earlier  development.  Its  highest  secrets  (which  are  pos- 
sessed by  only  a  very  few)  are  entrusted  only  to  those  of  known 
integrity  and  morality,  for  its  possibilities  are  too  lethal  to  be 
entrusted  to  ignorant  hands.  A  master  of  this  dangerous 
science,  which  4  starts  from  the  mathematical  principle  that  the 
stability  of  a  body  is  destroyed  so  soon  as  the  vertical  line 
passing  through  its  center  of  gravity  falls  outside  its  base/  is 


clxvi 


JUJUTSU 


said  to  be  able,  by  slight  pressure,  to  paralyze  an  opponent's 
limbs  (by  applying  a  'breaking  pressure  '  to  them),  to  dislo- 
cate a  bone,  twist  a  muscle,  or  to  render  one  unconscious;  then, 
by  another  application  of  skill  to  resuscitate  the  disabled  one. 
An  intimate  knowledge  of  the  most  vital  and  vulnerable  parts 
of  the  human  body  is  no  doubt  the  secret  of  this  power.  The 
course  of  judo  exercises  includes  manceuvers  so  many  and  so 
variously  executed  that  to  attempt  a  description  of  them  would 
serve  merely  to  bewilder  the  reader.  The  most  celebrated 
school  in  Japan  is  that  of  Prof.  Kano,  the  Kodo-Kwan  at 
Sakashitamachi  11 4,  Koishikawa-ku,  Tokyo.  The  largest 
exercise-room  (where  strangers  may  see  jujutsu  practiced)  is 
at  Shimotomizaka-cho  18,  Koishikawa-ku,  Tokyo.  Classes  are 
held  between  3  and  6  p.m.  on  week  days,  and  between  8  and  12 
a.m.  on  Sundays;  but  the  visitor  will  not  always  witness  the 
best  exercises  at  these  times.  To  inculcate  stoicism  and  tenac- 
ity of  purpose  students  (a  number  of  whom  are  women)  are 
required  to  attend  the  school  at  4  a.m.  (classes  are  held  till  7 
a.m.)  during  the  coldest  period  of  the  year  at  Tokyo  —  usually 
about  30  days  in  Jan.-Feb.  The  same  principle  is  applied 
during  the  noon  hours  of  the  hottest  summer  days.  The  enthu- 
siastic young  Japanese  zealously  abide  by  these  severe 
monastic  rules,  since  those  who  have  successfully  withstood 
the  ordeal  are  given  certificates  (greatly  prized,  as  indicating 
success  in  other  undertakings)  certifying  to  their  physical  and 
mental  fitness. 

From  150  to  300  lessons  of  1  hr.  a  week,  or  a  period  of  exer- 
cise covering  from  3  to  5  yrs.,  are  necessary  for  an  average 
person  to  acquire  a  fairly  intimate  knowledge  of  the  art.  An 
earnest  student  can  get  a  valuable  working  knowledge  in  about 
30  lessons  if  he  takes  these  from  a  special,  individual  teacher. 
Conditions  and  costs  vary  widely.  It  might  be  said  that  there 
are  two  ways  open  for  a  foreigner  to  learn  jujutsu.  The  first 
is  to  attend  the  regular  school  along  with  the  native  students, 
who  are  taught  en  masse.  Being  practically  headquarters  of 
the  science  in  Japan,  the  Kano  school  is  considered  of  such 
great  public  utility  that  it  is  supported  by  endowments.  The 
cost  to  the  student  is  thereby  reduced  to  an  entrance  fee  of  2 
yen  and  a  nominal  charge  of  30  sen  (15c.  U.S.  money)  a  month 
for  the  use  of  the  schoolrooms.  Any  one  can  attend  who  will 
promise  to  obey  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  institution. 
The  instructors  are  all  Japanese.  A  special,  English-speaking 
teacher  employed  to  devote  his  time  to  a  single  foreign  student 
would  cost  from  50  sen  to  5  yen  an  hr.  depending  upon  whether 
a  private  room  were  desired;  upon  how  deeply  versed  in  the 
intricacies  of  judo  the  teacher  might  be;  whether  the  pupil 
would  want  to  name  the  hrs.  devoted  to  him,  and  so  forth. 
At  the  higher  price  the  learner  could  take  as  many  lessons  a 
week  as  he  could  assimilate.  Under  favorable  conditions  the 
right  kind  of  a  teacher  could  be  had  for  from  1  to  3  yen. 


WRESTLING 


clxvii 


Students  are  either  graduates  (yudansha,  or  'those  with 
grades'),  and  under-graduates  (mudansha,  or 'those  without 
grades  The  latter  are  divided  into  6  classes;  the  former  into 
10.  The  master  mentally  estimates  the  student's  attainments, 
and  when  he  has  gauged  his  power  of  self-control,  he  decides  in 
his  own  mind  how  many  degrees,  so  to  speak,  he  may  receive. 
The  terrific  power  of  advanced  judo  is  said  to  make  this  neces- 
sary. Whosoever  has  reached  the  6th  grade  in  the  graduate 
class  is  considered  to  have  attained  to  a  comprehensive  knowl- 
edge of  the  physical  side  of  the  art.  Not  until  he  acquires  the 
10th,  or  last,  degree,  is  he  a  shihan  (master,  or 'model  teacher'). 
Many  jujutsuists  call  themselves  shihan  who  are  not  really 
such.  The  highest  rank  (open  to  all)  acquired  by  any  foreigner 
from  the  Kano  School  is  the  first  in  the  graduate  course,  and 
this  degree  is  held  by  but  4  men  —  2  of  whom  live  in  Tokyo. 
Many  of  the  Japanese  police,  and  not  a  few  military  men, 
know  something  of  judo.  A  smattering  of  it  often  enables  a 
slight  man  to  subjugate  a  powerful  aggressor.  The  object  of 
judo  is  threefold;  it  teaches  methods  of  self-defense,  it  imparts 
mental  poise  and  a  high  sense  of  self-discipline,  and  it  gives  its 
possessor  a  greater  control  over  the  muscles  of  the  body  than  is 
perhaps  possible  in  any  other  system  of  physical  culture.  — 
Consult  the  various  monographs  (in  the  vernacular;  an  Eng- 
lish translation  is  in  preparation)  by  Prof.  Kano.  The  Fighting 
Spirit  of  Japan,  by  E.  J.  Harrison  (London,  1912). 

Wrestling  (sumo)  is  one  of  the  most  popular  of  the  Japanese 
sports,  and  the  bouts  held  in  Tokyo  in  Jan.  (usually  from  the 
12th  to  the  22d)  )ang|J^a-y.  of  each  year  arouse  as  much  enthu- 
siasm as  baseball  (Toes  in  the  U.S.A.  Legend  traces  the  practice 
to  one  Kehaya  (nicknamed  the  'quick-kicker'),  a  man  of  ex- 
traordinary strength,  who  lived  at  Toma,  in  Yamato  Pro- 
vince about  b.c.  23.  His  pride  in  his  muscle  became  known 
to  the  Emperor  Suinin,  who  sent  for '  Nomi-no-Sukune,  a 
strong  man  of  Izumo;  the  two  wrestled  in  the  presence  of  the 
Sovereign,  and  Sukune's  attacks  were  so  rude  that  Kehaya 
died  on  the  spot  from  the  injuries  received.  Posterity  refers  to 
this  as  the  first  recorded  wrestling-match ;  the  place  in  Yamato 
still  known  by  the  name  Koshi-orida,  or  '  hip-breaking  field/ 
is  said  to  mark  the  place  where  Kehaya  lived.  Sukune  is 
regarded  as  the  tutelary  deity  of  wrestlers,  and  shrines  stand 
to  his  memory.  In  a.d.  809,  the  Emperor  lleijb  ordered  men 
of  strength  to  be  sent  to  the  Imperial  Court  from  all  parts  of 
the  realm.  His  successor  established  a  special  dept.  for  the 
management  of  pales tral  affairs,  and  in  834  the  Mikado 
Nimmyo  ordered  that  wrestling  should  be  encouraged  as  an 
important  military  accomplishment.  The  first  public  matches 
(hatsu-zumo)  on  record  in  Yedo  took  place  in  1632;  though 
several  times  prohibited  by  the  authorities,  the  bouts  grew  in 
importance  and  frequency,  and  about  1820  the  temple  inclo- 


clxviii 


WRESTLING 


sure  of  Eko-in  (p.  231)  became  the  established  center  of  the 
annual  exhibitions.  Anciently  wrestlers  were  classified  accord- 
ing to  their  skill,  and  competing  squads  were  called  *  right  and 
left '  sides.  The  present  classification  of  1  Eastern  and  West- 
ern Camps'  dates  from  Tokugawa  times  and  is  believed  to 
represent  the  E.  and  W.  provinces  respectively.  The  men  on 
each  side  are  of  5  grades,  those  of  the  highest  rank  being  called 
Ozeki.  When  one  of  these  leaders  in  either  camp  defeats  his 
rival  and  stands  without  a  peer,  he  is  ranked  as  Hinoshita 
kaisan  (' universal  champion')  and  is  entitled- to  wear  the 
much-coveted  Yokozuna,  or  rope-belt  of  bleached  hemp 
originally  conferred  upon  champion  wrestlers  by  a  noble 
family  in  Kyoto.  Since  Akashi  Shiganosuke  received  this 
honor  first  in  1624  less  than  a  score  of  men  have  worn  the 
championship  belt.  Prior  to  1868  wrestlers  enjoyed  privileges 
almost  as  great  as  those  of  samurai,  to  whom  they  were  next  in 
military  rank.  Their  treatment  was  in  marked  contrast  to 
that  of  actors,  who  were  referred  to  as '  riverside  beggars,'  and 
who  were  compelled  when  traveling  to  hide  their  faces  in  deep 
wicker  hats. 

There  are  48  recognized  hands  (te)  or  grips;  classified  into 
throwing,  grappling,  twisting,  bending,  etc.;  each  with  12  sub- 
methods  of  which  wrestlers  may  avail  themselves  to  overcome 
an  opponent;  besides  certain  individual  kinks  known  to  some 
of  them.  Wherever  a  man  is  able  to  use  a  hand  in  a  dangerous 
fashion,  such,  for  instance,  as  slapping  an  antagonist  (permit- 
ted) in  the  face  with  sufficient  violence  as  to  disable  him,  he  is 
forbidden  to  use  it,  notwithstanding  it  may  be  a  legitimate  one. 
As  the  men  wrestle  in  an  almost  nude  state,  good  holds  are 
hard  to  get;  the  best  are  made  possible  by  the  loin-cloth,  or 
mawashi,  sl  species  of  long  belt  which  goes  several  times  round 
the  waist.  The  rich  and  costly  damask  apron  (often  beauti- 
fully embroidered  in«gold  and  silver)  worn  by  wrestlers  during 
the  preliminary  ceremonies  —  and  which  bears  the  same  rela- 
tion to  them  that  the  silken  capa  does  to  the  espada  in  a  bull- 
fight —  is  removed  when  the  wrestling  begins.  From  early 
morning  on  the  day  preceding  wrestling-matches,  drums  are 
beaten  in  5  quarters  of  the  city,  to  announce  to  lovers  of  the 
sport  that  the  bouts  are  to  be  held  on  the  following  day. 

Wrestlers  in  Japan  are  as  unmistakable  as  bull-fighters  in  a 
Spanish  country.  They  are  immensely  heavy,  gladiator-like, 
beefy  men,  sometimes  weighing  300-350  lbs.  and  standing 
head  and  shoulders  above  the  average  native.  It  is  said  that 
they  observe  no  special  regimen  in  their  diet,  other  than  that 
they  eat  two  or  three  times  as  much  meat  as  the  ordinary 
native  and  drink  considerably  more  sake  than  the  average  man. 
In  size  and  muscular  development  they  are  abnormal ;  but  some 
do  not  approach  the  normal  in  intelligence.  One  who  aspires 
to  become  a  wrestler  must  apply  to  a  toshiyori  (or  sumo- 


WRESTLING 


clxix 


doshiyori)  —  a  man  who  has  retired  from  the  ring  and  who 
takes  part  in  the  management  or  supervision  of  wrestlers. 
Considerable  hard  work  is  necessary  before  the  tyro  is  admitted 
to  the  great  wrestling  arenas  in  Tokyo;  where,  if  he  is  strong 
and  proficient,  he  may  be  allowed  to  wrestle  early  in  the 
morning  (of  wrestling  days)  before  the  regular  matches  take 
place.  One  who  wins  in  a  bout  is  butted  against  a  second  oppo- 
nent, and  if  he  wins  twice  consecutively  he  receives  a  mark. 
On  the  4th,  7th,  and  10th  days  of  the  great  matches  these 
marks  are  counted,  and  by  their  number  the  aspirant's  position 
is  fixed.  If  he  has  sufficient  marks,  he  becomes  a  regular 
wrestler.  The  salaries  of  the  best  men  are  astonishingly  small; 
the  champion  receiving  about  100  yen  for  his  10  days'  work. 
The  honor,  the  plaudits  of  the  crowd,  the  smiles,  and  the  gifts 
which  the  geisha  fling  into  the  ring  in  their  excitement  and 
enthusiasm,  appeal  strongly  to  the  men,  some  of  whom  have 
patrons  whose  munificence  adds  to  their  meager  pay.  There 
are  upward  of  a  thousand  wrestlers  in  Tokyo  under  the  control 
of  the  Tokyo  Wrestling  Association.  The  contests  are  held  in 
the  Kokugikwan,  next  to  the  Eko-in  Temple,  and  at  the  newer 
pavilion  of  the  same  name  in  Asakusa  Park.  Twenty-four 
men  from  the  E.  and  a  like  number  from  the  W.  Camp  com- 
pete for  honors.  The  practically  continuous  performance  usu- 
ally begins  at  4  a.m.  and  lasts  till  6  p.m.  The  admission  ranges 
from  50  sen  (gallery)  to  ¥4  for  a  chair,  and  ¥14  for  a  box  which 
will  seat  5  persons.  The  arena  is  raised  a  trifle  above  the 
ground  and  is  sometimes  shaded  by  a  canopy  supported  by 
4  posts,  one  with  a  green  band  wound  round  its  upper  part, 
another  red,  a  3d  white,  and  a  4th  black,  —  symbolic  of  the 
4  seasons.  A  purple  curtain  adorned  with  figures  of  white 
plum  blossoms  envelops  the  upper  part  of  the  posts.  The  old 
custom  required  that  within  the  4  pillars,  2  concentric  circles 
of  rice-bags  be  placed,  the  inner  line  forming  the  ring  —  about 
12  ft.  in  diameter.  Close  at  hand  are  small  pails  of  water,  some 
paper,  and  salt;  the  former  revives  the  flagging  spirits,  and  is 
said  to  be  emblematic  of  the  water  which  is  given  to  the  dying 
(as  wrestlers  are  supposed  to  be  prepared  for  death).  The 
paper  is  used  for  wiping  the  face,  and  the  salt  for  purifying  the 
arena.  A  referee  selected  from  among  the  Toshiyori  sits  at 
each  pillar,  the  wrestlers  sit  on  the  E.  and  W.  sides  of  the  ring 
awaiting  their  turn,  and  the  umpire  generally  stands  on  the 
N.  side,  and  faces  S.  as  he  pronounces  results.  Early  in  the 
morning  before  wrestling  begins,  water  is  sprinkled  over  the 
arena  to  sanctify  it;  rice  is  offered,  and  prayers  are  made  to 
the  gods,  particularly  to  Nomi-no-Sukune}  a  shrine  dedicated 
to  whom  is  usually  to  be  found  near  wrestling-halls.  When  the 
matches  begin  the  contestants  and  the  referees  sit  on  both 
sides  of  the  arena,  while  the  caller-out  (yobidashi)  comes  for- 
ward with  a  fan  in  his  hand  and  announces  the  names  of  the 


clxx 


HARAKIRI 


wrestlers.  The  umpire  makes  a  similar  announcement,  and 
two  matched  men  come  into  the  arena  from  either  side.  Each 
turns  a  pillar  on  his  side,  then  resting  a  hand  on  each  knee, 
raises  his  legs  wide,  one  after  the  other,  in  a  half-sitting  posture 
and  stamps  on  the  ground  5  times.  Those  above  a  certain 
rank  face  each  other  sitting  on  their  heels,  and  clap  their  hands 
and  stretch  their  arms  as  a  sign  that  they  will  abide  by  the 
umpire's  decision  and  will  bear  their  antagonists  no  malice, 
whatever  the  result  may  be.  As  they  close  in  and  face  each 
other,  the  umpire  stands  by  them  with  his  fan  in  his  hand.  If 
a  wrestler  attempts  to  tussle  before  the  other  is  ready,  the 
latter  tells  him  to  wait.  The  delays  are  sometimes  made  om 
the  principle  that  by  so  doing  one  can  wear  a  competitor  out.. 
The  wrestler  is  defeated  if  he  is  thrown  by  his  opponent;  if  his; 
foot  crosses  the  inner  ring;  or  his  hand  or  knee  touches  the; 
ground.  Some  gain  a  victory  by  suddenly  springing  upon  the  ; 
adversary;  others  by  sheer  weight,  by  lifting  him  and  dropping 
him  out  of  the  ring,  by  pushing  him  down,  dodging,  tripping, 
and  by  other  unscientific  moves.  The  men  stop  frequently  to  ■ 
take  a  drink  of  water,  wipe  faces  with  the  bits  of  paper,  and 
throw  pinches  of  salt  into  the  ring.  When  a  wrestler  is  victori- 
ous he  squats  on  his  side  of  the  ring  while  the  umpire  points 
his  fan  at  him  and  pronounces  his  name.  The  vanquished/ 
leave  the  ring  without  ceremony.  The  matches  begin  with  the 
lowest  class,  and  rise  gradually  to  the  highest.  When  the 
Tokyo  bouts  are  ended,  the  victors  leave  for  a  starring  tour 
of  the  provinces.  Advertisements  of  coming  events  are 
inserted  in  the  newspapers  printed  in  English. 

Harakiri  (pron.  hah-rah-key'-ree)  or  (more  politely)  sep- 
puku  ('belly-cut'),  a  method  of  suicide  believed  to  be  pe- 
culiar to  Old  Japan,  is  not  widely  popular  at  present.  It  came 
into  practice  among  the  samurai  during  the  early  years  of  the 
military  domination  (of  the  Ashikaga),^  and  replaced  the  more 
ancient  form  of  suicide  by  strangulation.  The  military  cus- 
tom of  permitting  a  vanquished  samurai  to  perform  harakiri 
rather  than  endure  the  shame  of  execution  or  disgrace,  appears 
to  have  been  generally  established  about  the  close  of  the  15th 
cent.  Afterwards  it  became  the  recognized  duty  of  such  a  one 
to  kill  himself  at  the  word  of  command.  4  All  samurai  were 
subject  to  this  disciplinary  law,  even  lords  of  provinces;  and 
in  samurai  families,  children  of  both  sexes  were  trained  how  to 
perform  suicide  whenever  personal  honor  or  the  will  of  a  liege- 
lord,  might  require  it.'  Women  performed  jigai,  which  con- 
sisted of  piercing  the  throat  with  a  dagger  so  as  to  sever  the 
arteries  by  a  single  thrust.  Where  two  persons  die  together,  by 
mutual  consent,  the  act  is  referred  to  as  junshi.^  Perhaps  the 
most  remarkable  suicide  of  this  kind  in  modern  times  was  that 
of  General  Count  and  Countess  Nogi,  who  killed  themselves 
with  dramatic  punctiliousness  at  their  residence  in  Tokyo, 


HARAKIRI 


clxxi 


Sept.  13,  1912,  so  that  the  Count  might  follow  his  master,  the 
dead  Emperor  Mutsuhito,  to  the  other  world. 

A  typical  case  of  peculiar  interest  to  foreigners  is  described 
in  Mitford's  Tales  of  Old  Japan.  '  The  condemned  man  was 
Taki  Zenzaburb,  an  officer  of  the  Prince  of  Bizen,  who  gave 
the  order  to  fire  upon  the  foreign  settlement  at  Hyogo  (Kobe) 
in  Feb.,  1868.  The  ceremony,  which  was  ordered  by  the 
Mikado  himself,  took  place  at  10.30  p.m.  in  the  Seifukuji,  the 
headquarters  of  the  Satsuma  troops  at  Hyogo.  A  witness  was 
sent  from  each  of  the  foreign  legations.  From  the  ceiling  of  the 
high  roof  of  the  dark  hall  of  the  temple  supported  by  dark 
pillars  of  wood  hung  a  profusion  of  gilt  lamps  and  ornaments 
peculiar  to  Buddhist  temples.  In  front  of  the  high  altar,  where 
the  floor,  covered  with  beautiful  white  mats,  is  raised  some  3  or 
4  in.  from  the  ground,  was  laid  a  rug  of  scarlet  felt.  Tall 
candles  placed  at  regular  intervals  gave  out  a  dim  mysterious 
light,  just  sufficient  to  let  all  the  proceedings  be  seen.  The  7 
Japanese  took  their  places  on  the  left  of  the  raised  floor,  the 
7  foreigners  on  the  right.  After  an  interval  of  a  few  minutes  of 
anxious  suspense,  Taki  Zenzaburo,  a  stalwart  man,  32  years  of 
age,  with  a  noble  air,  walked  into  the  hall  attired  in  his  dress 
of  ceremony,  with  the  peculiar  hempen-cloth  wings  which  are 
worn  on  great  occasions.  He  was  accompanied  by  a  kaishaku 
and  3  officers,  who  wore  the  jimbaori  or  war  surcoat  with  gold- 
tissue  facings.  The  word  kaishaku,  it  should  be  observed,  is 
one  to  which  our  word  "  executioner"  is  no  equivalent  term. 
The  office  is  that  of  a  gentleman :  in  many  cases  it  is  performed 
by  a  kinsman  or  friend  of  the  condemned,  and  the  relation 
between  them  is  rather  that  of  principal  and  second  than  that 
of  victim  and  executioner.  In  this  instance  the  kaishaku  was 
a  pupil  of  Zenzaburo,  and  was  selected  by  the  friends  of  the 
latter  from  among  their  own  number  for  his  skill  in  swords- 
manship. Slowly,  and  with  great  dignity,  the  condemned  man 
mounted  onto  the  raised  floor,  prostrated  himself  before  the 
high  altar  twice,  and  seated  himself  on  the  felt  carpet  with  his 
back  to  the  high  altar,  the  kaishaku  crouching  on  his  left-hand 
side.  Zenzaburo1  s  posture  was  that  usually  adopted  by  the 
Japanese,  with  knees  and  toes  touching  the  ground,  and  body 
resting  on  the  heels.  In  this  position,  which  is  one  of  respect, 
he  remained  until  his  death.  One  of  the  3  attendants  then 
came  forward,  bearing  a  stand  of  the  kind  used  in  temples  for 
offerings,  on  which,  wrapped  in  paper,  lay  the  wakizashi,  the 
short  sword  or  dirk,  9|  inches  in  length,  with  a  point  and  an 
edge  as  sharp  as  a  razor.  This  he-handed,  prostrating  himself, 
to  the  condemned  man,  who  received  it  reverently,  raised  it  to 
his  head  with  both  hands,  and  placed  it  in  front  of  him.  Then 
allowing  his  upper  garments  to  slip  down  to  his  girdle,  he 
remained  naked  to  the  waist.  Carefully,  according  to  custom, 
he  tucked  his  sleeves  under  his  knees  to  prevent  himself  from 


clxxii    ARCHITECTURE  OF  BUDDHIST  TEMPLES 


falling  backward;  for  a  noble  Japanese  gentleman  should  die 
falling  forward.  Deliberately,  with  a  steady  hand,  he  took  the 
dirk  that  lay  before  him;  he  looked  at  it  wistfully,  almost 
affectionately;  for  a  moment  he  seemed  to  collect  his  thoughts 
for  the  last  time,  and  then  stabbing  himself  deeply  below  the 
waist  on  the  left-hand  side,  he  drew  the  dirk  slowly  across  to 
the  right  side,  and,  turning  it  in  the  wound,  gave  a  slight  cut 
upwards.  During  this  sickeningly  painful  operation  he  never 
moved  a  muscle  of  his  face.  When  he  drew  out  the  dirk,  he 
leaned  forward  and  stretched  out  his  neck;  an  expression  of 
pain  for  the  first  time  crossed  his  face,  but  he  uttered  no  sound. 
At  that  moment,  the  kaishaku,  who,  still  crouching  by  his  side, 
had  been  keenly  watching  his  every  movement,  sprang  to  his 
feet,  poised  his  sword  for  a  second  in  the  air;  there  was  a 
flash,  a  heavy,  ugly  thud,  a  crashing  fall;  with  one  blow  the 
head  had  been  severed  from  the  body/ 

Tattooing,  or  Horimono  (horu,  to  dig;  mono,  thing),  was 
anciently  more  popular  than  it  is  at  present,  since  the  govern- 
mental decree  expressing  disapproval  of  it  caused  it  to  decline 
in  favor.  The  art  (horimonojutsu)  has  always  been  confined  to 
the  unlettered  class,  since  cultured  Japanese  consider  its 
application  a  mark  of  extreme  vulgarity.  Coolies,  bravos,  and 
foreign  sailors  (53%  of  American  seamen,  and  35%  of  the 
enlisted  marines  are  thus  adorned)  are  the  chief  patrons  of 
tattooers,  and  female  beauties,  popular  heroes,  flowers,  birds, 
ship's  anchors,  love-emblems,  and  the  like  are  the  popular 
patterns.  While  the  extraordinarily  expert  tattooers  of  Japan 
(Yokohama  and  Tokyo  are  headquarters)  practice  the  Poly- 
nesian style  of  pricking,  it  is  rather  significant  that  the  Ainu  of 
Yezo  (where  not  a  few  women  handle  the  delicate  knives  and 
needles  with  skill)  employ  the  Melanesian  method  of  cutting. 
The  operation  requires  time  and  patience,  but  is  not  necessa- 
rily painful.  Blood  is  seldom  drawn.  Sepia  and  vermilion  are 
the  usual  colors;  brilliant  greens,  yellows,  and  blues  being 
considered  dangerous. 

VI.   Architecture  of  Buddhist  Temples. 

Architecture  (zdeijutsu;  kenchiku-gaku) .  The  ecclesiastical 
architecture  which  grew  up  in  Japan  after  the  introduction  of 
Buddhism,  has  qualities,  in  its  best  examples,  that  are  pecu- 
liarly attractive  to  art-lovers.  Occidentals  in  particular  find 
the  gorgeously  decorated  Buddhist  temples  and  their  later 
expressions  —  the  still  more  wonderful  and  elaborate  mortu- 
ary shrines  —  replete  with  interest.  Both  furnish  an  extensive 
illustration  of  the  transfer  from  the  continent  to  the  soil  of  an 
island  empire,  of  a  notable  phase  of  depictive  art  —  one  inher- 
ently Hindu-Persian,  yet  tinged  with  the  lasting  impress  of 
Koreans  and  Chinese.   With  their  accompanying  pagodas, 


ARCHITECTURE  OF  BUDDHIST  TEMPLES  clxxiii 


opulent  bell-towers,  intricately  sculptured  gateways  (which  in 
themselves  often  represent  the  choicest  type  of  florid  Buddhist 
architecture  in  Japan),  pavilions,  revolving  libraries,  and  other 
structures,  they  make  a  strong  appeal,  —  particularly  when 
set  down  in  a  magnificent  environment  that  adds  materially 
to  their  beauty.  The  effective  blend  of  nature,  religion,  and 
art  impresses  so  many  travelers  that  in  time  they  learn  to 
reverence  the  monumental  old  temples  as  the  tangible  symbols 
of  a  beautiful  faith.  Time  and  again  they  return  to  their 
sacrosanct  and  singularly  tranquil  precincts  to  study  the 
inspiring  faces  of  the  beautiful  golden  images,  of  Buddha  and 
the  Bodhisattvas,  and  to  marvel  at  the  strength  of  a  creed 
which  for  so  many  centuries  has  held  an  unthinkable  number 
of  the  human  race  under  its  sway.  The  wave  of  reform  which 
is  making  such  an  impression  in  secular  architecture  in  Japan 
—  particularly  in  the  large  cities  —  has  as  yet  had  no  effect 
on  the  ecclesiastical  structures,  in  which  there  has  been  little 
or  no  development  for  the  last  two  centuries.  Many  of  these 
show  a  pronounced  similarity  in  their  essential  architectural 
members  and  decorations,  which  though  varying  in  detail  are 
constant  in  type.  But  for  certain  differences  peculiar  to  locali- 
ties, or  for  decorations  applicable  to  the  local  tutelar  or  to  the 
bonze  to  whom  the  temple  owes  its  physical  being,  there  would 
be  considerable  uniformity  among  them.  As  it  is,  the  traveler 
who  has  seen  a  few  of  the  most  celebrated  types  may  feel 
amply  justified  in  foregoing  an  inspection  o£  the  remainder,,  as 
some  of  them,  though  expressive  of  a  rich  and  florid  imagina- 
tion, are  not  necessarily  indicative  of  a  highly  developed 
artistic  sense.  The  interior  adornments  are  often  disappoint- 
ing to  those  who  expect  to  find  the  splendid  paintings  and 
beautiful  stained-glass  windows  of  European  cathedrals. 

The  architecture  of  the  Chinese  (and  consequently  that  of  the  Japanese, 
who  received  their  constructional  ideas  from  them)  suggests,  in  its  general 
outline  and  the  peculiar  concave  roof,  a  canvas  tent  as  its  primary  motive, 
though  there  is  no  further  proof  than  this  likeness  of  its  origin.  From  the  pal- 
ace to  the  hovel,  in  temples  and  in  private  dwellings,  this  type  everywhere 
stands  confessed,  and  almost  nothing  like  a  dome  or  cupola,  a  spire  or  turret 
(except  in  the  fortresses),  is  anywhere  found.  While  few  instances  occur 
anywhere  in  China  of  an  attempt  to  develop  this  simple  model  into  a  grand 
or  imposing  building,  the  Japanese,  as  if  skipping  a  generation  and  going 
back  to  the  (for  them)  fountain  head,  emulated  the  example  of  the  Mogul 
princes  in  India  (who  perhaps  got  their  architectural  ideas  from  Persia  and 
Arabia)  and  reared  costly  mausolea  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  their  dead 
sovereigns  and  glorify  their  reigns.  The  manifest  solidity  of  Japanese  mas- 
onry as  expressed  in  walls  and  castles  bears  a  striking  likeness  to  similar 
construction  work  in  Hindustan,  and  in  some  cases  an  even  finer  conception 
of  the  mechanical  principles  of  the  art  is  observable.  None  of  the  Japanese 
structures,  however,  possess  the  wonderful  acoustic  arrangements  of  certain 
of  the  Mohammedan  edifices.  The  well-known  inertness  of  the  imaginative 
faculty  in  the  Chinese  mind  has  been  overcome  by  the  Japanese  in  a  singu- 
larly brilliant  manner;  due  perhaps,  in  a  way,  to  the  fact  that  the  Chinese 
never  had  either  a  dominant  priesthood  or  a  hereditary  nobility.  Fergusson 
points  out  that  the  absence  of  the  former  class  is  important,  because  it  is  to 
sacred  art  that  architecture  has  owed  its  highest  inspiration,  anol  sacred  art 


clxxiv   ARCHITECTURE  OF  BUDDHIST  TEMPLES 


is  never  so  strongly  developed  as  under  the  influence  of  a  powerful  and 
splendid  hierarchy.  In  the  same  manner  the  want  of  a  hereditary  nobility 
is  equally  unfavorable  to  domestic  architecture  of  a  durable  description. 
Private  feuds  and  private  wars  made  fortalices  and  fortified  mansions  neces- 
sary, and  the  mass  and  solidity  of  these  give  a  marked  character  to  certain 
of  the  edifices  in  Japan. 

Native  historians  refer  to  four  stages  of  sacred  architecture 
in  the  history  of  the  Empire:  the  Suiko,  of  the  earliest  Buddhist 
epoch  —  the  best  representative  of  which  is  the  now  tottering 
Horyu-ji  (Rte.  34) ,  erected  near  Nara  in  a.d.  607 ;  the  Fujiwara, 
as  expressed  in  the  Byddd-in,  erected  at  Uji  (Rte.  33)  in  1052; 
the  luxurious  Kyoto  epoch,  of  which  the  dazzling  Nishi 
Hongwanji  built  at  Kyoto  (Rte.  27)  in  1591  is  the  best  type;  and 
the  Tokugawa,  or  Yedo  epoch,  which  brought  forth  in  the 
17th  cent,  the  brilliant  mausolea  of  Shiba  (Tokyo)  and  Nikko 
(Rte.  14).  While  the  painfully  plain  and  crude  Horyu-ji  is  sig- 
nificant of  the  state  of  architecture  at  the  remote  period  of  its 
erection,  and  stands  forth  as  the  best  example  extant  of  what 
Japanese  like  to  refer  to  as  the  Old  Yamato  type,  it  is  in  strik- 
ing contrast  to  the  gorgeous  Nishi  Hongwanji,  often  mentioned 
as  one  of  the  most  perfect  works  of  Buddhist  art  in  Japan. 
Though  the  former  is  marked  by  an  austerity  that  could 
scarcely  be  more  pronounced,  the  latter  is,  in  places,  colored 
as  elaborately  as  the  Alhambra,  with  considerable  flat  or 
painted  work  suggestive  of  it.  Expressive  also  of  the  expansion 
of  the  art  is  the  perfect  understanding  of  the  laws  of  composi- 
tion in  the  grouping  and  the  distribution  of  the  parts,  while 
nearly  every  panel,  beam,  or  screen  carries  some  poetic  or 
Buddhistic  significance.  Besides  the  frankly  organic  character 
of  the  structural  work  in  Buddhist  temples,  a  noteworthy  trait 
—  perhaps  also  an  acquisition  from  Arabia  through  India  and 
China  —  is  the  shrewd  concentration  of  ornament  at  the  high 
altar.  To  this,  one  is  often  led  abruptly,  from  a  monochro- 
matic, time-stained  exterior,  to  a  dazzling,  polychromatic 
interior  blazing  with  an  outburst  of  gold  and  opulent  fancy  — 
emblematic  of  the  precious  golden  truths  glowing  at  the  heart 
of  Buddha's  outwardly  austere  law.  The  contrast  between 
the  plain  and  the  decorative  parts  of  some  of  the  typical 
monumental  temples  in  Japan  is  of  the  strongest  description, 
producing,  in  the  height  of  emphasis  thereby  attained,  an 
extraordinary  vividness  of  effect.  This  decoration  does  not, 
however,  falsify  the  temple  by  its  enrichment;  the  aim  in  many 
cases  is  to  render  the  leading  structural  members  prominent 
by  color  or  treatment.  That  this  is  successful,  is  shown  by  the 
fact  that  scarcely  anything  in  the  architectural  world  is  more 
splendidly  effective  than  the  cyclopean,  gold-sheathed  sup- 
porting columns  of  keyaki-wood,  gleaming  like  a  mass  of  solid 
metal,  and  imparting  by  their  very  plainness  an  air  of  aston- 
ishing richness.  At  times  a  striking  effect  is  attained  by  almost 
covering  the  facade  with  extraordinarily  rich  and  masterful 


ARCHITECTURE  OF  BUDDHIST  TEMPLES  Clxxv 


-wood  carvings,  in  monotone  or  in  the  natural  tint  of  the  wood, 
then  supplementing  them  within  by  similar  sculpture  emblaz- 
oned with  vivid  colors  and  scintillating  with  gold. 

The  Buddhist  Temples  of  Japan  generally  sit  back  from  the 
street  in  a  wide,  sanded  inclosure  reached  through  one  or  more 
grand  one-  or  two-storied  gateways  continually  left  open  to 
the  public.  These  entrances  are  oftentimes  constructed  like 
miniature  temples,  and  are  so  ornate  as  frequently  to  be  mis- 
taken by  strangers  for  the  fane  itself.  The  beauty  and  glitter 
of  the  finer  gateways  —  particularly  those  giving  ingress  to  a 
compound  containing  a  mausoleum  —  are  often  so  marked 
as  fairly  to  dazzle  one.  Not  uncommonly  they  are  lacquered 
in  a  rich,  lustrous  Indian  red,  and  further  ornamented  with 
metal  enrichments  to  which  time  imparts  a  beautiful  patina. 
When  gold-leaf  is  employed  profusely,  and  exposure  to  the 
elements  harmonizes  the  polychrome  colors,  the  general  effect 
is  not  easily  forgotten,  particularly  if  the  structure  reposes  in 
a  setting  of  deep-green  foliage.  A  massive  granite  water-basin, 
a  belfry,  a  number  of  bronze  or  stone  lanterns,  along  with  a 
pagoda  and  other  edifices  usually  occupy  the  same  compound 
with  a  temple  —  which  is  generally  oblong  and  raised  some 
4  ft.  from  the  ground.  In  some  cases  there  is  an  inner  and  an 
outer  sanctuary  Qionderi)  separated  by  an  interval  room,  or  by 
a  screen  or  blind ;  the  separation  being  sometimes  emphasized 
by  a  different  treatment  of  the  ceilings  of  the  two.  ■  These 
buildings  vary  greatly  in  size,  there  being  in  the  larger  temples 
an  interior  peristyle  —  or  other  arrangement  of  columns,  to 
support  the  roof  —  forming  an  ambulatory  or  aisle. round  the 
oratory,  or  sometimes  round  3  sides  of  it,  leaving  the  fourth 
to  be  occupied  by  the  sanctuary  and  secondary  temples  on 
either  side/ 

The  huge  Temple  Roofs,  covered  sometimes  with  a  system 
of  imbricated  tiles,  sometimes  with  sheets  of  copper-bronze 
dulled  by  time  and  the  weather  to  a  rich  old  green  with  here 
and  there  a  glint  of  gold,  loom  above  their  surroundings,  or 
appear  through  their  sacred  groves  in  a  mass  almost  cyclopean 
in  its  imposing  grandeur.  The  absence  of  intense  cold  weather 
in  Central  and  Western  Japan  makes  the  use  of  copper-bronze 
possible  for  this  purpose,  and  certain  of  the  roofs,  notably 
those  of  the  mausolea  of  the  shoguns  in  Uyeno  Park,  in  Tokyo, 
show  that  formerly  the  baser  metal  was  covered  with  gold- 
foil  —  a  custom  which  gave  Marco  Polo  the  chance  to  tell 
Europe  that  in  Cipangu  the  roofs  of  the  palace  buildings  were 
of  massive  gold!  At  certain  points  on  the  beams  of  these  struc- 
tures there  is  an  efflorescence  of  rich  metal  ornamentation  or 
a  series  of  gilded  crests  which  are  strikingly  attractive  and 
picturesque.  The  forms  of  the  roofs  are  various,  though  for  the 
most  part  they  commence  in  a  steep  slope  at  the  top,  gradually 
flattening  toward  the  eaves  so  as  to  produce  a  slightly  concave 


clxxvi   ARCHITECTURE  OF  BUDDHIST  TEMPLES 


appearance  —  this  concavity  being  rendered  more  emphatic 
by  the  tilt  which  is  given  to  the  eaves  at  the  four  corners.  The 
appearance  of  the  ends  of  the  roofs  is  half  hip,  half  gable, 
while  in  the  spandrel  below  the  ridge-pole  are  not  ^infrequently 
placed  splendid  wood  sculptures  of  gigantic  size.  Heavy  ribs 
of  tile-cresting  with  large  terminals  are  carried  along  the  ridge, 
hip,  and  the  slope  of  the  gable.  The  result  of  the  whole  is  very 
striking,  with  the  advantage  of  looking  equally  satisfactory 
from  any  point  of  view.  To  foreigners  many  of  the  roofs  seem 
disproportionately  heavy;  looking  as  if  ready  to  weigh  down 
and  crush  the  slender  structures  below.  Some  of  the  poorer 
temples,  which  cannot  afford  tiled  roofs,  are  thatched  with 
straw,  after  the  fashion  of  the  primitive  Shinto  shrines;  still 
others  are  covered  with  the  dull,  leaden  gray  pantiles  so  com- 
mon on  dwelling-houses.  The  forbidding  color  of  these  is 
sometimes  enlivened  by  lines  of  white  cement,  and  in  certain 
localities  they  are  replaced  by  tiles  with  a  brown  glaze.  Crest- 
tiles  are  common,  but  instead  of  being  stamped  with  conven- 
tional figures,  they  usually  carry  the  particular  crest  of  some 
great  person  —  mayhap  the  shogun  to  whose  generosity  the 
structure  owes  its  being.  Every  temple  in  the  land,  from  the 
wealthiest  to  the  tiny,  tin-pot  affair  of  the  poorest  hamlet,  has 
its  particular  crest,  and  from  it  the  stranger  is  often  enabled 
to  guess  to  what  divinity  it  is  consecrated,  or  what  great  per- 
sonage supports  (or  has  supported)  it  or  is  deified  therein. 

In  view  of  the  national  penchant  for  bizarre  and  distorted 
animal  forms,  for  demonology  and  all  its  allied  grotesquery, 
one  rather  looks  for  the  picturesque  mediaeval  gargoyles  that 
would  prove  such  attractive  concomitants  to  the  style  of  the 
temple  roofs.  Their  absence  is  often  compensated  for  by 
elaborate  antefixes  (abumi-gawara)  placed  at  the  junction  of 
the  imbrices  along  the  ridges,  and  embossed  with  crests  or 
designs  preserving  the  progressive  continuity  of  the  frets 
which  encircle  the  structure.  They  often  take  the  form  of 
demonlets,  scowling  demon  faces,  flowers,  dragons,  and  even 
the  sluggish  and  unpoetic  turtle.  They  vary  with  the  district 
and  are  almost  always  attractive  to  strangers.  The  squatting, 
straining,  squashed-looking  figures  which  one  sometimes  sees 
high  up  in  the  gable  ends  of  certain  of  the  temples  are  known 
as  Daira-botchi,  the  Japanese  Atlas  who  bears  a  part  of  the 
weight  of  the  temple  roof  just  as  the  mythological  Atlas  bore 
up  the  pillars  of  heaven.  The  Coffered  Ceilings  of  temples 
and  mausolea  are  interesting  in  that  the  style  is  ascribed  to 
the  Koreans  (who  undoubtedly  copied  it  from  the  Chinese). 
The  rectangular  coffers,  usually  not  above  20  in.  in  diameter, 
often  carry  panels  richly  decorated  with  flowers,  polychro- 
matic dragons,  scroll-work,  phoenixes,  and  effective  designs 
similar  to  those  of  certain  palaces  and  temples  of  China.  Very 
elaborate  lacquer  and  metal  clasps,  «often  gold-plated,  cover 


DOG  OF  FO  —  TENNIN  clxxvii 


the  dividing  ribs  or  ornament  them  at  the  joints.  When  ham- 
mered metal  casings  or  clasps  are  absent  the  coffers  are  usually 
divided  into  a  series  of  tiny  ones  with  an  appearance  of  lattice- 
work. The  ceiling  is  connected  with  the  walls  by  a  large  coving, 
traversed  vertically  by  raised  bars  similar  to  those  which 
divide  the  coffers  into  squares.  Some  temples  are  to  be  seen  in 
which  the  ceiling  of  the  nave  and  the  loggia  are  boarded  flat 
and  decorated  with  huge  paintings  of  dragons  in  black  and 
gold,  the  Dog  of  Fo,1  or  of  flying  tennin.2  In  cases  where  there 
is  no  ceiling  —  for  internally  the  temple  construction  varies  — 
uprights  resembling  king-posts  are  often  used,  two  customarily 
standing  on  the  horizontal  beam  from  which  they  rise.  In 
some  instances  there  is  but  one,  and  occasionally  this  is  dis- 
pensed with.  Then  the  interior  takes  on  a  conical  shape,  and 
the  maze  of  beams  recede  to  a  central  disc  on  which  a  coiled 
and  glowering  dragon  is  but  dimly  seen  amid  the  gray  smoke 
of  incense. 

Many  of  the  temples  show  rich  Adornments  of  metal,  — 
usually  brass  and  copper-bronze,  —  and  not  unfrequently  this 
is  chased  or  hammered  in  delicate  and  attractive  designs. 
Utility  as  well  as  beauty  are  the  guiding  principles.  The  often- 
times beautiful  old  nails  with  which  some  of  the  immense  doors 
are  studded  recall  the  splendid  relics  of  the  old  Mudejar  style 
one  sees  in  Southern  Spain.  The  immense  baldachins  (tengai), 
which  hang  above  the  abbots'  seats  within  the  temples, 
require  unusually  strong  hooks  and  chains  to  hold  them. 
Brass  and  bronze  are,  in  fact,  as  much  employed  in  these 
structures  as  silver  is  in  the  Mexican  cathedrals.  The  general 
effect  is  at  once  gorgeous  and  delicate,  of  splendid  floridity, 
but  with  an  absence  of  massiveness  and  grandeur.  When  time 
has  stained  the  bronze  a  fine  grayish-green,  and  subdued  the 
rich  burnish  of  the  brass,  the  effect  is  still  more  pleasing. 
Even  the  plain  dullness  of  many  of  the  Shinto  shrines,  particu- 
larly those  influenced  by  Buddhism,  is  often  relieved  by  fine 

1  The  Dog  of  Fo  (or  Dog  Fo) ,  the  mythological  lion  so  often  represented 
in  Chinese  art,  symbolizes  the  Foh,  or  Fo,  a  (Chinese)  modification  of  Bod 
(Buddha),  and  by  extension  considered  the  guardian  of  Buddhist  (Fohist) 
temples.  It  is  supposed  to  be  able  to  drive  off  demons,  and  perhaps  for  this 
reason  is  employed  at  Shinto  shrines  as  well.  In  Japan  they  are  known 
variously  as  shishi  (lions),  as  Korean  lions,  etc.  Generally  sculptured  out  of 
gray  granite,  or  cast  in  handsome  bronze  not  unfrequently  gilded  or  covered 
with  brilliant  paint,  they  are  seen  in  pairs  in  front  of  temples,  palaces,  and 
shrines,  or  beside  graves;  squatting  on  their  haunches,  with  their  curly  tails 
reaching  far  up  their  spines.  Officially  they  are  known  as  Koma-inu  (lit., 
'Korean  dog,')  and  as  Ama-inu  (4  Heavenly  dog  ').  Flippant  observers  say 
the  male  animal  is  the  one  with  its  mouth  closed;  the  female  with  it  open! 

2  The  Tennin  ('Angels  of  Buddhism  ')  are  always  represented  as  lovely 
young  maidens,  clad  in  long  robes  of  many  colors,  hovering  in  the  air  play- 
ing with  a  plectrum  upon  some  stringed  musical  instrument ;  or  in  the  act 
of  sounding  the  17-tube  Chinese  flute  (still  used  in  sacred  concerts  at  some 
of  the  temples) ,  and  in  similar  attitudes.  The  subject  was  a  favorite  with 
early  painters.  The  pierced  and  gilded  panels  of  sculptured  tennin  in  high 
relief,  in  certain  of  the  temple  interiors,  form  some  of  the  most  strikingly 
beautiful  objects  in  the  whole  range -of  ecclesiastical  enrichment. 


clxxviii 


KIRIN  —  PHCENIX 


and  strong  brass  bindings  contrasting  splendidly  with  the 
white  wood  of  which  they  are  constructed.  The  Decorations 
may  properly  be  divided  into  monochromatic  and  polychro- 
matic. The  former  obeys  the  Shinto  canons,  and  is  seen  in 
temples  (frequently  in  the  abbots'  apartments),  constructed 
of  pure  white,  knotless  pine,  having  elaborately  chiseled  and 
embossed  metal  caps,  sockets,  and  bands  applied  to  the  ends 
of  projecting  timbers,  to  the  joints  of  pillars  and  beams,  to  the 
corners  of  frames  (door  and  panel),  and  to  the  bases  and  necks 
of  posts.  The  effect  is  well  described  as  '  an  appearance  of  pale, 
ashen  gray  touched  up  richly  with  gold.'  The  decorator  uses 
fearlessly  the  greatest  variety  of  colors  in  juxtaposition,  but 
generally  separates  adjoining  tints  by  means  of  a  white  or  gold 
line.  The  scheme  may  broadly  be  described  as  mural  painting, 
on  a  gold  ground;  carved  panels,  solid  or  pierced,  the  carving; 
heavily  gilt  and  sometimes  picked  out  with  various  colors; 
pillars  with  decorations  of  embroidered  drapery;  and  beams, 
brackets,  etc.,  colored  much  on  the  same  principle  as  the 
external  members.  The  charm  of  the  whole  is  greatly  enhanced 
by  the  features  of  the  surrounding  landscape  and  the  skillfully 
planned  approaches, '  which  are  matters  of  no  less  importance 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Japanese  designer  than  the  structure  itself 
and  its  decorations.'  The  lotus,  peony,  and  chrysanthemum 
often  appear  on  the  gold  lacquered  panels,  painted  by  the 
loving  hands  of  some  religious  devotee  of  the  past,  but  they 
more  often  form  the  motives  of  the  splendidly  carved  panels 
which  run  the  length  of  the  architrave  or,  as  pierced  wood- 
work, take  the  place  of  interior  walls.  The  ancient  Japanese 
wood  carving  is  marked  both  by  an  excellent  technique  in  the 
handling  of  this  perishable  material  and  by  a  bold  freedom  in 
design,  with  a  large  sweep  in  flowing  movement  as  a  conspicu- 
ous trait.  Much  of  it  is  decorated  in  polychromatic  tints  with 
the  mythological  ki-lin,  phoenixes,  dragons,  tortoises,  flowers, 
etc.,  in  high  and  low  relief.  Not  unfrequently  the  carved  wood- 
work in  temples  is  left  uncolored. 

According  to  the  old  Chinese  natural  history  Man  stands  at  the  head  of 
all  naked  animals;  the  Ki-lin  ('giraffe')  leads  and  protects  hairy  animals; 
the  Phoenix  represents  the  feathered  creation;  the  Dragon  stands  at  the 
head  of  scaly  animals;  and  the  Turtle  represents  and  protects  all  animals 
provided  with  a  shell. 

The  Ki-lin  (Japanese  Kirin),  a  sort  of  Far  Eastern  hippograph,  is  pic- 
tured as  resembling  a  stag  in  its  body  and  a  horse  in  its  hoofs,  but  possessing 
the  tail  of  an  ox,  and  a  parti-colored,  or  scaly  skin.  A  single  horn  is  usually 
shown  on  its  forehead,  whence  the  common  belief  that  it  is  the  Japanese 
conception  of  a  unicorn.  It  is  a  favorite  subject  with  sculptors  and  painters, 
and  is  often  represented  on  tombs,  in  temples,  etc.  It  is  said  to  appear  on 
the  earth  but  once  in  a  millennium,  or  when  some  transcendentally  great 
man  or  sage,  like  Buddha  or  Confucius,  is  born.  It  is  revered  by  Buddhists 
because  of  its  great  benevolence  toward  other  animals;  it  never  treads  on  live 
things  nor  eats  grass. 

The  Phoenix,  or  Howo,  so  popular  as  an  art  motive,  and  which  is  so  often 
and  so  elaborately  represented  in  the  mausolea  of  the  shdguns,  on  the 
coffered  ceilings  of  the  Mikado's  palaces* and  elsewhere,  is  considered  by  thet 


THE  DRAGON 


clxxix 


Japanese  the  king  of  birds,  whence  its  frequent  appearance  in  painted  or 
sculptured  form  (common  also  in  Syria)  on  the  tombs  of  emperors,  on 
palanquins,  buildings,  etc.  The  Chinese  phoenix,  from  which  the  Japanese 
is  derived,  is  probably  based  on  the  Argus  pheasant;  it  is  supposed  to  appear 
on  the  earth  at  or  near  the  birth  of  a  good  ruler,  wherefore  it  is  the  emblem 
of  peace  and  good  government.  In  Chinese  the  male  is  called  Jung,  or  ho, 
and  the  female  wang,  or  wo,  whence  the  generic  name  fung-hwang  or  howo. 
It  is  described  as  adorned  with  every  color,  and  combining  in  its  form  and 
motions  whatever  is  graceful  and  elegant,  while  it  possesses  such  a  benevo- 
lent disposition  that  it  will  not  peck  or  injure  living  insects,  nor  tread  on 
growing  herbs.  Like  the  H-lin,  it  has  not  been  seen  since  the  halcyon  days 
of  Confucius,  and,  from  the  account  given  of  it,  it  seems  to  have  been 
entirely  fabulous.  The  etymology  of  the  character  implies  that  it  is  the 
emperor  of  all  birds.  One  Chinese  author  describes  it  '  as  resembling  a  wild 
swan  before  and  a  unicorn  behind;  it  has  the  throat  of  a  swallow,  the  bill 
of  a  cock,  the  neck  of  a  snake,  the  tail  of  a  fish,  the  forehead  of  a  crane,  the 
crown  of  a  mandarin  drake,  the  stripes  of  a  dragon,  and  the  vaulted  back 
of  a  tortoise.  The  feathers  have  five  colors,  which  are  named  after  the  five 
cardinal  virtues,  and  it  is  five  cubits  in  height;  the  tail  is  graduated  like 
Pandean  pipes,  and  its  song  resembles  the  music  of  that  instrument,  having 
five  modulations.'  Virtue,  obedience,  justice,  fidelity,  and  benevolence  are 
symbolized  in  the  decorations  on  its  head,  wings,  body,  and  breast.  It  is  a 
favorite  decoration  for  musical  instruments  and  is  frequently  interwoven  in 
fabrics.  Some  authorities  find  a  strong  resemblance  between  this  phoenix 
and  the  quetzalli  (the  Central  American  trOgon)  of  the  Mexica.  It  bears  a 
yet  stronger  likeness  to  the  remarkable  South  American  Hoactzin  (Opis- 
thocomus  cristatus),  and  it  may  be  more  than  a  mere  coincidence  that  the 
first  syllable  of  the  name  of  this  bird  should  be  the  same  as  that  of  the 
howo. 

The  Dragon  (tatsu),  a  familiar  object  in  Japanese  decorative  art,  appears 
in  the  paintings  and  carvings  of  temples,  dwellings,  and  tombs;  is  stamped 
on  the  old  siver  coins ;  is  cut  in  low  and  high  relief  on  the  native  bronze  and 
silver;  painted  on  lacquer,  and  is  woven  in  the  silk  brocades,  etc.  It  is  the 
emblem  of  vigilance  and  strength,  and  like  many  of  the  art  motives,  origin- 
ated with  the  Chinese,  to  whom  it  furnishes  a  comparison  of  everything  that 
is  terrible,  imposing,  and  powerful.  As  it  is  there  taken  as  the  Imperial  coat 
of  arms,  it  consequently  imparts  these  ideas  to  the  Chinese  person  and  state. 
There  are  3  Chinese  dragons,  the  lung  in  the  sky,  the  U  in  the  sea,  and  the 
kiao  in  the  marshes.  It  has  the  head  of  a  camel,  the  horns  of  a  deer,  eyes  of 
a  rabbit,  ears]of  a  cow,  neck  of  a  snake,  belly  of  a  frog,  scales  of  a  carp,  claws 
of  a  hawk,  and  palm  of  a  tiger.  On  each  side  of  its  mouth  are  whiskers,  and 
its  beard  contains  a  bright  pearl.  The  lung-wang,  or  '  dragon  king,'  answers 
to  Neptune  in  W.  mythology,  and  is  worshiped  and  feared  by  the  fishermen. 
The  5-claw  dragon  is  reserved  for  the  Imperial  use ;  that  with  4  claws  being 
in  use  by  the  commonalty.  The  Japanese  dragon  is  a  slight  modification  of 
the  Chinese,  looking  to  foreigners  like  the  Old  Scratch  himself,  or  a  winged 
crocodile  with  a  tufted  snout,  and  cruel  and  malicious  eyes.  'To  the  credu- 
lous among  the  natives  it  is  a  positive  entity  which  exerts  more  or  less 
influence  over  their  lives.  Serious  native  writers  have  time  and  again,  and 
with  ponderous  and  whimsical  minuteness,  solemnly  described  this  fabu- 
lous monster  to  the  smallest  detail  of  his  daily  life;  explaining  how  in  the 
spring  it  lives  in  heaven,  in  the  autumn  in  the  water,  in  the  summer  among 
the  clouds,  and  in  the  winter  dormant  in  the  earth.  Volumes  have  been  writ- 
ten about  the  several  varieties  created  to  disturb  the  dreams  of  the  native 
clodhoppers  —  the  yellow,  violet,  green,  red,  white,  black,  and  flying 
dragon,  those  with  and  without  scales  and  horns;  how  the  breath  of  the  white 
dragon  enters  the  earth  and  is  transmuted  into  gold;  how  the  spume  of  the 
violet  dragon  becomes  balls  of  pure  crystal,  of  which  gems  and  caskets  are 
made;  and  how  certain  of  them,  who  take  their  pleasure  in  killing  human 
beings,  possess  the  amazing  ability  to  see  everything  within  a  hundred 
leagues.' 

The  fact  that  the  first  among  the  young  dragons  is  a  happy  creature,  and 
delights  in  harmonious  sounds,  accounts  for  the  fact  that  the  tops  of  most 
temple  bells  are  cast  in  the  form  of  a  curved  dragon,  thus  serving  the 
double  purpose  of  pleasing  the  dragon  tribe  and  providing  ears  to  hang  the 


clxxx 


THE  TORTOISE 


bell  by.  The  2d  of  the  litter  of  9  which  the  dragoness  produces  at  parturition 
1  delights  in  the  sounds  of  musical  instruments,  hence  the  koto,  or  horizontal 
harp,  and  the  tsuzumi,  or  girl's  drum,  struck  by  the  ringers,  are  ornamented 
with  the  figure  of  the  dragon;  the  3d  is  fond  of  drinking,  and  likes  all  stimu- 
lating liquors,  therefore  goblets  and  drinking-cups  are  adorned  with  repre- 
sentations of  this  creature;  the  4th  likes  steep  and  dangerous  places,  hence 
gables,  towers,  and  projecting  beams  of  temples  and  pagodas  have  carved 
images  of  this  dragon  upon  them;  the  5th  is  a  great  destroyer  of  living 
things,  fond  of  killing  and  bloodshed,  therefore  swords  are  decorated  with 
his  golden  figure;  the  6th  loves  learning  and  delights  in  literature,  hence 
the  covers  and  title-pages  of  books  and  literary  works  show  his  picture ;  the 
7th  is  renowned  for  its  power  of  hearing;  the  8th  enjoys  sitting,  hence  the 
easy  chairs  are  carved  in  its  images;  the  9th  loves  to  bear  weight,  therefore 
the  feet  of  tables  and  of  hibachi  are  shaped  like  his  feet.'  (Griff is,  Mikado's 
Empire.)  As  the  dragon  is  the  most  powerful  animal  in  existence,  so  the 
garments  of  the  Mikado  are  called  '  dragon  robes,'  his  face  the  '  dragon 
countenance,'  his  body  the  '  dragon  body,'  the  '  ruffling  of  the  dragon's 
scales'  his  displeasure,  and  his  anger  the  'dragon's  wrath.'  The  dragon  is 
to  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  what  the  griffin  was  to  the  early  Greeks,  and  it 
seems  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  the  adoption  of  the  one  was  sug- 
gested by  the  sight  of  the  other. 

The  Tortoise  (Chinese,  kwei;  Japanese,  kame)  has  many  fabulous  qualities 
attributed  to  it,  and  it  symbolizes  longevity. 

Religious  themes  are  more  often  expressed  with  the  chisel 
than  with  the  brush,  and  many  temples  contain  carvings 
depicting  mcidents  in  the  lives  of  Buddha's  chosen  disciples; 
in  those  of  notable  examples  of  filial  piety  enshrined  in  the 
Chinese  classics;  in  the  life  of  Buddha  himself  and  of  scores 
of  the  saints  and  sinners  supposed  to  have  been  influenced  by 
him  during  his  last  incarnation.  Good  examples  of  this  work 
may  be  seen  in  the  technically  excellent  and  amazingly  intri- 
cate door  and  wall  panels  of  the  Narita  Temple  described  in 
Rte.  12.  Many  temples  possess  veritable  marvels  of  glyptic  art, 
which,  if  they  do  not  always  form  an  integral  part  of  the  struc- 
ture, are  inseparably  associated  with  hieratic  architecture. 
While  some  fanes  preserve  a  dozen  or  more  skillfully  chiseled 
seated  or  standing  images  of  the  tutelar  saint,  the  founder  of 
the  institution,  Buddha  or  his  disciples,  or  native  or  imported 
gods,  others  have  hundreds  (even  thousands)  crowded  into 
them.  The  frequently  recurring  500  Rakkan  are  notable  exam- 
ples of  this  prodigality.  Foreign  critics  regard  some  of  them  as 
greatly  at  variance  with  the  oftentimes  exquisitely  harmoni- 
ous ensemble  of  gold-lacquer,  painted  draperies,  and  the  wealth 
of  diaper-work  in  low  fine  tones  characteristic  of  certain  fanes. 
The  Buddhist  temples  of  Japan  have  no  crypts.  The  Temple 
Floors  are  usually  of  wood,  and  these  are  oftentimes  covered 
with  soft  mats  of  the  same  size  as  those  used  in  dwellings. 
Many  of  the  temple  corridors,  particularly  in  and  about 
Kyoto,  are  laid  with  boards  so  loosely  nailed  that  they  rise 
perceptibly  to  the  footfall,  and,  by  rubbing  one  against  another, 
produce  a  plaintive  tweaking,  or  creaking  noise,  soft  and  not 
unmusical,  and  which  suggests  the  twittering  of  drowsy  young 
birds  in  a  nest.  They  are  called  Uguisu-bari  ('nightingale 
floors,'  from  the  resemblance  of  the  sound  to  a  nightingale's 


SHINTO  ARCHITECTURE 


clxxxi 


voice),  and  are  attributed  to  an  imaginative  craftsman  who 
lived  about  300  yrs.  ago.    See  Buddhism,  p.  clxxxix. 

The  Mausolea  are  planned  differently  from  the  temples,  and 
consist  of  three  buildings  en  suite:  an  oratory,  flanked  on  both 
sides  by  an  antechamber;  an  interval  room,  and  a  sanctuary. 
There  are  two  inclosures  and  an  outer  one  surrounded  by  a 
belt  of  cloisters;  the  general  scheme  of  decoration  is  on  a  much 
more  elaborate  and  magnificent  scale  than  that  of  the  temples. 
They  belong  properly  to  a  later  epoch,  that  of  Yedo,  and  are 
to  be  seen  in  perfection  in  Tokyo  and  at  Nikko,  where  the 
bodies  of  some  of  the  Tokugawa  shoguns  are  interred.  It  may 
be  truly  said  of  them  that  they  display  Japanese  decorative 
art  in  its  most  profuse  and  splendid  stage.  The  interiors  are 
sometimes  a  curious  blend  of  polished  black  and  gorgeous 
colors,  but  the  overhanging  roofs  shut  out  excessive  light  and 
soften  what  would  otherwise  be  glaring  defects.  The  exteriors 
are  often  in  sharp  contrast  to  those  of  even  the  richest  temples, 
and  show  a  perfect  riot  of  color  and  ornamentation.  The  color 
begins  with  the  lintels  or  ties  near  the  top  of  the  posts  or  pillars, 
and  from  this  height  the  different  beams  and  brackets,  together 
with  the  flat  spaces  and  raised  carvings  between  are  diapered, 
arabesqued,  and  variously  picked  out  in  bright  colors  and 
gilding.  The  treatment  imparts  a  light  elegance  to  the  other- 
wise ponderous  eaves,  and  the  deep  sun-shadows  beneath  the 
massive  projections  assist  in  subduing  and  harmonizing  the 
bold  contrast  of  color  employed.  Adjuncts  of  the  mortuary 
shrines  are  the  Tombs  {haka)  of  which  the  finest  examples 
extant  are  those  in  Tokyo  and  Nikko.  They  usually  stand  at 
the  back  or  the  side  of  the  shrines,  albeit  in  some  cases  the 
shrine  may  be  in  one  spot  and  the  tomb  miles  away  in  another 
city.  Generally  of  heavy  bronze  or  massive  monolithic  granite, 
they  are  remarkable  chiefly  for  the  decorative  quality  of  their 
bronze  gates  or  fitments.  The  shape  is  most;  always  that  of  a 
low  Buddhist  pagoda  Qioto)  or  '  treasure  shrine.'  Some  of  the 
best  examples,  erected  to  the  memory  of  dead  shoguns,  have 
suffered  from  vandalism. 

VII.    Shinto  Architecture.  The  Torii. 

Shinto  Architecture  (comp.  p.  ccxiv),  though  somewhat  pic- 
turesque, is  trivial  and  without  character  —  lacking  solidity, 
beauty,  and  durability.  The  first  shrine  is  said  to  have  been 
erected  during  the  first  century  before  the  Christian  era,  prior 
to  which  worship  was  conducted  in  the  open  air.  The  perish- 
able nature  of  the  wood  employed  in  its  construction  makes  it 
advisable  to  renew  the  building  every  20  yrs.,  which  accounts 
for  the  comparative  lack  of  very  ancient  shrines  of  this  cult. 

The  houses  of  the  primitive  Japanese  '  were  constructed  of  young  trees 
with  the  bark  on,  fastened  together  with  ropes  made  of  the  rush  suge 


clxxxii  THE  TORII 

(scirpus  maritimus) ,  or  with  the  tough  shoots  of  the  wistaria,  and  thatched 
with  the  grass  called  kaya.  The  uprights  were  planted  in  holes  dug  in  the 
ground.  The  ground  plan  of  the  hut  was  oblong,  with  four  corner  uprights, 
and  one  in  the  middle  of  each  of  the  four  sides,  those  in  the  sides  which 
formed  the  ends  being  long  enough  to  support  the  ridge-pole.  Other  trees 
were  fastened  horizontally  from  corner  to  corner,  one  set  near  the  ground, 
one  near  the  top,  and  one  set  on  the  top,  the  latter  of  which  formed  what 
are  now  called  wall-plates.  Two  large  rafters,  whose  upper  ends  crossed  each 
other,  were  laid  from  the  wall-plates  to  the  heads  of  the  taller  uprights.  The 
ridge-pole  rested  in  the  fork  formed  by  the  upper  ends  of  the  rafters  crossing 
each  other.  Horizontal  poles  were  then  laid  along  each  slope  of  the  roof, 
one  pair  being  fastened  close  up  to  the  exterior  angle  of  the  fork.  The 
rafters  were  slender  poles  or  bamboos  passed  over  the  ridge-pole  and 
fastened  down  on  each  end  to  the  wall-plates.  Next  followed  the  process 
of  putting  on  the  thatch.  In  order  to  keep  this  in  place  two  trees  were  laid 
along  the  top  resting  in  the  forks,  and  across  these  two  trees  were  placed 
short  logs  at  equal  distances,  which  being  fastened  to  the  poles  in  the 
exterior  angle  of  the  forks  by  ropes  passed  through  the  thatch,  bound  the 
ridge  of  the  roof  firmly  together.  The  walls  and  doors  were  constructed  of 
rough  matting.  Specimens  of  the  ancient  style  of  building  may  yet  be  seen 
in  remote  parts  of  the  country,  not  perhaps  so  much  in  the  habitations  of  the 
peasantry,  as  in  sheds  erected  to  serve  a  temporary  purpose. 

4  The  construction  of  Shinto  temples  is  derived  from  this  primeval  hut, 
with  more  or  less  modification  in  proportion  to  the  influence  of  Buddhism 
in  each  particular  case.  Those  of  the  purest  style  retain  the  thatched  roof, 
without  which  they  are  not  considered  as  being  in  strict  conformity  with  the 
principles  of  genuine  Shinto-shriiie  architecture  —  which  to  foreigners  is 
as  disappointing  in  its  simplicity  as  it  is  in  its  perishable  nature.  Some  of 
the  structures  are  roofed  with  the  (strikingly  handsome)  thick  shingling 
called  Hiwada-buki  (bark  of  the  hinoki  tree),  while  others  have  tiled  and 
(sometimes)  copper-bronze  roofs.  The  projecting  ends  of  the  rafters  have 
been  somewhat  lengthened  and  carved  more  or  less  elaborately;  in  the 
majority  of  cases  they  consist  merely  of  two  pieces  of  wood  in  the  form  of 
the  letter  X  (and  called  chigi)  or  a  pair  of  horns,  which  rest  on  the  roof-ridge 
like  a  sawhorse.  The  logs  which  kept  the  two  trees  laid  on  the  ridge  in 
their  place  have  taken  the  form  of  short  cylindrical  pieces  of  timber  taper- 
ing toward  each  extremity,  which  have  been  compared  to  cigars.  In  Japan- 
ese they  are  called  katsuo-gi,  from  their  resemblance  to  the  pieces  of  dried 
bonito  (sarda  sarda)  sold  under  the  name  katsuo-bushi.  The  two  trees  laid 
along  the  roof  over  the  thatch  are  represented  by  a  single  beam,  called 
munaosae,  or  '  roof-presser.'  Planking  has  taken  the  place  of  the  mats 
with  which  the  sides  of  the  building  were  originally  closed,  and  the  entrance 
is  closed  by  a  pair  of  folding  doors  turning,  not  on  hinges,  but  on  journals. 
The  primeval  hut  had  no  flooring,  but  we  find  the  shrine  with  a  wooden  floor 
raised  some  feet  above  the  ground,  which  arrangement  necessitates  a  sort 
of  balcony  all  round,  and  a  flight  of  steps  up  to  the  entrance.  The  trans- 
formation is  completed  in  some  cases  by  the  additions  of  a  quantity  of  orna- 
mental metal-work  in  brass.'  This  is  not  admissible  in  the  purest  form  of 
Shinto  architecture,  and  where  it,  along  with  lacquer,  is  found,  it  indicates 
Buddhist  influence.  —  At  the  foundation  and  construction  of  sacred  temples, 
young  virgins  cleared  and  leveled  the  ground,  dug  holes  for  the  corner 
posts,  took  the  axe  and  made  the  first  cut  in  the  trees  to  be  felled  for  timber, 
etc.  The  pure  and  simple  Shinto  temple,  inclusive  of  the  torii,  is  usually 
built  of  the  white  wood  of  the  Chamcecyparis  obtusa,  and  roofed  over  with 
the  bark  of  this  tree  (as  was  also  the  palace  of  the  Mikado  at  Kyoto, 
regarded  as  the  dwelling  of  a  Kami  sojourning  on  earth  and  acting  as 
mediator  between  the  Japanese  people  and  the  gods).  Hinoki  and  sakaki 
are  the  plants  specially  dedicated  to  kami-h&Ms,  as  they  were  (and  still  are) 
the  holy  plants  of  the  sun-goddess.  During  the  erection  of  a  temple  the 
builder  must  live  by  certain  rules,  must  go  to  work  washed,  barefooted,  and 
in  white  clothing,  and  must,  moreover,  observe  stringent  rules  with  regard 
to  implements  and  building-materials.  (Comp.  Rte.  35.) 

The  Torii  is  a  recognized  synonym  for  a  Shinto  shrine,  and 
certain  ones  (particularly  those  showing  Buddhist  influence) 


PAGODAS 


clxxxiii 


remind  travelers  of  the  gorgeous  pylons  of  Egypt;  the  pailoo 
of  China;  and  the  elaborate  torans  of  Central  India.  The 
derivation  of  the  word  is  in  doubt.  Some  believe  it  comes  from 
the  Japanese  toru  ('to  penetrate/  'to  pass  through'),  while 
others  regard  it  as  a  roost  for  the  fowls  (torii)  which  (according 
to  mythology)  were  set  to  crowing  outside  the  cave  into  which 
the  sun-goddess  had  retreated,  in  order  to  convince  her  that, 
even  without  her  glorious  light,  morn  had  dawned.  It  is 
because  of  this  legend  that  barnyard  fowls  found  a  place  among 
the  offerings  to  the  goddess,  and  the  torii  is  supposed  to  typify 
the  fact.  The  Japanese  torii  differs  but  slightly  from  the  Hindu 
tor  an  (Sanskrit:  torana),  and  consists  of  the  same  upright 
pillars  on  each  side,  with  a  projecting  cross-piece  resting  upon 
them.  Instead  of  the  customary  three  cross-pieces  super- 
imposed, the  Japanese  structure  is  topped  by  a  single  straight 
beam  whose  ends  project  slightly,  with  a  small  horizontal 
beam  underneath  with  non-projecting  ends.  In  all  pure 
Shinto  temples  the  torii  is  generally  of  unpainted  wood.  For- 
merly it  was  erected  on  any  side  of  .the  temple  indifferently, 
but  in  later  times  (not  improbably  after  the  introduction  of 
Buddhism;  assuming  that  the  Buddhists  did  not  bring  it  with 
them)  its  original  meaning  seems  to  have  been  forgotten,  and 
it  was  placed  in  front  only,  and  was  regarded  as  a  gateway  (as 
it  is  in  British  India  to-day).  Tablets  with  inscriptions  (gaku) 
were  placed  on  the  torii  with  this  belief,  but  one  of  the  first 
acts  of  the  Shintdists  (in  the  course  of  the  purification  of  their 
shrines  consequent  to  the  disestablishment  of  Buddhism)  was 
to  remove  these  tablets.  —  The  Buddhists  made  their  torii  of 
stone,  bronze,  hollow  iron,  or  of  wood  painted  red,  and  they 
developed  the  various  forms  seen  in  Japan  to-day.  Sometimes 
splendidly  massive  granite  torii  are  erected  by  groups  of  per- 
sons who  believe  their  petitions  have  been  answered,  and  these 
structures  form  noble  figures  in  the  landscape,  —  suggesting 
voiceless  muezzins  calling  the  devotees  to  prayer.  The  num- 
ber of  torii  which  may  be  erected  to  a  divinity  is  unlimited. 
Hundreds  of  red  ones  often  stand  in  the  vicinity  of  shrines  to 
Jnari. 

VIII.  Pagodas.  Feudal  Castles.  Bridges.  Land- 
scape Gardens.  Dwarfing. 

The  Pagoda,  or  'Five-storied  Chinese  Temple '  (goju-no-to) , 
though  believed  by  the  Chinese  to  be  of  native  design,  is  more 
likely  of  Hindu  origin.  The  word  is  an  Anglican  corruption 
of  the  Persian  but-kadah  ('idol  temple  ')•  Pagodas  are  often 
.seen  near  large  Buddhist  temples,  and  their  brilliant  vermilion 
surfaces  and  tall  forms  make  them  striking  and  picturesque 
figures  in  the  landscape  —  particularly  when  set  amidst  green 
trees.  In  China  they  vary  in  height  from  5  to  13  stories,  and 


clxxxiv 


FEUDAL  CASTLES 


are  usually  built  so  solidly  that  they  stand  for  centuries. 
According  to  the  geomancers  the  pagoda  '  acts  like  an  electric 
tractor  to  draw  down  every  felicitous  omen  from  above,  so 
that  fire,  water,  wood,  earth,  and  metal  will  be  at  the  service 
of  the  people,  the  soil  productive,  trade  prosperous,  and  the 
natives  submissive  and  happy.  Therefore  the  presence  of  such 
an  edifice  not  only  secures  to  the  site  the  protection  of  Heaven, 
if  it  bears  evidence  of  already  enjoying  it,  but  represses  any 
evil  influence  that  may  be  native  to  the  spot,  and  imparts  to 
it  the  most  salutary  and  felicitous  omens.' 

In  Japan  these  polygonal  structures  are  usually  of  5  stories 
and  about  150  ft.  high.  They  are  about  24  ft.  sq.  at  the  base, 
and  each  of  the  4  upper  stories  recedes  somewhat  from  that 
below  it.  Heavy  timbers  are  used  in  their  construction,  and 
some  of  them  are  framed  and  braced  upon  the  inside  in  such 
a  complicated  manner  that  there  is  barely  room  for  the 
ladder-like  staircase  which  leads  from  stage  to  stage.  In  these 
a  central  post  of  huge  dimensions,  sometimes  3  ft.  in  diameter 
and  diminishing  toward  the  top,  is  framed  in  the  apex  of  the 
structure,  while  the  lower  end  barely  touches  the  central  stone 
block.  Architects  differ  in  their  opinions  as  to  the  purpose  of 
this  monstrous  central  beam.  According  to  some,  it  is  intended 
to  stiffen  the  tower  against  swaying  in  the  wind,  and  the 
length  is  so  calculated  that,  after  the  various  stages  of  the 
tower  have  shrunk  and  settled,  the  central  post  shall  just  bear 
upon  its  stone  base.  The  second  hypothesis,  and  perhaps  the 
correct  one,  —  for  it  can  be  verified  by  an  inspection  of  pago- 
das 50  or  more  yrs.  old,  and  which  have  settled  all  they  natu- 
rally would  settle,  —  is  that  by  the  clever  suspension  of  this 
beam  it  acts  like  a  vast  pendulum  or  gyroscope,  and  during  an 
earthquake  (which  the  pagodas  usually  withstand)  the  center 
of  gravity  is  kept  within  the  base.  In  some  of  the  Japanese 
pagodas  the  room  at  the  bottom  is  devoted  to  a  shrine  con- 
taining some  relic  or  image  of  Buddha  or  one  df  his  disciples. 
The  Japanese  seem  to  have  lost  their  ancient  confidence  in  the 
protection  supposed  to  be  built  into  them,  for  it  is  rare  to  see 
a  new  one,  and  the  decrepit  condition  of  most  of  those  extant 
indicates  the  weakness  of  faith  in  them.  Good  specimens  of 
the  ordinary  pagoda  may  be  seen  in  Uyeno  Park,  or  at  Asakusa, 
in  Tokyo,  and  a  very  elaborate  one  stands  on  the  middle  terrace 
of  the  temple  grounds  at  Narita.  It  seems  that  the  original 
pagodas  —  perhaps  an  elaboration  of  the  Indian  dagoba  — 
were  raised  over  relics  of  Buddha,  the  bones  of  some  saint,  or 
what-not.  The  ornamental  bells  which  swing  from  the  eaves 
of  some  pagodas  are  called  hochaku. 

Feudal  Castles  (shird)  at  one  time  dotted  Japan  from  Aomori 
to  Kagoshima;  those  which  remain  are  at  once  the  most 
grandiose,  enduring,  and  massive  specimens  of  the  native 
architecture.  Built  originally  (often  by  forced  labor)  for  the 


FEUDAL  CASTLES 


clxxxv 


daimyds  as  a  combination  of  fortress  and  residence,  they  are 
such  lofty  and  imposing  structures  that  certain  critics  class 
them  among  the  finest  architectural  monuments  of  Eastern 
Asia.  '  The  colossal  masses  of  rock  seem  all  the  more  colossal 
after  one  has  become  familiar  with  the  tiny  and  perishable 
dwellings  of  the  country.  In  the  walls  of  the  Osaka  fortress 
(which  once  ranked  as  the  finest  castle  in  Japan)  are  single 
blocks  of  stone  —  at  great  heights  above  the  surrounding 
level  of  the  region  —  measuring  in  some  cases  from  30  to  36  ft. 
in  length,  and  at  least  15  ft.  in  height.  These  huge  blocks  have 
been  transported  long  distances  from  the  mts.  many  miles 
away  from  the  city.  The  finished  structures  prove  that  the 
Japanese  are  quite  competent  to  erect  such  buildings,  if  the 
national  taste  had  inclined  them  in  that  way.'  As  a  rule  these 
citadels  are  of  great  extent  and  solidity,  and  are  marvels  of 
engineering  skill.  The  immensely  heavy  blocks  of  granite, 
placed  one  on  top  of  the  other,  lead  one  to  believe  that  the 
early  Japanese  practiced  the  Mexican  expedient  in  such  cases, 
by  building  a  sloping  runway  of  earth  and  rolling  the  stones 
up  this  to  their  final  positions.  Though  ostensibly  built  of 
stone,  the  citadels  are  in  reality  wooden  buildings  of  great 
strength,  faced  with  slanting  walls  of  squared  stones.  The 
structure  may  be  likened  to  vast  blocks  so  arranged,  one  on 
the  other,  that  each  wall  is  of  pyramidal  shape,  slanting  from 
the  base  to  the  apex  in  the  ancient  Egyptian  manner.  They 
are  supported  from  within,  and  are  tied  together  with  timbers 
of  great  size.  Richness  of  detail  is  less  aimed  at 'than  the  general 
effect  resulting  from  the  grandeur  and  harmony  of  the  propor- 
tions of  the  buildings.  The  sq.  towers  several  stories  high, 
erected  in  the  castle  precincts,  and  serving  as  watch-towers, 
are  called  tenshu;  the  first  is  said  to  have  been  erected  in  the 
castle  of  Tamon,  in  1587,  by  Matsunaga  Hisahide.  Somer- 
saulting grampuses  (shachi-hoko)  are  so  often  pictured  stand- 
ing on  their  heads,  with  tails  in  the  air,  on  the  tops  of  these 
structures,  that  the  vernacular  expression  for  standing  on  one's 
head  is  now  shachihokodachi.  The  splendid  castle  walls  (as 
well  as  many  others  throughout  the  Empire)  command  admir- 
ation for  their  massiveness  and  excellent  construction.  Some 
bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  strongly  built,  crenelated 
stone  walls  or  curtains  of  the  magnificent  old  citadels  of  British 
India,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  the  early  Buddhists  had  some- 
thing to  do  with  their  development  in  Japan.  While  the  ma- 
sonry of  certain  of  them  is  constructed  of  ashler  in  the  manner 
described  at  p.  613,  in  others  granite  blocks  are  cut  in  the  form 
of  a  cone,  with  the  face  a  ft.  or  more  sq.  tapering  3  ft.  (or  in 
proportion)  to  a  point.  When  squared  with  a  nicety  which 
suggests  jeweler's  work,  the  stones  (without  a  binding  material, 
after  the  manner  of  Egyptian  and  Babylonian  architecture) 
are  placed  in  position  and  earth  and  rubble  are  sifted  between 


clxxxvi 


BRIDGES 


the  conical  terminals.  When  such  walls  are  built  against  a  hill- 
side they  soon  become  almost  an  integral  part  of  it,  and  the 
excellent  condition  which  they  retain  points  to  the  merit  of 
the  method.  The  moats  which  customarily  surround  castle 
walls  date  from  very  early  times.  The  castles  themselves  were 
the  outgrowth  of  feudalism,  and  were  first  brought  to  a  high 
degree  of  strength  and  completeness  during  the  Tokugawa 
shogunate.  Few  views  are  more  satisfying  than  those  in  the 
midst  of  which  a  noble  old  white  castle  surmounts  a  hilltop 
from  which  a  splendid  seascape  is  visible.  The  tourist  inter- 
ested in  this  phase  of  native  architecture  should  visit  either 
the  castle  at  Nagoya  (Rte.  24)  or  that  at  Himeji  (Rte.  38). 
The  innermost  citadel  of  a  castle  is  hommaru;  inside  the  outer 
wall  is  marunouchi:  the  inner  wall,  ninomaru:  the  outer  wall, 
sannomaru. 

/  Bridges  (bashi,  or  hashi)  in  curious  and  distinctive  forms 
/  are  conspicuous  and  picturesque  figures  in  the  Japanese  land- 
scape; many  are  of  great  historical  interest.  They  range  in 
\  type  from  the  curious  taiko-bashi,  or  drum-bridges,  often  seen 
vin  the  yards  of  temples  and  shrines  (good  example  at  Kameido, 
Tokyo),  to  the  primitive  man-nen,  or  '  ten-thousand-year  1 
bridges,  which  in  curious  contrast  to  their  grandiloquent  name 
are  often  merely  a  plank  or  twin  bamboos  lashed  to  timbers  or 
boulders  on  either  bank  of  a  stream.  The  art  of  bridge  con- 
struction was  taught  by  the  Chinese  coincident  with  the  intro- 
duction and  spread  of  Buddhism.  One  of  the  most  famous  of 
the  native  bridges  is  the  new  but  historical  Nihon-bashi  at 
Tokyo,  The  still  more  remarkable  Kintai-kyo,  or  '  Bridge  of 
theBrocade  Girdle,'  a  curious  monument  of  antiquity,  is  de- 
scribed in  Rte.  38.  The  most  striking  peculiarities  of  the  early 
«  bridges  are  the  demi-lune  spans,  and  the  bronze  giboshu  which 
surmount  the  posts  —  Buddhistic  in  suggestion  and  said  to 
bear  reference  to  a  treasure  called  Boshi  no  Maya  ('Buddha's 
mother's  hat').  The  beautiful  red  lacquered  sacred  bridge  at 
vNikkoJs  a  good  example  of  the  character  imparted  to  such 
structures  by  the  addition  of  brass  and  other  metal.  The 
bizarre  Tsuri-bashi,  or  hanging-bridge  mentioned  in  Rte.  25, 
is  perhaps  a  modern  development  of  the  primitive  basket- 
ferry  (kago  no  watashi),  in  which  a  stout  hawser  of  hemp, 
or  iron-creeper  (kurogane  modoshi)  is  stretched  from  bank 
to  bank  of  a  stream.  On  this  hawser,  suspended  by  a  large 
noose,  a  kago  of  bamboo  or  twisted  creepers  runs  to  and 
fro.  'The  simplest  method  of  crossing  is  to  get  into  the 
basket  and  let  coolies  haul  one  over.  If  the  coolies  are  not 
forthcoming,  the  transit  requires  considerable  skill  and  nerve 
on  the  part  of  the  traveler  himself.  On  getting  into  the  cage 
he  grasps  the  hawser  with  both  hands,  presses  the  feet  firmly 
on  the  bottom  of  the  cage,  and  then,  by  a  succession  of  frog- 
like  jerks,  performs  the  voyage  over.  The  great  thing  is  to 


LANDSCAPE  GARDENS  clxxxvii 


keep  the  basket  under  the  control  of  the  feet,  otherwise  he  is 
apt  to  find  himself  hanging  in  mid-air  with  the  basket  behind, 
and  a  boiling  torrent  below. 9  Other  curious  bridges  are  de- 
scribed in  their  proper  places  throughout  the  Guidebook.  The 
rly.  bridges  are  constructed  along  modern  lines.  The  majority 
of  the  older  native  bridges  are  of  wood. 

Landscape  Gardens  (kd-en;  niwa,  etc.)  have  been  popular 
in  Japan  since  the  art  was  introduced  from  China  in  the  6th 
cent.  Their  local  development  was  gradual  until  the  14th  cent., 
when  it  became  very  fashionable  to  have  a  classical  garden, 
and  certain  of  them  took  on  then  the  elegant  aspects  which  at 
present  characterize  them.  Great  progress  was  made  during 
the  military  epoch,  chiefly  in  and  about  Kyoto,  where  some 
of  the  finest  of  the  Japanese  gardens  are  still  to  be  found. 

'  In  the  early  years  of  the  13th  cent,  the  first  treatise  on  the  subject 
appeared  from  the  pen  of  Yoshitsune  Gokyogoku;  by  giving  to  everything 
a  definition,  he  invested  it  with  a  motive,  and  for  expressing  the  various 
motives,  general  rules,  many  of  them  purely  conventional,  were  laid  down. 
A  lake  had  to  take  the  outline  of  a  tortoise  or  a  crane .  An  island  might  be  a 
mountain,  a  field,  a  strip  of  seashore,  a  cloud  in  the  distance,  a  sandy-beach, 
a  floating  pine,  or  the  bank  of  a  stream.  A  waterfall  was  either  full-face  or 
profile,  fragmentary  or  complete,  uniform  or  stepped,  corner  or  side,  single 
or  double.  A  stream,  if  it  ran  from  E.  to  S.  thenW.  was  regular;  if  it  flowed 
fromW.  to  E.  it  was  inverse.  If  it  did  not  rise  in  a  lake,  a  country  path  should 
be  associated  with  it  to  suggest  a  distant  origin,  or  a  mountain  to  suggest  a 
spring,  or  a  rockery  to  suggest  a  concealed  front.  There  was  also  a  waterfall 
landscape  which  called  for  certain  salient  features.  All  this  was  greatly 
elaborated  by  a  monk  called  Soseki  (b.  1271;  d.  1346;  —  a  distinguished  poet 
known  posthumously  as  Musokokushi),  who  worked  many  of  the  moral 
precepts  of  the  Zen-shu  into  the  fabric  of  his  landscape.  Ultimately,  in  the 
2d  half  of  the  15th  cent.,  the  artist-priest  Soami  (comp.  Kyoto)  extended 
the  system  so  greatly  and  added  so  many  subtle  conceptions  that  he  is 
often  spoken  of  as  the  father  of  landscape  gardening  in  Japan.  Setting  out 
by  enumerating  anqV  defining  twelve  principal  varieties  of  landscape  and 
waterscape,  he  proceded  to  indicate  the  constituents  of  each  and  their  deriva- 
tions. Thus,  in  rockeries  he  placed  sea  and  river  stones;  plain  and  mountain 
stones;  current  stones  and  wave  stones;  stones  that  divide  a  stream,  stones 
from  which  it  flows,  and  stones  against  which  it  breaks;  stones  for  standing 
beside;  detached  stones;  erect  stones  and  prostrate  stones;  water-fowl- 
feather-drying  stones;  mandarin-duck  stones;  three  Buddha  stones,  and 
sutra  stones.  Then  of  islands  there  was  the  wind-beaten  or  salt-strewn  isle, 
which  had  neither  moss  nor  rock  because  it  represented  a  spot  swept  by 
constant  sand-showers;  there  was  a  central  island,  or  isle  of  elysium,  to 
which  no  bridge  led,  since  it  lay  in  mid-ocean;  there  was  the  wave-beaten 
island,  the  tide-lapped  island,  the  guest  island,  and  the  host  island.  To 
Soami  also  was  due  the  conception  of  the  shore  of  the  "  spread  sand,"  and 
the  shore  of  the  "piled  sand,"  and  his  indications  as  to  cascades,  streams, 
trees,  and  shrubs  are  voluminous.'  In  laying  out  a  Japanese  garden,  the 
principle  that  there  should  be  thorough  congruity  between  the  scenie 
scheme  and  the  nature  of  the  edifice  from  which  it  is  contemplated  is 
observed.  '  There  is  scarcely  any  limit  to  the  sums  expended  on  planning  out 
these  pleasure-grounds  and  on  their  up-keep.  Huge  rocks  are  transported 
from  great  distances, —  rocks  honeycombed  by  the  beating  of  ocean  waves* 
rocks  smelted  into  quaint  forms  by  the  furnaces  of  volcanoes ;  rocks  hollowed 
and  gnarled  by  the  teeth  of  torrents;  petrifactions  from  the  depths  of  inland 
seas,  and  richly  tinted  masses  from  mineral  districts,  —  all  these  are  sought 
for  and  treasured.' 

The  art  has  been  brought  to  such  perfection  that  the  tiniest 
piece  of  ground  is  capable  of  being  beautified  in  a  charming 


clxxxviii 


DWARFING 


way  by  the  native  methods.  The  chief  elements  in  the  com- 
position of  classical  gardens  are  stones,  shrubbery,  lakelets, 
cascades,  winding  paths,  mazes,  stone  or  bronze  lanterns  and 
cranes;  bridges  of  stone,  bamboo  or  saplings;  tea-houses,  wis- 
taria-arbors; lotus-ponds,  etc.  When  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
water  is  inaccessible,  the  popular  and  much  admired  kare- 
sansui  method  is  adopted.  This  shows  dry  beds  of  ponds  and 
rivulets  filled  with  sand  and  stones,  with  borders  rigidly  pre-, 
served  just  as  if  they  held  water  in  check.  [A  good  example  of 
this_  type  may  be  seen  in  the  grounds  of  the  Nijd  Castle,  at 
s^Cyoto.]  The  narrow  winding  paths  are  paved  usually  with  a 
smgle  row  of  stone  slabs  in  which  all  regularity  of  form  is 
avoided.  Potted  plants  of  the  popular  dwarfed  varieties  often 
take  the  place  of  borders.  The  ponds  and  bridges,  small  rills, 
and  meandering  paths  with  their  uneven  edges;  the  shrubs 
trimmed  in  round  balls  of  various  sizes,  and  the  grotesquely 
shaped  pines,  with  long  tortuous  branches  running  near  the 
ground,  are  often  combined  in  such  a  skillful  manner  by  the 
gardener  as  to  make  the  area  seem  much  larger  than  it  really 
is.  The  microscopic  gardens  sometimes  placed  artfully  in  small 
dishes  or  trays  are  called  hako-niwa  and  are  very  popular  with 
Japanese.  So  adroitly  are  they  arranged  that  the  beholder 
often  finds  difficulty  in  convincing  himself  that  he  is  not  view- 
ing a  perfect  and  larger  landscape  some  distance  away. 

Dwarfing,  or  nanization,  is  an  art  in  which  the  Nipponese  are  very  expert. 
The  idea  seems  to  be  of  Chinese  origin,  but  the  Japanese  gardener  dis- 
tinguishes himself  in  his  efforts  to  check  nature  in  its  natural  development, 
and  to  take  advantage  of  every  accident  or  trick  that  will  enable  him  to 
produce  deformities  or  grotesquteries.  He  not  only  takes  pleasure  in  arti- 
ficial deformation,  but  admires  and  collects  natural  malformations  of  every 
kind.  A  stone  through  which  the  water  has  worn  a  hole,  or  an  old  decaying 
tree-trunk  with  one  or  more  plants  growing  out  of  a  knothole,  where  seeds 
have  accidentally  lodged,  are  his  delight,  and  for  these  he  will  sometimes 
pay  as  much  as  for  a  genuine  work  of  art.  Old  vermiculated  planks  or  worm- 
riddled  tree-trunks  are  often  used  as  door-posts  or  signs;  and  hedge  fences 
of  wood  that  has  been  buried  in  the  water  until  insects  have  made  chalky 
deposits  on  them  are  frequent  features  in  the  country. 

The  juniper,  cypress,  pine,  elm,  bamboo,  peach,  plum,  maple,  willow,  and 
other  trees  are  often  experimented  with  for  nanization  purposes.  The 
juniper  and  thuja  particularly  are  frequently  selected  by  gardeners  to  try 
their  skill  in  forcing  them  to  grow  into  rude  representations  of  junks,  birds, 
and  animals.  Trees  are  sometimes  trained  in  the  shape  of  deer  with  extra- 
ordinary fidelity,  the  eyes,  tongue,  or  other  parts  being  added  to  complete 
the  resemblance.  The  principle  of  the  operation  depends  upon  retarding 
the  circulation  of  the  sap  by  stinting  the  supply  of  water;  confining  the 
foots,  and  bending  the  branches  in  the  desired  form  when  young  and  pliable, 
afterwards  retaining  them  in  their  forced  positions  in  pots,  and  clipping  all 
the  vigorous  shoots,  until  nature  gives  up  the  contest  and  yields  to  art.  To 
produce  a  slow  growth  small  seeds  from  a  poorly  developed  individual  plant 
are  chosen.  Frequent  cutting-back,  and  planting  in  pots  of  insufficient 
size,  are  practiced  to  produce  nanism.  Twisting  the  twigs  and  stems  in  a 
horizontal  spiral  direction  has  the  same  effect,  and  the  refrigeration  of  the 
ground  and  roots  by  evaporation,  using  porous  pots.  Grafting  is  often  a 
means  to  this  end,  as  it  serves  to  check  natural  development.  It  is  especially 
employed  in  the  many  varieties  of  plum,  and  is  usually  effected  according 
to  the  oldest  methods  known  to  gardening  —  grafting  by  juxtaposition. 
The  cutting  which  is  to  be  engrafted  is  sharpened  on  one  side  and  laid  in  an 


BUDDHISM 


clxxxix 


incision  cut  diagonally  in  the  wild  tree,  or  attached  to  the  wild  stock  by  a 
sort  of  splicing,  and  then  carefully  bound.  Some  of  the  results  obtained  are 
very  surprising.  A  perfect  specimen,  10  or  12  in.  high,  of  a  gnarled  maple  or 
pomegranate,  or  a  particularly  grotesque  pine  tree  will  sometimes  sell  for 
hundreds  of  yen.  The  matsu  (a  Korean  word)  or  pine  (many  varieties)  is 
often  forced  into  abnormal  shapes  which  not  only  excite  astonishment,  but 
cause  one  to  marvel  at  the  incomprehensible  taste  which  finds  pleasure  in 
such  unnatural  forms.  A  pine  tree  so  trained  as  to  have  the  necks  of  its 
ramifying  roots  above  the  ground  is  referred  to  as  neagari-matsu.  The 
antipodes  of  nanization  as  applied  to  pine  trees  can  be  seen  in  the  expression 
of  gigantism  portrayed  by  the  Karasaki  Pine  at  Lake  Biwa,  Rte.  27. 

Many  treatises  exist  on  the  subject  of  landscape  gardening, 
and  there  are  complete  sets  of  names  for  everything  associated 
with  them.  The  charm  of  some  of  the  gardens  is  so  winning, 
and  in  some  of  them  nature's  masterpieces  are  reproduced 
and  her  principles  applied  with  such  amazing  fidelity,  that 
every  traveler  should  see  one  or  more  of  the  most  famous  gar- 
dens before  leaving  Japan.  During  the  iconoclastic  era  which 
followed  the  Restoration,  some  of  the  finest  gardens  in  the 
Empire  were  destroyed  by  vandals.  Some  of  the  existing  ones 
are  slowly  disappearing  before  the  march  of  bljghting  mater- 
ialism. The  sometime  celebrated  J^EO^j^n  at  Tokyo  is  a 
case  in  point.  Though  still  regardecTbT  tihe  ^Tokyoites  with 
loving  eyes,  it  retains  but  little  of  its  ancient  charm.  More 
satisfying  examples  are  the  Imperial  Gardens,  where  the  annual 
Chrysanthemum  and  Cherry-Blossom  Garden  Parties  are 
held  in  Tokyo;  and  that  of  the  Mikado's  Palace;  the  Shugaku- 
in;  and  others  at  Kyoto.  The  requisites  employed  in  the  fash- 
ioning of  formal  gardens  can  be  seen  at  the  Yokohama  Nursery. 

,  IX.  Buddhism. 

Buddhism,  called  by  the  Japanese  Bukkyo,  and  Buppo 
('the  religion  of  Buddha'),  with  71,992  temples  (tera;  butsudd) ; 
52,106  bonzes  (bozu)  or  priests  (or  monks) ;  14  chief  sects  (shit) 
and  (about)  74  branches  claiming  upward  of  29  million  adher- 
ents, reached  Japan  (from  Korea)  about  a.d.  552,  when  the  King 
of  Kudara  (one  of  the  Korean  States)  sent  Buddhist  statues 
(butsuzo)  and  books  as  presents  to  the  Emperor  Kimmei.  The 
creed  (accepted  in  Japan  about  571)  belongs  to  that  division 
of  Buddhism  known  in  India  as  the  Northern  School. 

Buddha1  {Butsu;  Hotoke;  Shaka,  etc.),  whose  actual  mortal  life  is  re- 
garded (by  his  adherents)  as  the  4th  in  a  series  of  5  Messianic  incarnations. 

1  '  Tradition  says  that  when  Sakya-muni  was  born  a  dragon  appeared 
and  poured  water  over  the  babe.  The  incident  is  commemorated  in  Japan 
on  April  8',  when  the  "  washing  of  Buddha  "  (kwan-butsu,  or  yoku-butsu) 
takes  place.  An  image  of  the  god  —  a  birthday  Buddha  (tanjo-butsu)  —  is 
set  up  in  a  hall  decorated  with  flowers,  and  each  worshiper  pours  water  or 
amacha  (a  decoction  of  hydrangea  leaves)  over  the  effigy  from  a  tiny  ladle. 
This,  being  a  temple  rite,  does  not  evoke  much  enthusiasm,  but  evidences 
of  its  popular  observance  may  be  seen  in  decorations  of  azalea  sprays, 
shikimi  boughs,  and  u  (Deutzia  scabra)  blossoms  set  up  at  the  gates  of 
houses.  As  usual,  the  idea  of  averting  evil  dictates  the  procedure  of  the  time. 
Worms  are  the  special  object  of  exorcism.    A  leaf  of  shepherd's-purse 


cxc 


BUDDHISM 


was  (according  to  the  best  authorities)  born  b.c.  623;  72  yrs.  before  Con- 
fucius (Jap.  Koshi:  b.c.  551-478)  and  252  yrs.  before  the  great  Mencius 
(Moshi  :  B.C.  371-288).  4  He  was  the  son  of  Suddhodana,  King  of  Kapila- 
vastu,  a  city  and  country  near  Nipal,  subject  to  the  King  of  Magadha,  now 
a  part  of  Bahar  (India).  His  mother,  Maya,  or  Maya-maya-deva,  died  10 
days  after  his  birth,  which,  according  to  the  legends,  was  accomplished 
without  pain,  and  accompanied  by  amazing  wonders.  His  name  was 
Siddartha,  or  the  "  Establisher,"  until  he  became  a  Buddha,  i.e.,  him  by 
whom  truth  is  known.  The  name,  Gotama,  or  Samona-Godam,  is  a  patro- 
nymic better  known  in  Siam  and  China,  where  another  family  or  clan  name, 
Sakya-muni,  is  more  common.  At  the  age  of  7  the  child  is  said  to  have 
known  anatomy,  geography,  mathematics,  and  military  science.  At  15  he 
was  made  heir-apparent  (wherefore  his  Japanese  title,  Shita-Taishi);  at  17 
he  was  married  to  Yashodara,  a  Brahmin  maiden  of  the  Sakya  clan,  and  his 
son  Rahula  was  born  the  next  year.  At  25  he  determined  to  become  a  recluse, 
and  left  his  parents  and  his  father's  court  for  an  abode  in  the  forest  beyond 
Kapilavastu,  in  solitary  spots,  trying  various  methods  to  attain  mental 
satisfaction,  but  in  vain.  After  5  yrs.  of  this  ascetic  life  "  he  came  to  the 
perception  of  the  true  condition  and  wants  of  mankind,"  and  began  his  min- 
istry of  49  yrs.  He  was  now  a  Buddha,  which  is  described  as  "  entering  into 
a  state  of  reverie,  emitting  a  bright  light  and  reflecting  on  the  four  modes  of 
truth."  He  began  his  preaching  at  Benares  by  discourses  on  the  four  truths, 
which  were  termed  the  revolving  of  the  wheel  of  the  law.  He  formed  his 
first  disciples  into  a  community,  to  whom  he  gave  their  rules,  and  when 
the  number  increased  to  56  he  sent  them  over  the  land  to  give  instructions 
in  the  "  four  miseries  "  and  carry  out  the  system  by  which  all  his  disciples 
were  taught  they  could  attain  final  happiness  in  nirvana.  This  system,  which 
exists  in  full  strength  to  this  day,  is  founded  on  monastic  vows  for  the 
individual,  living  in  spiritual  communities  for  the  disciples,  voluntary 
poverty,  and  universal  preaching.  Sakya-muni  infused  such  energy  into  his 
followers  that  in  a  few  years  India  was  covered  with  their  communities;  and 
he  developed  rules  for  instruction,  employment,  punishment,  and  promo- 
tion, which  have  served  ever  since.  His  own  life,  after  his  visit  to  his  father 
in  the  year  586,  when  37  yrs.  old,  was  passed  mostly  in  delivering  the 
sutras,  or  laws,  35  discourses  in  all;  these  are  reverenced  by  all  Buddhists, 
and  copies  are  held  to  have  moral  and  hygienic  effect  on  true  believers, 
and  bring  good  luck  to  the  family  and  the  State.  As  Sakya-muni  lived  long 
enough  to  see  and  correct  the  dangers  of  his  system,  at  his  death,  in  the 
year  543,  he  was  able  to  confer  much  of  his  authority  on  his  two  chief  disci- 
ples, Ananda  and  Kashiapa,  and  thus  hand  down  the  organization  to 
posterity.'  Hardy's  Manual  of  Buddhism. 

The  faith  has  practically  disappeared  from  India,  'and  possesses  its  only 
adherents  within  the  Empire  in  Burma  and  along  the  mt.  frontier  to  the  N. 
Under  King  Asoka,  who  ruled  from  B.C.  272  to  231,  it  became  the  state 
religion.  As  time  advanced  it  was  debased  by  contact  with  the  idolatry  and 
foul  Tantric  beliefs  which  it  had  never  succeeded  in  extirpating,  and  it  was 
expelled  from  India.  So  complete  was  this  expulsion  that  it  divided  into  the 
N.  and  S.  schools,  the  first  taking  Sanscrit  and  the  other  Pali  as  its  sacred 
language.  In  the  course  of  time,  the  divergences  became  fixed,  and  thus, 
without  any  actual  schism,  the  Buddhists  of  Ceylon  and  Ultra  Ganges  have 
come  to  differ  from  those  of  Central  Asia  and  China.  Buddhism  survived  in 
an  attenuated  form  up  to  the  end  of  the  12th  cent,  of  our  era,  when  the 
Mohammedan  invasions  upset  the  Hindu  dynasties  of  N.  India.  Finally  it 

(nazuna)  is  tied  inside  the  lantern  of  the  sleeping-chamber,  and  over  the 
lintel  is  pasted  an  amulet  written  with  ink  which  has  been  moistened  with 
the  liquid  of  lustration  (amacha) .  Again  the  rice-flour  cake  is  offered  at  the 
domestic  altar.  It  now  takes  the  form  of  a  lotus-petal  with  capsule  of  bean- 
paste  (an).  In  the  cities  hucksters  go  about  selling  ducks'  eggs,  which, 
eaten  on  this  day,  are  supposed  to  be  efficacious  against  palsy;  and  occa- 
sionally itinerant  priests,  with  close-cropped  hair  and  a  peculiar  costume, 
pass  from  street  to  street  calling  out,  O-shaka!  O-shaka!  or  "  Buddhas  to  sell, 
Buddhas  to  buy,"  and  performing  buffoon  tricks  to  gaping  crowds.  The 
stock  in  trade  of  these  gwannin-bo  (depraved  priests)  consists  of  little  images 
of  Sakya-muni  and  five-colored  flags  of  the  u  flower,  the  whole  carried 
ignominiously  in  common  water-pails.'  (Brinkley.) 


BUDDHISM 


cxci 


disappeared,  not  so  much  as  the  result  of  direct  persecution,  but  rather  from 
internal  decay,  the  main  cause  of  which  is  that  it  was,  and  is  in  a  great 
measure,  ^j&ljgion  for  monks,  with  which  the  laity  had  little  concern.' 

The  N.,  or  Mahdydna  (Sanskrit:  'Greater  Vehicle')  doctrine  (Japanese 
Daijd),  which  arose  about  500  yrs.  after  Buddha,  prevailed  in  N.  India  and 
became  (in  a.d.  65)  one  of  the  state  religions  of  China  (whence  it  passed  to 
Korea,  thence  to  Japan) ,  is  regarded  by  Japanese  students  as  both  egoistic 
and  altruistic;  as  optimistic,  progressive,  and  active;  and  as  holding  state 
interests  in  high  regard.  It  is  their  regret  that,  though  the  great  sects  men- 
tioned hereinafter  ostensibly  preach  this  doctrine,  in  reality  they  preach  the 
Hindydna  ('Lesser  Vehicle')  doctrine,  which  represents  the  S.  school,  and 
is  passive,  pessimistic,  and  individualistic.  Followers  of  the  Myhdydna 
believe  that  they  have  to  pass  through  human  existence  only  once  more 
before  attaining  to  Buddhahood,  or  complete  enlightenment,  and  entrance 
into  nirvana. 

'  Two  years  after  the  special  envoys  sent  by  the  Korean  King 
reached  Japan,  there  followed  Tonei,  and  Doshin,  the  first 
bonzes.  They  began  at  once  to  preach  the  new  religion,  and 
although  they  found  powerful  protectors  in  certain  of  the  in- 
fluential nobility,  they  also  encountered  resolute  adversaries, 
and  there  arose  a  strife  which  lasted  for  35  yrs.  By  571  the 
doctrine  had  made  sufficient  impression  upon  the  minds  of  the 
proletariat  to  be  accepted  by  them,  but  it  remained  a  long 
time  without  state  recognition.  'When  properly  installed  the 
creed  and  its  accompaniments  amazed  the  simple  natives.  The 
images  of  its  Bodhisattvas,  smiling  in  gold,  —  the  figures  of 
its  heavenly  guardians  and  infernal  judges,  its  feminine  angels 
and  monstrous  demons,  —  must  have  startled  and  amazed  im- 
aginations yet  unaccustomed  to  any  kind  of  art.  Great  paint- 
ings hung  in  the  temples,  and  frescoes  limned  upon  their  walls 
or  ceilings,  explained/  better  than  words  the  doctrine  of  the 
Six  States  of  Existence,  and  the  dogma  of  future  rewards  and 
punishments.  Moreover,  for  people  accustomed  only  to  such 
simple  architecture  as  that  of  the  Shinto  miya,  the  new  temples 
greeted  by  the  Buddhist  priests  must  have  been  astonishments. 
f  The  colossal  Chinese  gates,  guarded  by  giant  statues;  the 
\  lions  and  lanterns  of  bronze  and  stone;  the  enormous  suspended 
bells,  sounded  by  swinging-beams;  the  swarming  of  dragon- 
\  shapes  under  the  eaves  of  the  vast  roofs ;  the  glimmering  splen- 
j  dor  of  the  altars;  the  ceremonial  likewise,  with  its  chanting 
and  its  incense-burning  and  its  weird  Chinese  music,  —  cannot 
Ijiave  failed  to  inspire  the  wonder-loving  with  delight  and  awe.' 
The  Buddhist  image-makers  soon  began  to  people  the  land 
with  the  host  of  statues  which  the  traveler  now  sees  in  almost 
every  out-of-the-way  place,  —  the  Buddhas,  images  of  the 
benevolent  Jizo,  Koshin,  the  protector  of  the  highways,  with 
his  three  symbolic  apes;  the  figures  of  the  Bato- Kwannon, 
who  protects  the  horses  of  the  peasants,  and  a  long  list  of 
others.  'In  the  cities  everywhere  Buddhist  sculptors  opened 
shops,  to  supply  pious  households  with  images  of  the  chief 
divinities  worshiped  by  the  various  Buddhist  sects;  and  the 
makers  of  thai,  or  Buddhist  mortuary  tablets,  as  well  as  the 


cxcii 


BUDDHISM 


makers  of  household  shrines,  multiplied  and  prospered.'  Bud- 
dhism made  a  strong  appeal  to  the  ignorant  vulgar  by  its  ma- 
gicians and  exorcists;  by  its  living  saints  in  the  flesh,  who  were 
supposed  to  possess  strong  Court  influence  with  the  dignitaries 
of  the  ghostly  world;  by  the  gorgeousness  of  its  temples  and 
the  solemn  pomp  of  its  ritual  observances.  It  was  a  splendidly 
easy  device  for  obtaining  temporal  and  perhaps  everlasting 
prosperity,  for  dodging  the  devil  and  his  imps,  and  escaping 
the  pains  anoT  penalties  of  the  various  hells. 

A  peculiarity  of  Sakya-muni's  teaching  '  is  the  manner  in  which  he  has 
weakened  and  almost  destroyed  the  power  of  the  unseen  world  and  of 
spiritual  beings  as  agencies  of  restraint  upon  the  heart  of  man,  and  of  assist- 
ance in  seeking  after  good.  By  his  system  of  good  works  and  self-denials, 
his  followers  are  brought  into  such  close  relationship  with  the  whole  creation 
of  invisible  beings,  into  whose  presence  and  fellowship  they  can  enter  by 
their  own  efforts  and  mediation,  that  the  moral  sanctions  of  a  Supreme 
Ruler  and  God  over  all  are  neutralized,  and  the  sense  of  sin  in  the  human 
conscience  done  away  with.  Its  removal  is  put  under  the  control  of  the  soul, 
and  the  degree  of  happiness  and  power  attained  in  the  future  world  depends 
on  the  individual,  —  so  many  prayers,  alms,  austerities,  and  obediences 
result  in  so  much  honor,  power,  and  enjoyment  in  the  coming  infinite.  The 
past  infinite  is  also  made  part  of  the  conscious  present,  and  moral  fate 
worked  like  physical  attraction,  innumerable  causes  producing  retributive 
results  for  rewards  or  for  punishments.  In  such  a  theology,  salvation  by 
faith  is  rendered  impossible,  and  sacrifice  for  sin  by  way  of  atonement 
useless.' 

Perhaps  the  greatest  value  of  Buddhism  to  the  nation  was 
educational.  The  Shinto  priests  were  neither  scholars  nor 
teachers,  and  the  new  creed  offered  education  to  all  —  not 
only  in  matters  religious,  but  in  the  arts  and  learning  of  China, 
Korea,  and  India.  (The  Buddhist  temples  eventually  became 
common  schools,  or  had  schools  attached  to  them,  and  at 
each  parish  temple  the  children  of  the  community  were  taught, 
at  a  merely  nominal  cost,  the  doctrines  of  the  faith,  the  wisdom 
of  the  Chinese  classics,  calligraphy,  drawing,  and  much  besides. 
By  degrees  the  education  of  almost  the  whole  nation  came 
under  Buddhist  controlj  The  priests  constituted  a  bridge 
across  which  there  passerl  almost  continuously  from  the  Asi- 
atic continent  to  Japan,  a  stream  of  knowledge.  1  To  enumerate 
the  improvements  and  innovations  that  came  to  her  by  that 
route  would  be  to  tell  almost  the  whole  story  of  her  progress. 
All  that  can  be  classed  under  the  name  of  art  in  Japan  was 
either  introduced  or  developed  by  Buddhism;  and  the  same 
may  be  said  regarding  nearly  all  Japanese  literature  possess- 
ing real  quality,  —  excepting  some  Shinto  rituals,  and  some 
fragments  of  archaic  poetry.  It  was  a  civilizing  power  in  the 
highest  sense  of  the  word,  for  it  introduced  drama,  the  higher 
forms  of  poetical  composition  and  fiction ;  history,  philosophy, 
architecture,  painting,  sculpture,  engraving,  printing,  land- 
scape gardening  —  in  short,  every  art  and  industry  that  held 
to  make  life  beautiful.  All  the  refinements  of  Japanese  life 
were  of  Buddhist  introduction,  and  at  least  a  majority  of  its 


BUDDHISM 


cxciii 


/  diversions  and  pleasures.  Perhaps  the  briefest  way  of  stating 
(  the  range  of  such  indebtedness,  is  simply  to  say  that  Buddhism 
brought  the  whole  of  Chinese  civilization  into  Japan,  and 
thereafter  patiently  modified  and  reshaped  it  to  Japanese  re- 
quirements. The  elder  civilization  was  not  merely  superim- 
posed upon  the  social  structure,  but  fitted  carefully  into  it, 

['  combined  with  it  so  perfectly  that  the  marks  of  the  welding, 
the  lines  of  the  juncture,  almost  totally  disappeared/  ( Laf- 
cadio  Hearn.) 

The  original  Buddhist  doctrine  was  essentially  in  disaccord 
with  Shintdism:  which  is  without  a  doctrine  of  metempsy- 
chosis, and  which  has  its  nearest  analogue  in  Confucianism. 
'  The  spirits  of  the  dead,  according  to  ancient  Japanese  think- 
ing, continued  to  exist  in  the  world:  they  mingled  somehow 
with  the  viewless  forces  of  nature,  and  acted  through  them. 
Everything  happened  by  the  agency  of  these  spirits  —  evil 
or  good.  Those  who  had  been  wicked  in  life  remained  wicked 
after  death;  those  who  had  been  good  in  life  became  good  gods 
after  death;  but  all  were  to  be  propitiated.  No  idea  of  future 
reward  or  punishment  existed  before  the  coming  of  Buddhism : 
there  was  no  notion  of  any  heaven  or  hell.  The  happiness  of 
ghosts  and  gods  alike  was  supposed  to  depend  upon  the  wor- 
ship and  the  offerings  of  the  living.  Buddhism  had  learned 
in  India,  in  China,  in  Korea,  and  in  divers  adjacent  countries, 
how  to  meet  the  spiritual  needs  of  peoples  maintaining  a  per- 
sistent ancestor- worship.  Intolerance  of  ancestor- worship 
would  have  long  ago  resulted  in  the  extinction  of  Buddhism; 
for  its  vasts  conquests  have  all  been  made  among  ancestor- 
worshiping  races.  In  Japan  it  adopted  the  same  policy  which 
had  secured  its  progress  on  the  continent;  it  attempted  to 
interfere  only  by  expanding  and  expounding  them  —  by  inters 
preting  them  in  a  totally  new  light.  Modifications  were  ef- 
fected, but  no  suppressions:  we  might  even  say  that  Bud- 
dhism accepted  the  whole  body  of  the  old  beliefs.  It  was  true, 
the  new  teaching  declared,  that  the  dead  continued  to  exist 
invisibly;  and  it  was  not  wrong  to  suppose  that  they  became 
divinities,  since  all  of  them  were  destined,  sooner  or  later,  to 
enter  upon  the  way  of  Buddhahood  —  the  divine  condition. 
Buddhism  acknowledged  likewise  the  greater  gods  of  Shinto, 
with  all  their  attributes  and  dignities  —  declaring  them  incar- 
nations of  Buddhas  and  Bodhisattvas:  thus  the  sun-goddess 
was  identified  with  Dai-Nichi-Nyorai  (the  Tathdgata  Mahd- 
vairokana) ;  Hachiman,  the  war-god,  was  identified  with 
Amida  (Amitabha),  etc'  \Thus  by  skillful  adaptations  Bud- 
dhism got  itself  accepted  as  a  second  national  faith^  The 
Shinto  shrines  presently  assumed  the  appearance  of  Buddhist 
fanes,  and  for  centuries  the  two  creeds  worked  in  harmony 
for  the  uplift  of  the  Japanese  race.  It  did  not  become,  as 
many  careless  writers  have  said,  the  popular  religion,  while 


cxciv 


BUDDHISM 


Shinto  remained  the  official  religion;  it  became  as  much  an 
official  religion  as  Shinto  itself,  and  influenced  the  lives  of  all 
classes.  'It  made  monks  of  emperors,  and  nuns  of  their  daugh- 
ters; it  decided  the  conduct  of  rulers,  the  nature  of  decrees, 
and  the  administration  of  laws.  In  every  community  the 
Buddhist  parish  priest  was  a  public  official  as  well  as  a  spiritual 
teacher.' 

Throughout  the  whole  course  of  its  history  in  Japan  Bud- 
dhism has  been  discredited  by  its  priests.  But  it  has  also 
numbered  among  its  propagandists  many  men  of  transcend- 
ent ability,  lofty  aims,  and  unquestioned  courage.  The  power 
it  acquired  over  its  devotees  was  often  misused;  humility  be- 
came arrogance,  learning  tyrannized  over  ignorance:  it  is  no 
exaggeration  to  say  (writes  Murdoch)  that  at  the  date  of  the 
first  arrival  of  Europeans  in  Japan  the  greatest  political  power 
in  the  Empire  was  that  of  the  Buddhist  priesthood,  foremost 
among  which  stood  that  Monto  sect  which  had  been  harried 
and  hunted  from  the  neighborhood  of  the  capital  only  ten 
years  before.  Militant  Buddhism  became  a  great  power  in  the 
State  during  the  Muromachi  epoch,  and  even  the  priests  in 
Kyoto  succumbed  to  the  general  demoralization  and  were  found 
among  the  gamesters  and  marauders.  One  sect  only,  the  Ikko, 
possessed  large  influence,  owing  to  the  virtue  and  eloquence 
of  its  great  preacher,  Renjo.  But  this  sect  believed  in  the 
sword  as  a  weapon  of  propagandism,  and  did  not  hesitate  to 
enlist  the  most  lawless  and  unscrupulous  elements  of  the  popu- 
lation among  its  adherents.  The  religious  fanatics  were 
strong  enough  to  defy  the  governors  of  the  N.  provinces,  where 
their  principal  center  of  power  lay.  They  destroyed  family 
after  family  of  their  opponents,  and  even  the  illustrious  Ho- 
sokawa  Harumoto,  one  of  the  most  powerful  nobles  of  the 
time,  had  to  appeal  to  the  Nichiren  sect  for  aid  against  them. 
Thus  the  religious  bodies  wielded  a  power  which  no  one, 
though  he  were  the  shogun  himself,  could  afford  to  disregard. 
Even  the  Shinto  priests  of  Ise  had  a  military  organization 
numbering  thousands  of  halberdiers. 

f~ Buddhism  reached  its  apex  at  the  close  of  the  11th  cent.,  when,  during  a 
f  reign  of  only  13  yrs.,  the  Emperor  Shirakawa  caused  5470  religious  pictures 
i  to  be  painted,  ordered  the  casting  of  127  statues  of  Buddha,  each  16  ft.  high, 
I  of  3150  life-size  images,  and  of  2930  smaller  idols,  and  constructed  21  large 
I  temples  and  446,630  religious  edifices  of  various  kinds.  This  same  sovereign, 
in  obedience  to  the  Buddhist  commandment  against  taking  life,  issued  an 
edict  prohibiting  the  slaughter  of  any  living  thing;  ordering  the  release  of 
all  hawks,  falcons,  and  other  caged  birds;  forbidding  the  presentation  of 
fish  to  the  Palace,  and  requiring  the  destruction  of  all  fishing-nets,  —  a 
mandate  which  was  carried  out  in  8800  cases. 

This  attempted  usurpation  of  the  political  power  led  to  the 
serious  curtailment  of  Buddhism  in  Japan.  The  persecution 
of  the  priests  by  Nobunaga,  and  the  introduction  of  Jesuitism 
in  the  2d  half  of  the  16th  cent.,  inflicted  a  serious  blow  upon  the 
cause,  and  although  it  revived  under  the  Tokugawa,  its  earlier 


BUDDHISM 


cxcv 


power  and  influence  never  returned.  The  year  «J£££L opened 
menacingly  for  Buddhism,  for  in  that  year  decrees  were  issued 
against  the  sects  as  transcendent  in  their  effect  as  the  famous 
Leyes  de  la  Reforma,  issued  by  Benito  Juarez  8  yrs.  before, 
were  against  the  Catholics  of  Mexico.  The  incomes  of  the 
Buddhist  temples  and  monasteries  were  reduced  to  doles  and 
benevolent  gifts;  wherever  a  Shinto  temple  had  made  way  for 
the  worship  of  Buddha,  the  Shinto  kami  was  restored  to  his 
original  place,  and  even  from  the  higher  mts.,  the  statues  of 
Buddha  were  (in  1873-74)  removed  from  the  temples  and  re- 
placed by  mirrors  and  gohei.  Some  of  the  bonzes  burned  their 
temples  rather  than  have  them  pass  into  the  hands  of  the  Shin- 
toists.  While  the  disestablishment  crippled  the  Buddhists,  it 
did  not  destroy  them.  The  vast  majority  of  Buddha's  followers 
in  Japan  are  also  followers  of  Shinto,  and  the  two  faiths  (which 
"sit lightly  enough  upon  the  people  as  a  mass),  though  seemingly 
incongruous,  have  long  been  reconciled  in  the  popular  mind. 
Mutual  forbearance  is  shown  by  all  the  sects,  as  the  Japanese 
aj^peculiarly  tolerant  of  individual  idiosyncrasies.  The  restor- 
ation of  Buddhism  to  its  ancient  prestige  is  believed  by  those 
who  are  well  acquainted  with  the  facts  to  be  impossible. 

Buddhism,  like  Catholicism,  owes  much  to  its  accessories,  —  to  its  mas- 
sive and  magnificent  templss,  its  majestic  images,  its  gorgeous  paraphernalia, 
the  rich  vestments  of  its  protests,  and  the  picturesque  solemnity  of  its  ser- 
vices. The  numerous  points  of  similarity  between  the  rites  of  the  Buddhists 
and  those  of  the  Romish  Church  early  attracted  attention.  Abbe  Hue 
enumerates  many  of  them:  'The  cross,  the  miter,  the  dalmatica,  the  cope 
which  the  celibate  priests  wear  on  their  journeys,  or  when  performing  some 
ceremony  out  of  the  temple;  the  service  with  double  choirs,  the  psalmody, 
the  exorcisms,  the  censer  suspended  from  five  chains,  which  you  can  open 
or  close  at  pleasure;  the  benedictions  given  by  extending  the  right  hand 
over  the  heads  of  the  faithful;  the  rosary,  ecclesiastical  celibacy,  spiritual 
retirement,  worship  of  the  saints;  the  fasts,  processions,  litanies,  and  holy 
water,  —  all  these  are  analogies  between  ourselves  and  the  Buddhists.  In 
addition  to  these,  the  institution  of  nuns,  worship  of  relics,  masses  for  the 
dead,  and  burning  of  candles  and  incense,  with  ringing  of  bells  during 
worship,  are  prominent  usages  common  to  both.  Their  priests  alike  teach 
a  purgatory  from  which  the  soul  can  be  released  by  their  prayers;  they  also 
conduct  services  in  a  dead  language*  and  pretend  to  miracles.  Lastly,  the 
doctrine  of  the  perpe^uaTTrrginity  of  Maya,  the  mother  of  Sakya-muni,  is 
an  article  taught  by  the  Mongol  Buddhists,  who  also  practice  a  form  of 
infant  baptism,  in  which  the  priest  dips  the  child  three  times  under  the 
water  as  he  pronounces  its  name  and  gives  it  a  blessing.'  It  would  be  very 
easy  to  find  counterparts  in  a  Buddhist  temple  for  almost  every  one  of  the 
santos  and  santas  worshiped  in  a  Spanish  cathedral;  in  fact  there  is  a  striking 
similarity  between  some  of  them. 

Buddhism  has  no  literature  intelligible  to  laymen;  its  origi- 
nal Sanscrit  scriptures,  transliterated  in  Chinese  and  Japanese 
characters,  are  couched  in  language  with  whose  deeper  mean- 
ings most  of  the  people  and  many  of  the  priests  are  alike  un- 
acquainted. By  sermons  and  oral  teachings  are  its  precepts 
communicable  to  the  public.  Certain  of  the  Buddhist  canons 
(Tripitaka)  are  extracted  from  the  liturgy,  and  while  repeating 
them,  the  priest  strikes  upon  a  wooden  sounding-board  (called 
mokugyo)  shaped  something  like  a  huge  sleigh-bell,  in  order 


cxcvi 


BUDDHISM 


to  mark  time  to  his  monotonous  chant.  Praying  is  Nembutsu. 
Invocations  with  the  Indian  words  Namu  Amida  Butsu 
('Hail  to  the  Eternal  Splendor  of  Buddha')  are  repeated 
thousands  of  times  to  attain  perfection,  and  afford  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  propriety  of  Christ's  direction :  '  When  ye  pray,  use 
not  vain  repetitions  as  the  heathen  do;  for  they  think  they 
shall  be  heard  for  their  much  speaking.'  The  Nichiren  sect 
employs  the  Chinese  transliteration,  Nmnu-mi  d-ho-ren-pe-k  u  o 
—  'Hail  to  the  salvation-bringing  revelations  of  the  law.' 
The  Buddhist  Paradise,  to  which  the  spirits  of  all  good  men 
go  after  death,  lies  in  a  region  one  trillion  miles  from  the  earth 
and  is  called  Juman-okudo.  Lacking  a  knowledge  of  the  dog- 
mas of  their  religion,  the  priests  cling  to  externals,  and  attempt 
to  captivate  the  minds  of  the  credulous  by  the  pomp  of  the 
numerous  ceremonies  and  unmeaning  festivals  which  they 
celebrate. 

The  Service  (dowa)  is  impressive  but  is  usually  marked 
by  considerable  mummery.  When  the  priest  seats  himself 
among  his  congregation  to  preach,  he  wears  a  white  or  sober- 
hued  cassock  and  a  black  stole.  '  But  when  he  opens  the  sutras 
or  recites  the  litany,  his  vestments  are  of  brocade  that  would 
serve  worthily  to  drape  a  throne,  and  might  well  betray  the 
female  units  of  his  congregation  into  the  sin  of  "  lust  of  the 
eye,"  were  not  the  precaution  adopted  of  cutting  the  splendid 
fabric  into  a  multitude  of  fragments  before  fashioning  it  into 
stole  or  cassock.  The  services  appeal  only  to  a  narrow  range 
of  emotions  and  leave  l^^rrj^eej^  untouched,  as  the  texts  of 
the  lotus  law,  engrossedinexquisite  ideographs  upon  illumin- 
ated scrolls,  are  unintelligible  to  the  average  native  mind. 
The  sermon  is  usually  practical  and  is  a  plainly  phrased  adap- 
tation of  saving  ethics  to  everyday  affairs,  differing  materially 
from  the  solemn  service,  which  is  accompanied  by  considerable 
spectacular  display  as  far  removed  from  mundane  affairs  as  is 
the  lotus  throne  itself.  The  immense  hall  is  often  without 
decoration,  except  in  the  chancel  where  stand  the  shrine  and 
altar,  a  mass  of  gold  and  rich  colors.  (  Within  a  circular  inclos- 
ure  at  the  outer  end  of  the  nave  sit  a  band  of  acolytes,  chanting 
to  an  accompaniment  of.  wooden  timbrels)  Their  voices  are 
pitched  in  octaves,  and  the  number  of  chanters  is  varied  from 
time  to  time  so  as  to  break  the  monotony  of  the  cadence. 
When  this  has  continued  for  some  moments,  nine  priests, 
richly  robed,  emerge  slowly  and  solemnly  from  the  back  of  the 
chancel,  and  kneel  before  an  equal  number  of  lecterns  ranged 
in  line  on  the  left  of  the  altar.  Each  priest  carries  a  chaplet 
of  beads,  and  each  lectern  is  a  missal.  Then  the  chant  of  the 
acolytes  ceases,  and  the  priest  in  the  middle  of  the  line  opens 
the  sutra  and  reads  aloud.  One  by  one  his  companions  follow 
his  example,  until  the  nine  voices  blend  in  a  monotone,  which, 
in  turn,  is  varied  by  the  same  device  as  that  previously  adopted 


BUDDHISM 


cxcvii 


by  the  acolytes.  After  an  interval,  another  similar  band  paces 
gravely  down  the  chancel,  and  kneeling  on  the  right  of  the 
altar,  opposite  the  first  comers,  add  their  voices,  in  the  same 
cumulative  fashion,  to  the  varying  volume  of  sound.  Finally, 
the  chief  priest  himself  emerges,  attended  by  an  acolyte,  and 
kneels,  facing  the  altar,  at  a  large  lectern  placed  between  the 
two  rows  of  sutra-readers.  He  confines  himself  at  first  to  burn- 
ing incense,  and,  as  the  fumes  ascend  denser  and  denser,  the 
intonation  of  the  reading  priests  grows  more  and  more  accelera- 
ated,  until  at  last  their  words  pour  forth  with  bewildering 
volubility.  Then  suddenly  this  peal  of  resonance  dies  away  to 
a  scarcely  audible  murmur,  and  while  its  echoes  are  still 
trembling  in  the  air,  they  are  joined  by  the  voice  of  the  chief 
priest,  which  by  degrees  absorbs  them  into  its  swelling  note, 
and  then  itself  faints  to  a  whisper,  taken  up  in  turn  and  swelled 
to  a  rolling  chant  by  the  tones  oi  the  sutra-readers.  These 
alternations  of  intoning  constitute  virtually  the  whole  cere- 
mony. It  is  grave,  awe-inspiring,  and  massive  in  its  simplicity. 
It  captivates  the  senses  by  degrees,  and  lifts  them  at  last  to  an 
ecstasy  where  reason  ceases  to  discern  that  the  components 
of  the  grand  ceremony  are  nothing  more  than  deftly  inter- 
woven fragments  of  a  chanted  litany,  gorgeous  vestments,  a 
heart  of  glowing  gold  and  soft  colors  in  a  vast  sepulcher  of 
shadow,  and  an  edifice  of  noble  proportions.  But  that  analytical 
consciousness  certainly  comes  to  the  average  layman  sooner  or 
later.  That  he  has  reached  it  is  plainly  shown  by  his  mien. 
The  sketchy  act  of  worship  that  he  uses  as  a  passport  to  such 
ceremonials  bears  as  little  proportion  to  their  magnificence  as 
does  the  fee  paid  at  the  door  of  a  theater  to  the  tumultuous 
moods  of  mirth  or  sadness  produced  by  the  spectacle  within. 
Nothing  in  which  the  mechanical  element  predominates  can 
be  permanently  interesting.  But  after  all,  religion  does  not  / 
overshadow  the  daily  life  of  the  Japanese.  The  gloomy  fanatic  J 
is  unknown.  Confessions  of  sin,  repentance  in  sackcloth  and 
ashes,  solemn  and  protracted  acts  of  worship,  the  terrors  of  an  | 
eternity  of  torture,  —  these  things  scarcely  enter  at  all  into 
the  layman's  existence.  Japanese  religion  is  all  essentially 
practical  and  easy-going.  Japanese  Buddhism  can  never  pro-  ) 
duce  a  Puritan  or  a  Covenanter.  It  weaves  no  thread  of  sol- 
emnity  or  sanctimoniousness  into  the  pattern  of  everyday  life. 
Its  world  of  hungry  demons  and  infernal  beings  are  too  unsub- 
stantial,  too  remote  to  throw  any  lurid  glare  over  the  present.  ' 
(Brinkley.) 

The  Tenets  of  Buddhism  (which  have  been  referred  to  as 
a  mixture  of  pantheism,  rationalism,  and  idolatry)  require  a 
renunciation  of  the  world  and  the  observance  of  austerities 
to  overcome  evil  passions  and  to  fit  its  disciples  for  future  bliss. 
With  few  exceptions  a  vow  of  celibacy  is  taken  by  the  priests, 
who  dwell  together  for  mutual  assistance  in  attaining  perfec- 


cxcviii 


BUDDHISM 


/  tion  by  worship  of  Buddha  and  calling  upon  his  name.  They 
shave  the  entire  head  as  a  token  of  purity;  profess  to  eat  no 
animal  food;  wear  no  skin  or  woolen  garments;  and  get  their 
living  by  begging,  by  the  alms  of  worshipers,  and  by  the  culti- 
vation of  the  grounds  of  the  temples.  Much  of  their  support  is 

?  derived  from  the  sale  of  incense-sticks,  candles,  charms,  texts, 
picture  post-cards,  portraits  of  divinities,  etc.  The  5  negative 
precepts  (gokai)  of  Buddhism  are,  not  to  kill,  be  guilty  of  dis- 

j  honesty,  be  lewd,  speak  untruth,  or  drink  intoxicants.  The 

f  10  virtues  are,  to  be  kind  to  all  sentient  beings,  be  liberal,  be 
chaste,  speak  the  truth,  employ  gentle  and  peace-making 

\  language,  use  refined  words,  express  everything  in  a  plain, 
j  unexaggerated  manner,  devote  the  mind  to  moral  thoughts, 
practice  charity  and  patience,  and  cultivate  pure  intentions. 
The  Buddhist  must  not  slay  anything,  both  for  pity's  sake 
and  that  he  may  not  hinder  even  the  smallest  creature  in  its 
upward  path;  for  in  the  domestic  animal  that  he  strikes,  or  in 
the  smallest  worm  that  he  kills,  there  may  live  the  soul  of 
one  of  his  ancestors.  Some  of  the  commonalty  make  a  pecu- 
liar use  of  this  ruling  by  catching  young  birds,  shutting  them 
up  in  small  cages,  and  offering  them  for  sale,  at  the  entrances  to 
popular  temples,  to  the  sympathetic  visitors,  who  buy  them 
and  restore  them  to  freedom.  Turtles,  live  fish,  etc.,  are  ran- 
somed in  the  same  way.  —  The  five  species  of  ?  stinking  vege- 
tables '  denied  the  priesthood  are  porret,  shallots,  chives, 
garlic,  and  onions.  An  inscription  at  the  entrance  of  many 
Buddhist  temples  and  cloisters,  usually  carved  on  an  obelisk 
of  stones,  reads:  '  It  is  forbidden  to  carry  stinking  herbs  and 
intoxicating  drinks  through  this  holy  gate.' 

The  Religious  Festival,  or  Matsuri,  such  as  can  be  witnessed  in  Oct.  at  the 
Ikegami  Temple  (Rte.  9)  on  the  anniversary  of  Nichiren,  may  be  said  to  be 
one  of  the  most  popular  forms  of  worship  in  Japan.  It  is  a  species  of  ecclesi- 
astical outing  for  the  gay  multitudes  (about  200,000)  that  throng  thither 
during  the  two  days  of  the  fete.  'If  the  tiny  band  of  devout  folks  that  listen 
to  the  sermon  be  compared  with  the  joyous  crowds  that  roam  among  the 
beautiful  woods,  enjoy  the  enchanting  landscapes  presenting  themselves  on 
every  side,  and  frequent  the  various  entertainments  provided  for  their 
diversion  by  itinerant  showmen,  the  ratio  of  holiness  to  holiday  becomes 
very  suggestive.  It  may  be  difficult  for  the  reader  to  imagine  the  precincts 
of  a  Christian  cathedral  on  a  saint's  day,  occupied  by  acrobats,  jugglers, 
traveling  menageries,  performing  dogs,  and  such  frivolities,  while  the 
business  of  prayer  and  preaching  proceeds  vigorously  within  the  walls  of  the 
building.  Yet  such  a  conception  of  the  Japanese  scene  is  only  partial;  it  must 
be  supplemented  by  another  strange  feature,  namely,  that  the  temple  build- 
ing stands  open  throughout  the  whole  of  one  side,  so  that  the  people  who 
happen  to  be  praying  within  are  virtually  a  part  of  the  audience  enjoying 
the  penny-shows  without.  Here,  as  everywhere  else  in  Japan,  the  practical 
sincerity  of  the  national  character  shows  itself.  Even  at  a  religious  festival, 
no  effort  to  dissimulate  the  trait  of  which  humanity  can  never  divest  itself  is 
encouraged  or  expected.  The  great  majority  of  the  people  come  for  the 
sake  of  the  outing  as  much  as  to  pay  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  saint. 
Let  them,  then,  enjoy  themselves.  Religion  does  not  prescribe  austerity  of 
manners  or  asceticism  of  life.  The  Buddhas  are  not  shocked  because  a 
monkey  turns  somersaults  under  the  eaves  of  their  sanctuaries,  or  a  rope- 
dancer  balances  in  the  shadow  of  their  shrines.'  (Brinkley.) 


BUDDHIST  SECTS 


cxcix 


X.  Buddhist  Sects.  Divinities.  Temple  Accompani- 
ments. The  Lotus. 

Buddhist  Sects.  The  following  are  the  most  powerful  and 
widespread  in  Japan :  — - 

The  Zen  (or  Busshin)-snfj,  founded  by  Dharma  (Daruma) 
in  India,  in  a.d.  513,  and  brought  by  him  to  China,  was  in- 
troduced thence  into  Japan  by  the  bonze  Dosho,  in  the  7th 
cent.  Rejected  at  first,  it  was  revived  in  1192  by  the  bonze 
Eisei,  who  is  regarded  as  its  founder  in  Nippon.  It  is  some- 
times called  the 'sect  of  contemplation,'  and  its  doctrines,  as 
interpreted  by  the  many  scholarly  men  who  adopted  them, 
have  made  perhaps  the  greatest  impression  of  any  of  the  sects 
on  the  national  thought  and  life.  Its  teachings  are  based  upon 
the  principle  that  every  one  may  arrive  at  the  knowledge  of 
the  law  and  nature  of  Buddha  by  meditation,  without  being 
influenced  by  dissenting  beliefs.  Perchance  because  its  adop- 
tion by  the  Japanese  was  coeval  with  the  establishment  of 
military  feudalism,  its  dogmas  found  special  favor  among  the 
samurai  of  Old  Japan,  sin^e  their  tendency  was  to  render  one 
indifferent  to  danger  or  death.  The  most  powerful  of  its 
branches,  the  Sodo-shu,  was  founded  by  Dosen  in  1227.  Dar- 
uma is  specially  revered  in  the  Zen  Temples,  where  he  is  por- 
trayed as  an  unshaven  (and  somewhat  ruffianly)  ascetic,  clad 
in  a  red  robe  and  lost  in  deep  meditation.  According  to  tradi- 
tion he  sat  for  9  years  in  uninterrupted  contemplation  and 
remained  so  motionless  that  his  legs  rotted  off.  His  image  is  a 
favorTte  for  toys  (see  Rie.  9),  and  as  a  tobacconist's  sign. 
Dosho  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  to  introduce  cremation  in 
Japan. 

The  Jodo-Shinshu  (Jodo,  'pure  land/  the  heaven  of  Amida; 
shin,  'spirit';  shu,  'sect'),  or  Monto  ('gate-followers'),  or  Ikko 
('undivided')  sect,  founded  by  Shinran-Shonin  in  1224,  has 
been  called  l^ie  Protestantism  of  Japanese  Buddhism,  f  It 
rejects  celibacy,  penance,  abstention  from  certain  foods,  pil- 
grimages, asceticism,  monasteries,  and  amulets.  Its  followers 
regard  belief  in  Buddha,  earnest  prayer,  noble  thought  and 
action  as  the  prime  essentials  of  religion^  The  temple  altars 
are  splendidly  furnished,  Amida  being  worshiped  exclusively. 
The  priesthood  is  hereditary,  and  the  worship  is  ornate,  and 
magnificent.  The  temples  are  known  as  the  Nishi-  and  Hi- 
gashi-  Hongwanji  (nishi,  west;  higashi,  east;  hon,  chief;  guwan, 
prayer;  ji,  temple  of  Buddha)  or  Monzeki  (a  title  given  to  a 
Buddhist  fane  or  monastery  of  which  an  Imperial  Prince  is, 
or  has  been,  the  head).  They  are  among  the  largest,  most 
beautiful,  richly  furnished,  and  numerous  (about  20,000)  in 
the  Empire.  Many  know  the  sect  (which  has  10  branches 
and  13  million  followers)  as  the  Shin-shu.  Its  priests  marry, 


cc 


BUDDHIST  SECTS 


eat  meat,  and  do  many  things  denied  to  the  bonzes  of  other 
sects.  In  1876  the  Mikado  conferred  a  great  distinction  on  the 
sect  by  calling  its  founder  by  the  honorary  title  of  Kenshin- 
Daishi  ('Revealer  of  the  Truth'). 

This  worthy,  whose  name  the  visitor  to  temples  will  hear  many  times 
while  in  Japan,  was  born  at  Kyoto  in  1174  (d.  1268),  and  at  the  age  of  9  be- 
came a  disciple  of  Jichin,  who  taught  him  the  doctrines  of  the  Tendai  sect. 
In  1203  he  studied  under  Genku,  and  for  a  time  was  an  enthusiastic  devotee 
of  the  Shingonshu,  but  its  vows  of  celibacy  and  abstinence  irked  him.  The 
Goddess  Kwannon  appeared  to  him  one  day  (so  the  legend  runs)  and  so 
relieved  him  on  this  score  that  soon  thereafter  he  married  the  daughter  of 
Fujiwara  Kanenori,  and  coincident  with  the  founding  of  a  family  he  pro- 
mulgated the  new  Jodo  doctrine.  His  militant  disposition  soon  embroiled 
him  with  the  stronger  bonzes  of  opposing  sects,  and  he  was  banished  to 
Echigo,  where  he  remained  5  yrs.  The  magnificent  Higashi-  Hongwanji  at 
Kyoto  is  now  the  headquarters  of  the  sect. 

The  Shingon-shu  ('True  Word  sect')  is  of  considerable  his- 
torical interest  in  that  it  was  founded  (in  the  9th  cent.)  by 
the  celebrated Kobo-Daishi  (p.  cxxvi),oneof  the  greatest  reli- 
gious teachers  (a  sort  of  Japanese  Moses)  of  early  Japan.  At 
one  period  in  the  country's  history,  this  extraordinarily  virile 
sect  had  thousands  of  temples,  millions  of  adherents,  and  one 
of  the  most  unique  centers  (Koya-san,  p.  511)  imaginable, 
whence  it  radiated  its  powerful  influence.  The  outlines  of  its 
mystic  creed  (taizokai;  kongokai)  suggest  Christianity.  There 
is  a  great  presiding  spirit;  a  complicated  ethical  system  from 
which  the  followers  of  Christ  might  derive  inspiration ;  a  band 
of  interceding  saints  in  heaven;  an  eternity  of  happiness;  an 
everlasting  law  of  retribution  (every  infraction  of  the  moral 
code  entailing  a  commensurate  penalty) ;  and  several  incarna- 
tions of  the  Supreme  Being  whose  special  mission  is  to  lead 
men  to  knowledge.  In  addition  there  is  a  belief  in  previous 
existence,  and,  because  of  the  sins  committed  therein,  the 
devotee  is  kept  entangled  in  the  cycle  of  life  and  death.  An- 
cestor-worship and  prayer  to  the  Shinto  deities  are  included. 
The  Shingon-shu  is  said  to  possess  12,000  temples,  upward  of 
7000  chief  bonzes,  and  4  million  adherents.  It  is  often  referred 
to  by  students  of  Buddhism  as  the  Secret  Sect,  as  its  doctrines 
are  said  to  be  based  upon  the  secret  teachings  of  Shaka,  which 
were  not  made  known  universally.  The  most  popular  branches 
are  the  Kogi,  and  Shingi. 

The  Tendai-shu  ('heavenly  command'),  introduced  jrom 
China  in  806  by  the  bonze  Saicho  (or  Saito,  a  Prince  of  Omi), 
derives  its  name  from  the  holy  mt.  and  monastery  in  China 
where  he  pursued  his  studies,  and  has  for  its  aim  to  encourage 
all  men  to  attain  perfection  by  the  observance  *>f  three  pre- 

^""cepts:  shun  evil,  do  good  works,  and  be  kind  to  all  existing 
beings.  The  doctrine  was  first  preached  in  Japan  at  the  famous 

v-  Hiei-zan  Monastery  (see  Kyoto),  which  became  its  head- 
quarters. Its  teachings  are  said  to  have  had  a  beneficent  effect 
upon  the  degenerate  priesthood;  to  have  stimulated  them  to 


BUDDHIST  DIVINITIES 


cci 


moral  improvement,  and  to  the  study  of  the  religious  classics. 
At  present  there  are  3  branches,  with  4600  temples,  2800  chief 
bonzes,  and  a  million  followers.  Only  the  Tended  and  the 
Shingon  sects  use  the  prayer- wheel  (rimbo,  or  wheel  of  the  law) 
which  plays  so  great  a  role  in  Tibet.  One  of  the  greatest  bonzes 
of  the  Tendai-shu  was  the  well-known  Ennin,  called  posthu- 
mously Jikaku-Daishi  ('Great  Teacher'),  who  was  born  in 
794  (d.  864),  and  after  studying  for  9  yrs.  in  China,  returned 
to  Kyoto  and  published  the  result  of  his  researches  in  559  vol- 
umes. 

The  Hokke-shu  (' Flower,  or  Lotus  of  the  Law'),  or 
Nichiren  sect,  founded  in  1253  by  the  militant  bonze  Nichiren 
(b.  1222;  d.  1282),  one  of  the  most  celebrated  and  picturesque 
characters  in  the  history  of  Buddhism  in  Japan,  promulgates 
as  its  doctrine  the  last  instructions  of  Buddha  before  his  death. 
These  teachings,  regarded  as  so  profound  that  only  Buddha 
and  the  highest  bosatsu  can  comprehend  them,  are  supposed 
to  be  the  essence  of  all  the  discourses  of  Shaka;  .they  are  re- 
ferred to  as  the  three  great  secrets:  adoration  (honzon),  law 
(daimoku),  and  moral  (kafdan).  The  essential  difference  be- 
tween the  creed  of  '  Nichiren  ('Lotus  of  the  Sun')  and  those 
preached  by  his  predecessors  is  that  the  former  conceives  a  god 
as  the  prime  and  only  great  cause.  The  preachers  showed  to 
their  disciples  a  chain  of  cause  and  effect  (without,  however, 
saying  anything  about  its  origin),  and  demonstrated  that  the 
first  link  in  the  chain  was  the  Buddha  of  original  enlightenment 
—  of  whom  all  subsequent  Buddhas  were  only  transient  re- 
flections. 'Nichiren  thus  reached  the  Christian  conception  of 
a  god  in  whom  everything  lives,  moves,  and  has  its  being;  an 
omnipotent,  omnipresent,  and  omiscient  deity.  All  phe- 
nomena, mental  and  material  in  all  time  and  space,  were 
declared  by  him  to  have  only  subjective  existence  in  the 
consciousness  of  the  individual.'  The  mission  of  the  sect  of 
Nichiren  was  to  point  out  the  way  to  Buddahood,  and, 
above  all,  to  convince  the  people  that  one  and  all  of  them 
might  become  Buddhas,  here  and  now.  Ere  long  Nichiren's 
followers  became  known  as  the  most  bigoted,  intolerant, 
fanatical,  and  turbulent  Buddhists  in  Japan.  They  might 
truthfully  be  called  the  Jesuits  of  Japanese  Buddhism,  for 
they  were  just  about  as  contumacious,  and  whosoever  disa- 
greed with  them  was  likely  to  find  them  militant  and  un- 
comfortable. The  other  sects  opposed  them  strongly,  and 
Nichiren  w"as  soon  embroiled  with  the  political  powers.  In 
1260  he  published  a  work  (Ankoku-ron) ,  in  which  he  discussed 
the  means  to  assure  the  peace  of  the  State,  violently  attacked 
the  other  sects,  and  predicted  the  Mongol  Invasion  (274). 
He  had  the  temerity  to  address  his  work  to  the  Shikken  Hojo 
Tokiyori,  who,  being  a  fervent  advocate  of  the  Zen  sect,  showed 
his  appreciation  of  the  compliment  by  exiling  him  to  Izu. 


ccii 


BUDDHIST  DIVINITIES 


After  3  yrs.  he  was  pardoned,  and  we  soon  find  him  at  Kama- 
kura  renewing  his  attacks  on  the  rival  sects.  He  was  again 
imprisoned,  this  time  with  his  disciple  Nichiro,  and  condemned 
to  be  beheaded  at  Tatsu-no-kuchi  ;  but  Tokimune  commuted 
his  sentence  to  exile,  and  Nichiren  was  sent,  in  1271,  to  the 
island  of  Sado.  He  lived  there  but  2  yrs.,  and  on  his  return, 
built  the  temple  of  Kuon-ji,  at  Minobu,  which  became  the  seat 
of  the  sect.  Several  yrs.  later  he  founded  the  important  and 
now  very  popular  Temple  of  Ikegami,  where  he  died.  His  body 
was  cremated  and  the  ashes  were  sent  to  Minobu,  minus  one 
of  his  teeth,  which  is  enshrined  in  the  Kotsu-do  at  Ikegami. 
Nichiren' s  followers  believe  he  was  an  incarnation  of  bosatsu 
Jogyo  (one  of  Shako's  close  disciples).  He  is  not  unfrequently 
referred  to  as  the  Martin  Luther  of  Japanese  Buddhism.  At 
birth  he  received  the  name  Zennichi-maru. 

The  sect  is  now  split  into  9  branches,  with  5150  temples, 
3600  chief  bonzes,  and  upward  of  1J  million  adherents.  The 
secret  scriptures  read  specially  by  the  priests  are  known  as 
Hokkekyo,  the  pronunciation  of  which,  oddly  enough,  sounds 
curiously  like  the  call  of  the  sweet-singing  Japanese  nightin- 
gale (wherefore  it  is  called  the  scripture-reading  bird).  Over 
and  over  this  neutral-tinted  sprite  repeats,  like  a  litany,  the 
word  ho-kek'-yo ;  the  first  syllable  long-drawn,  the  others 
uttered  in  a  short  and  quick  way. 

Buddist  Divinities.  Of  the  scores  of  graven  images  (many 
of  them  beautifully  sculptured  and  gilded)  enshrined  in  the 
various  Buddhist  temples,  the  most  prominent  are  mentioned 
below.  Many  are  portrayed  with  a  feminine  cast  of  counten- 
ance, and  with  an  expression  of  peace  and  gentleness.  The 
leader  of  the  legion  of  deities  is 

Amida),  or  Amidabutsu  (Sanskrit:  Amitdbha),  the  Supreme 
Buddha  of  the  Paradise  of  the  Pure  Earth  of  the  West.  He  is 
known  also  as  Amirita,  and  as  Mida,  '  the  immeasurably  re- 
splendent.' It  is  the  deity  of  consolation,  help,  and  deliverance, 
and  beside  being  represented  by  thousands  of  idols  of  many 
sizes  throughout  Japan,  is  portrayed  colossally  in  bronze  by 
the  Daibutsu  of  Kamakura,  of  Nara,  and  of  Kyoto.  The  most 
familiar  attitude  of  the  image  shows  it  seated  with  the  hands 
across  the  lap,  the  thumbs  touching,  and  with  '  meditative  gaze 
slanting  down  between  half-closed  eyelids.'  This  position  is 
referred  to  as  one  of  '  contemplation.'  When  both  hands  are 
held  against  the  breast  and  the  fingers  pressed  together,  it  is 
that  of  'teaching.'  When  the  left  hand  lies  open* in  the  lap 
and  the  right  is  pointed  downward,  Buddha  is '  renouncing  the 
world.'  When  seated  or  standing  on  a  temple  altar,  the  figure 
is  oftentimes  backed  by  a  beautifully  carved  and  gilded  man- 
dorla  (goko  —  also  the  term  for  halo),  and  when  this  forms  a 
complete  background  and  is  shaped  like  the  Vesica  piscis, 
it  is  called  funa-goko,  from  its  resemblance  to  a  boat  (funa). 


BUDDHIST  DIVINITIES 


cciii 


The  boss  (byakugo)  on  the  forehead  is  the  organ  which  emits 
the  light  that  illuminates  the  world.  • 

Amida  is  often  confounded  with  the  original  Buddha,  who  taught  that 
the  misery  of  this  life  is  the  consequence  of  former  sin,  and  that  the  goal  of 
the  soul  in  its  transmigrations  is  nirvana.  The  belief  is  held  that  after  the 
soul  has  triumphed  over  matter,  and  is  freed  from  all  passions,  it  enters  this 
consecrated  space  and  loses  consciousness  of  its  existence  (the  Sanskrit 
meaning  of  the  word  being  '  blowing  out,'  or  1  extinction  ').  Although  the 
original  Buddhists  like  to  believe  that  this  extinction  means  perfect  peace 
and  life  everlasting,  rather  than  annihilation,  the  great  mass  prefer,  in 
accordance  with  a  later  doctrine  which  emanated  from  Kashmir,  to  dwell 
upon  the  thought  of  the  somewhat  material  Paradise  of  the  West,  whither 
Amida  leads  his  faithful  followers  to  eternal  happiness  with  him  in  the 
midst  o£4ftvely  gardens,  flowers,  etc. 

Buddha,  or  Shaka,  is  worshiped  in  many  forms;  his  image 
is  often  difficult  to  distinguish  from  that  of  Amida,  and  of  the 
many  other  Buddhas;  his  glory-disk  is  usually  round,  and  his 
right  hand  is  customarily  shown  in  the  position  '  of  venerable 
Bodhisats,  who  sit  cross-legged  upon  their  lotus-leaves,  and 
bless  with  three  uplifted  fingers  all  the  world.'  He  is  nearly 
always  shown  accompanied,  toy  his  faithful  Fugen  (who  sits  at 
his  right  hand),  a  Buddhist  god,  the  patron  of  those  who  prac- 
tice hokke-zammai  (ecstatic  contemplation) ;  and  (at  his  left) 
by  Monju,  the  God  of  Wisdom  (whence  the  Japanese  saying. 
Sannin  yoreba  Monju  no  chiye :  '  three  persons  consulting  to- 
gether are  often  as  wise  as  Monju  himself  ').  The  two  are  often 
depicted  in  Japanese  art;  the  latter  riding  the  sacred  elephant 
of  Indra,  the  former  on  a  tiger.  —  The  death  of  Buddha  and 
his  entry  into  nirvana  (nehari)  are  subjects  often  used  by  Jap- 
anese sculptors  and  painters,  who  portray  him  amidst  the 
scores  of  weeping  persons  and  animals  he  loved  and  who  loved 
him.  The  generic  name  for  the  Shinto  incarnation  'of  Buddha 
is  Gongen.  The  Bo-tree  (bodaiju),  or  Ficus  religiosa  (Sanskrit, 
bohdi,  1  intelligence,  wisdom '),  under  which  Buddha  sat  and 
received  the  perfect  knowledge  of  all  things,  is  often  cultivated 
in  temple  yards,  the  wood  being  made  into  rosaries  used  by 
the  priests. 

Yakushi-Nyorai,  one  of  the  five  Buddhist  gods  (Go-Chi- 
Nyorai)  of  wisdom  (Yakushi,  Taho,  Dainichi,  Ashuku,  and 
Shaka)  is  commonly  known  as  the  God  of  Medicine ;  his  image 
is  often-inistaken  for  that  of  Shaka. 

(EMMA-o^or  Emma-sama  (the  Brahminic  god  Yama),  or 
f^IPP  ntl  "fl^ll.  is  the  person  before  whom  the  soul  of  the  de- 
parted appears,  to  be  judged  and  sent  back  into  the  world, 
where,  according  as  it  has  deserved  well  or  ill,  it  reappears  in 
the  form  of  a  more  perfect  man  or  higher  being,  or  in  that  of 
an  animal.  'If  the  man  has  behaved  badly,  he  is  set  still  further 
backward  in  his  way  to  nirvana,  and  must  first  pass  through 
the  two  most  wretched  states  of  hell  and  of  the  hungry  spirits, 
before  he  reappears  on  earth  in  an  animal  shape.  King  Yajna 
decides  not  only  as  to  the  mode  of  this  transition,  but  also  as 


cciv 


BUDDHIST  DIVINITIES 


to  its  duration.  He  who  has  toiled  as  a  slave,  teaches  Buddha, 
^may  reappear  as  a  prince;  he  who  has  ruled  as  a  king  may, 
(  perhaps  on  his  reappearance,  wander  in  rags.  Every  one  makes 
/  his  own  prison;  his  actions  prepare  him  for  joy  or  pain.'  The 
impressive  image  of  Emma-d  —  sometimes  terrifying  in  its 
ferocious  suggestiveness  —  appears  either  alone  or  crowned 
as  a  king  in  the  series  of  Juo,  or  ten  imps,  that  reign  in  hell 
with  him,  painted  vermilion,  with  gaping  mouth,  distorted 
eyes,  a  great  mustache,  and  a  mace  in  his  right  hand.  Few  of 
the  idols  of  the  Buddhist  pantheon  are  carved  in  a  more 
skil]fuj  manner  by  Japanese  scupltors. 

Jizo,  the  Sanskrit  Kshitegarbha,  is  very  popular  with  the 
Japail&se,  and  there  are  few  roads  in  the  Empire  upon  which 
his  statues  may  not  be  seen.  The  idols  often  appear  in  groups 
of  six  (Rokudo-no-Jizo)  and  are  known  as  the  six  succorers. 
Their  primary  function  is  to  assist  generally  the  six  classes  of 
reasonable  beings,  distinguished  by  the  Buddhist  metempsy- 
chosis, namely  gods,  men,  asura  (in  Hindu  mythology  one 
of  a  class  of  demons  in  perpetual  hostility  to  the  gods),  animals, 
hungering  demons,  and  those  condemned  to  hell;  but  they 
render  other  special  services  besides.  Their  names  are  respect- 
ively, Emmyo,  Hosho,  Hoshu,  Jichi,  Hoin,  and  Kengoi. 
Jizo  proper  (who  has  been  called  the  most  Japanese  of  all  Jap- 
anese divinities)  is  especially  the  patron  of  travelers,  of  chil- 
dren, and  of  pregnant  women.  He  is  represented  by  the  image 
of  a  bonze  with  shaved  head,  backed  by  a  nimbus,  holding  a 
gem  in  the  left  hand,  in  the  right  a  staff  (shakujo)  at  the  top 
of  which  metal  rings  are  attached,  and  with  an  illuminating 
boss  in  the  center  of  the  forehead.  It  is  as  the  tender  guardian 
of  dead  children  that  he  is  specially  revered.  All  children  must, 
according  to  the  Buddhists,  go  to  the  Sai-no-Kawara,  the  Bud- 
dhist Stvx,  or  the  'Dry  River  bed  of  Souls,'  when  ffiey~cfie. 
Here  the  hag  named  Sho-zuka-no-Baba,  along  with  the  demons 
(Oni) ,  torment  them  and  make  them  pile  up  small  heaps  of  stones 
which  they  tear  down  as  fast  as  the  children  build  them.  The 
frightened  little  souls  run  to  the  compassionate  J izd,  who  hides 
*them  in  his  great  sleeves,  and  comforts  them,  and  makes  the 
demons  go  away.  *  And  every  stone  one  lays  upon  the  knees  or 
at  the  feet  of  Jizo,  with  a  prayer  from  the  heart,  helps  some 
|  child-soul  in  the  Sai-no-Kawara  to  perform  its  long  penance. 
|  And  those  stones  you  see  heaped  about  the  statues  are  put 
there  by  people  for  the  sake  of  the  little  ones,  most  often  by 
mothers  of  dead  children  who  pray  to  Jizo.1  Many  of  the 
statues  one  sees  near  temples  are  adorned  with  a  faded  bib, 
or  cap,  or  some  little  garment  —  either  those  of  dead  children 
or  of  living  ones  believed  to  have  been  cured  of  illness  by  the 
benevolent  intervention  of  the  deity.  A  common  practice  is 
|  to  place  a  thousand  tiny  carved  images  of  J  izd  under  one  roof, 
ranged  on  shelves  one  rank  above  the  other,  and  worship  them 


BUDDHIST  DIVINITIES 


ccv 


collectively.  Another,  is  for  a  bereaved  mother  to  buy  a  doll] 
aamiififc  as  rmssible  like  the  lost  child,  and  offer  it  to  Jizd.  \ 
i^WANNON^pron .  cannon),  the  Avalokitesvara  of  India,  one 
of  the  most  popular  of  the  divinities,  is  supposed  to  be  the 
Goddess  of  Mercy;  she  hears  prayers,  whether  they  are  ad- 
aressedTo'heTorally  or  in  writing,  and  can  deliver  men  from 
all  the  dangers  of  life.  Her  chief  duty  is  to  listen  to  the  plead- 
ings of  the  unhappy  and  to  soothe  their  troubles.  If  her  image 
is  placed  too  far  from  the  suppliant,  he  may  write  his  request 
on  a  slip  of  paper,  chew  it  into  a  ball,  and  throw  it  at  her;  if  it 
sticks,  it  is  a  favorable  sign,  and  he  departs  with  his  mind  re- 
lieved. Numerous  inscriptions  of  gratitude  for  deliverance 
from  trouble  and  disease  are  often  seen  attached  to  the  rails 
around  her  altar,  or  to  steps  leading  to  it.  According  to  the 
Chinese  legend  Kwannon,  or  Kwanzeon  Dai  Bosatsu,  or 
Kwanyin,  was  born  in  the  province  of  Setchuen  (in  China) 
and  was  the  daughter  of  the,governor  of  the  town  of  Souilin, 
her  name  was  Myd-in.  One  day,  when  18  yrs.  old,  she  repaired 
to  Hakujaku-ji,  a  temple  where  there  were  500  bonzes,  and 
was  detained  by  them.  Her  father,  in  his  anger,  burned  the 
temple  (in  which  his  daughter  was  supposed  to  have  perished) 
and  put  all  the  bonzes  to  death.  The  next  night  she  appeared 
to  him  and  informed  him  that  she  had  escaped  from  the  flames 
and  had  become  a  goddess.  Thereupon  she  received  the  name 
of  Sengan-senju-kwanzeon-bosatsu,  or  'goddess  with  a  thousand 
eves  and  a  thousand  arms,  embracing  the  earth.'  In  Japan 
'(where  Kwannon  has  lost  her  Chinese  characteristics,  and  has 
become  an  idealization  of  that  which  is  sweet  and  beautiful 
in  woman)  she  is  represented  in  different  forms:  with  11  faces, 
Ju-ichi-men;  with  a  horse's  head,  Bato  Kwannon;  etc.  The 
Sen-ju,  or  Thousand-handed  Kwannon,  has  in  reality  but  40 
hands,  which  hold  out  certain  Buddhist  emblems  —  the  lotus- 
flower,  the  wheel  of  the  law,  the  sun  and  moon,  a  skull,  a  pa- 
goda, and  an  axe,  the  latter  typifying  severance  from  all 
worldly  cares.  One  of  the  favorite  personifications  is  that  of 
the  Sho,  or  Wise  Kwannon.  Another  is  the  Nyo-i-rin  (al- 
mighty, or  omnipotent),  illustrating  a  jewel  able  to  fulfill  the 
desires  of  whosoever  possesses  it.  The  28  followers  of  Kwannon 
(Ni-ju-hachi  Bushu) — favorite  subjects  of  sculptors  and 
painters  —  personify  the  28  constellations  known  to  Far- 
Eastern  astronomers.  The  two  figures  often  seen  at  either  side 
of  Kwannon  are  Fudo,  and  Aizen  Myo-b  (the  Buddhist  God 
of  Love,  portrayed  with  3  eyes  and  6  arms) .  Kwannon  is  usu-/ 
ally  seated  on  an  upturned  lotus-flower  and  backed  by  a  glory-S 
disk.  Some  of  her  images  have  the  beautiful  faces  of  Madonnas,  ( 
and  the  incomparable  Murillo,  painting  in  his  best  manner,  ( 
rarely  produced  more  attractive  ones  than  do  some  of  the  Jap-  1 
anese  sculptors  and  artists.  Some  of  the  finest  are  carved 
in  a  seated  attitude,  with  the  right  leg  thrown  across  the  left, 


ccvi 


BUDDHIST  DIVINITIES 


the  cheek  pillowed  upon  the  right  hand,  and  slumbering,  — 
'the  placid  and  pathetic  symbol  of  the  perpetual  rest/ 

f  In  Kyoto  and  the  neighboring  provinces  are  the  San-ju-san 
sho,  or ,  T^y-threeiiXe>mDlgs  Sacred  to  Kwannon;  popular 
resorts  with  credulous  pilgrims,  who  believe  that  whosoever 

V^makes  the  complete  round  of  them  will  be  preserved  from  hell. 
Legend  ascribes  the  locating  of  them  to  Tokudd  Shonin,  a 
celebrated  Buddhist  abbot  of  the  8th  cent.  Authorities  differ 
as  to  their  exact  chronological  order,  but  they  are  supposed 
to  be  as  follows :  — 

1.  Nyoirin-ji,  at  Nachi  (Kii  Prov- 

ince) . 

2.  Kongoho-ji,  at  Kimiidera  (Kii). 

3.  Kokawa-dera,  at  Kokawa  (Kii). 

4.  Sefuku-ji,  at  Maki-no-o  (Izumi). 

5.  Fuji-dera,  at  Nakano'(Kawachi). 

6.  Minami-Hokke-ji,  at  Tsubosaka 

(Yamato) . 

7.  Ryukai-ji,  at  Okadera  (Yamato) . 

8.  Hase-dera,  at  Hase  (Yamato) . 

9.  Nan-en-do,  at  Nara  (Yamato). 

10.  Mimurodo-dera,  at  Uji  (Yama- 

shiro) . 

11.  Kami  no  Daigo-dera,   at  Uji 

(Yamashiro) . 

12.  Shoho-ji,  at  Iwama  (Omi). 

13.  Ishiyama-dera,     at  Ishiyama 

(Omi). 

14.  Mii-dera,  at  Otsu  (Omi). 

15.  Shin-Kumano-dera,  at  Kyoto. 
V 16.  Kyomizu-dera,  at  Kyoto. 

17.  liokuhara-Mitsu-ji,  at  Kyoto. 

Fudo,  a  Buddhist  divinity  supposed  by  some  to  be  Akshara, 
the  'God  of  Wisdom,  and  by  others  the  God  of  Fire,  is  credited 
with"  the  power  to" foil  the  snares  of  the  devils.  He  is  por- 
trayed usually  with  a  scowling  expression  —  the  very  embodi- 
ment of  his  Satanic  Majesty  —  seated  upon  a  lotus  surrounded 
by  bickering  fire;  with  this  he  fights  the  devils,  whom  he  smites 
with  the  sword  (goma  no  ken)  in  his  right  hand  and  binds  with 
the  coil  of  rope  (baku  no  nawa)  in  his  left.  The  former  is  also 
taken  to  represent  Intellect,  and  the  entire  figure  as  Buddha, 
the  Immutable  and  Unmoved.  The  rope  is  also  said  to  be  that 
with  which  Buddha  bound  the  passions  and  desires.  Fudo  is 
often  represented  accompanied  by  his  two  chief  adherents, 
Seitaka-Doji  and  Kongara-Doji.  Conspicuous  among  the 
temples  in  Japan  dedicated  to  Fudo  is  that  at  Narita. 

Dainichi-Nyorai  (  Vairotschana),  one  of  the  Buddhist 
trinity  personifying  wisdom  and  purity  (called  also  Roshana- 
butsu,  and  Birushana),  is  supposed  by  many  to  be  identical 
with  Fudo.  His  image  is  much  like  that  of  the  latter,  except 
that  his  hands  are  usually  pressed  against  his  breast,  one  above 
the  other,  so  that  the  right  hand  clasps  the  index  finger  of 
the  left.  This  is  the  allegorical  representation  of  determina- 
tion, and  of  the  carrying  out  of  the  law. 


18.  Rokkaku-do,  at  Kyoto. 

19.  Gyokwan-ji,  at  Kyoto. 

20.  Yoshimine-dera,  at  Kyoto. 

21.  Bodai-ji,  at  Ano  (Tamba). 

22.  Sozen-ji,  in  Settsu. 

23.  Kachio-dera,  at  Toyokawa 

(Settsu) . 

24.  Nakayama-dera,  at  Kobe 

(Settsu). 

25.  Shin-Kyomizu,    at  Kamogawa 

(Harima). 

26.  Hokke-ji  (Harima). 

27.  Nyoirin-do,  at  Shosha-zan 

(Harima). 

28.  Seiso-ji,  on  Nariai-yama  (Tango) . 

29.  Matsu-no-o-dera  (Wakasa). 

30.  Chikubu-ji,  on_Chikubu-shima, 

Lake  Biwa  (Omi). 

31.  Ch5mei-ji,  on  Oku-shima  (Omi). 

32.  Kwannon-ji,  at  Ashi-ura  (Omi). 

33.  Kegon-ji,  at  Tanigumi  (Mino). 


BUDDHIST  DIVINITIES 


ccvii 


The  Nio,  or  two  Deva  Kings  (Indra  and  Brama),  often 
referrecTto  as  Niwd-sama,  and  as  the  'venerable  kings/  the 
grim,  martial  figures  9-12  ft.  high  which  stand  customarily 
in  loggias  or  cages  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  outer  gate  (Nid- 
mon,  or  two-kings  gate)  of  Buddhist  temples,  are  supposed  to 
guard  them  against  demons.  They  are  among  the  most  con- 
spicuous idols  in  Japan  and  often  are  magnificent  examples  of 
glyptic  art.  They  are  portrayed  as  semi-nude,  aggressive, 
athletic  figures,  one  usually  painted  vermilion  from  head  to 
foot,  the  other  green.  One  holds  a  club  in  one  hand,  and  some- 
times a  mace  (tokko),  —  originally  a  weapon,  but  later  held  by 
Buddhist  priests  when  praying.  -  One  figure  is  shown  usually 
with  the  mouth  open,  as  in  the  act  of  uttering  ah!  the  other 
with  it  closed  or  half-closed,  as  if  ejaculating  um,  or  un!  Cred- 
ulous folks  pelt  them  with^pil-ball  prayers  in  the  belief  that 
if  they  adhere  to  the  figure  the  petition  will  be  answered  (if 
they  do  not  stick,  the  petition  is  against  the  will  of  Buddha). 
Dogs  of  Fo,  or  foxeg,  often  occupy  corresponding  niches  on  the 
inner  side  of  the  gateways  guarded  by  the  kings.  If  several 
gates  succeed  one  another,  the  2d  is  usually  called  Niten-mon, 
the  Niten  ( Komoku  and  Jikoku)  who  guard  it  (two  of  the  gods 
of  the  4  directions)  being  much  like  the  Nio  but  smaller,  and 
sometimes  clad  in  gilded  armor.  —  On  the  other  side  of  this 
gate,  in  their  respective  cages,  are :  — 

The  Thunder  God'  (Raijin  or  Kaminari-sama) ,  painted 
red,  and  standing  at  the  right;  and  (at  the  left)  Fujin,  or 
Kaze-no-Kami,  frhe  God  of  WjpA  painted  green  or  blue. 
The  thunderer  holds  in  each  hand  gilt  drumsticks,  like  dumb- 
bells, and  on  his  back  a  great  hoop,  attached  to  which  are  9 
flat  drums  (taiko)  at  equal  distances  apart.  Above  both  shoul- 
ders lie  gilt  serpentine  lightning-rays,  which  strike  upon  the 
drums.  The  wind-god  has  across  his  shoulders  a  sack  full  of 
wind,  which  he  grasps  with  the  right  arm  by  the  longer  and 
lower  end,  while  his  left  hand  holds  the  cord  that  ties  the  other 
and  shorter  end.  When  he  loosens  his  hold  on  one  of  the  closed 
ends,  the  breezes  blow;  when  he  partly  opens  it,  a  gale  arises; 
when  he  removes  his  hand,  the  tornado  devastates  the  earth. 
At  times  this  imp  (represented  as  a  monstrous  feline  creature), 
as  the  fancy  seizes  him,  sallies  forth  from  his  lair  in  the  mts., 
and  chases  terrified  travelers;  often  scratching  their  faces 
dreadfully  with  his  claws! 

The  Shi-Tenno  (Shi-dai-tenno),  or  Gods  of  the  Four  Direc- 
tions, who  protect  the  earth  from  the  attacks  of  demons,  usually 
guard  the  inner  (or  third)  gate  to  temples  —  called  the  Yasha- 
mon  (Sanskrit:  Yaksha),  or  Gate  of  the  Valorous  Devils.  They 
are  often  magnificent  types  of  strength;  bucklers  of  virtue  and 
conquerors  of  evil.  In  splendid  armor,  brandishing  sword  or 
lance  in  attitudes  of  calm  and  august  power,  they  trample 
underfoot  all  the  malignant  gnomes  that  vex  the  people. 


ccviii  BUDDHIST  DIVINITIES 


Painting  and  lacquer  usually  give  richness  and  color  to  these 
fine  figures,  which  sometimes  are  taken  inside  the  temple  to 
guard  the  altar  or  some  particularly  cherished  shrine.  On  the 
inner  side  of  the  gate  mentioned  are  often  found  a  blue  archer 
with  a  bow  and  arrow,  and  a  white  axe-bearer.  Tamon,  one 
of  the  4  gods  (who  is  also  one  of  the  Gods  of  Good  Luck), 
watches  over  the  N.;  Jikoku,  over  the  E.;  Zocho,  over  the  S.; 
and  Komoku,  over  the  W.  —  Some  of  the  loggias  are  not  un- 
frequently  occupied  by  quaint  seated  figures  clad  in  antique 
costume  and  holding  bows  and  arrows;  they  are  supposed  to 
be  guardians  (zuijin)  and  are  referred  to  as  Sadaijin  and, 
UJaijin  (Ministers  of  the  Left  and  Right). 

The}  Seven  Gods  of  Good  Luck  (Shichi  Fukujiri),  so  con- 
spicuous in  the  various  phases  of  Japanese  art,  can  endow  one 
with  fame,  love,  talents,  riches,  sustenance,  contentment,  and 
longevity.  Two  of  them,  the  whimsical  Daikoku  (son  of 
Susano-d),  the  God  of  Wealth;  and  Ebisu,  the  God  of  Susten- 
ance, and  protector  of  the  fisKerman,  are  to  be  found  in  almost 
every  house.  The  former  occupies  an  honored  place  on  cer- 
tain of  the  paper  money  (p.  xx),  and  he  is  usually  represented 
sitting  or  standing  on  bags  of  rice,  which  rats  come  to  gnaw  at 
under  his  indulgent  eyes.  Ebisu  (who  was  the  3d  son  of  Izan- 
agi  and  Izanami)  is  represented  with  a  fishing-line  and  a  fat 
tai  in  his  hand  or  under  his  arm.  He  is  sometimes  called 
Hiruko,  and  is  known  as  the  guardian  God  of  Trade  and  In- 
dustry. Fukurokuju,  another  of  the  seven  gods,  has  a  comi- 
cally elongated  bald  head,  and  is  shown  with  a  crane  at  his 
side  (from  which  circumstance  he  is  thought  to  be  the  God  of 
Longevity).  Benten,  the  only  goddess  (of  Indian  origin)  in 
the  group,  carries  a  biwa,  or  harp,  in  her  hand,  and  is  often  rep- 
resented as  mounted  on  a  dragon  or  a  serpent.  Many  temples 
in  the  Empire  are  dedicated  to  her.  Jurdjin,  a  little  old  man 
with  a  stag  and  a  crane,  is  also  regarded  as  the  God  of  JjQUg* 
Jjjfe,  Hotel  (or  Hoteiosho)  a  Chinese  bonze  of  the  10th  cent., 
personifies  joviality  and  kindness,  and  is  usually  shown  with 
a  monstrous  exposed  abdomen  and  swollen  earlaps  (often 
portrayed  also  with  a  large  bag  on  his  shoulder,  surrounded  by 
16  playful  boys).  He  is  the  jolly  friend  of  children.  —  Bisha- 
monten  (also  one  of  the  3  Gods  of  War)  is  represented  holding 
a  spear  in  one  hand  and  a  small  pagoda  in  the  other.  He  like- 
wise figures  as  Tamon  in  one  of  the  Shi-dai-tenno. 

Binzuru;  one  of  the  most  whimsical  yet  most  popular  (with 
the  unlettered  class)  of  the  temple  idols,  is  said  to  have  been 
one  of  the  Sixteen  Rakan  (see  below),  but  was  excluded  from 
among  them  for  having  remarked  on  the  beauty  of  a  woman. 
Thereafter  his  image  was  always  shown  outside  the  sanctum, 
but  as  Buddha  conferred  upon  him  the  power  to  cure  all  hu- 
man ills,  he  is  more  sought  after  than  many  of  the  more  virtu- 
ous saints !  He  is  pictured  as  a  little  old  man  wearing  a  baker's 


TEMPLE  ACCOMPANIMENTS 


ccix 


cap  and  sitting  tailor  fashion  on  a  Chinese  chair.  His  head  is 
white,  his  eyebrows  long,  and  his  devotees  sometimes  adorn 
him  with  a  cotton  hood,  a  bib,  and  mittens  —  thus  making 
him  bear  a  striking  resemblance  to  a  querulous  old  granny. 
/The  credulous  rub  that  part  of  his  anatomy  where  the  pain  or 
1  infirmity  in  their  own  is  located,  with  the  result  that  his  image 
loften  has  parts  of  it  worn  away  or  polished  like  a  mirror. 
Kishi-Bojin,  a  Buddhist  goddess,  was,  according  to  the 
legend,  an  Indian  woman  who  had  sworn  to  devour  all  the  chil- 
dren of  the  city  of  Bdjagriha:  as  a  punishment  she  was  reborn 
in  the  form  of  a  demon,  and  gave  birth  to  500  children,  one  of 
whom  she  had  to  eat  each  day.  Buddha  cured  her  of  the  mania 
by  making  her  eat  pomegranates,  wherefore  she  is  represented 
as  a  lovely  woman  with  a  child  in  her  arms  and  a  pomegranate  f 
in  her  hand.  She  is  now  worshiped  as  the  patroness  of  chil-  I 
dren,  and  stricken  mothers  who  have  lost  their  little  ones  place  } 
their  pathetic  little  clothes  at  her  feet.  A  pomegranate  crest  \ 
is  used  as  a  symbol  on  the  lanterns  and  the  decorative  curtain  / 
(maku)  which  hangs  before  her  shrine. 

(The  Sixteen  (ju-roku)  Rakan  (rahats),  or  disciples  of  Bud- 
dha7Uong  with  the  Five  Hundred  Rakan,  are  holy  men  whom 
the  Japanese  delight  to  portray  in  sculptured  wood.  Though 
supposed  to  be  perfected  saints,  their  countenances  are  not 
always  saintly.  They  are  represented  usually  as  emaciated  old 
men  in  various  uninteresting  attitudes. 

Other  favorite  themes  with  painters  are  the  many  bosatsu 
(Sanskrit  Bodhisattva)  or  Buddhist  saints  who  have  to  pass 
but  one  time  more  through  a  human  incarnation  before  attain- 
ing to  Buddhahood  (hotoke).  Numerous  other  idols  and  fet- 
ishes are  mentioned  in  their  proper  places  in  the  Guidebook. 

Temple  Accompaniments.  The  Priests'  Apartments  (hojo; 
a  word  also  meaning  'head  priest')  are  always  near  the  main 
temple,  and  they  not  unfrequently  contain  art-treasures  which 
the  traveler  should  see.  Many  priests  devote  great  care  to  the 
I  cultivation  of  landscape  gardens. 

The  Revolving  Library  (rinzo)  is  a  feature  of  some  tem- 
ples. The  octagonal  inner  structure  is  supposed  to  contain 
a  complete  set  (6771  volumes)  of  the  Buddhist  scriptures 
(bukkyo),  and  is  so  poised*  on  a  pivot  that  it  can  usually  be 
twirled  by  a  strong  hand.  The  figures  that  sit  near  it  are 
Fu-Daishi,  a  deified  Chinese  priest  of  the  6th  cent.,  and  his 
sons  Fuken  and  Fujo.  To  Fu-Daishi  (often  called  Warai- 
botoke,  or  the  'laughing  Buddha')  is  ascribed  the  popular 
belief  that  whoever  will  revolve  the  lectern  three  times  on  its 
pivot  will  obtain  the  merit  accruing  to  him  who  reads  the  entire 
scriptures  through. 

The  Kagura-den,  an  open  dancing-stage  adjacent  to  the 
temple,  dates  from  a  time  when  certain  dances  were  supposed 
to  please  the  gods. 


ccx  TEMPLE  ACCOMPANIMENTS 


The  Ex-voto  Hall  (ema-do)  is  usually  cluttered  with 
offerings  of  little  merit. 

The  Founder's  Hall  {soshi-do)  is  a  feature  of  certain 
temples ;  that  attached  to  the  Nichiren  temple  at  Ikegami  is 
typical. . 

The  Bell-tower   (shoro;  kanetsuki-do)   containing  the 
largest  bell  (tsurigane)  in  the  Empire  is  at  Osaka. 
f  The  Bronze  and  Stone  Lanterns  (ishidoro),  which  stand 
within  the  inclosures  of  many  temples  and  mausolea,  usually 
represent  the  offerings  of  daimyds  to  their  rulers.  They  are 
curiously  suggestive  of  the  Lanterns  of  the  Dead,  placed  in 
|  cemeteries  in  Central  and  Western  France,  as  each  have  aper- 
tures at  the  top  where  a  light  can  be  displayed.  The  votive 
I  pebbles  placed  on  or  near  the  lantern  represent  prayers  of 
I  the  credulous. 

f  The  Font  or  Laver  (chozu-bachi) ,  containing  water  which 
|  worshipers  at  a  temple  pour  over  their  hands  before  entering 
\  the  sacrosanct  precinct,  are  sometimes  beautiful  and  massive. 
\  The  barrel-shaped  ones  are  for  catching  rain-water,  and  form 
part  of  the  fire-equipment.  Despite  the  fact  that  the  custom- 
ary fee  for  a  small  dipper-full  of  water  is  but  §  sen,  the  privi- 
lege of  selling  the  water  at  a  popular  metropolitan  temple 
usually  enriches  the  person  fortunate  enough  to  secure  it. 

The  Bronze  Gong  (suzu),  which  the  prayerful  strike  (by 
means  of  a  hanging  rope)  to  (perhaps)  make  their  presence 
known  to  the  gods,  hangs  at  the  entrance  to  temples,  usually 
near  a  contribution-box  as  big  as  a  state  exchequer. 
^  The  Offertory-chests  (saisen-bako)  are  more  conspicuous 
than  soliciting  beadles.  The  saisen,  which  form  the  small 
offerings  of  the  natives,  are  usually  of  a  value  of  J  sen  each. 
While  foreigners  are  rarely  asked  to  contribute,  those  of  the 
natives  who  forget  to  do  so  often  have  their  memories  jogged 
by  some  watchful  official.  Some  wrap  the  coins  in  soft  white 
paper  and  cast  them  on  the  temple  floor.  The  receipts  of  a  big 
temple  are  said  sometimes  to  amount  to  ¥150  a  day.  A  small 
fee  is  sometimes  expected  from  travelers  who  desire  to  make 
a  close  inspection  of  the  temple  relics  or  fitments.  The  fact 
that  this  is  not  solicited  is  sufficient  Jto  suggest  to  the  generous- 
minded  that  a  small  offering  handed  to  the  bonze  or  slipped 
into  one  oLthe  alms-boxes  is  in  line  with  duty  and  good- 
fellowship,  (in  few  countries  are  the  bonzes  or  priests  more 
courteous  and  less  greedy  than  in  Japan} 

Of  particular  interest  to  ecclesiologists  is  the  stone  Stupa  or 
tope  (sotoba)  found  in  temple  grounds,  since  it  is  one  of  the 
oldest  and  most  characteristic  styles  of  Indian  ecclesiastical 
architecture,  the  earliest  specimens  of  which  are  supposed  to 
date  from  about  250  b.c.  and  which  prevail  wherever  Buddhism 
has  been  established.  The  Japanese  sotoba  represents  the 


TEMPLE  RELIQUARIES 


ccxi 


simplest  form  of  the  original  structures,  usually  erected  in 
honor  of  some  sacred  event  or  place,  or  employed  to  contain 
relics  of  Buddha  or  of  some  of  his  sainted  disciples.  The  base 
is  a  cube  on  which  rests  a  sphere  topped  by  a  pyramid,  a 
crescent,  and  a  ball,  the  whole  symbolizing  earth,  water,  fire, 
air,  and  ether.  One  glance  at  a  sotoba  is  said  to  obtain  forgive- 
ness for  all  sins.  A  still  simpler  form,  one  in  common  use,  is  a 
thin,  notched  stick  often  inscribed  with  Sanscrit  characters 
and  surmounted  by  the  cube,  sphere,  etc.  A  much  more  elab- 
orate form,  called  Kotsu-dd  (because  it  is  supposed  to  contain 
the  bones  of  a  saint)  is  described  in  Rte.  9.  '  The  Japanese 
development  of  the  archaic  form  is  noteworthy.  A  description 
of  the  numerous  forms  of  monumental  tablets  and  allied 
memoria  connected  with  the  native  temples  would  not  be  of 
much  interest  to  the  average  traveler.  The  Japanese  have 
added  a  great  mass  of  newfangled  devices  to  the  old  Buddhist 
forms,  and  a  book  would  be  needed  to  describe  them  all. 

Many  Temple  Yards  contain  war  relics  in  the  form  of 
broken  machine-guns,  fragments  of  war- vessels,  etc.,  and 
almost  every  inclosure  has  one  or  more  stone  or  bronze  slabs 
or  monuments  to  the  memory  of  the  soldiers  who  died  in  the 
Chinese  and  Russian  Wars. 

The  Temple  Reliquaries  contain  alleged  treasures  in 
kakemono  and  makemono  form  (hanging  scrolls  and  rolls), 
painted  or  written  by  some  holy  person  or  celebrity  of  the  past; 
individual  belongings  of  the  founders  of  the  different  Buddhist 
sects;  relics  of  Buddha  (usually  spurious) ;  weapons  of  historical 
figures  now  worshiped  as  divinities;  and  many  articles  once 
owned  by  mikados,  shoguns,  or  samurai.  Not  a  few  of  the 
paintings  one  sees  for  originals  are  of  doubtful  paternity. 
As  a  rule  the  priests  are  willing  to  show  and  explain  the  temple 
belongings  to  interested  foreigners.  In  some  instances  the 
objects  are  enshrined  in  a  sacrarium  or  holy  of  holies  (oku- 
no-in)y  either  in  the  innermost  part  of  the  temple,  immedi- 
ately behind  it,  or  at  the  end  of  a  shaded  avenue.  When 
detached,  the  oku-no-in  is  outwardly  austere;  where  Shinto 
influence  predominates  it  is  called  oku-sha.  Those  relics  sus- 
ceptible to  injury  by  dampness  or  exposure  are  usually  kept 
in  a  sealed  godown  during  the  rainy  season  and  are  not  with- 
drawn for  exhibition.  The  most  revered  object  (usually  the 
figure  of  some  deified  person)  in  a  sacrarium  is  often  hidden 
from  the  public  gaze  by  a  curtain  (mitocho;  kinran  no  tocho) 
which  is  drawn  only  on  special  occasions;  the  ceremony  of 
exposing  the  relic  is  called  kaicho.  The  traveler  can  usually 
get  a  glimpse  of  the  sacred  object  by  the  adroit  application  of 
a  small  fee  to  the  person  in  charge  of  it.  Where  it  is  regarded 
as  a  national  treasure,  the  gov't  maintains  a  zealous  super- 
vision over  it.  One  can  never  be  sure  that  one  is  seeing  the 
original,  as  duplicates  often  take  their  places,  and  Buddhism 


ccxii 


TEMPLE  TERMS 


seems  not  to  proscribe  deception  on  the  part  of  the  priests. 
The  most  famous  relics  are  reproduced  in  many  forms  of  art 
and  are  sold  at  or  near  the  temples.  Here  also  is  carried  on  a 
petty  commerce  in  charms  (mamori,  or  mamori-fuda)  and  holy 
inscriptions  (o  fuda)  on  paper  or  stones,  in  oblata  stamped 
with  Buddhist  symbols,  and  the  like.  The  wood  of  demolished 
Shinto  shrines  is  often  sold  to  the  faithful  in  the  form  of  chop- 
sticks or  as  talismans  against  evil.  The  large  single-panel 
ornamental  screen  which  often  sits  near  the  entrance  to  tem- 
ples or  priestly  apartments  is  called  tsuitate.  The  wisps  of 
paper  oftentimes  inscribed  with  prayers,  which  one  sees  tied 
to  the  grating,  etc.,  of  shrines  are  placed  there  by  the  credulous 
with  a  petition  or  a  passion  to  gratify.  The  pigeons  and  chick- 
ens which  foregather  at  temples  are  neither  sacred  nor  circum- 
spect ;  coops  of  the  latter  are  often  seen  in  the  temple  ambula- 
tory: it  were  better  that  the  former  remained  away,  but 
Buddhist  kindness  sanctions  their  untidiness  for  the  reason 
explained  at  p.  510. 

The  Hoshu-no-tama,  or  Wealth-producing  Ball  (ho,  pre- 
cious; shu,  produce;  no,  of;  tama,  ball),  which  surmounts  many 
temples  and  religious  structures  in  Japan,  is  supposed  to  be  an 
emblem  of  good  luck.  It  bears  some  resemblance  to  an  exag- 
gerated acorn,  and  is  often  half-encircled  by  a  bickering  flame. 
As  an  evil-averter  it  bears  practically  the  same  relation  to 
demons  that  a  lightning-rod  does  to  lightning. 

The  Swastika,  or  fylfot  ('  hammer  of  Thor'),  depicted  on 
the  breast  of  Buddhst  idols,  or  emblazoned  on  temple  fagades, 
symbolizes  happiness  for  1  Ten  Thousand  Years.' — The  Crests 
which  are  such  conspicuous  features  in  temple  adornment,  are 
referred  to  in  their  proper  places  throughout  the  Guidebook. 
The  oft-recurring  Tomoe  (Life  Principle  of  the  Chinese),  and 
the  triple  form,  or  mitsu-domoe  (3  comma-shaped  figures  with 
heads  converging  at  the  center  of  a  circle)  is  mentioned  under 
Korean  Flag. 

The  Sanko,  or  small  metallic  instrument  with  three  prongs 
on  each  end,  held  by  Buddhist  priests  during  prayers,  is  per- 
haps an  adaptation  of  the  trisula  or  three-pointed  trident 
emblem  of  Siva.  The  original  is  used  attributively  as  a  trisui 
cross,  and  is  believed  by  certain  high  authorities  to  represent 
Buddha  himself.  The  goko,  or  five-pronged  instrument,  is  often 
seen  in  temples,  alongside  others  called  kuko,  toko,  etc. 
jT   The  Temple  Music  is  afflictive  to  foreigners  and  has  been 
f  aptly  classified  as  '  dissonant  squeaks  and  discords.'  The 
^-antiphonal  chants  of  the  bonzes  are  accompanied  at  times  by 
Chinese  flutes,  monotonic  drums  (whose  deep  baying  is  some- 
times soul-stirring),  and  the  penetrating  sound  made  by  clap- 
ping together  the  hardwood  sticks  called  higoshige.  The  temple 
drums  (O-daiko)  are  sometimes  suspended  from  the  rafters, 
or  rest  on  low  frames  and  carry  adornments  of  hoshu-no-tama 


THE  LOTUS 


ccxiii 


and  other  mystical  symbols.  Certain  of  them  recall  the  mon- 
strances of  European  cathedrals.  When  thwacked  vigorously 
with  the  short,  padded  truncheon  which  usually  hangs  beside 
them,  their  splendid  reverberations  can  be  heard  afar.  Pleas- 
ing adjuncts  are  the  bronze  gongs,  with  singularly  harmonious 
tones  that  echo  plaintively  long  after  they  are  struck. 

The  Japanese  word  for  a  Buddhist  temple  is  tera^  and  the 
vulgar  often  call  the  head  priest  thereof  by  the  respectful  title 
of  O-tera  sama  (honorable  high  temple  official).  .A  polite  collo- 
quial name  for  Buddha  is  Hotoke  sama  (honorable  deity ) .  Ji, 
the  Chinese  term  for  temple,  is  often  used  as  an  affix,  as: 
Hon-ji  (principal  temple)  .  San  (or  zan)  is  affixed  to  the  name 
of  many  temples  to  indicate  that  they  stand  on  a  mt.;  as, 
Kdya-san.  In  is  a  similar  terminal,  and  is  used  as  an  affix  to 
the  Buddhist,  or  posthumous,  name  of  persons  of  the  higher 
class  —  to  many  of  whom  temples  are  dedicated.  The  com- 
mon people  frequently  call  temples  by  the  name  of  the  deity 
worshiped  in  them,  as:  Fudd  sama;  Hachiman  (Ojin-tenno, 
the  war-god,  and  to  whom  many  fine  temples  are  consecrated), 
etc.  A  Buddhist  temple  furnished  with  all  the  necessary  cham- 
bers or  buildings,  such  as  the  main  gate  (sammon),  the  main 
temple  (butsu-dd,  or  hon-dd,  i.e.,  place  where  the  idols  are  set 
up),  the  pulpit  (hodo),  bath-house  (yoku-shitsu) ,  refectory 
(shoku-dd),  etc.,  is  called  Schichidd-garan.  The  three  requisite 
utensils  before  a  Buddhist  idol  —  a  flower-vase,  a  candlestick, 
and  an  incense-pot  —  are  called  mitsugusoku.  The  pictures  of 
the  Buddhist  heaven  so  often  seen  in  temples  are  called  (San- 
skrit) mandaras.  Where  temples  are  erected  in  high  places 
there  are  usually  two  approaches;  one,  onna-zaka  (woman's 
way),  being  of  easy  ascent;  the  other  and  more  difficult  one, 
otoko-zaka,  or  men's  road.  —  Those  temples  inclosed  by  a  wall 
bearing  five  horizontal  white  stripes  (comp.  Nijo  Castle,  Kyoto) 
were  at  one  time  under  Imperial  patronage.  —  It  is  considered 
felicitous  by  Buddhist  priests  to  harbor  snakes  around  their 
temples,  and  it  is  said  that  they  often  handle  and  teach  them 
simple  tricks. 

The  Lotus.  Intimately  associated  with  Buddhism  in  Japan  is  the  lotus- 
flower  (Nelumbium  speciosum;  Japanese  Hasu,  or  Renge),  whose  original 
home  was  in  the  monsoon  district  of  India  and  whose  cultivation  and  esti- 
mation are  very  ancient.  It  was  formerly,  together  with  the  fishes  and 
turtles  in  sacred  tanks,  dedicated  to  Siva,  who,  according  to  an  old  Indian 
legend,  sat  upon  its  leaves  looking  when  the  great  flood  swallowed  up  every- 
thing. Buddhists  took  it  later  as  the  symbol  of  their  teachings.  As  it  lifts 
up  its  buds  out  of  the  slimy  ground  to  a  greater  or  less  height  above  the 
water,  unfolding  its  beautiful  leaves  and  flowers,  on  whose  spotless  petals 
no  traces  are  to  be  found  of  the  mire  from  which  it  has  sprung,  so  the  souls 
of  men,  according  to  Buddhist  faith,  rise  from  the  slime  of  sin,  by  their  own 
power  and  effort,  to  different  heights,  and  reach  the  blessedness  of  nirvana. 
Buddha  is  represented  sitting  on  an  open  lotus-flower,  the  emblem  of 
purity,  and  his  temples  and  altars  are  adorned  with  vases  and  imitations  of 
blossoming  lotus-plants  in  bronze,  wood,  or  clay.  As  the  lotus  is  never  found 
growing  wild  either  in  China  or  Japan,  it  is  supposed  that  the  plant  was 
introduced  into  the  two  countries  along  with  Buddhism.  In  E.  Asia  the 


ccxiv 


SHINTOISM 


most  widely  cultivated  species  has  pink  blossoms,  but  in  Japan  and  China 
there  is  another  variety,  whose  flowers  of  purest  white  are  no  less  beautiful. 
It  is  often  planted  in  ponds,  partly  for  the  sake  of  its  magnificent  blossoms, 
partly  to  obtain  its  edible  rhizome  (renkon) ,  on  account  of  its  oily  nuts.  Its 
cylindrical  white  rhizome  attain  a  considerable  length ;  and  a  thickness  of 
from  3  to  5  in.  They  lie  far  down  in  the  mud,  and  are  divided  by  con- 
stricting fibers  into  long  fingers,  which  when  cut  across  disclose  a  very 
porous  substance  permeated  by  numerous  concentric  canals.  They  contain 
a  tolerable  amount  of  starch,  and  are  boiled  and  eaten  in  considerable  quan- 
tities. To  Europeans  their  insipid,  mealy  taste  is  not  agreeable,  but  the 
Chinese  and  Japanese  are  fond  of  them,  and  because  easily  digested  con- 
sider them  nutritious.  The  seeds  are  called  hasu-no-mi,  the  leaf,  hasu-no-ha, 
^and  the  swamp  or  pond  in  which  the  plant  grows,  hasu-no-ike.  The  flowers 
come  in  midsummer  when  the  iris  season  is  over  and  the  heat  has  reached 
its  height.  Then  hundreds  of  acres  of  ponds  throughout  the  country,  and 
the  old  moats  in  Tokyo  and  elsewhere,  are  covered  with  the  lovely  blooms. 
While  nearly  all  the  other  Nymphceaceoe  spread  out  their  dull  green  leaves 
"flat  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  the  lotus  lifts  hers,  as  she  does  her  flowers, 
on  long  stems  high  above  it.  A  beautiful  green  color,  fine  veining,  and  shell- 
like arching  and  cavity  distinguish  the  leaves  also,  and  they  are  scarcely 
less  beautiful  when  the  dewdrops  lie  upon  them  in  the  morning,  like  thou- 
sands of  pearls,  than  when  these  are  chased  away  by  the  beams  of  the  rising 
sun.  Unfortunately  the  plant  is  an  ornament,  standing  in  the  water  only 
during  the  summer  and  autumn  months,  and  not  through  the  long  winter, 
when  the  dead  withered  leaves  offend  the  sight. 

Conspicuous  among  other  flowers  consecrated  to  Buddha  or  connected 
with  his  worship  is  the  Illicium  religiosum  (Shikimi),  a  species  of  native  ever- 
green shrub  (called  anise  or  star-anise,  from  its  fine  aromatic  scent)  of  the 
natural  order  Magnoliacsee  {Illicium  Floridanum,  and  J.  parviflorum  in  the 
U.S.A.),  cultivated  in  gardens  and  temple  yards.  In  April  it  displays  num- 
erous fragrant  yellowish- white  blossoms;  the  temple  vases  are  adorned  with 
its  branches,  much  as  those  of  the  Shinto  shrines  are  with  Sakaki.  The 
perfumed  bark  is  burned  as  incense  before  the  deities,  and  because  of  its 
property  of  consuming  slowly  and  uniformly,  it  is  often  powdered  and 
burned  in  a  tube  to  mark  time.  Chop-sticks  are  made  of  the  wood,  while  the 
poisonous  fruit  is  thrown  away. 

XI.  Shintoism.  Shinto  Shrines.  Shinto  Worship. 

Shinto,  or  Shintoism,  the„  (so-called)  national  religion  of 
Japan,  with  approximately  196,000  temples,  or  shrines, 
divided  into  10  sects  or  branches  counting  20  million  or  more 
adherents  served  by  16,000  shrine  attendants,  dates  from  the 
dawn  of  Japanese  history  and  is  intimately  associated  with  the 
mythology  of  the  race.  Shinto,1  literally,  'the  way  of  the  gods, 
or  spirits,'  is  derived  from  the  Chinese  shin  tao  (shin,  god,  or 
gods,  or  spirit;  and  tao,  way,  path,  doctrine).  When  Chinese 
literature  was  imported  into  Japan  the  people  adopted  many 
Chinese  ideas,  laws,  customs,  and  practices.  These  they  so 
mixed  with  their  own  that  it  became  necessary  to  adopt  a 
special  name  for  the  ancient  native  customs,  which  were  in 
consequence  called  (in  a.d.  555,  says  Murdoch)  Kami  no  michi, 
or  Shinto,  the  word  michi  being  applied  in  the  same  sense  as 
tao;  and  kami  because  of  their  divine  origin.  It  successfully 

1  In  the  Shinto  mythology  the  first  pair  of  creative  beings  were  Izanagi 
and  Izanami.  From  them  the  gods  of  the  Shinto  pantheon  are  descended. 
Amaterasu,  the  sun-goddess,  was  their  first  child.  Her  brother,  Susano-o, 
the  Impetuous  Male  Augustness,  is  one  of  the  most  prominent_of  the  Shinto 
gods,  and  is  the  legendary  father  of  the  first  ruler  of  Izumo,  Okuni-nushi. 


SHINTOISM 


ccxv 


differentiated  the  native  religion  from  the  imported,  the 
Butsudo,  or  'The  Way  of  Buddha.'  'In  the  course  of  cen- 
turies this  cult  (ancestor- worship,  the  foundation  of  all  civil- 
ized society)  has  "undergone  modifications,  and  has  assumed 
various  shapes;  but  everywhere  in  Japan  its  fundamental 
character  remains  unchanged.  The  three  forms  of  the  Shinto 
worship  of  ancestors  are  the  Domestic  Cult,  the  Communal 
Cult,  and  the  State  Cult;  —  or,  in  other  words,  the  worship 
of  family  ancestors;  of  clan  or  tribal  ancestors;  and  of  impe- 
rial ancestors.  The  1st  is  the  religion  of  the  homej  the  2d, 
of  the  local  divinity,  or  tutelar  god;  the  3d,  the  national  re- 
ligion. The  family  cult  is  the  first  in  evolutional  order,  —  the 
others  being  later  developments.7 

'  Properly  speaking,  Shinto  is  not  a  religion,  since  it  has  no  dogma,  no  ethi- 
cal code,  and  no  sacred  book.  The  absence  of  a  code  of  morals  is  accounted 
for  by  the  innate  perfection  of  the  Japanese  people,  who,  having  descended 
from  the  kami  (gods) ,  have  no  evil  inclinations,  such  as  Occidentals  .have,  to 
overcome,  and  whose  manners  and  customs  need  no  reform.  Since  there 
Js  no  doctrinal  system,  the  faith  does  not  concern  itself  about  a  future  state. 
The  precepts  of  the  different  sects,  which  differ  only  in  a  few  details  of  cere- 
mony, are:  'Follow  the  impulse  of  your  nature  and  obey  your  Emperor.' 
The  prayer  of  the  Shintoists  begins  with  the  old  Japanese  words:  4  Taka 
magaharani  kami-todomari,'  i.e.,  1  O  Kami,  thou  who  art  enthroned  in  the 
highest  space  of  heaven! '  The  history  of  Japan  is  really  the  history  of 
Shinto;  and  no  fact  in  this  connection  is  more  significant  than  that  the 
ancient  Japanese  term  for  government,  matsuri-goto,  signifies  literally, 
'Matters  of  Worship.'  'Shinto,'  says  Mr.  Hearn,  'seems  to  me  like  an 
occult  force,  —  vast,  extraordinary,  —  which  has  not  been  seriously  taken 
into  account  as  a  force.  I  think  it  is  the  hopeless,  irrefragable  obstacle  to  j 
the  Christianization  of  Japan.  It  is  not  all  a  belief ,  nor  all  a  religion ;  it  is 
a  thing  formless  as  a  magnetism  and  indefinable  as  an  ancestral  impulse.  i 
It  is  a  part  of  the  Soul  of  the  Race.  It  means  all  the  loyalty  of  the  nation  i 
to  its  sovereign,  the  devotion  of  retainers  to  princes,  the  respect  to  sacred 
things,  the  conservation  of  the  principles,  the  whole  of  what  an  English- 
man would  call  sense  of  duty  ;  but  that  this  sense  seems  to  be  hereditary 
and  inborn.  I  think  a  baby  is  Shinto  from  the  time  its  eyes  can  see.  Here, 
too,  the  symbolism  of  Shinto  is  among  the  very  first  things  the  child  sees. 
The  toys  are  to  a  great  extent  Shinto  toys;  and  the  excursions  of  a  young 
mother  with  a  baby  on  her  back  are  usually  to  Shinto  temples.  In  Izumo 
even  the  Nichirenites  are  Shintoists.  The  two  religions  are  so  perfectly 
blended  here  that  the  lines  of  demarcation  are  somewhat  impossible  to  find. 
I  think  we  Occidentals  have  yet  to  learn  the  worship  of  ancestors,  and  evo- 
lution is  going  to  teach  us.  When  we  become  conscious  that  we  owe  whata 
ever  is  wise  or  good  or  strong  or  beautiful  in  each  one  of  us,  not  to  one! 
particular  inner  individuality,  but  to  the  struggles  and  sufferings  and| 
experiences  of  the  whole1  unknown  chain  of  human  lives  behind  us, 
reaching  back  into  mystery  unthinkable,  —  the  worship  of  ancestors  | 
seems  an  extremely  righteous  thing.  What  is  it,  philosophically,  but  a\ 
tribute  of  gratitude  to  the  past,  —  dead  relatively  only,  —  alive  really  J 
within  us,  and  about  us?  '  / 

Shintoism  (says  an  authority)  aims  at  the  happiness  of  earthly  life,  and 
assumes  that  the  souls  of  the  departed  can  essentially  aid  in  securing  it. 
They  are  conceived,  therefore,  to  be  present,  and  are  summoned  by  those 
who  come  to  them,  by  clapping  of  hands,1  a  bell,  a  drum,  etc.  The  Shinto 

1  The  signification  of  the  clapping  of  the  palms  of  the  two  hands  together 
by  Shintoists  preparatory  to  worshiping  is  the  subject  of  controversy;  the 
supposition  that  it  is  intended  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  deity  is  fanciful. 
Cultured  Japanese  have  assured  us  that  it  is  for  the  purpose  of  clearing  the 
mind  of  all  extraneous  thoughts,  bad  or  otherwise,  and  that  it  arises  from  a 
national  custom  of  clapping  the  hands  when  all  discussion  relative  to  a 


ccxvi 


RYOBU-SHINTO 


gods  are  by  no  means  the  pure  and  exalted  forms  which  Buddhism  presents 
to  us,  —  no  saints  through  the  overcoming  of  sensuous  pleasures,  —  but 
affected  by  all  human  feelings  and  weaknesses,  and  taking  pleasure  in  every- 
thing that  adds  enjoyment  and  amusement  to  existence.  Accordingly  their 
worshipers  seek  to  delight  them  on  their  festivals,  not  only  with  meat  and 
drink,  but  also  by  theatrical  processions,  pantomimes,  and  so  on,  and  do  not 
think  it  objectionable  that  streets  leading  to  certain  of  their  shrines  contain 
houses  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  Aphrodite.  Of  the  servants  of  the  kami, 
purity  of  the  body  is  required  rather  than  purity  of  the  heart.  The  Shinto 
kannushi  do  not  shave  their  heads,  as  the  Buddhist  bonzes  do,  and  only- 
wear  a  special  dress  when  exercising  their  office.  They  neither  practice  celi- 
bacy nor  have  monasteries.  Shinto  worship  has  an  elaborate  ritual  and  num- 
erous rules  as  to  purifi  cation.  |From  the  earliest  period  the  cult  exacted  scru- 
pulous cleanliness  —  indeed,  we  might  say  it  regarded  physical  impurity  as 
identical  with  moral  impurity,  and  intolerable  to  the  gods.  It  has  always 
been  a  religion  of  ablutions.  The  Japanese  love  of  cleanliness  has  been 
maintained,  and  was  probably  initiated,  by  their  religion.  The  most  import- 
ant of  all  Shinto  ceremonies  is  the  ceremony  of  purification,  —  o-harai,  as 
-  it  is  called,  or  the  casting  out  of  evils. 

"~  According  to  the  Japanese  annalists  Shinto  as  a  national  and  religious 
ceremonial  remained  in  a  state  of  simplicity  for  1100  yrs.,  or  until  the  intro- 
duction^ Buddhism  in  a.d.  552.  Although  it  had  proved  itself  somewhat 
deficient  in  the  guiding  influences  of  a  creed,  its  hold  upon  the  primitive 
people  was  such  that  it  was  not  until  well  along  in  the  9th  cent,  that  Bud- 
dhism, with  its  more  profound  metaphysics,  its  moral  code,  and  its  gor- 
geously solemn  rites,  began  to  spread  through  the  land.  Eventually  (coinci- 
dent with  the  reorganization  of  Japanese  administration,  thought,  and 
action  upon  the  Chinese  plan,  and  under  Confucian  influence)  it  over- 
shadowed the  national  life  and  colored  all  the  native  thought.  About  800, 
the  astute  Kdbd-Daishi  compounded  out  of  Buddhism,  Confucianism,  and 
Shinto  a  system  which  he  called  Ryobu-Shinto  ('  two  religions,'  or  'depart- 
ments '),  and  with  it  made  a  shrewd  and  almost  successful  bid  for  the  com- 
plete absorption  of  Shinto  by  declaring  that  the  higher  Shinto  gods  were 
incarnations  of  various  Buddhas.  On  account  of  its  superior  adaptation  to 
man's  sense  of  his  own  shortcomings  and  longing  for  perfection,  the  new 
compound,  combining  as  it  did  the  finest  phases  of  the  two  creeds,  obtained 
Imperial  approval  and  support.  In  hundreds  of  places  the  two  religions 
were  domiciled  within  the  same  precinct  —  sometimes  even  within  the  same 
temple:  ostensibly  they  were  amalgamated. 

Buddhism,  or  Ryobu-Shinto,  or  Shin-  Butsu-  Konko,  may  thus  be  said  to 
have  become  the  religion  of  the  nation;  it  held  its  position  for  upward  of  a 
millennium,  or  until  the  period  of  the  Tokugawa  shoguns,  when  it  was  partly 
supplanted  in  the  intellects  of  the  educated  class  by  the  philosophy  of  Chu 
Hi  (the  great  commentator  of  Confucius,  who  lived  and  taught  in  the  12th 
cent.).  The  practice  of  pure  Shinto  was  kept  alive  for  a  century  or  two  at 
the  Mikado's  court,  and  at  a  few  Shinto  temples,  then  gradually  it  degener- 
ated into  a  mere  thing  of  forms,  the  meaning  of  which  was  forgotten,  while 
the  forms  themselves  were  perverted.  In  addition  to  the  Ryobu-Shinto, 
there  arose  other  schools:  the  Yui-itsu  Shinto,  invented  by  Yoshida 
Kanetomi  about  the  end  of  the  15th  cent.;  that  of  Deguchi  Nobuyoshi 
{Kannushi  of  the  Geku  temple  at  Ise)  about  1660;  and  the  Suiga  Shinto  of 
Yamazaki  Ansai  (17th  cent.).  The  1st  of  these  is  chiefly  founded  on  the 
Buddhism  of  the  Shingon-shu;  the  2d  explains  the  phenomena  of  the  divine 
ages  by  the  Book  of  Changes  (  Yih  King;  placed  by  many  Chinese  scholars 
at  the  head  of  the  Five  Classics,  or  Wu  King) ;  the  3d  is  a  combination  of 
Yoshida  Shinto,  and  of  Chu  Hi's  philosophy.  '  The  threatened  extinction 
of  Shinto  aroused  the  interest  of  certain  native  writers,  and  in  the  18th  cent, 
the  works  of  Kamo  Mabuchi  (1697-1769),  Motoori  Norinaga  (1730-1801), 
Hirata  Atsutane  (1776-1843),  and  others  brought  about  a  reaction  in  favor 
of  the  national  religion  against  Buddhism  and  Confucianism,  which  were  of 
foreign  origin.  Their  brief  was  that  "pure  Shinto  "  —  by  which  is  meant 
the  religious  belief  of  the  Japanese  previous  to  the  introduction  of  Buddhism 

controversy,  a  commercial  trade  or  the  like,  is  eliminated,  and  a  felicitous 
solution  or  bargain  is  decided  upon.  Hence  the  expression:  Te  wo  utsu:  to 
1  clap  the  hands,'  to  '  strike  a  bargain.' 


SHINTO  SHRINES 


ccxvii 


and  Confucian  philosophy  into  Japan  —  by  eliminating  extraneous  influ- 
ences would  shine  with  a  purer  luster  than  could  any  imported  creed.  The 
very  name  Shinto  is  repudiated  by  this  school,  on  the  ground  that  the  word 
was  never  applied  to  the  ancient  religious  belief  until,  the  introduction  of 
Buddhism  and  Confucianism  rendered  its  employment  necessary  for  the 
sake  of  distinction,  and  they  argue  that,  because  this  belief  is  called  by  a 
Chinese  name,  it  must  therefore  be  of  Chinese  origin,  and  is  consequently  of 
no  value  whatever.  Their  efforts  resulted  in  the  disestablishment  of 
Buddhism,  and  in  the  great  Shinto  revival  of  1871.' 

With  the  abolition  of  "tKe "sliogunate  in  1867,  the  downfall  of  the  Tokugawa 
regime,  and  the  restoration  of  the  supreme  military  and  ciVil  power  to  the 
Mikado,  the  administration  was  reorganized.  Soon  afterwards  the  Shinto 
cult,  officially  revived  in  its  primal  simplicity,  was  declared  the  Religion 
of  State;  and  Buddhism  was  disowned.  The  enthusiasts  were  not  satisfied 
with  the  disendowment  of  Buddhism :  there  was  a  vigorous  proposal  for  its 
total  suppression,  but  happily  the  tolerant  Japanese  went  to  no  extremes. 
The  two  religions  were  separated ;  the  bonzes  went  back  to  their  Buddhist 
temples  and  the  kannushi  to  their  austere  shrines  —  more  austere  than  ever 
after  the  gilt  and  glitter  of  the  material  aspect  of  the  contaminating  foreign 
creed  was  swept  from  them. 

'  The  Supreme  Cult  is  not  now  the  State  Religion;  by  the  request  of  the 
chiefs  of  Shinto,  it  is  not  even  officially  classed  as  a  religion.  Obvious  reasons 
of  state  policy  decided  this  course.  Having  fulfilled  its  grand  task,  Shinto 
abdicated.  But  as  representing  all  those  traditions  which  appeal  to  race- 
feeling,  to  the  sentiment  of  duty,  to  the  passion  of  loyalty,  and  the  love  of 
country,  it  yet  remains  an  immense  force,  a  power  to  which  appeal  will  not 
be  vainly  made  in  another  hour  of  national  peril.'  Based  on  the  country's 
oldest  annals  and  associated  with  its  most  revered  traditions,  it  holds  its 
place  with  the  masses  because  of  this  and  also  because  of  its  superstitions 
and  its  polytheism.  In  most  Japanese  houses  to-day  the  god-shelf  and  the 
Buddhist  shrine  can  both  be  found;  both  cults  being  maintained  under  the 
same  roof. 

There  are  in  reality  two  supreme  cults  in  Shinto:  that  of  the 
sun-goddess  (and  her  imperial  descendants)  worshiped  at  Jsfa 
and  the  more  ancient  Izumo  cult.  The  temple  of  Kitzuki  is  the 
center  of  this.  It  is  dedicated  to  an  offspring  of  the  sun- 
goddess,  who,  dispossessed  of  his  realm  in  favor  of  the  founder 
of  the  Imperial  dynasty,  became  the  ruler  of  the  Unseen  World 
(the  world  of  ghosts).  Unto  his  shadowy  dominion  the  spirits 
of  all  men  proceed  after  death;  and  he  rules  over  all  the 
Ujigami  —  and  is  therefore  the  Emperor  of  the  Dead.  Shinto- 
ism  has  personified  all  the  forces  and  all  the  phenomena  of 
nature,  and  has  sought  to  propitiate  them;  hence  their  gods 
(upward  of  14,000  in  all)  of  the  mts.,  the  sea,  the  wind,  of 
epidemics,  etc.  *  The  sovereigns  (Tenshi,  or  1  sons  of  heaven  ') 
trace  their  descent  to  the  supreme  gods  of  all  these,  and  the 
essence  of  their  administrative  title  was  that  they  interceded 
with  the  gods  for  the  people  they  governed.'  A  national  kami, 
a  sort  of  Jehovah,  is  said  to  be  worshiped  by  the  nation  in 
general. 

The  Shinto  Shrines  (miya;  jinja)  are  divided  into  4  official 
grades  (with  subdivisions)  —  state,  provincial,  prefectural, 
and  divisional  (or  district).  Between  the  first  and  the  last 
there  is  as  much  difference  in  the  standing  of  the  shrines  as  in 
the  grade  of  their  officials,  but  there  need  not  be  any  corre- 
sponding difference  in  the  relative  importance  of  the  deities 


ccxviii 


SHINTO  SHRINES 


worshiped.  State  shrines  are  dedicated,  in  most  cases,  to  the 
divine  ancestors,  but  at  some  the  objects  of  devotion  are 
sovereigns  or  subjects  that  attained  special  distinction.  The 
hierarchy  is  not  as  exalted  as  its  popularity  might  indicate,  as 
the  rank  held  by  the  greatest  of  the  officials  is  no  higher  than 
that  of  a  local  governor  or  a  vice-minister  of  state.  There  is 
neither  pope  nor  archbishop.  The  official  allowance,  when 
there  is  one,  varies  from  ¥33  to  ¥200  a  month  (the  latter  being 
the  salary  of  the  highest  of  the  officials).  It  is  said  that  the 
State  grants  about  ¥216,000  a  year  to  the  support  of  Shinto 
shrines  (which  is  sometimes  augmented  by  the  offerings  of  the 
pious,  the  sale  of  amulets,  etc.)  and  extends  no  aid  to  Bud- 
dhism. The  relatively  small  number  of  shinkwan,  of  kannushi 
(shrine  officials)  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  priests 
(as  they  are  usually  but  erroneously  called)  do  not  officiate 
regularly.  Generally  speaking,  but  one  or  two  services  are 
performed  annually  at  each  shrine.  These  stand  frequently 
uninhabited  and  unattended.  Now  and  then  a  worshiper 
comes,  grasps  the  thick  hempen  rope  that  hangs  in  front, 
sways  it  against  the  gong  across  which  it  is  suspended,  and 
having  thus  summoned  the  presiding  spirit,  mutters  a  brief 
prayer,  deposits  a  small  copper  coin  in  the  alms-chest,  and  goes 
his  way. 

|  _  In  its  purest  form  the  miya  is  a  small  temple  without  graven 
\  images;  the  objects  exposed  for  the  veneration  of  worshipers 
are  placed  in  the  chief  hall  (honden)  on  or  beside  a  plain  unlac- 
quered  table  representing  the  altar.  These  are  usually  a  round 
metal  mirror  (spoken  of  by  some  as  mi-tamajiro  or  '  august 
spirit-substitute/  and  as  kan-zane,  ' god's  seed'),  the  gohei 
(see  below),  and  a  precious  stone  (usually  a  rock  crystal)  sup- 
posed to  typify  the  purity,  depth,  and  power  of  the  gods. 
Generally  at  one  side  of  these  things,  somewhat  lower,  are  two 
vases  with  branches- of  the  sacred,  evergreen  Cleyera  japonica1 
(sakaki)  which  here  takes  the  place  of  the  Illicium  religiosum 
of  Buddhist  fanes,  and  from  whose  wood  the  staff  for  the  gohei 
(as  well  as  the  chop-sticks  for  the  meat-offerings)  were  origin- 
ally made.  The  slips  of  paper  (called  tamagushi)  attached  to 
the  sakaki  branches  are  offerings  to  the  kami.  The  mirror 
I  (shinkyo),  supposed  by  many  to  be  the  distinguishing  mark  of 
j  a  Shinto  shrine,  is  said  to  be  found  only  in  those  which  have 
\  been  under  the  influence  of  Buddhism. 


Each  mirror  is  contained  in  a  box  of  hinoki,  furnished  with  8  handles,  4  on 
the  box  itself  and  4  on  the  lid.  The  box  rests  on  a  low  stand  and  is  covered 
with  a  piece  of  cloth  said  to  be  white  silk.  The  mirror  itself  is  wrapped  in  a 
brocade  bag,  which  is  never  opened  or  renewed,  but  when  it  begins  to  fall  to 
pieces  from  age,  another  bag  is  put  on,  so  that  the  actual  covering  consists 

1  The  Cleyera  japonica,  a  fine  evergreen  shrub  of  the  genus  Ternstrosmia, 
is  to  Shinto  kannushi  what  the  wood  of  the  olive  is  to  the  priests  of  Palestine. 
Numerous  articles  carved  from  it  are  sold  by  them,  chiefly  chop-sticks  — 
in  this  case  called  Sakaki-no-hashi.  The  fine-grained  wood  is  also  used  for 
seals  and  such  carvings  as  demand  a  firm  texture. 


SHINTO  SHRINES 


ccxix 


of  numerous  layers.  Over  the  whole  is  placed  a  sort  of  cage  of  unpainted 
wood,  with  ornaments  said  to  be  of  pure  gold,  and  over  this  again  is  thrown 
a  sort  of  curtain  of  coarse  silk,  descending  to  the  floor  on  all  sides.  The 
tamajiro  of  the  aidono  are  contained  in  similar  boxes,  without  the  outer 
cage,  and  of  smaller  size.  The  boxes,  or  rather  their  coverings,  are  all  that 
can  be  seen  when  the  shrines  are  opened  at  the  various  festivals.  Sometimes 
the  place  of  the  mirror  is  taken  by  a  pillow  for  the  repose  of  the  guardian 
deity  or  by  some  other  "  spirit  substitute,"  for  the  mirror,  being  the  special 
symbol  of  the  sun-goddess,  is  not  placed  in  shrines  dedicated  to  local  divini- 
ties (uji-gami).' 

A  Gohei  (compounded  of  two  Chinese  words  meaning  '  august '  and 
1  imperial  '),  when  plain,  consists  of  a  '  slender  wand  of  unpainted  wood, 
from  which  pend  two  long  pieces  of  paper,  notched  alternately  on  opposite 
sides,  so  that  they  assume  a  twisted  appearance.  In  some  shrlne3  which 
have  been  long  in  the  hands  of  the  Buddhists,  gilt  metal  has  been  substituted 
for  paper.  The  gohei  represent  offerings  of  rough  and  fine  white  cloth  (aratae 
and  nigitae&re  the  words  used  in  the  norito  or  addresses  to  the  gods),  and  as 
the  offerings  were  supposed  to  have  the  effect  of  attracting  the  gods'  spirits 
to  the  spot,  it  was  by  a  natural  transition  that  they  came  in  later  times  to  be 
considered  as  the  seats  of  the  gods,  and  even  as  the  gods  themselves.  At 
Ise,  however,  the  gohei  have  retained  their  original  meaning.  There  is  but 
one  gohei  to  each  god  worshiped  at  any  particular  shrine,  and  where  three 
or  five  are  seen  in  a  row  the  fact  indicates  that  the  building  is  dedicated  to 
the  same  number  of  deities.  It  is  erroneously  believed  that  the  three  gohei 
which  are  often  seen  in  one  shrine  have  some  connection  with  the  dogma  of 
the  Trinity.  The  practice  of  cleansing  the  hands  before  praying  at  a  shrine 
seems  common  to  both  Shintdists  and  Buddhists;  it  is  symbolic  of  purifica- 
tion, but  the  water  used  for  this  purpose  does  not  seem  to  have  any  miracu- 
lous virtues  like  the  holy  water  of  the  Christians.  The  rope  with  tufts  of 
straw  or  paper  at  fixed  intervals  sometimes  seen  stretched  before  Shinto 
shrines  is  called  Shimenawa  and  is  supposed  to  sanctify  the  place  and  ward 
off  infectious  diseases.  It  is  a  frequent  occurrence  in  rural  Japan. 

The  widely  celebrated  Daijingu  at  Ise  (Rte.  35)  are  the  most 
important  shrines  in  the  Empire,  next  in  rank  being  the  Great 
Shrine  of  Tzumo  (Rte.  30) .  Specially  sacred  shrines  are  the  artis- 
tically satisfying  Hachiman-gu,  near  Kyoto,  the  Kasuga,  at 
Nara,  the  Inari,  at  Kyoto,  the  superbly  situated  Kompira,  at 
Kotohira  (Shikoku  Is.),  etc.  The  first-named,  at  which  the 
Emperor  and  the  Imperial  family  worship,  confers  every  and 
}  any  benefit,  and  is  the  most  potent  of  its  kind.  'To  the  spirits 
j  of  the  ancestors  which  are  supposed  to  hover  within  its  sacro- 
I  sanct  precincts  are  told  (officially  and  with  all  solemnity)  the 
I  victories  in  war  and  diplomacy,  the  death  of  any  great  person- 
age, the  secrets  of  statecraft,  and  the  innermost  thoughts  of 
the  Imperial  worshipers.  The  Izumo  shrine  presides  over  wed- 
lock; Inari  secures  riches  and  bumper  crops;  Kompira  is  the 
shrine  of  seafaring  men,  etc.*  All  the  deities  confer  prosperity, 
avert  sickness,  cure  sterility,  bestow  literary  talents,  endow 
the  pusillanimous  with  prowess,  and  so  on  —  to  the  vanishing 
point.  Scarcely  a  hamlet  in  the  realm  is  without  a  Daijingu 
of  its  own  under  the  alias  of  Myd-jin  (an  honorable  title  for  a 
god).  'Besides  temples  to  deities  presiding  over  industries 
and  agriculture,  —  or  deities  especially  invoked  by  the  peas- 
ants, such  as  the  Qoddess  of  Silkworms,  the  Goddess  of  Rice, 
the  Gods  of  Wind  and  Weather,  there  are  to  be  found  in  almost 
every  part  of  the  country  what  might  be  called  propitiatory 
temples,  —  shrines  that  have  been  erected  by  way  of  compen- 


ccxx 


SHINTO  SHRINES 


sation  to  spirits  of  persons  who  suffered  great  injustice  or  mis- 
fortune/ In  every  home  there  is  a  shrine  devoted  to  religion. 
If  the  family  profess  only  the  Shinto  belief,  this  shrme,  or 
mitamaya  (august-spirit  dwelling),  or  more  properly  termed 
niiya,  —  a  tiny  model  of  a  regular  temple,  —  is  placed  upon  a 
shelf  (Mitama-san  no  tana,  or  i  Shelf  of  the  August  Spirits  ') 
fixed  against  the  wall  of  some  inner  chamber,  about  6  ft.  from 
the  floor.  In  it  are  placed  tablets  of  white  wood  (mitama-shiro, 
or  '  spirit-substitutes  ')  inscribed  with  the  names  of  the,  house- 
hold dead.  If  the  family  worships  its  ancestors  according  to 
the  Buddhist  rite,  lacquered  and  gilded  mortuary  tablets 
(usually  called  ihai,  or  'soul-commemoration  ')  bearing  the 
name,  religious  or  posthumous,  and  a  carved  lotus-flower  as 
a  pedestal,  are  placed  in  the  Butsudan  (or  Buddhist  household 
shrine),  which  usually  occupies  the  upper  shelf  of  an  alcove  in 
one  of  the  inner  apartments.  In  either  cult  these  tablets 
suggest  a  tombstone.  The  plain  gravestones  in  Shinto  ceme- 
teries resemble  in  form  the  simple  wooden  '  spirit-sticks  ■ ; 
while  the  Buddhist  monuments  in  the  old-fashioned  grave- 
yards are  shaped  like  the  ihai,  of  which  the  form  is  slightly 
uaried  to  indicate  sex  and  age. 
^  'In  almost  every  kitchen  there  is  either  a  tiny  shrine,  or  a 
I  written  charm  bearing  the  name  of  Kojin,  the  God  of  the 
\Pooking-range.  In  almost  every  garden,  on  the  N.  side,  there 
is  a  little  Shinto  shrine,  facing  what  is  called  the  Ki-mon^  or 
Demon-gate,  —  that  is  to  say,  the  direction  from  which, 
according  to  Chinese  teaching,  all  evils  come;  and  these  little 
shrines,  dedicated  to  various  Shinto  deities,  are  supposed  to 
protect  the  home  from  evil  spirits.  Almost  every  deity  men- 
tioned in  the  Kojiki  or  Nihongi  has  a  shrine  somewhere;  and 
hundreds  of  others  —  including  many  later  apotheoses  — 
have  their  temples.  Numbers  of  temples  have  been  dedicated, 
for  example,  to  historical  personages,  —  to  spirits  of  great 
ministers,  captains,  rulers,  scholars,  heroes,  and  statesmen. 
The  famous  minister  of  the  Empress  Jingo,  Take-no-uji-no- 
Sukune,  is  now  invoked  in  many  a  temple  as  a  giver  of  long  life 
and  great  wisdom.  The  spirit  of  Sugawara-no-Michizane  is 
worshiped  as  the  God  of  Calligraphy,  under  the  name  of 
Temmangu,  etc.  The  Soga  brothers,  victims  and  heroes  of  a 
12th  cent,  tragedy,  have  become  gods  to  whom  people  pray 
for  the  maintenance  of  fraternal  harmony.  Kato  Kiy omasa, 
the  determined  enemy  of  Jesuit  Christianity,  and  Hideyoshi's 
greatest  captain,  has  been  apotheosized  both  by  Buddhism  and 
by  Shinto.  Ieyasu  is  worshiped  under  the  appellation  on 
Toshogu.  In  fact  most  of  the  great  men  of  Japanese  history] 
have  had  temples  erected  to  them/ 

The  Offerings  made  to  the  principal  deities  of  the  shrines 
consist  of  water,  rice,  salt,  fish,  birds,  vegetables,  etc.  As  a 
I  rule  these  are  placed  in  tiny  porcelain  saucers  and  set  before 


CHRISTIANITY  —  BUSHIDO  ccxxi 


the  shrine.  On  certain  occasions  and  at  certain  shrines,  — - 
notably  when  the  Emperor  in  person  or  by  proxy  offers  his 
thanks  at  the  Kudan  Shokonsha,  in  Tokyo,  for  some  national 
victory  or  goes  thither  to  reverence  the  spirits  of  those  who 
died  in  the  Russo-Japanese  War,  —  the  20th-cent.  spirit  of 
commercialism  tinges  religious  sentiments,  and  wagon-loads 
of  huge  tubs  containing  comestibles  or  sake  within,  and  the 
advertisement  of  the  donor  without;  boxes  of  crackers,  50  lb. 
rice-cakes;  bronze  and  porcelain  vases  and  pots  with  trees  and 
flowers;  and  many  other  offerings  are  made;  the  whole  con- 
stituting enough  provisions  to  keep  a  temple  retinue  in  food 
for  many  months. 

XII.  The  Christian  Religion.  Bushido. 

The  Christian  Religion  ( Kirishitan-shu  —  an  adaptation  of 
the  Portuguese  Christao)  was  brought  to  Japan  by  the  Jesuit 
missionary,  St.  Francis  Xavier1  (known  in  ecclesiastical  his- 
tory as  the  Apostle  to  Japan),  who  landed  at  Kagoshima 
Aug.  15,  1549  (see  History).  In  due  time  he  was  followed  by 
Spanish  mendicant  friars  from  the  Philippine  Is.,  belonging  to 
the  brotherhood  of  the  Dominicans,  Augustinians,  and  others, 
all  of  whom  were  soon  preaching  and  zealously  proselyting. 
Xavier's  interpreter  was  a  Japanese  named  Anjiro,  who  left 
Japan  with  Pinto,  and  at  Goa  learned  the  Portuguese  language. 
Within  half  a  century  the  churches,  chapels,  and  residences  of 
the  fathers  were  numbered  by  thousands,  and  a  half-million 
native  converts  were  supposed  to  be  identified  with  the  new 
faith.  Later  many  of  these  and  the  zealous  friars  suffered 
martyrdom  in  its  crudest  form.  In  their  radical  efforts  to  root 
out  the  disturbing  element,  the  rulers  adopted  methods  that 
even  the  sanguinary  Torquemada  had  perhaps  never  dreamed 
of.  When  it  was  believed  that  Jesuitism  had  been  uprooted, 
the  shogun  issued  the  following  decree:  'So  long  as  the  suri^ 
shall  warm  the  earth,  let  no  Christian  be  so  bold  as  to  come  to  I 
Japan;  and  let  all  know  that  the  King  of  Spain  himself,  or  the 
Christian's  god,  or  the  great  God  of  all,  if  he  violate  this  com- 
mand, shall  pay  for  it  with  his  head!  '  The  sweeter,  milder 
faith  brought  by  the  present-day  missionaries  moved  the 
Japanese  Gov't,  when  promulgating  the  Constitution  in  1889 
(art.  27)  to  say:  'Within  limits  not  prejudicial  to  peace  and 
order,  and  not  antagonistic  to  their  duties  as  subjects,  Japan- 
ese subjects  shall  enjoy  freedom  of  religious  belief!'  The 
policy  of  seclusion  adopted  by  Japan  in  the  early  part  of  the 

1  St.  Francis  Xavier  was  born  at  the  castle  Xaviero,  Navarre,  Spain, 
April  7,  1506,  and  died  on  the  island  of  Chang-chuang  (Sanchian)  Nov.  27, 
1552.  He  was  canonized  in  1622.  His  mummied  body  reposes  in  a  massive 
silver  coffin  beneath  a  stately  and  costly  sarcophagus  (a  gift  of  the  Grand 
Duke  of  Tuscany)  of  jasper  and  marble,  in  a  chapel  of  the  Church  of  Bom 
Jesus,  on  the  Ilha  de  Goa  (where  he  worked  between  1542  and  1552). 


ccxxii 


JAPANESE  ART 


17th  cent.,  and  pursued  resolutely  until  the  middle  of  the  19th, 
was  due  to  the  conviction  of  Tokugawa  Ieyasu  that  unless  the 
warring  priests  were  extirpated  Japan's  sovereignty  and  auton- 
omy would  be  imperiled  irremediably.  In  consequence,  all 
foreigners  except  the  few  Dutch  traders  were  excluded,  and 
it  is  a  significant  fact  that  with  their  expulsion,  and  under 
the  Tokugawa  shogunate,  Japan  enjoyed  the  first  peace  that 
had  been  hers  for  centuries.  The  steady  decline  of  Buddhism 
and  the  visible  rise  of  Christianity,  as  taught  by  the  broad- 
minded,  intelligent,  humanitarian  missionaries  of  to-day, 
coupled  with  the  extraordinary  tenacity  with  which  the  rising 
generation  of  Japanese  cling  to  the  newer  beliefs,  indicate 
beyond  any  peradventure  that  Christianity  is  in  Japan  to 
stay  —  and  to  become  the  national  religion. 

Bushido,  or  'Military-Knight- Ways,'  the  practical  religion 
of  the  old  warrior  class  of  feudal  Japan,  the  source  from  which, 
came  many  of  their  noblest  actions,  is  regarded  by  many  as 
more  the  religion  of  many  Japanese  than  Christianity,  Bud- 
dhism, or  Shinto.  The  ethics  of  the  system  have  been  interest- 
ingly set  forth  by  Dr.  Inazo  Nitobe,  in  a  handy  volume 
(Bushido,  the  'Soul  of  Japan')  in  English,  obtainable  at  any 
bookstore.  It  is  recommended  as  excellent  reading. 

XIII.  A  Survey  of  Japanese  Art. 

The  Japanese  combine  with  their  artistic  skill  both  imitative 
faculty  and  inventive  power,  and  although  the  native  art 
shows  its  Chinese  affinities  in  a  host  of  ways,  this  gift  of  imita- 
tion, the  recognition  of  their  own  shortcomings,  and  the  will- 
ingness to  learn  from  others  have  enabled  them  far  to  surpass 
their  old  masters  in  the  most  extended  branches  of  art  handi- 
craft. Their  readiness  to  appropriate  what  has  been  seen  and 
to  make  it  useful  is  no  less  manifest  than  their  ability  to  endow 
it  with  their  own  highly  developed  sense  of  what  is  beautiful 
in  nature  and  art.  The  artistic  skill  of  the  people  shows  itself 
in  the  production  of  fine  ceramics  and  in  beautiful  silver, 
ivory,  bronze,  wood,  enamel,  and  various  kinds  of  metal- 
work;  in  the  weaving  of  complicated  silk  and  cotton  fabrics; 
in  skillful  embroidery  and  inlaid  work;  in  the  art  of  lacquering, 
and  in  a  host  of  richly  decorated  forms  made  from  plastic  clay. 
They  are  expert  engravers,  sculptors,  carvers,  painters,  and 
decorators;  and  the  people  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  show 
interest  in,  if  they  do  not  produce,  objects  of  industrial  art. 
Many  of  these  products  (called  tezaiku,  or  'fine  handwork  ') 
are  made  in  small  home  workshops,  amid  humble  surround- 
ings, and  with  primitive  tools.  'In  the  realistic  copying  of 
natural  forms,  especially  of  plants,  birds,  insects,  and  sea- 
animals,  also  various  quadrupeds,  such  as  monkeys,  rabbits, 
rats,  etc.,  and  in  the  representation  of  clouds,  rocks,  and  water 


JAPANESE  ART 


ccxxiii 


scenes,  the  Japanese  have  great  skill  and  remarkable  execu- 
tion. The  drawing  answers  sharply  and  definitely  to  the  pat- 
tern in  expression  and  action,  and  fascinates  the  beholder  with 
its  exactness  no  less  than  the  ease  and  delicacy  of  the  perfect 
execution.  This  is  the  principal  charm  of  the  productions  of 
Japanese  art  industry.  In  all  surface  decoration  the  use  of 
arabesques  and  other  ideal  curved  ornamentation  is  less  con- 
spicuous than  the  Vitruvian  scroll,  the  Gammadion  and  Hook- 
cross,  and  geometric  figures.  'The  Chinese  origin  of  most  of 
the  forms  and  motifs  of  the  productions  of  Japanese  industrial 
art  is  easily  recognizable.  Peonies  and  chrysanthemums,  the 
iris  and  the  lotus-flower,  the  slender,  graceful  bamboo,  and 
deformed,  bizarre  pines,  leafless  and  blooming  branches  of  the 
mume-plum  smd  the  magnolia,  leafy  branches  of  Kerria  and 
the  wild  cherry,  the  creeping  Glycine,  with  its  hanging  clusters 
of  blue  flowers,  the  evergreen  Nandine,  with  its  red  berries, 
the  so-called  seven  autumn  weeds,  especially  the  ornamental 
Eulalia,  Lespedeza,  Patrina,  and  Hibiscus  mutabilis,  the  flag, 
rush,  and  arrow-head;  rock  and  water  scenes  in  gardens  with 
fishes  and  turtles,  cranes,  herons,  pheasants,  the  Japanese 
nightingale,  and  other  singing  birds,  insects  in  motion  and  at 
rest,  then  the  animals  of  the  Chinese  Zodiac,  and  several  others 
like  the  elephant  and  the  peacock,  renowned  in  Buddhism  and 
Chinese  legends.  These  are  the  natural  objects  chosen  by  the 
Japanese  as  well  as  the  Chinese.  Four  others  are  also  associ- 
ated with  them,  the  Shi-rei,  or  four  animals  (p.  clxxviii)  of  good 
fortune,  the  fabulous  Phcenix,  Dragon,  Kirin,  and  the  Turtle. 
Another  group  of  decoration  designs,  employed  extensively  in 
bronze  reliefs,  is  from  the  Buddhist  mythology  and  the  old 
Japanese  sages  and  heroic  legends,  which  furnish  abundant 
material.  To  this  group  belongs  the  representation  of  the 
Shichi  Fukujin,  referred  to  at  p.  ccviii.  Certain  combinations 
exist  as  a  rule  in  all  the  subjects  borrowed  from  nature.  The 
most  general  are:  the  bamboo-cane  and  the  tiger;  the  mume- 
plum  and  the  nightingale; 1  sunrise  with  the  pine  and  the  crane; 
the  lion  and  the  peony;  the  deer  and  the  maple;  the  crane  and 
the  turtle  (symbols  of  happiness  and  long  life) ;  the  pine,  bam- 
boo, and  mume;  the  bulrush  and  the  silver  heron;  bamboo- 
cane  and  sparrow;  rain  or  willow  and  swallow;  lotus-flower 
and  silver  heron;  the  homeward  flight  or  alighting  of  wild 
geese;  quail  and  grain-field;  Fuji-san  and  storks;  carp  and  cas- 
cades; the  awakening  of  nature  in  spring,  and  the  snowfall 
and  other  natural  incidents  furnish  popular  decorative  themes. 

1  The  Japanese  Nightingale  (uguisu;  pron.  oong-wees)  or  bush-warbler 
(C 'ettia  cantans) ;  the  master  singer  of  the  Japanese  woods,  a  small  greenish 
gray  bird  with  a  grayish-white  breast,  is  distributed  over  the  whole  country, 
and  because  it  always  comes  when  the  plums  are  in  blossom  it  is  called 
the  harbinger  of  spring.  Its  song  is  less  sonorous  than  that  of  the  American 
nightingale,  but  its  many  low,  flute-like  notes  are  unusually  sweet.  (Comp. 
p.  ccii.) 


ccxxiv 


PAINTING 


In  the  beautiful  scenery  of  their  own  country  the  Japanese  find 
most  of  their  inspirations.  To  delight  in  nature,  sitting  quietly 
at  her  feet  to  watch  her  in  her  life  and  work,  and  to  render 
back  the  fleeting  and  pleasing  picture  with  warmth  and  truth 
as  it  was  felt  and  seen,  is  the  foundation  principle  of  Japanese 
industrial  art.' 

Painting.  Pictorial  and  decorative  art  were  in  a  rudimentary 
state  in  Japan  when  Buddhism  was  introduced  in  the  6th  cent., 
and  painting  (and  artistic  sculpture)  had  not  yet  developed 
any  distinctive  character.  The  successive  waves  of  immigra- 
tion which  followed  on  the  heels  of  the  new  religion  brought 
with  them  Hindu  artists  and  artistic  inspirations  (some  of  the 
latter  vaguely  Grecian),  and  these  were  in  due  course  followed 
by  others  of  Chinese  provenience.  From  these *t win  sources 
(and  perhaps  from  others  coming  from  Korea)  the  native  art 
in  all  its  wonderful  ramifications  is  believed  to  have  been 
developed.  Critics  say  that  no  form  of  art  in  Japan,  whether 
graphic  or  glyptic  or  plastic,  is  ever  conceived  and  elaborated 
outside  these  three  distinct  concepts.  The  first  native  school 
of  which  history  takes  note  is  believed  to  have  been  founded 
near  the  close  of  the  8th  cent,  by  Kawanari,  an  extraordinarily 
skilled  Korean  immigrant,  and  his  immediate  successor,  the 
illustrious  Kose-no-  Kanaoka,  who  is  referred  to  as  the  first 
native  painter.  Portraits,  landscapes,  and  animals  were  his 
themes,  but  few  if  any  of  his  pictures  have  come  down  to  us. 
The  celebrated  Kobo-Daishi  stands  out  as  one  of  the  greatest 
painters  of  the  9th  cent.,  and  he  brought  many  inspirations  from 
China  to  the  native  artists  of  Nippon.  All  these  down  to  the 
13th  cent.  ■  regarded  the  religious  picture  as  the  field  of  highest 
achievement,  and  when  their  subject  was  a  Buddhist  divinity, 
a  Nirvana,  an  Arhat,  or  a  Rishi,  they  sought  inspiration  either 
directly  from  the  Chinese  or  indirectly  from  the  latter's  most 
famous  disciples.  The  characteristics  of  Japanese  Buddhist 
paintings  in  general  are  those  of  the  illuminated  missal :  a  rich 
display  of  gold  and  of  glowing  but  harmonious  colors,  with  con- 
ventional drawing,  complete  absence  of  chiaroscuro,  apparent 
errors  of  anatomy,  and  faithful  observance  of  traditional  types. 
Japan's  best  artists  in  all  ages  contributed  their  quota  to  the 
pictorial  treasures  of  the  temples,  and  not  until  after  the  12th 
cent,  did  the  secular  picture  rise  to  a  place  of  equal  importance 
with  the  sacred.' 

About  the  middle  of  the  10th  cent,  a  marked  difference 
began  to  be  noted  between  the  Japanese  secular  artists  and 
those  of  the  Chinese  religious  school,  and  a  native  school  called 
Yamato-ryu  or  Waga-ryu  (synonymous  for;  'Japanese  style  0 
was  founded  by  Kasuga  (a  name  often  applied  to  the  school) 
Motomitsu.  About  the  middle  of  the  13th  cent,  the  name  was 
changed  to  Tosa-ryu,  so  called  because  the  special  representa- 
tive of  the  academy  at  that  time  had  been  honored  by  the  title 


PAINTING 


ccxxv 


of  Tosa  Gon-no-kumi.  '  Thenceforth  through  every  era  the 
successive  artists  of  the  school  bore  the  family  name  "  Tosa." 
The  characteristics  of  the  Tosa  masters  were  magnificent  com- 
binations of  colors  and  remarkable  skill  of  composition.  They 
may  be  called  decorators  and  illustrators  rather  than  painters 
of  pictures  as  the  term  is  generally  understood,  for  their  best 
work  is  found  on  screens,  sliding  doors,  and  historical  or  legen- 
dary scrolls.  As  historical  illustrators  they  are  peerless,  for  in 
no  other  country  can  be  found  pictorial  annals  such  as  those 
with  which  they  enriched  Japan  during  the  12th,  13th,  and 
14th  centuries.  A  long  list  of  illustrious  names  belong  to  that 
era,  culminating  in  the  14th  cent,  with  Takashima  Takekane, 
of  whom  his  countrymen  allege  that  among  all  the  crowded 
scenes  of  court,  camp,  and  domestic  life  depicted  on  his  scrolls, 
no  two  show  the  same  grouping. ' 

The  Kose  school,  associated  with  Kanaoka,  'subsequently 
came  to  be  regarded  as  representing  the  Chinese  style,  the 
work  of  its  masters  being  in  marked  accord  with  what  were 
known  as  classical  canons.  The  greatest  artist  of  the  Heian 
epoch  (9th-12th  centuries)  was  Hirotaka,  sl  prince  of  the 
blood,  whose  productions  are  said  to  have  stood  out  from  the 
canvas  like  living  pictures.  He  occupied  himself  chiefly  with 
religious  subjects,  whereas  two  other  masters  of  the  same 
epoch,  Kintada  and  Kimmochi,  became  celebrated  for  land- 
scape painting,  the  former  choosing  Chinese  scenes,  the  lat- 
ter Japanese.  Other  renowned  artists  of  the  Kose  school  in 
the  same  epoch  were  Koreshige  and  Nobushige.1  Takuma 
Tamenari,  who  founded  a  branch  of  the  Kose  school  in  the 
middle  of  the  11th  cent.,  followed  the  methods  of  the  Sung 
painters  of  China  and  carried  the  decorative  features  of  their 
religious  paintings  to  a  degree  of  unprecedented  splendor.  His 
greatest  work,  now  faded  beyond  recognition,  was  the  decora- 
tion of  the  walls  and  doors  of  the  Byodo-in  at  Uji,  the  subject 
being  the  9  circles  of  the  Buddhist  paradise  and  8  images  of 
Shaka.  To  the  Sung  artists,  whom  the  Japanese  in  later  years 
copied  with  embarrassing  perfection,  mts.  were  a  passion,  and 
their  landscapes  as  portrayed  by  the  Nipponese  have  been 
classed  with  the  greatest  which  the  world  has  seen.  They 
created,  says  one  critic,  transcripts  of  scenery  that  for  breadth, 
atmosphere,  and  picturesque  beauty  can  scarcely  be  surpassed. 
Technically  they  did  not  go  beyond  the  use  of  water-colors, 
but  in  range  and  quality  of  pigments,  in  mechanical  command 
of  pencil,  they  had  no  reason  to  fear  comparison  with  their 
contemporaries.  They  had  caught  only  a  glimpse  of  chiaro- 
scuro and  perspective,  but  the  want  of  science  was  counter- 
poised by  more  essential  elements  of  artistic  excellence.  No 
artists  except  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  have  ever  infused  into 
the  delineations  of  bird  life  one  tithe  of  the  vitality  and  action 
seen  in  the  native  portraiture  of  the  crow,  the  sparrow,  the 


ccxxvi 


PAINTING 


crane,  the  nightingale,  and  a  hundred  other  varieties  of  the 
feathered  race.  In  such  delineations  one  particularly  notes  the 
effort  of  the  artist  to  avoid  giving  full  expression  to  his  theme ; 
suggestion  and  impressionism  were  aimed  at  deliberately. 
With  the  old  masters,  who  assimilated  the  ideals  of  the  Chinese 
artists  with  extraordinary  versatility,  and  who  united  grandeur 
of  conception  with  power  of  execution,  fidelity  of  outline  was 
of  little  importance  compared  with  reproduction  of  the  spirit 
of  the  object  painted.  They  cared  but  little  for  elaboration  of 
detail.  Except  in  Buddhist  pictures,  they  sought  their  best 
efforts  in  the  simplicity  of  black  and  white,  or  in  the  most 
subdued  of  chromatic  harmonies.  It  was  their  declaration  that 
they  did  not  paint  the  form  of  an  object,  but  the  soul  and  spirit 
of  it. 

The  qualities  and  characteristics  of  the  Kose,  Takuma, 
and  Kasuga,  or  Tosa  schools,  are  familiar  to  every  Japanese 
connoisseur.  The  painters  aimed  to  promote  religious  pur- 
poses; to  decorate  the  interiors  of  temples  or  palaces,  and 
to  illustrate  scrolls  or  illuminate  missals.  In  the  12th  cent. 
Minamoto  no  Kakuyu,  a  celebrated  painter  of  religious  and 
secular  pictures,  evolved  a  humorous  and  grotesque  style  of 
sketching,  referred  to  as  Toba-ye,  because  the  originator  was 
a  priest  of  the  Toba  Monastery:  1  particular  emotions  were 
emphasized  by  exaggerating  the  part  of  the  body  affected  by 
them,  so  that  accuracy  of  drawing,  in  the  Occidental  sense  of 
the  term,  became  a  secondary  consideration/  He  had  a  host 
of  successors  in  every  age,  some  even  greater  than  himself. 
From  his  time  to  that  of  Hokusai  and  Kyosai,  the  Japanese 
humorous  painter  always  recognized  that  his  first  duty  was  to 
give  the  burlesque,  laughter-provoking  character  of  the  objects 
he  depicted  such  attention  that  if  he  succeeded  in  conveying 
a  strong  and  immediate  impression  of  that  character,  his  pur- 
pose was  accomplished,  even  though  his  lines  were  classically 
incorrect.  In  the  14th  cent.  Nipponese  art  reverted  to  its  old 
source  of  inspiration,  China;  the  movement  was  headed  by 
Josetsu  (a  Zen  priest  born  in  China),  who  took  for  models  the 
masterpieces  of  the  Middle  Kingdom's  artists  at  the  close  of 
the  Sung  and  the  beginning  of  the  Yuan  Dynasty  —  whence 
the  name  of  Sogen  (Chinese:  Sung-Yuan).  The  Japanese, 
writes  Mr.  William  Anderson,  appreciated  the  fact  that  the 
Chinese  artist  was  often  'remarkably  felicitous  in  the  render- 
ings of  the  wilder  forms  of  picturesque  beauty  in  landscape. 
Silvery  cascades;  tranquil  pools  and  winding  streams;  towering 
silicic  peaks  and  rugged  headlands;  gnarled  fantastic  pines 
and  plum  trees,  side  by  side  with  the  graceful  forms  and  feath- 
ery foliage  of  the  bamboo;  mansions  or  pavilions,  gorgeous  in 
vermilion  and  gold,  crowning  the  heights  or  bordering  the 
expanse  of  an  inland  lake,  and  rustic  cottages  with  straw- 
thatched  roofs  nestling  in  the  cultivated  valleys:  these  were 


PAINTING 


ccxxvii 


elements  that  the  painter  could  assort  and  reconstruct  into  a 
thousand  pictures  of  never-failing  interest  and  beauty.  The 
Japanese  painters  of  the  classical  school,  seduced  by  the 
charm  of  the  foreign  ideal,  were  often  led  to  neglect  the  fa- 
miliar attractions  of  thjeir  own  scenery,  and  without  having 
beheld  any  of  the  spots  depicted  by  the  old  landscape  mas- 
ters of  China,  squandered  an  infinity  of  talent  and  ingenuity 
in  building  up  new  creations  of  their  own  with  the  material 
borrowed  at  second  hand  from  their  neighbors.' 

The  15th  cent-,  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  epochs  in 
Japanese  art,  since  it  produced  Sesshu  (or  Oda  Toyo  —  1420- 
1506),  indubitably  the  greatest  painter  of  the  Middle  Ages; 
Masanobu  and  Motonobu,  the  immortal  founders  of  the  great 
Kand  school;  and  the  masterful  Shubun,  who  for  years  was  the 
chief  bonze  of  the  Sokoku-ji  at  Kyoto,  and  a  scholar  of  the 
master  Josetsu.  Sesshu,  a  Buddhist  bonze  who  studied  paint- 
ing in  China,  developed  a  peculiar  style  of  his  own,  'untram- 
meled  by  classical  conditions.  He  adhered,  however,  to  Chi- 
nese motives  and  methods  as  faithfully  as  did  Shubun  (who  was 
often  called  To  no  Shubun)  and  his  disciples,  and  no  dictum 
appears  truer  than  that  Sesshu  was  "the  open  door  through 
which  all  contemporary  and  subsequent  artists  looked  into  the 
seventh  heaven  of  Chinese  genius."  In  the  work  of  all  are 
found  the  noble  breadth  of  design,  the  subtle  relationship  of 
tones,  the  splendid  calligraphic  force  and  the  all-pervading 
sense  of  poetry  that  constituted  the  highest  features  of  Chinese 
pictorial  art  in  the  Tang,  Sung,  and  Yuan  epochs.  For  all  true 
appreciation  it  seems  sufficient  to  say  that  the  15th  cent,  was 
the  culminating  period  of  Chinese  pictorial  art  in  Japan,  and 
that  its  giant  figures,  Shubun,  Sesshu,  Masanobu,  and  Moto- 
nobu, though  they  stand  at  the  head  of  three  distinct  lines  of 
artists,  drew  their  inspiration  from  the  same  source  and  set 
before  themselves  the  same  ideals.  Motonobu' s  masterpieces 
had  the  special  excellence  of  being  free  from  the  hard  outlines 
which  in  Sesshu' s  pictures  offend  against  natural  laws;  but  this 
superiority  is  partly  balanced  by  loss  of  vigor  and  massive- 
ness.' 

In  the  closing  years  of  the  16th  cent,  a  new  departure  was 
made  by  two  leaders  of  the  Kand  school;  Eitoku  and  Sanraku. 
The  rich  color-harmonies  and  gorgeous  illuminations  that  had 
been  developed  so  elaborately  by  the  Tosa  masters  were  intro- 
duced by  them  as  a  decorative  method  for  the  Kand  academies, 
and  Eitoku  created  perhaps  'the  greatest  purely  decorative 
style  of  painting  that  the  East  has  ever  produced.  It  accurately 
reflected  the  fashions  and  tendencies  of  the  time,  when,  under 
the  rule  of  the  Taiko  Hideyoshi,  the  administrative  power 
began  to  be  associated  with  displays  of  imposing  magnificence, 
and  when  sestheticism,  officially  inspired,  found  expression  in 
the  lavish  adornment  of  castles,  temples,  and  palaces,  and  in 


ccxxviii 


PAINTING 


the  construction  of  beautiful  parks.  On  the  walls  and  sliding- 
doors  of  these  edifices,  Eitoku,  Sanraku,  and  their  fellows  pro- 
duced pictures  glowing  with  gold  and  rich  color-harmonies. 
The  decorative  artists  that  preceded  them  had  used  the  pre- 
cious metal  sparingly  for  picking  out  designs,  whereas  they 
employed  it  to  form  wide  fields  on  which  they  painted  episodes 
of  war,  phases  of  aristocratic  life,  or  subjects  taken  from  the 
kingdom  of  flowers  and  foliage,  the  ensemble  conveying  a 
suggestion  of  rich  gems  clustered  in  broad  areas  of  mellow 
gold/  With  the  death  of  Eitoku  and  Sanraku  the  Kand  school 
lost  much  of  its  brilliancy,  but  it  was  revived  in  a  way  by  Kand 
Tan-yu  (1602-74),  an  indefatigable  worker  whose  paintings 
(many  in  black  and  white)  of  varying  quality  are  to  be  found 
in  temples  and  museums  throughout  the  Empire.  While  some 
of  them  are  of  a  nature  that  does  not  awaken  great  enthusiasm 
in  the  breast  of  the  foreign  critic,  the  Japanese  consider  almost 
anything  which  bears  his  name  the  acme  of  artistic  excellence, 
and  great  prices  are  paid  for  them.  He  enjoyed  great  favor 
with  certain  of  the  Tokugawa  shoguns,  and  Iemitsu  gave  him 
ground  near  the  Kaji-bashi,  in  Yedo,  whereupon  to  establish 
his  school.-  Kand  Tsunenobu  (1636-1713),  whose  works  the 
traveler  will  often  see  in  Buddhist  temples,  is  spoken  of  as  the 
master  of  Ogata  Korin  (1661-1716),  who  studied  first  under 
him,  then  under  certain  masters  of  the  Tosa  school.  Before  his 
death  he  acquired  fame  as  one  of  the  greatest  exponents  of 
the  grotesque  in  Japan.  His  brother,  Ogawa  Kenzan  (1663- 
1743),  became  one  of  the  most  renowned  of  Japanese  potters, 
and  excelled  also  in  painting  and  poetry. 

The  Popular  School  (Ukiyo-ye-ryii),  as  it  has  been  called 
by  Western  critics,  or  school  of  genre  paintings,  is  believed  to 
have  been  founded  by  Iwasa  Matahei  (or  Domo  no  Matabei,  — 
domo  means  a  stutterer),  a  painter  who  flourished  in  the  2d 
half  of  the  16th  cent.  About  this  time  'the  actor,  the  courte- 
san, and  the  geisha  began  to  occupy  an  unprecedented  place 
in  everyday  life,  and  became  the  center  of  a  voluptuous 
sestheticism  which  constantly  presented  new  spectacular  at- 
tractions, and  made  new  appeals  to  the  artistic  as  well  as  the 
sensuous  instincts  of  the  people.  Matahei  caught  the  first  note 
of  this  innovation  and  fixed  it  pictorially  with  wonderful 
fidelity.  The  figure-subjects  which  constitute  his  specialty  are 
instinct  with  refined  sensuality  and  graceful  abandon.  He 
introduces  his  public  to  a  life  where  dancing,  music,  and 
sybaritism  in  every  form  are  beginning  to  take  the  place  of 
politics  and  war,  and  where  even  the  strong  contours  of  the 
male  figure  show  a  tendency  to  merge  into  the  soft  curves  of 
the  female/  His  best  work  —  of  which  much  is  preserved  in 
temples  and  museums  —  was  done  on  folding-screens;  he 
delighted  to  picture  street  processions  and  depict  therein  all 
the  curious  facial  types  one  sees  in  a  crowded  Japanese  thor- 


PAINTING 


ccxxix 


oughfare.  His  colorful  Court  scenes  are  excellent  records  of 
life  in  Old  Japan,  and  they  exercise  a  stronger  attraction  for 
strangers  than  much  of  the  so-called  finer  work  of  the  earlier 
masters.  'It  was  not  till  the  close  of  the  17th  cent.,  when 
Hishigawa  Moronobu  employed  the  art  of  wood-engraving 
(p.  ccxxxiii)  to  bring  the  ukiyo-ye  (lit.  'floating  world')  within 
reach  of  the  masses,  that  the  Popular  school  began  really  to 
assume  an  important  place,  and  to  associate  itself  directly  with 
the  production  of  the  chromoxylographs  which  are  now  the 
delight  of  Western  collectors.  The  natural  tendency  of  which 
the  pictures  of  the  Popular  school  are  the  most  characteristic 
outcome,  found  refined  and  beautiful  expression  in  the  works 
of  Maruyama  Okyo  (1733-95),  founder  of  the  Maruyama-ryu 
(often  referred  to  as  the  Shi-jo  school,  from  the  Shi-jo  district 
in  Kyoto),  and  one  of  the  greatest  painters  Japan  ever 
produced.  In  force,  grace,  tenderness,  and  accuracy  of  line  Okyo 
has  no  superior  among  Japanese  artists.  He  went  direct  to 
nature  for  instruction,  but  into  all  his  exquisite  pictures  of 
birds,  flowers,  grasses,  fish,  insects,  quadrupeds,  and  figures 
he  introduced  a  subjective  element  as  eloquent  as  it  is  inde- 
scribable. With  the  exceptions  of  perhaps  Kano  Tan-yu,  no 
artist  has  ever  been  so  assiduously  copied  in  Japan  as  Okyo. 
Forgeries  of  his  works  exist  in  hundreds,  but  the  originals 
remain  always  unapproachable. '  His  seascapes  are  of  rare 
grace  and  beauty;  his  brush-strokes  were  few  in  number,  but 
each  one  told ;  sunrise  views  along  the  Japanese  coast  were  his 
delight.  'A  long  line  of  surf  is  seen  tumbling  in  to  you  from 
out  a  bank  of  mist,  just  piercing  which  shows  the  blood-red 
disk  of  the  rising  sun,  while  over  the  narrow  strip  of  breaking 
rollers,  three  cranes  are  slowly  sailing  north.  And  that -is  all 
you  see.  You  do  not  see  the  shore;  you  do  not  see  the  main; 
you  are  looking  but  at  the  border-land  of  that  great  unknown, 
the  heaving  ocean  still  slumbering  beneath  its  chilly  coverlid 
of  mist,  out  of  which  come  the  breakers,  and  the  sun,  and  the 
cranes.'  — Mori  Sosen  (1747-1821),  one  of  the  great  masters 
of  the  Shi-jo  school,  is  celebrated  for  his  paintings  of  the  native 
monkey,  which  he  studied  in  nature  and  of  whose  habits  he  ac- 
quired an  extraordinarily  intimate  knowledge.  Captain  Brink- 
ley '  calls  him  the  Landseer  of  Japan;  ■  though  his  fame  rests 
chiefly  on  his  pictures  of  monkeys,  he  has  left  paintings  of 
deer,  badgers,  rats,  of  hares  and  of  fishes  that  would  have  won 
him  a  great  reputation  even  without  his  remarkable  studies  of 
simian  life.'  — Kishi  Doshi,  or  'Ganku,'  who  was  the  contem- 
porary of  Okyo,  and  who  died  in  1838,  is  often  placed  at  the 
head  of  a  separate  school  called  the  Ganku-ryu.  While  certain 
eminent  critics  rank  him  with  the  great  masters  of  the  15th 
and  16th  centuries,  Occidentals  who  have  seen  his  painted 
tigers  (his  specialty)  will  be  indisposed  to  grant  him  any  lasting 
fame.  It  is  said  that  he  never  saw  a  live  tiger,  and  his  beasts 


ccxxx 


PAINTING 


bear  such  an  astonishing  likeness  to  certain  of  those  of  Kand 
Tan-yii  that  one  is  inclined  to  believe  it. 

While  present-day  art  in  Japan  possesses  masters  of  force  and 
versatility,  it  is  marked  by  a  universality  and  a  suggestiveness 
of  the  West  that  does  not  improve  the  Old  Japanese  flavor. 
Internationalism  is,  in  fact,  taking  the  place  of  the  Buddhist 
sages,  the  Chinese  landscapes  and  the  light  frivolity  of  artistic 
themes,  and  the  eclectic  and  refining  genius  of  the  purely 
native  artists  is  becoming  tinged  with  that  of  France  —  where 
the  chief  exponents  of  Occidental  art  receive  their  education. 
The  sordid  tragedy  of  industrialism,  the  fact  that  the  Buddhist 
temples  are  no  longer  centers  of  learning  where  scholarly  bonzes 
can  devote  their  undisputed  time  to  the  portrayal  of  what  is 
beautiful  and  uplifting;  coupled  with  the  condition  that  Japan- 
ese artists  seem  to  be  wavering  in  their  confidence  in  their  own 
powers,  no  doubt  influenced  Baron  Suyematsu,  president  of  one 
of  the  many  art  associations  in  Japan,  to  say  recently:  'I  often 
find  some  difficulty  in  giving  good  encouragement  to  the  artists, 
from  the  fact  of  purchasers  not  being  found  in  sufficient  num- 
bers at  the  art  exhibitions.'  There  is  no  lack  of  ateliers  in 
Tokyo  where  men  with  high  ideals  are  striving  to  keep  Japan 
in  her  own  artistic  groove,  but  whether  the  native  art  will 
become  defective  by  contact  with  that  of  the  West  is  held  for 
the  future  to  decide.  It  is  very  doubtful  if  Occidental  influence 
will  leave  it  altogether  free  from  pruriency  and  neurotic  senti- 
ment. For  centuries  it  has  been  supreme  in  its  own  way,  and 
many  art-lovers  hope  it  will  remain  so. 

Art  Collectors  may  wish  to  remember  that  a  Japanese 
law  prohibits  the  expatriation  of  genuine  masterpieces.  Also 
that  the  time  when  these  can  be  bought  for  a  song  has  passed. 
The  Japanese  have  such  reverence  for  age  and  classical  names 
and  productions  that  many  of  them  will  pay  thousands  of  yen 
for  a  painted  scroll  for  which  foreigners  would  be  unwilling  to 
give  hundreds.  Also  that  workshops  exist  in  certain  parts  of 
Japan  for  the  exclusive  production  of  alleged  masterpieces 
(see  Curios)  of  painting  (as  well  as  the  applied  arts),  and  that 
some  of  these  are  made  with  such  amazing  fidelity  to  the 
originals  that  even  native  connoisseurs  are  often  deceived  by 
crafty  vendors.  Foreigners  should,  therefore,  be  strictly  on 
their  guard  when  making  purchases,  and  should  confine  their 
dealings  to  men  of  known  repute.  The  remark  of  a  Japanese 
connoisseur  that '  you  should  consider  every  painting  brought 
to  you  by  a  dealer  as  a  forgery,  and  price  it  accordingly/  is 
perhaps  too  sweeping,  but  it  is  significant  of  the  fact  that  'fak- 
ing '  has  developed  into  an  art  as  fine  as  painting  itself.  It 
has  been  said  that  it  pays  a  painter  of  talent  much  better  to 
produce  a  close  imitation  of  a  tattered  and  grimy  old  master, 
and  to  forge  an  ancient  and  renowned  name  on  it,  than  to 
paint  a  good  modern  picture  under  his  own  name.  That  the 


COLOR-PRINTS 


ccxxxi 


practice  of  copying  old  masters  is  at  all  times  in  vogue,  there 
can  be  no  doubt. 

Color-Prints,  or  Nishiki-ye  ('brocade  pictures'),  have  been 
popular  among  the  Japanese  since  Occidentals  discovered  their 
peculiar  merits.  'The  Japanese  lay  no  claim  to  the  invention 
p  of  color-printing  as  a  process  of  wood-engraving.  Not  only 
were  they  anticipated  by  the  Chinese,  from  whom  they  doubt- 
less took  their  first"  lessons,  but  the  16th  cent,  camaieu  prints 
of  Italy  and  Germany  were  practically  identical  in  manner  of 
execution,  and  displayed  technical  merit  equal  to  that  of  the 
best  Japanese  engravings;  but  nothing  yet  seen  in  Chinese  or 
European  chromoxylography  bears  any  comparison  in  point  of 
beauty  with  the  low-priced  broadsides  of  Japan  in  the  last  half 
of  the  18th  cent.  If  the  Japanese  were  not  the  originators  of 
this  art,  they  were  by  far  its  best  exponents.  The  exact  date 
of  the  earliest  chromoxylographic  prints  still  remains  open  to 
doubt.  The  first  application  of  the  process  in  Japan  is  said  to 
have  been  by  Idzumiya  Gonshiro,  near  the  end  of  the  17th 
cent. ;  he  made  use  of  a  second  block  to  stamp  certain  parts  of 
his  design  with  beni,  a  red  color  extracted  from  a  kind  of 
:safn,ower.,  The  single-piece  picture  (ichimai-ye) ,  often  called 
Yedo  picture,  was  made  prior  to  this  time  by  many  artists  of 
the  Popular  school  established  by  Matabei,  but  the  black-and- 
white  work  produced  in  the  cent,  following  was  less  popular 
than  the  broadsheets  colored  by  hand  (with  a  profusion  of  red) 
and  introduced  by  Hishigawa  Moronobu  (1618-94).  These 
were  called  akaye,  or  red  pictures ;  later,  when  lacquer  and  gold- 
dust  were  used,  they  came  to  be  known  as  urushi-ye  or  lacquer- 
pictures  (made  first  by  Masanobu,  1690-1768).  The  first 
actual  printing  in  color  (perhaps  in  1667)  was  applied  to 
kimono  patterns,  a  red,  green,  and  blue  single  color  being  used 
for  each.  To  Torii  Kiyonobu  (1664-1729)  are  ascribed  the 
first  pictures  actually  printed  in  color;  these  were  portraits  of 
famous  actors  and  pictures  of  various  subjects  of  interest  to 
theater-goers  of  Yedo,  and  were  engraved  upon  three  blocks 
and  printed  in  pale  green  or  blue,  and  pale  pink.  They  origi- 
nated a  phase  of  popular  art  that  took  a  special  place  in  the 
favor  of  the  people,  and  was  destined  to  undergo  great 
development.  He  must  be  regarded  '  as  the  founder  of  the 
theatrical  school  of  popular  art,  for  no  theatrical  broadsides  of 
artistic  value  are  known  to  have  been  issued  before  his  time. 
He  was,  moreover,  a  designer  of  playbills  and  of  illustrations 
for  the  quaint  little  novelettes  (heroic,  tragic,  or  humorous) 
called  Zusa-zoshi,  which  were  published  in  considerable  num- 
bers about  the  same  time,  and  he  is  said  to  have  been  the 
inventor  of  the  style  of  stage  scenery  still  in  vogue  in  the 
purely  native  theaters  of  Tokyo  and  Kyoto.  Few  of  the  prints 
bearing  his  name  have  been  preserved. 
'About  this  time  Kinroku,  a  native  of  Yedo  and  an  expert 


ccxxxii 


COLOR-PRINTS 


wood-engraver,  devised  a  plan  of  printing  from  4  or  5  different 
blocks  in  different  colors,  by  the  use  of  registers,  but  his  work 
seems  to  have  been  confined  to  calendars,  and  it  was  Harunobu, 
of  the  ukiyo-ye  painters,  who  had  the  same  means  adopted  for 
his  work,  and  the  term  Adzuma  Nishiki-ye  ("  brocade  pictures 
of  the  eastern  part ")  was  first  applied.  This  artist  died  soon 
afterward,  and  Shunsho  was  the  next  to  become  distinguished 
for  his  drawings  for  color-printing.  The  artists  who  produced 
the  pictures  used  for  color-prints  were  also  painters  in  the 
accepted  sense  of  the  word,  but  they  belonged  to  the  common 
people,  and  those  only  who  also  gained  recognition  by  what 
was  considered  orthodox  work  with  the  brush  were  regarded  as 
worthy  the  attention  of  the  native  critics,  the  color-prints  not 
being  looked  upon  as  legitimate  art.  But  the  artists  found  the 
work  remunerative,  and  consequently  there  were  many  who 
gave  much  time  to  it,  and  by  whose  unusual  talents  it  devel- 
oped characteristics  that  at  last  gained  for  it,  in  other  lands, 
the  rank  it  merited.  After  the  nishiki-ye  was  assured  a  perma- 
nent place  in  the  publisher's  profits,  and  after  the  black-and- 
white  and  brush-tinted  pictures  had  made  way  definitely  for 
the  true  color-prints,  the  art  developed  rapidly.  From  the 
ichimai-ye  picture,  confined  to  a  regulation  size  because  of  the 
difficulty  of  producing  larger  blocks,  it  grew  to  3  pieces  of  the 
same  size,  forming  one  continuous  picture,  and  later  to  5; 
2  and  6  piece  pictures  being  unusual,  though  sometimes  made.' 
Chromoxylography  after  Kiyonobu  was  carried  on  by  men  of 
the  same  school,  including  Kiyomasu,  Kiyomitsu,  Kiyotane, 
Kiyoshige,  Nishimura  Shigenaga,  and  Ishikawa  Toyonobu, 
down  to  about  1765,  when,  under  Suzuki  Harunobu  and  Torii 
Kiyonaga  (of  the  Torii  school),  who  lived  between  1745  and 
1815,  it  reached  its  highest  point.  With  Kiyonaga  was  asso- 
ciated Kiyotsune,  sl  less  successful  disciple  of  the  school,  and 
the  Torii  line  closed  near  the  end  of  the  century  with  Kiyo- 
mine.  The  blocks  employed  in  printing  were  gradually  in- 
creased to  7,  and,  although  in  later  times  as  many  as  30  print- 
ings were  required  to  complete  a  picture,  the  added  complexity 
of  the  process  appeared  only  to  destroy  the  simple  charm  seen 
in  the  prints  of  the  Toriis  and  Katsugawas,  and  the  best 
results  gained  when  the  number  did  not  exceed  that  used  by 
Kiyonaga  and  Harunobu.  The  colors  under  these  artists  had 
become  remarkably  tender  and  harmonious,  the  technique  of 
the  printing  had  advanced,  and  the  drawing  still  preserved 
the  qualities  displayed  by  Kiyonobu,  and  gained  something  in 
style.' 

The  surimono,  or  New- Year  cards,  which  came  into  fashion 
in  Yedo  in  the  last  quarter  of  the  18th  cent.,  are  gems  of 
chromoxylography,  and  display  the  technical  resources  of  the 
engraver  at  their  best.  They  are  usually  of  quarto  or  octavo 
size,  printed  with  great  care  on  thick  creamy  paper,  adorned 


COLOR-PRINTS 


ccxxxiii 


with  designs  by  well-known  artists  of  the  Popular  school,  and 
bearing  some  little  conceit  in  the  form  of  a  verselet  or  proverb. 
The  best  period  is  between  1800  and  1840.  About  this  time 
the  hashi-rakake,  or  panel  picture,  became  a  substitute  among 
the  lower  classes  for  the  more  expensive  kakemono. 

As  a  general  rule  the  artists  were  not  craftsmen,  their  task  ending  with  the 
design  and  color  scheme.  '  The  engraving  and  printing  were  done  each  by 
different  artisans,  though  during  the  period  in  which  the  best  work  was 
produced,  the  artist  at  least  had  some  supervision  oyer  the  work.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  engravers  were  artisans  only,  and  their  work  purely  mechan- 
ical, as  they  never  varied  in  the  least  particular  from  the  designs  furnished 
them,  and  then,  as  now,  Japanese  wood-engravers  were  most  expert  in  exact 
reproduction.  But  the  engraver's  name  does  not  appear  on  the  product  of 
his  labor,  he  being  merely  a  workman;  and  the  printer's  name  appears  only 
in  cases  when  the  printer  was  also  the  publisher,  usually  a  bookseller,  whose 
seal  was  often  used  on  the  prints  issued  by  him.  —  In  making  the  blocks 
for  prints  (usually  10  x  14  in.),  the  artist's  original  drawing  was  used,  being 
pasted  on  what  was  to  become  the  key-block,  face  downward,  to  secure 
inversion,  the  paper  being  transparent  for  the  purpose;  the  design  was  care- 
fully outlined  with  a  knife,  after  which  the  background  and  other  parts  were 
cut  away  as  necessary,  giving  the  full  picture  in  outline,  from  which  proofs 
were  made  for  such  parts  to  be  cut  as  were  to  appear  in  different  colors;  a 
cross  in  one  corner  and  at  the  opposite  side  a  line  were  cut  for  registering. 
When  the  number  of  blocks  were  finished,  they  were  sent  to  the  printers, 
where  they  were  each  given  to  as  many  workmen,  seated  on  the  floor  in  rows; 
and  when  printed  in  one  color  by  the  first,  was  passed  on  to  the  next  for 
another,  all  adjusting  the  sheet  with  such  accuracy  as  to  produce  perfect 
register.  The  dry,  powdered  color  was  mixed  with  a  thin  rice  paste  upon  the 
block,  and  spread  with  a  brush,  so  as  to  grade  the  tones;  or  it  was  wiped 
away  according  to  the  effect  desired.  A  tough  mulberry  paper  of  a  brown 
color  was  used,  and  properly  dampened  before  being  placed  on  the  color- 
block,  upon  which  it  waB  pressed  or  rubbed  by  means  of  a  circular  pad  cov- 
ered with  a  bamboo  sheath,  called  a  baren.  Sometimes  the  printing  also 
produced  the  design  slightly  embossed,  accomplished,  it  is  said,  by  rubbing 
with  the  elbow.  The  blocks  upon  which  the  engravings  are  cut  are  of  cherry- 
wood,  and  the  designs  are  cut  with  the  grain,  not  endwise  as  with  the  West- 
ern engraving  on  boxwood  blocks.  The  outfit  for  an  engraver  consists  of  15 
chisels  and  gouges  of  varying  sizes,  3  mallets,  a  sharpening-stone,  rule,  and 
brush.  The  printer  has  a  kit  of  a  dozen  brushes,  a  chisel,  small  scraper  and 
4  or  5  pads,  or  baren.  The  following  natural  mineral  and  vegetable  colors 
were  used:  yubana,  mastic  White;  tatsutsi,  silver  white;  sumi,  black;  beni, 
saffron  red;  shu,  vermilion;  taisha,  red  brown;  toka,  dark  chestnut;  yama- 
buki,  clear  orange;  tamago,  clear  yellow;  kusa,  pale  green;  ai,  dark  blue; 
konjo,  Prussian  blue;  and  kurocha,  purple.  The  manufacture  of  the  natural 
colors  rapidly  decreased  with  the  introduction  of  coal-tar  colors,  and  the 
former  are  now  quite  difficult  to  obtain,  although  one  of  the  best  color-print 
publishers  of  to-day  claims  to  use  them.  They  faded  evenly  and  produced  a 
harmonious  result,  whereas  the  artificial  colors  seldom  do  so,  and  the  prints 
in  which  they  have  been  used  are  easily  recognizable  by  their  violent  hues.' 

The  greatest  refinement  of  Japanese  wood-engraving  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  name  of  Utamaro,  a  master  who  was  contem- 
poraneous with  Yeishi  and  Toyokuni,  and  who,  along  with  the 
two  named,  became  famous  in  the  latter  part  of  the  18th  cent. 
'Yeishi,  as  well  as  Utamaro,  introduced  a  new  element  into 
this  art  of  the  people,  as  they  both  proceeded  from  the  aristo- 
cratic Kand  school,  which  had  been  trained  on  Chinese 
models.  In  the  place  of  the  charming  daintiness  with  which 
Harunobu  endowed  his  women,  and  the  healthy  fullness  that 
distinguished  Kiyonaga's  simple  figures,  we  now  meet  with  a 


ccxxxiv 


COLOR-PRINTS 


refinement  in  stature,  carriage,  and  expression  which  bears 
witness  to  a  general  change  in  manners  and  increased  demands 
on  life,  resulting  in  a  modification  of  the  ideal  of  beauty. 
Woman,  though  she  be  often  only  the  simple  woman  of  the 
people  or  the  courtesan,  continues  henceforth  to  play,  as  gen- 
erally in  the  Japanese  art  of  the  18th  cent.,  and  in  infinitely 
heightened  measure  at  the  end  of  this  period,  the  chief  part  in 
pictorial  representations.  She  always  appears  as  a  princess, 
tall  and  slender  of  figure,  of  queenly  carriage,  and  a  gracious- 
ness  all  the  more  captivating  for  being  shy  and  reserved.  To 
be  sure,  this  tendency  soon  degenerates  into  exaggeration, 
but  in  its  beginning  it  undoubtedly  served  to  enrich  the  scope 
of  art/  (W.  von  Seidlitz.)  Mr.  Anderson  ranks  Kitagawa 
Utamaro  (who  was  a  pupil  of  Toriyama  Sekiyen)  as  '  the  most 
shining  light  of  Japanese  chromoxylography.  He  has  left  two 
albums,  both  distinguished  by  the  perfection  of  the  color 
scheme.  One,  the  Momo  chidori  kioka  awase,  consisting  of 
pictures  of  birds  and  flowers  with  comic  verselets,  is  technically 
one  of  the  best  examples  of  Japanese  color-printing,  and  may 
be  noticed  also  for  the  bold  use  the  engraver  has  made  of 
uninked  blocks  to  produce  an  embossing  of  the  paper  surface. 
The  other,  The  Annual  of  the  Courtesan  Quarter  (1804),  is  a 
specimen  of  his  best  manner;  but  his  reputation  depends 
mainly  upon  his  broadside  representations  of  women.  These 
have  remarkable  charm  of  line,  pose,  and  composition,  but  the 
effect  is  marred  by  the  ungraceful  mannerisms  perverting  the 
drawing  of  the  faces  and  limbs.  In  color  they  rank  next  to 
those  of  Harunobu  and  Kiyonaga.  Yeishi  was  also  celebrated 
for  his  women,  and  his  best  work  was  done  between  1805  and 
1815/ 

Katsushika  Hokusai,  who  with  his  successor  Hiroshige  is 
perhaps  the  best  known  to  foreign  collectors,  and  who  loomed 
large  as  the  leading  figure  among  the  book  artists  during  the 
first  half  of  the  19th  cent.,  was  born  in  Yedo,  March  5,  1760 
(d.  1849),  and  was  the  son  of  Nakajima  Ise,  a  Yedo  mirror- 
maker  (to  the  Tokugawa  clan).  Although  few  men  played  a 
more  important  part  in  the  history  of  Japanese  wood-engrav- 
ing (owing  to  the  peculiarity  of  his  talent  and  the  influence 
exerted  during  his  long  life  of  90  yrs.),  and  fewer  still  acquired 
greater  and  more  lasting  fame,  he  never  attained  to  the  heights 
reached  by  Kikugawa  Utamaro,  who,  4  for  vigor,  for  versa- 
tility, for  tenderness,  for  truth  of  line,  and  for  beauty  of  color- 
harmonies/  stands  preeminent  among  the  brilliant  pictorial 
and  decorative  artists  of  his  time.  While  his  work  —  particu- 
larly in  the  portrayal  of  landscapes  and  animal  life  —  remains 
superior  to  any  similar  work  produced  in  the  19th  cent.,  it  is 
marked  (and  marred)  by  a  realism,  in  perfect  accord  with  Ms 
defective  intellectuality  and  his  lack  of  high  artistic  concep- 
tion. While  Japanese  critics  enjoy  the  wit  and  humor  of  certain 


COLOR-PRINTS 


ccxxxv 


of  his  somewhat  Rabelaisian  figures,  they  prefer  the  delicacy 
of  Harunobu  and  the  harmonies  of  Shunso  and  Toyokuni  the 
elder. 

Authorities  differ  as  to  Hokusai1  s  activity  in  early  manhood; 
some  maintain  that  he  did  nothing  of  importance  until  he  had 
passed  the  mid-point  of  any  ordinary  life,  while  others  say 
that  at  12  yrs.  of  age  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  bookseller  and  at 
14  began  the  study  of  the  art  of  wood-engraving.  All  agree 
that  his  earliest  work  was  of  little  merit  —  a  point  which  col- 
lectors of  prints  may  wish  to  bear  in  mind.  In  1779  he  became 
a  pupil  of  Katsukawa  Shunso,  and  as  such  adopted  the  name 
of  Katsukawa  Shunro.  'He  painted  actors  and  theatrical 
scenes;  illustrated  from  1781  many  of  the  small  popular  books 
called  Kibiyoshi;  but  was  obliged  to  leave  his  master  in  1786. 
He  then  went  to  Kanb  Yusen,  whom  likewise  he  was  soon 
obliged  to  leave/  Between  the  years  1786-88  he  employed  the 
name  Gummatei,  and  later  adopted  the  native  custom  of 
changing  his  name  according  to  that  of  his  master  or  of  circum- 
stance. Dropping  the  name  Katsukawa,  he  signed  himself 
Shunro.  In  the  following  year  he  styles  himself  alternately 
Mugura Shunro,  Toshu,  Tokitaro  Kako  (on  the  'Eight  Views  of 
Lake  Omi '),  and  Sort,  'as  pupil  of  the  painter  Tawaraya  Sort, 
whom  he  had  succeeded  about  1795.  This  name  he  later  gave 
up  to  his  pupil,  Soji.  He  signed  himself  Tawaraya  Hiakurin- 
and  Hokusai-Sori,  and  under  this  name  issued  a  series  of  fine 
landscapes  in  large  oblong  format.  Before  the  end  of  the 
century  he  had  already  used  the  name  Tokimasa  Taito,  which 
he  assumed  again  later.  He  generally  called  himself  Katsu- 
shika  Hokusai,  from  the  precinct  of  that  name  in  which  he 
grew  up;  from  1800  he  often  signed  himself  Gwakiojin  Hokusai. 
After  having,  about  1820,  given  up  his  surname  Taito  to  his 
son-in-law,  he  often  signed  himself  Iitsu.' 

Like  the  immortal  Murillo,  Hokusai  changed  his  manner 
several  times  during  his  life,  each  change  adding  to  his  growing 
reputation.  Aside  from  numerous  illustrations  for  books,  and 
designs  for  New- Year  cards  which  were  still  popular  in  Yedo 
during  the  early  years  of  the  19th  cent.,  he  supplied  some 
remarkably  fine  drawings  to  illustrate  the  novels  of  his  friend 
Bakin.  'In  1812  he  issued  the  first  volume  of  the  Mangwa, 
a  famous  collection  of  miscellaneous  sketches  for  the  use  of 
artisans  and  students  of  drawing.  From  this  time  his  influence 
became  paramount  in  the  Popular  school,  and  in  the  period 
following  the  death  of  Toyokuni  he  was  the  dominant  power  in 
the  world  of  artisan  art.  He  is  perhaps  best  known  for  his  cele- 
brated 'Hundred  Views  of  Fuji,'  and  for  the  Mangwa  men- 
tioned above.  So  great  was  his  fame  for  versatility  and  origin- 
ality that  when  he  died  his  withdrawal  marked  the  beginning 
of  the  end  of  the  Popular  school.  His  mastery  of  landscape 
and  figure  drawing  was  so  perfect  that  no  one  could  wear 


ccxxxvi 


COLOR-PRINTS 


his  mantle  and  carry  his  art  downward  through  posterity.  'He 
left  an  artist  daughter  named  Yeijo,  and  several  pupils.  Only 
a  few  of  these,  however,  —  Hokkei,  Shinsai  (a  designer  of 
New- Year  cards),  Hokujiu,  Hokuiin,  and  Isai,  —  have  left 
any  mark  upon  the  process  of  wood-engraving,  and  of  these 
the  first  approached  most  nearly  to  the  master  in  vigor  and 
originality/  Original  sketches  by  Hokusai  now  bring  almost 
fabulous  prices;  few  names  of  native  artists  are  forged  as  often 
as  his.  'His  coloring  is  serious,  simple,  and  almost  somber, 
with  a  predominance  of  dark  green,  dark  violet  or  blue,  yellow 
and  gray/  His  deep-blue  prints  are  especially  delicate. 

Hiroshige  (or  Ichiriusai),  who  was  born  in  1797  and  died  (of 
cholera)  in  1858,  came  into  prominence  about  1820  with  the 
publication  of  his  'Thirty-six  Views  of  Fuji-san.'  They  were 
followed  by  the  'Fifty-three  Stations  of  the  Tokaido/  and  by 
other  landscapes  which  brought  him  some  renown.  Between 
1846-49  he  acquired  a  special  reputation  for  his  views  of  Yedo, 
where  he  lived  at  the  time.  'The  change  in  his  style,  the  tran- 
sition from  the  broad  and  powerful  manner  of  his  earlier  work 
to  the  sharper  and  more  delicate  drawing  of  his  later  years,  but 
especially  the  change  in  his  signature,  from  the  Japanese 
cursive  to  the  Chinese  square  style,  is  explained  by  his  increas- 
ing age  and  the  progress  of  the  times.  Although  he  never 
reproduced  in  color  the  more  delicate  charms  of  nature  and  the 
multiplicity  of  her  tones,  yet  he  always  strove  by  a  few  well- 
blended  colors  to  effect  a  monumental  impression.'  Not  a  little 
of  Hiroshige1  s  later  work  in  chromoxylography  was  marred  by 
the  bad  quality  of  the  colors  used  by  the  printers.  Mr. 
Anderson  believes  that  the  palmy  days  of  color-printing  drew 
to  a  close  with  the  death  of  Utagawa  Toyokuni  in  1828,  and 
that  his  demise  was  the  knell  of  artistic  chromoxylography,  for 
his  pupils  were  the  first  to  permit  their  designs  to  be  dishon- 
ored by  cheap  and  gaudy  pigments  bought  in  the  European 
market.  'There  are  no  colored  engravings  in  the  world  that 
may  be  compared  with  those  of  Japan  in  the  long  period  from 
the  coming  of  Torii  Kiyonaga  to  the  passing  of  Utagawa 
Toyokuni;  the  eye  is  beguiled  by  a  brush-stroke  of  ineffable 
calligraphic  beauty  and  by  a  tender  harmony  of  color  that 
cheers,  but  never  wearies,  the  senses.  As  schemes  of  dramatic 
decoration  they  are  scarcely  to  be  surpassed  and  have  rarely 
been  equaled.' 

The  demand  for  the  best  Japanese  work  is  now  so  keen  that 
a  delicately  colored  triptych  by  Utamaro,  Hokusai,  or  Hiro- 
shige, which  at  one  time  sold  in  the  streets  of  Yedo  for  a  mere 
pittance,  will  sell  at  auction  in  London  or  New  York  for  a 
thousand  yen  or  more.  They  are  copied  in  Japan  with  such 
fidelity  to  detail  that  it  takes  a  shrewd  buyer  to  know  whether 
he  is  getting  an  original  or  a  forgery.  The  delicate,  rich,  costly, 
and  beautiful  old  vegetable  colors  are  now  replaced  by  cheap 


IVORY 


ccxxxvii 


foreign  pigments,  and  this  difference  sometimes  enables  one  to 
know  the  true  from  the  false.  The  old  colors  usually  came  right 
through  the  paper  (also  made  of  vegetable  matter),  which  is 
soft,  moist,  and  even  clammy  to  the  touch,  —  not  the  dry, 
harsh  paper  and  non-penetrating  colors  used  by  the  forgers. 
Imitators  often  procure  old  paper,  which  they  smoke,  and  stain 
with  tea  to  impart  an  ancient  appearance.  Very  excellent 
legitimate  copies  of  the  work  of  any  and  all  the  old  masters 
can  be  purchased  (usually  about  2  to  3  yen  each)  of  the 
Shimbi  Shoin,  or  the  Kokka  Publishing  Co.  at  Tokyo. 

Ivory,  or  Zdge  (from  zd,  elephant;  and  ge,  a  tusk),  enters 
largely  into  the  exquisite  art-work  of  the  Japanese,  and  ivory- 
carving,  or  zdge-no-hori-mono  (hori,  to  dig,  to  carve;  monoy 
thing),  has  reached  an  extraordinarily  high  state  of  artistic 
excellence.  The  art  is  supposed  to  have  been  introduced  by 
the  Chinese  (who  got  it  from  Persia  by  way  of  India),  perhaps 
in  the  8th  cent.,  but  like  many  another  art  borrowed  from 
them,  the  Japanese  have  improved  it,  and  have  so  far  outdis- 
tanced their  plodding,  lethargic  teachers,  that  to-day  their 
ivory-work  (zdge-zaiku)  stands  unrivaled,  and  is  not  only 
evidence  of  a  wonderful  skill,  but  also  of  astonishing  patience 
and  perseverance.  The  Nipponese  work  shows  a  materially 
wider  range  of  subjects  and  a  much  more  developed  artistic 
talent  than  that  of  the  Chinese,  and  it  is  sought  for  eagerly  by 
foreign  collectors.  'The  range  of  conception  is  so  large,  the 
motives  display  such  a  wealth  of  fancy,  realistic,  conventional, 
grave,  humorous,  and  grotesque,  that  the  collector  perpetually 
finds  some  new  source  of  admiration,  instruction,  or  amuse- 
ment. If  Japan  had  given  to  the  world  nothing  but  the  netsuke 
(originally  used  as  a  button  for  the  native  tobacco-pouch), 
there  would  still  be  no  difficulty  in  differentiating  the  bright 
versatility  of  her  national  genius  from  the  comparatively 
somber,  mechanic,  and  unimaginative  temperament  of  the 
Chinese.'  Nara  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  home  of  the 
earliest  craftsmen  in  this  line,  as  it  was  of  all  that  was  great 
and  beautiful  in  early  glyptic  art.  Later,  Kyoto  became  the 
chief  seat  of  ivory-carving,  but  Tokyo  has  wrested  this  supre- 
macy from  it  and  is  now  the  center  for  the  bulk  of  the  output 
for  the  domestic  and  foreign  markets.  Here,  too,  much  bone 
is  carved  and  sold  to  the  unwary  as  ivory,  and  here  perhaps 
many  of  the  tricks  that  pertain  to  the  trade  have  been  elabo- 
rated and  practiced. 

Conspicuous  among  the  almost  innumerable  happy  concep- 
tions of  the  Japanese  craftsmen  in  ivory-work  are  delicate  and 
beautifully  executed  statuettes  of  the  native  women  and 
Buddhist  divinities;  huge  eagles  with  outspread,  articulated 
wings;  lines  of  lumbering  elephants  or  fat  geese  following  one 
another  along  the  restricted  surface  of  a  flattened  elephant 
tusk;  groups  of  monkeys,  rats,  actors,  and  what-not.  Certain 


ccxxxviii 


IVORY 


of  the  groups  and  figures  are  carved  with  such  amazing  skill 
and  possess  such  an  appealing  beauty  that  as  much  as  10,000 
yen  are  sometimes  paid  for  them.  Not  unfrequently  one  finds 
sets  of  the  remarkable  ivory  balls  containing  10  or  12  separate 
spheres  one  within  another  —  a  delicate  and  marvelously 
ingenious  device  for  which  the  Cantonese  craftsmen  have  long 
been  noted.  They  are  usually  so  puzzling  to  foreigners  that  the 
manner  of  cutting  them  is  not  without  interest. 

'  A  piece  of  ivory  is  first  made  perfectly  globular,  and  then  several  conical 
holes  are  bored  into  it  in  such  a  manner  that  their  apices  all  meet  at  the 
center,  which  becomes  hollow  as  the  perforations  are  made.  The  sides  of 
each  having  been  marked  with  lines  to  indicate  the  number  of  globes  to  be 
cut  out,  the  workman  inserts  a  chisel  or  burin  with  a  semicircular  blade,  bent 
so  that  the  edge  cuts  the  ivory,  as  the  shaft  is  worked  on  the  pivot,  at  the 
same  depth  in  each  hole.  By  successively  cutting  a  little  on  the  inside  of  each 
conical  hole,  the  incisures  meet,  and  a  sphericle  is  at  last  detached,  which  is 
now  turned  over  and  its  faces  one  after  another  brought  opposite  the  largest 
hole,  and  firmly  secured  by  wedges  in  the  other  apertures,  while  its  surfaces 
are  smoothed  and  carved.  When  the  central  sphere  is  done,  a  similar  tool, 
somewhat  larger,  is  again  introduced  into  the  holes,  and  another  sphere 
detached  and  smoothed  in  the  same  way,  and  then  another,  until  the  whole 
is  completed,  each  being  polished  and  carved  before  the  next  outer  one  is 
commenced.  It  takes  3  or  4  months  to  complete  a  ball  with  15  inner  globes, 
the  price  of  which  varies  according  to  the  delicacy  of  the  carving.  Some 
writers  have  asserted  that  these  curious  toys  were  made  of  semispheres 
nicely  luted  together,  and  they  have  been  boiled  in  oil  for  hours  in  order  to 
separate  them  and  solve  the  mystery  of  their  construction.' 

The  best  and  most  valuable  ivory  comes  from  Siam,  and 
despite  the  fact  that  the  Siamese  elephant  belongs  to  the 
species  known  as  Elephas  indicus,  its  dentine  or  tooth-sub- 
stance is  considerably  finer  and  more  regular  in  texture  than 
that  of  its  Indian  brother,  and  more  costly.  The  tusks  are 
heavier  (in  proportion)  than  those  of  either  the  Indian  or  the 
(second  and  only  additional)  African  species  (Elephas  or 
Loxodon  africanus),  the  highest  grade  being  easily  recognizable 
not  only  by  an  unusual  compactness  and  solidity,  but  also  by 
the  excessive  fineness  of  the  contour-lines  which  show  on  a 
cross-section  of  a  tusk.  The  quick  eye  will  also  note  a  decided 
pinkish  tinge,  particularly  in  a  newly  carved  object  that  has  not 
been  stained  artificially.  After  long  exposure  to  light  this  tint 
fades  to  a  faint  yellow,  then  gradually  takes  on  a  soft  brown 
glow,  which  is  so  prized  that  cheap  ivories  are  often  subjected 
to  a  special  treatment  to  produce  it.  Both  the  Indian  and 
African  ivory  are  milk-white,  of  coarser  grain,  and  therefore 
inferior;  of  the  two  the  African  is  the  better.  When  first  cut,  it 
is  semitransparent,  and  is  then  known  as  'green  ivory.'  When 
dry,  it  is  lighter  and  more  opaque.  Expert  collectors  usually 
prefer  the  Siamese  ivory,  not  only  because  of  its  intrinsic 
worth,  but  also  because  a  much  finer  expression  can  be  obtained 
by  the  artist  when  carving  it.  It  also  takes  a  fine  polish,  — 
the  lack  of  which  is  often  a  good  proof  of  origin  and  quality. 
The  world's  annual  output  of  ivory  (most  of  which  comes  from 
Equatorial  Africa)  is  between  500  and  600  tons.  The  largest 


IVORY 


ccxxxix 


African  tusks  (sometimes  9  ft.  long,  and  weighing  100-160  lbs.) 
are  generally  bought  (at  the  quarterly  sales  held  in  London) 
for  the  American  market,  where  50%  of  the  importations  are 
used  in  making  piano-keys.  The  bes't  bring  about  $350  per 
cwt.  The  Indian  tusks  rarely  weigh  more  than  50  lbs.,  and  the 
Siamese  still  less.  The  bulk  of  the  ivory  used  by  the  Japanese 
passes  through  the  hands  of  Chinese  dealers.  Walrus  ivory, 
which  is  bought  in  the  Indian  market,  is  inferior  to  elephants' 
tusks  (or  incisors) ;  the  canines  are  rarely  over  2  ft.  long  (they 
cost  about  a  third  as  much  as  Siamese  or  African  ivory),  with 
little  or  no  grain,  and  to  form  any  carving  of  magnitude,  num- 
bers of  small  pieces  must  be  fastened  together.  As  it  is  usually 
a  dirty  white  and  easily  distinguishable  from  superior  ivory, 
it  is  generally  stained  before  being  sold.  Tastes  differ  in  the 
matter  of  stain;  some  prefer  the  rich  creamy  brown  color 
obtained  by  boiling  the  article  in  the  juices  of  the  Yasha  tree, 
while  others  demand  the  pure  white  product.  To  take  the 
stain  properly,  ivory  must  first  be  polished,  and  it  is  then  more 
easily  kept  clean.  The  white,  unpolished  surface,  though  appar- 
ently smooth,  is  nevertheless  rough,  and  it  holds  dirt  readily. 
The  disadvantage  in  buying  stained  ivory  lies  in  the  difficulty 
of  determining  quality.  In  addition  to  walrus  ivory,  the  teeth 
of  sperm  whales,  the  lamantin  or  manatee,  and  other  phocine 
animals  are  used,  along  with  great  quantities  of  bone  (often 
of  deer). 

Beautiful  additions  to  ivory  groups  are  made  by  employing 
finely  stained  cherry-wood  (sakura),  or  carefully  polished, 
silky-surfaced  boxwood  (tsuge),  to  form  the  body  of  a  man  with 
an  ivory  head,  hands,  and  feet,  or  some  similar  conceit.  The 
latter  wood  (better  than  the  cherry)  is  often  used  in  the  manu- 
facture of  netsuke,  and  is  surprisingly  effective.  As  ivory 
grows  brittle  with  age,  and  as  it  then  shows  a  tendency  to  chip 
in  concentric  layers  when  struck  with  hammer  or  chisel,  it  is 
generally  carved  in  a  green  state.  For  this  reason  some  care  is 
necessary  to  prevent  unseasoned  ivories  from  cracking.  Expert 
manipulators  and  trustworthy  manufacturers,  aware  that 
ivory  shrinks  more  rapidly  in  width  than  in  length,  shape  up 
fine  and  expensive  objects  in  the  rough,  then  set  them  away 
for  a  year  or  two  (or  work  on  them  at  long  intervals)  in  a  room 
with  a  uniform  temperature  that  is  neither  too  hot  nor  too  cold, 
before  putting  the  finishing  touches  on  them.  Many  months 
are  sometimes  required  to  complete  a  fine  figure  or  a  compli- 
cated group.  The  cement  which  coats  a  tusk  in  its  natural 
state  is  first  scraped  off,  then  a  chisel  and  hammer  are  used  on 
it,  and  finally  it  is  cut  and  scraped  with  sharp  knives.  The 
workmen  (many  of  whom  are  sharp-sighted  boys)  squat  before 
low  benches  on  which  a  good  light  shines,  and  work  on  the 
object  which  they  hold  between  their  prehensile  feet.  The 
chips  are  saved,  for  when  properly  calcined  in  a  closed  vessel 


ccxl 


WOOD-CARVING 


they  furnish  a  fine  soft  black  pigment  known  as  ivory-black, 
used  in  oil  and  water-colors  and  as  an  engraving  ink. 

A  good  ivorist  must  also  be  an  expert  sculptor  in  wood,  as 
well  as  a  modeler  in  clay,  for  models  (or  pencil  drawings)  of 
the  finest  figures  are  always  made  first  in  one  of  the  two 
mediums;  even  more  skill  is  shown  in  their  fashioning  than  in 
the  carving  of  the  ivory  itself,  for  this  must  necessarily  be  an 
absolutely  faithful  copy  of  the  model.  The  plastic  nature  of 
the  clay  (the  medium  most  in  use)  makes  a  change  of  expres- 
sion possible  at  the  last  moment,  but  no  such  change  can  be 
made  after  the  tusk  is  carved.  These  clay  figures  are  as  beauti- 
ful in  a  way  as  the  ivory  ones,  in  the  manipulation  of  which 
exquisitely  delicate  instruments  of  precision  are  used  con- 
stantly to  insure  proportions  that  will  not  offend  the  artistic 
eye.  Extreme  care  is  necessary  when  a  complicated  or  costly 
piece  is  being  manufactured,  as  a  slip  of  the  chisel,  a  single 
false  stroke,  or  a  deep  incision  can  alter  an  expression  and  ruin 
the  artistic  character  of  the  work.  As  this  advances,  all  that 
part  of  the  ivory  figure  upon  which  the  artist  is  not  engaged  is 
swathed  in  cloth  or  paper  to  protect  it  from  draughts  of  cold 
air.  As  it  is  manifestly  impossible  to  carve  certain  bulky 
groups  out*  of  a  single  tusk,  the  pieces  are  carved  separately 
and  (in  the  best  work)  are  put  together  with  hidden  metal 
screws,  or  bolts  and  nuts.  Ivory  plugs  or  dowels  expand  under 
heat  and  contract  with  cold,  and  thus  imperil  the  pieces  in 
which  they  are  used.  Apprentices  who  do  the  preliminary 
rough  work  earn  from  50  sen  upward  a  day,  while  expert 
modelers  and  carvers  get  as  much  as  20  yen  a  day.  Several  of 
the  most  skilled  of  the  modern  craftsmen  work  in  the  ateliers 
of  Toyama  &  Co.,  at  Tokyo,  where  specimens  of  the  finest 
ivory-carvings  produced  in  Japan  may  be  seen  (English 
spoken,  visitors  welcome)  in  the  making.  The  work  is  well 
worth  seeing,  particularly  that  of  the  young  and  promising 
artist,  Homei  Yoshida,  whose  skillful  manipulations  of  the 
difficult  medium  excite  admiration.  —  Collectors  of  ivories 
may  wish  to  remember  that  draughts  of  cold  air  and  sudden 
temperature  changes  are  destructive  to  the  finest  pieces.  When 
subjected  to  excessive  heat,  improperly  seasoned  ivory  cracks 
like  unseasoned  furniture.  It  keeps  best  in  an  equable  tempera- 
ture anywhere  between  40°  and  60°  F.  If  this  cannot  be  main- 
tained, the  pieces  should  be  kept  in  a  closed  cabinet  or  case 
along  with  a  sponge  filled  with  water.  This  will  prevent  crack- 
ing. Cracks  are  more  apt  to  occur  in  hollow  pieces,  or  in  those 
where  the  calcified  pulp  is  soft.  By  making  purchases  of  reput- 
able dealers  only,  travelers  can  avoid  many  of  the  pitfalls  pre- 
pared for  them  by  unscrupulous  men  who  sell  inferior  stuff  and 
guarantee  it  to  be  the  best. 

Wood-Carving,  or  ki-no-hori-mono,  has  been  popular  with 
the  Japanese  since  the  first  sculptured  Buddhist  idol  was 


WOOD-CARVING 


ccxli 


brought  from  Korea  in  the  6th  cent.  Thence  onward  many 
of  the  native  craftsmen  devoted  their  extraordinary  talent  to 
the  fashioning  of  Mokubutsu  (a  wooden  image  of  Buddha)  or 
other  saints  of  the  Buddhist  pantheon.  During  the  Nara 
epoch  (8th  cent.)  sculpture  in  wood  and  bronze  was  elevated 
to  a  fine  art,  and  in  the  11th  and  12th  centuries  Japan  pos- 
sessed (in  Jocho  and  his  descendant  Unkei)  sculptors  in  wood 
fit  to  take  rank  with  any  that  the  world  had  produced  up  to 
that  time.  J  dehors  genius  (inherited  direct  from  his  talented 
father  Kosho)  made  the  beginning  of  the  11th  cent,  one  of  the 
most  notable  epochs  of  Japanese  sculpture.  His  descendants 
and  chief  pupils  are  often  referred  to  as  the  Nara  Busshi,  or 
'Buddhist  sculptors  of  Nara/  as  well  as  Masamune  no  Busshi, 
the  prefix  Masamune  1  being  intended  to  indicate  that  they 
exhibited  as  sculptors  talent  not  inferior  to  that  of  Masamune, 
as  a  swordsmith.'  The  many  superb  carvings  in  wood  executed 
by  the  left-handed  Hidari  Jingord  at  the  mausolea  of  the 
Tokugawa  shoguns  at  Nikko  and  at  Shiba  in  the  17th  cent., 
spurred  his  successors  to  renewed  efforts,  and  not  a  little  note- 
worthy work  was  done  between  his  death  in  1635  and  the 
restoration  of  the  Mikado  to  his  ancestral  rights  in  1868.  The 
political  turmoil  which  marked  this  transcendental  epoch,  the 
opening  of  the  country  to  Occidental  civilization,  the  disen- 
dowment  of  Buddhism  and  the  consequent  diminution  in  the 
construction  of  gorgeous  temples,  deprived  many  of  the  native 
sculptors  of  graven  images  of  the  means  of  practicing  their 
handicraft.  As  a  compensation,  however,  there  arose  a  steady 
foreign  demand  for  a  host  of  sculptured  things,  from  the 
exquisite  little  ivory  or  wood  netsukes  to  curio-cabinets,  chests, 
and  the  like  to  decorate  Western  homes.  The  marvelous  skill 
with  which  the  native  carvers  fashion  the  fine  tables,  cabinets, 
chairs,  and  what-not  from  the  native  woods,  appeals  directly 
to  foreigners,  and  the  demand  for  this  branch  of  art  work 
grows  apace. 

Neither  teak  nor  rosewood  grows  in  Japan  and  little  or  no 
furniture  is  made  from  them.  The  rosewood  cabinets  (see  For- 
mosa)  one  sometimes  sees  in  the  shops  are  imported,  and  they 
generally  advertise  their  origin  by  the  Chinese  designs  carved 
on  them.  Unless  they  are  well  made,  they  are  apt  to  come 
apart  in  steam-heated  homes,  and  then  they  are  difficult  to 
mend,  as  the  grain  of  the  wood  is  so  close  that  it  absorbs  glue 
reluctantly.  Whenever  a  (so-called)  rosewood  cabinet  or  the 
like  carries  Japanese  ornamentation  (readily  distinguished 
from  the  Chinese),  it  is  of  home  manufacture  and  is  apt  to  be 
made  of  keyaki,  or  mulberry-wood  —  which  is  fairly  hard  and 
darkens  with  age.  Many  unscrupulous  dealers  palm  off  soft 
native-wood  furniture  on  unsuspecting  foreigners  for  teak. 
Travelers  unacquainted  with  the  salient  characteristics  of  this 
wood  (used  largely  for  ships'  decks)  may  like  to  remember  that 


ccxlii 


WOOD-CARVING 


the  E.  Indian  teak  (Burma,  Siam,  India,  etc.)  is  of  a  yellowish- 
brown  color,  straight-grained,  hard,  and  similar  in  appearance 
to  oak  or  hickory.  Unlike  oak  it  does  not  corrode  the  iron 
which  is  sometimes  used  in  connection  with  it.  Much  of  the 
furniture  imported  from  China  and  sold  in  the  curio-stores  is 
made  of  bastard  teak  (the  E.  Indian  Pterocarpus  Marsupium), 
the  brown  heart  wood  of  which  shows  dark  streaks  (usually 
stained  over) ;  is  very  hard  and  durable,  and  takes  a  fine  polish. 
Other  pieces  (usually  tables,  stands,  and  chairs)  are  made  of  the 
so-called  Chinese  ebony,  or  blackwood.  In  buying  this,  look 
carefully  to  the  joints  to  see  if  they  are  filled  in  with  shellac. 
Splendid  specimens  of  the  very  desirable  old  Canton  carved 
work  can  sometimes  be  found  in  the  curio-shops. 

Furniture  for  foreign  trade  is  customarily  made  in  small 
workshops  maintained  by  the  large  curio  establishments,  or  in 
home  workshops  whose  output  is  bought  by  them.  In  the  case 
of  the  former  the  wood  is  almost  sure  to  be  of  better  quality 
and  better  seasoned.  In  the  finer  grades  the  reddish,  compact, 
soft,  close-grained,  easily  carved  inner  wood  of  the  yama- 
sakura,  or  mountain  cherry,  is  used.  It  takes  an  easy  and  often 
beautiful  polish,  and  is  employed  widely  for  carvings,  and  for 
blocks  in  printing  cloth  and  wall-paper.  Although  the  tree 
grows  wild  in  the  forests  all  over  Japan,  the  demand  for  the 
best  wood  makes  it  relatively  expensive,  and  cheaper  materials 
are  not  unfrequently  used  by  small  dealers  and  others.  The 
tough,  elastic  and  durable  keyaki  enters  largely  into  the  manu- 
facture of  small  work,  and  is  sometimes  employed  for  cabinets, 
etc.  In  having  cherry-wood  chairs  or  the  like  made  to  order, 
remember  that  seats  made  of  keyaki  are  much  stronger  and  less 
liable  to  crack  than  those  made  of  softer  wood.  Insist  also 
that  wood  dowels  be  used,  instead  of  wire  nails,  when  putting 
pieces  together.  Metal  tenons  have  to  be  sawed  through  when 
repair  work  is  done  and  the  furniture  is  apt  to  be  mutilated. 
The  camphor- wood  chests  successfully  keep  out  moths.  Most 
of  the  bamboo  furniture  cracks  and  warps  in  the  American 
climate.  The  large  curio-cabinets  are  usually  made  collapsible, 
and  ocean  freight  is  thereby  saved.  Not  a  little  of  the  furniture 
used  in  Japanese  houses  is  made  of  the  wood  of  Cercidiphyllum 
japonicum  (Katsura)  of  the  Magnoliaceoe,  a  beautiful  tree 
which  grows  in  the  mt.  forests  of  the  Empire.  Numerous  small 
articles  are  carved  from  the  wood  of  a  curious  little  tree  (the 
Albizzia  Julibrissin  or  silk-tree,  allied  to  the  Acacia)  called 
Nemu-no-ki  ('sleeper')  from  the  circumstance  that  its  leaves 
are  very  sensitive  and  that  it  is  said  to  sleep  during  the  night. 
It  is  found  all  over  Japan  and  is  thought  to  have  been  intro- 
duced from  N.  India.  The  wood  is  yellow,  with  a  dark-brown 
core;  hard  and  strong,  and  easy  to  polish.  The  dark  red  sandal- 
woods of  the  tropical  monsoon  district  belong  also  to  this  fam- 
ily. —  It  remains  to  be  said  that  carved  furniture  should  be 


LACQUER-WORK 


ccxliii 


bought  only  of  trustworthy  dealers,  not  only  in  order  to  get 
well-seasoned  wood  and  correct  prices,  but  to  insure  its  being 
packed  so  that  it  will  endure  a  long  ocean  voyage. 
V*  Lacquer- Work  undoubtedly  occupies  first  place  in  the  vari- 
✓  ous  branches  of  Japanese  art  industry,  and  so  widespread  is 
the  fame  of  the  varnish  or  lacquer  employed  in  the  work  that 
'japanned'  or  'to  japan'  (or  lacquer)  long  since  became 
current  in  the  English  language.  The  art  of  lacquer  manu- 
facture came  from  China,  but  in  none  have  the  Japanese  so 
quickly  disengaged  themselves  from  their  Chinese  masters  and 
patterns  and  stood  more  independently,  and  in  no  other  have 
they  won  such  world-wide  renown.  'In  scarcely  any  other 
branch  of  their  industry  is  the  employment  and  use  of  the  raw 
material  so  varied,  the  purposes  and  excellence  of  the  articles 
it  serves  to  adorn  so  manifold,  as  in  the  case  of  lacquer-work, 
and  the  industry  which  gives  it  value.  The  great  superiority 
of  the  wares  is  not  only  the  result  of  several  excellent  proper- 
ties of  the  peculiar  lacquer  (practically  a  ready-made  product 
of  nature),  but  is  also  based  on  the  careful  manner  in  which  it 
is  used.  Japanese  articles  of  this  kind  are  distinguished  by 
greater  lightness  and  elegance  of  appearance;  by  their  solidity, 
and  the  beauty  and  spirit  of  their  decorations,  and  by  several 
very  valuable  elements  in  the  material  itself.'  In  hardness  the 
lacquer  varnish  far  excels  all  others;  when  carefully  laid  on,  its 
lustrous,  mirrorlike  surface  offers  a  determined  resistance  to 
many  agencies  which  destroy  ordinary  resinous  lacquer 
varnish.  It  is  not  injured  by  boiling  water,  alcoholic  liquids, 
or  even  acid  (when  cold). 

Although  historians  aver  that  the  art  of  lacquer-making  was 
practiced  in  Japan  as  far  back  as  the  3d  cent,  before  Christ, 
it  is  more  than  likely  that  it  came  to  Japan  from  China  along 
with  Buddhism  and  the  many  arts  this  religion  brought  in  its 
train.  The  first  manufactures  in  Japan  were  plain  black,  and 
these  were  followed  in  the  8th  cent,  by  objects  ornamented 
with  gold-dust  and  mother-of-pearl.  Landscapes  and  religious 
scenes  were  added  to  the  range  of  motives  in  the  10th  cent., 
and  authenticated  specimens  of  12th-cent.  work  show  human 
figures,  birds,  flowers,  and  the  like.  About  this  time  lacquer 
began  to  be  used  as  a  decorative  medium  for  the  interiors  of 
temples,  and  in  the  13th  cent,  the  artists  acquired  increased 
skill  in  the  portrayal  of  tasteful  and  delicate  landscape  and 
other  designs.  During  the  Kamakura  epoch  vermilion  lacquer 
was  first  applied  to  objects  having  their  wooden  surfaces 
carved  in  diapers  or  arabesques.  Captain  Brinkley  concludes 
that  this  work  (called  Kamakura-bori,  or  Kamakura  carving) 
was  suggested  by  the  red  lacquer  of  China  which  has  designs 
cut  in  the  lacquer  itself.  '  That  development  was  the  produc- 
tion of  what  is  called  taka-makiye  (lacquer  in  relief).  Hitherto 
artists  had  confined  themselves  to  hira-makiye  (flat  lacquer), 


ccxliv 


LACQUER-WORK 


or  lacquer  having  the  decorative  design  in  the  same  plane  as 
the  ground.  Experts  now  undertook  surface  modeling  in  the 
lacquer  itself,  and  the  art  reached  a  point  of  high  development 
in  the  time  of  the  Shogun  Yoshimasa  (1449-90).  From  this 
era  the  takamakiye  became  famous,  and  has  since  constituted 
one  of  the  distinctive  features  of  Japanese  lacquer.  It  is  not 
found  in  the  lacquers  of  either  China  or  Korea.  With  it,  in 
that  respect,  may  be  classed  aventurine  lacquer,  called  "  pear- 
ground'  '  or  nashi-ji,  which  has  never  been  produced  elsewhere. 
Nashi-ji  may  be  described  as  a  surface  presenting  the  appear- 
ance of  golden  sand  pervaded  by  a  faint  glow  of  russet  brown.' 

In  the  16th  cent,  the  expert  lacquerer  began  to  rank  with  the 
pictorial  artist  or  the  sculptor.  The  rapidly  growing  demand 
for  fine  work  in  architectural  decoration  raised  the  standard  of 
skill,  and  the  Haste  of  the  time  found  expression  in  a  new 
fashion  introduced  by  Anami  Kdyetsu  (1590-1637),  of  which 
the  characteristic  features  were  remarkable  boldness  of  deco- 
rative design,  free  use  of  conventionalized  forms,  and  the 
employment  of  gold,  silver,  lead,  and  mother-of-pearl  in  solid 
masses.  This  style  received  fuller  development  at  the  hands  of 
Ogate  Korin,  who  is  remembered  as  one  of  the  greatest  deco- 
rative artists  of  the  17th  cent.'  The  period  of  greatest  brilliancy 
in  the  art  was  during  the  time  of  the  splendor-loving  Shogun 
Tokugawa  Tsunayoshi  (1681-1709)  — '  that  famous  era  of 
Genroku,  memorable  for  so  much  that  was  bad  and  so  much 
that  was  good  in  Japanese  civilization.'  Gold  lacquer  articles 
of  this  period  are  veritable  masterpieces,  in  the  making  of 
which  a  workman  was  often  engaged  for  years,  and  whose 
ornamentation  was  performed  with  surprising  patience,  care, 
fineness,  and  truth  to  nature.  The  great  artistic  perfection  of 
many  of  the  pieces  (excellent  examples  in  the  Okura  Museum 
at  Tokyo)  is  equaled  only  by  the  richness  of  the  gold  employed 
in  the  decorations.  '  Not  only  did  the  universal  popularity  of 
the  tea-clubs  and  the  incense-cult  create  a  keen  demand  for 
the  finest  work,  but  also  the  interior  decoration  of  the  mausolea 
at  Shiba  Park  and  Nikko  offered  an  unprecedented  field  for 
the  art.  In  these  mausolea  are  to  be  found  the  most  splendid 
applications  of  lacquered  decoration  that  the  world  has  ever 
seen,  nor  is  it  at  all  likely  that  anything  on  a  comparable  scale 
of  grandeur  and  beauty  will  ever  again  be  produced.  Many 
exquisite  examples  of  lacquer  are  to  be  found  in  inro  produced 
during  the  Tokugawa  times.  Owing  to  its  small  size  and  com- 
parative cheapness  the  inro  is  a  favorite  with  foreign  collectors, 
and  numerous  specimens  of  great  beauty  are  among  the  trea- 
sures of  European  and  American  art-lovers.  It  shares  with  the 
netsuke  the  charm  of  offering  an  almost  unlimited  field  of 
decorative  motives,  —  landscapes  copied  from  great  painters, 
incidents  from  daily  life,  from  history,  and  from  mythology, 
birds  and  insects  of  every  description,  and  innumerable  studies 


LACQUER-WORK 


ccxlv 


of  flowers  and  foliage.  Almost  all  the  renowned  lacquerers 
from  the  16th  cent,  downwards  occupied  themselves,  occasion- 
ally, with  the  making  of  inro.' 

With  the  beginning  of  the  18th  cent,  the  Giyo-bu  Nashi-ji 
(named  after  Giyo-bu  Taro,  an  influential  lacquerer  in  Yedo, 
whose  method  was  largely  followed)  was  added  to  the  former 
modes  of  decoration;  it  consisted  in  laying  small  squares  of 
gold-foil  on  the  pictured  trunks  of  trees,  on  the  raised  banks  of 
streams,  to  represent  diminutive  paving-stones,  etc.,  —  a 
wearisome  and  costly  mode  of  ornamentation  often  seen  in  the 
old  work  and  greatly  prized  by  the  Japanese.  Native  collectors 
will,  in  fact,  pay  almost  fabulous  sums  for  fine  pieces  of  old 
gold  lacquer,  the  hoarding  of  which  is  a  cult  with  many.  Fine 
lacquer  is  costly  enough  as  it  is,  for  the  work  demands  not  only 
great  skill,  patience,  and  the  expenditure  of  time,  but  expen- 
sive materials  as  well.  While  ordinary  lacquer  is  produced  in 
many  parts  of  the  Empire,  some  of  the  most  skilled  artists  and 
craftsmen  live  and  work  in  Kyoto,  where  much  of  the  finest 
gold-lacquer  is  now  made.  Present-day  experts  do  work  not 
only  as  fine  and  as  attractive  as  any  that  their  predecessors 
did,  but  considerable  of  it  is  in  forms  which  appeal  more 
strongly  to  modern  collectors.  A  representative  exponent  of 
some  of  the  best  modern  gold-lacquer-work  is  S.  Hayashi,  of 
Kyoto,  in  whose  workshop  the  interested  traveler  may  inspect 
all  the  processes  of  manufacture,  —  none  of  which  are  now 
secret.  A  store  where  lacquer- ware  is  sold  is  called  Shikiya, 
or  Nurimonoya. 

Lacquered  Wares  are  known  collectively  as  Nurimono  (nuri,  lacquer- 
ing, varnishing;  mono,  thing).  The  lacquer  or  lac  is  urushi;  and  to  lacquer 
is  urushi  de  nuru.  '  The  lacquerers  are  divided  into  two  general  classes: 
Nurimono-shi  or  Nushi-ya,  and  Makiye-shi.  The  first  supply  the  ground- 
work and  common  lacquering;  they  understand  nothing  about  the  finer 
work,  and  only  in  exceptional  cases  employ  metals  for  decoration.  The 
Makiye-shi,  or  lacquer  painters,  stand  higher,  and  are  usually  real  artists 
who  wield  their  small  brush  with  great  firmness  and  skill,  and  not  only  work 
according  to  patterns,  but  often  develop  admirable  creative  power  in  design- 
ing.' The  Aogai-shi,  or  madreperl  inlayers,  constitute  a  class  apart.  The  lac- 
quer tree  (Rhus  vernicifera,  Japanese,  Urushi-no-ki)  flourishes  all  over  Japan, 
but  is  cultivated  to  the  best  advantage  in  the  N.  part  of  the  Main  Island, 
between  lat.  37°  and  39°.  From  the  8th  yr.  onward  the  trees  bear  dry,  ye- 
lowish-green  stone  fruit  from  which  a  plant  tallow  is  expressed.  The  wood 
is  fine-grained  and  is  golden  at  the  heart,  and  is  much  used  for  cabinet- 
work. Trees  are  at  their  best  for  yielding  lacquer  when  about  18-20  yrs. 
old,  although  lac  extraction  often  begins  when  they  are  5-10  yrs.  old.  The 
trees  are  tapped  by  men  who  make  a  specialty  of  the  work,  and  the  viscid 
tan-brown  liquor  is  called  kiurushi,  or  raw  lacquer.  Not  a  few  of  the  work- 
men suffer  from  lacquer-poisoning  (urushi-kabure) ,  since  the  lacquer-tree  is 
related  to  the  sumac,  and  possesses  similar  poisonous  attributes.  Travelers 
susceptible  to  the  effects  of  poison-ivy  may  like  to  remember  that  by  merely 
handling  a  cheap,  improperly  lacquered  article,  on  a  moist,  summer  day, 
they  may  suffer  slightly  from  the  effects  of  the  poison.  It  appears  in  a  mild 
reddening  of  the  back  of  the  hands  and  on  other  parts  of  the  body  —  often- 
times in  the  form  of  small  blisters  between  the  fingers.  In  two  or  three  days 
the  itching,  burning  sensation  goes  away  and  the  swelling  subsides. 

The  wood  most  largely  used  in  the  making  of  the  best  lacquered  ware  is 
Hinoki  (Retinospora  obtusa),  as  it  is  white,  free  from  knots,  and  has  but 


ccxlvi 


METAL-WORK 


little  resin;  many  others  are  employed,  however,  and  are  generally  selected 
for  toughness  and  firmness  of  grain.  After  the  well-seasoned  wood  to  be  lac- 
quered is  fashioned  by  an  expert  joiner  into  a  dainty  box,  all  the  pores,  joints, 
and  fissures  are  carefully  filled  with  lacquer,  or  with  a  lute  called  kokuso,  com- 
posed of  rice-paste  and  lacquer  mixed  with  fine  cotton  wadding.  The  article 
is  then  painted  over  with  a  thin  coating  of  lac-sizing;  if  it  is  bulky,  it  is  now 
covered  with  fine  but  strong  linen  (silk  is  used  in  the  daintier  work),  which, 
when  glued  to  the  surface,  strengthens  it  and  excludes  moisture.  This  cov- 
ering is  then  painted  with  lacquer  and  allowed  to  dry,  before  receiving  a  2d 
coat.  It  is  now  luted  again  with  a  composition  of  powdered  clay  and  lacquer 
in  order  to  insure  it  against  warping,  and  again  with  a  finer  grade  of  clay 
and  lacquer.  This  is  repeated  twice  before  the  surface  is  smoothed  and 
polished  with  a  special  charcoal,  after  which  another,  then  still  another,  coat 
of  lacquer  is  applied.  After  the  tedious  process  of  rubbing-down  is  finished, 
the  design,  which  is  first  drawn  on  one  side  of  the  paper  with  India  ink, 
and  on  the  reverse,  in  outline,  with  lacquer,  is  pressed  against  the  surface  of 
the  box  until  an  outline  impression  is  formed.  The  details  are  then  filled  in 
with  gold  powder  and  colors.  A  final  coat  of  transparent  black  lacquer  is 
laid  over  the  gold  surface,  which,  when  dry,  is  polished  again  with  fine- 
grained charcoal  to  bring  the  colors  and  the  gold  nearer  to  the  surface.  The 
peculiar  metallic  luster  brought  out  by  the  burnishing  is  referred  to  as 
togidashi.  If  embossed  or  raised  work,  takamakiye,  is  wanted,  it  is  now  a 
question  of  painting  the  designs  in  gold,  lacquering  them  successively,  then 
applying  them  again  until  the  required  thickness  is  obtained.  The  process 
varies,  and  is  described  with  a  wealth  of  detail  in  vol.  7  of  the  Oriental  Series 
and  in  Dr.  Rein's  superlatively  excellent  Industries  of  Japan.  The  best 
Japanese  lacquered  ware  has  been  described  as  '  the  most  perfect  works 
that  have  issued  from  man's  hands.'  The  common  lacquered  work  made  for 
export  is  usually  just  a  plain  wood  article  with  a  painted  surface ;  it  is  brittle 
and  it  cracks  easily  —  particularly  when  (as  is  often  the  case)  the  wood  is 
sawed  against,  rather  than  with,  the  grain.  Good  lacquer  should  be  dusted 
with  a  fine  silk  cloth  or  something  equally  soft,  as  a  rough  one  will  scratch 
the  delicate  surface. 

Metal- Work.  The  relics  exhumed  from  sepulchers  indicate 
that  the  Japanese  passed  through  a  bronze  age  and  an  iron 
age ;  the  earliest  bronze  castings  are  supposed  to  date  from  the 
6th  cent,  before  the  Christian  era.  Iron  began  to  take  the 
place  of  bronze  about  b.c.  200,  and  coincidently  gold  came 
into  use.  In  the  4th  cent.  '  considerable  skill  had  been  devel- 
oped in  the  use  of  bronze,  iron,  and  gold  for  decorative  pur- 
poses. Gold-plating  was  applied  with  dexterity  to  bronze  and 
iron  alike ;  decoration,  not  without  delicacy  and  grace,  appears 
upon  the  hilts  of  swords,  and  cleverly  conceived  motives, 
modeled  and  chiseled  with  ability,  appeared  upon  the  pom- 
mels.' With  Buddhism  came  a  new  standard  of  art  conception; 
after  the  year  552,  religious  statues  began  to  arrive  from  Korea 
in  numbers,  and  these,  as  well  as  the  bronze  images  modeled 
in  Japan  during  the  next  60  or  70  yrs.,  show  sculpture  which 
had  not  yet  fully  emerged  from  its  primitive  stage.  In  the  first 
half  of  the  8th  cent.,  however,  the  ability  to  work  skillfully  in 
metals  generally,  and  especially  in  bronze,  had  reached  a  high 
stage;  the  best  examples  of  this  early  work  are  the  great  bells, 
massive  statues  of  Buddha,  and  the  idols,  vases,  censors,  and 
other  celebrated  articles  preserved  in  Nara,  Kyoto,  etc.  So 
great  was  the  demand  for  swords  of  fine  temper,  weapons  of 
various  classes,  and  armor,  during  the  period  of  military 
despotism  and  feudalism,  that  the  Japanese  became  more 


DAMASCENING 


ccxlvii 


expert  in  metal-working  than  in  many  of  their  other  arts,  and 
'  there  was  scarcely  any  kind  of  metal  ornamentation  or  deco- 
ration, with  the  exception  of  galvanizing,  which  they  had  not 
known  and  practiced  before  the  opening  of  the  country.  In 
their  more  eminent  accomplishments  they  had  already  won 
the  admiration  of  European  connoisseurs.  Precious  metals, 
copper,  bronze,  and  cast-iron,  however  different  their  proper- 
ties may  be,  all  yield  to  the  skillful  hand  of  the  Japanese,  and 
to  his  manifold  little  art  conceptions,  which  effectively  supple- 
ment the  simplicity  of  the  tools.  His  decorations  of  iron  and 
bronze  belong  notably  to  the  most  costly  that  can  be  accom- 
plished in  this  direction.  The  wonderful  skill  with  which  appar- 
ently insurmountable  difficulties  in  damascening,  chasing,  and 
other  work  are  overcome,  surprises  one  no  less  than  the  great 
ability  to  work  effective  color  combinations,  and  the  means  of 
their  representation.'  The  Japanese  are  skilled  equally  in  the 
Casting  (Iru,  or  I -mono)  of  metals;  in  Embossing  (  Uchi-dashi, 
or  Uchi-age)',  Beating  or  hammering  (Tataku  or  Utsu); 
Turned  work  (Rokuro-saiku) ;  Chasing  (Horn  and  Hori-age)) 
Engraving  or  incising  ( Horn,  and  Kiri-tsuke ;  —  Hori-mono 
is  the  name  given  to  every  kind  of  graven  or  chased  work,  and 
the  article  thus  decorated  is  called  Hori-mono-zaiku) ;  Damas- 
cening (Zogan);  Plating  (Kin-kise  and  Gin-kise);  Enamel 
OSMppo);  and  Coloring  (Iro-tsuke). 


)C  (a)  Damascening,  or  inlaying  on  gold-bronze,  copper, 
plain  bronze,  iron,  and  steel,  is  done  in  a  very  skillful  and 
artistic  manner  by  the  old  Kyoto  craftsmen,  and  the  work  is 
popular  with  foreigners.  The  best  ranks  alongside  the  famous 
products  of  Damascus  (whence  the  name)  and  the  finest  koft- 
work  of  Kashmir.  The  gold-bronze  used  in  Japan  is  the  purest 
bronze  with  from  5%  to  50%  of  refined  gold  added,  according 
to  the  use  to  be  made  of  the  article.  Thus,  while  vases  and 
cabinet-  or  mantel-ornaments,  which  are  not  much  handled, 
may  contain  20%  of  pure  gold;  cigarette-cases,  match-boxes, 
and  the  like,  exposed  to  considerable  friction,  contain  30%,  — 
which  is  considered  high  grade.  The  buyer  must  take  the 
dealer's  word  for  the  amount  of  gold  in  each  article,  as  the  sur- 
face gives  no  indication  of  it  until  it  begins  to  wear.  Sea  salt 
in  secret  proportions  is  used  in  the  process,  and  the  beautiful 
blue-black  finish  of  the  finest  work  is  imparted  by  using  sul- 
phate and  verdigris,  then  boiling  the  object  in  sea  water. 
Patient  hand-work  produces  the  final  brilliant  polish.  The 
best  or  true  damascening  (hon-zogan)  is  made  as  follows:  After 
the  metal  is  prepared  the  design  is  drawn  first  on  paper,  then 
with  India  ink  on  the  article  to  be  ornamented.  Along  these 
lines  furrows  are  made  in  the  bronze  with  a  burin,  the  cross- 
section,  somewhat  in  the  form  of  a  T-rail,  being  widest  at  the 
base,  where  it  is  cut  under  the  overhanging  surface.  In  this 
way  both  the  outer  edges  of  the  furrow,  which  grows  larger 


ccxlviii 


SILVER  AND  GOLD  WORK 


toward  the  inside,  are  beaten  back,  welt  fashion,  and  filed  off 
smooth.  Gold  or  silver  wire,  or  plate,  is  then  laid  in  the  furrow 
and  beaten  till  it  expands  and  dovetails  underneath;  it  is  then 
ground  off  smooth  on  the  surface  and  can  never  come  out.  In 
cheaper  goods  the  metal  is  simply  set  in;  while  still  cheaper 
stuff  is  electroplated  and  made  in  imitation  of  the  best.  Some 
beautiful  effects  are  produced  in  the  best  work  by  inlaying  with 
a  silver-bronze  called  Shibuichi,  —  a  grayish-black  alloy  con- 
taining 3  parts  of  copper  and  1  of  silver.  —  Taka-zogan  is 
raised  damascene  work,  or  relief  inlaying,  in  which  the  gold 
and  silver  project  over  the  furrow.  Exquisite  work  that  has 
been  carried  to  an  extraordinary  degree  of  elaboration  is  done 
under  this  head,  popular  motives  being  gold  storks  or  cranes 
wading  in  a  silver  stream;  flying  geese,  ducks,  and  a  host  of 
designs.  —  Hira-zogan  is  flat  damascening  in  which  the  inlaid 
precious  metal  does  not  project  over  the  surface  of  the  metal 
decorated  with  it.  —  Nunome-zogan,  or  damascening  in 
meshes,  is  applied  in  a  great  variety  of  ways,  and  in  many 
designs.  It  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  the  various  pro- 
cesses, and  beautiful  work,  almost  covered  with  endless 
arabesques  and  attractive  native  designs,  is  turned  out  of  the 
Kyoto  workshops.  Bronze  and  gold-bronze  is  often  encrusted 
with  gold-leaf  (kimpaku).  The  interested  traveler  can  inspect 
the  process  of  manufacture  at  the  ateliers  (English  spoken)  of 
K.  I.  Kuroda  (celebrated  also  for  artistic  groups  in  plain 
bronze),  and  S.  Komai,  both  in  Kyoto,  and  both  leaders  in 
the  arts.  The  finest  work  seen  in  the  curio  establishments 
throughout  the  Empire  often  originates  here. 

(b)  Silver  (gin)  and  Gold  (kin),  though  anciently  made 
into  a  variety  of  small  articles  for  ornament  (chiefly  sword- 
furniture  and  the  like),  evidently  were  too  precious  to  be  fash- 
ioned into  the  utensils  and  massive  and  beautiful  art  objects 
which  the  foreign  demand  has  created.  While  the  goldsmiths 
(kinzoku-shi)  still  confine  themselves  practically  to  damascene 
work  and  jewelry,  the  silversmiths  (ginzaikuya)  of  Tokyo 
(where  the  best  work  is  made)  produce  repousse  and  carved 
work  that  is  almost  unequaled,  and  is  notably  superior  to  the 
celebrated  silver-work  (ginzaiku)  of  China  (where  considerable 
base  metal  is  mixed  with  the  silver),  Siam,  Burma,  Ceylon, 
and  India.  The  beaten-work  is  finished  with  noteworthy  skill 
and  with  a  thoroughly  charming  fidelity  to  detail.  The  best  is 
marked  by  a  perfectly  even  distribution  of  the  'hammer- 
eyes  '  (tsutchi-me) ,  and  by  a  wealth  of  enrichment  which  only 
craftsmen  in  a  land  where  time  is  not  considered  as  worth 
much  are  willing  to  impart.  The  beautiful  great  punch-bowls, 
tea-sets,  trays,  flower-bowls,  and  the  host  of  smaller  articles  in 
constant  demand  by  tourists,  are  immensely  attractive ;  as  the 
work  not  only  differs  in  design,  but  is  generally  much  superior 
in  craftsmanship  to  any  obtainable  in  England  or  America. 


BRONZE-WORK  ccxlix 


The  best  relief-work  has  various  flowers  (chrysanthemums, 
iris,  etc.)  and  dragons  for  its  decorative  motifs.  After  being 
beaten  up  from  the  under  or  reverse  side,  the  article  is  filled 
with  molten  asphalt  and  raised  in  relief  (from  the  outside) 
by  means  of  the  hammer  and  various  tools.  The  finished 
article  is  usually  sold  by  weight,  a  certain  price  for  the  work- 
manship being  added  to  the  cost  of  the  silver  (according  to  its 
weight) .  The  special  trick  employed  by  untrustworthy  silver- 
smiths is  first  to  mix  an  alloy  of  base  metal  with  the  silver,  and 
then  to  leave  an  appreciable  quantity  of  the  pitch  between  the 
inner  surfaces  of  the  metal,  so  as  to  increase  the  weight.  When 
this  is  not  practicable,  thin  sheets  of  pewter  or  other  base  metal 
are  skillfully  inserted  between  the  inner  and  outer  skin  of 
silver.  Strangers  should  be  on  their  guard  against  the  allure- 
ments to  purchase  alleged  pure  silver  at  suspiciously  low 
prices,  as  the  'pale  drudge'  has  a  recognized  market  value 
and  will  always  bring  its  price.  Travelers  will  do  well  to  con- 
Jine  their  purchases  to  houses  of  known  repute. 
\  (c)  Bronze,  or  kara-kane  (Chinese:  'metal'),  a  copper- tin- 
lead  compound  with  from  70  to  90%  of  copper;  2  to  8%  of  tin; 
and  4  to  20%  of  lead,  also  contains  small  quantities  of  iron, 
nickel,  cobalt,  antimony,  arsenic,  etc.,  and  in  Japan  is  of  a 
toughness,  closeness,  and  hardness  which  enable  the  skilled 
craftsmen  to  fashion  it  into  many  beautiful  and  attractive 
shapes.  The  industry  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  Empire,  and 
while  it  formerly  reached  its  highest  development  in  the  service 
of  the  Buddhist  religion  (in  the  casting  of  statues,  bells,  and 
what-not)  the  modern  demand  is  met  by  a  host  of  articles  which 
in  finish  and  color  fall  but  little  short  of  the  finest  jewelry  work. 
The  Japanese  bronze  is  'eminently  adapted  for  art  castings, 
not  only  because  of  its  low  melting-point,  great  fluidity,  and 
capacity  for  taking  sharp  impressions,  but  also  because  it  has 
a  particularly  smooth  surface  and  readily  acquires  a  rich 
patina.'  The  colors  range  through  all  the  shades  of  brown  and 
gray  from  light  yellow  to  the  finest  and  most  effective  dead 
black,  and  are  distinguished  by  great  uniformity.  The  yellow 
bronze  called  senloku  (and  '  sun-spot'  bronze  by  foreigners)  is 
so  named  because  the  first  specimen  of  it  reached  Japan  in  the 
Sentoku  (Chinese:  lShuntisK)  era  of  the  Ming  Dynasty. 
Certain  Japanese  believe  that  the  alloy  was  accidentally 
obtained  when  the  Chinese  melted  together  the  gold  and  bronze 
vessels  of  the  conquered  Mongols;  but  in  sober  truth  gold  does 
not  enter  into  its  composition  —  which  is  formed  of  copper, 
tin,  lead,  and  zinc.  Its  fine  golden  color  and  glossy  texture 
make  it  a  favorite  with  native  manufacturers.  The  variety  with 
a  surface  like  aventurine  lacquer  (which  see),  with  specks 
like  gold  on  the  surface,  is  made  by  heating  the  alloy  a  number 
of  times  and  sprinkling  it  while  hot  with  sulphate  of  copper 
and  nitric  acid.  Many  of  the  bronze  castings  of  modern  artists 


ccl 


CLOISONNE  ENAMEL 


are  more  beautiful  to  the  average  foreigner  than  the  older 
work;  the  finest  pieces  are  costly,  beautiful  shadings  of  green 
and  brown  being  the  popular  finishes.  The  market  is  full  of 
meretricious  imitations  of  the  work  of  the  best-known  masters, 
whose  names  are  forged  with  such  frequency  that  a  detailed 
list  of  them  would  be_of  but  little  service  to  the  traveler.  The 
cheap  stuff  made  at  Osaka  bears  but  little  resemblance  to  the 
artistic  productions  of  the  ateliers  of  Tokyo  and  Kyoto.  The 
excess  of  antimony  which  is  mixed  with  the  cheaper  grades  of 
bronze  to  give  them  the  required  timber  render  them  so  brittle 
and  crumbly  that  one  can  almost  poke  a  hole  through  a  cheap 
vase  with  a  lead  pencil.  New  bronzes  are  aged  by  a  sulphuric- 
acid  bath  and  by  other  methods.  The  only  way  the  traveler 
can  be  assured  of  quality  is  to  enlist  the  aid  of  some  expert 
when  making  his  purchases,  or  to  deal  exclusively  with 
reputable  firms.  A  store  where  bronze  is  sold  is  Ddkiya. 

(d)  Cloisonne  Enamel  (shippo),  though  long  known  to  the 
Chinese,  is  thought  to  have  gained  its  first  foothold  in  Japan 
near  the  close  of  the  16th  cent.,  when  Hirata  Hokoshiro 
established  himself  at  Nagoya  and  began  the  manufacture, 
in  a  small  way,  of  various  decorative  articles.  The  name 
shippo  (or  jippo)  means  the  'seven  precious  things/  — gold, 
silver,  lapis-lazuli,  coral,  agate,  rock-crystal,  and  pearl,  —  and 
was  no  doubt  applied  by  the  Japanese  to  vari-colored  enamel- 
encrusted  wares  because  of  the  ancient  custom  (practiced  in 
Constantinople,  Egypt,  China,  and  elsewhere)  of  decorating 
gold,  silver,  and  copper  vessels  with  precious  and  semi-precious 
stones.  Of  the  two  prominent  processes,  pit  or  embedded 
enamel  (champleve),  and  the  cell  or  encrusted  enamel  {cloi- 
sonne), the  latter  is  the  most  popular  among  the  Japanese;  the 
cells  or  cloisons  are  formed  separately  of  narrow  metal  bands 
corresponding  to  the  pattern  of  the  ^decoration,  and  then 
soldered  to  the  foundation.  This  process  of  enamel  decora- 
tion requires  considerable  technical  skill  and  is  essentially  as 
follows :  — 

After  the  object  to  be  decorated  has  been  fashioned  in  thin  copper  (or 
silver),  the  decorations  are  sketched  or  traced  on  its  surface,  generally  after 
patterns,  with  a  white-lead  varnish  or  India  ink.  The  cloisons  are  formed  by- 
means  of  narrow  strips  of  gold,  silver,  or  copper  delicately  graded,  heated 
beforehand  to  take  out  the  elasticity,  curved  into  the  required  shape  with  a 
pair  of  wire  pincers,  and  first  cemented,  then  soldered  to  the  surface.  When 
in  this  position,  standing  on  their  edges,  they  outline  the  design  and  form- 
inclosing  spaces,  to  receive  the  enamel  pastes.  These  are  now  packed  in, 
color  after  color,  and  when  the  cells  are  filled  the  object  is  placed  in  an  oven 
and  subjected  to  a  heat  sufficient  to  vitrify  the  pastes  without  affecting  the 
metals  forming  the  base  and  the  cells.  The  colors  shrink  considerably  under 
the  application  of  heat,  and  holes  are  formed  in  the  enamel,  so  that  there 
must  be  a  continual  filling-up  of  the  cloisons.  The  vessel  is  subjected  to  a 
second  firing,  then  rubbed  and  polished.  The  cracks  and  other  hollows  in 
the  cells  are  again  filled  up  and  improved,  then  burnt  for  the  third  time,  and 
often  a  fourth,  and  once  more  rubbed  and  polished.  After  the  vitrified 
pastes  have  completely  filled  the  spaces,  the  whole  surface  is  ground  and 
polished  with  varying  grades  of  soft  stone  and  with  great  care  until  it 


CERAMICS  ccli 

becomes  perfectly  even  and  shows  a  soft  luster.  Pieces  finished  in  this  man- 
ner are  called  kazari-jippo,  or  ornamental  enamel.  When  translucid  pastes 
are  employed,  the  grinding  and  polishing  are  often  dispensed  with.  The 
greatest  care  is  given  to  fine  pieces  by  reputable  dealers.  Imitations  are 
often  made  by  subjecting  the  object  to  one  or  two  firings,  then  filling  in  the 
holes  and  cracks  with  vegetable  tallow,  rather  than  take  the  time  to  fill  in 
and  burn  the  piece  properly.  The  more  intricate  the  design,  the  softer  the 
color;  the  finer  the  wire,  and  the  higher  the  finish,  the  more  costly  is  the 
article.  Kyoto  and  Nagoya  are  headquarters  for  the  manufacture  not  only 
of  articles  of  some  merit,  but  also  of  many  deceitful  imitations.  Here  also 
are  made  some  of  the  handsome  monochrome  enamels  —  yellow,  red,  auber- 
gine purple,  grass-green,  dove-gray,  lapis-lazuli,  etc.  Very  charming  effects 
are  produced  in  some  of  this  work  by  spreading  translucid  enamels  over 
chiseled  or  decorated  bases  that  show  through  the  diaphanous  covering,  A 
gold  or  a  silver  base  deeply  chiseled  in  wave-diaper,  and  overrun  with  a 
paste  of  aubergine  purple,  is  a  popular  design,  as  is  also  one  showing  a  bril- 
liant little  gold-fish  swimming  through  a  medium  of  tender  blue  heightened 
by  a  background  of  shimmering  silver. 

The  highly  artistic  work  of  Namikawa  Sosuke,  of  Tokyo,  stands  practi- 
cally in  a  class  apart  from  the  cloisonne  enamel,  and  is  known  as  Musen- 
jippo,  or  cloison-less  enamel.  In  this  work,  which  came  into  prominence 
about  1880  and  which  has  been  brought  to  a  high  degree  of  perfection  by 
the  inventor,  Namikawa  Sosuke,  and  his  son,  beautiful  and  imperishable 
pictures  in  vitrified  pastes  are  produced,  '  remarkable  as  to  technical  skill, 
harmonious  and  at  the  same  time  rich  in  coloring,  and  possessing  pictorial 
qualities  which  could  not  reasonably  have  been  looked  for  in  such  material. 
There  is  nothing  like  them  to  be  found  in  any  other  country,  and  they  stand 
at  an  immeasurable  distance  above  the  ordinary  cloisonne  creations.  The 
design,  which  is  usually  placed  in  a  monochromatic  field  of  low  tone,  is 
framed,  at  the  outset,  with  a  ribbon  of  thin  metal,  after  the  manner  of 
ordinary  cloisonne-ware ;  but  as  the  work  proceeds,  the  cloisons  are  hidden, 

—  unless  their  presence  would  contribute  to  give  necessary  emphasis  to  the 
design,  —  and  the  final  result  is  a  picture  in  vitrified  enamel.'  Vases,  panels, 
bowls,  flat  pictures  several  ft.  sq.,  depicting  fowls,  animals,  land-  and  sea- 
scapes, flowers,  and  a  wide  variety  of  subjects,  are  to  be  found  in  this 
uniquely  beautiful  work  in  an  almost  endless  scale  of  shades  and  tones.  Not 
a  few  of  the  motifs  are  the  most  famous  paintings  of  the  early  masters,  which 
are  copied  in  enamel  with  a  fidelity  to  the  originals  that  is  extraordinary. 
In  reproducing  some  of  the  old  pictures,  the  cloisons  are  hidden  or  omitted, 
or  freely  used,  and  the  reproductions  are  so  minute  and  so  faithful  that  the 
particular  shades  of  antiquity  belonging  to  the  silk  or  paper  on  which  the 
picture  was  originally  painted  appear  on  the  copies.  The  intricate  and 
tedious  process  of  painting  the  enamels  on,  then  the  firing  and  polishing, 
can  be  seen  by  travelers  at  Mr.  Namikawa's  studio  (English  spoken)  at  8, 
Shinyemon-cho,  Nihonbashi-ku,  Tokyo.  Here,  too,  are  made  many  of  the 
beautiful  gold-enameled  decorations  used  by  the  Imperial  Japanese  Gov't. 

—  A  cloisonne  shop  is  Shippdya. 

XIV.  Ceramics. 

Ceramics  (Greek:  potters'  clay;  a  piece  of  pottery,  etc.) 
occupy  one  of  the  most  important  places  in  Japanese  art 
products,  and  the  pottery  industry  dates  from  remote,  pre- 
historic times.  The  fictile  arts  appeal  strongly  to  the  modern 
craftsmen  and  by  them  they  have  been  elevated  to  an  unusu- 
ally high  degree  of  artistic  excellence. 

The  first  pottery  which  history  takes  note  of  in  Japan  is  the  Kameoka- 
ware,  —  a  crude,  unglazed,  and  undecorated  ware  supposed  to  be  the  rude 
artistic  expression  of  the  autochthons  of  the  country,  and  exhumed  in  con- 
siderable quantities  in  the  Kameoka  region  of  N.  Japan.  The  forms  are  awk- 
ward, inclining  to  spherical  shapes,  and  the  surface  decorations  of  the  best 
pieces  confined  to  elementary  diapers  of  straight  lines  or  curves,  scratched 
in  the  clay  when  soft  with  a  pointed  tool.  Captain  Brinkley  points  out  the 


cclii  CERAMICS 

significant  fact  that  the  ornamentation  of  some  of  the  '  pilgrim-bottles  " 
(a  form  so  common  to  the  early  pottery  of  many  nations)  bears  no  resem- 
blance to  the  decorations  followed  in  China  and  Korea,  but  strongly 
resembles  that  constantly  adopted  by  the  potters  of  Greece  and  Cyprus  in 
ancient  times.  4  This  close  affiliation  to  Apulian  and  Cypriote  decorations 
suggests  an  interesting  range  of  speculation,  implying,  as  it  does,  a  pro- 
nounced racial  distinction  between  the  dolmen-building  Japanese  and  the 
inhabitants  of  the  near-by  Asiatic  continent.'  The  early  potters  occupied 
a  very  low  plane  of  intelligence,  and  possessed  neither  artistic  ability  nor 
independent  creative  power.  They  were  apparently  unable  to  produce  any- 
thing more  complex  than  lightly  burned  terra-cotta  and  hard-burned 
eathenware  similar  to  that  made  by  the  aboriginal  potters  of  the  S.W.  of 
the  U.S.  They  seem  to  have  understood  the  use  of  the  wheel  and  had  a  crude 
conception  of  decorative  effects,  but  they  knew  nothing  of  translucid  porce- 
lain, and  were  not  able  to  apply  glaze  to  their  wares.  Oddly  enough,  they 
appear  to  have  had  no  acquaintance  with  the  decorative  motives  which  are 
so  intimately  associated  with  Chinese  applied  art  —  dragons,  phoenixes, 
tigers,  the  key-pattern,  the  fylfot,  elaborate  diapers,  etc.  Unlike  the  history 
of  pottery-ma-king  in  Mexico  (where  the  art  attained  a  high  development  as 
long  as  it  remained  uninfluenced  by  foreign  ideas,  but  which  degenerated 
and  declined  after  the  Spanish  invasion) ,  the  Mongoloid  intruders  in  Japan 
enriched  the  art  with  so  many  ideas  and  designs  that  its  influence  is  now  felt 
in  almost  every  corner  of  the  world. 

When  Gyogi  came  to  Japan  from  Korea  in  the  middle  of  the  8th  cent.,  he 
gave  such  an  impetus  to  pottery-making  that  many  native  antiquarians 
regard  him  as  the  founder  of  the  art  in  Japan.  '  His  figure  assumed  such 
historical  importance  that  everything  antecedent  passed  out  of  view,  and  to 
this  day,  whenever  from  any  long-unexplored  place,  there  is  exhumed  a  speci- 
men of  unsightly  and  time-stained  pottery,  it  is  unhesitatingly  christened 
"  Gydgi-yaki "  '  (Gydgi-w&re).  Up  to  the  12th  cent,  the  production  of 
glazed  earthenware  was  limited,  and  the  finest  existing  pieces  dating  from 
the  years  preceding  were  manifestly  of  Chinese  (or  Korean)  origin.  About 
1223  Kato  Shirozcemon  (or  Kagemasa) ,  a  native  potter  (now  known  as  the 
father  of  pottery  in  Japan)  who  had  achieved  some  local  distinction,  went 
to  China  to  study  the  development  of  the  art  in  the  Middle  Kingdom;  return- 
ing 6  yrs.  later  he  settled  at  Seto,  in  Owari  Province,  and  began  the  produc- 
tion of  a  ware  which  to-day  is  held  in  high  esteem.  The  workmanship  was 
superior  to  anything  that  had  hitherto  been  produced ;  the  paste  was  reddish- 
brown  clay,  with  a  considerable  admixture  of  silicious  particles,  and  the 
glaze,  applied  with  no  mean  skill,  was  most  commonly  dark  brown  with 
occasional  streaks  or  patches  of  a  different  tint.  The  chief  productions  were 
tea-jars  of  various  shapes  and  sizes,  which,  having  been  from  the  very  first 
treasured  with  great  care  by  their  fortunate  possessors,  are  still  to  be  found, 
but  are  held  at  fabulous  prices.  So  great  a  reputation  did  this  Toshiro-yaki 
(as  the  ware  was  commonly  called)  enjoy,  and  such  prestige  did  its  appear- 
ance give  to  the  potters  of  Owari,  that  most  everything  which  preceded  it 
was  considered  unworthy,  and  the  name  Seto-mono  (Seto  goods  or  things) 
thenceforth  became  the  generic  term  for  all  ceramic  manufactures  in  Japan, 
just  as  are  Talavera  in  Spain,  Delft  in  Holland,  and  China  in  Europe. 

There  is  now  scarcely  a  province  in  the  Empire  where  pottery,  faience, 
stoneware,  or  porcelain  is  not  produced;  most  of  the  products  are  attractive 
and  some  are  exceedingly  beautiful.  As  a  rule  they  are  not  designated 
according  to  their  character,  but  their  origin,  as:  Satsuma-w&re,  Kutani- 
yaki;  Seto-mono;  Hizen-w&re,  Kydto-w&re,  etc.  The  designations  Ishi-yaki 
for  hard-burned  resonant  porcelain  and  stoneware,  and  Tsuchi-yaki  for  softer 
earthenwares,  however,  are  known  and  accepted  everywhere.  Porcelain1 


1  The  word  Porcelain  is  derived  from  porcellana,  a  name  given  to  the 
ware  by  the  Portuguese  traders  under  the  belief  that  it  was  made  from  the 
fusion  of  eggshells  and  fish's  glue  and  scales  to  resemble  the  beautifully 
polished,  nacreous  surface  of  the  Venus-shell  ( Cyprceda)  —  the  curved  shape 
of  the  upper  surface  of  which  resembles  the  curve  of  a  pig's  back  (porcella, 
a  little  pig;  diminutive  of  porco;  fem.  porca).  A  porcelain  shop  is  Tsuchi- 
yakiya  (or  Setomonoya;  or  Zikiya,  etc.,  depending  upon  the  class  of  ware 
sold). 


WARES  OF  KVOTO  ccliii 

(which  was  invented  by  the  Chinese)  stands  at  the  head  as  the  noblest  mem- 
ber of  the  family  of  ceramics,  and  large  quantities  are  made  and  exported 
to  different  parts  of  the  world.  As  a  book  would  be  necessary  to  catalogue 
all  the  wares  now  made  in  Japan,  only  those  with  which  most  travelers  are 
familiar,  and  with  which  they  usually  come  in  contact  when  in  Japan,  will 
be  mentioned  here.  Porcelainists  will  find  a  wealth  of  valuable  data,  supple- 
mented by  many  handsome  illustrations  in  Rein's  Industries  of  Japan,  and 
Brinkley's  Oriental  Series  (consult  the  Bibliography). 

(a)  The  Wares  of  Kyoto  are  legion,  and  in  its  400  or  more 
kilns  the  sometime  Imperial  capital  produces  ordinary  pottery, 
faience,  and  porcelain  in  almost  endless  variety.  With  the 
exception  perhaps  of  Yokohama,  no  Japanese  city  contains 
porcelain  shops  that  are  such  a  sustained  delight  to  collectors 
and  where  such  varied  and  attractive  stocks  are  carried.  The 
district  lying  along  the  W.  flank  of  Higashi-yama,  from 
Kinkozari's  pottery  in  Awata  to  Kiyomizu-dera  and  beyond,  is 
studded  with  glowing  kilns  and  rows  of  porcelain  shops,  while 
hundreds  of  the  latter  are  scattered  throughout  the  broad  city. 
The  wares  are  usually  divided  into  four  classes:  Raku-yaki 
(p.  ccliv) ;  Awata-yaki,  Iwakura-yaki  (which  to  the  casual  eye 
is  almost  indistinguishable  from  the  Awata  ware),  and 
Kiyomizu-yaki.  Although  history  records  that  the  first 
Kyoto  potter,  Unrin-in  Yasuhito,  the  7th  son  of  the  Emperor 
Nimyo,  lived  and  worked  during  the  9th  cent.,  the  art  ac- 
quired but  little  importance  before  the  16th  cent.,  when  the  Raku 
faience  inaugurated  by  the  Korean  Ameya  became  a  favorite 
ware  with  the  Kyoto  tea-clubs.  Distinctively  Japanese,  Raku- 
yaki  is  now  made  in  many  parts  of  the  country.  It  is  a  coarse 
and  somewhat  clumsy  ware  of  a  brittle  light-colored  pate  covered 
with  black  (the  staple  type),  yellow,  red,  white,  or  salmon  glaze 
easily  recognized  by  its  peculiarly  opaque,  waxy  appearance; 
and  sometimes  gilded,  but  more  often  curiously  speckled  and 
pitted  with  red.  It  is  much  esteemed  by  Japanese,  particu- 
larly that  made  at  Kyoto  by  the  descendants  (in  the  13th  gen- 
eration) of  the  founder  (upon  whom  Hideyoshi  conferred  a 
gold  seal  bearing  the  symbol1  Raku,  whence  the  trademark) . 

Nomura  Seisuke,  who  with  his  wares  is  known  to  posterity 
as  Ninsei,  and  who  (in  the  middle  of  the  17th  cent.),  after 
learning  the  valuable  secrets  of  the  old  Hizen  workshops  at 
Arita,  produced  the  first  verifiable  enameled  ware  in  Kyoto,  is 
regarded  as  the  founder  of  the  industry  in  the  old  metropolis. 
His  first  productions  were  potted  in  the  district  of  Omuro,  at  a 
kiln  called  Otowa,  whence  the  term  Omuro-yaki,  by  which  the 
early  pieces  are  known.  Later  he  worked  at  factories  called 
Awata,  Iwakura,  and  Mizoro.  On  the  slope  of  Otowa-yama, 
which  is  now  crowned  by  the  Kiyomizu  temple,  is  the  cele- 
brated Kiyomizu-zaka,  which  soon  after  Ninsei7  s  time  became, 
and  has  remained,  a  center  for  the  manufacture  of  ceramics. 
Awata,  where  the  Kinkozan  potteries  are  located,  is  about  \  M. 
to  the  N.;  Mizoro  is  4  M.  to  the  N.W.  of  this,  and  Iwakura  2\ 
M.  N.  of  Mizoro.  The  remarkably  rapid  development  of  the 


ccliv 


SATSUMA-WARE 


Kyoto  faience  during  the  latter  half  of  the  17th  cent,  is  largely 
due  to  the  impetus  given  to  it  by  Ninsei.  '  In  his  hands  it  be- 
came an  object  of  rare  beauty.  The  surface  of  choice  specimens 
of  his  handiwork  conveys  the  impression  of  being  covered  with 
very  fine  netting,  rather  than  with  a  tracery  of  intersecting  lines. 
Its  appearance  is  aptly  described  by  the  Chinese  term  "  fish-roe 
crackle."  His  monochrome  glazes  are  scarcely  less  remarkable. 
He  produced  many  charming  tints,  and  his  skill  as  a  modeler 
was  scarcely  less  than  his  mastery  of  mechanical  details.  There  is 
no  name  more  renowned  in  the  catalogue  of  Japanese  ceramists, 
and  none  has  been  more  extensively  counterfeited. '  Genuine 
specimens  of  Ninsei-yaki  are  extremely  rare,  and  when  they  do 
come  into  the  market,  native  collectors  stand  ready  to  pay  much 
more  for  them  than  the  usual  run  of  foreign  travelers  would. 


S,  (b)  Satsuma-Ware,  a  beautifully  decorated  crackled  ware, 
remarkable  for  its  soft  mellow  tint  and  its  rich  gold  and  enamel 
ornamentations,  known  to  most  collectors  as  the  most  valu- 
able faience  in  E.  Asia,  is  now  often  referred  to  as  Awata-yaki, 
from  the  similarity  of  the  wares  and  from  the  circumstance 
that  some  of  the  finest  work  is  produced  at  the  extensive 
pottery  of  Sobei  Kinkozan,  in  the  Awata  district,  at  Kyoto. 
Its  introduction  in  Japan  is  associated  with  the  expedition 
to  Korea  of  Shimazu  Yoshihisa,  Daimyo  of  Satsuma,  who, 
on  his  return  to  his  own  country  in  1598,  brought  with  him  a 
number  of  Korean  potters,  gave  them  the  rank  of  samurai,  and 
settled  them  in  Kagoshima  (in  Satsuma  Province)  and  at  other 
places.  The  first  generation  of  these  immigrants  manufactured 
only  Raku7yaki  (see  p.  ccliii.)  In  due  time  Kyoto  took  the  lead 
in  the  manufacture  of  what  is  known  to  most  Westerners  as 
Satsuma-ware,  and  after  Nomura  Ninsei  applied  its  decora- 
tive character  to  it,  it  became  the  principal  ware  of  Kyoto. 
Several  great  names  in  the  annals  of  the  fictile  arts  were  con- 
nected with  the  production  of  this  ware  during  the  17th  and 
18th  centuries,  and  several  decorative  styles  were  introduced 
and  carried  to  remarkable  perfection  and  refinement.  The 
record  of  the  present  manufacturers  commences  with  Kagiya 
Tokuemon,  who  began  work  at  Awata  in  1693.  4  It  was  not  till 
the  time  of  Kagiya  Mohei,  the  3d  generation,  that  the  family 
acquired  a  wide  reputation.  This  artist  succeeded  to  his 
father's  business,  and  in  1756  he  had  so  distinguished  himself 
as  to  be  appointed  potter  to  the  Tokugawa  Court  in  Yedo.  In 
connection  with  this  honor  he  received  the  name  of  Kinkozan,1 
which  he  thenceforth  stamped  upon  his  best  pieces,  and  which 
M&$  similarly  used  by  his  successors.  The  manufactures  of  the 
1  The  Kinkozan  Pottery  with  its  77  kilns  is  perhaps  one  of  the  best 
places  for  the  traveler  interested  in  the  subject  to  study  the  process  of  man- 
ufacture and  decoration.  The  showrooms  (English  spoken)  contain  a  superb 
collection  of  modern  wares  and  a  few  ancient  specimens  of  interest  to  anti- 
quarians. The  clay  employed  in  making  the  ware  comes  from  Shigaraki, 
in  Omi  Province. 


SATSUMA-WARE 


cclv 


present  representative  of  the  family  have  earned  numerous 
medals  and  certificates  at  exhibitions  at  home  and  abroad. 
The  Kagiya  family  carried  the  enameled  decoration  of  Kyoto 
faience  to  its  highest  point  of  richness  and  brilliancy.  Prior  to 
their  time  the  Awata  glaze  had  been  of  a  somewhat  cold,  hard 
character,  but  in  their  hands  its  color  changed  from  grayish 
white  to  light  buff,  and  it  assumed  an  aspect  of  great  delicacy 
and  softness.  To  this  warm,  creamy  ground  a  wealth  of  gold, 
red,  green,  and  blue  enamels  was  applied,  the  result  being 
indescribably  rich  and  mellow/ 

It  is  doubtful  if  any  similar  Japanese  ware  excels  the 
present-day  Satsuma  or  Awata-yaki  in  decorative  excellence. 
•  Many  of  the  finest  pieces  vie  with  the  old  Satsuma- ware  in 
delicacy  of  tone,  and  the  mazy,  crackled  surface,  coupled  with 
the  wonderful  enamel  effects  secured  by  the  pure  gold  and 
royal  purple  enrichments,  appeal  so  strongly  to  porcelainists 
that  few  if  any  collections  of  importance  lack  one  or  more 
examples  of  what  might  be  termed  Japan's  most  national  ware. 
It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  despite  the  great 
number  of  pieces  of  so-called  genuine  old  Satsuma  sold  each 
year  in  Japan,  very  few  Western  collections  contain  representa- 
tive specimens.  It  has  been  pointed  out  that  not  more  than  a 
dozen  pieces  of  legitimate  old  Satsuma  have  come  into  the 
market  during  the  last  20  yrs.,  and  that  more  than  half  of  these 
have  been  bought  in  by  native  collectors  at  absurdly  high 
prices.  Few  travelers,  for  instance,  can  distinguish  the  finest 
Awata-yaki,  or  even  Iwakura-yaki,  from  real  Satsuma.  The 
ivory-like,  lustrous  glaze,  and  the  almost  microscopic  crackle  of 
the  early  pieces  are  reproduced  with  extraordinary  fidelity  in 
the  modern  ware,  as  is  the  same  red,  green,  purple,  gold,  black, 
yellow,  and  Prussian  blue  in  the  decorations.  Should  the  prac- 
ticed eye  fail  to  differentiate  the  old  from  the  new,  it  is  a  satis- 
faction to  know  that  to  the  average  Occidental,  many  of  the 
modern  pieces  are  more  beautiful  than  the  earlier  ones.  Cap- 
tain Brinkley  says  that  all  the  choice  pieces  potted  prior  to  1868 
are  small  or  of  medium  size,  and  that  consequently  all  the  large 
imposing  examples  included  in  many  Western  collections  are 
of  modern  manufacture.  As  a  rule  the  best  pieces  show  a  pate 
with  a  grain  almost  as  hard  as  porcelain  biscuit,  while  the 
imitations,  albeit  they  may  bear  chaste  and  beautiful  decora- 
tions, are  usually  made  of  a  chalky,  porous  pate.  In  the  latter 
the  crackle  (which  is  produced  intentionally),  instead  of  being 
fine  and  hairlike,  has  rather  the  appearance  of  fissures  —  and 
in  this  it  resembles  the  older  Chinese  craquele  faience.  The 
Japanese  call  this  crackled  clay  ware  Hibi-yaki,  and  they 
employ  in  its  manufacture  a  glaze  of  feldspar  with  leached 
wood  ashes,  which  assimilate  with  the  glazing  material,  making 
it  more  easily  fusible. 

Usually  there  is  a  noteworthy  difference  in  the  Satsuma 


cclvi 


KIYOMIZU-WARE 


manufactured  for  export  and  that  for  the  home  market. 
Japanese  connoisseurs  will  not  buy  the  former,  and  the 
traveler  will  generally  get  better  value  for  his  money  in  buying 
such  pieces  as  carry  ornamentation  liked  by  the  natives.  One 
will  generally  find,  in  examining  an  ^object  painted  for  the 
foreign  market,  that  however  much  labor  has  been  bestowed 
on  the  body  of  the  piece,  the  less  prominent  portions  are  some- 
what defective,  and  whereas  lusterless  pigments  predominate 
on  certain  of  the  modern  examples,  the  decoration  of  the  old 
and  of  the  finest  work  consists  of  pure,  jewel-like  enamels.  So 
much  of  this  decoration  is  so  exquisitely  fine  and  complicated 
that  it  has  to  be  done  with  a  powerful  magnifying  glass,  and 
casual  buyers  neither  see  nor  look  for  imperfections.  The  more  % 
intricate  the  decoration,  the  greater  the  accuracy  of  execution, 
and  the  more*  skillful  the  use  of  the  proper  enamels,  the  higher 
is  the  price  demanded  for  a  piece.  'Evidences  of  age  in  a  piece 
of  Satsuma-ware  are  of  all  things  the  most  deceptive,  and  any 
piece  which  has  the  cracks  filled  with  what  at  first  blush  might 
suggest  the  accumulated  dust  of  years  should  be  rejected. 
Trituration  with  dirt,  steeping  in  strong  infusions  of  tea,  expo- 
sure to  the  fumes  of  damp  incense,  boiling  in  decoctions  con- 
taining sulphuric  acid,  etc.,  are  methods  not  unusually  em- 
ployed by  untrustworthy  dealers.  In  some  districts,  notably 
in  Owari,  counterfeit  Satsuma  is  made  openly,  and  the  perpe- 
trators of  the  fraud  do  not  hesitate  to  adopt  any  plan  to  make 
the  deception  more  complete.  Medicated  and  begrimed  speci- 
mens of  this  ware  are  successfully  palmed  off  on  unsuspecting 
foreigners  to  an  incredible  extent,  and  will  probably  continue 
to  find  purchasers  so  long  as  men  are  sanguine  enough  to  fancy 
that  the  long-since  depleted  curio-market  still  contains  trea- 
sures accessible  to  themselves  alone,  and  so  long  as  the  dis- 
figurements of  age  and  the  blemishes  of  wear  find  people  who 
regard  them  as  beauties.  The  decoration  of  some  of  these 
pieces  is  so  coarse  that  it  does  not  assort  ill  with  patches  of 
grime  and  stains  of  lye  added  to  simulate  antiquity/  (Brinkley.) 

(c)  The  Kiyomizu-Ware,  under  which  term  wares  other 
than  those  produced  at  Awata,  Iwakura,  and  Mizoro  are 
classed,  comprises  many  beautiful  examples  of  ceramic  art. 
The  first  recorded  potter  of  Kiyomizu  faience  was  Seibei 
Yahyd,  who  established  himself  at  Gojo-zaka  about  1690,  and 
whose  pottery  was  moved  to  the  Kiyomizu  district  between 
1781  and  1788.  Here,  at  a  later  date,  the  first  porcelain  ever 
produced  in  Kyoto  was  made.  The  scores  of  kilns,  which  now 
stud  the  district,  produce  such  a  variety  of  wares  that  a  book 
would  be  needed  to  catalogue  them.  Here  the  traveler  will 
find  attractive  blue-and-white  porcelains  in  an  infinity  of 
shapes;  lovely  celadon  ware;  pieces  with  beautiful  aubergine, 
turquoise,  yellow,  coral,  and  other  glazes;  innumerable  con- 
ceits of  shape  and  varieties  of  faience,  and  of  glazed  and 


KUTANI-WARE 


cclvii 


unglazed  pottery,  and  a  choice  in  dainty  native  teapots  which 
no  other  place  can  offer.  Beside  the  local  wares,  those  from 
other  provinces,  and  even  from  distant  China,  are  copied  and 
sold  as  originals.  Much  of  the  porcelain  for  export  is  made 
here,  and  most  of  it  is  moderate  in  price. 

(d)  Kutani-Ware  (or  Kaga  porcelain)  ranks  high  among 
the  ceramic  productions  of  Japan,  and  the  best  pieces,  because 
of  their  careful,  effective,  and  peculiar  decoration,  are  classed 
by  some  with  the  most  beautiful  that  the  industry  has  fur- 
nished. It  is  believed  to  owe  its  origin  to  Maeda  Toshiharu, 
feudal  lord  of  Daishoji,  in  Kaga  Province,  who,  after  coming 
into  power  in  1639,  brought  a  potter  from  Kyoto  and  commis- 
sioned him  to  seek  material  for  fine  clay  wares.  A  bed  of 
excellent  porcelain  stone  was  soon  discovered  near  the  village 
of  Kutani,  and  the  ceramic  industry  was  inaugurated.  It  did 
not,  however,  become  of  much  importance  until  the  secrets  of 
the  Arita  potters  had  been  filched  from  them  by  one  Goto 
Saijiro,  who  went  to  Hizen  for  the  purpose.  Upon  his  return 
in  1664,  the  Kutani  potters  rapidly  attained  a  high  standard 
of  skill.  '  The  wares  that  they  produced  (says  Captain  Brinkley) 
were  of  two  kinds.  The  first,  and  more  characteristic,  was 
Ao-  Kutani,  so  called  from  a  deep-green  (ao)  glaze,  of  great 
brilliancy  and  beauty,  which  was  largely  used  in  its  decoration. 
This  glaze  (along  with  yellow,  purple,  and  soft  Prussian  blue) 
was  applied  so  as  to  form  diapers,  scrolls,  and  floral  designs, 
or  was  simply  run  over  patterns  traced  in  black  on  the  biscuit. 
The  chief  colors  used  in  the  second  class  were  green  and  red, 
supplemented  by  purple,  yellow,  blue  (enamel),  silver,  and 
gold.  The  Kutani  red  was  a  specialty,  —  a  peculiarly  soft, 
subdued,  opaque  color,  varying  from  rich  Indian  red  to  russet 
brown.  For  designs  the  early  potters  copied  miniature  land- 
scapes, flowers  ruffled  by  the  breeze,  sparrows  perched  among 
plum  branches,  and  other  glimpses  of  nature  in  her  simplest 
garb.  On  some  of  their  choice  pieces  the  decoration  is  of  a 
purely  formal  character,  —  diapers,  scrolls,  and  medallions 
inclosing  conventional  symbols.  On  others  it  is  essentially 
pictorial.  The  amateur  may  be  tolerably  confident  that  speci- 
mens decorated  with  peacocks,  masses  of  chrysanthemums 
and  peonies,  figures  of  wrinkled  saints,  brightly  appareled 
ladies,  cocks  upon  drums,  etc.,  belong  to  the  manufactures  of 
modern  times.  For  decorative  effect,  combined  with  softness 
and  artistic  beauty,  the  Ao- Kutani  has,  perhaps,  no  equal. 
Its  charm  is  due  primarily  to  the  admirable  harmony  of  its 
colors  and  to  their  skillful  massings;  and  secondarily  to  the 
technical  excellence  shown  in  the  manner  of  applying  the 
enamels.' 

The  Kutani-ware,  exported  so  largely,  usually  carries  deco- 
rations of  red  and  gold,  with  human  figures,  flowers,  birds, 
clouds,  etc.   'The  execution  is  often  of  a  very  high  character, 


cclviii 


LITERATURE 


—  miniature  painting  which  for  delicacy  and  accuracy  leaves 
nothing  to  be  desired.  Especially  is  this  true  of  pieces  having 
a  multitude  of  tiny  figures  in  gold  depicted  with  microscopic 
fidelity  on  a  solid  red  ground.'  This  flashy  modern  ware  is  not 
so  pleasing  to  the  educated  foreign  taste,  and  is  incomparably 
less  rich  than  the  older  Ao-  Kutani.  The  early  Kutani  potters 
did  not  use  their  names  to  mark  pieces,  but  put  the  factory 
name  {Kutani)  or  employed  the  ideograph  fuku  ('good 
fortune  ')•  The  use  of  names  (which  are  of  the  decorators,  and 
not  the  potters)  does  not  date  farther  back  than  1850.  Several 
other  wares  of  considerable  beauty  are  made  in  Kaga  Province, 
under  the  name  Kaga-yaki. 

(e)  Miscellaneous  Wares.  A  number  of  the  other  wares 
for  which  Japan  is  famous  are  mentioned  in  their  proper 
places  throughout  the  Guidebook.  The  beautiful  Makuzu- 
Ware  is  described  under  Yokohama;  Imari,  or  Hizen-Ware; 
Nabeshima-yaki,  and  Eggshell  porcelain  in  Rte.  39;  Hirado- 
Ware  in  Rte.  40. 

XV.  Literature 

Literature.  The  Japanese  have  shown  less  originality  in  the 
development  of  their  literature  (gakumon)  than  in  that  of 
military  science  and  the  various  arts.  Though  greatly  indebted 
to  China  for  its  inspiration,  the  national  literature  is  never- 
theless an  index  of  the  national  character.  It  is,  says  Mr. 
Aston,  the  literature  of  a  brave,  courteous,  light-hearted, 
pleasure-loving  people,  sentimental  rather  than  passionate, 
witty  and  humorous,  of  nimble  apprehension,  but  not  pro- 
found; ingenious  and  inventive,  but  hardly  capable  of  high 
intellectual  achievement;  of  receptive  minds  endowed  with 
a  voracious  appetite  for  knowledge;  with  a  turn  for  neat- 
ness and  elegance  of  expression,  but  seldom  or  never  rising  to 
sublimity. 

Japanese  annalists  divide  their  literature  into  five  periods; 
the  Archaic  (joko  bun),  which  begins  with  the  earliest  tradi- 
tions of  the  race  and  extends  to  the  establishment  of  the 
national  capital  in  Kyoto;  the  Heian  or  Ancient  period, 
extending  to  the  establishment  of  the  Kamakura  shogunate; 
The  Mediaeval  period,  or  that  which  chronicles  the  beginning 
of  the  (Yedo  or)  Tokugawa  shogunate;  the  Modern  period, 
ending  with  the  Restoration  and  the  Meiji;  and  through  the 
Meiji  to  the  present  time.  Each  coincides  with  the  chief  his- 
torical eras  through  which  the  country  has  passed,  and  each, 
in  form  and  spirit,  has  its  distinguishing  characteristics.  The 
form  is  so  different  (writes  Baron  Kikuchi)  that  a  boy  who  has 
finished  a  course  in  the  Middle  School  would  not  be  able  to 
understand  the-  Genji  Monogatari,  which  differs  (in  spirit, 
construction,  and  phraseology)  even  more  from  modern 


LITERATURE 


cclix 


Japanese  than  the  English  of  Chaucer  does  from  modern 
English. 

The  Genji  Monogatari,  a  famous  novel  regarded  as  a  model  of  the  classical 
Japanese  of  the  Heian  period,  was  written  by  a  woman,  Murasaki  ('  pur- 
ple ')  Shikibu,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  completed  in  a.d.  1004.  Legend 
associates  it  and  its  composer  with  the  Temple  of  Ishi-yama,  at  the  S.  end 
of  Lake  Biwa,  where  the  chamber  in  which  the  book  is  supposed  to  have 
been  written,  along  with  the  ink-slab,  are  shown.  The  gist  of  the  54  books 
(with  4234  pages)  has  been  translated  into  English  by  several  authors, 
but  since  it  treats  merely  of  life  and  society  in  Kyoto  during  that  remote 
period,  foreigners  find  it  of  little  interest.  The  Makura  Zoshi,  or 'Pillow 
Sketches,'  of  Sei  Shonagon,  which  the  Japanese  associate  with  the  Genji 
Monogatari,  and  consider  equally  excellent,  was  written  about  the  same 
time,  and  also  by  a  lady  of  rank.  The  style  of  this  work  afterwards  became 
popular  in  Japan  under  the  name  Zuihitsu  or  '  following  the  pen.'  Albeit 
enthusiastic  Japanologists  purport  to  find  much  of  interest  in  the  dreary 
biographies,  classical  romances,  Buddhist  diaries,  and  miscellaneous  literary 
compositions  of  the  early  writers,  Prof.  Basil  Hall  Chamberlain,  perhaps 
the  greatest  authority  on  such  matters,  says:  '  What  Japanese  literature 
most  lacks  is  genius,  thought,  logical  grasp,  depth,  breadth,  and  manysided- 
ness.  It  has  occasional  graces,  and  is  full  of  incidental  scientific  interest.' 
That  not  a  few  Japanese  excel  as  story-writers  is  shown  by  the  following 
narratives.  — 

The  Fisher-boy:  'Fourteen  hundred  and  sixteen  years  ago,  the  fisher- 
boy  Urashima  Tard  left  the  shore  of  Suminoye  in  his  boat.  Summer  days 
were  then  as  now,  —  all  drowsy  and  tender  blue,  with  only  some  light,  pure 
white  clouds  hanging  over  the  mirror  of  the  sea.  Then,  too,  were  the  hills 
the  same,  —  far  blue  soft  shapes  melting  into  the  blue  sky.  And  the  winds 
were  lazy.  And  presently  the  boy,  also  lazy,  let  his  boat  drift  as  he  fished. 
It  was  a  queer  boat,  unpainted  and  rudderless,  of  a  shape  you  probably  never 
saw.  But  still,  after  fourteen  hundred  years,  there  are  such  boats  to  be  seen 
in  front  of  the  ancient  fishing-hamlets  of  the  coast  of  the  Sea  of  Japan.  _ 

'  After  long  waiting,  Urashima  caught  something,  and  drew  it  up  to  him. 
But  he  found  it  was  only  a  tortoise.  Now  a  tortoise  is  sacred  to  the  Dragon 
God  of  the  Sea,  and  the  period  of  its  natural  life  is  a  thousand  —  some  say 
ten  thousand  —  years.  So  that  to  kill  it  is  very  wrong.  The  boy  gently 
unfastened  the  creature  from  his  line,  and  set  it  free,  with  a  prayer  to  the  gods. 
But  he  caught  nothing  more.  And  the  day  was  very  Warm;  and  sea  and  air 
and  all  things  were  very,  very  silent.  And  a  great  drowsiness  grew  upon  him, 
—  and  he  slept  in  his  drifting  boat. 

'  Then  out  of  the  dreaming  of  the  sea  rose  up  a  beautiful  girl,  — -  just  as 
you  can  see  her  in  Professor  Chamberlain's  "  Urashima,"  —  robed  in  crim- 
son and  blue,  with  long  black  hair  flowing  down  her  back  even  to  her  feet, 
after  the  fashion  of  a  prince's  daughter  fourteen  hundred  years  ago.  Gliding 
over  the  waters  she  came,  softly  as  air;  and  she  stood  above  the  sleeping  boy 
in  the  boat,  and  woke  him  with  a  light  touch,  and  said:  —  "Do  not  be  sur- 
prised. My  father,  the  Dragon  King  of  the  Sea,  sent  me  to  you,  because 
of  your  kind  heart.  For  to-day  you  set  free  a  tortoise.  And  now  we  will  go 
to  my  father's  palace  in  the  island  where  summer  never  dies;  and  I  will  be 
your  flower-wife  if  you  wish;  and  we  shall  live  there  happily  forever." 

4  And  Urashima  wondered  more  and  more  as  he  looked  upon  her;  for  she 
was  more  beautiful  than  any  human  being,  and  he  could  not  but  love  her. 
Then  she  took  one  oar  and  he  took  another,  and  they  rowed  away  together  — 
just  as  you  may  still  see,  off  the  far  western  coast,  wife  and  husband  rowing 
together,  when  the  fishing-boats  flit  into  the  evening  gold.  They  rowed  away 
softly  and  swiftly  over  the  silent  blue  water  down  into  the  south,  —  till  they 
came  to  the  island  where  summer  never  dies,  —  and  to  the  palace  of  the 
Dragon  King  of  the  Sea. 

'  [Here  the  text  of  the  little  book  suddenly  shrinks  away  as  you  read ,  and 
faint  blue  ripplings  flood  the  page;  and  beyond  them  in  a  fairy  horizon  you 
can  see  the  long  low  soft  shore  of  the  island,  and  peaked  roofs  raising  through 
evergreen  foliage  —  the  roofs  of  the  Sea  God's  palace  —  like  the  palace  of 
the  Mikado  Yuriaku  fourteen  hundred  and  sixteen  years  ago.] 

1  There  strange  servitors  came  to  receive  them  in  robes"  of  ceremony  — 


cclx 


LITERATURE 


creatures  of  the  Sea,  who  paid  greeting  to  Urashima  as  the  son-in-raw  of  the 
Dragon  King.  So  the  Sea  God's  daughter  became  the  bride  of  Urashima; 
and  it  was  a  bridal  of  wondrous  splendour;  and  in  the  Dragon  Palace  there 
was  great  rejoicing. 

'  And  each  day  for  Urashima  there  were  new  wonders  and  new  pleasures: 
wonders  of  the  deepest  deep  brought  up  by  the  servants  of  the  Ocean  God; 

—  pleasures  of  that  enchanted  land  where  summer  never  dies.  And  so  three 
years  passed.  But  in  spite  of  all  these  things,  the  fisher-boy  felt  always  a 
heaviness  at  his  heart  when  he  thought  of  his  parents  waiting  alone.  So  that 
at  last  he  prayed  his  bride  to  let  him  go  home  for  a  little  while  only,  just  to 
say  one  word  to  his  father  and  mother,  —  after  which  he  would  hasten  back 
to  her. 

'  At  these  words  she  began  to  weep ;  and  for  a  long  time  she  continued  to 
weep  silently.  Then  she  said  to  him:  "  Since  you  wish  to  go,  of  course  you 
must  go.  I  fear  your  going  very  much;  I  fear  we  shall  never  see  each  other 
again.  But  I  will  give  you  a  little  box  to  take  with  you.  It  will  help  you  to 
come  back  to  me  if  you  will  do  what  I  tell  you.  Do  not  open  it.  Above  all 
things,  do  not  open  it,  —  no  matter  what  may  happen!  Because,  if  you  open 
it,  you  will  never  be  able  to  come  back,  and  you  will  never  see  me  again." 
Then  she  gave  him  a  little  lacquered  box  tied  about  with  a  silken  cord.  [And 
that  box  can  be  seen  unto  this  day  in  the  temple  of  Kanagawa,  by  the  sea- 
shore; and  the  priests  there  also  keep  Urashima  Taro's  fishing-line,  and  some 
strange  jewels  which  he  brought  back  with  him  from  the  realm  of  the 
Dragon  King.] 

'  But  Urashima  comforted  his  bride,  and  promised  her  never,  never  to 
open  the  box  —  never  even  to  loosen  the  silken  string.  Then  he  passed  away 
through  the  summer  light  over  the  ever-sleeping  sea;  —  and  the  shape  of  the 
island  where  summer  never  dies  faded  behind  him  like  a  dream ;  —  and  he 
saw  again  before  him  the  blue  mountains  of  Japan,  sharpening  in  the  white 
glow  of  the  northern  horizon. 

'  Again  at  last  he  glided  into  his  native  bay ;  —  again  he  stood  upon  its 
beach.  But  as  he  looked,  there  came  upon  him  a  great  bewilderment,  —  a 
weird  doubt.  For  the  place  was  at  once  the  same,  and  yet  not  the  same.  The 
cottage  of  his  father  had  disappeared.  There  was  a  village;  but  the  shapes  of 
the  houses  were  all  strange,  and  the  trees  were  strange,  and  the  fields,  and 
even  the  faces  of  the  people.  Nearly  all  remembered  landmarks  were  gone; 

—  the  Shinto  temple  appeared  to  have  been  rebuilt  in  a  new  place;  the  woods 
had  vanished  from  the  neighboring  slopes.  Only  the  voice  of  the  little  stream 
flowing  through  the  settlement,  and  the  forms  of  the  mountains,  were  still 
the  same.  All  else  was  unfamiliar  and  new.  In  vain  he  tried  to  find  the 
dwelling  of  his  parents;  and  the  fisherfolk  stared  wonderingly  at  him;  and  he 
could  not  remember  having  ever  seen  any  of  those  faces  before. 

4  There  came  along  a  very  old  man,  leaning  on  a  stick,  and  Urashima 
asked  him  the  way  to  the  house  of  the  Urashima  family.  But  the  old  man 
looked  quite  astonished,  and  made  him  repeat  the  question  many  times, 
and  then  cried  out:  —  44  Urashima  Tar 6  I  Where  did  you  come  from  that 
you  do  not  know  the  story?  Urashima  Tarol  Why,  it  is  more  than  four 
hundred  years  since  he  was  drowned,  and  a  monument  is  erected  to  his 
memory  in  the  graveyard.  The  graves  of  all  his  people  are  in  that  grave- 
yard, —  the  old  graveyard  which  is  not  now  used  any  more.  Urashima 
Taro !  How  can  you  be  so  foolish  as  to  ask  where  his  house  is?  "  And  the 
old  man  hobbled  on,  laughing  at  the  simplicity  of  his  questioner. 

4  But  Urashima  went  to  the  village  graveyard,  —  the  old  graveyard  that 
was  not  used  any  more,  —  and  there  he  found  his  own  tombstone,  and  the 
tombstone  of  his  father  and  his  mother  and  his  kindred,  and  the  tombstones 
of  many  others  he  had  known.  So  old  they  were,  so  moss-eaten,  that  it  was 
very  hard  to  read  the  names  upon  them.  Then  he  knew  himself  the  victim 
of  some  strange  illusion,  and  he  took  his  way  back  to  the  beach,  —  always 
carrying  in  his  hand  the  box,  the  gift  of  the  Sea  God's  daughter.  But  what 
was  this  illusion?  And  what  could  be  in  that  box?  Or  might  not  that  which 
was  in  the  box  be  the  cause  of  the  illusion?  Doubt  mastered  faith.  Recklessly 
he  broke  the  promise  to  his  beloved;  he  loosened  the  silken  cord;  —  he  opened 
the  box! 

4  Instantly,  without  any  sound,  there  burst  from  it  a  white  cold  spectral 
vapor  that  rose  in  air  like  a  summer  cloud,  and  began  to  drift  away  quickly 


LITERATURE 


cclxi 


into  the  south,  over  the  silent  sea.  There  was  nothing  else  in  the  box.  And 
Urashima  then  knew  that  he  had  destroyed  his  own  happiness,  —  and  that 
he  could  never  again  return  to  his  beloved,  the  daughter  of  the  Ocean  King. 
So  that  he  wept  and  cried  out  bitterly  in  his  despair.  Yet  for  a  moment  only. 
In  another,  he  himself  was  changed.  An  icy  chill  shot  through  all  his  blood; 
—  his  teeth  fell  out;  his  face  shriveled;  his  hair  turned  white  as  snow;  his 
limbs  withered;  his  strength  ebbed;  he  sank  down  lifeless  on  the  sand, 
crushed  by  the  weight  of  four  hundred  winters. 

4  Now  in  the  official  annals  of  the  Emperors  it  is  written:  "  that  in  the 
twenty-first  year  of  the  Mikado  Yuriaku,  the  boy  Urashima  of  Midzunoye, 
in  the  district  of  Yosa,  in  the  province  of  Tango,  a  descendant  of  the 
divinity  Shimanemi,  went  to  Elysium  in  a  fishing-boat."  After  this  there 
is  no  more  news  of  Urashima  during  the  reign  of  thirty-one  emperors  and 
empresses  —  that  is,  from  the  fifth  until  the  ninth  century.  And  then  the 
annals  announce  that  "  in  the  second  year  of  Tenchiyo,  in  the  reign  of  the 
Mikado  Go-Junwa,  the  boy  Urashima  returned,  and  presently  departed 
again,  none  knew  whither."  '  (From  Classical  Poetry  of  the  Japanese. 
Transcribed  by  Lafcadio  Hearn,  in  Out  of  the  East.  Houghton  Mifflin  Co., 
Boston,  1899.) 

The  Fountain  of  Youth:  4  Long,  long  ago  there  lived  somewhere  among  the 
mountains  a  poor  wood-cutter  and  his  wife.  They  were  very  old,  and  had  no 
children.  Every  day  the  husband  went  alone  to  the  forest  to  cut  wood,  while 
the  wife  sat  weaving  at  home.  One  day  the  old  man  went  farther  into  the 
forest  than  was  his  custom,  to  seek  a  certain  kind  of  wood;  and  he  suddenly 
found  himself  at  the  edge  of  a  little  spring  he  had  never  seen  before.  The 
water  was  strangely  clear  and  cold,  and  he  was  thirsty;  for  the  day  was  hot, 
and  he  had  been  working  hard.  So  he  doffed  his  great  straw  hat,  knelt  down, 
and  took  a  long  drink.  That  water  seemed  to  refresh  him  in  a  most  extra- 
ordinary way.  Then  he  caught  sight  of  his  face  in  the  spring,  and  started 
back.  It  was  certainly  his  own  face,  but  not  at  all  as  he  was  accustomed 
to  see  it  in  the  old  mirror  at  home.  It  was  the  face  of  a  very  young  man!  He 
could  not  believe  his  eyes.  He  put  up  both  hands  to  his  head,  which  had 
been  quite  bald  only  a  moment  before.  It  was  covered  with  thick  black  hair. 
And  his  face  had  become  smooth  as  a  boy's;  every  wrinkle  was  gone.  At  the 
same  moment  he  discovered  himself  full  of  new  strength.  He  stared  in 
astonishment  at  the  limbs  that  had  been  so  long  withered  by  age ;  they  were 
now  shapely  and  hard  with  dense  young  muscle.  Unknowingly  he  had  drunk 
at  the  Fountain  of  Youth;  and  that  draught  had  transformed  him. 

4  First,  he  leaped  high  and  shouted  for  joy;  then  he  ran  home  faster  than 
he  had  ever  run  before  in  his  life.  When  he  entered  his  house  his  wife  was 
frightened,  —  because  she  took  him  for  a  stranger;  and  when  he  told  her  the 
wonder,  she  could  not  at  once  believe  him.  But  after  a  long  time  he  was  able 
to  convince  her  that  the  young  man  she  now  saw  before  her  was  really  her 
husband;  and  he  told  her  where  the  spring  was,  and  asked  her  to  go  there 
with  him.  Then  she  said:  "  You  have  become  so  handsome  and  so  young 
that  you  cannot  continue  to  love  an  old  woman;  —  so  I  must  drink  some  of 
that  water  immediately.  But  it  will  never  do  for  both  of  us  to  be  away  from 
the  house  at  the  same  time.  Do  you  wait  here  while  I  go."  And  she  ran  to 
the  woods  all  by  herself.  She  found  the  spring  and  knelt  down,  and  began  to 
drink.  Oh!  how  cool  and  sweet  that  water  was!  She  drank  and  drank  and 
drank,  and  stopped  for  breath  only  to  begin  again.  Her  husband  waited  for 
her  impatiently;  he  expected  to  see  her  come  back  changed  into  a  pretty 
slender  girl.  But  she  did  not  come  back  at  all.  He  got  anxious,  shut  up  the 
house,  and  went  to  look  for  her.  When  he  reached  the  spring,  he  could  not 
see  her.  He  was  just  on  the  point  of  returning  when  he  heard  a  little  wail  in 
the  high  grass  near  the  spring.  He  searched  there  and  discovered  his  wife's 
clothes  and  a  baby,  —  a  very  small  baby,  perhaps  six  months  old!  For  the 
old  woman  had  drunk  too  deeply  of  the  magical  waters;  she  had  drunk 
herself  far  back  beyond  the  time  of  youth  into  the  period  of  speechless 
infancy.  He  took  up  the  child  in  his  arms.  It  looked  at  him  in  a  sad,  won- 
dering way.  He  carried  it  home,  —  murmuring  to  it,  —  thinking  strange, 
melancholy  thoughts.' 

The  Bronze  Mirror:  '  Long  ago,  at  a  place  called  Matsuyama,  in  the  prov- 
ince of  Echigo,  there  lived  a  young  samurai  husband  and  wife  whose  names 
have  been  quite  forgotten.  They  had  a  little  daughter.  Once  the  husband 


cclxii 


HISTORY 


went  to  Yedo,  —  probably  as  a  retainer  in  the  train  of  the  Lords  of  Echigo. 
On  his  return  he  brought  presents  from  the  capital,  —  sweet  cakes  and  a  doll 
for  the  little  girl  (at  least  so  the  artist  tells  us),  and  for  his  wife  a  mirror 
of  silvered  bronze.  To  the  young  mother  that  mirrorseemed  a  very  wonderful 
thing;  for  it  was  the  first  mirror  ever  brought  to  Matsuyama.  She  did  not 
understand  the  use  of  it,  and  innocently  asked  whose  was  the  pretty  smiling 
face  she  saw  inside  it.  When  her  husband  answered  her,  laughing,  Why,  it 
is  your  own  face!  How  foolish  you  are!  she  was  ashamed  to  ask  any  more 
questions,  but  hastened  to  put  the  present  away,  still  thinking  it  to  be  a  very 
mysterious  thing.  And  she  kept  it  hidden  many  years,  —  the  original  story 
does  not  say  why.  Perhaps  for  the  simple  reason  that  in  all  countries  love 
makes  even  the  most  trifling  gift  too  sacred  to  be  showD.  But  in  the  time  of 
her  last  sickness  she  gave  the  mirror  to  her  daughter,  saying,  "After  I  am 
dead  you  must  look  into  this  mirror  every  morning  and  evening,  and  you  will 
see  me.  Do  not  grieve."  Then  she  died.  And  the  girl  thereafter  looked  into 
the  mirror  every  morning  and  evening,  and  did  not  know  that  the  face  in  the 
mirror  was  her  own  shadow,  —  but  thought  it  to  be  that  of  her  dead  mother, 
whom  she  much  resembled.  So  she  would  talk  to  the  shadow,  having  the  sen- 
sation, or,  as  the  Japanese  original  more  tenderly  says,  "  having  the  heart 
of  meeting  her  mother  "  day  by  day;  and  she  prized  the  mirror  above  all 
things.  At  last  her  father  noticed  this  conduct,  and  thought  it  strange,  and 
asked  her  the  reason  of  it,  whereupon  she  told  him  all.  "  Then,"  says  the  old 
Japanese  narrator,  ' '  he  thinking  it  to  be  a  very  piteous  thing,  his  eyes  grew 
dark  with  tears."  '  (Lafcadio  Hearn.) 


XVI.  Historical  Sketch. 

It  is  customary  to  speak  of  Japanese  history  as  beginning 
with  the  accession  to  the  throne  of  Iware-Hiko-no-Mikoto 
(known  canonically  as  Jimmu  Tennd,  or  'Emperor  of  Divine 
Valor who  is  said  to  have  been  5th  in  descent  from 
Amaterasu-O-Mi- Kami  (Sun-Goddess,  or  1  Heaven-Illumi- 
nating Great  August  Deity  ');  to  have  reigned  from  b.c.  660 
to  585;  to  have  founded  the  present  line  of  mikados,  and  to 
have  lived  127  yrs.  Before  his  time  was  the  Age  of  Mythology.1 
The  Japanese  believe  that  immediately  prior  to  b.c.  660, 
Jimmu  and  his  followers  invaded  Kyushu  and  found  it  peopled 
by  mixed  races  organized  into  tribes  dwelling  in  communities 
ruled  by  headmen.  After  taking  possession  of  the  island  the 
heaven-sent  conquerors  advanced  across  the  Inland  Sea  to  I 
Naniwa  (now  Osaka),  and  established  the  first  capital  at 
Kashiwabara,  near  Nara.  Centuries  of  fighting  are  said  to 
have  been  necessary  to  subdue  the  Ainu,  who  then  peopled 
the  Main  Island,  and  to  drive  them  to  their  present  habitat 
in  Yezo. 

The  riddle  of  the  origin  of  the  Japanese  has  never  been  satisfactorily 
explained  and  may  never  be  solved.  Some  consider  them  descendants  from 
the  builders  of  the  Tower  of  Babel;  others  identify  them  with  Turano-Afri- 
cans  who  traveled  E.  through  Egypt,  China,  and  Korea;  still  others  recog- 
nize in  them  one  of  the  lost  tribes  of  Israel;  while  there  are  not  lacking  those 
who  regard  them  as  Malayan  colonists,  or  of  Tartar-Mongolian  stock  from 
Central  Asia.  All  agree  that  they  are  not  a  pure  race,  as  they  present  easily 


1  The  best  explanation  of  Japanese  mythology  will  be  found  in  the  ancient 
books  Kojiki  and  Nihongi  (which  might  be  termed  the  Japanese  Bibles), 
translations  from  which  have  been  made  by  Prof.  Chamberlain  (outline 
sketch  in  Things  Japanese,  p.  223),  Brinkley,  Aston,  Griffis,Rein,  and  others, 
—  to  whom  the  student  is  referred. 


HISTORY 


cclxiii 


distinguishable  types.  '  The  Japanese  plebeian  has  a  robust  and  heavily- 
boned  physique,  a  dark  skin,  prominent  cheek-bones,  a  large  mouth,  a  flat 
nose,  full,  straight  eyes  without  a  suspicion  of  a  slant,  and  a  receding  fore- 
head. The  patrician  type  is  symmetrically  and  delicately  built;  his  com- 
plexion varies  from  yellow  to  almost  pure  white;  his  eyes  are  narrow,  set 
obliquely  to  the  nose;  the  eyelids  heavy;  the  eyebrows  lofty;  the  mouth 
small;  the  face  oval;  the  nose  aquiline;  the  hand  remarkably  small  and 
supple.  These  two  radically  distinct  types  have  been  distinguished  by  the 
Japanese  themselves  ever  since  any  method  of  recording  such  distinctions 
existed.  There  has  been  no  evolution  in  this  matter.  The  theory  which 
seems  to  fit  the  facts  best  is  that  the  Japanese  are  compounded  of  two  ele- 
ments from  Central  and  Southern  Asia,  and  that  they  received  their  patri- 
cian type  from  the  former,  their  plebeian  from  the  latter.  The  Asiatic  colo- 
nists arrived  via  Korea.  But  they  were  neither  Korean  nor  Chinese.  That 
seems  certain,  though  the  evidence  which  proves  it  cannot  be  detailed  here. 
Chinese  and  Koreans  came  from  time  to  time  in  later  ages;  came  occasion- 
ally in  great  numbers,  and  were  absorbed  into  the  Japanese  race,  leaving 
on  it  some  faint  trace  of  the  amalgamation. 

'  The  early  annals  mention  several  tides  of  immigrants  and  a  race  of  semi- 
barbarous  autochthons  who,  like  the  ancient  Athenians  and  some  other 
Greeks,  are  supposed  to  have  sprung  originally  from  the  soil  on  which  they 
lived.  These  so-called  aboriginals  were  perhaps  composed  of  two  swarms  of 
colonists,  both  coming  from  Siberia,  though  their  advents  were  separated 
by  a  long  interval.  The  first,  archaeologically  indicated  by  pit-dwellings 
and  shell-mounds  still  extant,  were  the  Koro-pok-guru,  or  "  cave-men." 
They  are  believed  to  be  represented  to-day  by  the  inhabitants  of  Saghalien, 
the  Kuriles  and  S.  Kamchatka.  The  second  were  the  Ainu,  a  flat-faced, 
heavy-jawed,  hirsute  people,  who  completely  drove  out  their  predecessors 
and  took  possession  of  the  land.  The  Ainu  of  that  period  had  much  in  com- 
mon  with  animals.  They  burrowed  in  the  ground  for  shelter;  they  recognized 
no  distinction  of  sex  in  apparel  or  of  consanguinity  in  intercourse;  they  clad 
themselves  in  skins;  they  resorted  to  savagely  cruel  forms  of  punishment; 
they  practiced  cannibalism;  they  used  stone  implements;  and,  unceasingly, 
resisting  the  civilized  immigrants  who  subsequently  reached  the  islands, 
they  were  driven  N.  by  degrees,  and  finally  pushed  across  the  Tsugaru 
Strait  into  the  island  of  Yezo.  That  long  struggle,  and  the  disasters  and 
sufferings  it  entailed,  radically  changed  the  nature  of  the  Ainu.  They  be- 
came timid,  gentle,  submissive  folk;  lost  most  of  the  faculties  essential  to 
survival  in  a  racial  contest,  and  dwindled  to  a  mere  remnant  of  semi- 
savages,  incapable  of  progress,  indifferent  to  improvement,  and  presenting  a 
more  and  more  vivid  contrast  to  the  energetic,  intelligent,  and  ambitious 
Japanese.'  (Brinkley.) 

The  name  O  Yamato,  or  'Land  of  the  Mountains,'  given  to  the  islands  by 
Jimmu  Tenno  when  he  conquered  them,  is  believed  to  have  been  changed 
in  a.d.  670  to  Nihon,  or  Dai  Nippon  ('  Great  Japan  ')  —  seemingly  a  corrup-' 
tion  of  the  Chinese  Ji-pun,  or  '  Land  of  the  Sunrise.'  The  people  prefer  to 
be  called  Nihonese,  or  Nipponese,  rather  than  Japanese,  and  in  the  vernacu- 
lar, a  man  or  a  person  is  called  Nihon-jin,  and  the  language  Nihon-go. 

The  middle  of  the  6th  cent.  a.d.  found  the  descendants  of  the 
primitive  Mongol  hordes,  who  long  before  had  invaded  the 
islands,  cemented  into  a  comparatively  strong  and  partly 
civilized  nation,  instructed  in  agriculture  and  many  crude  but 
useful  arts;  with  a  nascent  mentality;  a  fairly  complex  social 
organization;  and  a  ruling  class  at  once  brave,  warlike,  indus- 
trious, and  peculiarly  fitted  to  receive  the  tincture  of  higher 
civilization  which  the  introduction  of  Buddhism  in  552 
brought  to  them.  The  invasion  of  this  Indian  creed  marked 
one  of  the  most  transcendental  epochs  in  the  early  history  of 
the  race,  and  its  influences  still  pulse  strongly  through  the  life 
of  the  nation.   The  gov't  was  remodeled  on  the  Chinese 


cclxiv      THE  NARA  AND  HEIAN  EPOCHS 


centralized  bureaucratic  plan,  and  in  the  course  of  time  the 
country  passed  from  a  relatively  rude  condition  to  a  state  of 
civilization.  Henceforth  the  history  of  Japan  (which  for  ages 
had  been  ruled  practically  by  powerful  clans  that  had  usurped 
the  authority  of  the  mikados)  is  divided  into  epochs,  and  is 
virtually  that  of  four  great  families,  the  Fujiwara,  Taira, 
Minamoto,  and  the  Tokugawa.  The  first  governed  through  the 
emperor;  the  other  three  may  be  said  to  have  governed  in  spite 
of  him.  The  former  based  their  power  on  matrimonial  alliances 
with  the  Throne;  the  other  three  based  theirs  on  the  possession 
of  armed  strength  which  the  Throne  had  not  sufficient  power 
to  control.  The  progenitors  of  the  Taira  and  the  Minamoto 
were  sons  of  emperors  who  reigned  during  the  opening  years 
of  the  9th  cent.  The  Tokugawa  were  a  branch  of  the  Minamoto. 

The  Nara  Epoch  (710-784)  derives  its  name  from  the  cir- 
cumstance that  the  Empress  Gemmei  (who  succeeded  Mommu 
Tenno)  transferred  the  Imperial  Court  to  the  district  of  So-no- 
kami  (Yamato  Province)  and  there  had  a  town  built  which 
was  called  Nara  no  Miyako.  The  palace  was  called  Heijd 
C Castle  of  Peace'),  a  name  often  given  to  the  epoch.  Con- 
trary to  established  custom,  Gemmei' 's  successors  dwelt  in  the 
same  place  and  Nara  thus  remained  the  Imperial  capital  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  seven  consecutive  sovereigns,  —  or  until 
Kwammu  transferred  his  seat  of  gov't  to  Kyoto  (in  784).  The 
74  yrs.  of  the  Nara  period  were  marked  by  extraordinary  zeal 
in  the  promotion  of  Buddhism ;  seven  of  the  finest  temples  in 
Japan  were  erected,  and  among  the  multitude  of  idols  cast  was 
the  gigantic  Daibutsu  described  in  Rte.  34. 

In  712  the  Empress  Gemmei  ordered  Hieda-no-Are  (a  man  of  such  prodi- 
gious memory  that  he  could  repeat  all  the~traditions  he  had  ever  heard  ver- 
batim!) to  compile  a  history  of  Japan,  and  thus  the  Kojiki,  or  1  Record  of 
Ancient  Matters,'  was  written.  In  720  another  work,  the  Nihongi,  or 
4  Chronicles  of  Nihon,'  was  completed.  Both  begin  with  the  fabulous  account 
of  the  separation  of  heaven  and  earth;  and  end,  the  former  with  the  reign 
of  the  Empress  Suifco  (a.d.  628) ;  the  latter  with  that  of  the  Empress  Jito 
(697).  In  view  of  the  fact  that  both  books  (which  are  merely  collections  of 
isolated  traditions)  were  the  first  records  of  magnitude  written  in  the  new 
(Chinese;  comp.  p.  cxxvi)  language,  and  that  the  period  covered  ranges  from 
about  B.C.  660  to  a.d.  697,  will  lead  most  persons  seriously  to  doubt  the  credi- 
tability  of  the  work,  and  to  conclude  that  Japanese  history  prior  to  the  Nara 
Epoch  rests  upon  an  insecure  foundation.  —  The  third  main  history  of 
Japan,  from  the  early  times  down  through  the  Middle  Ages,  is  the  Nihon 
Guaishi  ('  External  History  '),  concluded  in  1827. 

The  Heian  (or  Kyoto)  Epoch,  which  lasted  from  the  end  of 
the  8th  to  the  middle  of  the  12th  cent.,  was  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  periods  of  the  nation's  life;  during  it  the  native 
civilization  assumed  many  of  the  exterior  features  admired  by 
foreigners  in  modern  times.  By  the  middle  of  the  8th  cent, 
the  Fujiwara  were  in  control  of  affairs,  and  the  mikados  were 
little  better  than  figureheads;  but  some  of  the  rulers  were 
strong  and  the  country  advanced.  Buddhism,  which  is  thought 
to  have  had  an  unwholesome  effect  during  the  period,  grew  in 


THE  MILITARY  EPOCH  cclxv 


influence,  and  spread  gradually  over  the  entire  land.  In  time 
it  aided  materially  in  modifying  the  Japanese  character. 
Hitherto  the  people  had  been  hardy,  fierce,  and  militant;  but 
by  degrees  the  rude  warriors  came  under  the  softening  influ- 
ence of  the  endless  codes  of  Chinese  ceremony  and  etiquette; 
of  the  sentimental  literature  and  its  enervating  effects;  and 
were  'gradually  transformed,  first  into  votaries  of  pleasure, 
then  into  profligates,  and  finally  into  pessimists.' 

The  Military  Epoch  lasted  from  the  beginning  of  the  12th 
to  the  middle  of  the  19th  cent.  It  is  also  known  as  the  Ka- 
makura  Epoch  (and  as  the  age  of  military  feudalism),  from 
the  circumstance  that  Minamoto  Yoritomo,  3d  son  of  Yoshi- 
tomo,  the  first  Minamoto  shogun,  and  one  of  the  most  cele- 
brated figures  of  the  first  18  centuries  of  Japanese  history, 
inaugurated  an  entire  change  of  polity,  established  a  military 
gov't  at  Kamakura,  300  M.  from  Kyoto,  and  there  exercised 
the  administrative  functions;  leaving  the  Imperial  Court 
nothing  except  the  power  of  investing  officials  and  conduct- 
ing ceremonies.  The  change  was  national  and  decisive.  It 
marked  the  beginning  of  an  entirely  new  era  for  Japan,  one 
that  lasted  for  nearly  7  centuries ;  and  the  authority,  no  longer 
in  the  hands  of  the  emperor,  was  wielded  by  his  powerful 
lieutenant-general,  the  shogun.  In  many  ways  this  is  the  most 
interesting  of  all  the  different  epochs  of  Japanese  history,  for 
it  produced  the  picturesque  shogun,1  the  daimyo,2  the  samurai 
or  two-sworded  men,  the  ronin,z  or  wave-men,  and  the  restless 
horde  of  moss-trooping  swashbuckling  free-lances  who  went 
up  and  down  the  land  and  were  such  picturesque  features  of 
it.  Also  because  the  epoch  finally  merged  into  our  own  time 
and  produced  the  modern  Japan. 

The  period  when  feudalism  and  military  despotism  came  openly  to  the 
front,  as  well  as  the  bloody  years  which  followed,  were  trying  ones  for  the 
proletariat.  The  governmental  system  (borrowed  from  the  Chinese),  with 
its  elaborate  Court  etiquette  and  its  army  of  officials,  had  outlived  itself. 
Where  once  Court  intrigue  decided  everything,  the  sword  was  now  the 
autocratic  arbiter,  while  the  Mikado  was  but  a  shadow  in  the  background  of 

1  Sohgun  (pron.  shong'-uhn),  from  sho,  '  general  ';  gun,  1  army,'  means 
'commander-in-chief.'  Sei-i-Tai  Shogun,  or  'Great  Barbarian-subduing 
General,'  is  derived  from  sei,  to  '  subject,'  i,  '  strangers  '  (or  barbarians), 
and  tai,  '  great.'  This  title,  taken  by  the  Shogun  in  dealings  with  foreigners, 
has  been  frequently  corrupted  by  Anglo-Saxons  into  Tycoon  (or  Taikun  — 
'  great  army  ').  All  generals  were  called  Shogun.  A  commander  of  3  regi- 
ments was  Tai-Shogun,  or  generalissimo;  and  a  Vice-Commander,  Fuku- 
Shogun. 

2  Daimyo  (pron.  dime-yo),  lit.,  4  great  name,'  is  derived  from  Myodai,  or 
4  substitutes,'  sent  originally  from  Kyoto  to  govern  unruly  provinces.  As 
they  grew  in  power  and  became  military  agrarian  aristocrats  or  feudal  lords 
holding  rich  fiefs,  they  called  themselves  Dai-miyo  ( 4  great  substitutes'). 
Their  vassals  or  retainers  were  called  Samurai  (pron.  sam'-rye)  —  a  general 
name  (in  a  narrow  sense)  for  the  military  class. 

3  Ronin  were  samurai  who  believed  themselves  charged  with  amission  to 
improve  political  conditions,  and  who  refrained  from  joining  the  service  of 
any  fief.  Their  grievance  was  against  every  one,  and  they  were  ready  usu- 
ally to  take  up  the  cudgel  against  all  and  sundry  for  a  compensation. 


cclxvi 


THE  MILITARY  EPOCH 


political  events.  For  5  centuries  titanic  conflicts  for  the  possession  of  the 
actual  power  continued,  and  they  devastated  the  country  in  an  appalling 
manner;  the  humble  peasant  paid  the  reckoning  with  ravaged  fields,  with 
poverty,  and  with  the  ashes  of  his  homestead. 

Go-Sanjo  Tenno,  71st  Mikado  (1069-72),  made  a  strenu- 
ous effort  to  reform  the  abuses  of  the  administration,  and  in 
so  doing  he  dealt  the  Fujiwara  autocracy  its  first  serious  blow; 
this  was  followed  by  the  pious  Shirakawa  Tenno,  the  72d 
Mikado  (1073-86),  who,  at  the  age  of  33,  abdicated  in  favor 
of  his  son  Horikawa,  then  9  yrs.  old,  and  retired  to  a  monas- 
tery, where  he  organized  his  own  court  and  continued  to 
govern  the  country.  From  this  circumstance  he  is  known  as 
the  first  1  cloistered  emperor.'  By  this  time  the  Buddhist 
monasteries,  especially  those  of  Hiei-zan,  had  developed  such 
power  that  they  repeatedly  bade  defiance  to  the  laws  and  regu- 
lations of  the  gov't.  The  corruption  and  arrogance  of  the 
priests  reached  such  a  point  that  they  not  only  had  recourse 
to  arms  in  their  controversies  with  other  monasteries  and 
sects,  but  even  marched,  well  armed,  into  the  capital,  in  order 
to  force  governmental  attention  to  their  demands. 

Toba  Tenno,  74th  Mikado  (1108-23),  saw  the  gradual  de- 
cline of  the  once  powerful  Fujiwara  family;  it  had  now  but 
a  shadow  of  influence  at  Court  and  none  at  all  in  the  provinces. 
But  the  authority  of  the  Mikado  at  this  period  was  little 
better;  a  native  historian  has  compared  it  to  'an  empty  cash- 
box,  of  which  the  Fujiwara  carried  the  key.'  Tobas  improvi- 
dence and  prodigality  so  encouraged  the  Taira  and  the  Min- 
amoto  that  soon  the  military  power,  as  distinguished  from 
that  of  the  Court  and  the  priests,  was  in  their  hands  in  toler- 
ably equal  proportions.  Toba  forbade  the  samurai  in  several 
provinces  to  make  themselves  vassals  of  either  of  these  pow- 
erful clans,  but  it  was  a  struggle  with  the  wind.  The  feudal 
system  had  gradually  so  developed  and  strengthened  itself 
that  such  authority  as  was  represented  at  Kyoto  could  no 
longer  impress  itself  upon  it.  The  great  aim  of  the  feudal 
lords  was  now  to  become  independent  of  Imperial  protection, 
and  with  this  in  view  they  secured  rich  domains  and  offered 
their  growing  power  to  the  chiefs  of  the  Taira  or  Minamoto. 

Soon  the  impending  storm  burst  over  the  heads  of  the  ruling 
houses  and  their  army  of  officials,  and  a  bitter  conflict  raged 
between  the  two  great  clans.  They  attacked  each  other  with 
all  the  suppressed  bitterness,  all  the  vindictive  fury,  of  men  who 
believed  that  their  cherished  rights  were  endangered;  the  prize 
was  a  rich  one,  for  it  comprised  a  vast  empire  and  the  destiny 
of  an  entire  nation. 

In  Japanese  history  this  great  succession  dispute  bears  the  name  of  Genpei- 
kassan,  or  Gempei  War,  from  Gen,  or  Genji,  1  source,'  the  Chinese  rendering 
of  the  Japanese  Minamoto;  and  Hei,  or  Pei,  or  Heika  (the  Chinese) ,  '  peace,' 
the  equivalent  of  the  Japanese  Taira.  Kassen  means  conflict,  or  duel. 
*  The  wars  of  the  Guelphs  and  Ghibellines,  of  the  Red  and  White  Roses, 
and  other  remarkable  civil  wars,  appear  short  compared  with  this  bitter  feud, 


THE  MILITARY  EPOCH 


cclxvii 


of  the  Japanese  Middle  Ages,  which  lasted  for  centuries.  With  their  history, 
which  is  familiar  to  almost  every  Japanese,  are  associated  reminiscences  of 
the  greatest  disorders,  the  most  exciting  events,  and  the  bloodiest  conflicts 
that  ever  occurred  in  Japan.  Besides  the  display  of  great  courage  and  a  really 
admirable  heroism,  the  basest  conceivable  means,  such  as  cunning,  long- 
prepared  revenge  and  assassination,  were  not  despised  as  means  to  destroy 
a  dangerous  rival  or  hated  opponent.  So  many  of  the  Minamoto  distin- 
guished themselves  by  great  bravery  that  this  struggle  for  supremacy  in 
feudal  power  has  been  described  in  numerous  historical  novels.' 

The  first  decisive  victory  in  the  long  struggle  fell  to  the  Taira, 
who  maintained  their  supremacy  under  the  leadership  of  Taira 
Kiyomori  (1118-81),  a  man  (born  of  a  Court  concubine)  of  splen- 
did courage  and  audacity  (one  of  the  most  renowned  of  the 
early  Taira  leaders),  but  brutal,  murderous,  and  lacking  in 
originality  and  political  insight.  By  following  the  pernicious 
Fujiwara  method  of  placing  minors  on  the  throne  (puppets  that 
were  like  wax  in  the  hands  of  a  shrewd  and  scheming  man), 
by  such  barbarous  methods  as  burning  temples,  levying  taxes 
on  Shinto  shrines;  by  bringing  his  mailed  hand  down  with 
relentless  force  on  the  Buddhist  priests,  and  by  expressing  his 
determination  to  kill  his  hated  rivals  the  Minamoto  (whom  he 
exterminated  whenever  he  could  find  them),  he  aroused  the 
fear  and  hatred  of  so  many  that  he  thus  prepared  the  way  for 
22  yrs.  of  almost  constant  warfare,  which  resulted  in  the 
downfall  of  the  Taira.  This  was  momentous  in  that  it  marked 
the  definite  establishment  of  a  long  period  of  military  domina- 
tion and  the  rise  to  supremacy  of  the  formidable  Minamoto 
under  the  guidance  of  Minamoto  Yoritomo,  who  became  the 
most  powerful  chieftain  in  the  land  and  was  so  recognized 
under  the  title  of  shogun.  Then  was  inaugurated  the  dual 
system  of  gov't  which  lasted  down  to  1868  — '  the  Mikado 
supreme  in  name,  but  powerless  and  dwelling  in  a  gilded  cap- 
tivity at  the  old  capital,  Kyoto;  the  shogun,  with  his  great 
feudatories,  his  armed  retainers,  and  his  well-filled  exchequer, 
ruling  the  whole  empire  from  his  new  capital  in  E.  Japan  — 
first  Kamakura,  then  Yedo.' 

Coincident  with  this  period,  Marco  Polo,  while  detained  as  a  prisoner  of 
war  at  Genoa,  wrote  (about  1298)  his  Oriental  Travels,  and  first  gave  to  the 
European  world  an  account  of  the  tales  he  had  heard  at  the  Court  of  Kublai 
Khan  about  Zipangu.  Historians  agree  that  his  mention  of  such  vast  wealth 
was  an  important  factor  in  the  influencing  of  his  countryman,  Christopher 
Columbus,  to  seek  the  source  of  this  treasure.  'Zipangu  [says  Polo]  is  an 
island  in  the  E.  ocean,  situated  at  the  distance  of  about  1500  li  (500  M.) 
from  the  mainland  or  coast  of  Manji  (a  region  of  China) .  It  is  of  consider- 
able size;  its  inhabitants  have  fair  complexions,  are  well  made,  and  are 
civilized  in  their  manners.  Their  religion  is  the  worship  of  idols.  They  are 
independent  of  every  foreign  power,  and  are  governed  only  by  their  own 
kings.  They  have  gold  in  the  greatest  abundance,  its  sources  being  inex- 
haustible; but  as  the  king  does  not  allow  of  its  being  exported,  few  mer- 
chants visit  the  country,  nor  is  it  frequented  by  much  shipping  from  other 
parts.  To  this  circumstance  we  are  to  attribute  the  extraordinary  richness 
of  the  sovereign's  palace,  according  to  what  we  are  told  by  those  who  have 
access  to  the  place.  The  entire  roof  is  covered  with  a  plating  of  gold,  in  the 
same  manner  as  we  cover  houses,  or,  more  properly,  churches,  with  lead. 
The  ceilings  of  the  halls  are  of  the  same  precious  metal ;  many  of  the  apart- 


cclxviii 


THE  HOJO  ERA 


ments  have  small  tables  of  pure  gold,  considerably  thick;  and  the  windows, 
also,  have  golden  ornaments.  So  vast,  indeed,  are  the  riches  of  the  palace 
that  it  is  impossible  to  convey  an  idea  of  them.' 

The  Hojo  Era  —  sometimes  called  the  age  of  the  Shadow- 
shoguns  — was  ushered  in  with  the  13th  cent.,  at  which  time 
the  course  of  Japanese  history  is  seen  to  be  divided  and  flow- 
ing in  two  streams.  There  were*  now  two  capitals,  Kyoto  and 
Kamakura,  and  two  centers  of  authority;  one,  the  lawful  but 
overawed  Emperor  and  the  Imperial  court;  the  other,  the 
military  vassal,  and  a  gov't  based  on  the  power  of  arms.  But 
throughout  the  centuries  the  prestige  of  the  Mikado's  person 
never  declined;  the  fountain  of  authority,  therefore,  was  in 
Kyoto,  the  ultimate  seat  of  power  in  the  ancient  constitution. 
Coincident  with  the  decline  of  the  Hojo  power, 'and  when  this 
great  family  was  tottering  to  its  fall,  there  dwelt  at  Kyoto 
Go-Daigo  Tenno,  96th  Mikado  (1319-38),  who,  despite  his 
weakness  for  women  and  his  love  of  display,  grieved  at  the 
unworthy  part  played  by  the  long  dynasty  of  emperors,  and 
studied  plans  for  recovering  some  of  their  vanished  prestige. 
Declaring  war  against  the  Kamakura  Shikken  he  was  defeated 
and  banished  to  the  island  of  Oki,  whence  he  succeeded  in 
escaping  early  in  1333.  Soon  a  number  of  strong  men  enrolled 
themselves  in  his  cause,  and  while  Ashikaga  Takauji  was 
battling  for  the  possession  of  Kyoto  (which  was  in  the  hands 
of  the  Hojo),  Nitta  Yoshisada  was  wresting  Kamakura  from 
the  Shikken.  Thus  began  the  rivalry  which  lasted  for  nearly 
60  yrs.  between  the  S.  dynasty,  represented  by  Go-Daigo 
Tenno,  at  the  S.  of  Kyoto,  and  the  N.  dynasty,  supported 
by  the  Ashikaga.  With  the  fall  of  the  Hojo  ended  the  age 
of  the  Puppet-shoguns,  by  which  is  understood  the  period 
between  the  shogunate  of  the  Minamoto  and  that  of  the 
Ashikaga,  or  from  1219  to  1334. 

The  Ashikaga  Period  (of  the  Military  Epoch),  which 
extended  from  1338  to  1573,  which  gave  Japan  15  shoguns 
(the  first,  Ashikaga  Takauji,  1305-58),  is  another  highly  inter- 
esting and  picturesque  period  of  the  nation's  life.  The  rise  of 
the  great  Oda  Nobunaga;  the  discovery  of  Japan  by  the 
Portuguese;  the  introduction  of  firearms  and  Jesuitism;  the 
arrival  of  the  Dutch;  famine,  earthquakes,  internecine  war, 
and  many  other  stirring  events  were  features  of  it.  The  intes- 
tine conflicts  which  now  broke  out  again  over  the  country, 
thereby  producing  the  most  wretched  state  of  affairs  Japan 
had  ever  known,  have,  probably  by  analogy  with  the  long 
English  war  of  the  succession,  under  the  two  Roses,  been  called 
the  War  of  the  Chrysanthemum,  because  the  chrysanthemum 
indicum  is  in  some  measure  the  symbol  of  the  sun  and  of  the 
Imperial  authority.  Takauji  soon  became  the  central  figure 
of  the  greatest  political  disturbance  Japan  had  ever  known. 
1  For  55  yrs.  there  was  almost  incessant  fighting,  and  the 


THE  ASHIKAGA  PERIOD        '  cclxix 


period  is  called  "the  blackest  in  Japan's  history."  '  Even 
before  Takauji  died  (aged  53),  the  power  that  he  had  hoped 
to  bequeath  to  his  descendant  had  been  largely  usurped  by 
his  lieutenant.  Treachery  and  intrigue  were  in  the  air;  the 
great  feudal  barons  fought  among  themselves;  the  island 
empire  was  a  vast  armed  camp;  and  corruption,  shame,  and 
degeneracy  were  everywhere  apparent.  But  there  was  a  silver 
lining  to  the  dark  cloud  which  hung  over  Nippon  at  this  time, 
for  it  was  during  this  period  that  predial  serfdom  was  finally 
shattered;  that  a  great  development  in  pictorial  art  was  wit- 
nessed, —  a  development  analogous  to,  and  contemporary 
with,  that  of  Europe,  —  and  that  great  rulers  rose  to  power. 
The  first  and  most  striking  figure  among  these  was 

Ashikaga  Yoshimitsu  (1358-1408),  3d  shogun,  a  grandson 
of  Ashikaga  Takauji,  and  referred  to  in  history  as  the  Great 
Ashikaga.  Besides  being  a  talented  ruler,  he  cultivated  litera- 
ture, favored  artists,  maintained  friendly  relations  with  the 
Ming  dynasty  recently  established  in  China,  was  liberal  with 
the  Buddhists  —  especially  the  Zen  sect,  of  which  he  was  a 
fervent  devotee,  —  and  built  (in  1383)  the  beautiful  Shokoku-ji, 
a  temple  originally  intended  to  receive  the  remains  of  the 
Ashikaga  shoguns,  and  which  finally  became  the  headquarters 
of  the  10  branches  of  the  Rinzai  sect.  He  also  built  (in  1397) 
the  Golden  Pavilion  (kinkaku-ji) ,  his  nominal  residence  during 
his  retirement,  and  still  one  of  the  sights  of  Kyoto.  He 
established  his  gov't  in  the  Muromachi  Palace,  at  Kyoto, 
and  thus  began  what  is  called  the  Muromachi  Epoch.  One 
of  his  greatest  acts  was  the  unification  of  the  dual  monarchy 
(in  1392),  which  for  56  yrs.  had  divided  the  country  into  two 
hostile  camps.  Although  2  yrs.  after  the  unification,  Yoshi- 
mitsu took  the  tonsure  and  retired  from  official  life,  he  con- 
tinued (until  he  died  in  1409)  to  exercise  administrative  author- 
ity, thus  aiding  in  establishing  some  semblance  of  order  in 
the  affairs  of  the  Ashikaga.  He  it  was  also  who  suppressed  the 
piratical  forays  which  the  natives  of  Kyushu  were  wont  to  make 
on  the  coasts  of  Korea  and  China. 

Piracy  became  a  favorite  occupation  for  certain  of  the  uneasy  element  of 
Japan  during  the  14th  cent.,  and  the  long,  unprotected  coasts  of  the  Asiatic 
littoral  became  the  happy  hunting-ground  of  these  Far  Eastern  corsairs. 
Descending  suddenly  on  some  somnolent  coastal  village,  they  looted  it  at 
their  leisure,  and,  if  nothing  prevented,  proceeded  inland,  sacking  and  de- 
stroying villages  as  they  went.  When  satisfied  with  their  booty,  they 
marched  leisurely  back  to  the  coast,  raised  the  crinkly,  puckered  sails  of 
their  great  junks,  and  sailed  home  when  the  wind  was  favorable.  They 
repeated  these  outrages  year  after  year,  on  an  increasing  scale,  until  the 
shore  provinces  were  overrun  and  the  populace  driven  to  desperation.  Chi- 
nese history  records  that  during  this  unhappy  era  scores  of  fortresses  were 
erected,  one  man  out  of  every  four  was  detailed  to  patrol  the  beach  and 
repel  the  assaults  of  these  sea-rovers,  and  that  the  general  topic  of  conver- 
sation among  the  exasperated  people  was  the  number  of  descents  made, 
the  vessels  captured,  the  towns  pillaged  and  the  districts  ravaged  by  the 
Japanese  buccaneers.  The  terror  they  spread  was  so  great,  that  even  to- 
day mothers  on  parts  of  the  Chinese  coast  —  particularly  in  Che-Kiang  — 


cclxx        ARRIVAL  OF  THE  PORTUGUESE 

threaten  their  children,  when  they  will  not  go  to  sleep,  with  the  pirates. 
Wo-jen-lai,  the  Japanese  are  coming,  they  say. 

The  death  of  Yoshimitsu  (at  50,  in  1408)  was  the  signal  for 
fresh  disorders.  Succession  disputes  relative  to  the  Throne, 
as  well  as  among  the  great  vassals  (the  agrarian  autocrats), 
arose,  and  another  century  passed  before  tranquillity  was 
restored.  The  material  ruin  of  the  country  was  appalling. 
The  low  state  of  the  mikadoate  in  the  last  half  of  this  period 
is  shown  by  the  fact  that  when  Go-Tsuchimikado  Tenno,  the 
103d  ruler  (1466-1500),  died  in  Kyoto,  his  body  remained 
for  40  days  without  burial,  the  necessary  means  for  defraying 
the_cost  of  the  ceremony  being  wanting.  Finally  a  daimyo 
of  Omi,  Sasaki  Takayori,  had  the  funeral  conducted  at  his  own 
expense.  And  this  at  a  time  when  Columbus  was  still  endeav- 
oring to  find  the  W.  route  to  Zipangu  and  Cathay  with  their 
treasures,  so  much  vaunted  by  Marco  Polo!  'To  the  horrors  of 
the  never-ending  civil  wars  were  added  (in  the  first  half  of 
the  16th  cent.)  frequent  violent  earthquakes,  drought,  and 
failure  of  crops,  famine,  and  devastating  diseases  which  in- 
creased the  misery  and  wretchedness  under  which  the  mass  of 
the  population  were  groaning  without  prospect  of  salvation. 
The  Buddhist  priests  were  not  behind  the  rich  in  luxurious- 
ness  and  dissoluteness  of  life ;  their  monasteries  were  fortresses, 
in  which  only  the  great  political  gamblers,  not  the  oppressed 
people,  found  comfort  and  help.  Trade  and  industry,  except 
such  as  served  for  the  equipment  of  the  warrior,  were  neg- 
lected; the  ruin  was  deep  and  universal.  Many  a  town,  many 
a  happy  home  became  a  prey  to  the  flames,  and  those  who  had 
dwelt  in  them  vagrants  on  the  earth.  The  land  grew  waste, 
for  those  who  might  have  cultivated  it  were  frightened  away, 
or  were  drafted  into  military  service.' 

The  Arrival  of  the  Portuguese  under  Mendes  Pinto 
occurred  in  1542.  At  that  time  Alfonso  de  Sosa  was  captain- 
general  of  Portuguese  India,  and  discoveries  and  conquests 
on  the  E.  coast  of  Asia  had  been  extensive.  Albeit  at  that 
period  home-staying  Spaniards  and  Portuguese  were  accus- 
tomed to  strange  stories  of  newly  discovered  lands  and  peoples, 
Pinto's  account  of  his  adventures  (set  forth  in  his  Peregrinagao 
de  Fernao  Mendes  Pinto,  published  at  Lisbon  in  1614)  and  of 
the  bizarre  habits  and  customs  of  the  Japanese  struck  such 
an  odd  note  that  he  was  accused  of  mendacity  and  was  dubbed 
mendaz  ('  mendacious  ')• 

Pinto,  along  with  Diego  Zaimoto  and  Cristobal  Baralho,  were  on  their  way 
from  Cochin  China  to  China  proper  and  were  passengers  on  the  junk  of  a 
Chinese  pirate.  In  a  fight  with  another  pirate  the  junk  became  separated 
from  its  companions  and  was  blown  out  of  its  course  by  a  storm.  After  three 
weeks  of  beating  about  on  the  open  sea,  a  strange  land  was  sighted,  and  steer- 
ing for  it  the  party  disembarked  on  Tanegashima  ('  Seed  Island')  Oct.  22.  — 
Hitherto  Ceylon  had  been  the  furthermost  point  reached  by  European  ships. 
Pinto,  therefore,  blazed  the  way  for  his  psalm-singing,  shrewd-trading  coun- 
trymen, and  brought  to  Europe  the  first  definite  information  about  the  Jap- 


EARLY  TOKUGAWA  TIME  cclxxi 


anese  Is.  To  Japan  he  brought  '  the  seed  of  troubles  innumerable.  The  crop 
was  priestcraft  of  the  worst  type;  political  intrigue;  religious  persecution; 
the  Inquisition;  the  slave  trade;  the  propagation  of  Christianity  (Comp. 
p.  ccxx)  by  the  sword;  sedition,  rebellion,  and  civil  war.  Its  harvest  was 
gathered  in  the  blood  of  60,000  Japanese.  Hand  in  hand  with  the  religion 
brought  by  the  foreigners  came  firearms  and  gunpowder.  To  many  a  native 
they  are  still  equal  members  of  a  trinity  of  terrors,  and  one  is  a  synonym  of 
the  other.  Christianity  to  most  of  the  (so-called)  "  heathen  "  still  means 
big  guns  and  powder.  Because  the  foreigners  first  landed  on  Tanegashirna, 
many  country  people  still  call  firearms  by  that  name.'  (Dr.  Grifiis.)  The 
Portuguese  were  the  direct  cause  of  the  closure  of  the  country  at  a  later  time, 
and  the  making  of  Japan  a  hermit  nation  during  2\  centuries.  The  influence 
of  the  firearms,  the  religion,  and  the  people  who  followed  them  '  runs  like  a 
red  thread  through  the  warp  and  woof  of  Japanese  history.' 

The  Early  Tokugawa  Time  (from  1573  to  1603),  or  the  age 
of  the  usurpers  Nobunaga  and  Hideyoshi,  is  an  interesting  and 
important  period  in  the  history  of  the  Japanese  Middle  Ages 
—  which  terminate  with  it.  *  It  is  the  age  of  the  propagation  of 
Christianity  and  of  its  first  bloody  persecutions;  of  the  great- 
est external  development  of  the  power  of  the  country  and  of 
its  most  important  internal  changes.'  At  the  head  of  the  great 
events  of  the  period  stand  three  famous  names  representing  at 
once  the  most  powerful  and  most  celebrated  figures  of  the  age : 
Oda  Nobunaga  (1534-82);  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi  (1536-98),  and 
Tokugawa  ley  am  (1542-1616),  though  the  main  history  of  the 
last-named  falls  in  the  early  yrs.  of  the  17th  cent. 

Under  the  dynasty  of  the  Ashikaga  after  Yoshimitsu,  there 
was  no  internal  peace.  The  land  was  devastated  by  repeated 
civil  wars;  life  and  property  were  at  the  mercy  of  the  brutal, 
the  cynical,  and  the  oppressor;  and  poverty  and  wretchedness 
were  the  lot  of  the  citizen  and  peasant.  Individualism  was 
sternly  repressed;  the  laws  had  no  defenders;  the  Mikados 
were  shorn  of  their  influence  and  prestige;  and  the  general 
state  of  confusion  and  misery  was  almost  incredible.  Then 
there  suddenly  appeared  a  man  who  sought,  and  successfully, 
to  tear  up  with  stern  hand  the  putrifying  political  and  social 
fabric  and  to  restore  discipline  and  order.  This  man  was  Oda 
Nobunaga. 

The  Oda  family  of  daimyos  originated  in  Owari  and  descended  from  Taira 
Sukemoriy  a  son  of  Shigemori  (1138-79)  who  was  in  turn  the  eldest  son  of 
the  famous  Kiyomori.  Oda  Nobunaga,  the  2d  son  of  Nobuhide,  early  in  life 
showed  a  great  expertness  in  warlike  exercises.  The  year  1562  finds  him  one 
of  the  most  powerful  feudal  lords  of  the  country,  and  fighting  for  the  cause 
of  his  emperor.  He  was  a  man  of  great  will-power,  of  absolute  convictions,  of 
terrific  energy,  and  notoriously  vindictive  toward  his  foes.  The  renown  of 
his  great  bravery,  his  unscrupulousness  in  clearing  the  path  of  his  enemies,, 
and  his  amazing  good  fortune  in  war  induced  the  Mikado  to  invite  him  to 
undertake  the  pacification  of  the  country.  This  he  did  in  such  a  whirlwind 
fashion  that  ere  long  he  had  captured  18  castles  in  Omi  and  had  fought  his 
way  into  Ky5to,  where  he  obtained  for  his  friend  Yoshiaki^  the  title  of  shd- 
gun  (in  1568)  — thus  securing  for  him  the  Ashikaga  succession.  He  repaired 
the  Imperial  palace  at  Kyoto,  built  for  Yoshiaki  the  celebrated  Nijd  palace 
and  instituted  many  needed  reforms.  His  entry  and  stay  in  Kyoto  proved 
highly  beneficial;  security,  quietness,  and  order  returned.  He  rendered  great 
service  to  the  empire  by  improving  the  country  roads,  and  he  strove  to  gov- 
ern the  poeple  in  the  name  of  the  Mikado.  Two  powerful  foes  opposed  to 
the  realization  of  his  aims  were  the  Buddhist  priesthood,  and  the  unbroken 


cclxxii 


TOYOTOMI  HIDEYOSHI 


power  of  the  great,  independent,  feudal  barons  in  the  more  distant  parts  of 
the  country.  They  continued  to  carry  on  their  sanguinary  feuds  without 
troubling  themselves  or  thinking  about  what  was  happening  in  Kyoto,  the 
object  of  each  being  to  crush  his  neighbor  and  opponent  in  order  to  increase 
his  own  domains. 

The  immense  influence  and  the  growing  arrogance  of  the  de- 
generate Buddhist  priesthood  appeared  to  Nobunaga  such  a 
serious  menace  to  the  peace  of  the  country  that  he  turned  his 
attention  toward  them  first.  He  favored  the  doctrine  of  Chris- 
tianity, which  was  everywhere  striking  root,  by  bestowing 
upon  its  preachers  land  for  the  building  of  churches,  and  by 
protecting  them  against  the  hostility  of  the  bonzes.  Then  he 
took  up  the  sword  in  order  to  break  down  the  fortresses  into 
which  many  Buddhist  monasteries  had  been  transformed. 
Because  of  his  friendliness  toward  the  Christians  the  Bud- 
dhists regarded  him  as  a  demon  and  a  persecutor  bent  upon 
exterminating  their  religion,  and  they  lost  no  opportunity 
to  checkmate  his  plans  and  to  obstruct  his  path.  Unmindful 
of  benefits  received,  the  Shogun  Yoshiaki  plotted  to  assassin- 
ate his  protector,  but  Nobunaga,  hearing  of  the  conspiracy, 
deposed  and  imprisone6TliTm','ahd  by  so  doing  terminated  the 
Ashikaga  shogunate  which  had  ruled  the  country  for  250  yrs. 
In  1582  a  traitor  in  the  person  of  Akechi  Mitsuhide  assembled 
his  followers  in  Kyoto,  surrounded  the  Honnd-ji  in  which 
Nobunaga  was  living,  and  attacked  it.  Seeing  no  hope  of 
escape,  Nobunaga  set  fire  to  his  own  habitation  and  perished 
in  it,  in  the  48th  yr.  of  his  age.  His  death  caused  consterna- 
tion, particularly  among  the  Christians  whom  he  had  be- 
friended. Mitsuhide,  who  was  a  poet  of  note,  was  routed  out 
of  his  castle  and  massacred  by  a  mob  of  enraged  peasants. 
Nobunaga  left  a  great  name,  and  12  sons  and  11  daughters 
to  share  it.  His  picture  shows  an  attractive,  oval-faced  man 
strongly  resembling  William  Shakespeare. 

Toyotomi  Hideyoshi,  known  variously  as  the  Taiko  (l  Great 
Merit'),  Taiko-Sama,  and  as  the  Japanese  Napoleon  (b.  1536; 
d.  1598),  a  true  military  genius  with  an  ugly  face  but  a  great 
character,  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his  master  Nobunaga, 
and  acquired  even  a  greater  fame.  Wherever  he  raised  his 
banner  (consisting  of  a  bundle  of-  bottle-gourds)  there  was  a 
victory.  Instead  of  avenging  himself  on  his  enemies,  he  par- 
doned them,  and  he  soon  brought  about  an  internal  peace  for 
which  his  predecessors  had  striven  in  vain.  His  rule  was  liked 
by  the  people,  for  he  dealt  out  justice  without  respect  of 
person,  name,  rank,  or  even  of  service  rendered.  Under  his 
beneficent  rule  Kyoto  became  prosperous  again  and  art  re- 
vived. He  fortified  Fushimi  and  built  the  great  Osaka  fortress. 
His  hostility  to  the  Jesuits  did  not  develop  until  1587,  but 
after  that  it  gradually  assumed  a  malignant  form,  and  in  1597 
(Feb.  5),  in  what  he  considered  an  effort  to  save  the  country 
from  a  great  danger,  he  caused  to  be  crucified,  at  Nagasaki, 


THE  TOKUGAWA  SHOGUNATE  cclxxiii 


26  martyrs  of  the  new  faith.  Before  his  death  —  which  filled 
the  Christians  with  new  hope  —  he  sent  a  large  army  to  Korea, 
and  when  it  was  on  the  verge  of  defeat  by  the  combined  Chi- 
nese and  Korean  forces,  he  recalled  it. 

After  Hideyoshi's  death,  the  subtle  Ieyasu  (b.  1542;  d.  1616) 
installed  himself  in  the  Fushimi  castle  and  began  to  rule  the 
country.  Troubles  immediately  arose  between  him  and  the 
great  daimyds,  who  accused  him  of  usurping  the  power.  Call- 
ing his  faithful  adherents  to  him,  Ieyasu  prepared  for  the  great 
struggle  that  was  soon  to  decide  his  fate  and  that  of  the  nation. 
At  the  head  of  an  army  of  80,000  men,  he  met  (Oct.  21,  1600) 
the  combined  forces  of  the  dissatisfied  feudal  barons,  composed 
of  130,000  men,  at  Sekigahara  Plain,  near  the  village  of  Mito, 
and  there  fought  the  bloodiest  and  most  momentous  battle 
in  Japanese  history;  upward  of  30,000  men  lost  their  lives  in 
the  stupendous  encounter,  and  the  victory  fell  to  Ieyasu.  It 
is  a  turning-point  in  Nipponese  annals,  for  it  marked  the  estab- 
lishment of 

The  Tokugawa  Shogunate  (with  Ieyasu  as  the  1st  shoguri), 
which  remained  in  power  for  upwards  of  250  yrs.,  and  secured 
for  trie  suffering  nation  a  surprisingly  long  period  of  peace 
after  centuries  of  civil  war.  The  beginning  of  the  epoch  (which 
extended  from  1600  to  the  Restoration  of  the  mikadoate  in 
1868)  also  saw  the  most  complete  development  of  the  feudal 
system;  the  eradication  of  Christianity;  the  intercourse  with 
foreigners  confined  to  the  Chinese  and  to  the  Dutch  at  Naga- 
saki; the  closing  of  the  country  and  the  making  of  it  a  hermit 
nation. 

'  The  Tokugawa  regime  offers  a  marvelous  contrast  to  its  predecessors. 
In  those  our  ears  are  stunned  with  the  clash  of  swords,  the  braying  of  trum- 
pets, the  tramp  of  armies,  and  the  shock  of  battle.  From  1616  down  to  1854, 
apart  from  the  Shimabara  insurrection  of  1637-8,  the  prosecution  of  some 
vendetta,  or  some  agrarian  disturbance  with  mat  flags  and  bamboo  spears, 
we  seek  in  vain  for  the  alarms  and  excursions  that  might  relieve  the  seem- 
ingly humdrum  monotony  of  the  narrative.'  When  Ieyasu  came  into  power, 
237  military  nobles  held  practically  the  whole  of  Japan  in  fief;  115  of  these 
were  Tokugawa  vassals  who  owed  their  rank  and  estates  to  his  favor.  He  wove 
the  237  fiefs  '  into  a  pattern  such  that  one  of  the  115  loyal  threads  always 
had  a  place  between  two  of  the  remainder  whose  fealty  was  doubtful.'  He 
made  peace  with  Korea,  but  struck  a  fatal  blow  at  maritime  enterprise  by 
causing  all  ships  to  be  destroyed  —  an  act  which  his  grandson  lemitsu 
supplemented  by  an  ordinance  forbidding  the  construction  of  sea-going  ves- 
sels. The  policy  of  keeping  the  country  hermetically  sealed  against  foreign  in- 
tercourse was  rigidly  observed.  Centuries  of  this  seclusion  brought  with  them 
the  danger  of  ignorance  and  the  inability  to  understand  the  true  position  of 
Japan  among  the  nations  of  the  world.  From  the  early  part  of  the  17th 
cent,  vague  conceptions  of  Occidental  civilization  filtered  into  the  country 
through  the  narrow  door  of  Dutch  trade  at  Nagasaki,  but  the  Japanese  op- 
posed every  effort  to  penetrate  their  seclusion.  Between  1792  and  1814  Rus- 
sia made  5  ineffectual  attempts  to  open  negotiations;  between  1797  and  1824 
England  made  8,  while  American  ships  came  in  1797,  1806,  and  1837.  In 
1844  King  William  of  Holland  wrote  to  the  shogun  and  urged  him  to  enter 
into  commercial  relations  with  different  European  powers.  A  French  ship 
came  in  1846,  and  in  the  same  year  an  American  vessel,  the  Columbus,  came 
to  Suruga,  but  was  requested  by  the  Japanese  to  retire.  In  1842  the  12th 


cclxxiv  THE  PERRY  EXPEDITION 

shogun,  Ieyoshi  (b.  1792;  d.  1853),  made  the  mistake  of  ordering  his  people 
to  fire  at  whatever  foreign  vessel  came  near  the  coast. 

But  despite  this,  Commodore  Matthew  Calbraith  Perry  anchored  an  Amer- 
ican fleet  in  Uraga  Bay  July  8,  1853,  and  dispatched  his  letter  from  Presi- 
dent Fillmore  to  the  shogun.  News  of  the  event  spread  over  the  island  with 
almost  incredible  rapidity.  Perry  had  4  ships  (called  kuro-fune,  or  '  black 
ships,'  by  the  Japanese)  and  500  men,  but  the  excited  people  of  Yedo  said 
there  were  10  ships  and  5000  men,  while  Kyoto  spoke  of  100  ships  and 
100,000  men  !  Astonishment,  alarm,  and  an  intense  curiosity  seized  the 
populace.  Oriental  Paul  Reveres  galloped  over  hills  and  through  valleys 
spreading  the  wonderful  tidings,  and  soon  the  seashore  was  literally  black 
with  persons  who  had  never  seen  a  foreign  ship  or  an  American.  On  July 
14,  Perry  landed  with  an  armed  escort  of  300  sailors;  handed  over  the  Presi- 
dent's letter;  announced  that  he  would  return  the  following  year  for  an 
answer,  and  sailed  away.  On  Feb.  12,  1854,  he  returned  with  7  ships,  and 
after  concluding  a  treaty  providing  for  a  limited  intercourse,  he  again  sailed 
away.  In  1856,  Mr.  Tovmsend  Harris,  the  first  Minister  Plenipotentiary 
from  the  U.S.,  arrived  in  Japan.  An  interesting  side-light  on  men  and 
affairs  in  Japan  at  the  time  of  the  Perry  Expedition  is  gained  from  the  fol- 
lowing excerpts  from  a  journal  kept  by  Mr.  S.  Wells  Williams,  the  interpre- 
ter of  the  expedition  (1853-54) :  — 

'The  ships  (Saratoga,  Susquehanna,  Mississippi,  and  Plymouth)  anchored 
off  Uraga  (July  8th)  about  four  o'clock.  Many  boats  like  scows,  full  of 
athletic,  naked  boatmen,  came  near.  The  officials  were  dressed  in  black 
crape  upper  cloaks  and  a  sort  of  petticoat,  having  the  coat-of-arms  stamped 
in  white  on  the  arms  and  back ;  their  long  swords  were  taken  off  as  they  sat 
down.  The  commandant  showed  his  official  insignia,  a  kind  of  brass  trape- 
zium with  a  swinging  vernier,  the  rim  marked  in  Chinese  figures;  he  had 
written  scrolls  containing  commands  ordering  us  to  anchor  where  we  were, 
but  he  did  not  offer  to  show  them,  as  we  were  already  anchored.  .  .  . 

'About  six  o'clock  two  officials  came  back  and  made  a  long  talk  about 
the  necessity  of  our  taking  our  letter  to  Nagasaki,  the  only  place  where 
Japanese  laws  allowed  its  reception,  and  that  the  governor  on  shore  would  not 
receive  it;  we  asked  him  if  he  took  the  responsibility  of  refusing  it,  and  said 
that  having  received  our  orders  to  go  to  Yedo  from  our  own  ruler,  we  were 
as  much  obliged  to  obey  as  he  was;  further,  that  he  had  told  us  on  the  first 
visit  that  he  would  come  off  to-morrow  with  a  higher  officer  to  receive  it,  and 
that  he  must  have  known  the  laws  as  well  then  as  he  did  now,  two  hours 
after,  and  if  he  did  not  come  and  get  the  letter  we  must  take  it  ashore  our- 
selves. These  replies  rather  cut  short  their  long  talk,  and  they  agreed  to 
come  for  the  letter  to-morrow  as  they  went  over  the  side.  Before  leaving, 
the  sharp-faced  commandant  went  aft  to  look  at  the  big  gun,  asked  if  it  was 
a  Paixhan,  took  its  range  to  the  shore,  and  then  examined  the  locks  of  the 
guns  near  the  gangway;  he  had  evidently  a  commission  to  this  effect,  but 
we  gave  him  no  chance  to  see  much,  for  we  have  an  object  highly  desirable 
to  effect  as  peaceably  as  possible  —  that  our  letter  is  received  without  force, 
so  that  there  be  no  collision  before  the  government  is  fully  aware  of  our 
design. 

'Watches  were  kept  during  the  night  on  board  as  if  expecting  an  enemy; 
and  on  shore  the  tinkle  of  a  bell  or  gong  was  distinctly  heard  during  the 
whole  night.  Several  boats  full  of  men  were  lying  off  shore  at  daylight,  so 
that  it  is  not  unlikely  that  watch  and  ward  were  maintained  by  both  sides 
while  darkness  reigned,  and  the  sight  of  something  like  black  screens  along 
the  shore  strengthen  this  idea.  About  seven  o'clock  the  highest  officer  at 
Uraga,  named  Yezaimon,  attended  by  two  interpreters  and  four  or  five 
others,  came  off ;  a  parley  took  place  off  the  gangway  as  to  the  object  of  the 
visit,  rank  of  the  officer,  and  person  they  could  not  see.  At  last  Captain 
Buchanan  was  ready  to  receive  them  in  his  room,  three  only  coming  up. 
When, seated,  Yezaimon  stated  that  he  had  come  aboard  to  express  his  offi- 
cial incapacity  to  receive  the  letter,  etc.  'It  was  replied  that  the  ships  would 
remain  here  till  the  letter  was  received.  .  .  .  The  originals  of  the  letter  and 
credence  were  then  shown  them,  and  also  the  package  containing  the  trans- 
lations; they  showed  little  or  no  admiration  at  them,  but  wished  to  know  the 
reason  for  sending  four  ships  to  carry  such  a  box  and  letter  to  the  Emperor; 
yet  whether  the  reason  assigned,  "to  show  respect  to  him,"  fully  met  their 


THE  PERRY  EXPEDITION  cclxxv 


doubts  as  to  the  reason  of  such  a  force  could  not  be  inferred  from  their  looks. 
A  courteous  offer  of  water  and  supplies  was  made,  which  was  declined,  and 
Yezaimon  added  then  that  he  would  not  come  off  ag&in  before  the  termina- 
tion of  the  four  days  allowed  to  send  to  Yedo,  a  period  they  themselves  set 
as  the  time  required  to  send  up  and  deliberate  upon  the  matter.  They  were 
clearly  informed  of  the  meaning  of  a  white  flag,  and  also  that  visits  were  out 
of  season  till  after  the  flags  were  hoisted  in  the  morning. 

4  Yezaimon  had  a  brocade  pattern  of  drawers,  but  a  beautiful  black 
gauze  jacket.  His  crest  was  on  his  lackered  hat  also;  the  boatman  had  a  blue 
and  white  striped  livery  coat,  and  looked  more  decent  than  the  naked  fel- 
lows yesterday.  ...  A  large  buccina  was  taken  out  of  a  box,  adorned  with 
tassels  and  having  a  brass  at  the  vertex,  but  I  could  not  make  out  its  use. 

'At  our  request  he  showed  his  swords  to  the  company.  The  scabbard  of 
one  was  covered  with  a  white-brown  speckled  fish-skin,  which  he  said  was 
brought  from  China;  it  was  smooth  and  nicely  covered  the  wooden  sheath. 
The  other  was  covered  with  hair  beautifully  lackered  and  wound  around. 
The  blade  was  rather  sharp,  quite  plain,  and  bright;  two  gold  dragons  orna- 
mented the  ends  of  the  hilt  which  was  long,  for  two  hands,  and  covered  with 
knotted  silk.  After  all  points  were  explained  they  requested  to  see  the 
engine,  and  were  taken  through  the  ship.  The  size  of  the  machinery  seemed 
to  gratify  and  amaze  them,  and  every  principle  of  propulsion  was  explained 
as  well  as  the  time  allowed.  The  size  of  the  furnace  and  the  complicated  na- 
ture of  the  machinery  drew  their  wondering  gaze.  The  guns,  muskets  and 
all  the  arrangements  of  the  ship  were  all  informed  them,  and  they  observed 
everything.  A  daguerreotype  pleased  them  much.  The  survey  of  such  a 
steamer  evidently  gratified  a  reasonable  curiosity.  .  .  . 

'Tuesday,  July  14th.  —  The  squadron  was  full  of  bustle  this  morning, 
getting  arms  burnished,  boats  ready,  steam  up,  men  dressed  and  making  all 
the  preparation  necessary  to  go  ashore  and  be  prepared  for  any  alternative. 
About  half -past  seven  o'clock  the  steamers  were  under  way  and  soon 
opened  the  beach  around  the  point  and  disclosed  the  preparations  made  to 
receive  the  letters  from  President  Fillmore.  The  officials  in  their  boats  were 
lying  off  the  Susquehanna  waiting  to  see  the  flag  hoisted ,  a  nd  about  the  time 
our  anchor  was  down  they  were  alongside.  There  were  two  boats  carrying 
six  officials  who,  when  seated  on  deck,  presented  a  most  singularly  grotesque 
and  piebald  appearance  blended  with  a  certain  degree  of  richness  from  the 
gay  colors  they  wore.  The  second  officer  was  a  conspicuous  member  of  this 
party,  he  not  having  been  aboard  before  since  the  first  day;  his  dark  face 
and  sharp  features  contrasting  with  his  yellow  robe,  and  his  black  socks,  hairy 
bare  legs  and  short  trowsers,  all  showing  out  from  the  overalls  of  his  uni- 
form, made  him  rather  an  attractive  object.  They  all  seemed  to  be  in  good 
spirits  and  amused  themselves  looking  at  the  officers  in  their  uniforms  and 
other  objects. 

'By  ten  o'clock  the  boats  had  left  the  steamer  and,  under  the  lead' of  the 
natives,  were  pretty  much  landed  before  eleven  o'clock  on  the  beach  at 
Kuri-hama,  opposite  the  shed  erected  for  our  reception  and  surrounded 
with  striped  curtains;  Commodore  Perry  left  under  a  salute  and  found  the 
escort  ready  when  he  landed  to  conduct  him  to  the  house  prepared  for  his 
audience.  There  were  15  boats  in  all,  containing  about  300  people,  say  112 
marines,  40  musicians,  40  officers  and  100  or  more  sailors.  Every  one  was 
armed  with  a  sword,  a  pistol  or  a  musket,  and  most  of  the  firearms  were 
loaded. 

'The  place  appointed  for  receiving  these  letters  was  a  hut  set  up  on  the 
beach,  having  two  small  ones  behind  it,  the  whole  enclosed  by  white  and 
blue  striped  curtains  hanging  from  poles;  a  screen  was  in  front  concealing 
the  front  of  the  rooms  and  a  large  opening  at  each  end  of  it,  between  that  and 
the  side  curtains,  which  were  prolonged  along  the  beach  on  each  hand  for 
nearly  half  a  mile.  .  .  .  The  Japanese  had  placed  a  row  of  armed  boats 
near  the  ends  of  the  curtains,  and  detachments  of  troops  were  stationed  be- 
fore the  curtains  in  close  array,  standing  to  their  arms,  their  pennons  flying 
from  the  curtains  and  gradually  bending  down  to  meet  the  boats  at  each  end. 
Horsemen  were  placed  behind  one  or  two  curtains  who  wore  brass  cuirasses 
and  metallic  helmets  or  something  like  it.  ...  All  these  troops,  number- 
ing about  5000  men,  maintained  the  utmost  order,  nor  did  the  populace 
intrude  beyond  the  guard.  A  few  miserable  field-pieces  stood  in  front;  many 


cclxxvi  THE  PERRY  EXPEDITION 

files  had  muskets  with  bayonets,  others  had  spears.  Crowds  of  women  were 
noticed  by  some  near  the  markee,  but  I  suspect  they  were  not  numerous.  Al- 
together, the  Japanese  had  taken  great  pains  to  receive  us  in  style,  while  each 
side  had  provided  against  surprises  from  the  other  and  prepared  against  every 
contingency. 

'As  soon  as  Commodore  Perry  landed  all  fell  into  procession;  Captain 
Buchanan,  who  was  the  first  man  ashore,  had  arranged  all  in  their  places  so 
that  no  hindrance  took  place.  The  marines,  headed  by  Major  Zeilen,  led  off, 
he  going  ahead  with  a  drawn  sword;  then  half  of  the  sailors  with  one 
band  playing  between  the  two  parties.  Two  tall  blacks  heavily  armed  sup- 
ported as  tall  a  standard  bearer,  carrying  a  commodore's  pennant,  and 
went  next  before  two  boys  carrying  the  President's  letter  and  the  Full 
Powers  in  their  boxes  covered  with  red  baize.  The  Commodore,  sup- 
ported by  Captain  Adams  and  Lieutenant  Contee,  each  wearing  chapeaux, 
then  advanced;  the  interpreters  and  secretary  came  next  succeeded  by 
Captain  Buchanan  and  the  gay-appearing  file  of  officers  whose  epaulets, 
buttons,  etc.,  shone  brightly  in  the  sun.  A  file  of  sailors  and  the  band,  with 
marines  under  Captain  Slack,  finished  this  remarkable  escort.  The  escort  of 
Von  Resanoff  at  Nagasaki  of  seven  men  was  denied  a  landing  until  they  had 
been  strippped  of  almost  everything  belonging  to  a  guard  of  honor;  here, 
fifty  years  after,  a  strongly  armed  escort  of  300  Americans  do  honor  to  their 
President's  letter  at  the  other  end  of  the  empire,  the  Japanese  being  anxious 
only  to  know  the  size  and  arrangement  of  what  they  feel  themselves  powerless 
to  resist.  There  were  fully  a  thousand  charges  of  ball  in  the  escort  besides 
the  contents  of  the  cartridge  boxes.  Any  treachery  on  their  part  would  haVe 
met  a  serious  revenge. 

'On  reaching  the  front  of  the  markee  the  two  envoys  were  seen  seated  on 
camp  stools  on  the  left  side  of  a  room,  20  ft.  sq.  or  so,  matted  and  covered 
with  red  felt;  four  camp  stools  were  ranged  on  the  right  side,  and  a  red 
lacquered  box  between  them.  The  chief  envoys  {Toda,  Prince  of  Idzu,  and 
Ido,  Prince  of  Iwame)  rose  as  the  Commodore  entered,  and  the  two  parties 
made  slight  bows  to  each  other.  The  boys  laid  the  boxes  on  the  floor  and  the 
two  blacks  came  in  to  open  them.  They  were  taken  out  and  opened  upon  the 
lacquered  box,  and  the  packets  containing  the  copies  and  translations  pre- 
sented by  Mr.  Contee,  Tatsnoske  and  Yezaimon  were  both  on  the  floor,  and 
the  former  commenced  the  interview  by  asking  if  the  letters  were  ready  to 
be  delivered.  When  he  made  known  the  reply  he  put  his  head  nearly  to  the 
floor  in  speaking  to  Yezaimon  who,  on  his  knees,  informed  the  envoy  in  a  whis- 
per. The  receipt  for  them  in  Dutch  and  Japanese  was  then  delivered  to 
Mr.  Portman,  and  the  originals  themselves  opened  out  in  the  boxes  as  they 
lay.  Soon  after,  Commodore  Perry  said  that  in  two  or  three  days  he  in- 
tended to  leave  for  Loochoo  and  China,  and  would  take  any  letters,  etc.,  for 
the  envoys.  This  produced  no  acknowledgment  on  their  part.  .  .  . 

'  Conversation  being  thus  stopped  and  no  signs  of  any  refreshment  ap- 
pearing, there  was  nothing  else  to  do  than  to  go.  The  contrast  between  its 
interlocutors  was  very  striking.  In  front  was  a  group  of  officers  and  behind 
them  the  picturesque  looking,  shaven-pated  Japanese  in  relief  against  the 
checked  screen;  on  the  left  a  row  of  full-dressed  officers  with  swords,  epau- 
lettes, etc.,  all  in  full  lustre;  on  the  right  the  two  envoys  and  a  secretary,  with 
two  more  plainly  dressed  men  on  their  knees  between  the  two  rows.  .  .  . 
The  two  envoys  were  immovable  and  never  stirred  or  hardly  spoke  during 
the  whole  interview.  I  got  the  impression  that  the  two  high  men  had 
pursed  themselves  up  to  an  attitude,  and  had  taken  on  this  demure  look  as 
a  part  of  it.  The  reembarkation  took  place  gradually,  no  one  being  m  much 
of  a  hurry,  and  I  began  to  talk  to  the  people  and  invited  two  of  them  on 
board  to  see  the  steamer  and  a  revolver.  One  man  wished  to  know  if  the 
women  in  America  were  white.  Considerable  curiosity  was  manifested  in 
comparing  swords,  and  some  exchanges  were  proposed;  altogether  this  part 
of  the  interview  was  far  the  pleasantest  to  both  parties,  and  I  suspect  the 
Japanese  were  sorry  to  see  the  show  end  so  soon.  Many  picked  up  shells 
and  pebbles  to  remember  the  spot,  and  by  one  o'clock  everybody  was  back 

t0  'Two  boats  full  of  people  came  alongside  soon  after  and  stayed  on  board 
while  we  steamed  back  to  Uraga.  Yezaimon  especially  took  much  interest 
in  seeing  the  working  of  such  stupendous  machinery  and  inquiring  into  the 


FALL  OF  THE  TOKUGAWA  SHOGUNATE  cclxxvii 


manner  of  turning  the  wheels.  One  of  our  visitors  was  the  military  com- 
mander of  Uraga,  an  open-faced,  pleasant  man  who  wished  to  learn  some- 
thing of  tactics  and  the  construction  of  revolvers.  One  of  the  pistols  was 
fired  off  by  Captain  Buchanan  to  gratify  him  and  Saboroske,  and  they  had 
many  measurements  to  take  of  the  cannon  on  deck;  the  latter  greatly 
amused  us  by  going  through  the  manual  with  a  gun  he  took  off  the  stand, 
his  face  pursed  up  as  if  he  was  a  valiant  hero.  This  man  is  altogether  the  most 
froward,  disagreeable  officer  we  have  had  on  board,  and  shows  badly  among 
the  generally  polite  men  we  have  hitherto  had,  prying  round  into  everything 
and  turning  over  all  he  saw.  At  our  request  the  party  remained  on  board 
while  we  steamed  up  to  Uraga  and  then  bade  us  good-bye.  Some  refreshments 
were  given  them  in  the  cabin,  and  they  went  off  in  good  humor.'  (Comp. 
p.  10.) 

The  Fall  of  the  Tokugawa  Shogunate  occurred  Oct.  14, 
1867,  a  date  that  is  '  considered  the  great  turning-point  in 
Japan's  history,  if  not  a  signal  event  in  the  history  of  the  world. 
During  nearly  3  centuries  the  Tokugawa  had  wielded  supreme 
administrative  authority  in  Japan,  holding  in  Yedo  a  Court 
which  lacked  no  attribute  of  stately  magnificence  or  autocratic 
strength.  On  the  day  mentioned  it  consented  to  lay  aside  its 
dignities  and  to  be  stripped  of  its  administrative  authority  in 
favor  of  the  Emperor.'  The  date  marked  the  overthrow  of  the 
dual  system  of  gov't;  the  practical  extinction  of  feudalism;  the 
putting  aside  of  conservatism ;  and  the  emerging  of  Japan  on 
the  road  *  which  since  has  led  her  to  one  of  the  highest  places 
among  the  progressive  nations  of  the  world.'  The  Meiji,  or 
*  Era  of  Enlightened  Government '  (the  245th  since  the  Taikwa 
Era  of  a.d.  645-50),  was  inaugurated  with  the  downfall  of  the 
shogunate  and  the  Imperial  Restoration.  Mutsuhito,  the  123d 
Emperor,  was  crowned  at  Kyoto  Nov.  12,  1868. 

4  When  an  American  squadron  arrived  to  break  down  Japan's  isolation,  she 
did  not  possess  even  the  beginning  of  a  national  fleet  or  a  national  army;  of 
an  ocean-going  mercantile  marine ;  of  a  telegraphic  or  postal  system ;  of  a 
newspaper  press;  of  enlightened  codes,  of  a  trained  judiciary,  or  of  properly 
organized  tribunals  of  justice;  she  knew  nothing  of  Occidental  sciences  and 
philosophies;  was  a  complete  stranger  to  international  law  and  to  the  usages 
of  diplomacy;  had  no  conception  of  parliamentary  institutions  or  popular 
representation,  and  was  divided  into  a  number  of  feudal  principalities,  each  vir- 
tually independent  of  the  other,  and  all  alike  untutored  in  the  spirit  of  nation- 
ality or  imperialism.  In  thirty  years  these  conditions  were  absolutely  meta- 
morphosed. Feudalism  had  been  abolished;  the  whole  country  united  under 
one  administration ;  the  policy  of  the  State  placed  on  a  constitutional  basis; 
the  people  admitted  to  a  share  in  the  government  under  representative  insti- 
tutions; an  absorbing  sentiment  of  patriotism  substituted  for  the  narrow 
local  loyalties  of  rival  fiefs;  the  country  intersected  with  telegraphs  and 
railways,  and  its  remotest  districts  brought  within  the  circuit  of  an  excellent 
postal  system;  the  flag  of  the  nation  carried  to  distant  countries  by  a  large 
mercantile  marine;  a  powerful  fleet  organized,  manned  by  expert  seamen, 
and  proved  to  be  as  capable  of  fighting  scientifically  as  of  navigating  the 
high  seas  with  marked  immunity  from  mishap ;  the  method  of  conscription 
applied  to  raising  a  large  military  force,  provided  with  the  best  modern 
weapons  and  trained  according  to  Western  tactics;  the  laws  recast  on  the 
most  advanced  principles  of  Occidental  jurisprudence  and  embodied  in 
exhaustive  codes;  provision  made  for  the  administration  of  justice  by  well- 
equipped  tribunals  and  an  educated  judiciary;  an  extensive  system  of  na- 
tional education  inaugurated,  with  universities  turning  out  students  versed 
in  the  languages  of,  and  capable  of  original  research  in,  the  sciences  and 
philosophies  of  the  West;  the  State  represented  at  foreign  courts  by  compe- 
tent diplomatists;  the  people  supplied  with  an  ample  number  of  journals  and 


cclxxviii  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE 


periodicals;  the  foundations  of  a  great  manufacturing  career  laid,  and  the 
respect  of  foreign  powers  unreservedly  won.  Such  a  record  may  well  excite 
wonder. '   ( Bririkley.) 

The  war  with  China  in  1894-95,  and  the  stupendous  strug- 
gle with  Russia  in  1904,  are  still  too  fresh  in  the  public  mind  to 
require  a  detailed  reference  here.  The  Taisho  Era  began  in 
1912,  with  the  accession  of  the  present  Emperor.  The  best 
histories  of  Japan  are  mentioned  in  the  Bibliography. 

XVII.  Chronological  Table 

.  (Up  to  a.d.  710  the  names,  dates,  and  events  are  not  well  authenti- 
cated.) 

I.  From  the  termination  of  the  Mythological  Era  (B.C.  66o)  to  that  of  the 
Nara  Epoch  (A.D.  784). 

B.C.  Jimmu  Tenno  (b.  711)  conquers  Kyushu  and  ascends 
660  the  throne  as  the  first  Japanese  Mikado.  .Japan  passes 
to  through  the  bronze  age  and  is  ruled  over  by  13  successive 
a.d.  Mikados  —  Suisei  (581-49);  Annei  (548-11);  Itoku 
710  (510-477);  Kosho  (475-393);  Koan  (392-291);  Korei 
(290-15) ;  Kogen  (214-158) ;  Kaikwa  (157-98) ;  and  Sujin 
(97-30).  The  first  Embassy  arrives  from  Korea.  Suinin 
(b.c.  29-a.d.  71);  Keiko  (71-131);  Seimu  (131-92); 
Chuai  (192-200).  Conquest  (in  201)  of  Korea  by  the 
Empress  Jingo  (201-70).  Comp.  p.  30.  Ojin,  God  of 
War,  Mikado  (16th  ruler)  from  270  to  313.  The  first 
Chinese  books  are  brought  to  Japan.  Nintoku  (313-400) ; 
Richu  (400-05);  Hansho  (405-11);  Ingyo  (411-53); 
Anko  (453-56);  Yuraku  (457-80).  Silk  industry  estab- 
lished. Seinei  (480-85);  Kenso  (485-88);  Ninken  (488- 
99),  brought  tarmers  from  Korea  to  teach  leather-mak- 
ing. Buretsu  (499-507);  Keitei  (507-34);  Ankan  (534- 
36);  Senkwa  (536-40).  Kimmei  (29th)  Mikado  (540-72), 
brought  5000  Korean  families  to  settle  in  Japan.  Bud- 
dhism is  introduced  in  552  and  the  first  temple  erected  in 
571.  Bitatsu  (572-86) ;  Yomei  (586-88) ;  Sushun  (588-92)  ; 
Suiko,  Empress,  34th  ruler  (592-629).  Chinese  calender 
introduced.  Doncho,  a  Korean  bonze,  teaches  (in  610) 
the  Japanese  to  make  paper  and  ink,  and  the  use  of  mill- 
stones. Jomei  (629-42);  Kogyoku,  Empress  (642-45); 
Kotoku  (645-55).  The  eras  are  introduced,  and  the  first 
census  taken.  Saimei,  Empress  (655-61);  Tenchi  (668- 
72);  Kobun  (672-73);  Temmu  (673-90);  Jito,  Empress 
(690-96);  Mommu  (697-708).  Cremation  established. 
Lacquer  trees  planted. 

II.  The  Nara  Epoch. 
710      Nara  becomes  the  Imperial  capital.   The  Empress 
to    Gemmei  (44th  ruler  from  708  to  715)  causes  the  Kojiki, 
784  the  first  Japanese  history,  to  be  compiled  (in  712). 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  cclxxix 


•  Copper  is  discovered,  and  the  first  copper  money  coined. 
The  Empress  Gensho  (715-24)  fostered  literature  and 
science,  and  published  the  Nihongi,  the  second  greatest 
historical  work.  Buddhism  spreads;  magnificent  temples 
are  erected,  and  many  idols  cast.  Shomu,  Mikado  (724- 
49);  Koken,  Empress  (749-59);  Junnin,  Mikado  (759- 
65);  Shotoku,  Empress  (765-70);  Konin,  Mikado  (770- 
82).  Printing  is  introduced.  Kwammu  (782-806).  The 
art  of  embroidery  and  orange-trees  are  brought  from 
China.  The  first  gold  is  discovered.  Syllabic  writing  is 
invented.  Cottonseeds  arrive  from  India  and  are  planted. 

III.  Heian  Epoch.  Rise  of  the  Fujiwara. 
794      The  Imperial  Court  is  moved  to  Kyoto,  which  remains 
to    the  capital  until  1868.  Creation  of  the  Taira  Family 

1155  (805).  Heijo,  Mikado,  52d  ruler  (806-10).  Invention  of 
cursive  writing.  Saga,  Mikado  (810-24);  Junwa  (824- 
34);  Nimmyo  (834-51);  Montoku  (851T56);  Seiwa  (856- 
77);  Yozei  (877-85);  Koko  (885-88);  Uda  (888^98); 

*  Daigo  (898-931);  Shujaku  (931-47);  Murakami  (947- 
68)  ;  Reizei  (968-70);  Enyu  (970-85);  Kwazan  (985-87); 
Ichijo  (987-1012);  Sanjo  (1012-17);  Go  (or  2d)  — 
Ichijo  (1017-37);  Go-Shujaku  (1037-46);  Go-Reizei 
(1046-69);  Go-Sanjo  (1069-73);  Shirakawa  (1073-87); 
Horikawa  (1087-1108);  Toba  (1108-24);  Sutoku  (1124- 
42);  Konoe  (1142-56).  Decline  of  the  Fujiwara. 

IV.  The  Military  Epoch.  Downfall  of  the  Taira,  and  Rise  of  the  Minamoto 
Shoguns. 

1156  Titanic  struggle  between  the  Taira  and  Minamoto 
to    clans.  Go-Shirakawa,  Empress,  78th  ruler  (1156-59); 

1199  Nijo,  Mikado  (1159-66);  Rokujo  (1166-69);  Takakura 
(1169-80);  Antoku  (1180-86).  The  Minamoto  destroys 
the  Taira  clan.  Go-Toba  (1186-99).  Minamoto  Yori- 
tomo  establishes  a  military  capital  at  Kamakura.  Feu- 
dalism and  a  dual  system  of  government  established. 
Yoritomo,  Shogun  at  Kamakura  (1192-99). 

V.  The  Hoj5  Era. 

1200  Minamoto  Yoriie  (2d)  Shogun  at  Kamakura  (1202- 
to    03);  Tsuchimikado  (1199-1210);  Sanetomo  3d  Shogun 

1339  (1203-19);  Juntoku,  85th  Mikado  (1211-22);  Chukyo 
(?-1222);  Go-Horikawa  (1222-33);  Yoritsune,  Fujiwara 
Shogun  (1220-44);  Shijo,  Mikado  (1233-43);  Yoritsuga, 
2d  Fujiwara  Shogun  (1244-52);  Go-Saga,  Mikado  (1243- 
47);  Go-Fukakusa  (1247-66);  Kameyama  (1266-76). 
First  Mongol  Invasion  (1274).  Go-Uda,  Mikado  (1276- 
88).  Repulse  of  the  Great  Mongol  Invasion  of  1281. 
Fushimi,  93d  Mikado  (1288-99);  Go-Fushimi  (1299- 
1301);  Go-Nijo  (1301-08);  Hanazo  no  (1308-19) ;  Go- 
Daigo  (1319-39). 


cclxxx  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE 


VI.  Fall  of  the  Hojo,  and  Rise  of  the  Ashikaga. 

1339  For  60  years  (from  1332  to  1392)  a  dual  government 
to    exists,  and  rival  Mikados  hold  Northern  and  Southern 

1587  Courts  at  Kyoto.  Takauji,  1st  of  the  Ashikaga  Shdguns 
(1335-58).  Go-Murakami,  Mikado  (1339-68);  Yoshia- 
kira,  2d  Shogun  (1358-68);  Chokei,  Mikado  (1368-70); 
Go-Kameyama,  100th  Mikado  (1370-93);  Yoshimitsu, 
3d  Shogun  (1368-94);  Go-Komatsu,  Mikado  (1393- 
1412);  Yoshimochi,  4th  Shogun  (1394-1428) ;  Yoshikazu, 
5th  (1423-25);  Yoshinori,  6th  (1428-41);  Go-Hanazono, 
Mikado  (1429-65);  Yoshikatsu,  7th  Shogun  (1441-43); 
Yoshimasa,  8th  (1443-74);  Go-Tsuchimikado  (1465- 
1501) ;  Yoshihisa,  9th  Shogun  (1474-89) ;  Yoshitane,  10th 
(1490-93);  Yoshizumi,  11th  (1493-1508);  Go-Kashiwa- 
bara,  Mikado  (1501-27);  Yoshiharu,  12th  Shogun 
(1521-45).  In  1542  the  Portuguese  discover  Japan.  They 
are  followed  by  Jesuit  missionaries  in  1549.  Go-Nara 
106th  Mika'do  (1527-58) ;  Yoshiteru,  13th  Shogun  (1545- 
65);  Yoshihide,  14th  (1568);  Yoshiaki,  15th  and. last 
(1568-73).  Ogimachi,  107th  Mikado  (1558-87).  Perse- 
cutions of  Christians  by  Oda  Nobunaga. 

VII.  Fall  of  the  Ashikaga,  and  Rise  of  the  Tokugawa. 

1587  Oda  Nobunaga  terminates  the  Ashikaga  Shogunate 
to    which  ruled  Japan  for  250  years.  Yedo  is  founded  in 

1708  1590.  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi  sends  an  army  to  Korea  in 
1592  (and  recalls  it  in  1598).  Go-Yozei,  108th  Mikado 
(1587-1612).  Will  Adams  reaches  Japan  in  1600.  Great 
Battle  of  Sekigahara  (1600).  Opening  of  Dutch  Com- 
merce (1610).  Ieyasu  establishes  the  Tokugawa  Sho- 
gunate (which  rules  Japan  for  upward  of  250  years)  and 
becomes  the  first  Shogun  (1603-05).  Hidetada,  2d  Sho- 
gun (1605-23),  persecutes  Christians;  excludes  all  for- 
eigners except  Dutch,  Koreans,  and  Chinese;  and  forbids 
Japanese  to  leave  the  country.  Christianity  interdicted 
in  1614.  Period  of  isolation  begins  (1624).  Iemitsu,  3d 
Shogun  (1623-51).  Go-Mino-o,  Mikado  (1612-30); 
Myosho,  Empress  (1630-44);  Go-Komyo,  Mikado 
(1644-55);  Ietsuna,  4th  Shogun  (1651-80);  Gosai-in, 
112th  Mikado  (1655-63);  Reigen  (1663-87);  Tsunayo- 
shi,  5th  Shogun  (1680-1709);  Higashiyama,  114th 
Mikado  (1687-1710).  Kaempfer  visits  Japan  in  1690- 
92.  Great  earthquake  at  Yedo  in  1703.  Last  eruption  of 
Mt.  Fuji  in  1708. 

VIII.  Decline  of  the  Tokugawa  Regime. 

1709  Ienobu,  6th  Shogun  (1709-13);  Nakamikado,  115th 
to    (1710-36);  Ietsugu,  7th  Shogun  (1713-16);  Yoshimune, 

1853  8th  (1716-45);  Sakuramachi,  116th  Mikado  (1736-47); 


CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  cclxxxi 


Ieshige,  9th  Shogun  (1745-60);  Momozono,  117th 
Mikado  (1747-63);  Ieharu  10th  Shogun  (1760-86); 
Go-Sakuramachi,  Empress  (1763-71);  Go-Momozono, 
Mikado  (1771-80);  Kokaku  (1780-1817);  Ienari,  11th 
Shogun  (1786-1838);  Ninko,  121st  Mikado  (1817-47); 
Ieyoshi,  12th  Shogun  (1838-53). 

IX.  Arrival  of  Commodore  Perry.  Fall  of  the  Tokugawa  Shogunate. 

1854  Perry  reaches  Japan  in  1853.  First  treaty  with  the 
to    United  States  signed  March  31,  1854.  Great  earthquake 

1868  in  Yedo  in  1855.  Komei,  122d  Mikado  (1847-67); 
Iemochi,  14th  Shogun  (1858-66).  Second  treaty  with 
the  United  States  in  1858.  Yokohama  opened  to  foreign 
intercourse  (1858).  First  Japanese  Embassy  goes  abroad 
in  1860.  First  newspaper,  1863.  Keiki,  15th  (and  last)  of 
the  Shoguns  (1866-67),  resigns  Nov.  19.  Extinction  of 
the  Shogunate. 

X.  The  Restoration,  and  the  Meiji  Era. 

1868  Accession  of  Mutsuhito,  123d  Mikado  (1868-1912). 
to    Imperial-Tokugawa  war  (1868-69).  Yedo  becomes  the 

1910  capital  and  is  called  Tokyo.  Tokyo  and  Niigata  opened 
to  foreigners.  Abolition  of  feudalism  in  1871.  First  rail- 
way opened  between  Tokyo  and  Yokohama  (1872). 
Adoption  of  Gregorian  calendar  (1873).  Repeal  of  Edicts 
against  Christians.  Expedition  to  Formosa  (1874). 
Japanese  rights  in  Saghalien  ceded  to  Russia  in  exchange 
for  the  Kuriles  (1875).  Wearing  of  swords  interdicted  in 
1876.  Treaty  with  Korea.  Satsuma  rebellion  (1877). 
Loochoo  Islands  annexed  (1879).  Penal  code  established 
(1880).  Orders  of  nobility  established  (1884).  Buddhism 
disestablished.  Constitution  promulgated,  and  duels  in- 
terdicted (1889).  First  Diet  meets  in  1890.  Great  earth- 
quake at  Gifu  in  1891.  War  with  China  declared  in  1894. 
Peace  treaty  signed  at  Shimonoseki  in  1895.  Formosa  is 
added  (1895)  to  the  Empire  and  Japan  becomes  a  col- 
onizing power.  Gold  standard  adopted  (1897).  Abolition 
of  extraterritorial  tribunals  (1899).  All  foreigners  placed 
under  Japanese  law.  Japan  assists  the  foreign  powers  to 
suppress  the  Boxer  insurrection  (1900).  Anglo- Japanese 
alliance  (1902).  War  declared  against  Russia,  Feb.  11, 

1904.  Peace  treaty  arranged  Aug.  20,  and  ratified  Oct.  5, 

1905.  Korea  annexed  (Aug.  1910). 

XI.  Taisho  Era. 

1912     The  death  of  Mutsuhito  (known  as  Meiji  Tenno), 
to    July  30,  1912,  terminates  the  45  years  of  the  Meiji  (or 
1914  ' enlightened')  Era,  and  inaugurates  the  Taisho  Era 
(*  Way  of  Heaven/  or  ' Era" of  Great  Equity') .  Yoshihito, 
124th  Mikado,  1912  — 


cclxxxii 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


XVIII.  Bibliography 

The  Bibliography  of  the  Japanese  Empire,  compiled  by  Fr.  Von  Wenck- 
stern  (Tokyo,  1907)  as  a  supplement  to  Leon  Page's  Bibliographic  Japon- 
aise,  catalogues  upward  of  12,000  books  and  monographs  written  in  Euro- 
pean languages  on  Japan  between  a.d.  894  and  1906.  The  intervening 
years  have  added  so  many  books  to  this  formidable  list  that  the  present 
literature  on  the  country  is  enormous.  The  student  limited  for  time,  who 
seeks  facts  rather  than  impressions,  will  find  them  in  the  scholarly  modern 
works  of  Chamberlain,  Brinkley,  Rein,  Hepburn,  Aston,  Conder,  Griffis,  Mur- 
doch, Batchelor,  Munro,  Hearn,  and  a  few  other  Japanologists  of  attainments 
and  discernment.  The  following  necessarily  brief  list  has  been  compiled 
with  care,  and  while  it  does  not  purport  to  include  all  the  good  books  writ- 
ten (in  English)  about  Japan  and  its  people  and  arts,  it  is  hoped  that  it  will 
be  found  useful.  Rein's  admirable  books  —  models  of  Teutonic  thorough- 
ness—  unfortunately  are  out  of  print,  but  stray  copies  can  sometimes  be 
found  in  Continental  bookshops.  A  proper  understanding  of  Japan  in  toto  is 
difficult  without  Brinkley' s  immensely  valuable  and  attractively  illustrated 
works  embraced  in  the  Oriental  Series.  Chamberlain's  Things  Japanese 
covers  a  wide  range  and  gives  the  gist  of  many  things  of  interest  to  travelers. 
His  Handbook  of  Colloquial  Japanese  is  indispensable  to  the  student  of  the 
language.  Murdoch's  monumental  history  gives  the  traveler  the  facts  gar- 
nered from  many  histories  in  the  vernacular,  and  is  recommended  for  solid 
reading.  No  more  delightful  books  for  the  voyage  to  Japan  can  be  found  than 
the  numerous  works  of  Lafcadio  Hearn,^  since  they  are  not  only  instructive 
but  are  couched  in  language  beautiful  in  its  lyrical  quality.  It  goes  without 
saying  that  the  greater  amount  of  information  one  has  at  one's  command 
regarding  Japan,  the  greater  will  be  one's  enjoyment  of  a  trip  through  the 
country.  Books  in  addition  to  those  listed  below  are  referred  to  in  different 
places  in  the  Guidebook. 

Historical  Works.  A  History  of  Japan,  from  the  Origins  down  to  154-2,  by 
James  Murdoch  (Tokyd,  1910).  The  2d  vol.  (Kobe,  1903)  is  a  history  of  the 
country  between  1542  and  1651.  —  Narrative  of  the  Expedition  of  an  Ameri- 
can Squadron  to  the  China  Seas  and  Japan,  under  the  command  of  Commodore 
M.  C.  Perry,  by  Francis  L.  Hawks  (published  by  the  U.S.  Gov't  at  Washing- 
ton, in  1856).  —  The  Mikado's  Empire,  by  William  Elliot  Griffis  (New 
York,  1899).  — History  and  Geography  of  Japan  (historical  and  geographical 
dictionary),  by  E.  Papinot,  with  300  illus.  and  several  maps  (Yokohama, 
1905),  a  valuable  work  for  reference.  —  Townsend  Harris  in  Japan,  by 
William  Elliot  Griffis  .(London,  1895). — History  of  Christianity  in  Japan, 
by  Otis  Gary  (2  vols.,  Chicago,  1909).  —  A  History  of  Japanese  Literature, 
by  W.  G.  Aston  (London,  1898). 

Works  on  Art.  Oriental  Series,  by  Captain  F.  Brinkley  (J.  B.  Millet  Co., 
Boston,  1901).  Limited  to  1000  copies.  Of  the  12  Vols.,  the  first  8  treat  of 
Japan,  its  history,  art,  and  literature;  the  remainder,  of  China.  Handsomely 
illustrated  with  colored  plates.  Recommended.  —  The  Industries  of  Japan, 
by  J.  J.  Rein  (2  vols.,  London,  1889).  —  Landscape- Gardening  in  Japan,  by 
Josiah  Conder  (2  vols.,  Tokyo,  1893).  —  A  History  of  Japanese  Colour 
Prints,  by  W.  von  Seidlitz  (London  and  Philadelphia,  1910). —  The  Pic- 
torial Arts  of  Japan,  by  William  Anderson  (Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  Boston, 
1886).  —  Japanese  Wood  Engravings,  by  the  same  author  (London,  1908).  — 
Japanese  Enamels,  by  James  L.  Bowes  (London,  1886).  —  Japanese  Pottery, 
by  the  same  author  (London,  1890).  —  Japanese  Marks  and  Seals,  by  the 
same  author  (London,  1882) .  —  The  Painters  of  Japan,  by  Arthur  Morrison 
(2  vols.,  London,  1911). 

Descriptive.  The  following  books  by  Lafcadio  Hearn  were  published  by 
Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  Boston,  in  1894-95,  but  have  since  gone  through 
numerous  editions:  Glimpses  of  Unfamiliar  Japan,  2  vols.;  Out  of  the  East, 
1  vol.;  Kokoro,  1  vol.;  Romance  of  the  Milky  Way,  and  Other  Studies  and 
Stories;  Kwaidan;  Stray  Leaves  from  Strange  Literature;  Gleanings  in 
Buddha  Fields;  —  Japan,  an  Attempt  at  Interpretation,  by  the  same  author,  is 
published  by  The  Macmillan  Co.  (New  York,  1905).  — The  Japanese  Letters 
of  Lafcadio  Hearn,  by  Elizabeth  Bisland  (2  vols.,  Houghton  Mifflin  Co., 
1910).  —  In  Lotus- Land  Japan,  by  Herbert  G.  Pouting  (Macmillan  &  Co., 


BIBLIOGRAPHY  cclxxxiii 


London,  1910).  —  In  Japan,  by  Gaston  Migeon  (London,  1908).  —  Occult 
Japan,  by  Percival  Lowell  (Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  1895).  The  Soul  of  the  Far 
East,  by  the  same  author  (1888).  —  Every-Day  Japan,  Ly  Arthur  Lloyd 
(London,  1911).  —  The  Capital  of  the  Tycoon,  by  Sir  Rutherford  Alcock 
(London,  1863).  —  Young  Japan,  by  John  R.  Black  (Lom\on,  1886).  — 
Letters  from  Japan,  by  Mrs.  Hugh  Eraser  (New  York,  1904) .;  —  Japanese 
Girls  and  Women,  by  Alice  Mabel  Bacon  (Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  Boston, 
1903). 

Miscellaneous.  Books  by  Basil  Hall  Chamberlain  :  Things  Japanese 
(Yokohama,  1905).  —  Japanese  Poetry  (Yokohama,  1910);  A  Hand- 
book of  Colloquial  Japanese  (Yokohama,  1889);  Grammar  of  tht\  Japanese 
Spoken  Language,  by  W.  G.  Aston  (London,  1888).  —  An  unabridged  Japan- 
ese-English dictionary,  by  Captain  E  Brinkley  (1687  pages,  for  table  use; 
Tokyo,  1896).  —  Japanese-English  and  English-Japanese  Dictionary  (pocket 
size),  by  J.  C.  Hepburn  (Yokohama,  1887).  —  A  Handbook  of  Modern  Japan, 
by  Ernest  W.  Clement  (A.  C.  McClurg  &  Co.,  Chicago,  1913).—  Herpetology 
of  Japan  and  Adjacent  Territory,  by  Leonhard  Stejneger  (Washington,  Gov't 
Printing-Office,  1907).  —  The  Full  Recognition  of  Japan,  by  Robert  P.  Por- 
ter (London,  1911). — Japanese  Homes,  by  Edward  S.  Morse  (New  York, 
1895).  —  The  Japanese  Nation,  by  Dr.  Inazo  Nitobe  (TokyS,  1913).  —  Tales 
of  Old  Japan,  by  A.  B.  Mitford  (New  York,  1893).  —  Who  's  Who  in  Japan, 
by  S.  Kurita  (Tokyo,  1914).  —  The  Peerage  of  Japan  (1000  pages;  price, 
¥35),  published  by  the  Japan  Gazette  (of  Yokohama),  contains  an  immense 
amount  of  compressed  information  about  the  Imperial  Court,  titles,  ranks, 
etc.,  and  is  invaluable  as  a  work  of  reference. —  The  Japan  Year  Book  (pub- 
lished annually  by  the  same  Co.)  ¥2,  50.  — The  Coins  of  Japan,  by  Neil  Gordon 
Munro  (Yokohama,  1904).  —  Home  Life  in  Tokyo,  by  Jukichi  Inouye 
(Tokyo,  1910).  —  Shinto,  The  Way  of  the  Gods,  by  W.  G.  Aston  (London, 
1905).  —  Japanese  Plays  and  Playfellows,  by  Osman  Edwards  (London, 
1901) .  —  Revised  books  of  the  Import  Tariff  are  published  usually  by  the 
Japan  Times  (Tokyd)  newspaper  as  fast  as  changes  in  the  tariff  are  made. 
The  Commercial  and  Civil  Codes  of  Japan,  by  J.  E.  de  Becker,  are  on  sale 
at  the  bookstores.  —  The  antiquarian  will  find  much  to  interest  him  in  the 
old  volumes  of  the  Transactions  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan,  usually  on 
file  at  the  Yokohama  United  Club. 


f 


I.  CENTRAL  JAPAN 


 — — \  

Route  Page 

1.  Yokohama  and  its  Environs  v    •  3 

a.  Practical  Notes  !  .    .  3 

b.  Situation,  History,  and  Character  of  the  City      ...  10 

c.  Walks  through  the  Foreign  and  Japanese  Quarters    .    .  19 

d.  Excursions    23 

2.  From  Yokohama  via  Kamakura  (Enoshima)  +o 
Yokosuka  (Uraga  and  Misaki)   28 

The  Kamakura  Daibutsu,  29,  Hase-no-Kwannon  Temple, 
30;  Temple  of  Hachiman,  30;  The  Kenchoji,  31;  Enka- 
kuji,  33;  Enoshima,  34;  Dzushi,  37;  Yokosuka,  37;  Grave 
of  Will  Adams,  38;  Perry  Monument,  39;  Misaki,  40. 

3.  From  Yokohama  around  Fuji-san  to  Shoji  ...  40 

Lake  Shoji,  43;  From  Shoji  to  the  Fuji  River,  44;  Rapids  of 
the  Fujikawa,  44;  from  Shoji  via  Lake  Motosu  to  the 
Tokaido,  45. 

4.  From  Yokohama  to  the  summit  of  Fuji-san.    .    .  45 

5.  From  Yokohama  to  Miyanoshita,  Lake  Hakone 
and  Atami  54 

Miyanoshita,  56;  Walks  and  Excursions,  57;  Hakone  Lake, 
62;  Ten  Province  Pass,  63;  Atami,  64;  The  Atami  Geyser, 
64 ;  From  Atami  to  Odawara  (and  Yokohama) ,  65 . 


6.  From    Yokohama    via    Tokyo    to  Karuizawa, 
Nagano,  Naoetsu  and  Niigata  (Sado  Island)     .    .  65 

Myogi-san,  67;  Yamato  Dake,  68;  Karuizawa,  68;  Kose 
Hot  Springs,  70;  Hanare-Yama,  72;  Usui  Pass,  72;  Asama- 
yama,  73;  The  Lava  Stream,  74;  Nagano,  78;  Zenko 
Temple,  78;  Naoetsu,  81;  The  Oil  Industry,  83;  Niigata, 
83;  Sado  Island,  85. 

7.  From  Yokohama  to  Ikao  and  Kusatsu    ....  85 

Native  Birds,  88;  Walk  to  Yumoto,  88;  Kompira-san,  89; 
Seven-Fold  Cascade,  90;  Benten  Waterfall,  90;  Lake  Ha- 
runa  and  the  Haruna  Jinja,  92 ;  Haruna  Village,  94 ;  Mizu- 
sawa  Kwannon  Temple,  95;  Ikao  to  Kusatsu,  95;  Kusa- 
tsu, 99;  The  Hot  Springs,  99;  The  Baths,  100;  Lepers,  101 ; 
Walk  to  Sai-no-Kawara,  103;  Ascent  of  Shirane-san,  104. 


8.  From  Yokohama  to  the  Bonin  Islands    .    .    .  .105 

9.  From.  Yokohama  via  Kawasaki,  Kamat a  (Ikegami) 
and  Omori  to  Tokyo  107 

Kawasaki  Daishi,  107;  Kamata  Flower  Gardens,  108;  Ike- 
gami &  The  Hommonji,  108. 

10.  Tokyo  109 

a.  Railway  Stations,  109;  Ticket  Offices,  110;  Hotels,  110; 
Boarding-Houses,  110;  Restaurants,  110;  Inns,  111.— 6. 


Means  of  Transportation:  —  Taxicabs,  111;  Automobiles, 
111;  Cabs,  111 ;  Jinrikis.l  11 ; Electric  Street-Cars,  112;  Ele- 
vated Railway,  112;  River-boats,  112. —  c.  Post,  Telegraph, 
and  Telephone  Offices,  112;  Railway  and  Steamship  Offices ; 
Shipping  agents;  Tourist  Agencies,  113.  — d.  Shops,  113; 
Churches,  114;  Embassies  and  Legations,  1 15;  Newspapers, 
115;  Physicians  and  Dentists,  115;  Banks,  115;  Clubs,  115; 
Baths,  115;  Climate,  115.  —  e.  Theaters,  116;  Festivals  and 
Flower  Displays,  116;  Wrestling  Matches,  117;  Plum 
Trees,  118;  Peach,  118;  Cherry,  118;  Imperial  Cherry-Blos- 
som  Garden  Party,118;  The  Pear,119;  Fire- Walking  Cere- 


2 


CENTRAL  JAPAN 


Route  Page 
monl,,  119;  The  Wistaria,  119;  Boys'  Festival,  119;  The 
Peony,  119;  The  Azalea,  120;  The  Iris,  120;  Opening  of  the 
S'.inida  River,  120;  Lotus  Flower,  120;  Chrysanthemum, 
121);  Imperial  Chrysanthemum  Garden  Party,  120;  The 


Maple,  120;  The  Camellia,  121 . 

Disposition  of  Time  121 

Situation,  History,  and  Character  of  the  City  .  .  122 
Th,  Central  Quarter  136 


House  of  Parliament,  136;  Hibiya  Park,  136;  Japan  Times 
Office,  137;  Imperial  Theater,  137;  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha 
and  Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha,  139;  Mercantile  Marine,  139; 
Municipal  Offices,  139;  Central  Railway  Station,  139; 
Government  Offices,  140;  Ginza  Methodist  Church,  140; 
The  Ginza,  140;  Kyobashi,  144;  Nihonbashi,  146;  Stock, 
and  Produce  Exchanges,  146;  Central  Post-Office,  146; 
Fish  Warerooms,  146;  Mitsui  Bussan  Kaisha,  147;  Yoko- 
hama Specie  Bank,  147;  Bank  of  Japan,  147;  Shoheibashi 
Station,  148;  Bronze  Monument,  148;  Russian  Orthodox 
Church,  148. 

The  Imperial  Palace  and  Neighborhood    ....  149 

Fukiage  Landscape  Garden,  151 ;  Divisions  of  the  Palace,  151 ; 
TheGates,  152 ;  The  Moats,  153 ;  The  Walls,  154 ;  Monument 
to  Kusunoki  Masashige,  154;  Crown  Prince's  Palace,  154; 
Kudan  Hill,  155 ;  Yasukuni  Jinja,  155 ;  Museum  of  Arms,  157. 

The  Southwest  Quarter  159 

The  Foreign  Office,  159;  British  and  American  Embassies, 
160;  Okura  Fine  Arts  Museum,  160— Shiba  Park,  168;  The 
Shiba  Mausolea,  169;  The  Great  Gate,  171 ;  Priests'  Apart- 
ments, 171;  Mortuary  Shrine  of  the  7th  and  9th  Shoguns, 
171 ;  Oratory  of  the9th  Shogun,  174;  Mausoleum  of  the6th, 
12th,  and  14th  Shoguns,174;  Tomb  of  the  6th  Shogun,  177; 
Reliquary  of  the  Shoguns'  Consorts,  177:  Mausoleum  of 
the  2d  Shogun,  179;  Octagonal  Hall,  183;  The  Pagoda,  183; 
TheT6shogu,184;  The  Benten  Shrine,  185. — Atago-Yama, 
185;  The  Keio  University,  185;  Tombs  of  the  Forty-Seven 
Ronin,186;  The  Hei- jinja,  187;  Shimizudani  Park, 188;  Ao- 
yama  Palace,  Military Parade-Ground, and  Cemetery, 188. 

The  Northeast  Quarter  188 

Koishikawa  Arsenal  Garden,  188;  Gokaku-ji,  189;  Lafcadio 
Hearn's  Grave, 190;  The  Imperial  University,  19 1 ;  Seismo- 
logical  Observatory,  194;  Earthquakes,  195. — Prof.  Kano's 
Jiijutsu  School,  197;  Dangozaka,  197.  —  Uyeno  Park,  197; 
Time  Bell,  199;  Bronze  Daibutsu,  200;  Tosh5gu,  200;  The 
Lake, 200;  Imperial  Library  and  Museum,  201;  The  Zoo, 
201;  Tosa  Fowls,  207;  Mortuary  Temples  of  the  Shoguns, 
210.  — Higashi  Hongwanji,  214;  Asakusa  Kwannon,  215; 
The  Yoshiwara,  221 ;  The  Sumidagawa,  227. 


Transpontine  Tokyo  228 

Mukojima,  229;  Kameido,229;  The  Plum  Gardens,  230;  Hori 
Kiri  Iris  Garden,  231;  Eko-in,  231;  Tsukiji,  232;  Mineral 
Museum,  232;  Commercial  Museum, 233;  Naval  Museum, 
233;  Nishi  Hongwanji,  234.  —  Tokyo  Bay,  234. 

The  Environs  of  Tokyo  234 

11.  From  Tokyo  to  Vries  Island  ........  235 

12.  From  Tokyo  via  Chiba,  Sakura  (Narita),  and 
Naruto  to  Choshi   .  236 

1.  From  Tokyo  via  Chiba,  Soga  (Kisarazu),  and  Oami  to 
Katsuura  (Kominato),  241. 


Y(£KOHiMX  AND  Us  ENVfRONS      1.  Route.  3 

,  I       i /Yokohama  and  its  Environs. 

a.  Practical  Notes. 


rival  by  Sea.  Ships  of  certain  of  the  lines  dock  alongside  the  New  Cus- 
ns  Quay  (consult  the  accompanying  plan,  H,  5) ;  others  anchor  in  the  inner 
Arbor,  about  1  M.  from  the  Customs  Pier  (or  the  English  Ha-toba),  on 
ivhich  they  land  passengers  free.  Those  which  stop  a  week  or  more  to  unload 
freight  cargoes  often  tie  up  at  the  pier  —  the  accommodations  at  which  are 
limited.  Quarantine  officers  board  ships  before  they  can  enter  the  harbor, 
to  give  them  pratique.  Asiatics  and  steerage  passengers  are  more  carefully 
inspected  than  others.  Launches  from  the  most  prominent  hotels,  and 
(trustworthy)  English-speaking  runners  meet  incoming  ships  to  take  charge 
of  passengers'  luggage,  transfer  it  to  the  custom-house,  pass  it  (usually  more 
promptly  and  satisfactorily  than  the  traveler  can  in  person) ,  and  deliver  it 
(in  about  2  hrs.)  at  the  hotel  (customary  charge  for  the  inclusive  service  ,¥2; 
more  when  there  are  many  trunks).  Messrs.  Helm  Bros  (p.  7)  will  attend 
to  the  passing  and  delivering  of  luggage  to  residence  or  rly.  station,  and  to 
the  storing,  bonding,  packing,  and  shipping  of  baggage  or  merchandise.  The 
Customs  Examination  (room  near  the  landing)  is  rapid,  courteous,  and 
lenient  (see  p.  xxiv) .  Each  piece  of  baggage  must  be  chalked  by  an  inspector 
before  it  can  pass  the  outer  gate. 

Polyglot  couriers  from  tourist-  and  shipping-agencies;  respresentatives  of 
shops;  Chinese  tailors,  money-changers,  etc.,  meet  arriving  travelers  to 
solicit  their  patronage.  It  is  usually  wise  to  defer  purchases  until  one  is  sure 
of  the  reputation  of  the  merchants  and  of  the  goods  they  offer.  The  petty 
tradesmen  who  display  their  wares  (usually  low  grade)  on  the  ship's  deck 
while  in  port  ask  more  than  they  expect  to  receive ;  better  goods  can  usually 
be  bought  for  less  money  at  the  reputable  shops  on  shore.  Belated  travelers 
who  employ  sampans  (kobune  —  1  baby  ship  ')  from  the  ship  to  shore  should 
strike  a  bargain  (25  sen  per  person  is  ample)  with  the  boatman  (sendo)  be- 
fore embarking  (not  recommended  at  night  or  in  stormy  weather).  In  all 
cases  the  hotel  launch  is  preferable.  Strangers  will  wish  to  remember  that 
the  French  Hatoba  (PI.  F,  4)  is  not  used  as  a  landing-place  by  sea-going  ships 
or  passengers  therefrom.  Storm  signals  are  displayed  here,  and  from  it  the 
noon  signal-gun  is  fired.  Hotel  Omnibuses  sometimes  wait  near  the  entrance 
to  the  pier,  but  the  distance  to  the  chief  hotels  is  so  short  that  jinrikis  (see 
below)  are  usually  employed.  Tram-cars  do  not  run  near  them.  —  On  step- 
ping ashore  the  traveler  finds  the  Foreign  Settlement  with  its  counting- 
houses,  hotels,  shops,  etc.,  at  the  left;  the  Japanese  Town  (straight  ahead 
from  the  New  Customs  Quay)  and  the  Yokohama  Rly.  Station  (li  M.  from 
the  Grand  Hotel;  beyond  the  extreme  end  of  Honcho-dori,  across  the  canal, 
PI.  J,  3)  at  the  right. 

Jinrikis  (p.  lxxxviii)  take  the  place  of  cabs  and  are  stationed  in  many 
parts  of  the  city.  As  certain  of  the  men  dishonestly  charge  strangers  absurd 
prices  (oftentimes  ¥1  or  ¥1.50  from  the  landing-place  to  the  hotel)  one  should 
not  ask  the  price,  but  should  contrive  to  hand  over  the  correct  fare.  The 
hotel  manager  will  arbitrate  complaints.  Overcharging  should  be  resisted. 
The  correct  fare  from  the  landing-stage  to  the  Grand  Hotel  or  the  Pleasanton 
is  15  sen;  to  the  Oriental  Palace,  the  Hotel  Belmont,  or  the  Club  Hotel,  10 
sen;  Yokohama  Station,  20  sen  (5  sen  more  from  the  New  Customs  Quay  to 
the  hotels,  and  5  sen  less  to  the  rly.  station) ;  hand-luggage  included.  Same 
price  for  a  jinriki  filled  with  baggage.  The  customary  fee  for  a  run  anywhere 
in  the  Foreign  Settlement  between  the  boundaries  formed  by  the  Creek,  the 
Bund,  and  Satsuma-cho  (consult  the  plan)  is  10  sen:  from  the  Grand  Hotel  to 
Honcho-  or  Benten-dori,  15  sen;  to  the  rly.  station,  20-30  sen.  From  any 
point  in  the  Settlement  to  the  top  of  the  Bluff  (PI.  F,  4),  15-20  sen,  with  5  sen 
extra  for  the  pushman.  To  the  far  end  of  the  Bluff,  25  sen.  Race-course,  40- 
50  sen.  Fares  are  rising  steadily,  and  where  the  men  are  not  held  in  check  by 
municipal  regulations  their  demands  are  frequently  unreasonable.  While  the 
following  schedule  (apt  to  change) ,  by  time,  is  accepted  in  Yokohama,  it  is 
prudent  to  reach  an  understanding  with  the  jinriki-man  before  employing 
him.  For  a  run  of  less  than  5  minutes,  10  sen;  over  5  and  up  to  15  min.,  20 
sen;  up  to  \  hr. ,  30  sen ;  1  hr. ,  30-50  sen ;  for  the  2d  hr. ,  20  sen;  \  day,  ¥1 ;  1  day, 
¥1.50  to  ¥2.  For  an  extra  man  add  about  85%  to  the  foregoing;  in  bad 


4   Route  1. 


YOKOHAMA 


Practical  Notes. 


weather  and  after  10  p.m.,  50%  extra.  Special  arrangements  must  be  made 
for  country  trips. 

f "  ^Motor  Cars  (comp.  p.  lxxxvi)  are  on  hire  at  the  hotels  and  garages;  the  pres- 
|  ent  rate  is  ¥5  per  hr.  with  a  minmum  charge  of  ¥15.  Many  delightful  trips 
[are  possible  from  Yokohama;  the  roads  range  from  good  to  excellent,  and 

beguiling  views  of  mts.  and  sea  add  charm.  Consult  the  hotel  manager  for 

particulars. 

'  ^  Carriages  (basha)  can  be  hired  at  one  of  the  several  livery  stables;  single 
victoria  for  1-2  pers.  between  the  steamer  landing,  or  rly.  station,  and  hotel, 
¥2;  3-4  pers.  ¥4;  |  day,  ¥4;  1  day,  ¥6.  Double  victoria,  ¥6-8;  coupe, 
¥7-10;  landau,  ¥8-12. 

Tramways  traverse  the  city  and  connect  it  with  Tokyo. at  the  E.  and  with 
various  shore  towns  at  the  S.  W.  They  afford  the  economical  traveler  a  cheap 
and  speedy  method  of  seeing  the  native  city  and  its  environs. 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix).  The  chief  Yokohama  hotels  are  under  American, 
French,  or  English  management,  with  cosmopolitan  cooking  noted  for  its 
excellence.  Those  near  the  sea  afford  beguiling  views.  The  best  rooms  are 
apt  to  be  occupied  during  the  spring  and  autumn,  and  should  be  spoken  for 
well  in  advance.  All  are  within  a  few  min.  walk  of  the  nerve-center  of  the 
port;  within  10-15  of  the  Japanese  city;  5-10  of  the  steamer  landing;  and  20 
.min.  of  the  rly.  station. 


/  *Grand  Hotel,  Ltd.,  18-20  Bund  (PI.  F,  4);  Tel.  ad.,  'Grand';  steam- 
launch,  '  Tourist.'  American  management  and  plan.  A  far-famed  rendez- 
vous for  round-the-world  travelers.  Excellent  cuisine;  broad  glassed-in 
verandas  overlooking  the  sea  (exquisite  views).  Orchestra  during  dinner; 
information  bureau;  flower-garden;  afternoon  tea;  entrance  from  the  Bund 
or  from  Water  St.  Popular  with  all  classes;  recommended.  The  dances,  ban- 
quets, concerts,  etc.,  given  in  the  spacious  dining-room  are  conspicuous  fea- 
tures of  the  social  life  of  the  port.  Single  rooms  from ¥7  to  ¥12  a  day;  double 
rooms,  ¥14  to  ¥18;  with  bath,  ¥18  for  1  pers.;  ¥22  for  2.  Suites  (bedroom, 
parlor,  and  private  bath),  ¥18  to  ¥22  for  1  pers.,  ¥22  to  ¥25  for  2.  Where 
more  than  2  pers.  occupy  a  suite  an  additional  charge  of  ¥5  a  day  is  made 
for  each  additional  occupant  up  to  4.  Ten  percent  discount  for  a  stay  of  a 
month  or  more.  No  extras. 

"Oriental  Palace  Hotel,  11  Bund  (PI.  F,  4);  Tel.  ad.,  '  Oriental ';  steam- 
launch,  '  Mascotte.'  A  sumptuously  furnished  establishment  with  a  wide 
reputation  for  its  cuisine;  French  management;  English  spoken;  facing  the 
sea  with  broad  views.  Entrance  from  Water  St.  and  from  Odawara-ch5. 
Much  frequented  by  titled  Continentals  and  others;  highly  spoken  of;  re- 
commended. —  Rates  from  ¥7  and  upward,  according  to  location  of  room; 
special  terms  by  the  week  or  month.  Suites-de-luxe  with  sitting-room,  bath, 
and  private  veranda.  Garage;  information  bureau;  afternoon  tea;  no  extras. 

Both  of  the  foregoing  hotels  are  ranked  by  travelers  as  among  the  best  E. 
of  Cairo.  Omnibus  to  or  from  the  rly.  station,  ¥1;  baggage  to  or  from  cus- 
tom-house or  steamer,  25  sen  each  for  small  pieces;  50  sen  each  for  trunks. 
Less  imposing  but  central,  convenient,  and  comfortable  hotels  are:  — 
The  Hotel  Belmont,  80  Main  St.  (PI.  G,  4) ;  Tel.  ad.,  '  Hotel  Belmont.'  A 
good,  clean,  quiet,  comfortable  family  hotel  under  American  management, 
near  the  sea.  Good  food;  summer  garden;  airy  rooms;  modern  throughout. 
Bates  from  ¥5  and  upward,  Am.  pi.,  a  day;  reduction  for  2  pers.  in  one  room. 
Popular  with  American  naval  officers  and  their  families,  commercial  travel- 
ers, and  economically  disposed  tourists.  Low  terms  for  a  long  stay.  Recom- 
mended. 

Club  Hotel,  Ltd.,  5  Bund  (PI.  G.  4),  adjacent  to  the  Yokohama  United 
Club;  Tel.  ad.,  'Club  Hotel';  overlooking  the  sea,  with  beautiful  views. 
Quiet,  comfortable  unpretentious;  English-American  management  and 
good  cooking.  The  best  rooms  face  the  Bund.  Rates  from  ¥5  a  day  and  up- 
ward, Am.  pi.;  room  and  board  for  2  pers.  in  1  room,  from  ¥225  a  month. 
Special  reduction  for  a  long  stay.  Liked  by  Canadians,  Australians,  and 
officers  in  His  British  Majesty's  service.  Recommended. 

Hotel  Pleasanton,  adjoining  the  Grand  Hotel;  Tel.  ad.,  'Pleasanton.' 
Room  and  board  from  ¥5  and  upward.  Comfortable.  Modern.  American 
management  and  plan.  Well  spoken  of. 

While  certain  of  the  other  hotels  no  doubt  offer  fair  accommodations,  the 
above  list  will  perhaps  fill  the  average  traveler's  requirements.  It  should  be 


Shops. 


YOKOHAMA 


1.  Route.  5 


borne  in  mind  that  rooms  in  some  of  the  boarding-houses  which  profess  to  be 
hotels  are  often  not  available.  Also  that  the  rates  quoted,  especially  to 
transients,  are  but  little  less  than  those  of  real  hotels.  The  traveler  with 
valuable  baggage  will  also  wish  to  remember  that  fire  not  infrequently 
scourges  the  Bluff,  the  elevation  of  which  sometimes  renders  the  efforts  of 
the  fire-department  ineffective.  The  alleged  hotels  that  cater  to  seamen 
are  not  for  the  average  touristy 

Furnished  Rooms  are  sometimes  to  be  had  (consult  the  daily  newspapers 
for  advertisements) ,  but  the  lack  of  local  restaurants  militates  against  their 
utility.  Table-board  can  usually  be  arranged  for  at  the  hotels  at  prices  rang- 
ing from  ¥60  and  upward  per  month. 

The  Japanese  Restaurants  scattered  throughout  the  native  city  serve  food 
in  the  Japanese  style  only.  Geisha  can  be  summoned.  Prices  vary  with  the 
reputation  of  the  establishment  and  the  "requirements  of  guests.  English  is 
not  always  spoken,  and  shoes  must  be  removed  at  the  entrance.  At  the  best- 
known  places  (first  in  the  list  below)  a  surprisingly  varied  and  sometimes 
delicious  tiffin  can  be  had  for  ¥3  to  ¥4.50  per  pers.;  ¥5  to  ¥6.50  with  a 
geisha  accompaniment.  Special,  out-of-season  dishes  should  be  ordered  with 
a  knowledge  of  what  their  cost  will  be,  as  prices  are  apt  to  be  asked  that 
would  surprise  Claridge  or  Sherry.  It  should  also  be  remembered  that  cele- 
brated geisha  expect  prima  donna  fees.  — Chitose  :  79  Sumiyoshi-cho,  Roku- 
chome  (officialdom's  favorite  rendezvous).  Naruto  (recommended),  77 
Hanasaki-cho,  Rokuchome.  —  Yaomasa:  51  Aioi-cho,  Sanchome.  Kaneda: 
18  Onoye-cho,  Itchome.  Miyagokawa:  110  Sumiyoshi-cho,  Itchome. 
Sakayeya:  37  Sumiyoshi-cho,  Sanchome. 

Shops  (comp.  p.  cxii)  are  numerous,  and  as  some  of  them  are  veritable 
museums  of  quaint  and  beautiful  art  objects,  the  traveler  with  time  to  spare 
will  be  repaid  for  visiting  them.  Those  under  foreign^  management  (that  of 
Arthur  &  Bond,  opposite  the  Grand  Hotel,  stands  at  'the  head)  are  custom- 
arily stocked  with  the  things  most  liked  by  foreigners,  and  fixed  prices  are 
the  rule.  The  chief  native  shops  are  in  or  near  Benten-dori.  Prices  in  many 
are  unstable.  A  few  only  of  the  curiO-shops  specialize,  and  as  the  smaller  ones 
are  apt  to  change  their  policy  between  two  days,  a  trustworthy  list  of  them  is 
difficult  to  maintain.  Yokohama  residents  are  the  best  mentors  in  the  mat- 
ter of  shops,  and  the  traveler  who  contemplates  making  purchases  of  magni- 
tude can  do  no  better  than  to  seek  the  advice  of  some  friend,  or  of  the  hotel 
manager.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  when  guides  (comp.  p.  xxvi)  are 
taken  into  unknown  shops  a  commission  is  quite  apt  to  be  added  to  the  prices 
of  things.  Also  that  the  intrinsic  value  of  a  curio  (see  p.  cxiii)  ,  in  the  accepted 
sense  of  the  word,  is  an  uncertain  quantity,  —  quite  unlike  that  of  silk, 
ivory,  silver,  or  a  similar  standard  product,  —  and  that  in  dealing  with  small 
merchants  one  often  courts  deception.  — Theater  St.  (PI.  I,  2)  is  lined  with 
tiny  shops  where  a  host  of  articles  of  daily  use  are  displayed,  and  similar 
places  flank  Motomachi  (PI.  F,  3).  The  following  recommended  list  has  been 
compiled  with  considerable  care,  and  in  the  belief  that  the  places  (all  of  which 
are  of  long  standing)  are  trustworthy.  Their  specialties  are  mentioned  in 
detail  because  they  are  what  foreigners  usually  look  for.  Prices  are  marked 
in  plain  figures  and  are  not  deviated  from  in  any  of  them;  and  the  many 
common  forms  of  fraud  practiced  by  certain  unscrupulous  dealers  are  dis- 
I  countenanced. 

Fine  Arts.  —  Arthur  &  Bond,  38  Water  St.  (PI.  F,  4),  a  celebrated  and 
popular  establishment  with  numerous  departments.  Costumers  and  De- 
signers. Goldsmiths  and  Jewelers.  —  Ladies'  Department:  Mandarin  coats; 
Embroidered  Wraps;  Gowns;  Waists;  Old  Brocades,  etc.  —  Men's  Depart- 
ment: Shirts  and  Pyjamas  made  to  measure;  imported  haberdashery. 
American  and  English  specialties.  —  Curio  Department:  Silver  and  Dam- 
ascene wares;  Carved  Furniture;  Lacquer- ware ;  Antique  Jewelry;  Jade; 
Ivory  Carvings;  Bronzes;  Brasses;  Porcelain;  Korean  and  Chinese  Curios, 
etc.  .  — ■ 

Men's  Silk  and  Cotton  Crape  Shirts,  Pyjamas,  etc.  —  S.  I.  Yamatoya, 
6  Benten-dori.  Widely  known  and  popular  with  foreigners.  English  spoken, 
(PI.  H,  3).  Branches  at  Tokyo,  Kobe,  and  other  places.  The  dress-shirts  and 
collars  (American  and  English  styles),  made  to  measure  of  fine  imported 
Irish  linen,  are  considerably  cheaper  than  the  same  grade  would  be  in  the 
U.S.A.  (with  which  a  big  business  is  conducted  by  mail). 


6   Route  1.  YOKOHAMA  Shops. 

Silks  and  Embroideries: — Iida  &  Co.  (Takashimaya) ,  81  Main  St. 
(PI.  G,  4)  —  a  branch  of  the  famous  house  established  at  Kyoto.  —  Noza- 
waya,  30  Benten-dori  Nichome  (PI.  H,  3).  —  The  Yamato,  34  Benten-dori 
Nichome  (PI.  H,  3).  The  best  silk  specialties  (Dresses,  Kimonos,  Parasols, 
Embroideries,  Pyjamas,  Dressing-gowns,  Underwear,  Hosiery,  Mandarin 
coats,  Shirt-waists,  etc.)  for  which  Japan  is  celebrated  will  be  found  assembled 
in  these  modern  stores,  where  English  is  spoken  and  prices  are  fixed.  The 
foreigner's  wants  are  understood  and  are  catered  to  according  to  home 
methods.  Minor  specialties  of  each  are  Embroidered  Screens,  Drawn  Linen, 
Smoking-jackets;  Pongee  coats;  Tea-cosies;  Kyoto  dolls,  etc.  The  silk-bro- 
cade squares  make  handsome  cushion-covers.  The  native  cotton-crape  is 
unusually  durable.  Nozawaya's  Dressmaking  Department  (imported  cut- 
ters) is  much  patronized  by  Yokohoma  ladies.  The  Yamato  conducts  a 
branch  at  Karuizawa  during  the  summer  season.  Iida  &  Co.  are  purveyors  to 
the  Imperial  Japanese  Household. 

Porcelain  (comp.  p.  cclii).  Shops  for  the  sale  of  cheap  porcelain  are  scat- 
tered all  over  the  city  (fine  wares  at  Arthur  &  Bond's  and  other  places) ,  but 
as  the  cost  of  transportation  home  on  cheap  ware  is  the  same  as  on  the  finest, 
the  latter  is  usually  the  most  satisfactory  to  buy.  The  Makuzu  Kozan  kilns 
(PI.  I,  i.)  where  the  Makuzu  porcelain  (one  of  the  most  famous  of  the  Japa- 
nese wares)  is  made,  lie  in  the  N.  W.  suburb  (1631  Minamiotamachi)  of 
Yokohama,  in  the  Ota-mura  district  (2  M.  from  the  Grand  Hotel;  jinriki,  30 
sen)  and  should  be  visited  by  whosoever  is  interested  in  one  of  Japan's  finest 
arts.  The  traveler  is  shown  the  workshops  where  the  potters  sit  at  their 
primitive  wheels  fashioning  the  clay  into  shape;  the  rooms  where  the  deco- 
rations are  added;  the  kilns  where  the  pieces  are  fired;  and  extensive  show- 
rooms where  many  beautiful  specimens  of  the  ware  (no  two  alike)  are  exhib- 
ited. Visitors  are  welcome  whether  or  not  they  buy;  the  fixed  prices  are 
marked  in  plain  figures;  and  considering  the  rare  beauty  of  the  objects,  and 
the  fame  of  the  potter,  are  conspicuously  moderate. 

The  original  factory  was  established  in  Kyoto  in  a  district  known  as 
Makuzu-ga-hara,  from  which  circumstance  the  pottery  (transferred  to  Yoko- 
hama in  1871)  derived  its  name.  The  original  artist,  Miyagawa  Kozan  (son 
of  the  celebrated  Kyoto  t  potter  Chobei,  who  worked  at  Gion  and  produced  a 
faience  known  to  porcelainists  as  Makuzu-yaki) ;  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Imperial  Household  Artist,  and  with  his  son,  Miyagawa  Hanzan,  is  ranked  as 
one  of  the  finest  ceramists  that  Japan  has  produced.  The  products  of  the  fac- 
tory are  porcelains  proper,  and  the  pieces  suggest  in  their  delicate  beauty  the 
monochromes  and  polychromes  of  the  Chinese  Kang-hsi  and  Yung-cheng 
kilns.  Jars,  vases,  bowls,  plaques,  quaint  teapots,  and  a  variety  of  beautiful 
objects  skillfully  decorated  with  flowers,  bamboos,  or  other  designs,  in  har- 
monious tints  that  show  just  beneath  the  glaze,  are  his  specialties.  Along  with 
these  are  produced  some  of  the  finest  blue-and-white  pieces  the  collector  will 
meet  with  in  Japan.  Equally  famous  are  his  apple-green  glazes,  so  admired 
by  American  collectors.  To  Kozan  Cor  Shozan)  Mr.  Brinkley  {Oriental 
Series,  vol.  8,  p.  418)  gives  the  credit  of  having  inaugurated  Chinese  fashions 
in  Japan,  and  to  have  set  other  Japanese  artists  to  reproducing  in  Japan 
copies  of  the  Chinese  masterpieces.  Kozan's  best  work  ranks  with  choice 
Kang-hsi  specimens.  —  Travelers  will  do  well  to  have  their  purchases  (for 
foreign  shipment)  packed  at  the  pottery  (where  great  care  is  given  them), 
then  delivered  to  the  shipping-agent: 

Ivory  Carving:  — ■  K.  Toyama,  5  Benten-dori.  Carvers  can  be  seen  at 
work  at  the  Tokyo  headquarters.  Comp.  p.  ccxxxvii.  —  Satsuma-Ware 
(p.  ccliv)  can  be  bought  to  better  advantage  in  Kyoto,  where  it  is  made. 
—  Tortoise-shell  Work:  —  Y.  Kawaguchi  &  Co.,  41  Benten-dori  Ni- 
chome. 

Pharmacies:  —  Brett's  Pharmacy,  60  Main  St.  (PI.  G,  4).  American, 
English,  and  French  medicines,  perfumes  and  toilet  requisites  suited  to  the 
needs  of  travelers.  American  soda  fountain.  Prescriptions  filled  (expert 
English  faculty) .  —  German  and  other  European  specialities  at  the  Deutsche 
Apotheke,  77-d  Main  St.  For  the  addresses  of  other  drug-stores  consult  the 
local  directory.  In  making  purchases  at  certain  of  the  native  chemists'  shops 
the  traveler  should  assure  himself  that  he  is  not  buying  spurious  (and  often- 
times injurious)  goods  put  up  locally  under  counterfeit  foreign  labels.  This 
applies  with  force  to  drugs,  toilet-soaps,  and  perfumes,  and  popular  English 
and  American  specialties. 


Steamship  Agents.         YOKOHAMA  1.  Route.  7 

Universal  Providers:  —  Lane,  Crawford  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  59  Main  St.  (PL 
G,  4).  A  species  of  Department  Store  (well  known  and  highly  spoken  of) 
with  branches  throughout  the  Far  East.  Usually  headquarters  for  Tourists ! 
Requisites.  Agents  for  many  English  and  American  specialties  (haber- 
dashery; chocolate;  candies;  fine  groceries;  jams;  marmalades;  cigars  and 
tobacco;  wines  and  liquors,  etc.) ;  Bakers;  Outfitters;  Milliners  and  Drapers. 
In  the  Tailoring  Department  men's  and  women's  clothing  (English  cloth)  is 
made  to  order  (by  English  tailors)  cheaper  than  corresponding  grades 
would  be  in  the  U.S.  The  popular  Pith  Helmets  are  imported  from  India. 

In  ordering  shoes  made  to  measure  in  Japan,  insist  that  English  or  Amer- 
ican leather  be  used,  as  the  poorly  tanned  local  product  is  spongy  and  lifeless. 
It  is  more  economical  to  buy  imported  shoes  even  at  double  the  cost  of 
made  locally. 

Chinese  Tailors  abound  in  Yokohama  and  usually  are  as  insinuating  as 
ferrets;  hunting  the  traveler  furtively  to  his  lodging  with  bland  and  wheedling 
persistence.  They  all  lack  the  shrinking  nature  of  the  sleazy  flannel  suits 
which  they  offer  to  make  in  24  hrs.  for  an  equal  number  of  yen,  but  resemble 
in  that  after  a  few  washings  the  suits  turn  a  Mongolian  yellow,  and 
cling  like  woolen  underwear.  The  serge  and  others  suitings  make  up  pinchy 
and  generally  fade  quickly.  They  look  all  right  in  their  environment,  but  are 
incompatible  with  home  styles.  These  celestial  outfitters  make  both  men's 
and  women's  clothing,  but  are  useful  chiefly  for  cleaning  and  pressing  clothes 
.(50-75  sen  for  a  suit). 

Delicatessen  Shops:  —  J.  Curnow  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  82  Main  St.  —  Lang- 
feldt  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  73  Main  St.  American  and  English  specialties  (fine  Gro- 
ceries; Wines  and  Liquors;  Cigars  and  Tobacco,  etc.)  at  both  places.  French 
and  Continental  specialties  at  L.  Caudrelier's,  62  Main  St. 

Photographers:  (Photographs,  Views,  Lantern-Slides,  etc.).  —  K. 
Tamamura,  &  Son,  1498,  Nakamura,  Bluff  (PL  G,  1).  Films  and  plates 
developed,  colored,  or  made  into  slides.  The  hand-colored  enlargments  of 
Japanese  types  and  views,  and  the  glass  transparencies,  make  desirable  sou- 
venirs. Photographs  of  tourists  in  Japanese  costume  a  specialty.  —  Photo- 
graphic Supplies:  —  Farsari  &  Co.,  32  Water  St.  —  Kimbei,  7  Honcho- 
dori  Itchome. 

Bookstores:  —  Kelly  &  Walsh,  Ltd.,  60  Main  St.  —  K.  Yoshikawa,  5 
Benten-dori.  At  the  latter  shop  (English  spoken)  second-hand  books  often 
as  good  as  new  can  be  bought  at  considerably  less  than4the  prices  asked  for 
new  ones;  and  if  the, proprietor  hasn't  what  the  traveler  wants,  he  knows  how 
to  get  it.  Second-hand  bookstores  (honya)  abound  in  Yokohama,  but  prices 
vary  materially,  and  the  bibliophile  is  advised  to  4  shop  '  around  until  he 
finds  a  place  that  suits  him.  The  Methodist  Publishing  House,  1  Shichome, 
Ginza,  Tokyo,  carries  a  large  stock  of  books  on  Far-Eastern  gubjects.  Col- 
ored Post  Cards,  Old  Color-prints,  Maps,  and  what-not  are  generally  on 
sale  at  bookstores. 

Steamship  Agents:  —  Toyo  Risen  Kaisha  (Tel.  ad.,  'Toyokisen';  see  p. 
139),  17  Water  St.  (PL  F,  4).  —  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  (Tel.  ad., 
4  Yusen,'  p.  139),  10  Bund  (PL  G,  4).  —  North  German  Lloyd  (Tel.  ad., 
4  Nordlloyd  ';  p.  xv),H.  Ahrens  &  Co.  Nachf.  (Tel.  ad.,  4Ahrens  '),  Agents, 
29  Water  St.  (PL  G,  4).  —  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Co's  Royal  Mail  S.S. 
Line  (Wm.  T.  Payne,  manager.  Tel.  ad.,  4Citamprag';  p.  xii),  14  Bund 
(PL  F,  4).  —  Peninsular  &  Oriental  Steam  Navigation  Co.  (Tel.  ad.,  4  Pen- 
insular'; p.  xv),  15  Bund  (PL  F,  4).  —  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  (Samuel 
&Co.,  Agts.,  Tel.  ad.,  4Orgomanes';  p.  xiv),  27  Water  St.  (PL  G,  4);  — 
Pacific  Mail  S.S.  Co.  (Tel.  ad.,  4  Solano '),  4a  Water  St.  (PL  G^4J.  — Message- 
ries  Maritimes  de  France  (Tel.  ad.,  '  Messagerie  '),  9  Mayebashi-cho  (PL 
G,  4).  —  For  the  addresses  of  the  numerous  other  lines  consult  the  Japan 
Directory. 

Forwarding  Agents:  —  Helm  Bros.,  Ltd.  (Tel.  ad.,  4  Helm  Bros.'),  43 
(near)  Satsuma-cho  (PL  G,  4).  Customs  Brokers,  Stevedores,  Landing, 
Shipping,  and  Express  (Pitt  &  Scott,  Ltd.,  etc.)  Agents.  Branches  in  Tokyo, 
Osaka,  Kobe,  Moji,  and  Shimonoseki.  —  A.  Weston  (Tel.  ad.,  4  Weston  '), 
40a  Satsuma-cho;  agents  for  Wells,  Forgo  &  Co.,  American  Express  Co.,  etc. 

Tourist  Agencies:  —  Thos.  Cook  &  Son  (Tel.  act.,  4  Coupon  •).  32  Water 
St.  (PL  F,  4).  Guides  and  guidebooks;  money  exchanged;  drafts  cashed, 
Rly.  and  S.S.  tickets.  The  Collver  Tours  (Tel.  ad.,  4  Collver  '),  34  Water  St. 


8   Route  1.  YOKOHAMA  Banks. 

—  Pacific  Travel  Bureau  (H.  W.  Dunning  &  Co.,  Boston,  Mass.  Tel.  ad., 
1  Dunnisaw  '),  39  Water  St.  —  Transsiberian  Railway  Co.  (Tel.  ad.,  '  Wago- 
lits  '),  12  Water  St.  —  The  Welcome  Society  and  the  Japan  Tourist  Bureau 
(p.  lxv)  both  have  offices  in  the  port. 

Banks  (comp.  p.  xxiii).  Yokohama  Specie  Bank,  Ltd.,  83  Minami  Naka- 
dori  Go-chome  (PL  I,  3);  English  spoken;  branches  in  the  chief  cities.  — 
Chartered  Bank  of  India,  Australia,  and  China  (PL  H,  3),  179  Satsuma-cho 
(English).  —  International  Banking  Corporation  (PL  G,  4),  74  Main  St. 
(American).  —  Deutsch-Asiatische  Bank  (PL  H,  3),  180a  Satsuma-cho  (Ger- 
man). —  Russo- Asiatic  Bank,  77  Main  St.  (PL  G,  4).  —  Hongkong  & 
Shanghai  Banking  Corporation,  2a  Water  St.  (PL  G,  4). 

Import  and  Export  Commission  Merchants:  —  The  following  brief  list 
includes  some  of  the  largest  and  best  houses  in  Yokohoma.   All  represent 
American  or  European  manufacturers  and  dealers.  —  American  Trading  Co., 
28  Main  St.  —  Andrews  &  George,  242  Uyeda-cho.  —  Bagnall  &  Hilles,  42 
Satsuma-cho.  —  China  &  Japan  Trading  Co.,  89c  Satsuma-cho.  —  Sale  & 
Frazar,  Ltd.,  167  Satsuma-cho.  —  H.  Ahrens  &  Co.,  29  Water  St.  —  S. 
Isaacs  &  Co.,  200  Fuji-yama-cho.  —  L.  J.  Healing  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  22  Water 
St.  —  F.  W.  Home,  70c  Satsuma-cho.  —  Mitsui  Bussan  Kabushiki  Kaisha, 
177  Nippon  Odori.  —  Takata  &  Co.,  2  Motohama-cho  Itchome,  etc.  For 
richer  names  consult  the  Japan  Directory. 
f^he  Post-  and  Telegraph-Offices  (comp.  p.  xcii)  are  on  Main  St.  (Pl.H,  4), 
I  near  the  dividing-line  between  the  one-time  Foreign  Settlement  and  the  na- 
I  tive  city.  The  Foreign  Post-Office  is  so  marked,  to  differentiate  it  from  the 
I  Japanese  P.O.  farther  along  the  street.  Letters  intended  for  Europe  or  Amer- 
lica  may  be  delayed  if  posted  in  the  latter  building. 

V^The  Local  Government  Office  (  Kencho)  is  near  the  Custom-House,  over- 
looking Mizumachi-dori  (PL  H,  4). 

Theaters  and  Entertainments:  —  The  Gaiety  Theater  is  at  257  Bluff  (PL 
E,  4),  opposite  the  U.S.  Naval  Hospital.  Consult  the  daily  newspapers  for 
advertisements  of  functions.  Yokohoma  possesses  an  unusual  amount  of 
excellent  4  home  talent,'  and  the  plays  produced  at  times  by  members  of  the 
Amateur  Dramatic  Club,  are  often  superior  to  those  of  visiting  companies. 
The  pleasing  custom  obtains  of  giving  musical  concerts,  Japanese  dances, 
displays  of  jugglery,  sword-play,  and  what-not  at  the  largest  of  the  local 
hotels,  for  the  entertainment  of  guests.  The  dances  arranged  by  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Grand  Hotel  as  a  welcome  to  guests  arriving  from  transpacific 
ships  are  very  popular,  and  are  often  attended  by  residents.  The  numerous 
dances  and  entertainments  held  at  various  times  during  the  year  by  local 
societies  (invitations  desirable)  are  forecasted  in  the  newspapers.  —  Wrest- 
ling is  mentioned  at  p.  clxvii. 
^  Nurseries  Aid  Flower  Displays:  —  The  Yokohama  Nursery  Co.,  Ltd., 
/  21-35  Nakamura,  Bluff  (PL  G,  1);  English  spoken.  Extensive  terraced  gar- 
/  dens  commanding  fine  views  and  containing  many  beautiful  specimens  of  the 
varied  Japanese  flora.  The  seasonal  flower  displays  constitute  one  of  the 
'  sights  '  of  Yokohama  and  should  not  be  missed;  magnificent  exhibits  of 
)  cherry  blossoms,  azaleas,  wistaria,  peonies,  lilies,  orchids,  chrysanthemums, 
lotuses,  etc.*;  fine  collection  of  quaint  dwarfed  trees  (fantastic  pines,  gnarled 
maples,  etc.)  and  potted  plants  (on  sale  at  reasonable  prices).  The  cut- 
flowers  and  growing  plants  make  desirable  additions  to  hotel  rooms.  The 
3000  cherry  trees  sent  in  1912  to  Washington,  D.C.,  and  those  for  General 

I  U.  S.  Grant's  Tomb  were  packed  here,  and  hence  go  many  of  the  fine  maple3 
that  deck  Calif  ornian  gardens.  The  traveler  desirous  of  possessing  a  Japanese 
garden  of  his  own  can  get  plans,  photographs,  ideas,  stone  lanterns,  etc.,  as 
well  as  bulbs  (many  shipped  by  mail  to  England  and  America) ;  albums  of 
painted  flowers  complete  as  to  genera  and  species  as  far  as  they  relate  to 
Japan:  attractive  and  desirable  illustrated  catalogue  in  English.  The  Peony 
Garden  maintained  by  the  company  at  Kamata  is  referred  to  in  Rte.  9. 

.  [Travelers  who  purchase  Japanese  trees  for  shipment  home  should  remember 

I that  they  are  accustomed  to  much  rain,  and  require  water  oftener  than  those 
of  some  other  climates.] 
„  Clubs.  Yokohama  United  Club,  a  celebrated  international  organization 
housed  in  a  handsome  and  commodious  new  structure  at  4-B  Bund  (PL  G, 
4).  —  Club  Germania,  235  Main  St.  (PL  H,  4).  —  Both  have  excellent  libra- 
ries. On  the  introduction  of  two  members,  visiting  strangers  are  accorded  the 


Consuls. 


YOKOHAMA  1.  Route.  9 


privileges  of  the  clubs  for  10  days.  Should  they  so  wish,  the  period  may  be 
extended  for  3  mos.  upon  payment  of  a  monthly  subscription  of  ¥8.  Officers 
serving  on  ships  pay  only  ¥3.  Clubs  are  a  recognized  necessity  in  the  social 
and  commercial  life  of  the  port,  and  are  of  considerable  advantage  to  visiting 
business  men.  Members  foregather  in  force  between  11-12  a.m. 

Golf-Links  at  the  grounds  of  the  Yokohama  Athletic  Club,  Negishi  (PI.  B, 
2).  Outfits  can  be  had  of  Lane,  Crawford  &  Co. 

Horse-Races  take  place  at  stated  times  (consult  the  newspapers)  at  the 
course  of  the  Nippon  Race  Club  at  Negishi  (PI.  B,  1).  The  Spring  Meeting 
(April-May;  admission  ¥2.50)  is  sometimes  attended  by  the  Emperor. 

Boat-Races  are  held  by  members  of  the  Yokohama  Yacht  Club  (T.  M. 
Lajfin,  Commodore);  the  Yokohama  Amateur  Rowing  Club,  and  the  Mos- 
Quito  Yacht  Club.  Addresses  in  the  Directory. 
^^Baseball  is  popular,  and  interesting  games  are  often  played  between  inter- 
[  port  teams,  and  with  seamen  frpm  visiting  warships.  Grounds  at  Hommoku 
S^Pl.  C,  3).  Sea-bathing  at  the  beach  near  by. 

Ambassadors  or  Ministers  and  Consuls  are  accredited  by  many  foreign 
governments  to  Japan;  the  embassies  and  legations  are  in  Tokyo;  consuls 
from  the  United  States,  Great  Britain,  Germany,  France,  Russia,  Austria- 
Hungary,  the  Argentine  Republic,  Belgium,  Brazil,  Mexico,  China,  Spain, 
Sweden,  Switzerland,  Norway,  The  Netherlands,  Italy,  Denmark,  Greece, 
Chile,  Peru,  and  Portugal  maintain  consulates  in  Yokohama.  As  the  ad- 
dresses of  certain  of  them  change  from  time  to  time,  the  traveler  is  referred 
to  the  Japan  Directory,  obtainable  at  any  of  the  hotels  or  business  houses. 

Physicians  and  Dentists.  American  {Dr.  C.  H.  H.  Hall),  English5? (Dr. 
Edwin  Wheeler) ,  and  German  (Dr.  R.  Scholtz)  physicians,  and  a  number  of 
American  dentists  (A.  G.  Smith)  practice  their  professions  in  the  port,  and 
customarily  have  their  offices  in  the  Foreign  Settlement  (near  the  chief 
hotels)  or  on  the  Bluff. 

Newspapers  and  the  Japan  Directory  are  referred  to  at  p.  clx. 

Lodges:  —  Meetings  at  Masonic  Hall,  61  Main  St.,  upstairs.  The  follow- 
ing lodges  work  under  the  Southern  Jurisdiction  of  the  United  States:  — 
Grand  Consistory  of  the  Empire  of  Japan;  Dai  Nippon  Chapter  of  Rose 
Croix;  Dai  Nippon  Lodge  of  Perfection;  Star  in  the  East  No.  640  (Scottish 
Rite);  Yokohama  Lodge  (English  Rite);  Otenta-sama  (E.  R.) ;  Yokohama 
.Chapter  (E.  R.);  Orient  Mark  Lodge  (E.  R.);  District  Grand  Lodge  of 
Japan  (E.  R.).  The  Odd  Fellows  also  meet  at  the  above  hall. 

Hospitals.  U.S.  Naval  Hospital,  99  Bluff  (PI.  F,  4).  British  Royal  Naval 
Hospital,  115  Bluff  (PI.  F,  4).  Yokohama  General  Hospital  (International), 
82  Bluff  (PI.  E,  3).  Dr.  Rokkaku's  Hospital,  1457  Nakamura-machi.  The 
Yokohama  Imperial  Hygienic  Laboratory  (Eisei  Shikenjo)  is  at  73  Honcho- 
dori  Gochome. 

Churches.  Yokohama  Union  (American)  Church,  49  Bluff  (PI.  F,  3). 
Christ  ChurcS :  (Anglican),  234  Bluff  (PI.  E,  3).  Mission  Catholique,  44 
Bluff  (PI.  F,  2).  Deutsche  Haus,  25  Bluff  (PI.  F,  3).  —  The  hours  of  serv- 
ices, names  of  pastors,  and  other  information  are  published  in  the  news- 
papers or  posted  in  hotel  corridors.  —  The  American  Bible  Society  is  at  53 
Main  St.  For  the  addresses  of  the  different  Foreign  Missions,  Missionary 
Schools,  and  Missionaries,  consult  the  section  of  the  Japan  Directory  de- 
voted to  Religious  Societies.  The  Salvation  Army  Headquarters  in 
Yokohama  are  at  88  Settlement.  The  Roman  Catholic  Convent  is  at  83 
Bluff. 

For  the  addresses  of  the  American  Asiatic  Association  of  Japan  (D.  H. 
Blake,  President);  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan;  British  Association  of  Japan; 
L' Alliance  Francaise;  Yokohama  Foreign  Board  of  Trade;  Yokohama  Chess 
Club;  Yokohama  Literary  and  Musical  Society;  Yokohama  Subscription 
Library  (entrance  fee,  ¥3;  annual  subscription,  ¥12;  visitors,  ¥1.50  a 
month);  Yokohama  Social  Club;  Yokohama  King's  Daughters'  Circle; 
Yokohama  Cricket  and  Athletic  Club;  the  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Animals  (Sigmund  Isaacs,  Chairman) ;  Yokohama  Charity  Organ- 
ization; Yokohama  Charity  Club;  Ladies'  Benevolent  Association;  Jewish 
Benevolent  Association  of  Yokohama;  the  Columbia  Society;  Royal  Society 
of  St.  Geroge;  St.  Andrew's  Society  of  Yokohama  and  Tokyo;  Ladies'  Lawn 
Tennis  and  Croquet  Club;  and  the  Cinderella  Dance  Association,  consult 
the  Japan  Directory. 


10   Route  1.  YOKOHAMA  History. 

The  Drinking-Water  comes  from  near  the  headwaters  of  the  Sagami  River; 
the  intake  is  about  25  M.  from  the  port,  and  the  supply  is  insufficient.  The 
waterworks  (completed  in  1887  and  at  that  time  the  first  modern  system  in- 
stalled in  Japan)  are  being  enlarged  (at  a  cost  of  7  million  yen)  and  new  filter- 
beds  are  being  constructed.  Foreigners  will  do  well  to  drink  the  water  og&SL 
whzn,  they  know  it  has  been  boiled.  (Comp.  p.  lxxiv.) 

The  Climate  is  mentioned  at  p.  lxvi.  The  city  is  healthy.  Although  epi- 
demics sometimes  gain  a  foothold  for  a  brief  time,  foreigners  seem  not  to  be 
troubled  by  them.  Stringent  health  measures  are  enforced  by  the  authorities. 

b.  Situation,  History,  and  Character  of  the  City. 
Yokohama  (pron.  yoh-koh-hah'-mah),  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant, picturesque,  and  cosmopolitan  of  the  Japanese  cities 
(largest  in  Kanagawa  Prefecture,  and  3d  in  point  of  size  in  the 
Empire),  stands  on  the  main  island  of  Hondo  18  M.  S.  W.  of 
Tokyo  (of  which  it  is  the  principal  port  of  entry),  in  Musashi 
Province,  in  lat.  35°  26'  53"  N.  (practically  that  of  Malta  and 
Santa  Fe),  and  long.  139°  38'  38"  E.  of  Greenwich.  It  occu- 
pies a  commanding  position  on  a  V-shaped  plain  about  1|  M. 
wide  at  the  mouth  of  a  hill-flanked  valley  that  opens  into  Yoko- 
hama Bay  (a  small  recess  on  the  W.  side  of  the  greater  Tokyo 
Bay),  and  extends  back  in  a  W.  direction  toward  the  low  semi- 
circle of  hills  for  about  3  M. ;  gradually  narrowing  to  \  M.  The 
hill  at  the  N.  W.  is  called  Ise-yama,  from  Ise  Province/where 
the  original  of  the  Daijingu  Shrine  which  crowns  it  is  located ; 
and  that  at  the  S.E.  (the  N.E.  corner  of  the  Bluff),  Camp  Hill, 
from  the  circumstance  that  a  camp  of  British  soldiers  anciently 
stood  just  above  the  site  of  the  present  Consulat  de  France. 
The  majestic  and  often  snow-capped  cone  of  Fuji-san  rises  in 
pointed  splendor  behind  it  and  imparts  to  it  a  beauty  which  no 
landscape  view  could  excel.  The  inner  harbor  of  the  port  is 
about  37  M.  from  Cape  King,  the  nearest  point  of  land  on  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  and  as  the  bay  is  here  12  M.  wide,  the  city  is 
exposed  to  the  strong  N.E.  and  E.  winds,  and  to  the  typhoons 
which  lash  it  with  unrestrained  fury  during  the  semi-tropical 
summer. 

According  to  the  census  of  1913  the  city  has  444,039  inhabs., 
of  whom  8205  are  foreigners;  4532  Chinese;  1575  British;  864 
Americans;  462  Germans;  227  Frenchmen;  129  Portuguese," 
and  the  remainder  distributed  among  15  nationalities.  It  de- 
rives its  name  from  Yoko,  side;  and  hama,  a  beach  —  the  latter 
standing  at  one  side  of  Kanagawa,  the  first  treaty  port  opened 
to  foreigners  and  where  they  were  allowed  to  dwell  and  trade. 

History.  Yokohama  was  perhaps  first  settled  by  Japanese  in  the  14th 
cent,  after  the  destruction  of  the  shogunal  stronghold  at  Kamakura  by  Nitta 
Yoshisada,  and  the  downfall  of  the  Hojo  Regents  in  1334.  The  ancient  burial 
mounds  that  have  been  opened  in  various  parts  of  the  locality,  and  that 
which  still  exists  (indubitably  the  most  authentic  relic  of  antiquity  in  the 
port)  in  the  grounds  of  the  U.S.  Naval  Hospital,  date  from  that  epoch.  The 
place  came  prominently  into  notice  in  1853-54  when  Commodore  Perry  (p. 
cclxxiv)  appeared  in  the  bay  with  a  small  squadron  of  the  U.S.  Navy  and  de- 
manded that  his  message  of  amity  from  President  Millard  Fillmore  be  re- 
ceived, and  that  Japan  be  opened  to  the  commerce  of  the  world.  The  treaty 


History.  YOKOHAMA  1.  Route.  11 

which  resulted  from  this  diplomatic  mission  was  the  first  ever  made  between 
a  ruler  of  the  Japanese  Empire  and  a  Western  Power,  and  in  the  light  of  sub- 
sequent developments  is  of  peculiar  interest. 

THE  TREATY  OF  KANAGAWA 

'  The  United  States  of  America  and  the  Empire  of  Japan,  desiring  to 
establish  firm,  lasting,  and  sincere  friendship  between  the  two  nations,  have 
resolved  to  fix  in  a  manner  clear  and  positive,  by  means  of  a  Treaty  or  Gen- 
eral Convention  of  Amity,  the  rules  which  shall  in  future  be  mutually  ob- 
served in  the  intercourse  of  their  respective  countries;  for  which  most  desir- 
able object,  the  President  of  the  United  States  has  conferred  full  powers  on 
his  commissioner,  Matthew  Calbraith  Perry,  Special  Ambassador  of  the 
United  States  to  Japan;  and  the  August  Sovereign  of  Japan  has  given  similar 
powers  to  his  commissioners,  Hayashi,  Dai-gaku  no  kami,  Ido,  prince  of 
Tsus-sima,  Izawa,  prince  of  Mimasaki,  and  Udono,  member  of  the  Board  of 
Revenue.  And  the  said  commissioners,  after  having  exchanged  their  said  full 
powers  and  duly  considered  the  premises,  have  agreed  to  the  following  arti- 
cles: — 

'  I.  — There  shall  be  a  perfect,  permanent  and  universal  peace,  and  a  sin- 
cere and  cordial  amity  between  the  United  States  of  America  on  the  one  part, 
and  the  Empire  of  Japan  on  the  other  part,  and  between  their  people  respec- 
tively, without  exception  of  persons  or  places. 

4 II.  —  The  port  of  Simoda  in  the  principality  of  Idzu,  and  the  port  of 
Hakodade  in  the  principality  of  Matsmai,  are  granted  by  the  Japanese  as 
ports  for  the  reception  of  American  ships,  where  they  can  be  supplied  with 
wood,  water,  provisions  and  coal,  and  other  articles  their  necessities  may 
require,  as  far  as  the  Japanese  have  them.  The  time  for  opening  the  first  named 
port  is  immediately  on  signing  this  Treaty;  the  last  named  port  is  to  be 
opened  immediately  after  the  same  day  in  the  ensuing  Japanese  year.  Note. 
—  A  tariff  of  prices  shall  be  given  by  the  Japanese  officers  of  the  things  which 
they  can  furnish,  payment  for  which  shall  be  made  in  gold  and  silver  coin. 

4  III.  —  Whenever  ships  of  the  United  States  are  thrown  or  wrecked  on  the 
coasts  of  Japan,  the  Japanese  vessels  will  assist  them  and  carry  their  crews  to 
Simoda  or  Hakodade,  and  hand  them  over  to  their  countrymen  appointed  to 
receive  them;  whatever  articles  the  shipwrecked  men  may  have  preserved 
shall  likewise  be  restored,  and  the  expenses  incurred  in  the  rescue  and  sup- 
port of  Americans  and  Japanese  who  may  thus  be  thrown  upon  the  shores  of 
either  nation  are  not  to  be  refunded. 

4 IV.  —  Those  shipwrecked  persons  and  other  citizens  of  the  United  States 
shall  be  free  as  in  other  countries,  and  not  subjected  to  confinement,  but 
shall  be  amenable  to  just  laws. 

4  V.  —  Shipwrecked  men,  and  other  citizens  of  the  United  States,  tempo- 
rarily living  at  Simoda  and  Hakodade  shall  not  be  subject  to  such  restric- 
tions and  confinement  as  the  Dutch  and  Chinese  are  at  Nagasaki;  but  shall 
be  free  at  Simoda  to  go  where  they  please  within  the  limits  of  seven  Japanese 
ri  or  miles  from  a  small  island  in  the  harbor  of  Simoda,  marked  in  the  ac- 
companying chart  hereto  appended;  and  shall  be  free  in  like  manner  to  go 
where  they  please  at  Hakodade,  within  limits  to  be  defined  after  the  visit  of 
the  United  States  squadron  to  that  place. 

4  VI.  —  If  there  be  any  other  sort  of  goods  wanted,  or  any  business  which 
shall  require  to  be  arranged,  there  shall  be  careful  deliberation  between  the 
parties  in  order  to  settle  such  matters. 

4  VII.  —  It  is  agreed  that  ships  of  the  United  States  resorting  to  the  ports 
open  to  them  shall  be  permitted  to  exchange  gold  and  silver  coin  and  articles 
of  goods  for  other  articles  of  goods,  under  such  regulations  as  shall  be  tem- 
porarily established  by  the  Japanese  government  for  that  purpose.  It  is 
stipulated,  however,  that  the  ships  of  the  United  States  shall  be  permitted  to 
carry  away  whatever  articles  they  may  be  unwilling  to  exchange. 

4  VIII.  —  Wood,  water,  provisions,  coal,  and  goods  required  shall  only  be 
procured  through  the  agency  of  Japanese  officers  appointed  for  that  purpose, 
and  in  no  other  manner.  »*- 

4 IX.  —  It  is  agreed  that  if  at  any  future  day  the  government  of  Japan 
shall  grant  to  any  other  nation,  or  nations,  privileges  and  advantages  which 
are  not  herein  granted  to  the  United  States  and  the  citizens  thereof,  that 


12   Route  1.  YOKOHAMA  History. 

these  same  privileges  and  advantages  shall  be  granted  likewise  to  the  United 
States  and  to  the  citizens  thereof  without  any  consultation  or  delay. 

'  X.  —  Ships  of  the  United  States  shall  be  permitted  to  resort  to  no  other 
ports  in  Japan  but  Simoda  and  Hakodade,  unless  in  distress,  or  forced  by 
stress  of  weather. 

4  XL  —  There  shall  be  appointed  by  the  government  of  the  United  States 
consuls  or  agents  to  reside  in  Simoda  at  any  time  after  the  expiration  of  eigh- 
teen months  from  the  date  of  the  signing  of  this  treaty,  provided  that  either 
of  the  two  governments  deem  such  arrangement  necessary. 

'  XII.  —  The  present  convention,  having  been  concluded  and  duly  signed, 
shall  be  obligatory  and  faithfully  observed  by  the  United  States  of  America 
and  Japan,  and  by  the  citizens  and  subjects  of  each  respective  power;  and  it 
is  to  be  ratified  and  approved  by  the  President  of  the  United  States,  by  and 
with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate  thereof,  and  by  the  august  Sover- 
eign of  Japan,  and  the  ratification  shall  be  exchanged  within  eighteen  months 
from  the  date  of  the  signature  thereof,  or  sooner  if  possible. 

'  In  faith  whereof,  we,  the  respective  plenipotentiaries  of  the  United  States 
of  America  and  the  Empire  of  Japan,  aforesaid,  have  signed  and  sealed  these 
presents. 

'  Done  at  Kanagawa.  (Friday)  March  3 1st,,, 1854,  and  Kayei,  7th  year,  3d 
month,  and  3d  day.'  (A  Journal  of  the  P  err  if "Expedition  to  Japan,  1853-54, 
by  S.  Wells  Williams.) 

Prior  to  the  signing  of  the  treaty,  an  interchange  of  presents 
was  effected;  those  sent  by  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  to  Japan  were  unloaded  on  the  Kanagawa  beach,  and 
while  they  looked  strange  enough  to  the  people  of  that  period, 
the  list  of  them  now  looks  stranger  still,  considering  the  mar- 
velous progress  the  Japanese  have  made  in  the  mean  time. 
Says  Perry's  Narrative  (vol.  i,  p.  357):  — 

'  By  eleven  o'clock  this  morning  (March  13,  1854)  all  the  presents  destined 
for  the  Emperor  and  his  councilors  and  the  five  commissioners  were 
landed  on  the  beach  ready  to  take  ashore.  Most  of  the  presents  were  landed 
without  injury  and  placed  under  cover,  the  agricultural  implements  forming 
the  largest  bulk.  The  presents  for  the  Emperor  were  as  follows:  — 

4  One  i  size  miniature  steam  engine,  track,  tender  and  car.  —  Telegraph, 
with  3  miles  of  wire  and  gutta  percha  wife".  1  Francis'  copper  Life-Boat. 
1  Surf  boat  of  copper.  Collection  of  agricultural  implements.  Audubon's 
Birds  in  9  vols.  Natural  History  of  the  State  of  New  York,  16  vols.  Annals 
of  Congress,  4  vols.  Laws  and  Documents  of  the  State  of  New  York.  Jour- 
nals of  the  Senate  and  Assembly  of  N.Y.  Lighthouse  Reports,  2  vols.  Ban- 
croft's History  of  the  U.S.A.,  4  vols.  Farmer's  Guide,  2  vols.  1  series  of 
LT.S.  Coast  Survey  Charts.  Morris'  Engineering.  Silver-topped  dressing- 
case.  8  yards  scarlet  broadcloth,  and  piece  scarlet  velvet.  Series  of  U.S. 
standard  yard,  gallon,  bushel,  balances  and  weights.  Quarter  cask  of 
Madeira.  Barrel  of  Whiskey.  Box  of  Champagne  and  Cherry  Cordial  and 
Maraschino'.  Three  10-ceht  boxes  of  fine  tea,  (sic).  Maps  of  several  states 
and  4  lithographs.  Telescope  and  stand  in  box.  Sheet-iron  stove.  A  6-doz. 
assortment  of  fine  perfumery.  5  Hall's  rifles,  3  Maynard's  muskets,  12  Cav- 
alry swords,  6  Artillery  swords,  1  carbine  and  20  Army  pistols  in  a  box. 
Catalogue  of  N.Y.  State  Library  and  post-offices.  Two  mail  bags  with  pad- 
locks.' •  % 

4  Gifts  for  the  Empress:  —  Flowered  silk  embroidered  dress.  Toilet  dres- 
sing-box gilded.  6  doz.  assorted  perfumery. 

4  For  Commissioner  Hayashi  ;  —  Audubon's  Quadrupeds.  4  yards  scar- 
let broadcloth;  a  clock;  a  stove;  a  rifle;  a  set  of  Chinaware  (tea  set) ;  a  revol- 
ver and  box  of  powder;  2  doz.  ass't  perfumery;  20  gallons  of  whiskey;  a 
sword;  3  boxes  10c.  fine  tea;  a  box  of  champagne,' and  1  box  of  finer  tea. 

1  For  Abe,  prince  of  Ishi:  —  one  copper  life-boat;  Kendall's  War  in  Mexico 
and  Ripley's  History  of  that  war;  a  box  of  champagne;  3  boxes  of  fine  tea;  20^ 
gals,  whiskey;  a  clock;  a  stove;  a  rifle;  a  sword;  a  revolver  and  powder;  2  doz. 
assorted  perfumery,  and  4  yards  of  scarlet  cloth. 

4  For  Makino,  prince  of  Bizen:  —  Lossing's  Field  Book  of  Revolution;  10 


History.  YOKOHAMA  1.  Route.  13 

gals.  whiskeyj  Cabinet  of  Natural  History  of  New  York;  1  lithograph;  a 
'TTSck;  "a  revolver;  a  sworcl;  a  rifle,  and  1  doz.  perfumery. 

'  For  Matsudaiira,  prince  of  Idzumi:  —  Owen's  Architecture;  1  doz.  per- 
fumery; view  of  Washington  and  plan  of  the  city;  1  clock;  a  rifle;  a  sword; 
a  revolver,  and  10  gals,  whiskey. 

4  For  MatsudaXifa^ prince  of  Iga:  —  Documentary  History  of  New  York; 
a  lithograph  of  a  steamer;  12  ass't  perfumery;  a  clock;  a  sword;  a  rifle;  a 
revolver,  and  10  gals,  whiskey. 

'  For  Kuzhei,  prince  of  Yamato:  —  Downing's  Country  Houses;  view  of 
San  Francisco;  9  bottles  of  perfumery;  a  revolver;  a  clock;  a  rifle;  a  sword, 
and  10  gals,  whiskey. 

'  For  Naiito,  prince  of  Ki:  —  Owen's  Geology  of  Minnesota  and  maps; 
lithograph  of  Georgetown,  D.C.;  a  clock;  a  rifle;  a  sword;  a  revolver;  9  ass't 
perfumery,  and  10  gals,  of  whiskey. 

*  For  Ido,  prince  of  Tsushima:  —  Appleton's  Dictionary,  2  vols.;  9  ass't 
perfumery;  a  lithograph  of  New  Orleans;  a  box  of  tea;  a  sword;  a  rifle;  a 
revolver;  a  clock;  a  box  of  cherry  cordial,  and  5  gals,  of  whiskey. 

4  For  Izawa,  prince  of  Mimasaki:  —  Model  oFa  life-boat,  view  of  steamer 
44  Atlantic  ";  a  rifle;  a  clock;  a  sword;  a  revolver;  9  ass't  perfumery;  1  box  of 
cherry  cordial;  a  small  box  of  tea;  a  brass  howitzer  and  two  carriages,  and 
gals,  of  whiskey. 

*  '  For  Udono,  4th  Commissioner:  —  A  list  of  post-offices;  a  box  of  tea;  a 
lithograph  of  an  elephant;  9  bottles  of  perfumery;  rifle;  revolver;  a  clock; 
and  5  gals  of  whiskey. 

'  For  Mdtsusaki  Michitaro,  5th  Commissioner  (who  was  suspected  of  being 
a  government  spy) :  —  A  lithograph  of  a  steamer ;  a  revolver ;  6  bottles  *)f 
perfumery;  one  clock;  a  sword;  a  box  of  tea;  one  of  chenxcordial,  and  5  gals, 
whiskey. 

1  The  return  gifts  from  the  Emperor  and  the  princes  included  beautiful 
specimens  of  gold  lacquer;  bronze;  silver;  porcelain;  many  rolls  of  fine  sil£ 
brocade  and  pongee;  many  lacquered  articles  of  rare  merit;  a  number  of  rolls 
of  fine  crape;  figured  matting;  jars  of  soy;  coral  and  silver  ornaments;  flow- 
ered papers;  superb  specimens  (4  to  the  President  of  the  United  States  from 
the  Emperor)  of  Japanese  spaniels,  and  many  minor  articles.  There  were  in  all 
132  pieces  of  silk,  besides  which  the  Emperor  sent  to  the  squadron  300 
chickens  and  200  bundles  of  rice,  each  bundle  containing  five  pecks. 

4  The  presents  having  been  formally  delivered,  the  various  American 
officers  and  workmen  selected  for  the  purpose  were  diligently  engaged  daily 
in  unpacking  and  arranging  them  for  exhibition.  The  Japanese  authorities 
offered  every  facility;  their  laborers  constructed  sheds  for  sheltering  the 
articles  from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather;  a  piece  of  level  ground  was 
assigned  for  laying  down  the  circular  track  for  the  little  locomotive,  and  posts 
were  brought  and  erected  for  the  extension  of  the  telegraph  wires,  the  Japa- 
nese taking  a  very  ready  part  in  all  the  labors,  and  watching  the  result  of 
arranging  and  putting  together  the  machinery  with  an  innocent  and  childlike 
delight.  The  telegraph  apparatus,  under  the  direction  of  Messrs.  Draper  and 
Williams,  was  soon  in  working  order,  the  wires  extending  nearly  a  mile,  in  a 
direct  line,  one  end  being  at  the  treaty  house,  and  another  at  a  building 
expressly  allotted  for  the  purpose.  When  communication  was  opened  up 
between  the  operators  at  either  extremity,  the  Japanese  watched  with  intense 
curiosity  the  modus  operandi,  and  were  greatly  amazed  to  find  that  in  an 
instant  of  time,  messages  were  conveyed  in  the  English,  Dutch,  and  Japanese 
languages  from  building  to  building.  Day  after  day  the  dignitaries  and 
many  of  the  people  would  gather,  and,  eagerly  beseeching  the  operators  to 
work  the  telegraph,  watch  with  unabated  interest  the  sending  and  receiving 
of  messages. 

4  Nor  did  the  railway,  with  its  Lilliputian  locomotive,  car,  and  tender, 
excite  less  interest.  All  the  parts  of  the  mechanism  were  perfect,  and  the  car 
was  a  most  tasteful  specimen  of  workmanship,  but  so  small  that  it  could 
hardly  carry  a  child  of  six  years  of  age.  The  Japanese,  however,  were  not  to 
be  cheated  out  of  a  ride,  and,  as  they  were  unable  to  reduce  themselves  to 
the  capacity  of  the  inside  of  the  carriage,  they  betook  themselves  to  the  roof. 
It  was  a  spectacle  not  a  little  ludicrous  to  behold  a  dignified  mandarin  whirl- 
ing around  the  circular  road  at  the  rate  of  twenty  miles  an  hour,  with  his 
loose  robes  flying  in  the  wind.  As  he  clung  with  a  desperate  hold  to  the  edge 


14    Route  1.  YOKOHAMA  Descriptive. 


of  the  roof,  grinning  with  intense  interest,  and  his  huddled-up  body  shook 
convulsively  with  a  kind  of  laughing  timidity,  while  the  car  spun  rapidly 
around  the  circle,  you  might  have  supposed  that  the  movement,  somehow  or 
other,  was  dependent  rather  upon  the  enormous  exertions  of  the  uneasy 
mandarin  than  upon  the  power  of  the  little  locomotive,  which  was  so  easily 
performing  its  work.' 

In  July,  1859,  Yokohama  was  officially  opened  as  a  Treaty  Port  and  was 
set  aside  for  foreigners  as  a  place  of  residence;  its  development  thereafter 
was  rapid.  The  first  business  house  is  said  to  have  been  opened  (in  1859)  by 
a  British  subject,  Mr.  William  Keswick  (d.  1912),  to  whom  also  is  accred- 
ited the  first  organized  commerce  between  Japan  and  England.  The  old 
counting-house  stood  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by  Jardine,  Matheson  &  Co. 
(No.  1).  The  first  newspaper  was  established  in  1861,  and  the  Post-Office 
was  opened  in  1871.  Earthquakes,  fires,  and  epidemics  have  scourged  the 
port;  the  great  fire  of  1866  almost  destroyed  the  Foreign  Settlement,  and 
between  the  1st  and  the  26th  of  May,  1870,  Yokohama  (and  Tokyo)  experi- 
enced 131  earthquake  shocks,  24  of  which  occurred  on  one  day  (the  13th). 
The  cholera  epidemic  of  1886  killed  2199  persons.  In  1899,  foreign  treaties 
were  revised,  extra-territoriality  - clauses  were  expunged,  the  whilom  Foreign 
Settlement  reverted  to  the  Japanese  Government,  and  all  the  foreigners 
therein,  or  to  come,  passed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  native  courts  (in- 
stead of  being  tried,  in  cases  of  infraction  of  laws,  by  their  respective  consuls). 
With  their  subjection  to  the  judiciary  of  the  Empire,  foreigners  were  granted 
many  more  privileges;  passports  with  all  their  troublesome  preliminaries 
were  abolished,  and  the  entire  country  was  thrown  open  to  foreign  travel. 
From  the  status  of  a  miserable  fishing  hamlet  in  1854,  Yokohama  has  grown 
into  a  rich  and  prosperous  seaport  touched  at  by  ships  from  all  parts  of  the 
world.  The  proud,  fieree-visaged,  sworded  and  bepistoled  daimyos  who  once 
walked  the  streets  have  vanished  into  an  echoless  past,  and  strangers  are 
welcomed  now  as  friends  rather  than  as  Occidental  barbarians.  —  Foreigners 
still  refer  to  the  quarter  in  which  they  do  business  as  '  The  Settlement,'  thus 
to  differentiate  it  from  the  Japanese  City.  The  names  4  Treaty  Point,'  '  Mis- 
sissippi Bay  '  {Perry's  flagship  was  the  Mississippi),  etc.,  are  relics  of  the 
first  American  invasion.  The  opening  of  the  port  to  trade  is  annually  cele- 
brated by  Japanese  and  foreigners  alike;  the  streets  are  decorated  with  flags 
and  bunting;  the  various  nationalities  fraternize,  and  unruffled  amity  and 
good  will  mark  the  joyous  occasion. 

Few  cities  of  Japan  are  more  attractive  than  Yokohama, 
and  the  excellent  hotels  make  it  a  favorite  with  travelers. 
Strangers  often  make  the  mistake  of  regarding  it  merely  as  a 
landing-place  and  as  a  stepping-stone  to  other  places.  Experi- 
enced travelers  make  of  it  and  of  Tokyo  their  headquarters  for 
N.  Japan,  just  as  Kobe  and  Kyoto  serve  the  same  purpose  for 
the  W.  region.  Weeks  can  be  spent  in  Yokohama  to  advan- 
tage, for  the  shops  are  legion  and  of  a  fascination  almost  un- 
canny, while  the  hinterland  is  one  of  remarkable  beauty. 
Japanese  charm  and  Western  comfort  are  strongly  blended, 
and  to  enjoy  them,  travelers  foregather  from  almost  every 
quarter  of  the  globe.  The  port  is  a  sort  of  meeting-ground  for 
the  vast  human  tides  which  flow  steadily  in  opposing  directions 
round  the  world,  as  well  as  for  Japanese  from  the  remotest  re- 
gions of  the  Empire.  Hither  they  come  bringing  their  local 
customs  along  with  their  fascinating  wares,  and  no  city  has  a 
greater  number  of  shops  and  bazaars  filled  with  the  things 
that  foreigners  want.  The  thronged  streets  of  the  native  quar- 
ter fairly  blaze  with  color,  and  radiate  an  infectious  joyousness 
singularly  pleasing  to  Occidentals. 

A  multiplicity  of  canals  {hori),  crossed  by  40  or  more  pic- 


Descriptive. 


YOKOHAMA  1.  Route.  15 


turesque  bridges,  wind  through  the  city,  making  islands  of  por- 
tions of  it,  and  serving  as  fluvial  thoroughfares  for  fleets  of 
junks,  fishing-smacks,  lighters,  launches,  and  sampans.  The 
wide  Yato  Creek,  which  separates  the  top  of  the  Settlement 
from  the  Bluff  and  merges  with  the  sea  near  the  Grand  Hotel, 
was  dug  originally  for  purposes  of  isolation.  Within  the  con- 
fines formed  by  the  Yato  Bridge  and  Honcho  Rokuchome  at 
the  N.W.;  and  between  Minato-cho  and  the  Bund,  the  area 
(about  1  sq.  M.)  is  known  to  the  Japanese  as  Kwannai  ('within 
the  barriers'),  because  in  former  times  a  guarded  palisade  was 
set  up  at  every  approach  to  theinclosure,  wherein  the  foreigners 
dwelt  and  without  which  they  were  permitted  to  wander 
(within  a  very  limited  area)  only  when  provided  with  a  pass- 
port. 'Outside  the  Barrier '  (kwangai)  the  land  is  subdivided 
into  Umechi,  or 'reclaimed  ground'  (much  of  the  original  site 
of  Yokohama  having  been  a  swamp),  and  Y ornate  ('hill  dis- 
trict'), or  Yama  (mt.),  a  section  better  known  as  the  Bluff, 
where  many  of  the  foreigners  reside.  The  one-time  restricted 
Foreign  Settlement  is  called  officially  Yamashita-cho,  or 
'Under-Hill  district.' 

The  chief  streets  of  the  quarter  bear  two  names,  one  used  by 
the  Japanese,  the  other  by  foreigners.  Honcho-dori  is  Main  St. ; 
Mizumachi-dori  (Water  St.)  formerly  faced  the  sea,  as  does 
now  Kaigan-dori,  or  the  Bund  (Hindustani,  band:  a  '  dike^ 
causeway,  embankment).  This  attractive  and  well-swept 
boulevard  (about  i  M.  long  through  the  Settlement)  flanks \ 
the  bay  from  Yato  Creek  at  the  E.  to  the  Customs  Pier  at  the; 
N.W.,  and  is  strikingly  picturesque  at  twilight  of  a  summer 
day  when  the  East  Indians,  Chinese,  and  other  brilliantly  cladi 
Orientals,  who  form  mosaics  in  the  cosmopolitan  population,, 
stroll  out  to  enjoy  the  seascape,  and  the  cool  breezes  which- 
blow  in  from  the  Pacific.  A  number  of  S.S.  offices  flank  the 
Bund  and  are  distinguishable  by  the  house-flags  which  fly 
above  them.  Directly  back  of  the  Settlement,  within  the  con- 
verging angles  of  Hommura  Road,  Kaga  Cho,  and  the  creek,  is 
the  Chinese  Quarter,  a  meek,  denless  copy  of  San  Francisco's 
vermilion  district,  whence  opium  and  fan-tan  are  debarred, 
and  societies  for  mutual  tomahawking  do  not  flourish.  The 
bizarre  and  pungent  stenches  and  the  jarring  music  which 
prevail  usually  keep  tourists  out.  Flanking  this  quarter  on  the 
E.  is  the  inelegant  region  known  euphemistically  as  'Blood 
Town,'  where  land-sharks  of  varying  skill  prey  upon  the  sailor- 
folk  who  wriggle  through  the  meshes  of  the  safeguarding  net 
cast  by  the  Salvation  Army.  Conspicuous  features  are  the 
cheap  and  lurid  saloons  with  national  flags  and  'hands  across 
the  sea'  emblems  painted  on  sanded  glass  doors,  and  where 
vitriolic  'Jack-rabbit'  whiskey  is  sold  to  the  feverish  and 
thirsty.  Here  considerable  canned  music  is  dispensed  by  be- 
dizened foreign  harpies  with  cheeks  enameled  like  tropical  sun- 


16   Route  1. 


YOKOHAMA 


Description. 


sets,  and  with  belladonna  eyes  whose  lids  nictitate  instinctively 
at  passing  masculinity.  The  somber  buildings  on  the  right  are 
godowns  where  rich  silk  and  other  opulent  merchandise  is 
stored,  and  tea  is  fired  (p.  cvii). 

The  narrow  Nippon-Odori  which  runs  across  the  lower  edge 
of  the  Settlement,  from  the  Custom-House  to  the  Public  Gar- 
den, forms  a  sharp  dividing-line  between  the  foreign  and  native 
quarters.  The  most  popular  and  picturesque  streets  of  the 
latter  are  Benten-dori  ('St.  of  the  Goddess  Benten');  Honcho- 
dori,  and  the  narrow  but  often  brilliant  lanes  which  radiate 
from  them.  To  the  S.W.  of  this  section  is  Transpontine 
Yokohama,  a  densely  populated,  rapidly  growing  native  quar- 
ter, linked  to  the  center  by  six  bridges.  The  heaviest  inter- 
course between  the  two  regions  passes  over  the  new  Kaneno- 
hashi  (opened  in  1911;  cost,  ¥172,000),  beyond  which  is  the 
•r"well-known  Isezakicho  (Theater  St.),  a  kaleidoscopic  thorough- 
/  fare  attractive  to  tourisTs' fcecause  of  the  seething  life  and  color 
)  of  the  myriad  shops  and  harlequin  theaters.  The  tram-cars, 
which  cross  the  bridge  here,  half  circle  the  city  toward  the  S.E., 
;  and  following  the  canal,  go  to  Yawata-bashi. 

The  port  is  in  a  transitional  stage,  and  there  are  but  few 
architectural  monuments  of  note.  What  it  lacks  in  this  respect, 
it  makes  up  in  views  of  land  and  sea,  for  the  panoramas  obtain- 
able from  certain  points  on  the  Bluff  rank  with  the  finest  in 
Japan.  The  most  imposing  edifices,  those  which  impart  an  air 
of  solid  prosperity,  are  the  Yokohama  Specie  Bank,  the  Char- 
tered Bank,  the  Mitsu  Bishi  Kaisha,  and  certain  of  the  munici- 
pal buildings.  The  maritime  expression  of  Yokohama  is  very 
pleasing  to  strangers.  The  coming  and  going  of  the  wonderfully 
picturesque  fishing-fleet,  the  private  yachts  and  the  big  ocean 
liners;  the  thunderous  salutes  of  incoming  or  outgoing  war- 
ships; the  music  from  ships'  bands  and  bugles;  the  skirl  of  bag- 
pipes from  British  Dreadnaughts,  or  the  battering  of  paint- 
chipping  hammers  on  their  iron  sides;  the  musical  bells  that 
mark  time  through  the  silent  watches  of  the  night;  the  whir-; 
ring  of  winches  on  cargo  boats,  —  are  all  familiar  sounds,  for  the 
wide  balconies  of  some  of  the  hotels  are  less  than  50  ft.  from  the 
water,  and  the  sea  is  as  much  to  Yokohama  as  the  land.  Many 
of  the  foreign  residents  take  their  pleasure  on  the  water,  and  a. 
small  squadron  of  dainty  launches  and  house-boats  usually/ 
ride  at  ancfror  just  off  the  Bund.  Here  hydro-aeroplanes  are 
'demonstrated/  and  many  boat-races  are  pulled  off.  Here,N 
too,  when  the  spring  tides  recede,  the  traveler  may  witness  the,' 
curious  spectacle  called  Shiohi^gari,  or  'picking  shell-fish  at) 
ebb-tide. '  Hundreds  of  men,  women,  and  children,  bare-legged 
with  drowsy  babies  pick-a-back,  dig  vigorously  for  the  modest 
and  retiring  clamg,  that  attain  a  fat  maturity  in  the  mud  of  the 
ocean  floor.  WfTen  the  season  passes,  the  diggers  retreat  to  the 
creek  and  there,  on  any  warm  day  when  the  tide  is  running  out, 


Description.  YOKOHAMA  1.  Route.  17 

/  they  may  be  seen  waist-deep  in  the  stream,  clawing  the  sandy 
[  bottom  for  the  puny  survivors  that  have  escaped  them  outside. 
'The  natives  are  inordinately  fond  of  this  New  England  spec- 
ialty, but  travelers  will  note  that  several  sewers  empty  into  the 
creek  —  which  is  a  sort  of  general  dump  for  unclean  refuse. 
When  a  strong  typhoon  thrashes  the  port,  huge  waves  dash 
over  the  sea-wall  and  beside  drenching  the  Bund  and  the 
houses  facing  it,  strew  it  with  seaweed  and  jelly-fish.  The  shal- 
low water  near  the  shore  is  a  favorite  resort  with  women  har- 
boring suicidal  intentions;  stones  piled  into  the  sleeves  of  their 
kimonos  usually  help  them  to  oblivion. 

Strangers  may  wish  to  remember  that  in  Yokohama  (and 
other  Japanese  ports)  houses  in  the  foreign  quarter  (excepting 
hotels)  are  spoken  of  by  number  rather  than  by  the  names  of 
occupants.  Numbers  do  not  necessarily  follow  in  any  logical 
order  of  succession,  and  there  are  often  several  houses  with  the 
same  number.  Number  one  was  the  nucleus  around  which  the 
foreign  settlement  arose,  and  succeeding  numbers  ran  first 
along  the  sea  front  to  the  Grand  Hotel,  and  back  along  Water 
St. ;  then  up  one  side  of  Main  St.  and  down  the  other.  It  there- 
fore happens  that  a  low  number  may  face  a  much  higher  one 
on  the  same  street.  The  enumeration  shown  on  the  accom- 
panying plan  will  be  found  useful,  but  will  be  subject  to  slight 
modification.  The  few  representative  numbers  will  give  the 
traveler  an  idea  of  the  location  of  the  remainder.  Complete 
maps  showing  the  numbers  of  all  the  houses  in  Yokohama  are 
on  sale  at  the  office  of  the  Japan  Gazette.  —  Of  the  79,000 
houses  in  the  port,  520  are  the  business  establishments  of  for- 
eigners. Many  millions  of  dollars  of  foreign  capital  are  invested, 
and  the  trade  of  the  port  has  risen  from  185  million  yen  in  1899 
to  upward  of  404  millions  in  1914.  Most  of  the  imports  of  176 
millions,  and  exports  of  228  millions  for  and  from  Tokyo  and 
the  N.,  pass  through  Yokohama,  which  is  touched  at  by  up- 
ward of  3500  ships  each  year. 

The  Approach  to  the  far-famed  Yedo  Bay  and  to  Yoko- 
hama city  is  unusually  attractive.  As  ships  from  Canada  and 
the  United  States  steam  in  from  the  broad  Pacific  and  prepare 
to  round  the  outermost  point  of  the  Awa  Peninsula  (right),  the 
island  of  Oshima  with  its  active  Mihara  volcano  is  visible  (left) 
on  a  clear  day.  At  night  a  deep,  fiery  glow  is  often  reflected  in 
the  sky.  Ships  bearing  in  from  the  S.W.  pass  between  Oshima 
(right)  and  the  Izu  Peninsula.  Sagami  Bay  is  now  at  the  left, 
and  at  Misaki,  near  the  S.  tip  of  the  Sagami  Peninsula,  is  the 
Marine  Biological  Laboratory  mentioned  at  p.  40.  The  light- 
house on  Tsurugigasaki  marks  the  W.  point  of  the  entrance  to 
Uraga  Channel;  the  tower  is  25  ft.  high,  and  the  light  (flashing 
white  every  10  sec.  with  a  red  sector,  visible  16  M.  at  sea)  is 
110  ft.  above  high  water.  Ships  here  enter  the  narrow  mouth 
of  the  pear-shaped  bay  (28  M.  long  by  20  M.  wide)  and  steam 


18   Route  1.  YOKOHAMA 


The  Bluff. 


slowly  toward  Uraga,  celebrated  for  all  time,  for  the  beach 
(Kurihama)  where  Commodore  Perry  landed  in  1853.  A  fine 
monument  marks  th^poTTTeTt1)  and  is  easily  discernible  with 
the  aid  of  a  good  glass.  Travelers  are  cautioned  against  photo- 
graphing (with  or  without  telephotographic  lenses)  any  of  the 
objects  on  shore,  as  the  Naval  Dockyard  at  Yokosuka  (just 
beyond)  lies  within  the  prohibited  zone.  The  lighthouse  (sq. 
white  tower  40  ft.  high,  178  ft.  above  high  water)  now  seen  at 
the  left  stands  on  the  wooded  slope  of  the  Kwannon-zaki  head- 
land, at  the  N.  approach  to  Uraga  Harbor;  the  light  is  white 
and  fixed,  with  a  red  sector,  visible  17  M.  at  sea.  The  big  dry- 
docks  and  the  busy  town  of  Yokosuka  now  come  into  view  at 
the  left;  most  travelers  remember  the  spot  for  its  association 
with  Will  Adams,  the  English  pilot,  whose  grave  (p.  38) 
stands  on  a  high  hill  behind  the  town.  Shoals  and  islets  mark 
the  coast  hereabout.  The  Bold  Bluffs  of  Mississippi  Bay  and 
Treaty  Point  soon  come  into  view  at  the  left;  at  the  N.  ex- 
treme of  the  long  line  of  conspicuous  yellow  cliffs  is  Mandarin 
Bluff,  and  peeping  from  amidst  the  lovely  green  foliage  and 
trees  which  crown  it  are  the  tiled  roofs  of  the  homes  of  many  of 
Yokohama's  foreign  merchants.  If  the  fishing-fleet,  of  quaint, 
mediaeval  looking  wood  craft  and  picturesque  sails,  is  on  the 
move  across  the  bay,  the  incoming  traveler  will  not  forget  the 
sight.  If  the  day  be  clear  a  glorious  view  may  be  had  of  Fuji- 
san  (p.  45),  as  it  rises  cold  and  serene  from  the  S.  point  of  the 
fine  Hakone  Range.  Stretching  away  toward  the  right  (N.E.) 
rise  the  outposts  of  the  mts.  of  Shimosa  and  Awa.  A  succes- 
sion of  blue  peaks  (snow-streaked  in  winter)  trail  away  N.  until 
they  blend  with  the  haze  or  lose  themselves  beyond  the  horizon. 

On  sunny  days  the  harbor  is  usually  alive  with  big  liners, 
merchantmen,  coasters,  luggers,  sampans,  scows,  fishing- 
smacks,  and  junks.  Of  special  interest  to  the  stranger  are  the 
occasional  boats  in  which  men  may  be  seen  using  boxes  with 
glass  bottoms  through  which  they  search  the  bottom  of  the 
bay  for  possible  finds.  Incoming  ships  describe  a  wide  curve 
as  they  approach  Yokohama,  steaming  up  from  Mississippi 
Bay  along  the  Bluff  before  they  pass  the  narrow  entrance  to 
the  harbor.  This  latter  is  inadequate  to  the  growing  needs  of 
the  city  and  vast  improvements  are  under  way.  The  anchorage 
(1237  acres)  is  inclosed  by  two  breakwaters  (aggregate  length 
12,000  ft.)  which  converge  at  the  (700  ft.  wide)  entrance.  The), 
E.  breakwater  (5380  ft.)  is  of  peculiar  interest  to  Americans,!; 
since  it  was  built  with  the  indemnity  exacted  from  Japan  in  [ 
payment  for  the  Shimonoseki  bombardment  and  returned  ( 
voluntarily  by  the  Government  of  the  United  States. 

The  Bluff  (Yamate-cho)  a  wide  and  elevated  area  (150  ft. 
above  the  sea)  at  the  S.  side  of  the  Settlement,  crowned  by 
many  pretty  dwellings  of  the  foreign  residents,  and  crossed 
and  recrossed  by  many  charming,  flower-decked  lanes,  is  one 


100  Steps  Tea-House.  YOKOHAMA 


1.  Route.  19 


of  the  handsomest  residential  sites  in  the  Far  East.  A  number 
of  steepish,  winding  roadways  lead  to  it  from  the  creek  which 
delimns  the  S.W.  border  of  the  commercial  town,  the  most 
popular  being  the  Yato  Zaka,  or  '  Camp  Hill '  Road,  which 
passes  along  the  rear  of  the  Grand  Hotel  and  flanks  the  French 
consulate.  The  first  Americans  to  set  foot  on  the  Bluff  were 
Mr.  S.  Wells  Williams  (an  enthusiastic  botanist  and  the  inter- 
preter for  the  Perry  Expedition  to  Japan)  and  Dr.  Morrow  of 
the  S.S.  Susquehanna,  of  Perry's  squadron.  Slipping  away 
from  their  shipmates  and  eluding  the  Japanese  authorities,  they 
climbed  the  hill  on  March  14,  1854,  and  in  their  ramble  across 
it  discovered  two  new  ferns  and  a  hitherto  unknown  variety  of 
clematis,  later  named  (by  Asa  Gray)  1  Clematis  WilliamsiV 
The  N.E.  edge  of  the  Bluff  falls  down  steeply  to  the  sea,  and 
from  the  shaded  road  which  crosses  it,  one  may  enjoy  pano- 
ramas of  extraordinary  beauty  and  extent,  —  views  of  junk- 
flecked  sea,  restful  towns,  green  mountains,  and  the  always 
adorable  Fuji-san.  Few  spots  of  the  world  are  more  charm- 
ingly situated,  and  few  more  generously  bedecked  with  flowers. 
Long  flights  of  crumbling  stone  steps  connect,  here  and  there, 
the  lower  byways  with  the  upper  roads,  and  are  often  overhung 
with  a  host  of  semi-tropical  flowers  and  flowering  trees.  Huge 
retaining  walls  (of  madrepore)  hold  many  of  the  houses  and 
gardens  in  place,  and  in  their  interstices  grow  a  wealth  of  micro- 
scopic flora  and  graceful  ferns.  Here  one  may  see  the  panicled 
white  flowers  of  the  Isopyrum  japonicum,  and  those  of  the 
unique  Kerria  japonica  (named  for  William  Kerr,  a  British 
gardener),  cultivated  in  Europe  and  America  under  the  (erro- 
neous) name  of  Cor  chorus  japonicus.  The  Public  Garden  is 
beautifully  laid  out.  In  April  the  lane  known  as  Negishi-machi 
is  a  bower  of  cherry  blooms.  The  Foreign  Cemetery  (founded 
in  1858)  contains  upward  of  2000  foreign  dead.  The  billowy 
hills  which  stretch  away  inland  from  the  Bluff  are  flecked  with 
wild  flowers  and  interlaced  with  footpaths  (magnificent  views 
of  Fuji  and  the  sea)  through  which  it  is  a  delight  to  wander. 
The  region  roundabout  the  Race-Course  (PL  B,  1)  is  called 
Negishi  (neh'-ghee-she),  and  is  dotted  with  the  villas  of  foreign 
residents.  The  tram-line  which  runs  through  a  tunnel  under 
the  Bluff  goes  to  Hommoku  (PL  C,  3). 

c.  Walks  through  the  Foreign  and  Japanese  Quarters. 

A  cursory  view  of  Yokohama  and  its  immediate  environs 
may  be  had  in  one  day  by  devoting,  the  morning  to  the  Settle- 
ment, the  Japanese  City,  and  Noge-yama:  and  the  afternoon 
to  Mississippi  Bay  and  return  via  Negishi.  The  time  can  be 
utilized  to  the  best  advantage  by  following  the  plan  outlined 
below;  guide  unnecessary. 

The  Hundred  Steps  Tea-House  (chaya),  on  Sengen-yama 
C proclamation  huT),  10  min.  walk  S.E.  (PL  F,  3)  of  the 


20    RouU;  1. 


YOKOHAMA  Public  Garden, 


Grand  Hotel  (follow  the  creek  to  the  2d  bridge,  Maida-bashi, 
cross  it  and  continue  straight  to  the  foot  of  the  steepish  flight 
of  102  stone  steps),  is  celebrated  locally  as  the  one-time  favorite 
shore  resort  of  Commodore  Perry.  The  original  structure,  along 
with  the  Commodore's  autograph,  a  poem  written  by  him,  and 
other  relics,  were  burned  many  years  ago.  The  present  tea- 
house (the  Fujita,  left  of  the  landing)  now  occupies  the  site, 
and  visitors  are  shown  albums  with  photographs,  autographs, 
and  visiting-cards  of  those  who  have  made  the  pilgrimage  dur- 
ing the  last  20  yrs.  The  chaya  on  the  right,  the  Fujimaya,  has 
a  pergola  festooned  with  fine  wistaria  (beautiful  in  May).  The 
views  over  the  town,  the  sea,  the  countryside,  and  of  Fuji  are 
magnificent.  The  hill  observable  at  the  W.  limit  of  the  valley 
is  Noge-yama.  The  Shinto  Shrine  which  once  occupied  a  part 
of  the  crest  of  Sengen-yama  has  disappeared.  Japanese  often 
refer  to  the  native  circus  rider  who  in  1881,  with  his  daughter, 
rode  up  the  102  steps  on  horseback,  then  rode  down  alone 
standing  on  his  head  on  the  horse,  holding  an  open  fan  between 
his  toes! 

The  narrow  but  clean  street  which  trends  from  S.W.  to 
N.E.  along  the  base  of  Sengen-yama,  near  the  foot  of  the  steps, 
is  Motomachi  ('original  st.  at  the  foot  of  the  hilP),  with  many 
small  but  attractive  shops.  The  group  of  buildings  on  the  ele- 
vated mound  at  the  top  of  the  st.  (N.E.)  is  the  Zotoku-in 
Temple,  the  oldest  (reconstructed  in  1870)  in  Yokohama,  and 
dedicated  to  Fudd,  Benten,  and  Yakushi  Nyorai;  festivals  on 
the  evenings  of  the  8th  and  12th  of  each  month,  at  which  time 
the  vicinity  is  gayly  decorated,  and  thronged  with  people. 
Returning  to  the  Maida  Bridge  we  follow  Hommura  Road  to 
its  intersection  with  Odawara  Cho,  proceed  through  the  heart 
of  Chinatown  to  Kaga  Cho,  thence  onward  past  many  ware- 
rooms  and  tea-firing  godowns  to  Kyushu  Cho  and  the  'Public 
Garden'  (PI.  H,  3),  with  its  fine  avenues  of  flowering  cherry 
trees  (lovely  in  April),  and  its  popular  Cricket  Ground.  The 
pretentious  edifice  at  the  N.W.  corner  is  the  Municipal  Build- 
ing (Shiyaku-sho) ,  completed  in  1911  at  a  cost  of  ¥405,000. 
The  small  structure  midway  of  the  garden  is  a  native  club- 
house. The  traveler  interested  in  marine  life  may  like  to  vary 
the  walk,  and,  instead  of  passing  through  malodorous  China- 
town, proceed  along  the  creekside  to  the  Nishi-no-hashi  and 
follow  the  electric  car  line  to  the  Public  Garden.  The  quaint 
houses  perched  high  above  the  canal  are  as  interesting  as  the 
heterogeneous  shipping  which  crowds  its  surface.  The  basin  is  a 
snug  harbor  to  which  most  of  the  launches,  sampans,  stately 
junks,  and  luggers  race  when  typhoon  signals  are  displayed 
from  the  yard  arm  at  the  French  Hatoba,  and  the  creaking  of 
masts  and  tackle  blocks,  the  flapping  of  big  sails,  and  the  gf  ind- 
ing  of  craft  against  craft  are  familiar  sounds  in  the  vicinity. 
At  daybreak  the  Yokohama  fishing-fleet  usually  puts  out  to 


Fish-Market. 


YOKOHAMA 


1.  Route.  21 


sea  from  this  point  and  makes  an  unusually  pretty  picture. 
Hither  it  returns  at  twilight  or  at  dawn  laden  with  many  curi- 
ous piscine  types  for  the  local  markets.  Vast  quantities  of  raw 
silk  are  baled  for  foreign  shipment  in  this  quarter,  and  tons  of 
porcelain  are  packed  each  day  for  transmission  to  the  remotest 
corners  of  the  civilized  world.  Beyond  the  Public  Garden  is 

The  City  Fish-Market  (PI.  H,  3),  of  interest  because  of  the 
extensive  display  (early  morning  is  the  best  time)  of  bizarre 
marine  creatures  —  many  of  them  unknown  to  Western  waters. 
To  this  place  the  deep-sea  fishermen  bring  in  many  curious  and 
beautiful  as  well  as  repulsive  fish,  Crustacea  and  mollusks,  as 
do  the  Neapolitans  to  the  matchless  little  Aquarium  at  Naples, 
and  the  Hawaiians  to  that  of  Honolulu.  Across  the  new  con- 
crete Kaneno  Bridge  (PL  I,  3)  which  spans  the  canal  near  by, 
pours  a  steam  of  traffic  that  surges  directly  into  Isezakicho, 
popular  because  of  its  host  of  attractive  native  shops,  lurid 
peep-shows,  wrestling-bouts,  etc.  At  the  left  of  its  prolonga- 
tions, within  a  carefully  policed  fenced  inclosure  covering  about 
a  dozen  city  blocks,  is  the  deceitfully  decorous  Yoshiwara, 
patterned  after  the  style  of  the  celebrated  Shin  Yoshiwara  at 
Tokyo,  but  with  fewer  inmates  (about  2000).  The  houses 
(some  of  which  bear  foreign  names;  1  Nectarine ,'  etc.)  are  less 
pretentious  than  those  of  Tokyo,  but  the  life  is  the  same.  The 
community,  a  small  unsanctified  imperium  in  imperio,  is  usu- 
ally referred  to  by  foreigners  as  No.  9,  or  as  'down  the  line.'  — 
Isezakicho  soon  merges  into  Nagashima-cho,  and  by  following 
it  to  Nagashima-cho  Rokuchome  (6th  block)  to  the  bridge 
spanning  the  creek,  then  turning  to  the  right  along  the  creek- 
side  to  a  2d  bridge  (which  cross  and  bear  to  the  left),  one 
comes  soon  to  a  wooded  hill  overlooking  Otamura,  where  stand 
the  Makuzu  Kozan  Potteries  mentioned  at  p.  6. 

Returning  to  a  point  near  (J  M.)  the  Kaneno  Bridge,  turning 
left  to  cross  one  of  the  several  bridges  that  span  the  canal  at 
the  W.  side  of  the  port,  one  sees  Noge-yama  ahead  at  the  right. 
The  numerous  pretty  bungalows  (Hindustani^  bangla,  a 
' thatched  cottage')  which  crest  the  range  of  hills  are  the 
homes  of  native  merchants;  certain  of  the  gardens,  in  the  for- 
mal Japanese  style,  are  ornate  and  attractive.  The  small 
Daishi  Temple  halfway  up  the  hill  (back  from  the  st.,  left)  is 
uninteresting  except  for  the  fine  view  from  the  terrace.  The 
roadway  is  now  flanked  at  the  left  by  a  massive  retaining  wall 
of  cut  stone;  when  halfway  up  we  turn  to  the  right  and  follow 
the  profile  of  the  yama  to  a  big  torii,  whence  stone  stairs  lead 
up  to  the  nondescript  Ise  Daijingu,  &  Shinto  shrine  (dedicated 
to  the  Imperial  Ancestors),  amid  extensive  grounds  whence 
superb  panoramas  over  the  city  and  the  sea  are  obtainable. 
The  cherry  trees  are  at  their  best  in  April,  when  they  idealized 
the  entire  region  roundabout:  festivals,  on  the  1st,  15th,  and  ! 
28th  of  each  month.   The  tall  shaft  at  the  left  stands  to  the"* 


22   Route  1.  YOKOHAMA 


Noge-yama. 


memory  of  those  who  fell  fighting  in  the  Imperial  Cause  during 
the  Satsuma  rebellion.  At  the  rear,  on  a  lower  terrace,  is  a' 
railed-in,  imposing  bronze  and  granite  baldachin  supported  by 
8  massive  pillars  inclosing  a  shaft  on  which,  in  letters  of  gold, 
are  the  names  of  men  who  died  fighting  during  the  Russian  war^ 
The  rattling  and  clashing  sounds  which  one  often  notes  in  the 
neighborhood  emanate  from  a  fencing-school  near  by,  where 
scores  of  sturdy  young  men  armed  with  split  bamboos  practice 
fencing  and  swordsmanship. 

Returning  to  the  shrine  we  descend  the  hill  to  the  (left) 
Time  Bell,  a  huge  bronze  bell  which  serves  as  a  fire-alarm  and 
as  a  mentor  for  the  watches  of  the  people  within  the  sound  of 
its  voice.  A  short  distance  at  the  right  stands  the  Buddhist 
Temple  of  Fudo,  on  a  terrace  from  which  an  all-embracing 
view  is  had  of  the  city  and  the  sea.  From  the  overhanging  bal- 
conies of  the  tea-houses  here,  fine  panoramas  are  obtainable. 
Near  the  entrance  to  the  temple  atrium  is  a  tall  granite  shaft 
topped  by  a  ship's  capstan  with  the  bars  in  position,  which  in 
turn  are  surmounted  by  an  anchor,  the  whole  commemorating 
the  naval  heroes  killed  in  the  Japan-Russia  War;  engraved  on  a 
bronze  tablet,  in  English,  is  the  inscription : '  In  memory  of  our 
brave  sons  that  went  down  to  the  sea  in  ships,  that  did  business 
in  great  waters.  Psalm  cvn.'  By  descending  a  flight  of  stone 
steps  leading  down  from  the  temple,  then  turning  to  the  right, 
one  comes  to  a  fish-pond  and  a  Shinto  shrine  flanked  by  some 
stone  foxes  and  wood  torii.  On  the  opposite  side  of  Noge-yama, 
on  a  hill  called  Kamon-yama  (magnificent  double  cherry  blos- 
soms about  mid-April)  stands  a  bronze  statue  of  Lord  Ii 
Kamon-no-Kami,  erected  by  the  men  of  the  Hikone  Clan  on 
the  occasion  of  the  semi-centennial  of  the  opening  of  Yokohama 
to  foreign  trade.  It  is  of  peculiar  interest  to  foreigners  because 
of  the  significance  attaching  to  the  memory  of  the  great  man 
it  commemorates. 

Before  the  final  downfall  of  the  Tokugawa  Feudary,  and  the  conclusion 
of  the  treaty  with  the  U.S.  an  intense  anti-foreign ; feeling  existed.  The 
Court  was  torn  by  indecision,  and  rival  factions  (comp.  mito)  were  fight- 
ing strenuously  for  supremacy,  —  one  for  excluding  the  '  barbarian  bandits' 
and  '  hideous  aliens' ;  the  other  for  admitting  them.  Lord  Ii,  the  Daimyd  of 
Hikone,  in  Omi  Province,  an  able,  far-seeing  statesman  and  a  bitter  opponent 
of  the  powerful  anti-foreign  faction  headed  by  the  Prince  of  Mito,  was  elected 
to  the  post  of  Prime  Minister  (Taird,  or  'great  elder')  of  the  Tokugawa 
Shogunate.  One  of  his  first  acts  was  to  conclude  the  treaty  submitted  on 
behalf  of  the  U.S.  by  Townsend  Harris,  and  by  so  doing  he  sealed  his  own  fate, 
for  he  was  assassinated  by  18  Mito  ronin,  on  March  3,  1860,  near  the  Saku- 
rada  Gate  of  the  Imperial  Palace  at  Tokyo.  Warned  of  his  danger  and  urged 
to  increase  the  strength  of  his  escort,  he  replied  '  that  no  force  of  guards 
could  control  the  hand  of  fate  or  baffle  the  ingenuity  of  resolute  assassins, 
and,  further,  that  the  number  of  the  Taird' s  escort  was  fixed  by  a  rule  which 
a  man  in  such  a  high  position  must  respect.'  —  One  of  the  assassins  was 
killed  in  the  struggle;  one  who  cut  off  the  Taird1  s  head  and  fled  with  it  was 
incapacitated  by  his  wounds  and  committed  suicide;  3  fell  wounded;  8  sur- 
rendered themselves,  and  only  5  escaped.  When  the  statue  was  erected  the 
bitter  feeling  was  revived  among  certain  of  the  statesmen  who  believed  that 
Lord  Ii  was  a  traitor  to  his  country.   Soon  thereafter  the  anniversary  of  his 


Excursions. 


YOKOHAMA  1.  Route.  23 


assassination  was,  upon  the  initiative  of  his  enemies,  celebrated  with  consider- 
able solemnity;  the  Mito  ronin  were  held  up  as  martyrs  to  the  cause,  and 
further  to  justify  the  murder  and  the  murderers,  pamphlets  were  (in  May, 
1912)  surreptitiously  placed  in  many  of  the  public  schools.  They  were 
promptly  withdrawn  by  the  authorities,  and  the  monument  still  stands  to 
the  memory  of  an  able  patriot  who  foresaw  Japan's  greatness  and  died 
prematurely  by  reason  of  his  belief  in  it. 

Kanagawa,  the  original  foreign  treaty  port  (incorporated 
with  Yokohama  in  1901)  and  now  merely  a  station  on  the  rly. 
to  Tokyo,  is  visible  at  the  N.  from  Noge-yama,  but  is  of  little 
interest  to  foreigners.  The  jinrikisha  was  invented  here  in  1870. 
On  the  way  back  to  the  hotel  one  usually  threads  the  narrow 
but  sustainedly  interesting  Benten-dori,  with  its  many  shops. 
The  fine  new  (completed  in  1900,  cost  1,000,000  yen)  pilastered 
stone  structure  of  the  Composite  order,  surmounted  by  a 
bronze  dome,  near  the  foot  of  the  street,  houses  the  Yokohama 
Specie  Bank  —  one  of  the  largest  in  Japan.  Were  it  not  so 
hemmed  in  by  flimsy  structures,  thus  making  it  difficult  to 
obtain  a  comprehensive  view,  it  would  be  one  of  the  most  archi- 
tecturally satisfying  edifices  in  the  port. 

The  original  bank  was  organized  in  1880  with  a  capital  of  3  million  yen, 
but  shrewd  management  has  brought  this  up  to  48  millions,  with  deposits 
of  150  millions.  It  is  significant  not  only  of  the  abilitj'  of  native  workmen  to 
construct  solid  buildings  on  foreign  lines,  but  also  of  the  scope  and  prestige 
that  can  be  attained  by  Japanese  institutions  when  managed  by  men  of 
ability  and  integrity.  The  bank  is  one  of  the  most  popular  in  the  Empire 
and  has  branches  in  many  of  the  great  cities  of  the  world. 

d.  Excursions. 

Many  pleasant  excursions  (guide  unnecessary)  are  possible 
from  Yokohama,  and  an  unusual  number  of  attractive  spots 
lie  within  easy  walking  distance.  Most  of  the  roads  are  good 
for  automobiles  and  bicycles,  both  of  which  can  be  rented  at 
the  several  garages  —  the  former  at  about  ¥5  per  hr.,  the  latter 
at  from  ¥1  to  ¥1.50  per  day.  Jinrikis  are  to  be  found  at  almost 
every  corner  in  the  city  and  the  immediate  suburbs,  and  long 
walks  that  become  too  tiresome  can  always  be  pieced  out  by 
employing  them ;  the  runners  act  very  well  as  guides  when  the 
traveler  feels  the  need  of  one.  The  footpaths  over  the  adjacent 
hills  are  legion :  some  lead  to  solitary  Shinto  shrines  perched  on 
commanding  positions  overlooking  fine  landscapes;  others  to 
spots  where  glorious  mt.  and  sea  views  are  obtainable.  The 
natives  one  meets  are  polite  and  helpful  and  the  district  is  safe. 

Hommoku,  Mississippi  Bay,  and  Negishi.  The  first  place  is 
about  midway  between  the  Settlement  and  the  Bay,  and 
Negishi  is  just  above  the  latter.  The  round  trip  (about  5  M. 
from  the  Grand  Hotel)  can  be  accomplished  by  a  fair  walker 
easily  in  2  hrs.  and  leisurely  in  3.  Early  morning  is  the  best 
time.  The  Bluff  can  be  traversed  on  the  return  journey,  and 
the  Yokohama  Nursery,  the  Renkoji  Temple,  Motomachi,  the 
Hundred  Steps  Tea-House,  and  the  Zotoku-in  Temple  visited. 
More  time  should  be  allowed  if  all  these  places  are  to  be 


24   Route  1.  YOKOHAMA 


Hommoku. 


touched  at  before  regaining  the  hotel.  If  a  jinriki  is  employed 
a  bargain  can  be  struck  with  the  owner  for  about  ¥1  for  the 
round' trip  if  one  is  willing  to  get  out  and  walk  up  the  steep 
hills;  otherwise,  a  pushman  must  be  included  at  a  total  cost  of 
about  ¥1.40.  By  making  a  long  detour  from  Mississippi  Bay, 
the  coastal  villages  of  Sugita  and  Tomioka  can  be  included  in 
the  trip  at  an  inclusive  cost  of  about  ¥2.50  for  the  former,  and 
¥4  for  the  latter:  two  men  necessary.  Tram-cars  available. 

Beyond  the  Yato  Bridge  (PI.  F,  4)  the  Yato  Zaka  winds  to 
the  crest  of  the  Bluff,  where  the  U.S.  Naval  Hospital  stands 
at  the  right,  and  the  British  Naval  Hospital  at  the  left.  The 
road  forks  here,  the  one  at  the  right  crossing  the  Bluff  to 
Negishi,  and  that  at  the  left  (which  we  follow)  passing  on  its 
sinuous  way  some  of  the  most  pretentious  of  the  foreign  resi- 
dences. Beyond  the  house  No.  142  the  cliff  forms  a  sheer 
precipice  which  falls  steeply  to  the  sea  and  affords  one  of  the 
most  charming  views  to  be  had  anywhere  on  the  Japanese 
coast.  The  wide  harbor,  like  a  pool  filled  with  toy  ships  at  one 
corner  of  the  great  Tokyo  Bay,  lies  far  below,  half  encircled  by 
its  giant  breakwaters,  which  from  this  great  elevation  resemble 
thin  but  exaggerated  calipers.  A  thousand  square  miles  of  blue 
sea  that  washes  the  Awa  Peninsula  at  the  N.  and  the  Sagami 
at  the  W.  stretch  away  to  the  limitless  Pacific,  where  the  smok- 
ing cone  of  Miharayama  may  be  seen  on  a  clear  day,  or  as  a 
ruddy  beacon  on  a  dark  night.  Somewhere  between  it  and  the 
port  the  picturesque  fishing-fleet  whips  and  careens  across  the 
bay?  furrowing  the  water,  flashing  white  sails  in  the  sun,  and 
adding  unconsciously  to  the  charm  of  one  of  the  finest  pros- 
pects in  nature. 

The  road  soon  dips  sharply,  skirts  a  deep  depression  holding 
a  cluster  of  native  houses,  and  emerges  on  the  flat.  The  near-by 
shore  (numerous  cheap  restaurants)  is  popular  with  Japanese. 
The  road  which  bears  to  the  right  at  Kitagata  Kominato  St. 
leads  in  a  roundabout  way  to  Mississippi  Bay.  The  one  at  the 
left  goes  to  Hommoku,  \\  M.  from  the  Settlement  (tram-cars), 
a  popular  but  unhandsome  bathing-resort  with  a  poor  beach 
exposed  to  S.  gales  that  sometimes  destroy  the  sea-wall  and 
demolish  the  flimsy  beach  shacks  of  the  foreign  residents.  The 
Juniten  Temple,  at  the  upper  end,  a  tawdry  structure  revered 
by  the  peasantry  because  the  statue  of  the  tutelar  saint  is  be- 
lieved to  have  been  found  (in  1563)  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  is 
lively  only  on  June  15,  when  &  matsuri,  boat-races,  etc.,  com- 
memorate the  event.  The  view  from  the  summit  of  the  hill 
behind  the  shrine  is  far-reaching;  the  promontories  at  the  right, 
beyond  Mississippi  Bay,  are  those  of  Tomioka  and  Kwannon- 
zaka;  the  coast  of  Kazusa  and  Awa  Provinces  extends  away  at 
the  left.  A  pretty  stretch  of  pine-shadowed  roadway  continues 
S.  along  the  sea-wall,  past  pretentious  native  tea-houses  and 
clumps  of  flowering  cherry  trees.  Fishing  and  the  gathering  of 


Negishi. 


YOKOHAMA 


1.  Route.  25 


seaweed  form  the  occupation  of  the  people.  The  section  of 
Hommoku  best  liked  by  foreigners  lies  near  the  base  of  the 
hill  —  over  which  a  picturesque  footpath  winds  for  some  dis- 
tance along  the  coast. 

Hommoku-hara,  with  flower  gardens  (hanayashiki)  and 
lovely  views  of  Fuji  and  the  sea,  lies  just  beyond,  and  is  a  popu- 
lar Sunday  resort.  At  the  right  the  main  road  winds  across  a 
pretty  country,  then  flanks  the  shore  whence  commanding  and 
beautiful  views  of  the  bay  are  obtainable.  The  native  village 
of  Negishi,  2 \  M.  from  the  Settlement,  stretches  alongshore  at 
the  base  of  a  high  bluff  crowned  by  the  foreign  district  of  the 
same  name.  The  road  which  forks  and  follows  the  sea  leads  to 
Sugita;  the  uninteresting  Buddhist  temple  at  the  top  of  a  flight 
of  stone  steps  (right)  is  the  Fudomyowd;  hard  by  it  is  a  water- 
fall whither  naked  and  credulous  sinners  foregather  on  the  cold- 
est days  first  to  stand  under  the  stream,  then  run  a  hundred 
times  between  the  falls  and  the  temple  —  an  exercise  called 
Hyakudo  mairi  (' hundred  trips  '). 

The  views  in  retrospect,  as  one  ascends  the  wide  and  steep- 
ish  roadway  to  the  turn  of  the  hill,  are  impressively  beautiful;* 
the  precipice  drops  away  sharply  to  a  little  plain  laid  out  in: 
tiny  gardens  intensively  cultivated  and  idealized  by  many 
flowering  trees  and  vines.  Early  in  March  every  inch  of  the 
tillable  space  is  carpeted  with  green,  and  'by  April  the  cherry  ; 
trees  are  blooming  and  the  garden-truck  is  almost  ready  for 
harvesting.  A  continuous  line  of  humble  dwellings,  with  gabled  ' 
or  curved  roofs  covered  with  thatch  or  gray  pantiles,  face  the 
beach  (the  main  thoroughfare  to  Sugila)  along  which  extended 
lines  of  rusty  archaic  junks  may  often  be  seen  drawn  up#  from 
the  wash  of  the  waves.  The  dwellers  here  seem  to  have  solved 
the  economic  problem  of  the  simple  life,  and  on  a  sunny  day  in 
spring,  when  the  fishermen  are  out  mending  their  long,  brown 
nets,  or  are  working  in  their  small  gardens;  when  happy  child- 
ren add  their  winsome  voices  to  the  music  made  by 'the  many 
birds;  and  the  clatter  of  barnyard  fowl  rises  above  the  deep, 
resonant  monotone  of  humming  insect  life,  the  scene  is  one  of 
charming  tranquillity.  The  sunbeams  scatter  a  million  dia- 
monds over  the  softly  rippling  water;  the  fishing- junks  troll  or 
roll  lazily  over  the  billowy  groundswell ;  the  sea-birds  wheel  and 
scream  and  fish;  the  air  is  redolent  of  the  first  sweet  perfume 
of  opening  flowers ;  and  the  green  hills  dream  and  swoon  in  the 
soft  opaline  haze  that  adds  such  an  ineradicable  charm  to  the 
Japanese  seas.  At  such  times  the  poet's  '  perfect  day  in  June' 
exactly  describes  the  atmospheric  effect,  while  thereto  is  added 
the  enchantment  which  only  Asiatic  junks  with  high  poops  and 
sails  ribbed  like  dragons'  wings  can  give  to  a  sea  view.  Some- 
times at  dawn,  when  a  low-lying  bank  of  fog  broods  above  the 
sea,  a  curious  spectacle  may  be  witnessed  from  this  elevation. 
As  the  early  fishing-fleet  drifts  out  to  sea  only  the  tops  of  the 


26   Route  1.  YOKOHAMA  Race-Course. 


tallest  masts  are  visible,  cutting  the  surface  of  the  fog  like 
sharks'  fins.  When  the  mediaeval  squadron  sweeps  out  of  the 
bank  into  the  open,  from  gray  shadows  to  golden  sunbeams, 
the  effect  is  as  bizarre  as  it  is  beautiful. 

At  the  top  of  the  incline  the  road  bends  to  the  right  and 
joins  the  upper  highway.  The  hills  are  dotted  with  pretty 
villas  whence  wonderful  views  are  obtainable.  The  Race- 
Course  and  the  Golf-Links  occupy  commanding  sites  on  the 
summit  of  the  ridge.  —  Whosoever  sees  Fuji-san  from  this 
region  on  a  spring  day,  when  the  snow-clad  peak  is  wrapped 
in  the  diaphanous  haze  which  renders  it  so  ethereal  and  ghost- 
like, will  never  forget  it.  Few  mts.  of  the  world  possess  in  so 
marked  a  degree  the  quality  of  impressiveness,  and  few  so  en- 
thrall the  imagination.  To  the  experienced  traveler,  the  vista 
from  this  point  usually  awakens  a  host  of  cherished  memories 
—  of  Popocatepetl  guarding  the  ancient  Aztec  stronghold  in 
the  lovely  Vale  of  Anahuac;  of  Orizaba  gazing  coldly  seaward 
from  the  range  behind  Vera  Cruz  and  dreaming  perchance  of 
the  vanished  glory  of  the  Indian  Confederacy  before  Cortez 
and  his  bold  raiders  landed  on  Mexican  soil;  of  Kinchinjanga 
and  the  stupendous  giants  of  the  Himalayas;  of  Aconcagua, 
Chimborazo,  Cotopaxi,  and  other  great  mts.  of  the  world. 

A  number  of  footpaths  lead  to  the  right  from  the  main  road 
and  join  the  Bluff  roads  at  different  points.  The  main  thor- 
oughfare traverses  an  untidy  native  settlement  before  it  enters 
the  foreign  section  of  the  Bluff  at  Yamamoto-cho,  whence  it  is 
but  a  short  walk  (up  left)  to  the  Yokohama  Nursery.  By 
descending  Jizo  Zaka  (the  first  wide  road  at  the  left)  one  comes 
(in  1  min.)  to  the  Renkoji  Temple  (PI.  G,  2),  the  newest  (1910) 
and  most  characteristic  Buddhist  sanctuary  in  the  city.  The 
splendid  high-pitched  roof,  with  its  gilded  crests,  gray  tiles  and 
antefixes,  is  strikingly  attractive.  The  wide  overhanging  porch 
is  upheld  by  massive  posts  set  into  bronze  sockets  resting  on 
finely  chiseled  granite  bases;  the  ponderous  keyaki-wood  beams 
which  form  the  front  steps  (shoes  must  be  removed  before 
mounting  them)  are  7  by  12  in.,  and  the  clean-cut  floor  beams 
3  by  9.  Sculptured  heads  of  minatory  dragons  finished  in  the 
natural  wood  adorn  the  corners  beneath  the  eaves,  and  the  pro- 
jecting beam-ends,  inside  and  out,  are  picked  out  in  white;  a 
decorative  and  weather-resisting  expedient  often  adopted  in 
temples  of  the  Monto-sect  (p.  cxcix)  —  to  which  this  belongs. 
The  huge  barrel-shaped  receptacles  near  the  entrance  store 
water  to  be  used  in  case  of  fire.  The  spacious  interior,  with  its 
soft  mats,  quadrangular  metal  lanterns,  plain  coffered  ceiling, 
and  resplendent  altars,  is  clean  and  pleasing.  The  immense 
sculptured  cross-beam  spanning  the  central  arch  is  formed  of  a 
single  keyaki  bole.  The  gilded  panels  in  low  relief  along  the 
architrave  show  the  customary  tennin  (p.  clxxvii)  and  wave-pat- 
terns of  Buddhist  fanes,  and  are  tolerably  good  specimens  of 


Sugita. 


YOKOHAMA  1.  Route.  27 


wood-carving.  The  pilasters  and  cross-beams  of  the  inner 
shrine  are  covered  with  thick  gold  foil,  which,  with  the  splendid 
reliquary  housing  the  fine  gold  lacquered  image  of  Amida  (p. 
ccii),  produce  an  extraordinarily  brilliant  effect.  The  tawdry 
metal  lotus  flowers  at  the  chancel,  though  essentially  Buddhis- 
tic, are  out  of  harmony  with  the  rich  Indian  red,  black,  and 
gold  lacquered  altar-table  and  other  fitments. 

By  returning  to  the  upper  road  and  continuing  along  it  for  5 
min.  the  pedestrian  may  inspect  the  Bluff  Garden  (PI.  E-F, 
2).  The' near-by  Miyokoji  Temple  has  a  big  bronze  bell  and  is 
prettily  embowered  amid  lofty  trees.  By  continuing  the  de- 
scent of  Jizo  Zaka,  Ishikawa-machi,  sl  prolongation  of  Moto- 
machi,  is  reached,  and  the  Hundred  Steps  Tea-House  is  then 
10  min.  farther  on.  This  can  also  be  reached  from  the  Bluff 
road  by  entering  the  lane  (left)  which  faces  the  Police  Station. 
f  Sugita,  a  somnolent  "fishing-village  about  5  M.  from  the 
Grand  Hotel,  faces  Mississippi  Bay,  and  is  of  interest  chiefly 
for  the  plum  trees  which  bloom  in  profusion  in  early  spring.  A 
quick  and  cheap  way  to  reach  it  is  to  board  a  tram-car  at 
Kaneno-bashi  (PL  I,  3)  and  proceed  to  Yawata-bashi,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  canal.  From  the  end  of  the  main  st.  of  Isogo  vil- 
lage it  is  a  pleasant  stroll  of  about  1  hr.  (tram-cars  are  available) 
along  a  road  flanked  by  iris  gardens  (brilliant  in  June)  and  the 
sea.  Sugita  can  be  reached  on  the  trip  to  Mississippi  Bay  and 
Negishi  by  turning  left  at  lower  Negishi  and  following  the  sea 
to  Yawata  Bridge,  or  on  the  return  in  a  motor-car  from  Kama- 
kura.  High-sounding  names  are  given  to  certain  of  the  older 
plum  trees  at  Sugita  —  'Old  age  nourishing  plum/  'Crystal 
curtain  plum/  etc.  The  custom  of  writing  verses  on  a  fancy 
paper  called  tanzaku  and  attaching  the  strips  to  the  trees  is 
still  in  vogue;  the  less  innocent  one  of  imbibing  more  sake  than 
one  can  conveniently  carry  is  not  in  a  decline.  The  sesthetic 
taste  can  be  pampered  here  by  eating  rice  cooked  with  plum 
blossoms;  or  the  less  dainty  one  with  plum  pickles  —  the  spe- 
cialty of  the  village. 

Tomioka,  a  similar  fishing- village  2\  M.  beyond  Sugita,  is 
less  interesting  than  the  hinterland,  which  is  hilly,  with  excel- 
lent sea  views.  At  a  near-b^  village  called  Nokendo  stands  a 
pine  tree  where  a  native  artist  is  said  to  have  cast  away  his 
brush  in  despair  because  of  his  inability  faithfully  to  portray 
the  spectacular  beauty  of  the  scene!  The  Plains  of  Heaven 
overlook  'eight  sights'  of  more  interest  to  natives  than  to 
foreigners.  Kanazawa  was  once  the  stronghold  of  a  powerful 
daimyo.  The  region  is  known  for  a  profusion  of  lilies  and 
peonies. 


28   Route  2.         YOKOHAMA  TO  KAMAKURA 


2.  From  Yokohama  via  Kamakura  (Enoshima)  to  Yokosuka 
(Uraga  and  Misaki). 

Imperial  Government  Railway. 
Kamakura  and  Enoshima:  —  Kamakura  (from  kama,  a 
scythe;  and  kura,  a  warehouse),  14  M.  S.W.  of  Yokohama,  in 
Sagarni  Province,  anciently  the  military  capital  and  one  of  the 
greatest  cities  in  Japan,  and  now  justly  renowned  as  a  seaside 
resort  of  rare  charm  (beautiful  beach;  good  hotel;  fine  views), 
lies  in  a  fertile,  tree-  and  flower-embowered  region  overlooking 
the  lovely  Sagami  Bay,  and  should  not  be  missed.  The  traveler 
with  limited  time  may  wish  to  remember  that  it  contains  con- 
siderably more  of  real  interest  than  the  adjacent  Miyanoshita, 
besides  being  more  accessible.  The  great  bronze  Daibutsu  and 
the  fairy-like  Enoshima  constitute  two  of  the  chief  4  sights'  of 
the  Empire.  The  winter  climate  is  milder  than  that  of  Tokyo, 
and  the  spring  comes  earlier.  The  hot  summer  nights  are  tem- 
pered by  sea-breezes.  There  are  frequent  trains  from  Yoko- 
hama m.40  min.;  fare  60  sen,  1st  cl.;  36  sen,  2d  cl.  —  The  rly. 
to  Of unaltefcHs* described  in  Rte.  24. 

The  town  (pop.  8000)  is  on  the  Yokosuka  Branch  of  the  Gov't  Rlys.,  and 
unless  one  boards  a  car  marked  'Yokosuka,'  trains  may  have  to  be  changed 
at  (10  M.)  Ofuna  Jet.  A  favorite  method  with  pedestrians  is  to  proceed  to 
this  point  by  train  and  do  the  remaining  4  M.  on  foot.  The  broad  highway 
(comp.  the  accompanying  plan)  flanks  the  rly.  and  traverses  a  series  of  green 
valleys  lying  between  yerdure-covered  hills.  The  outskirts  of  Kamakura 
begin  about  1  M.  from  Ofuna.  At  If  M.  the  Engakuji  Temple  is  passed.  The 
Kenchdji  is  ^  M.  beyond  this,  and  a  walk  of  another  \  M.  brings  one  to  the 
Hachiman  Temple.  The  country  is  beautiful,  peaceful,  and  safe.  Unless  one 
has  time  to  waste, _the  several  decaying  temples  and  tombs,  and  the  Caves  of 
Totsuka  hard  by  Ofuna  Jet.  will  not  repay  a  visit.  The  latter  (20  min.  walk; 
jinriki,  25-35  sen  for  the  round  trip)  are  mere  holes  in  the  cliff,  with  some 
modern  crude  carvings  of  Buddhist  subjects.  The  local  guide  expects  10-20 
sen.  Similar  caves  are  scattered  throughout  Japan,  and  are  customarily 
referred  to  by  the  peasants  as  'wind  caves'  (kaze-ana),  and  are  used  for 
storing  grain. 

Kamakura  Town  is  scattered  over  a  wide  area  dotted  with  many  groves 
and  fine  avenues  of  pine  trees,  junipers  (byakushin) ,  cryptomerias,  and  Salis- 
burias.  The  native  restaurants  facing  the  station  are  inferior  to  the  hotel 
mentioned  below.   The  tram-car  terminus  is  that  of  the  line  to  Katase 
(Enoshima).  The  wide  tree-shaded  avenue  which  leads  left  to  the  (|  M.) 
ilachiman  Temple,  comes  up  from  the  sea  at  the  right. 
/   The  *Kaihin-in  Hotel  (PI.  C,  3),  a  large,  modern  establishment  in  a  wide 
/  park,  is  popular  with  foreigners,  and  usually  is  the  rendezvous  for  many  mo- 
torists. ■  Sunday  dinners  a  specialty.  English  spoken.  Beautiful  beach  at  the 
■  rear.  Broad  balconies.  Rates  from  ¥6  to  ¥8  a  day;  for  two  pers.  in  1  rOom, 
;  ¥11-13;  10%  discount  for  2  weeks  or  more.  Special  rates  for  a  long  stay.' 
Breakfast  only,  ¥1;  Tiffin,  ¥1.50;  Dinner,  ¥1.75.  Recommended.  Fishing- 
and  boating-trips  can  be  arranged  with  the  help  of  the  manager. 

Historical  sketch.  When  Minamoto  Yoritomo  left  the  province  of  Izu, 
where  he  had  been  exiled  by  Kiyomori,  and  began  war  against  the  Taira,  he 
selected  for  his  military  residence  the  then  small  village  of  Kamakura,  which 
had  been  that  of  his  ancestor  Yoriyoshi.  When  he  became  shogun  in  1192  he 
established  the  shogunate  here  and  laid  the  foundation  of  the  feudal  system 
of  gov't  which  was  not  overthrown  till  1868.  The  hitherto  nondescript  town 
became  a  rich  and  populous  city,  and  was  the  seat  of  gov't  in  E.  Japan  from 
the  end  of  the  12th  to  the  middle  of  the  15th  cent.  In  the  days  of  its  greatest 
prosperity  it  extended  all  over  the  broad  plain  delimned  by  the  Hachiman 
Temple  at  the  N.,  the  promontory  which  leads  into  the  sea  at  the  EM  the 


Bronze  Buddha.  KAMAKURA  2.  Route.  29 

opposite  one  at  the  W.,  and  thVefta  atJJae  8.  After  the  downfall  of  the  Mina- 
moto,  the  Fujiwara  shogun  and  members  of  the  Imperial  family  continued  to 
reside  at  Kamakura:  palaces,  temples,  residences  of  nobles  were  built  in  great 
number,  and  a  happy,  active  population  of  over  200,000  people  are  said  to 
have  once  lived  and  worked  and  loved  where  a  fishing-village  and  a  few  storm- 
beaten  temples  now  stand  to  remind  the  traveler  of  vanished  glory.  History 
records  that  a  century  after  Yoritomo's  death  this  great  military  capital  shel- 
tered a  million  people;  in  which  case  it  must  have  been  almost  as  large  as  the 
present  Tokyo. 

Besides  the  Minamoto,  and  the  Hojo  and  Ashikaga  rulers,  Nichiren  and 
other  Buddhist  zealots  lived  and  worked  here,  and  in  their  time  passed  away 
to  join  the  shadowy  ancestral  hosts  who  form  the  prototypes  of  the  present- 
day  Japanese.  During  the  Genko  war  (1333),  Nitta  Yoshisada  took  Kamakura, 
and  a  part  of  the  vast  city  was  reduced  to  ashes.  _  The  Ashikaga  shoguns 
rebuilt  it,  and  in  1349,  Takauji,  having  appointed  his  son  Motouji  regent  of 
the  E.  provinces,  installed  him  here.  But  the  civil  wars  of  the  following  cen- 
tury, the  substitution  (in  1439)  of  the  Uesugi  for  the  Ashikaga  as  Kwan- 
ryd  (rulers),  the  siege  of  1454,  and  the  great  fire  of  1526  laid  the  city  in  ruins. 
The  near-by  city  of  Odawara,  which  next  rose  as  the  seat  of  the  powerful 
Hojo  family,  drew  to  itself  large  numbers  of  Kamakura's  inhabitants,  and 
the  founding  of  Yedo  in  1603  dealt  it  a  blow  from  which  it  never  recovered. 

The  *Bronze  Buddha  (Daibutsu;  pron.  die-boots'),  a  colossal 
representation  of  Amiaa  (comp.  p.  ccii),  the  favorite  Japanese 
divinity,  sits  unprotected  in  a  sequestered  fold  of  the  valley 
(PL  B-C,  3)  1^  M.  W.  from  the  rly.  station  (follow  the  car- 
track  to  the  right,  then  turn  up  at  the  right;  15-20  min.  walk; 
jinriki  20  sen)  on  an  elevated  site  sheltered  by  green  hills  and 
overshadowed  by  lofty  pines  and  noble  cryptomerias.  It  is 
under  the  protection  of  the  Kotoku-in  Monastery,  by  whose 
order  this  notice  appears  on  the  gate:  '  Stranger,  whosoever 
thou  art  and  whatsoever  be  thy  creed,  when  thou  enterest  this 
sanctuary  remember  thou  treadest  upon  ground  hallowed  by 
the  worship  of  ages.  This  is  the  temple  of  Buddha  and  the  gate 
of  the  Eternal,  and  should  therefore  be  entered  with  rever- 
ence.' Another  notice  admonishes  strangers  that  no  photo- 
graphing is  allowed,  and  that  the  custom  of  permitting  travel-  ; 
ers  to  climb  to  the  Buddha's  lap  and  be  photographed  standing 
in  his  hand  has  been  discontinued. 

The  greenish-black  statue,  the  most  majestic  among  Japan- 
ese sacred  effigies  in  bronze,  and  an  extraordinary  relic  of  the 
great  past,  sits  on  a  lotus-flower,  without  an  aureole,  on  a  socle 
of  crude  masonry  about  5  ft.  high,  and  seems  to  fill  the  entire 
end  of  the  narrow  valley  with  its  giant  bulk.  Though  smaller 
than  that  at  Nara,  it  excels  it  in  artistic  execution,  repose,  and 
nobility  and  restfulness  of  expression.  It  was  cast  in  1252  a.d. 
by  Ono  Goroyemon,  in  plates  about  1  in.  thick  joined  with  such 
skill  that  a  few  only  of  the  seams  have  been  bared  by  the  long 
exposure  to  the  weather.  The  measurements  are:  height,  49  ft. 
7  in.;  circumference,  97  ft.  2  in.;  c.  of  the  thumb,  3  ft.;  length 
of  face,  8  ft.  5  in.;  of  eye,  3  ft.  11  in.;  of  eyebrow,  4  ft.  2  in.;  of 
the  ear,  6  ft.  6  in. ;  of  the  nose,  3  ft.  9  in. ;  from  knee  to  knee,  35 
ft.  8  in. ;  width  of  mouth,,  3  ft.  2  in. ;  from  ear  to  ear,  17  ft.  9  in. 
It  is  said  that  the  eyes  are  of  pure  gold  and  that  the  boss  on  the 
forehead  (which  is  1  ft.  3  in.  in  diameter  and  represents  the 


30    Route  2.  KAMAKURA 


Temples. 


jewel  which  sheds  a  radiance  over  the  universe)  contains  30  lbs. 
of  pure  silver.  There  are  830  curls  on  the  head,  each  9  in.  high, 
and  supposed  to  represent  the  snails  which,  according  to  the 
legend,  once  crawled  up  the  original  Buddha  to  shelter  his  bald 
head  from  the  burning  sun!  When  completed,  the  statue 
(which  weighs  450  tons)  was  inclosed  in  a  building  50  yds.  sq. 
with  a  massive  roof  supported  by  63  immense  keyaki-wood 
columns;  this  structure  was  destroyed  by  a  tidal  wave  in  1369, 
as  was  a  similar  one  in  1494  —  since  when  the  image  has  re- 
mained unhoused.  Some  of  the  foundation  stones  still  stand. 
Inside  the  head  (entrance  fee,  2  sen)  is  a  standing  gilt  figurine  of 
Amida  backed  by  a  gilded  mandorla.  The  inscriptions  on  the 
bronze  tablets  refer  to  the  history  of  the  image.  The  nobly 
proportioned  head,  bent  forward  slightly  as  if  weighted  with 
the  wisdom  of  the  ages,  imparts  the  impression  of  profound 
meditation;  the  serene  majesty  of  the  calm,  beautiful,  pure 
Hindu  type  of  face  combines  wonderful  peace  with  complete 
detachment  from  its  environment.  A  vague  luster  as  of  glint- 
ing gold  slants  out  from  the  half -closed,  all-seeing  eyes,  while 
the  whole  body  indicates  absorption,  lack  of  tension,  and  the 
blessed  peacefulness  of  nirvana.  The  mouth  is  closed  tightly; 
the  hands  rest  in  the  lap,  the  thumbs  touching  each  other. 

The  Temple  of  Hase-no-Kwannon  (PI.  B-C,  3),  a  dilapi- 
dated, barn-like  structure  founded  (perhaps)  by  the  Empress 
Gensho  in  a.d.  736,  dates  from  the  15th  cent,  and  stands  a 
short  way  to  the  left  of  the  Daibutsu,  on  a  lofty  terrace  whence 
sweeping  views  of  Kamakura  and  the  surrounding  country 
may  be  had.  Foreigners  visit  it  usually  for  a  glimpse  of  the 
huge  carved  and  gilded  figure  (comp.  Hase-dera,  Rte.  34)  of  the 
Eleven-faced  Kwannon,  which  stands  in  a  darksome  retreat 
behind  folding  doors  opened  for  10-20  sen.  The  bronze  figure 
facing  the  apartment  represents  Dainichi  Nyorai,  and  was  a 
gift  to  the  temple  by  the  Ashikaga  shogun,  Yoshimasa. 

The  Temple  of  Hachiman,  on  Tsurugaoka  Hill  (PL  D,  2), 
10  min.  walk  to  the  N.  of  the  rly.  station,  and  at  the  N.  ter- 
minus of  the  splendid  old  pine-flanked  avenue  which  leads  up 
from  the  (1  M.)  ocean,  is  one  of  the  most  important  of  the 
temples  dedicated  to  Ojin  Tenno,  the  Japanese  Mars. 

Ojin  Tenno,  the  15th  Mikado  (a.d.  201-310)  was  the  son  of  the  Empress 
Jingo,  whom  history  enshrines  as  a  woman  distinguished  for  beauty,  intelli- 
gence, piety,  energy,  and  warlike  spirit.  When  accompanying  her  husband, 
Chuai  Tenno,  to  suppress  a  revolt  in  Kyushu,  she  learned  that  it  had  been 
instigated  by  the  ruler  of  one  of  the  Korean  principalities,  and  forthwith  she 
counseled  the  invasion  of  that  country.  The  Emperor  demurred,  but  soon 
thereafter  died,  and  the  Empress,  keeping  his  death  a  secret,  acting  as  a 
Regent  for  her  unborn  son,  and  accompanied  by  her  faithful  counselor, 
Takeshi-uchi  no  Sukune,  or  Takenouchi  (the  Japanese  Methuselah,  who 
died  aged  306  yrs.,  and  who  was  a  favorite  subject  with  the  early  color-print 
makers),  fitted  out  a  fleet,  clad  herself  in  manly  armor,  invaded  Korea  and 
subdued  it.  The  popular  belief  is  that  the  future  war-god's  pre-natal  spirit 
animated  her  and  enabled  her  to  perform  this  great  undertaking,  and  from 
this  circumstance  a  number  of  temples  were  erected  to  him  and  in  time  he 


The  Kenchoji.  KAMAKURA  2.  Route.  31 


became  the  tutelar  of  the  Minamoto  clan.  In  712,  the  Empress  Gemmei  had 
a  shrine  erected  to  him  at  Usa,  in  Buzen,  and  on  the  occasion  of  its  dedica- 
tion 8  white  banners  were  seen  to  descend  from  heaven!  In  consequence  of 
this  miraculous  apparition  the  shrine  received  the  title  of  Yabata-no-Yash- 
iro,  or  4  Sanctuary  of  the  Eight  Banners,'  and  Ojin  was  honored  with  the 
canonical  title  of  Hachiman  (Chinese:  4  eight  banners  ')  Dai-jingu.  In  later 
times,  the  Buddhist  priests,  who  were  .endeavoring  to  amalgamate  Shinto 
with  their  own  creed,  discovered  that  Ojin  incorporated  the  eight  incarna- 
tions of  a  Bosatsu,  and  thereafter  Buddhists  and  Shintoists  alike  worshiped 
him  as  the  God  of  War. 

Between  the  yrs.  1041-1108  another  Hachiman  sprang  up  in  the  person  of 
Minamoto  Yoshiie,  oldest  son  of  Yoriyoshi;  the  father  prayed  to  Hachiman 
for  a  brave  and  warlike  son  and  was  rewarded  by  one  who  gained  such  re- 
nown that  he  is  remembered  as  one  of  the  most  valiant  and  dashing  charac- 
ters of  the  Middle  Ages.  The  father  named  him  Hachiman- Tar 6,  or  4  First- 
born son  of  Hachiman.1  Numerous  shrines  and  temples  stand  to  both  the 
Hachimans  throughout  the  country,  and  to  them  youths  go  to  pray  for  valor; 
mothers  to  commend  their  sons  to  their  keeping  in  time  of  war;  and  wives  to 
plead  for  the  safety  of  their  husbands.  (Comp.  Yawata  Hachiman,  Rte.27). 

The  approach  to  the  temple  is  unusually  picturesque;  the 
broad  lotus-pond  in  the  lower  yard,  near  the  big  drum-bridge, 
is  a  glory  in  August.  The  aged  icho  tree,  said  to  be  over  a  thous- 
and years  old,  near  the  wide  steps  leading  to  the  upper  ter- 
race, is  of  considerable  historical  significance  to  the  Japanese, 
since  it  sheltered  the  high-priest  Kugyd,  who  in  1219  murdered 
the  3d  (and  last)  Minamoto  shogun,  Sanetomo,  as  he  was 
descending  the  steps  from  the  temple.  The  present  structure, 
in  the  Ryobu-Shinto  style,  dates  from  1828  and  occupies  the 
site  of  one  destroyed  by  fire.  The  immense  wooden  doors, 
swung  on  pivots  let  into  soffits,  are  heavily  embossed  after  the 
Moorish  manner.  The  temple  proper  contains  nothing  to  inter- 
est the  traveler,  but  in  the  arcade  which  surrounds  it  on  3  sides 
(fee,  10  sen)  is  an  interesting  collection  of  ancient  arms  and 
armor,  numerous  relics  of  Ieyasu  and  of  other  shoguns;  some 
sculptured  wood  images  ascribed  to  Unkei;  sl  curious  old 
conch-trumpet,  etc. 

The  *Kench6ji  (PI.  D,  2),  a  huge,  sadly  time-stained  temple 
founded  by  the  bonze  Doryu  in  1253  (during  the  Kencho  Era, 
whence  its  name),  is  the  seat  of  a  subdivision  of  the  Rinzai 
branch  of  the  Zen  sect  (p.  cxcix)  of  Buddhists,  and  stands  well 
back  from  the  road  \  M.  N.E.  of  the  Hachiman  Temple.  It  is 
reached  by  following  the  highway  up  through  a  deep  cut  in  the 
hills,  then  past  a  line  of  houses  and  gardens  amid  bamboo 
groves,  lofty  trees,  and  a  riot  of  semi-tropical  vegetation.  A  big 
bronze  bell  swings  in  a  low  tower  at  the  right  of  the  colossal 
inner  gate,  and  as  one  crosses  the  threshold  of  this  and  passes 
from  the  lively  thoroughfare,  vocal  with  children's  voices,  to 
the  ancient  grove  of  giant  cryptomerias  and  junipers,  where 
the  whitening  skeletons  of  the  vast  fanes  repose  amid  a  solemn 
spiritual  solitude,  the  contrast  is  abrupt  and  complete.  Save 
for  the  thin  wind  which  sighs  and  moans  almost  ceaselessly 
through  the  lofty  trees  (as  if  lamenting  the  vanished  splendor 
of  shogunal  days),  a  strange  and  penetrating  melancholy, 


32   Route  2.  KAMAKURA  The  Kenchdji. 


accentuated  by  the  effects  of  a  hoary  antiquity,  broods  above 
the  place,  and  suggests  the  mutability  of  temporal  things. 
'The  weirdness  of  decay  manifest  in  the  temples,  the  neutral 
tones  of  the  old  timbers,  the  fading  spectral  grays  and  yellows 
of  wall  surfaces,  the  eccentricities  of  the  joints,  the  carvings 
of  waves  and  dragons  and  demons,  once  splendid  with  lacquer 
and  gold,  now  time-whitened  to  the  tint  of  smoke,  and  looking 
as  if  about  to  curl  away  like  smoke  and  vanish,  are  all  very 
striking.' 

The  most  conspicuous  figure  of  the  interior  is  a  huge  seated 
/ izb  of  nondescript  workmanship;  the  faded  wood  panels  at  the 
right  and  left  are  well  carved  and  are  erroneously  attributed 
to  the  great  Hidari  Jingord.  The  weather-beaten  bird-panels 
of  the  coffered  ceiling  are  ascribed  to  Kanb  Motonobu,  and  the 
100  standing  figurines  of  J  izb,  to  Eshin.  The  brilliant  sunlight 
of  seven  centuries  has  robbed  every  fitment  of  the  interior  of 
its  youth  and  freshness,  and  the  dark  tiled  floor  adds  to  the 
drab  effect.  Behind  the  main  edifice  is  a  very  large,  painfully 
old,  but  withal  sturdy  structure,  with  a  remarkable  thatched 
roof  and  hoary  timbers  that  appear  to  be  held  in  place  by  sheer 
force  of  will;  the  interior  is  uninteresting.  —  The  visitor  with 
time  to  spare  should  not  fail  to  climb  the  steepish  hill  {Sho jo- 
ken)  behind  the  temple  and  inspect  the  popular  shrine  on  its 
summit  —  dedicated  to  Hanzbbb,  sl  mythical  hobgoblin  whose 
good  offices  are  insured  by  means  of  the  myriad  paper  prayers 
stuck  flag-like  in  the  earth  along  the  avenue  leading  to  the  top. 
Proceeding  to  the  rear  (left)  of  the  Kenchdji,  we  follow  the 
picturesque  path  to  its  intersection  with  a  cross-path,  where  a 
signboard  points  the  way.  Beyond  the  tea-house  the  lane 
(flanked  by  fine  cherry  trees)  leads  to  a  series  of  new  stone 
steps  that  zigzag  upward  to  the  shrine. 

Two  large  bronze  repulsive  Tengu  guard  the  structure,  which 
rests  like  an  eagle's  nest  on  a  small  plateau  cut  from  the  mt. 
side;  the  cap  of  the  scarp  rises  steeply  behind  it,  and  into 
its  face  are  let  tablets  referring  to  the  history  of  the  shrine  and 
to  the  generosity  of  those  who  made  it  possible.  The  view  from 
the  atrium,  over  the  wide  and  deep  valley  far  below  to  the 
distant  mts.  and  sea  is  glorious.  The  air  is  sweet  with  piny 
odors  and  surcharged  with  charm  and  a  wondrous  tranquillity. 
A  host  of  lovely  flowers,  prominent  among  them  cherry  blos- 
soms and  azaleas,  add  color  harmony.  Bronze  and  stone  lan- 
terns, monuments,  mortuary  tablets,  and  much  mystic  para- 
phernalia sit  about  the  yard,  while  within  the  building  are 
many  brass  fitments,  an  attractive  high  altar,  and  numerous 
kakemono.  From  the  end  of  the  terrace  one  looks  far  down  the 
wooded  vale  to  the  gigantic,  weather-beaten  roofs  of  the  old 
Kenchdji,  embowered  in  its  dense  grove,  whence  anon  there 
rides  up  on  the  vagrant  breeze,  the  deeply  resonant,  melodi- 
ously rich  tones  of  its  fine  bronze  bell  —  mellowed  by  the  sum- 


The  Enkakuji.  KAMAKURA  2.  Route.  33 


mer  suns  of  700  yrs.,  but  still  vibrant  with  its  booming  chal- 
lenge to  Buddhism  and  nirvana.  At  one  end  of  the  terrace 
stands  a  lighthouse  that  serves  as  a  beacon  to  those  who  toil 
up  the  steep  slope  at  night  to  lay  their  griefs  before  the  goddess 
within  the  shrine.  At  the  right  of  the  top  of  the  steps  is  still 
another  shrine,  dedicated  to  the  benevolent  Jizo,  protector  of 
little  dead  children.  At  the  left  is  a  converging  flight  of  steps 
which  leads  (between  twin  lines  of  chains)  over  many  gnarled 
and  twisted  tree  roots  to  the  crest  of  the  hill.  The  view  from 
the  top,  over  a  thousand  square  miles  of  wooded  hill  and  valley 
land,  of  rippling  sun-kissed  sea,  and  glistening,  snow-capped 
volcanoes,  is  entrancing.  Out  over  the  lowlands  toward  Yoko- 
hama one  sees  many  miles  of  cultivated  patches  of  various 
shades  of  green ;  tiny  hamlets  tucked  away  at  the  base  of  bold 
hills;  miles  and  miles  of  roadway  stretching  between;  and  a 
towering  mt.  range  on  the  distant  skyline.  Seaward  the  won- 
derful cone  of  Fuji,  the  smoking  crater  of  Oshima,  the  cres- 
cent shaped  beach  of  Kamakura,  and  the  gem-like  island  of 
Enoshima  are  the  chief  features  in  the  line  of  vision.  —  Ladies 
usually  find  the  descent  easiest  when  keeping  outside  the  chain 
and  maintaining  it  as  a  support  at  the  right.  —  Regaining  the 
main  road  and  following  it  (right)  to  the  point  where  it  crosses 
the  rly.,  then  continuing  along  it  to  a  cluster  of  houses  where 
(J  M.)  two  tall  torii  stand  astride  it,  one  enters  the  grove 
(right)  which  envelops 

The  Enkakuji  ('remote  temple'),  a  spot  beautiful  with 
flowers  and  lissome  bamboos.  The  curious  pagoda-like  granite 
monument  rising  from  a  tortoise  at  the  left  of  the  terrace,  was 
erected  by  popular  subscription  to  commemorate  the  Kama- 
kura men  who  perished  in  the  Japan-Russia  War.  The  several 
shallow  caves  behind  it  are  not  always  free  from  large  (5  ft.  or 
more  long)  grayish-green  venomous  serpents  called  aodaisho, 
and  other  reptilia.  —  The  chief  object  of  the  temple  interior,  a 
big  gilt  Buddha  backed  by  a  huge  mandorla,  is  not  as  inter- 
esting as  the  Great  Bell,  the  largest  in  Kamakura,  which  hangs 
in  a  massive,  vermiculated  belfry  at  the  summit  of  148  dilapi- 
dated steps  leading  upward  from  the  wood  torii  opposite  the 
big  gate.  It  dates  from  a.d.  1201,  is  4  ft.  7  in.  in  diameter,  6  in. 
thick  at  the  lip,  weighs  over  a  ton  and  is  8  ft.  high.  In  the  small 
shrine,  hard  by  the  tower,  are  a  number  of  curious  paintings 
illustrating  an  ancient  procession  between  Kamakura  and 
Enoshima,  and  said  to  be  upward  of  600  yrs.  old.  —  As  indi- 
cated at  p.  28,  the  walk  hence  over  the  highroad  to  Of  una  Jet. 
is  no  farther  than  the  return  to  the  Kamakura  Station. 

The  Kamakura-no-miya  (PI.  D,  2),  a  Shinto  shrine  erected  in 
1869  to  the  memory  of  the  Emperor  Go-daigo's  son,  stands 
about  |  M.  N.E.  of  the  Hachiman  Temple,  and  is  of  purely 
historical  interest.  The  cavern  in  which  Oto-no-miya  was  im- 
prisoned after  his  unsuccessful  attempt  to  overthrow  the  feudal 


34   Route  2.  ENOSHIMA 


gov't,  is  a  dank  place  cut  from  the  hill  behind  the  shrine  and 
defended  by  a  fence  and  closed  doors.  Between  the  shrine  and 
Hachiman,  at  the  end  (right)  of  a  converging  roadway,  on  a 
narrow  terrace  cut  from  the  hill,  in  a  small  inclosure,  is  the 
neglected  tomb  of  the  great  Minamoto  Yoritomo.  Other  equally 
dilapidated  ones  stand  roundabout.  —  Almost  every  grove  in 
Kamakura  contains  a  weather-beaten  temple  or  shrine,  and 
every  hill  and  valley  for  miles  around  is  heavy  with  the  bones 
of  dead  notables.  Minor  temples  are  the  Komydji;  the  Koku- 
onji,  with  numerous  large  images  ascribed  to  Unkei,  but  far 
more  likely  the  work  of  some  later  artist;  and  the  Enndji,  with 
a  sculptured  figure  of  Emma-d  also  attributed  to  Unkei  and 
called  'work  of  the  revived  Unkei?  from  the  circumstance 
that  the  Regent  of  Hell  is  reputed  to  have  returned  the  master 
to  earth  with  the  injunction  not  to  come  back  until  he  had 
carved  a  good  image  of  him.  The  Sixteen  Pools  (Ju-roku-ido), 
where  Kobo-Daishi  is  said  to  have  bathed,  are  not  worth 
visiting. 

A  stretch  of  fine  sanded  beach  (  Yuigahama)  lies  crescent- 
shaped  behind  the  hotel,  and  is  the  delight  of  children.  When 
strong  winds  blow  inland  a  heavy  sea  pounds  the  sand  into 
huge  dunes.  In  calm  weather  the  foam-crested  rollers  bring  in 
a  myriad  seed-clams  that  bury  themselves  with  whimsical 
rapidity  as  soon  as  they  strike  the  beach  —  which  here  is 
patrolled  by  men  and  women  who  pick  up  the  many  varieties 
of  seaweed  tossed  up  by  the  waves,  and  watch  the  fishing-boats 
come  in  and  unload  their  queer  cargoes  of  marine  creatures. 
On  this  beach,  in  the  13th  cent.,  the  emissaries  of  the  great 
Kublai  Khan  were  beheaded  as  a  reminder  that  the  Nipponese 
did  not  fear  a  Mongolian  invasion  and  would  not  pay  tribute 
to  any  Mongol  prince.  The  boys  in  the  native  town  at  the  E. 
end  often  repair  hither  to  fly  big  kites  with  long  trailing  tails. 
The  tall  pines  between  the  beach  and  the  hotel  bend  toward 
the  N.  and  indicate  the  direction  of  the  prevailing  winds. 
When  the  sea  is  calm,  the  boat-ride  across  to  the  Dragon  Cave 
at  Enoshima  (consult  the  hotel  manager)  is  delightful. 
r  Enoshima,  a  strikingly  picturesque  so-called  islet  of  volcanic 
tufa  about  \\  M.  in  circumference,  rising  steeply  to  about  240 
ft.  above  the  sea,  and  connected  with  the  mainland  by  a  narrow 
sand-spit  covered  with  water  only  at  high  tide,  is  4  M.  from 
Kamakura  (whence  it  is  visible  across  the  bay),  and  forms  one 
of  the  most  popular  excursions.  Tram-cars  (fare  17  sen)  leave  at 
frequent  intervals  from  the  terminus  facing  the  rly.  station, 
and  for  some  distance  flank  the  celebrated  (for  beautiful  views 
and  fine  surf)  Shichi  ri  ga  hama,  or  Seven  ri  shore.  One  leaves 
the  car  at  the  Katase  terminus  (Ryukoji  Temple;  uninterest- 
ing), follows  the  main  st.  down  at  the  left,  and  in  8  min. 
emerges  on  the  causeway  and  bridge  leading  to  the  island.  At 
the  far  end  of  the  bridge  a  3-sen  toll  is  exacted  and  a  ticket 


ENOSHIMA  2.  Route.  35 


handed  the  visitor  to  be  returned  on  leaving.  The  immense 
globular  baskets  strewn  along  the  beach  are  for  imprisoning 
live  fish.  The  view  of  Fuji-san  at  the  right,  particularly  when 
seen  dimly  through  a  ghostly  haze,  is  of  almost  uncanny 
beauty.  The  numerous  tea-houses  perched  in  commanding 
positions  on  the  rocky  shore  are  popular  with  the  natives.  A 
narrow  main  st.,  pieced  out  with  stone  steps  and  flanked  by 
numerous  byways,  zigzags  up  the  hill  from  the  end  of  the 
bridge,  and  is  faced  by  a  host  of  attractive  shops. 

Enoshima  has  been  called  the  City  of  Mother-of-Pearl.  'In 
every  shop,  behind  the  lettered  draperies,  there  are  miracles  of 
shell-work  for  sale  at  absurdly  small  prices.  The  glazed  cases 
laid  flat  upon  the  matted  platforms,  the  shelved  cabinets  set 
against  the  walls,  are  all  opalescent  with  nacreous  things,  — 
extraordinary  surprises,  incredible  ingenuities;  strings  of 
mother-of-pearl  fish,  strings  of  mother-of-pearl  birds,  all 
shimmering  with  rainbow  colors.  There  are  little  kittens  of 
mother-of-pearl,  and  little  foxes  of  mother-of-pearl,  and  little 
puppies  of  mother-of-pearl,  and  girls'  hair-combs,  and  cigar- 
ette-holders, and  pipes  too  beautiful  to  use.  There  are  little 
tortoises,  not  larger  than  a  shilling,  made  of  shells,  that, 
when  you  touch  them,  however  lightly,  begin  to  move  head, 
legs,  and  tail,  all  at  the  same  time,  alternately  withdrawing  or 
protruding  their  limbs  so  much  like  real  tortoises  as  to  give  one 
a  shock  of  surprise.  There  are  storks  and  birds,  and  beetles 
and  butterflies,  and  crabs  and  lobsters,  made  so  cunningly  of 
shells,  that  only  touch  convinces  one  they  are  not  alive.  There 
are  bees  of  shell,  poised  on  flowers  of  the  same  material,  — 
poised  on  wire  in  such  a  way  that  they  seem  to  buzz  if  moved 
only  with  the  tip  of  a  feather.  There  is  shell-work  jewelry 
indescribable,  things  that  Japanese  girls  love,  enchantments  in 
mother-of-pearl,  hair-pins  carven  in  a  hundred  forms,  brooches, 
necklaces,  and  what-not.'  —  Conspicuous  among  these  dainty 
trifles  are  large  and  small  balloon-fish  tinted  and  suspended 
on  bow-shaped  frames  down  which  they  travel  to  the  delight  of 
children;  likewise  strings  of  the  greenstone  that  bears  such  a 
close  resemblance  to  coarse  jadeite  and  mentioned  at  p.  cxxiii. 
Here  one  notes  the  rare  and  exquisitely  beautiful  glass-sponge 
called  hossugai  (Hyalonema  Sieboldi),  lacy  fabrics  of  tenuous 
flint  fished  up  as  living  organisms  from  a  depth  of  200  fathoms 
or  more;  and  the  unfailingly  strange  and  interesting  sea-horse 
(Hippocampus  heptagonus),  or  Tatsu-no-otoshigo.  The  color 
tones  of  some  of  the  chonchylia  are  very  beautiful,  ranging 
from  a  delicate  pink,  through  light  green  and  orange  to  rich 
heliotrope.  Prices  everywhere  are  flexible,  and  foreigners  are 
asked  double  and  treble  for  everything. 

The  most  picturesque  spot  on  the  island  is  the  Dragon  Cave, 
so-called  because  its  sinuous  shape  (370  ft.  deep)  is  that  of  the 
dragon  which  anciently  devoured  many  of  the  children  of  the 


36   Route  2. 


ENOSHIMA 


neighboring  village  of  Koshigoe!  In  the  6th  cent.,  coincident 
with  a  violent  earthquake,  Enoshima  is  said  to  have  emerged 
from  the  sea,  and  the  Goddess  Benten  (to  whom  the  island 
shrines  are  dedicated),  descended  from  the  clouds,  married  the 
dragon  and  thus  put  an  end  to  his  ravages.  The  credulous  be- 
lieve that  a  hidden  passage  connects  the  cave  with  Fuji-san, 
and  that  lovers  who  visit  it  together  are  sure  to  be  estranged 
within  a  year.  — The  only  path  to  the  cavern  is  that  which  zig- 
zags up  over  the  summit  and  is  called  Chaya-machi  from  the 
numerous  tea-houses  which  flank  it.  The  touts  for  most  of 
these  are  raucous-voiced,  insistent  women,  who  pester  the 
traveler  at  every  step,  and  essay  to  force  cups  of  the  detestable 
green  tea  upon  whomsoever  pauses  for  the  briefest  instant  to 
enjoy  the  glorious  view  spread  far  below.  In  these  cha-yas, 
which  always  throughout  Japan  monopolize  the  spots  whence 
the  finest  views  are  obtainable,  marine  zoology  in  its  most 
repulsive  forms  is  cooked  and  served  to  the  horde  of  hungry 
pilgrims  (throngs  in  July-Aug.)  who  trudge  up  and  down  the 
island  byways.  From  the  summit  (magnificent  panoramas), 
steps  of  light  gray  madrepore  twist  steeply  downward  until 
they  reach  the  base  of  the  cliff  (left)  where  they  merge  into 
undulating  steps  (slippery  and  perilous  when  wet)  cut  from  the 
mother  rock.  The  view  of  the  sea  hereabout. is  entrancing, 
particularly  when  a  whistling  N.  wind  hurries  the  waves  in,  to 
burst  into  seething  foam  on  the  jagged  rocks.  A  plank  walk 
with  a  railing  leads  to  the  cavern  mouth  (admission  5  sen) 
where  ragged,  importunate  men,  for  a  10-sen  fee,  disrobe,  dive 
to  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  bring  up  sea-snails  or  whatever 
they  may  have  planted  there  at  low  tide.  The  waves  rush  into 
the  cavern  with  a  deafening  roar;  the  rocks  are  of  a  peculiar 
pinkish  tinge.  The  shrine  at  the  back  is  dedicated  to  Benten. 
For  a  2-sen  fee  a  small  boy  with  a  candle  leads  one  into  a  drip- 
ping, subterraneous  passage  called  the  dragon's  tail.  The  lat- 
eral corridors  are  supposed  to  be  his-  wings.  — Returning  to 
Katase  one  may  vary  the  route  by  boarding  the  tram-car  for 
(15  min.,  fare  10  sen)  Fujisawa  and  returning  thence  to  Yoko- 
hama by  rly.  (Rte.  24). 

From  Kamakura  the  rly.  bends  broadly  to  the  left  and  tra- 
verses a  green,  hilly,  and  picturesque  region;  the  Hase-no- 
Kwannon  Temple  is  seen  on  a  terrace  at  the  far  right;  at  the 
left,  near  the  summit  of  a  tall  wooded  hill  is  a  curious  Chinese- 
style  garden  embracing  a  cluster  of  shrines  and  images.  As  the 
hills  close  in,  the  view  narrows  and  the  train  runs  through  a 
magnificently  wooded  district  where  the  vegetation  thrives 
with  semi- tropic  vigor.  Every  bit  of  the  land,  not  too  steep  to 
afford  a  footing  to  the  farmer,  is  under  intensive  cultivation; 
the  smaller  hills  show  garden  plots  up  to,  and  over,  their  sum- 
mits, and  the  brown  squares  of  freshly-harrowed  soil,  awaiting 
the  quickening  seed,  form  color  contrasts  pleasing  to  the  eye, 


YOKOSUKA  2.  Route.  37 


Many  of  the  straw-thatched  huts  have  rows  of  lilies  growing  on 
their  roof  ridges. 

15  M.  Dzushi  {zoo'-  she),  a  popular  seaside  resort  on  the.W. 
side  of  the  peninsula  overlooking  Sagami  Bay,  lies  \  M.  right 
of  the  rly.  amid  lovely  surroundings.  A  number  of  Yokohama 
people  have  seaside  cottages  here.  The  fine  automobile  road 
continues  down  the  W.  shore  to  Hay ama  (' foothill'),  a  de- 
lightful retreat  where  certain  members  of  the  Japanese  nobil- 
ity have  country  villas  (besso).  Excellent  sea-bathing  and 
enchanting  views  of  Fuji-san.  —  The  rly.  now  bears  to  the  left 
and  crosses  the  peninsula  to  the  E.  shore,  cutting  through 
many  tall  green  hills  flanked  by  valleys  diapered  with  rice- 
fields.  The  highway  at  the  left  connects  Dzushi  with  Kana- 
zawa  and  forms  a  cross-country  link  between  the  road  skirting 
the  E.  shore  from  that  point  and  the  section  between  Dzushi 
and  Misaki  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  peninsula.  The  two  roads 
unite,  near  Kikuna,  and  motorists  from  Yokohama  often  pro- 
ceed from  Kamakura  to  Dzushi,  thence  through  Hayama  and 
Akiya  to  Misaki  and  back  via  Kikuna,  Uraga,  and  Yokosuka. 
While  the  trip  is  beautiful  at  any  season,  it  is  doubly  so  on  a 
clear  day  (all  too  rare  in  spring)  when  the  broad  stretch  of  sea 
and  the  mainland  beyond  are  visible  along  with  Fuji  and  other 
giant  mts. 

The  tall  hill  seen  at  the  right  after  leaving  Dzushi  is  Futa- 
goyama.  Many  splendid  specimens  of  evergreen  Coniferos- 
flowering  Bignoniacece,  and  wild  vines  add  color  to  the  ver- 
dant hills,  whose  bases  are  perforated  with  numerous  artificial 
caves,  of  no  great  depth,  that  shelter  tiny  shrines  or  serve  the 
husbandmen  as  storerooms.  If  the  season  be  too  early  for  the 
planting  of  rice,  certain  of  the  paddies  are  covered  with  ripen- 
ing barley,  wheat,  peas,  broad-beans,  rape,  mustard,  onions,  or 
radishes,  and  each  seems  to  vie  with  the  other  in  adding  some 
delicate  floral  tint  or  shade  of  green  to  the  lovely  prospect. 
Dense  groves  of  slim  bamboos  rise  here  and  there  like  gigantic 
plumed  buggy- whips  amid  the  broader  and  taller  forest  trees. 
The  occasional  palmettoes,  with  palm-leaf  fans  in  embryo  on 
their  low  trunks,  impart  a  sub-tropical  aspect  to  the  country- 
side. When  their  leaf-stalks  decay,  they  leave  a  fibrous  sub- 
stance which  serves  the  farmers  as  flags  to  frighten  off  corvine 
freebooters.  Primitive  well-sweeps  are  features  of  the  locality. 
The  train  enters  a  deep  cut  in  the  hills,  runs  upward  through  a 
tunnel,  then  downward  through  another  to  the  pretty  bay  and 
harbor  of  18  M.  Taura,  separated  by  4  tunnels  from 

19  M.  Yokosuka  (yo-kos-kah),  a  picturesque  port  (pop. 
32,000)  at  the  foot  of  a  range  of  hills  scattered  over  with 
houses,  and  overlooking  Tokyo  Bay.  One  of  the  principal  gov't 
arsenals  and  naval  dockyards  utilizes  the  fine  landlocked  har- 
bor (nearly  a  mile  long),  and  photographing  is  forbidden. 
Visitors  are  debarred  from  the  dockyards  unless  equipped  with 


38   Route  2.  YOKOSUKA 


Will  Adams. 


a  permit  from  the  naval  authorities.  The  Naval  Artificer's 
School  is  under  Imperial  patronage.  The  harbor  is  usually 
filled  with  war-craft  undergoing  repairs,  and  the  town  is  made 
martial  by  the  presence  of  many  men-of-war's  men.  Tourists 
usually  come  hither  to  visit  the  Grave  of  Will  Adams,  the  first 
Englishman  who  came  to  Japan.  His  tomb  crowns  the  sum- 
mit of  a  hill,  Anjin-zuka  ('  Pilot  Hill ')  at  the  rear  of  the  town, 
\  M.  from  the  station.  By  following  the  main  st.  past  the  bar- 
racks (right)  one  soon  comes  to  a  fork  in  the  road  and  a  bridge, 
which  one  crosses,  then  turns  to  the  left.  The  narrow  st.  winds 
now  to  the  left,  now  to  the  right,  passing  first  a  small  Buddhist 
temple,  then  a  Shinto  shrine  behind  a  tall  torii.  At  the  far  end 
of  the  shrine  in  closure,  turn  sharply  to  the  right,  and  follow 
the  long  st.  to  the  foot  of  the  hill  where  stands  a  monument 
(AnjinHi)  to  Adams  unveiled  in  1912.  The  inscription  (hiburi) 
on  the  face,  in  Chinese  and  Kana  characters,  apprises  the 
stranger  that  'the  graves  of  Will  Adams  and  his  wife  are  on 
the  summit  of  the  hill.'  The  legend  on  the  back  says  'the 
monument  was  erected  in  1910  by  admirers  of  the  exiled  pilot' ; 
the  names  are  those  of  Baron  Sufu,  Governor  of  Kanagawa 
Prefecture;  and  Sir  Claude  Maxwell  Macdonald  (sometime) 
Ambassador  of  H.B.M.'s  Gov't  to  Japan. 

The  Tombs,  which  stand  on  the  crest  of  Tsukayama  ('Tomb 
hill '),  are  reached  first  by  following  the  long  winding  roadway, 
then  ascending  the  successive  flights  of  stone  steps  flanked  by 
trees  planted  by  foreign  ambassadors.  On  a  clear  day  the 
views  over  the  undulating  country  from  points  near  the  sum- 
mit are  very  beautiful.  The  woods  are  sweet  and  undefiled,  a 
host  of  wild  flowers  grow  in  the  underbrush,  and  singing  birds 
enliven  the  neighborhood.  The  shorter 'of  the  twin  tombs  is 
that  of  Adamsy  Japanese  wife.  Inscriptions  on  the  several  stone 
lanterns  at  the  base  of  the  socle  advise  that  they  were  erected 
to  the  memory  of  the  pilot  and  his  wife  by  the  residents  of 
Anjin-cho,  Nihonbashi  (Tokyo),  where  Adams  dwelt  for  a  time. 
Tea  and  light  refreshments  may  be  had  at  the  custodian's 
house  at  the  right  near  the  summit.  The  road  which  descends 
the  hill  at  the  rear  goes  to  Hayama. 

Will  Adams,  a  native  of  Kent,  was  sailing-master  of  a  fleet  of  Dutch  trad- 
ing vessels  which  set  out  for  the  East  Indies  on  a  trading  expedition  in  1598. 
Owing  to  a  series  of  misfortunes,  most  of  the  ships  were  wrecked,  but  Adams 
arrived  at  Eungo,  April  19,  1600.  Because  of  his  knowledge  of  shipbuilding, 
mathematics,  and  foreign  affairs  in  general;  and  because  also  he  was  bluff 
and  honest  and  unlike  the  fawning  Dutch  traders  and  the  shifty  Jesuitical 
Portingalls,he  became  a  great  favorite  with  the  Shogun  1 eyasu,  who  by  golden 
promises  induced  (and  perhaps  forced)  him  to  stay  in  Japan,  where  he  was 
appointed  a  teacher  of  mathematics  and  artillery ;  was  employed  as  an  inter- 
mediary with  the  foreign  traders;  and  was  presented  with  the  fief  of  Hemmi- 
mura  (Yokosuka) ,  in  Miura-gori.  When  Adams  realized  that  he  was  held  in 
gilded  bondage,  he  married  a  Japanese  woman  (by  whom  he  had  a  son  who 
died  young)  and  changed  his  name  to  Miura  Anjin  —  the  first  word  symbolic 
of  the  district  in  which  his  fief  was  located ;  the  latter  a  corruption  of  pilot,  or 
engineer.  He  died  at  Hirado  May  16,  1620,  and  according  to  the  wish  ex- 


PERRY  MONUMENT       2.  Route.  39 


pressed  in  his  will,  was  buried  on  the  hillock  overlooking  his  estate.  History 
and  the  drama  have  woven  an  appealing  romance  about  this  sad,  solitary 
figure  held  in  friendly  captivity  far  from  his  native  land,  and  the  sympathetic 
mind  can  easily  picture  him  standing  on  the  summit  of  the  hill  which  was 
later  to  be  his  grave,  gazing  wistfully,  and  with  straining  eyes,  at  the  lovely 
sea  unrolled  at  his  feet,  and  beyond  which  were  the  wife  and  kindred  and 
country  he  was  nevermore  to  see. 

The  Monument  to  Commodore  Perry  (p.  cclxxiv)  stands 
on  the  seashore  about  4|  M.  down  the  coast  from  Yokosuka, 
and  1J  Ml  beyond  the  port  of  Uraga.  A  good  walker  can  make 
the  round  trip  easily  in  3  hrs.  and  enjoy  every  foot  of  the  excel- 
lent sea-road.  Shops  and  dwellings  flank  it  nearly  the  whole 
way,  and  there  are  numerous  tea-houses.  That  at  Otsu,  mid- 
way of  the  towns,  sits  near  the  beach  and  commands  beautiful 
views  of  the  bay.  Characteristic  features  of  some  of  the  way- 
side shops  are  protecting  sheds  which  arch  above  the  roadway 
like  those  of  the  rest-houses  on  the  main  roads  of  Java.  Fre- 
quent basha  go  to  and  fro,  but  are  usually  too  crowded  to  suit 
the  foreigner.  The  jinriki  fare  from  Yokosuka  to  Uraga  (50 
min.)  is  40  sen,  with  an  additional  20  sen  to  the  monument. 
¥1.50  for  the  round  trip  is  ample.  —  The  road  from  Yokosuka 
follows  the  contour  of  the  beach;  pedestrians  can  save  a  little 
by  cutting  through  some  of  the  converging  lanes.  At  the  ex- 
treme end  of  the  town,  at  a  precipitous  bluff  crowned  by  a 
small  temple,  the  road  turns  abruptly  to  the  right,  leads  through 
a  tunnel,  then  follows  the  coast  through  a  picturesque  hamlet. 
Charming  views  at  the  left.  Uraga  (oo-rang'-ah),  the  clearance 
port  for  the  junk  trade  to  Tokyo,  was  visited  by  Perry  in  1853. 
The  two  dockyards  are  owned  by  private  interests.  Mizuame 
is  a  local  specialty.  The  temple  is  not  worth  inspecting.  To 
reach  the  monument  we  continue  through  the  town,  thence  up 
and  down  over  a  fine  woods-road  through  a  remarkably  pretty 
country.  At  the  far  end  of  Kurihama  village  (J  M.  inland), 
beyond  a  quaint  arched  bridge,  a  signboard  points  the  way 
toward  the  sea.  The  tea-house  at  the  corner  of  the  road  on  the 
beach  has  upper  rooms  whence  superb  views  over  Uraga 
Channel  and  its  procession  of  ships  are  to  be  had.  The  distant 
shores  are  those  of  Awa  and  Kazusa  Provinces.  The  Monu- 
ment stands  in  the  center  of  a  broad  square  inclosed  by  banks 
faced  with  stone;  36  gray  granite  posts  linked  by  ship's  anchor- 
chains  inclose  the  broad  plinth,  whence  rises  the  socle,  then  the 
shaft  which  supports  the  flat,  gray  monolith.  Two  vertical 
lines  of  black  characters  in  Chinese  and  Japanese  adorn  the 
face  of  the  slab,  on  the  reverse  of  which,  in  English,  is  the  trans- 
lation :  '  This  Monument  commemorates  the  First  Arrival  of 
Commodore  Perry,  Ambassador  from  the  United  States  of 
America,  who  landed  at  this  place  July  14,  1853.  Erected  July 
14, 1901,  by  America's  Friend  Association.'  Within  the  inclos- 
ure  are  many  young  trees  planted  by  friendly  hands.  At  the 
right  of  the  socle  is  a  Kaneko  pine  tree,  planted  July  14, 1901, 


40    Route  3. 


AROUND  FUJI-SAN  TO  SHOJI 


by  Viscount  Kaneko.  Another,  called  the  Roders  (sic)  pine 
was  planted  on  the  same  day  by  Rear-Admiral  Frederick 
Rodger  s.  Modest  souvenirs  of  the  spot  are  the  equi valve  shells 
of  the  Arcidse  (area  subcrenata,  Japanese,  sarubo)  which  lie 
scattered  in  the  sand  along  the  beach. 

About  10  M.  farther  down  the  coast,  at  the  extreme  S.  end 
of  the  Miura-gori  Peninsula,  overlooking  Sagami  Bay,  is  the 
nondescript  town  of  Misaki,  with  a  Marine  Biological 
Laboratory  (Misaki  Rinkai  Jikken-jo)  established  in  1896 
and  containing  rare  and  interesting  specimens  of  marine  fauna. 
It  is  a  part  of  the  excellent  Imperial  University  at  Tokyo,  by 
which  it  is  maintained.  The  highroad  follows  the  trend  of 
the  coast  and  skirts  the  shore  of  Kaneda  Bay  (3J  M.  wide) 
between  Senda-  and  Ame-saki,  before  turning  inland  and  cross- 
ing the  foot  of  the  peninsula.  The  round  trip  of  20  M.  is  a  good 
day's  run  for  a  jinriki  shafu,  with  whom  a  bargain  should  be 
struck  before  starting.  A  native  inn  at  Misaki  provides  food 
and  lodging  of  a  kind  at  reasonable  prices.  On  June  18  each 
year  a  great  festival  is  celebrated  at  the  Kainan-jinja  at  Misaki, 
and  a  gorgeous  festival-car  is  taken  down  to  the  beach  and  set 
afloat  to  the  accompaniment  of  music  and  jubilation.  Immense 
numbers  of  cuttlefish  are  captured  offshore  at  Misaki,  some- 
times as  many  as  200,000  in  a  single  day.  —  About  1  M.  off  the 
coast  is  the  reef-rimmed  island  of  Joga-shima,  the  S.  point  of 
the  Miura-gori  Peninsula,  at  the  W.  side  of  the  entrance  to 
the  Gulf  of  Tokyo.  At  the  W.  edge  of  the  island  (reached  by  a 
ferry  from  Misaki),  106  ft.  above  high  water,  is  the  Nagatsuru 
Saki  Lighthouse,  with  a  fixed  green  light  visible  9  M.  at  sea.  — 
Returning  from  Misaki  the  pedestrian  or  the  motorist  will  per- 
haps elect  to  follow  the  road  leading  N.  to  Dzushi,  Kamakura, 
etc.,  along  the  W.  shore  of  the  peninsula.  On  clear  days  the 
sea-views  are  exquisite.  The  country  is  a  succession  of  wooded 
hills  with  fat  valleys  and  native  hamlets  between.  An  auto- 
mobile trip  for  the  50  M.  or  more  from  Yokohama  to  Misaki 
and  return  can  be  arranged  with  the  hotel  manager.  A  car 
holding  6  persons  can  be  had  with  a  chauffeur  for  about  ¥30. 
The  trip  is  delightful  throughout  its  length. 

3.  From  Yokohama  around  Fuji-san  to  Shoji. 

Around  Fuji-san  to  Shoji  forms  one  of  the  most  delightful 
short  trips  in  Japan  and  is  recommended  to  lovers  of  exquisite 
mountain,  lake,  and  forest  scenery.  While  it  can  be  accom- 
plished leisurely  in  4  days  (3  on  a  pinch),  a  week  should  be  de- 
voted to  it.  Early  spring  or  fall  is  the  loveliest  season,  although 
the  region  is  singularly  beautiful  at  all  times  of  the  year.  The 
inns  are  clean,  attractive,  and  cheap;  a  little  English  is  spoken 
in  them,  and  a  guide  from  Yokohama  is  unnecessary.  The 
Shoji  Hotel  —  the  objective  point  of  most  travelers  to  the  dis- 


AROUND  FUJI-SAN  TO  SHOJI       8.  Route.  41 


trict  —  stands  on  an  elevated  promontory  overlooking  the 
gem-like  Shdji  Lake  at  the  N.W.  foot  of  Fuji  in  Kai  Province. 
Yamanashi-ken  (telegraph  and  telephone  connections),  and 
the  English-speaking  proprietress  will,  on  receipt  of  advance 
advices,  have  the  hotel  coolies  meet  the  traveler  at  any  near-by 
point,  relieve  him  of  luggage  and  responsibility,  and  conduct 
him  safely  to  the  hotel.  Their  pay  is  ¥1.20  a  day,  and  besides 
being  trustworthy,  they  are  useful  in  many  ways.  There  are  no 
discomforts,  and  the  alternate  boating  and  walking  between 
Kami  Yoshida  and  Shoji  is  enlivened  by  some  of  the  most  mag- 
nificent views  imaginable  of  the  lordly  Fuji  —  views  of  the  N. 
side,  which  travelers  along  the  Tokaido  miss. 

The  shortest,  quickest,  and  best  way  from  Yokohama  to 
Shoji  is  by  the  Tokaido  rly.  to  (2  hrs.)  51  M.  Gotemba  (fare 
¥2.13,  1st  cL;  ¥1.28,  2d  cl.),  thence  by  tramway  to  20  M. 
Kami  Yoshida  (in  about  5  hrs.,  fare  70  sen),  where  the  coolies 
sent  from  the  Shoji  Hotel  will  meet  one  with  chairs  or  horses. 
The  uncertainty  of  making  close  connections  with  the  tram  at 
Gotemba,  the  beauty  of  the  scenery  beyond  Kami  Yoshida, 
I  and  the  fact  that  the  trail  might  prove  difficult  after  nightfall, 
W  make  it  undesirable  to  expect,  or  attempt,  to  accomplish  the 
outward  trip  in  one  day.  Furthermore,  the  tram-ride  is  tire- 
-  some,  and  ladies  particularly  will  be  glad  enough  for  the  night's 
rest  in  the  clean  little  Osakabe  Hotel  (¥2  a  day)  at  Kami  Yosh- 
ida (cars  stop  at  the  door)  where  chairs,  a  table,  semi-foreign 
food,  and  minor  comforts  are  provided  by  the  obliging  hostess 
(English  spoken)  and  host  —  a  maimed  veteran  of  the  siege  of 
Port  Arthur.  [Travelers  from  Tokyo  can  reach  this  point  by 
proceeding  over  the  Central  Rly.  Line  (Rte.  25)  to  50  M. 
.  Otsuki  (in  about  4  hrs.;  fare  ¥2.10,  1st  cl.;  ¥1.26,  2d  cl.), 
j  whence  the  tramway  runs  up  the  valley  of  the  Katsura-gawa  to 
12  M.  (2  hrs.,  48  sen)  Yoshida — an  extension  of  Kami  Yoshida.] 
The  cost  of  a  chair  hence  to  Shoji  is  ¥5  (4  men  at  ¥1.20 
each),  but  if  one  goes  via  the  lakes  it  will  be  used  but  little. 
Jinrikis  are  available  to  Funatsu  (40  sen).  Unless  one  plans  to 
shoot  the  rapids  of  the  Fujikawa,  and  not  return  via  Kami 
Yoshida,  the  best  way  is  to  go  via  the  lakes  and  come  back  by 
the  alternate,  overland  route  described  hereinafter.  In  this 
case  heavy  luggage  can  be  left  at  the  inn  and  picked  up  later. 
Travelers  who  contemplate  climbing  Fuji  (see  p.  45),  then 
going  to  Shoji,  and  joining  the  rly.  (via  the  river-route)  at 
Iwabuchi,  can  save  time  and  money  by  leaving  the  tram-car  at 
Subashiri  (7  M.  from  Gotemba  and  usually  the  station  from 
which  Fuji  is  ascended),  climb  the  mt.  and  then  go  on  to  Kami 
Yoshida.  The  boat-hire  (for  a  small  party)  on  the  first  lake 
(Kawaguchi)  W.  of  Kami  Yoshida  is  ¥1.20;  on  Nishi,  the  2d 
lake,  ¥1  (about  20%  more  is  expected  in  bad  weather — at 
which  time  the  lakes  should  be  avoided).  The  fares  from  Shoji 
\  to  the  river  or  the  rly.  are  mentioned  farther  on. 


42   Route  3.        AROUND  FUJI-SAN  TO  SHOJI 


The  country  between  Yokohama  and  Gotemba  is  described 
in  Rte.  24.  The  Gotemba  inns  are  mentioned  at  p.  48.  The 
tramway  station  is  3  min.  walk  to  the  right  of  that  of  the  rly. 
At  the  ticket-office  travelers  are  sometimes  told  that  a  regular 
car  may  not  leave  for  some  hrs.,  the  aim  being  to  induce  one  to 
hire  a  special  car  (specially  shabby  —  seats  6-8  pers.)  at  ¥8.50. 
The  line  ascends  via  Subashiri  (p.  51)  to  (4  hrs.)  Kago-zaka 
(•  basket  trail  ')  Pass,  whence  returning  cars  come  down  by  the 
pull  of  gravity,  often  at  a  disconcerting  speed.  Beyond  this  it  is 
downhill  over  a  winding  road  (  Yamanaka  Lake  at  the  right), 
with  fine  views  of  Fuji  at  the  left  to  (2  hrs.)  Kami  Yoshida 
(returning  cars  leave  hourly),  a  picturesque  village  at  the  N. 
base  of  Fuji,  which  towers  grandly  above  it  (summit  11  M. 
halfway  on  horseback) .  Hence  via  the  lakes  {Kawaguchi,  3  M. ; 
Nishi,  7  M.)  to  the  Shdji  Hotel  is  15  M.  (12  M.  overland).  — 
The  inn  at  (1  M.)  Shimo  Yoshida  (the  upper  end  of  Kami 
Yoshida)  is  the  Togawa  (¥2  a  day). 

The  road  winds  across  the  fertile  fields  of  decomposed  vol- 
canic drift  to  20  min.  Akasaka  village,  where  the  overland  trail 
(which  avoids  the  lakes)  turns  up  at  the  left ;  the  straight  road 
leads  in  30  min.  to  Funatsu,  a  picturesque  cluster  of  houses, 
embowered  in  mulberry  trees,  at  the  upper  edge  of  Kawaguchi 
C River  mouth')  Lake  (4  M.  long).  Sericulture  is  the  chief 
industry  of  the  region,  and  almost  every  homestead  possesses 
one  or  more  primitive  silk-reels.  Boatmen  are  on  the  watch  for 
travelers,  who  are  conducted  to  the  near-by  landing.  If  one 
happens  to  pass  this  way  in  autumn,  when  melons  and  strings 
of  yellow  corn  are  drying  beneath  the  eaves  of  the  overhanging, 
heavily  thatched  house-roofs,  and  the  hills  roundabout  flame 
with  scarlet  foliage  that  reflects  its  wanton  beauty  in  the  pellu- 
cid waters  of  the  lake,  one  will  register  a  scene  not  easily  for- 
gotten. Nagahama,  at  the  far  end  of  the  lake,  is  a  bit  over  1  hr. 
sail,  or  row;  thence  it  is  a  fairly  stiffish  30  min.  walk  up  Torii- 
zaka  to  the  crest  of  the  ridge  separating  the  lake  from  the  adja- 
cent Nishi-noumi  (f  West  Lake').  The  views  here  are  splendid, 
embracing  as  they  do  the  two  gem-like  lakes  nestling  in  their 
green  beds  and  reflecting,  in  an  inverted  way,  the  exquisite 
cone  of  Fuji.  The  boat-landing  is  at  (8  min.)  Saiko  village,  and 
the  keeper  of  the  poor  and  misnamed  Matsuya  Hotel  owns  the 
boat  and  keeps  the  oars;  hence  to  the  lower  end  (1  M.)  of  the 
lake  is  ¥1.  The  boat  grounds  at  a  point  somewhat  to  the  left  of 
the  squalid  village  of  Nemba,  near  the  Shoji  trail;  which 
plunges  at  once  (left)  into  a  wild,  semi-tropical,  bird-infested 
tangle  of  black  doleritic  lava  streams  significant  of  Fuji's  tre- 
mendous activity  in  the  past.  Few  byways  in  Japan  are  as 
interesting  .  The  decomposed  volcanic  detritus,  a  sheltered  sit- 
uation, and  almost  continued  moisture  have  produced  a  wealth 
of  beautiful  wild  flora  in  which  brilliant  green  mosses,  lovely 
ferns,  and  Florida  moss  (Dendropogon  usneoides)  are  conspicu- 


AROUND  FUJI-SAN  TO  SHOJI       3.  Route.  43 


ous  features,  —  the  latter  pending  in  ghostly  gray,  filiform  fes- 
toons from  the  tall  trees  just  as  it  does  from  the  patriarchal 
eucalyptuses  in  Chapultepec  Park,  and  from  the  giants  of  Vir- 
ginia's Dismal  Swamp.  Great  lianas  wind  round  the  stems  of 
the  trees  and  bind  them  into  an  almost  impenetrable  jungle. 
The  volcanic  streams  are  easily  defined,  and  where  they  cross 
the  path  the  amygdaloidal  stones  are  seen  to  be  covered  with 
lichenous  forms.  In  some  places  gaping  caverns  are  exposed, 
in  the  dark,  cold  depths  of  which  snow  often  remains  through- 
out the  summer.  The  obsidian-like  edges  of  certain  of  the  black 
stones  cut  one's  shoes  like  glass  and  emphasize  the  value  of  the 
useful  waraji.  The  wonderful  and  varied  plant-  and  bird-life; 
the  fantastic  rock  formations,  and  the  extraordinarily  singular 
aspect  of  the  place  —  mediaeval  rather  than  modern,  with  a 
suggestion  of  elf -land  —  are  sustainedly  interesting.  Travelers 
should  remember  that  the  fragrant  white  flowers  of  the  Andro- 
meda japonica  (Japanese,  asemi)  so  much  in  evidence  will  poison 
one  if  held  between  the  lips.  For  If  hrs.  one  tramps  steadily 
through  this  labyrinthine  Japanese  everglade,  up  hill  and  down 
dale,  emerging  finally,  and  abruptly,  on  the  silent  shore  of  the 
beautiful,  irregular  Shdji  Lake  (Shoji-ko),  300  ft.  deep  and  3160 
ft.  above  the  sea.  The  path  half-circles  it  to  a  landing  toward 
which  a  boat  puts  out  from  the  (1  M.)  hotel  on  the  opposite 
shore. 

The  Shoji  Hotel  (¥6.50  a  day,  Am.  pi.;  ¥5.50  by  the  week; 
reduction  for  a  longer  stay)  occupies  a  commanding  position 
on  the  Unosaki  promontory,  above  a  charming  little  bay  a  mile 
or  more  from  the  small  cove  in  which  nestles  the  nondescript 
Shdji  village.  Excellent  fishing  in  the  spring  and  summer.  Carp 
(koi) ;  a  species  of  cat-fish  (namazu) ;  goldfish  (funa ;  comp.  p. 
civ) ;  and  several  minor  species  are  the  most  plentiful.  Boats  25 
sen  an  hour;  ¥1  a  day.  Fishing-tackle  in  the  hotel.  Good  bath- 
ing in  the  cove  near  by.  Many  wild  ducks  make  the  lake  a 
winter  rendezvous,  and  pheasants  and  wild  boars  infest  the  for- 
ests. Splendid  pine  trees  overhang  the  lake,  which  reminds  one 
of  the  silent  tarns  of  Maine  or  Upper  Canada.  The  lake  floor  is 
supposed  to  be  warmed  by  subterraneous  fires,  since  as  soon  as 
the  ice  (2-3  ft.  in  winter;  fine  skating)  thickens  at  the  surface, 
the  fish  disappear  to  return  to  the  surface  in  balmier  weather. 
As  none  of  the  lakes  round  Fuji's  base  have  visible  outlets,  and 
as  the  water-lines  change  frequently,  the  natives  hold  the  be- 
lief that  they  are  connected  with  subterranean  watercourses 
(see  p.  45). 

From  Eboshi-ga-take,  the  lofty  hill  (40  min.  climb)  behind  the 
hotel,  all  the  lakes  are  included  in  the  fine  panorama.  Maruyama 
(3750  ft.),  a  rounded  hill  on  Fuji's  flank  (good  J  day  excursion; 
guide  50, sen;  80  sen  for  the  day),  contains  a  locally  celebrated 
Ice  Cave  (Koriana)  popular  with  tourists.  , Entrance  fee  50 
sen.  For  some  unknown  reason  the  ice  never  melts  entirely. 


44   Route  3. 


AROUND  FUJI-SAN  TO  SHOJI 


and  after  a  prolonged  cold  spell  many  huge  icicles  pend  from 
the  roof  to  meet  the  icy  stalagmitic  forms  which  rise  in  jagged 
irregularity  from  the  cavern  floor  (of  unknown  thickness) .  If  the 
traveler  breaks  any  of  these  a  recompense  will  be  demanded. 
To  this  bizarre  cold-storage  plant  the  Shoji  folks  bring  silk- 
worm cocoons  (kaiko)  and  store  them  to  prevent  unseasonable 
development.  The  cave  is  believed  to  have  been  anciently  a  big 
breathing-hole  for  the  volcano.  There  are  many  lovely  walks 
in  the  Shoji  neighborhood. 

The  Overland  Route  from  Shoji  to  Kami  Yoshida  em- 
bodies much  the  same  scenery  as  the  lake  route,  except  that  it 
skirts  the  shores  of  the  lakes  nearer  to  the  mt.  The  charge  for  a 
chair  to  (halfway)  Narusawa  is  ¥2.50;  to  Kami  Yoshida,  ¥5. 
Coolie  only,  ¥1.20.  If  one  expects  to  board  the  11-12  o'clock 
tram-car  at  Kami  Yoshida  for  Gotemba,  and  thus  reach  Yoko- 
hama early  in  the  evening,  one  had  better  make  an  early  start, 
say  7  o'clock.  The  hotel  boat  takes  one  to  a  different  landing 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake,  and  the  first  part  of  the  way  is 
through  another,  and  equally  attractive,  section  of  the  extra- 
ordinary lava-field  traversed  on  the  outward  journey.  In  the 
early  morning  when  the  entire  forest  is  dew-gemmed,  it  is  as 
beautiful  a  deep  tangled  wild  wood  as  one  could  imagine.  At 
the  end  of  2  hrs.  we  enter  a  sparsely  wooded  country,  at  the 
right  of  which  Fuji  rises  in  a  splendor  indescribable;  white,  cot- 
tony clouds  drift  round  its  flanks,  and  the  snow  on  its  summit  — 
gloriously  beautiful  against  the  steel-blue  sky  —  resembles 
vast  billows  of  corded  silk.  Numerous  lava  streams  are  crossed, 
and  these  alternate  with  groves  of  stunted  trees  and  prairie- 
land.  Beyond  Akasaka  village  we  follow  the  same  road  as  on 
the  outward  journey.  The  straight  road  goes  to  Shimo  Yoshida. 

From  Shoji  via  (5  M.)  Lake  Motosu  to  Yokaichiba  Vil- 
lage, where  one  boards  the  boat  for  the  Rapids  of  the  Fuji- 
kawa, is  about  18  M. ;  a  leisurely  day  should  be  devoted  to  it  as 
the  scenery  is  charming  and  will  often  detain  one.  The  river 
can  be  reached  easily  before  twilight,  and  the  boats  do  not 
start  until  early  morning.  Horse  with  coolie  to  act  as  guide 
(along  the  lake  shore),  ¥4;  on  foot  with  coolie,  ¥2.  This  latter 
method  is  preferable,  for  not  only  can  the  journey  be  shortened 
about  3  M.  by  climbing  over  Mydjin-yama  (1000  ft.  above  the 
lake,  impracticable  for  horses),  but  from  the  pass  one  obtains 
one  of  the  most  extraordinarily  beautiful  panoramas  in  the 
neighborhood  —  including  Lake  Motosu,  Lake  Shoji,  Fuji- 
san,  hundreds  of  square  miles  of  intervening  valley,  and  a  pros- 
pect that  holds  one  spellbound  by  its  varied  and  entrancing 
charm.  The  pretty  village  of  Furuseki  is  passed  before  Tam- 
bara  (with  a  poor  inn)  is  reached.  Here  it  is  best  to  board  a 
boat  and  go  down  the  river  (£  M.)  to  Yokaichiba,  where  there 
is  a  better  inn,  the  Fujikawa,  or  Wakaoya  Hotel  (¥2),  and 
where  the  innkeeper  will  plan  for  a  boat  for  the  following  day. 


TO  THE  SUMMIT  OF  FUJI-SAN      4-  Route.  45 


The  prices  of  these  are  advancing  steadily;  a  special  boat 
(which  will  make  the  trip  in  about  5  hrs.)  with  4  men  costs  about 
¥10;  the  daily  mail-boat  (¥1.50)  takes  about  7  hrs.  Additional 
information  concerning  the  rapids  will  be  found  in  Rte.  25. 

Those  who  do  not  care  to  rejoin  the  Tokaido  Rly.  by  the 
river-route,  may  proceed  from  Shoji  via  Lake  Motosu  to  13 
M.  Kamiide  (coolie  to  act  as  guide  and  carry  luggage,  ¥2;  with 
a  horse  ¥4),  whence  a  light  rly.  runs  via  Omiya  to  15  M.  Suzu- 
kawa  (fare  46  sen),  sl  station  on  the  main  line  of  the  rly.  The 
branch  is  being  extended  and  eventually  will  pass  through 
Shoji  en  route  to  Kofu.  One  with  a  little  time  to  spare  will  feel 
repaid  for  turning  aside  (J  M.  on  the  Shoji  side)  near  Kamiide 
to  see  (on  the  slope  of  Fuji-san)  the  lovely  Shiraito  ('  white 
thread  ')  Waterfalls,  of  crystal  clear  water  with  a  tint  like  that 
of  a  fine  blue-white  diamond.  The  environing  region  presents 
some  extraordinary  features.  In  some  places  big  streams  of 
water  gush  noisily  and  with  great  violence  from  holes  in  the 
ground,  that  are  supposed  to  be  the  outlets  of  subterraneous 
channels  draining  the  Fuji  lakes.  Certain  of  these  streams  unite 
and  form  the  Shiba  River,  which  in  turn  plunges  over  a  wide, 
semi-circular  precipice  of  black  lava  and  constitutes  two  big 
waterfalls,  the  O-daki  and  Me-daki  (male  and  female),  about 
80  ft.  high.  The  scores  of  small  ones  are  referred  to  as  their  chil- 
dren. The  myriad  tiny  streams  which  spurt  out  from  the  crev- 
ices in  the  rocks  resemble  nothing  so  much  as  fragile  white 
threads,  whence  the  name.  Near  by  is  the  remarkable  Otodome 
Cascade,  100  or  more  ft.  high,  and  about  30  ft.  broad. 

4.  From  Yokohama  to  the  summit  of  Fuji-san. 

Fuji-san  (Fuji  Mt.)  or  (poetically)  Fuji-no-yama  (Mt.  of 
Fuji),  often  referred  to  as  Fuji,  and  as  Fuji-yama;  the  loftiest, 
best  known,  most  beautiful  and  most  sacred  of  the  Japanese 
peaks;  a  dormant  volcano  on  the  border  line  between  Kai  and 
Sagami  Provinces,  stands  (approx.)  in  lat.  35°  06'  N.,  and  long. 
138°  51'  E.  of  Greenwich,  42  M.  from  Yokohama,  near  the  sea 
and  rly.  Although  its  height  is  given  usually  as  12,365  ft.  (a 
figure  rememorative  inferentially  from  the  12  months  and  365 
days  of  the  year),  the  Geographical  Survey  records  Kengamine 
C sword  peak  '),  the  highest  point,  on  the  W.  side,  as  measur- 
ing 12,400  ft.  To  sailors  Fuji  is  a  landmark  and  a  beacon  visible 
100  M.  at  sea  on  a  clear  day;  and  to  travelers  entering  T5kyo 
Bay  it  is  a  figure  in  a  picture  which  time  never  succeeds  in 
erasing  entirely  from  the  mind.  The  word  Fuji  written  in 
Romaji  (p.  cxxvii),  means '  wistaria/  but  the  ideographic  sym- 
bol is  written  differently  and  carries  other  meanings.  According 
to  Mr.  J.  Batchelor,  an  authority  on  Ainu  matters,  the  name 
Fuji  was  given  to  the  mt.  by  the  primitive  Ainus,  and  to  them 
represents  the  Goddess  of  Fire.  The  Japanese  have  a  score  or 


46   Route  4.       TO  THE  SUMMIT  OF  FUJI-SAN 


more  names  for  it,  most  of  them  with  poetic  reference  to  its 
manifold  and  fadeless  charms.  As  the  highest  expression  of  the 
predominatingly  mountainous  character  of  Japan,  Fuji  is  cov- 
ered with  snow  about  10  months  of  the  year,  and  is  a  weather- 
sign  and  prognostic  for  farmers  and  sailors.  Cultivated  plains 
sweep  up  its  base  for  a  distance  of  1200  ft.  or  more,  thence  to 
about  4000  ft.  it  is  belted  with  bamboo-grass  and  stunted  trees. 
Forests  of  pine  and  other  trees  mark  it  to  the  6000  ft.  level  on 
the  N.  side,  and  to  about  8000  ft.  on  the  S.  Scattered  amid 
these  trees  is  such  a  great  variety  of  plant  life  that  a  book  ( The 
Vegetation  of  Mt.  Fuji,  by  B.  Hayata,  Lecturer  on  Botany  in 
the  Botanical  Institute  of  the  Imperial  University  at  Tokyo  — 
on  sale  at  the  bookstores,  ¥2.50)  has  been  needed  to  catalogue 
it.  Beyond  this  forest  one  crosses  alternate  stretches  of  vol- 
canic detritus  —  fields  of  clinkers  and  cinders,  of  broken  dole- 
ritic  lava  and  similar  materials.  Fuji  stands  practically  iso- 
lated; anciently  the  grassy  slopes  of  Ashitaka-yama  (3950  ft.), 
the  rugged  range  at  the  S.E.,  were  the  favorite  breeding- 
grounds  of  wild  mustangs,  and  the  sword-like  bamboo-grass 
which  now  grows  there  so  prolifically  is  believed  by  the  credu- 
lous to  cure  all  the  diseases  to  which  horses  are  subject. 

Perhaps  no  single  figure  in  the  Japanese  landscape  is  so  often 
portrayed  on  the  various  products  of  native  art  and  industry  as 
Fuji-san;  it  is  carved  on  wood,  metal,  and  ivory,  and  is  painted 
on  silks,  lacquer,  porcelains,  fans,  and  a  host  of  fabrics.  The 
artists  seem  never  to  tire  of  it.  The  favorite  method  is  to  show 
it  enveloped  in  fleecy  clouds  or  with  white  storks  flying  athwart 
its  sides.  So  famous  and  so  universally  admired  is  this  sacro- 
sanct peak  that  wherever  in  Japan  a  conical  mt.  is  found,  it  is 
called  the  local  Fuji,  and  few  indeed  are  the  celebrated  land- 
scape gardens  that  has  not  one  miniature  of  it.  It  figures  in  the 
background  of  scores  of  Japanese  scenes,*  and  every  native 
feels  it  his  or  her  duty  to  climb  it  once  at  least  during  a  life- 
time. A  whimsical  proverb  exists  in  the  language  to  the  effect 
that 1  There  are  two  kinds  of  fools  in  Japan;  those  who  have 
never  climbed  Fuji,  and  those  who  have  climbed  it  twice.' 
Another  one  says  that  if  one  dreams  of  Fuji,  one  will  receive 
promotion  to  high  rank,  or  will  win  great  prosperity.  Fuji  is 
unusually  beautiful  for  a  mt.  of  such  size.  Despite  its  loftiness 
the  climb  to  its  summit  is  relatively  easy;  no  risks  attend  the 
ascent;  good  lungs,  a  strong  heart,  a  level  head  at  great  alti- 
tudes, and  perseverance  are  the  chief  requisites.  There  are  no 
dizzy  ridges  that  upset  one's  equilibrium  too  much,  and  near 
the  top,  where  the  air  is  rarest  and  one  feels  the  fatigue  the 
most,  are  stationed  stout  coolies  (goriki)  with  a '  pull '  in  the 
shape  of  a  strong  rope  which  they  fasten  to  the  traveler's  belt, 
lay  over  their  own  brawny  shoulders,  and  make  for  the  top  in  a 
whirl  of  energy  and  enthusiasm.  The  record  time  (8  hrs.)  for 
the  ascent  from  Tarobo  Station  to  the  summit  is  held  by  an 
Englishman. 


TO  THE  SUMMIT  OF  FUJI-SAN      4.  Route.  47 


Paraphrasing  a  witty  writer,  Fuji-san  has  what  mortals  rarely 
possess  united:  A  warm  heart,  with  a  clear,  cold  head!  It  is  a 
titanic  crucible  out  of  which  in  past  ages,  the  surrounding 
country  has  been  poured,  and  one  which  may  again  leave  its 
mark  on  Japan;  for  an  inspection  of  its  summit  proves  it  far 
from  being  dead.  Most  foreigners  consider  it  the  most  beau- 
tiful object  in  the  Mikado's  Empire,  and  many  climb  it  for  the 
sake  of  the  entrancing  panorama  visible  from  its  supernal 
heights.  Nothing  in  Japan  compares  to  this  in  transcendental 
beauty,  and  few  mts.  of  the  world  offer  so  varied  a  view  —  a 
blend  of  land  and  exquisite  sea.  The  Japanese  mention  13  pro- 
vinces from  which  Fuji  is  visible,  called  Fuji-mi-ju-san-shii, 
but  the  vista  from  the  summit  is  almost  limitless.  Whosoever 
can,  should  get  a  near  view  of  the  mt.  by  moonlight,  preferably 
on  a  frosty  night  when  the  snow  reaches  far  down  its  sides.  It 
is  then  like  a  colossal  inverted  cone  of  white  sugar,  with  a  sug- 
gestion of  ghostliness  more  pronounced  even  than  when  it 
shows  through  the  haze  of  a  summer  day. 

According  to  tradition,  Fuji  rose  from  the  plain  in  a  single 
night  in  b.c.  286,  coincident  with  the  forming  of  the  great 
depression  now  covered,  by  the  waters  of  Lake  Biwa.  It  is 
thought  to  have  continued  active  for  centuries;  history  men- 
tions the  last  of  the  numerous  devastating  eruptions  as  having 
lasted  from  Nov.  24,  1707,  to  Jan.  22, 1708.  During  this  period 
a  new  crater  was  opened  on  the  S.  side,  and  the  parasitic  mound 
of  Hoei-zan  (so-called  from  the  name  of  the  era  during  which  it 
happened)  was  built  up  to  the  height  of  about  9500  ft.  Of  this 
outburst  a  priest,  whose  temple  was  9  M.  from  the  E.  base  of 
the  mt.  writes :  — 

'Assuredly  it  is  an  unusual  event,  that,  as  was  the  case  in  1707,  Fuji-no- 
yama  suddenly  opened  in  a  place  overgrown  with  splendid  trees  to  vomit 
fire,  so  that  stones  and  showers  of  ashes  flew  about  and  fell  down  in  prov- 
inces and  districts.  These  showers  of  stones  and  ashes  lasted  for  ten  days,  so 
that  fields,  temples,  houses,  etc.  were  covered  with  ejected  matter  more  than 
10  ft.  deep.  The  dwellers  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fuji  lost  their  homes,  and 
many  of  them  died  of  hunger.  I  myself  was  one  of  the  unhappy  eye  wit- 
nesses of  this  terrible  eruption,  and  the  remembrance  of  it  fills  me  with  pain 
and  woe.' 

The  terror  and  confusion  caused  by  the  mt.  are  described  in 
a  graphic  way ;  the  clouds  of  ashes  turned  the  days  into  murky 
nights,  and  these  ashes  were  accompanied  by  red-hot  stones, 
which  flew  hissing  through  the  air.  Finally  the  jarring  din  of 
earthquakes  was  added  to  complete  the  measure  of  misery.  In 
Yedo  there  was  darkness  by  day  and  night;  the  earth  shook, 
and  the  ashes  covered  the  houses  there  to  a  thickness  of  several 
inches.  The  roaring  of  the  angry  volcano  was  heard  quite 
plainly,  and  all  Japan  was  stricken  with  awe  by  its  wrath. 

Time,  Cost,  and  Outfit.  A  quick  ascent  of  Fuji  and  a  return 
to  Yokohama  can  be  made  in  about  36  hrs.,  and  more  leisurely 
in  48  hrs.  A  sturdy  climber  can,  by  leaving  Subashirii  at  2-3 


48   Route  4.       TO  THE  SUMMIT  OF  FUJI-SAN 


a.m.  reach  the  summit  at  noon,  and  after  spending  2  hrs.  there 
(one  of  which  will  be  needed  to  make  the  approx.  2  M.  circuit 
of  the  crater),  descend  comfortably  in  4-5  hrs.  It  is  well  to 
remember,  however,  that  a  storm  may  delay  one  at  any  point, 
and  prolong  the  trip  several  days.  Traveling  on  the  mt.  in  a 
storm  is  dangerous,  and  should  not  be  attempted  —  particu- 
larly when  a  strong  wind  is  blowing.  The  ascent  is  less  tiresome 
on  a  cloudy  day,  for  when  the  sun  pours  down  upon  one,  and 
the  volcanic  scoria  reflects  its  rays  into  one's  eyes,  it  becomes 
burdensome.  The  best  season  is  thought  to  be  late  July  or 
early  Aug.  Residents  sometimes  plan  to  start  on  the  tail  of  a 
typhoon,  in  the  belief  that  clear  weather  will  prevail  for  a  few 
days  thereafter.  Perhaps  the  best  plan  is  to  leave  Yokohama 
early  in  the  afternoon,  reach  Subashiri  before  night,  and  plan 
for  an  early  start  so  as  to  reach  No.  6  or  No.  8  station  leisurely 
in  the  afternoon.  Certain  experienced  travelers  recommend 
No.  6  rest-house  as  the  best  at  which  to  pass  the  night,  as  mt. 
sickness  (nausea  and  headache)  is  less  likely  to  attack  one  here 
than  higher  up,  where  sleep  might  be  difficult.  By  leaving  this 
station  (Rokugdme)  at  3  a.m.  one  can  easily  reach  the  summit 
before  sunrise,  and  enjoy  one  of  the  grandest  prospects  in 
nature.  On  the  other  hand,  No.  8  (Hachigdme,  10,000  ft.)  is 
the  usual  stopping-place,  and  one  can  scramble  thence  to  the 
summit  in  an  hr.  The  cold,  etc.,  here  often  renders  sleep  im- 
possible. At  No.  8  the  Gov't  maintains  a  telephone-office,  a 
post-office  where  a  special  canceling-stamp  is  used  on  mail 
matter  deposited ;  a  meteorological  observatory  (daily  reports 
to  Yokohama,  of  interest  to  intending  climbers),  a  small  hos- 
pital with  a  doctor  and  nurses  for  those  attacked  by  mt.  sick- 
ness, and  a  place  (fewer  fleas  than  elsewhere)  in  which  for- 
eigners can  find  lodging  for  the  night  with  some  pretense  of 
comfort. 

The  Cost  of  the  rly.  ticket  from  Yokohama  to  Gotemba  is 
¥2.11, 1st  cl.;  the  tram  thence  to  Subashiri,  50  sen.  There  are  a 
number  of  inns  near  the  Gotemba  station,  conspicuous  among 
them  the  Fujiya  Hotel  (2  min.,  right)  where  semi-foreign  food 
can  be  had  at  reasonable  prices.  The  usual  charge  for  a  night's 
lodging,  hot  water,  and  fire,  at  the  mt.  stations  is  from  ¥1  to 
¥1.50,  but  it  is  advisable  to  have  a  clear  understanding  before 
engaging  them.  The  tickets  issued  by  the  Gotemba  Trade 
Guild,  while  aimed  to  save  one  the  extortionate  prices  often 
charged  at  the  rest-houses,  are  of  little  use  to  foreigners.  Police 
regulations  fix  the  hire  of  a  guide  from  Subashiri  to  the  summit 
and  back  at  ¥1.50,  but  at  the  last  moment  one  usually  learns 
that  an  additional  ¥1.50  must  be  paid  if  the  guide  (or  coolie 
who  acts  as  guide  and  carries  his  employer's  supplies  —  about 
50  lbs.  weight)  is  kept  overnight.  Discussion  can  be  saved  if 
one  will  reach  an  agreement  with  his  man  before  starting.  ¥2  is 
enough  for  a  coolie  for  2  persons. 


TO  THE  SUMMIT  OF  FUJI-SAN      &  Route.  49 


An  Outfit  should  be  taken  from  Yokohama,  as  everything 
on  the  mt.  is  expensive.  Furthermore  the  insipid,  sugarless 
tea;  the  saltless  rice;  the  hard-boiled,  bantam-like  eggs  with 
their  excess  of  sulphur;  the  sweetish  soft  drinks  of  doubtful 
purity;  and  other  wishy-washy  stuff,  so  devoid  of  stimulating 
properties,  are  not  savory  to  the  foreign  palate.  Acidulous 
fruit  is  delicious  during  the  strenuous  climb,  and  Takaradzuka 
Tansan  water  with  a  few  drops  of  lemon  juice  squeezed  into  it 
assuages  thirst  and  fortifies  one  as  few  other  things  will.  The 
traveler  should  have  his  own  drinking-cup.  Lane,  Crawford  & 
Co.  at  Yokohama  make  a  specialty  of  mountaineering  outfits, 
and  from  the  manager  of  this  department  one  can  get  informa- 
tion and  advice  of  value.  One's  own  blankets  should  not  be  for- 
gotten if  one  hopes  to  sleep  in  the  anchorite  huts  where  flea- 
invested  straw  mats  take  the  place  of  beds,  and  where  futons 
that  have  covered  'a  multitude  of  sins,'  and  have  never  seen 
water,  are  used  by  hundreds  of  pilgrims  each  season.  In  addi- 
tion to  these,  one  should  employ  oiled  paper  in  the  manner 
mentioned  at  p.  xl,  in  connection  with  a  flea-powder  known 
for  its  killing  qualities.  One  should  bear  always  in  mind  that 
the  cold  at  the  summit  is  bitter  throughout  the  year,  and  that 
heavy  wool  underwear  is  a  necessity.  One's  blanket  can  always 
be  used  as  a  cloak,  but  a  good  khaki  coat  that  will  shed  rain, 
warm  gloves,  and  a  cap  will  be  found  serviceable.  Goggles  to 
guard  the  eyes  from  the  glare,  and  a  square  or  two  (in  lieu  of  a 
light  rain-coat)  of  the  oiled  paper  used  by  the  natives  to  shed 
the  rain,  serves  not  only  for  this  purpose,  but  also  to  protect 
perishable  supplies  from  the  elements.  High  boots  (those  shod 
with  iron  or  nails  slip  easily  and  are  dangerous),  though  excel- 
lent to  keep  out  sand,  are  clumsy  to  those  unaccustomed  to 
wear  them,  and  are  liable  to  cause  blisters.  Buckskin  mocca- 
sins, puttees  (Hindu,  patti),  or  4  or  5  prs.  of  straw  waraji  (be 
sure  they  are  large  enough)  form  the  best  outfit.  Unless  waraji 
are  worn  over  the  ordinary  footgear  the  very  sharp  and  angular 
clinkers  will  ruin  it.  The  'Pilgrim's  Progress'  up  the  mt.  is 
marked  by  these  cast-off  sandals.  Near  the  foot  of  the  real 
ascent,  at  the  Ko-mitake  Temple  (dedicated  to  Sengen  Sama, 
goddess  of  the  mt.)  where  pilgrims  and  coolies  make  their 
orisons,  travelers  can  buy  (20  sen)  of  the  priest  in  charge  a 
stout  staff  ('  kongetsuye')  which  he  will  stamp  (as  will  likewise 
the  priest  at  the  top)  as  a  proof  of  one's  having  reached  the 
summit.  This  Japanese  alpenstock  will  prove  of  as  great  ser- 
vice on  the  upward  trudge  as  on  the  downward  glide.  At 
this  temple  are  sold  also  sanctified  snoods  (excellent  to  pre- 
vent perspiration  from  entering  the  eyes)  supposed  to  possess 
the  virtue  of  warding  off  mt.  sickness. 

The  Ascent.  While  the  common  belief  is  that  July  and 
Aug.  are  the  only  months  in  which  Fuji  should  be  ascended, 
venturesome  climbers  go  to  the  top  even  in  mid-winter  (not 


50   Route  4       TO  THE  SUMMIT  OF  FUJI-SAN 


recommended),  despite  the  danger , (cold,  avalanches,  etc.)  and 
death,  which  sometimes  attend  these  efforts.  The  police  make 
a  pretense  of  closing  the  mt.  between  Sept. -July,  and  of  open- 
ing it  officially  about  July  20. .  As  long  as  any  snow  clings  to  its 
crest  it  is  regarded  as  unsafe,  and  whosoever  climbs  it  out  of 
season  does  so  at  his  own  risk.  The  guides  often  refuse  to  ascend 
it  except  in  summer,  and  the  rest-houses  usually  close  in  Sept. 
The  fact  that  the  well-known  Tarobo  Station  (4500  ft.)  on  the 
Gotemba  side  was  practically  obliterated  by  an  avalanche  in 
March,  1912,  and  that  every  year  the  newspapers  record  the 
death,  by  exposure  or  otherwise,  of  adventurous  persons  who 
attempt  to  go  up  the  mt.  in  winter,  should  deter  travelers. 
Skiers  enjoy  the  ascent  in  winter,  and  at  such  times  one  can 
glissade  down  on  a  plank  or  a  straw  mat  (as  the  Mexican  sulphur 
workers  do  on  Popocatepetl)  at  a  speed  which  almost  takes 
one's  breath  away. 

During  the  climbing  season  between  15,000  and  20,000 
persons  usually  make  the  ascent,  among  them  many  women  70 
or  more  yrs.  young,  who  toil  up  1000  ft.  or  more  each  day, 
and  in  this  painful  fashion  come  eventually  to  the  top.  An- 
ciently they  were  not  allowed  on  the  sacrosanct  summit,  and 
had  to  turn  back  at  the  8th  station.  The  first  foreigner  to 
climb  the  mt.  was  Sir  Rutherford  Alcock,  H.B.M.'s  Minister 
to  Japan,  in  1860.  On  the  mt.  side  one  meets  or  overtakes  scores 
of  white-clad  pilgrims  (chiefly  rustics)  wearing  mushroom- 
shaped  bamboo  hats  (kasa),  a  strip  of  matting  tied  to  their 
backs  (to  serve  as  a  bed  and  a  protection  from  the  rain),  several 
pairs  of  extra  waraji  slung  over  their  shoulders,  and  tiny  bells 
aswing  at  their  belts;  these  sweet-toned  kane  tinkle  at  every 
step  and  collectively  add  music  to  the  general  joyousness.  As 
the  pilgrims  trudge  slowly  upward  they  occasionally  sing  out 
the  Shinto  formula,  Rokkon  shojo  —  'May  our  six  senses  be 
clean  and  undefiled '  (an  expression  often  chanted  in  Buddhist 
prayers,  and  referring  to  the  six  organs  of  sense :  the  eye,  ear, 
nose,  tongue,  body,  and  heart).  Some  add  the  words  0  yama 
kaisei,  which,  liberally  translated,  express  the  hope  that  'the 
weather  on  the  honorable  mountain  may  continue  fine.'  This 
ringing  call  is  sometimes  flung  far  and  wide  by  enthusiastic 
climbers,  and  the  mt.  sides  echo  to  it. 

Of  the  six  paths  up  the  mt.,  that  from  Subashiri  is  the  most 
comfortable  and  the  least  difficult  for  foreigners,  and  will  be 
described  in  detail;  the  Suzukawa-Maruyama  route  was  long 
the  chosen  one  of  pilgrims  coming  from  Kyoto  and  the  W.,  and 
is  still  known  as  Omoteguchi,  or  'front  entrance.'  That  from 
Yoshida  is  steep,  while  Gotemba  has  the  disadvantage  of  being 
farther  from  the  actual  base  of  the  mt.  and  requiring  a  longer 
walk  or  horseback  ride  than  from  Subashiri,  on  the  E.  slope. 
The  best  huts  and  the  most  conveniences  will  be  found  on  this 
path,  which  has  more  shade  on  the  lower  slope.  Subashiri  can 


TO  THE  SUMMIT  OF  FUJI-SAN      4.  Route.  51 


also  be  reached  by  tram  from  (7  M.)  Gotemba,  and  is  1500  ft. 
higher  than  that  point.  The  traveler  intending  to  visit  Shoji 
(Rte.  3,  p.  40)  after  making  the  ascent  of  Fuji  can  save  a  little 
time  by  descending  on  the  Yoshida  side,  or  via  Maruyama,  and 
proceeding  to  Shoji  from  either  of  these  points.  Luggage  should 
be  sent  to  the  place  to  which  the  descent  is  to  be  made. — The 
Subashiri  inns  face  the  car-line  and  are  near  one  another;  at  the 
Yoneyama  a  little  English  is  spoken;  rate,  ¥2.50  and  upward  a 
day.  The  proprietor  will  engage  a  guide  and  be  of  service  to 
foreigners. 

Stations  or  rest-houses  in  the  shape  of  solid,  darksome, 
walled  and  covered  dug-outs  are  placed  at  intervals  of  about 
every  1000  ft.  on  the  mt.,  the  divisions  being  called  go.  Of  the 
ten  or  more  of  these  but  a  few  are  prominent.  On  each  of  the 
trails  is  a  station  called  Uma-gaeshi  (' horse  return'),  beyond 
which  horses  customarily  do  not  go,  —  although  they  have 
been  ridden  to  the  summit  at  various  times.  The  station  on  the 
Subashiri  side  is  at  a  point  about  4400  ft.  above  the  village 
(approx.  7  M.;  under  2  hrs.  walk;  horse,  ¥1),  but  a  horse  may 
be  ridden  without  difficulty  to  station  No.  2  (ni-gd-me;  7560 
ft.;  ¥2;  4  hrs.  walk).  Pedestrians  will  find  the  walk  to  this 
point  thoroughly  delightful,  particularly  in  the  early  morning, 
as  the  trail  leads  through  a  ferny  forest  where  spring  flowers 
and  wild  strawberries  are  found  in  Aug.  [It  is  the  part  of  wis- 
dom to  ride  as  far  as  one  can  and  save  the  strength  that  will  be 
demanded  inevitably  before  the  summit  is  reached.]  Much  of 
the  plant  life  for  which  Fuji  is  known  will  be  noticed  on  this 
stretch.  Conspicuous  is  the  Fujimatsu,  or  Fuji  Larch;  Fujiki, 
or  Japanese  Pagoda-tree;  Fujikanso,  or  Telegraph-plant;  Fuji- 
bai,  panic  grass;  Fuji-bakama,  thorough  wort;  the  species  of 
wistaria  called  Fujikazura,  and  many  other  plants.  The  cin- 
dery  part  of  the  slope  begins  near  (6430  ft.)  Ko-Mitake  Temple 
(3  hrs.  walk),  and  the  real,  laborious  climb  beyond  No.  4  sta- 
tion (8400  ft.).  At  station  No.  6  (9800  ft.  and  approx.  6  hrs. 
from  Subashiri)  one  is  about  4  hrs.  from  the  summit.  Above 
this  the  ascent  is  decidedly  steeper,  and  the  hard  smooth  rock 
is  in  some  places  covered  with  the  great  blocks  of  lava  which 
bestrew,  and  at  times  obliterate,  the  path.  Whosoever  has  to 
this  point  husbanded  his  strength  by  keeping  to  a  steady,  plod- 
ding grind  will  be  glad,  for  hence  onward  he  will  need  it.  Inter- 
secting the  trail  hereabout  is  the  Chudo  Meguri  ('Midway 
Going-Round  Path'),  a  girdling  road  (about  20  M.  long)  which 
enthusiastic  pilgrims  follow  (7-8  hrs.  walk)  for  the  views  (apt 
to  be  blurred  in  detail  from  the  summit)  and  for  a  more  com- 
plete inspection  of  the  sacred  mt.  and  its  environs.  Near  No.  8 
station  (10,990  ft.)  the  Yoshida  trail  comes  in  from  the  right. 
The  descent  from  the  summit  to  this  point  is  over  the  same 
trail  as  the  ascent,  but  below  it  the  zigzag  path  is  discarded 
and  one  descends  by  long,  sliding  strides  (hashiri)  over  loose 


52   Route  4-       TO  THE  SUMMIT  OF  FUJI-SAN 


cinders  and  ashes  that  on  a  hot  day  release  clouds  of  fine  dust. 
A  long-legged  person  may,  in  this  wise,  go  from  the  summit  to 
Uma-gaeshi  in  about  3  hrs.  It  can  be  done  in  less  than  1  hr. 
sliding  on  the  snow,  but  this  is  not  recommended. 

At  the  Summit  (zetcho:  to  climb  to  the  top  of  Fuji  is :  Fuji- 
san  no  zetcho  made  noboru)  the  rest-houses  at  the  end  of  the 
Subashiri  trail  stand  in  a  cup-shaped  hollow  near  the  (500  ft. 
deep)  crater.  This  is  about  3  furlongs  in  diameter,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  titanic  crags  scorched  by  awful  heat  into  many 
tints  —  reds,  yellows,  and  purples  predominating.  These  huge 
rocks  follow  the  rim  and  rise  in  some  places  100  ft.  or  more 
above  the  crater's  edge.  Travelers  should  not  venture  beyond 
this  point  unaccompanied  by  the  guide,  as  storms  form  quickly 
on  Fuji's  summit;  twilight  falls  as  swiftly  as  in  the  tropics;  and 
the  road  is  beset  with  dangers.  The  great  crater  is  remarkable 
and  awe-inspiring;  in  July-Aug.  much  of  the  floor  is  revealed, 
and  is  then  seen  to  be  littered  with  the  huge  stones  that  from 
time  to  time  detach  themselves  from  the  rim  and  fall  with  a 
thunderous  roar.  Snow  lingers  throughout  the  short  summer  in 
the  sheltered  places,  and  lies  deep  in  the  crater  at  other  times. 
'The  chronicles  of  Fuji  show  that  about  70  yrs.  ago,  a  number 
of  pilgrims  were  caught  in  dense  clouds  on  the  mt.  top  and  lost 
their  way.  The  clouds  were  the  precursors  of  a  typhoon,  which 
broke  suddenly  and  with  terrific  violence.  When  it  abated, 
and  the  weather  cleared,  the  frozen  bodies  of  the  pilgrims,  to 
the  number  of  over  50,  were  found  closely  packed  together, 
showing  that  they  had  kept  united  to  the  last  for  warmth  and 
companionship  in  that  dread  hour.  This  is  but  one  instance  of 
the  many  sacrifices  that  Sengen  Sama  (to  whose  shrine  the 
devoteesjcome  to  pray)  has  demanded  of  the  faithful.  The  place 
where  they  died  is  now  called  Sai-no-Kawara  (a  river  shore  in 
the  Buddhist  hell  where  the  souls  of  children  are  tormented). 
It  is  covered  with  hundreds  of  stone  cairns  raised  to  the  mem- 
ory of  these  martyrs  by  those  who  follow  more  fortunately  in 
their  footsteps,  and  in  tribute  to  Jizo,  the  children's  guardian 
god.' 

Many  of  the  points  round  the  crater  are  of  historic  interest; 
lying  against  the  edge  of  the  rim  at  Kengamine  is  a  little  stone 
hut  where  a  brave  meteorologist  (of  the  name  of  Nonaka)  and 
his  wife  planned  to  spend  the  winter  of  1895-96,  to  make  scien- 
tific observations ;  exceptionally  severe  weather  prevailed,  and 
before  the  New  Year  they  were  taken  down  to  the  plain,  al- 
most dead  from  cold  and  exposure.  Near  by  is  a  precipice 
called  Oya  shirazu  Ko  shirazu,  so  dangerous  and  awe-inspiring 
that  in  case  of  peril,  relatives  or  the  best  of  friends  look  out 
for  number  one.  Close  by  is  a  gigantic  rift  in  the  mt.,  called 
Osawa  ('  great  ravine') ,  which  gashes  it  downward,  on  the  outer 
side,  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see.  Beyond  here  the  path  traverses 
a  section  that  has  been  tortured  into  all  kinds  of  agonizing 


TO  THE  SUMMIT  OF  FUJI-SAN      4-  Route.  53 


shapes  by  the  fierceness  of  the  fires  which  once  flamed  from 
Fuji's  heart.  Great  cliffs  lean  over  the  mt.  rim  at  a  perilous 
angle,  and  seem  ready  to  fall  and  crush  everything  on  the  plain 
below.  Some  of  the  crags  bear  resounding  names:  *  Thunder 
Rock'  (Rai-iwa);  'The  Rock  Cleft  by  Buddha'  (Shaka  no 
Wari-ishi);  'Shaka's  Peak'  (Shaka-ga-take) ,  etc.  A  great 
stream  of  molten  lava  once  flowed  out  of  the  crater  at  this 
point  and  formed  (it  is  said)  the  walls  which  now  inclose  the 
lakes  at  Fuji's  feet.  Below  this  point  is  a  spring  of  icy  cold 
water  (an  extraordinary  thing  at  this  altitude),  called  Kimmei- 
sui,  or  'Famous  Golden  Water,'  which  is  sold  by  the  priests  as 
a  specific  for  mt.  sickness.  Beyond  the  line  of  pilgrims'  huts  at 
the  top  of  the  Subashiri  trail  is  a  precipitous  cliff  called  Kwan- 
non-ga-take  or '  Peak  of  the  Goddess  Kwannon' ;  wisps  of  steam 
come  up  through  cracks  in  the  lava  near  by  and  prove  that 
although  Fuji  is  founded  on  granite,  its  interior  is  perhaps  a 
mass  of  molten  fire.  The  rocks  roundabout  are  warm  to  the 
touch,  and  a  minute  is  long  enough  for  one  to  hold  one's  hand 
against  the  ground. 

While  it  is  yet  dark  the  pilgrims  foregather  at  Kengamine 
to  witness  the  sunrise,  which,  seen  from  here,  is  a  spectacle  of 
transcendental  beauty.  The  silent,  white-clad,  intensely  inter- 
ested figures  add  not  a  little  to  the  impressiveness  of  the  unique 
scene,  as  with  bared  and  bowed  heads,  fingers  clasped  about 
their  rosaries,  and  hands  outstretched,  they  beseech  all  the 
gods  that  be  in  heaven  to  witness  their  devotion  and  submis- 
sion, and  to  hearken  unto  their  fervent  prayers.  As  dawn 
advances  over  the  cold  world,  and  with  flashing,  rosy  fingers 
lifts  the  veil  of  darkness  from  the  long  file  of  peaks  and  ranges 
standing  like  ghostly  attendants  behind  the  semi-divine  Fuji, 
the  island-studded  sea  becomes  idealized,  and  the  vision,  which 
is  of  vast  extent,  takes  on  a  sublimity  beyond  the  power  of 
words  to  express.  The  sunset  is  almost  as  wonderful  as  the  sun- 
rise. Describing  this,  Herbert  Pouting  says:  'As  I  stood  here 
on  the  utmost  pinnacle  of  Japan,  the  cloudland  sea  was  rising 
slowly  —  borne  upward  in  heaving  billows  by  some  under- 
current, stronger  than  the  wind  above,  which  was  filling  the 
crater  behind  me  with  scudding  wrack.  My  pinnacle  was  soon 
surrounded  to  my  feet  and  no  other  part  of  the  mountain  was 
visible.  I  stood  alone  on  a  tiny  island  of  rock  in  that  infinite 
ocean,  the  only  human  being  in  the  universe,  and  soon  the  illu- 
sion of  being  carried  rapidly  along  in  the  cloud  sea  was  so  real 
that  I  had  to  sit,  for  fear  of-  falling  with  dizziness.  When  the 
sun  sank  to  the  level  of  the  surging  vapors,  flooding  their 
waves  and  hollows  with  ever-changing  contrasts  of  light  and 
shade,  the  scene  was  of  indescribable  beauty.  Never  in  any 
part  of  the  world  have  I  seen  a  spectacle  so  replete  with  awe- 
some majesty  as  the  sunset  I  witnessed  that  evening  from  the 
topmost  cubic  foot  of  Fuji.  A  few  moments  only  the  glory 


54    Route  5.       TO  MIYANOSHITA  AND  ATAMI 


lasted.  Then  the  sun  sank  into  the  cloudland  ocean,  the  snowy 
billows  turned  leaden  gray,  and  darkness  immediately  began  to 
fall.  As  the  last  spark  of  the  orb  of  day  disappeared  in  the 
foaming  breakers  there  was  a  rush  of  wind  across  the  crater, 
due  to  the  instant  change  in  temperature,  and  in  a  moment  the 
mountain-top  was  in  a  tumult.  The  great  abyss  became  a 
cauldron  of  boiling  mists,  and  icy  blasts  moaned  and  whistled 
among  the  crags  which  loomed  like  ominous  moving  phantoms 
in  the  turbulent  vapors  and  dying  light.  It  was  a  wondrous, 
almost  preternatural  spectacle,  like  a  vision  of  Dante's  dream/ 

5.  From  Yokohama  to  Miyanoshita,  Lake  Hakone,  and  Atami. 


Miyanoshita  (1377  ft.),  a  considerably  overrated  summer  \ 
resort  in  the  Hakone  Mts.  40  M.  frwi  Yokohama,  in  Sagami  \ 
Province,  amid  scenery  far  less  attractive  than  that  around  ! 
many  other  more  accessible  places  in  the  Empire,  owes  its  repu- 
tation less  to  inherent  excellence  than  to  the  reports  of  travelers 
who  have  not  visited  the  more  interesting  Ikao,  Karuizawa,  I 
Kusatsu,  or  Shoji  (consult  the  index);  and  to  the  fact  that 
Yokohama  residents  find  its  elevated  situation  a  change  from  | 
sea-level  conditions.  The  most  satisfactory  way  to  see  the  1 
region  is  by  motor-car  (see  below),  as  otherwise  one  has  usu-  \ 
ally  to  sit  in  a  tram-car  jammed  to  suffocation  (in  the  season) 
for  upward  of  If  hrs.,  and  after  alighting,  walk  or  be  pushed  up 
4  M.  of  steepish  mt.  road  to  the  village  beyond.  In  the  summer,  j 
autumn,  and  during  the  Christmas  holidays,  the  hotels  are  | 
apt  to  be  full,  and  one  not  unfrequently  has  to  lodge  in  stuffy  | 
little  rooms  in  an  annex  where  indifferent,  tip-soliciting  service 
is  accompanied  by  charges  which  remind  one  of  a  really  good 
American  or  English  hotel.  Fuji-san  is  the  dominating  feature 
of  the  region  and  without  the  views  of  it  —  the  object  of  most 
travelers  there  —  it  is  tame.  Being  beautiful,  Fuji  is  corres- 
pondingly capricious,  and  will  sometimes  sulk  for  weeks  behind 
impenetrable  veils  of  mist,  then  perhaps  unveil  for  an  hour  or 
so  before  going  into  retirement  for  another  season.  When  it 
does  appear,  far  finer  views  can  be  had  from  Shoji  or  Gotemba, 
with  the  added  advantage  that  the  latter  place  is  in  immediate  / 
touch  with  the  rly.  The  traveler  in  search  of  beautiful  mt.  / 
scenery,  coupled  with  awe-inspiring  volcanism,  will  find  more  / 
to  please  him  at  Karuizawa,  Ikao,  or  Kusatsu.  The  tonic  air/ 
in  all  these  places  is  finer  and  more  invigorating  than  that  of 
Hakone. 

Atami,  in  Izu  Province,  on  the  peninsula  of  the  same  name, 
on  the  W.  shore  of  Sagami  Bay,  18  M.  walk  over  the  mts.  from 
Miyanoshita,  is  usually  included  in  a  visit  to  the  latter  place, 
but  its  chief  sight,  the  Atami  Geyser,  grows  more  and  more 
retiring  and  now  steams  up  once  only  in  every  9-10  hrs.  When 
it  does  so.it  is  not  much  superior  to  an  ordinary  locomotive 


KOZU 


5.  Route.  55 


blowing  off  steam,  the  difference  being  that  in  this  case  the  hot 
water  and  steam  are  ejected  from  a  crevice  between  rocks.  The 
sea  views  on  the  way  over  are  not  so  alluringly  beautiful  as 
those  at  Matsushima,  or  from  the  splendid  hilltops  behind 
Kobe;  nor  is  the  village  half  as  delightful  as  the  charming  little 
seaside  resorts  just  W.  of  Kobe  on  the  Inland  Sea.  Both  of  the 
latter  are  nearer  to  the  rly.,  and  in  both  cases  one  has  the 
advantage  of  satisfactory  hotels  as  bases  from  which  to  make 
excursions.  The  Miyanoshita  district  is  not  without  its  attrac- 
tions in  cherry-blossom  time,  but  finer  displays  can  be  seen  at 
Kyoto,  Nara,  Tokyo,  or  other  more  accessible  places.  Ikao 
has  many  more  wild  flowers.  The  vaunted  Ojigoku,  or  Big 
Hell,  is  a  feeble  tea-kettle  affair  not  worth  seeing  if  one  has 
already  seen  the  violent  volcanic  activity  displayed  about 
Beppu,  Noboribetsu,  or  Kusatsu.  The  hot  springs  attract  men 
with  the  infirmities  which  the  Hot  Springs  of  Arkansas,  U.S.A., 
are  supposed  to  cure,  and  have  done  so  for  many  years.  Dr. 
Rein,  writing  in  1884,  mentions  'that  the  solfataras  of  the 
region  are  much  used  for  bathing  purposes,  especially  in*  ven- 
ereal complaints.' 

Hakone  Lake  suggests  none  of  the  unforgettable  charms  of 
the  gem-like  Haruna;  the  chain  of  beauties  which  one  crosses  to 
reach  Shdji;  or  the  incomparable  Lake  of  Omi,  near  Kyoto.  ~~ 

The  customary  way  to  reach  Miyanoshita  is  by  rail  to  29  M. 
Kdzu  (Rte.  24),  fare  ¥1,  23  1st  cl.;  74  sen  2d  cl.;  thence  by 
tram-cars  of  the  Odawara  Electric  Tramway  Co.  to  8  M.  . 
Yumoto.  The  remaining  4  M.  are  done  on  foot  or  by  jinriki.j 
The  1st  cl.  fare  from  Kdzu  to  Yumoto  (\  \  hrs.)  is  95  sen;  2d  ck 
>  63  sen  (to  Odawara  48  and  32  sen  respectively).  Cars  leave 
from  the  tram  terminal  at  the  left  of  the  Tokaido  Rly.  station; 
luggage  checked  as  on  the  rly.  The  Tramway  Co.  prefers  that    \  ,1 
foreigners  charter  a  special  car  (holds  about  15  pers. ;  ¥9,  1st  ^ 
cl. ;  ¥7,  2d  cl.)  /or  the  trip,  but  as  it  runs  on  the  same  time  as  the    |  ' 
ordinary  cars  it  merely  obviates  the  necessity  of  riding  packed  t 
in  with  the  commonalty.  The  2d  cl.  differs  from  the  first  (from 
which  it  is  divided  by  a  partition  only)  merely  in  the  material     A  i 
used  in  the  upholstery.  One  is  as  good  as  the  other  if  the  cars 
are  not  crowded  .(^Jinrikis  are  in  waiting  at  the  Yumoto  termi- 
nus; to  Miyanoshita  (4M.  uphill,  1  hr.)  with  2  men  (necessary), 
¥1 ;  coolie  to  carry  a  steamer-trunk  or  several  suit-cases,  50  sen. 
Heavy  Juggage  is  brought  up  on  a  cart  at  about  50  sen  a  pieceT 
A  good  walker  can  make  the  ascent  in  less  time  by  taking  sev- 
eral of  the  short  cuts  (shikamachi)  which  lead  up  (left)  3f  the 
winding  road,  from  time  to  time,  beyond  Tonosawa  (the  bath- 
ing resort  just  after  Yumoto).  The  best  of  these  short  cuts 
(easily  followed)  is  one  which  turns  inward  about  halfway  up  and 
rejoins  the  main  road  at  the  Fujimitei  Tea-House,  \\M.  below 
Miyanoshita.  *1| 

The  Grand  Hotel  at  Yokohama  will  arrange  a  motor  trip 


56    Route  5.  ODAWARA 

(price  quoted  on  application,  and  depending  on  the  number 
in  the  party)  from  that  place  to  Miyanoshita,  which  will  enable 
the  traveler  to  get  a  satisfactory  glimpse  of  the  region,  avoid 
the  several  changes  from  rly.  to  tram,  etc.,  and  be  back  in  Yoko- 
hama the  same  day.  This  is  recommended  as  less  tiring  and 
Oiiore  satisfactory  in  many  ways. . 

From  Kdzu  (tea-house  opposite  the  station)  the  tramway 
skirts  the  shore  of  Odawara  Bay  (fine  views  left)  and  passes  at 
intervals  through  the  long  main  streets  of  nondescript  villages. 
Tidal  waves  sweep  in  here  from  time  to  time  and  bring  death 
and  destruction  in  their  train.  Odawara  (40  min.)  is  prettily 
situated  on  the  sea  amid  orange  groves  and  flowers;  the  old 
castle  has  withstood  many  a  siege.  The  date  of  its  erection  js  un- 
recorded, but  it  is  known  to  have  passed  into  the  hands  of  Omori 
Yoriaki  in  1416,  and  to  have  been  captured  by  Hojo  Soun  in 
1494.  Uesugi  Kenshin  besieged  it  in  vain  in  1561,  as  did  also 
the  redoubtable  TakedaShingen  in  1573.  The  wily  and  acqui- 
sitive Hideyoshi  attacked  it  with  a  powerful  army  in  1590  and 
captured  it,  coincident  with  the  downfall  of  the  Hojo.  A  long 
line  of  Tokugawa  shoguns  dwelt  in  it  thereafter,  and  at  the 
time  of  the  Restoration  it  was  the  seat  of  Okubo,  with  an  annual 
revenue  of  116,000  koku  of  rice.  —  The  last  part  of  the  rail 
trip  is  up  the  rock-strewn  valley  of  the  turbulent  Hayagawa, 
overlooked  by  the  twin  humps  of  Futagoyama.  From  Yumoto 
(Inn:  Fukuzumi,  from  ¥2.50  and  upward;  a  little  English 
spoken)  the  road  leads  up  (left)  from  the  station,  through  the 
picturesque  street  of  the  town,  then  over  the  bridge  and  around 
the  corner  (left)  to  Tdnosawa.  The  whole  region  is  pink  with 
cherry  blooms  in  early  April.  The  big  power  flume  at  the  right, 
on  the  hill  beyond  Tdnosawa,  receives  its  water  from  a  point 
near  Miyanoshita  village  (tunnel  through  the  hills,  along  the 
edge  of  the  ravine)  and  supplies  a  part  of  the  power  employed 
to  light_Yokohama.  The  largest  hamlet  passed  on  the  upward 
trip  is  Ohiradai.  Just  beyond  this  high-poised  place  Miyano- 
shita is  seen  astride  the  main  st.,  at  the  head  of  a  deep  ravine 
which  here  turns  to  the  right  and  leaves  the  village  perched  on 
the  hill-slope  at  the  left. 

Fiijiija  Hotel  (Tel.  address:  'Fujiya').  English  spoken. 
Rates  from  ¥7  a  day  and  upward,  Am.  pi.,  according  to  loca- 
tion of  room.  The  lowest  rate  usually  applies  to  tiny,  undesir- 
able cubby-holes  in  the  annex,  devoid  of  views.  Livable  rooms 
cost  from  10  to  20  yen  a  day.  Books  from  the  library  are 
charged  for.  The  food  and  service  could  be  improved,  but  com- 
plaints regarding  them  are  apt  to  be  met  with  humiliating 
rebuffs.  —  Naraya  Hotel,  on  the  edge  of  the  gorge,  with  charm- 
ing views;  semi-foreign;  English  spoken;  rates  from  ¥3  and 
upward. 

The  name  Miya-no-shita  is  derived  from  Miya,  shrine,  and  shita,  below,  or 
underneath.  The  Hakone  region  is  best  known  for  the  numerous  articles 


KOWAKIDANI  —  OTOME-TOGE  5.  Route.  57 


turned  from  different  native  woods  and  called  Hakone-zaiku,  or  Hakone 
Woodwork.  Unfortunately  most  of  it  splits  and  falls  apart  in  steam-heated 
houses.  Chief  among  the  woods  used  are  the  camphor  laurel  (employed  for 
inlaying  because  of  its  silky  luster),  persimmon,  keyaki,  Japanese  pepper 
(sansho) ;  a  species  of  sago  (sosetsu) ;  black  alder  (hari-no-ki)  etc.  The  waxy 
appearance  of  some  of  the  pieces  is  given  by  putting  them  on  the  lathe  and 
pressing  against  them  a  piece  of  vegetable-wax  (ro).  The  Gampi-ori  sold  in 
some  of  the  shops  is  made  at  Atami. 

Walks  and  Excursions.  The  neighborhood  is  in  no  way 
remarkable,  and  few  of  the  walks  extolled  in  the  local  guide- 
book in  exaggerated  terms  are  worth  tracing  out  unless  the 
traveler  has  nothing  to  do  and  wishes  to  kill  time.  Ladies  are 
apt  to  find  some  of  them  too  rough  and  precipitous  for  comfort. 
A  good  walker  can  cover  the  entire  region  in  2  days  and  include 
the  left-overs  in  the  Atami  trip  on  the  3d  day.  Myojogatake 
(or  Mukdyama),  the  rounded  hill  (3020  ft.)  beyond  the  gorge 
(E.)  from  Miyanoshita,  offers  no  views  that  cannot  be  obtained 
from  other  places  mentioned  hereinafter,  and  some  scrambling 
is  required  to  reach  the  summit.  This  also  holds  good  with  re- 
spect to  Sengenyama,  the  hill_(2150  ft.)  at  the  S.  of  the  village. 

To  Kowakidani,  Gora,  Ojigoku,  Sengokuhara,  Otome- 
toge  (Maiden's  Pass),  Nagao-toge,  Miyagino,  and  Kiga. 
About  16  M.;  7  hrs.  walk.  Coolie  to  act  as  guide  and  porter, 
¥1.80.  Chair  with  4  men,  ¥5.50.  Horse,  ¥3.  Proportionately 
cheaper  to  all  the  places  except  the  4th,  5th,  and  6th  (the  farth- 
est off).  Miyagino  and  Kiga  are  of  no  interest.  Pedestrians 
bound  for  Gotemba  can  visit  the  first  5  places  en  route  to 
Nagao-toge  —  the  pass  over  which  walkers  go  to  reach  the 
Gotemba  plain.  —  Nothing  is  gained  by  making  Miyanoshita 
the  starting-point  for  the  ascent  of  Fuji  or  the  trip  to  Shdji, 
since  the  15  M.  walk  to  Gotemba  can  be  saved  by  taking  the 
rly.  train  from  Yokohama.  —  The  broad  road  winds  over  the 
hills  back  of  the  village  (S.W.).  At  the  bridge  spanning  a  nar- 
row stream  a  short  cut  turns  in,  and  by  following  it  Kowaki- 
dani can  be  reached  in  25  min.  The  few  houses  cluster  about  a 
faintly  volcanic  region  formerly  called  Kojigoku  (Little  Hell  — 
perhaps  on  account  of  its  loneliness).  The  small  Mikawaya, 
and  Kaikatei  hotels  (English  spoken;  semi-foreign  rooms;  ¥5  a 
day,  Am.  pi.)  stand  near  to  one  another.  The  road  which 
branches  left  goes  to  Hakone  Lake.  That  at  the  right  soon 
crosses  a  rushing  streamlet,  and  at  a  point  where  Miyanoshita 
is  seen  far  below,  enters  a  pine  grove  and  later  traverses  a 
region  studded  with  cherry  trees  and  Spanish  chestnuts.  At 
(25  min.)  Gora,  a  crossroad  leads  down  the  slope  (right)  to 
Miyagino.  Bearing  to  the  left,  the  clear  trail  follows  the  con- 
tour of  the  hill,  now  up,  now  down,  over  a  district  flecked  with 
many  small  white  flowers  (poisonous)  of  the  wild  rosemary; 
the  shrubs  turn  red  in  autumn  and  develop  narcotic  properties 
injurious  to  sheep.  Entering  a  broken  region  (3478  ft.)  smell- 
ing of  sulphur,  the  road  leads  (35  min.)  to  the  Ojigoku  (or 
O-waki-dani  — 1  valley  of  the  great  boiling'),  so-called  from 


58   Route  5.     NAGAO  PASS  —  UMIJIRI 


the  subterraneous  fires  which  make  their  presence  known  by  a 
few  thin  wisps  of  steam  and  offensive  gases.  Hot  water  is  piped 
to  some  of  the  native  bath-houses  farther  down  the  valley. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  gorge  a  rough  path  leads  along  the 
edge  of  the  cliff  to  a  bathing  establishment  frequented  by  ail- 
ing natives.  The  road  continues  first  through  the  small  settle- 
ment, then  some  pine  woods,  and  in  10  min.  passes  some  shal- 
low ponds  (1  min.  to  Tight  of  path)  grandiloquently  referred 
to  as  Natural  Ice  Factories.  The  hamlet  visible  on  the  slope  of 
the  hill  beyond  the  wide  valley  is  Sengokuhara;  the  saddle 
between  the  lofty  hills  at  the  left  of  it  is  Otome-tdge  (3276  ft.), 
whence  one  may  command  a  fine  view  of  Fuji  from  base  to 
summit;  the  jagged  peak  behind  the  village  is  Kintoki-zan 
(1  hr.  climb).  Before  reaching  the  point  {1\  hrs.)  where  the 
path  zigzags  up  the  steepish  slope  to  the  pass,  one  enters  the 
broad  military  road  constructed  through  the  Hakone  region  in 
1912-13.  By  following  this  as  it  winds  up  at  the  left  one  comes 
(1  hr.  walk)  to  Nagao  Pass,  at  practically  the  same  elevation 
as  Otome.  A  brick-lined  tunnel  §  M.  long  leads  through  the 
crest  of  the  ridge,  by  climbing  to  the  summit  of  which  (above 
the  tunnel)  one  may,  while  lunching,  enjoy  the  magnificent 
prospect  of  the  broad  Gotemba  plain  with  Fuji  rising  grandly 
from  it.  Other  splendid  peaks  cut  the  skyline,  conspicuous 
among  them  Shirane-san,  N.W.  of  Fuji,  in  Kai  Province. 
Hakone  Lake  is  seen  to  advantage  in  retrospect.  The  pass 
here  is  a  favorite  one  with  motorists,  but  when  the  road  has 
been  newly  metaled  the  sharp  volcanic  stones  employed  are 
ruinous  to  rubber  tires.  The  many  pack-animals  which  cross 
the  pass  bring  young  cryptomerias  which  men  of  the  Forestry 
Bureau  plant  on  the  bald  slopes  of  the  Hakone  Mts.  Gotemba 
Station,  near  Fuji's  base,  is  7  M.  distant. 

The  return  journey  can  be  varied  by  descending  (3  M.)  to 
Umijiri  (about  |  hr.)  at  the  N.  end  of  Hakone  Lake  and  pro- 
ceeding by  boat  (¥1.50)  to  Moto  Hakone,  thence  to  Miyano- 
shita  over  the  first  stage  of  the  excursion  to  Atami.  —  A  shorter 
way  back  is  to  leave  the  military  road  just  below  the  tunnel, 
descend  the  slope,  and  cross  the  wide  valley  to  the  road  E.  of 
Sengokuhara;  pheasants  haunt  the  region  hereabout  and  rise 
frequently  with  a  great  whirring  of  wings .  Seen  from  below,  the 
pike  takes  on  a  decidedly  grandiose  character;  it  is  held  in  place 
here  and  there  by  massive  granite  embankments,  and  reminds 
one  of  certain  of  the  splendid  highways  in  the  Swiss  Alps.  An 
hr.  after  leaving  the  pass  one  sees  Ojigoku  at  the  far  right. 
Following  the  military  road  through  the  gorge  of  the  Haya- 
gawa,  the  nondescript  Miyagino  is  soon  reached,  then  Kiga, 
beyond  which  the  hotel  is  a  10  min.  walk.  The  section  through 
which  the  road  passes  here  is  called  Sokokura,  literally  *  Bot- 
tom of  the  Storehouse  ';  in  the  deep  ravine  spanned  by  a  high 
bridge  is  the  noisy  Jakotsu-gawa,  or  'River  of  the  Serpent's 


Tengu.  M YOJINGATAKE  —  SAIJOJI     6.  Rte.  59 


Bones/  so-called  from  a  white  fossil  wood  sometimes  found  and 
which  resembles  dry  bones. 

To  (Kiga,  Miyagino)  Myojingatake  and  Saijoji  (or 
Doryo-san)  Temple,  and  return  via  (Sekimoto)  Odawara,  and 
Yumoto.  Jinriki  impracticable.  Coolie  to  act  as  guide  and 
<5arry  luncheon,  ¥1.80;  to  Saijoji  and  back  the  same  way, 
¥1.35;  one  way  only,  ¥1.  Chair  (with  4  men),  1  way,  ¥4.80; 
there  and  back,  ¥5.40;  return  via  Odawara,  ¥7.20;  horse  for 
the  day,  ¥3.50.  To  Saijoji,  8  M.  Returning  via  Odawara,  26 
M.  Time  for  the  latter  trip  8  hrs.  Horseback  riders  have  to  go 
via  Yagurazawa  (2  M.  farther).  Pedestrians  with  weak  hearts 
and  a  distaste  for  elevations,  who  plan  to  return  the  same  way 
from  Saijoji,  usually  alter  these  plans  when  by  dint  of  some 
effort  they  have  gained  the  summit  of  Myojingatake  (3820  ft.) 
and  look  back  upon  the  wicked,  knife-edge  ridges  leading  up 
to  it.  Waraji  are  a  great  help  on  this  toilsome  and  sometimes 
slippery  ascent,  as  is  also  a  stout  staff.  A  bottle  of  Tansan  or 
cold  tea  forms  a  grateful  stimulant.  Near  the  actual  summit 
is  a  wide  terrace  (dai)  whence  one  gets  a  sweeping  view  of  the 
lordly  Fuji  and  many  of  the  passes  of  the  Hakone  Range;  of 
the  lofty  mts.  of  Kai  Prov.;  of  Vries  Is.,  and  the  environing 
sea.  The  Sagami  Peninsula  and  Bay,  Odawara,  and  a  half-score 
microscopic  villages  and  towns  sparkle  in  the  sunlight,  and 
Fuji  seems  remarkably  near  —  and  apparently  but  a  few  ft. 
higher. 

The  road  leads  through  Kiga,  crosses  the  river  at  Miyaginof 
follows  a  stony  path  up  through  the  village,  then  a  rocky  gulch, 
and  finally  emerges  on  the  mt.  flank;  up  which  one  goes  slowly 
over  a  broadly  zigzagging  path  whence  fine  views  are  had  in 
retrospect.  A  steady  walker  will  find  himself  on  the  summit 
1£  hrs.  after  leaving  the  hotel.  The  worst  is  then  over;  the 
deep  arroyos  which  gash  the  brown  turf  on  the  other  side  of  the 
ridge  offer  no  difficulties,  and  the  temple  roof  is  soon  descried 
far  below  at  the  left,  in  its  sacred  grove  of  immense  crypto- 
merias.  A  long  swinging  stride  down  the  slope  will  bring  one 
to  the  edge  of  the  grove  in  an  hr.  Conspicuous  features  of  the 
lower  depths  of  the  dark,  cool  ravine  (through  the  bottom  of 
which  a  merry  river  churns  and  gurgles)  are  the  handsome 
coral-red  berries  of  the  Aoki  (Aucuba  japonica)  shining  from  a 
mass  of  glossy  leathery  green  leaves  mottled  with  yellow.  Here 
odorless  violets,  azaleas  (in  season),  buttercups,  Pyrus  japon- 
ica, and  other  dainty  flowers  remind  one  in  a  small  way  of 
the  floral  displays  around  Ikao. 

The  Main  Temple,  called  the  Myokwaku-do,  founded  by 
Ryo-an  in  the  14th  cent,  and  now  the  property  of  the  Soto  sect 
of  Buddhists,  stands  on  an  artificial  terrace  reached  by  a  flight 
of  52  stone  steps  flanked  at  the  top  by  big  bronze  Tengu 1  with 

1  The  Tengu  is  a  mt.  elf  or  hobgoblin  which  is  believed  to  have  been  added 
to  the  congress  of  Buddhist  demons  by  the  Japanese.  They  are  human  fig- 


60   Routed.      SEKIMOTO  — TSUKAHARA 


great  noses  and  gilded  eyes;  others  of  the  same  class  stand 
about  the  atrium  and  impart  a  bizarre  and  childish  aspect  to 
the  place. 

The  temple  is  noteworthy  for  the  maze  of  excellent  carvings 
in  the  natural  wood  which  cover  almost  all  the  outer  surface; 
though  coarse  in  execution  they  are  not  without  artistic  merit; 
phcenixes,  dragons,  birds,  tigers,  panels  showing  Chinese  sages 
and  boys  at  play  form  the  chief  motives.  The  dingy  interior  is 
cluttered  up  with  all  manner  of  trashy  things;  the  two  big 
wood  drums  are  used  in  the  temple  festival  (May  28).  The  4  sq. 
columns  which  carry  the  elaborately  sculptured  porch  are  set 
in  embossed  bronze  sockets  —  at  once  ornamental  and  a  pro- 
tection against  moisture.  Giant  forest  trees  rise  loftily  above 
the  structure  and  seem  ready  to  overwhelm  it.  The  handsome 
roof  is  covered  with  copper-bronze  to  which  time  has  given  a 
fine  patina.  Among  the  prayers  offered  with  totemistic  purport 
to  the  Tengu  in  the  yard  are  wisps  of  hair  like  scalp-locks  — 
petitions  against  red  hair  and  baldness.  The  9-petaled  crests  so 
much  in  evidence  simulate  the  winged  pods  of  Thlaspi  arvense. 
The  big  bronze  Sorinto  near  the  head  of  the  steps  is  supposed 
to  be  able  to  ward  off  the  attacks  of  the  Tengu.  Below  the 
temple,  beyond  the  drum-bridge,  are  the  priestly  apartments, 
picturesquely  situated  amid  cherry  trees  and  tinkling  rivulets. 

Stretching  N.  from  the  lower  end  of  the  temple  inclosure  is  a 
sometime  splendid  avenue  of  tall  cryptomerias,  strikingly  like 
that  between  Kami  Sakamoto  and  the  Hiei-zan  temples  (Rte. 
27).  It  leads  to  2  M.  Kano  village,  and  the  quiet  woods  which 
flank  it  —  fragrant  with  lilies  —  make  an  ideal  place  in  which 
to  rest  and  enjoy  luncheon.  Thirty  min.  after  quitting  the 
temple,  one  passes  beneath  the  great  Nio-mon  (with  its  two 
big  Nid  plastered  all  over  with  spit-ball  prayers),  and  leaves 
the  ave.  at  Kano.  By  taking  a  short  cut  here  at  the  right,  one 
need  not  go  to  Sekimoto,  visible  at  the  left.  The  unruly  little 
river  which  is  soon  crossed  on  a  wooden  bridge  is  the  Kari- 
gawa;  extensive  riparian  work  has  been  needed  to  keep  it 
within  its  banks.  Tsukahara  village  is  marked  by  a  bridge 
(over  the  Kari  River),  a  big  schoolhouse,  and  a  single  main 
street  (right),  where  one  will  find  a  jinriki-stand  and  a  basha 
baiting-stable;  fare  by  jinriki  to  5  M.  Odawara  (1J  hrs.),  40-50 
sen;  basha  in  1  hr.  15  sen.  The  lines  of  suspended  cables  at  the 
ures  of  great  size,  with  long  noses,  red  hair,  earrings  such  as  the  Portuguese 
sailors  wore  when  they  first  came  to  Japan;  a  pillbox  cap  similar  to  Tommy 
Atkins's  favorite  headgear,  and  other  un-Japanese  attributes.  The  ignorant 
and  vulgar  believe  the  Tengu  to  be  foreigners  who,  unable  to  speak  the  na- 
tive language,  took  to  the  mountain  fastnesses  —  whither  they  often  carried 
people.  The  fan  usually  pictured  in  the  Tengu' s  hand  resembles  the  Gumbai- 
uchiwa;  a  fan  formerly  used  by  military  officers  in  giving  orders,  and  is  sup- 
posed to  be  made  of  the  leaves  of  the  cruciferous  Thlaspi  arvense,  or  penny- 
cress,  the  Japanese  term  for  which  also  is  gumbai-uchiwa  — abbreviated  by 
the  illiterate  to  Tenguba.  To  propitiate  these  bloodthirsty  '  foreign  devils,' 
Japanese  farmers  bring  a  portion  of  their  harvest  to  the  temples  cunningly 
dedicated  to  them  by  the  priests, 


ASHINOYU  HOT  SPRINGS  5.  Route.  61 


left  of  the  good  pike,  which  here  stretches  through  the  valley 
of  the  Sakagawa,  carry  electrical  energy  from  Oyama  (a  station 
on  the  Tokaido  Rly.)  to  Yokohama,  and  are  part  of  the  system 
leading  thither  from  Tonosawa,  above  Yumoto.  The  several 
villages  which  bead  the  highway  call  for  no  particular  mention. 
At  Odawara  the  tramway  from  Kozu  to  Yumoto  is  rejoined. 
Yumoto  (fare,  50  sen  —  the  guide  can  go  3d  cl.)  can  be  reached 
early  in  the  afternoon  and  Miyanoshita  1  hr.  later  if  one  does 
not  linger  by  the  wayside. 

To  Atami  via  Kowakidani,  Ashinoyu,  Hakone  town  and 
lake,  and  the  Ten  Province  Pass.  Fares  and  distances  from 
Miyanoshita  are:  Kowakidani,  2  M.,  30  min.;  guide  (coolie), 
30  sen;  return,  45  sen;  chair  for  round  trip,  ¥2.60.  —  Ashinoyu, 
5  M.,  1J  hrs.,  coolie,  55  sen;  return,  80  sen;  chair  both  ways, 
¥3.20.  —  Hakone,  7  M.,  2  hrs.,  coolie,  80  sen;  return,  ¥1.10; 
chair  both  ways,  ¥4.40;  horse,  ¥3.  —  Atami  (4  hrs.  beyond), 
18  M.;  coolie,  who  will  carry  about  100  lbs.  of  luggage,  ¥1.90; 
chair  (¥1.90 each  for  4  men),  ¥7.60;  horse,  ¥4.50.  A  small 
handbag  and  one  or  two  packages  can  be  tucked  in  the  space 
under  the  seat  of  the  chair,  jinriki  (with  2  men)  practicable  to 
Hakone  only,  as  the  road  beyond  is  steepish.  By  leaving 
Miyanoshita  at  8  a.m.  one  can  (on  foot)  reach  Atami  about  2 
p.m.  and  allow  J  hr.  stop  for  luncheon.  Tiffin  from  the  hotel, 
¥1.50;  at  the  hotels  in  Hakone,  ¥1 ;  cheaper  at  the  tea-houses 
by  the  wayside.  Waraji  should  be  worn,  particularly  if  the 
ground  be  wet.  The  mt.  paths  will  be  found  very  slippery  in 
rainy  weather  —  when  the  views  are  obscured  and  the  trip  is 
dreary.  Travelers  bound  for  Yokohama,  etc.,  can  have  heavy 
luggage  sent  to  the  Kozu  Station  and  pick  it  up  on[the  return  to 
that  point  from  Atami.  The  reversed  trip  from  Atami  to 
Miyanoshita  will  be  found  more  difficult  than  the  outward  one 
—  which  any  good  walker  can  make  without  fatigue.  Unless 
one  is  acquainted  with  the  region,  and  can  speak  a  little  Japan- 
ese, a  coolie  should  be  taken  along  to  act  as  guide  and  bearer. 
It  may  not  be  amiss  to  mention  that  the  Miyanoshita  chair- 
porters  manifestly  work  in  connection  with  the  keepers  of 
tea-houses  in  the  environs,  and  that  they  stop  at  the  latter  as 
frequently  as  possible  and  imbibe  tea  which  the  traveler  is 
supposed  to  pay  for  at  war-prices.  At  the  cha-ya  15  min.  be- 
yond Kowakidani,  the  traveler  is  expected  to  pay  for  tea  (the 
money  is  usually  demanded)  whether  he  accepts  it  or  not. 

The  path  leads  S.W.  from  the  upper  end  of  the  village,  over 
the  hills.  At  Kowakidani  (2100  ft.)  it  turns  to  the  left  and  fol- 
lows a  terrace  cut  from  the  shoulder  of  the  hills;  10  min.  beyond 
the  tea-house  a  zigzag  trail  leads  (right)  over  the  crest  of  the 
ridge  (jinrikis  must  follow  the  main  road  at  the  left)  and 
shortens  materially  the  walk  to  (20  min.)  Ashinoyu  (2870  ft.) 
highest  of  the  Hakone  watering-places.  The  dreary  village  — 
shut  in  by  hills,  and  on  rainy  days  (of  which  there  are  many) 


62   Route  5.      HAKONE  LAKE  AND  VILLAGE 


enveloped  in  a  steamy  mist  which  adds  to  the  melancholy  — 
derives  its  name  from  the  hot  springs  (yu,)  which  issue  from  a 
reedy  plain  (ashi)^  near  by.  A  smell  of  fetid  eggs  pervades  the 
place  and  advertises  the  sulphurous  nature  of  the  waters  — 
which  run  in  yellow  streams  across  the  roadway.  Matsuzaka 
Hotel;  Kii-no-Kuni  Hotel,  both  small,  with  sulphur  baths; 
rates  from  ¥5  and  upward  a  day.  —  The  highroad  leads  right 
through  the  settlement  and  soon  comes  to  3  moss-grown  tombs 
(left)  which  commemorate  Soga  Sukenari  and  Soga  Tokimune, 
brothers  and  12th  cent,  military  heroes  (often  mentioned  in 
poetry  and  romance) .  The  chiseled  images  at  the  right  of  the 
road  here  are  not  worth  looking  at;  neither  is  the  stone  mon- 
ument (right)  near  the  bank  of  a  wretched  pond,  erected  to  the 
memory  of  the  Minamoto  shogun,  Mitsunaka  (912-97).  A 
few  yards  beyond  this  (left),  slightly  higher  than  the  roadway, 
is  a  contemptible  petroglyph  in  the  form  of  a  big  Jizo,  ranked 
by  an  enthusiastic  writer  among  the '  triumphs  of  the  Japanese 
chisel/  and  just  as  loosely  attributed  to  the  overworked 
Kobo-Daishi.  The  trend  of  the  path  now  is  downward  between 
volcanic  hills;  Hakone  Lake  soon  comes  into  view,  then  Moto 
Hakone,  on  the  lake  shore. 

Hakone  Lake  (2378  ft.)  known  also  as  Ashi-ko,  a  clear  sheet  of  water  3£ 
M.  long,  \  M.  wide,  and  about  150  ft.  deep,  is  circled  by  half-bare  volcanic 
mts.  of  which  the  tallest  is  Koma-ga-take  (Pony  Peak,  4452  ft.)  at  the  E. 
The  lake  is  near  the  border  line  of  Suruga  Province,  and  is  drained  chiefly  by 
the  Hayagawa,  which  flows  out  of  its  N.  end,  and  after  a  roundabout  course 
goes  through  Miyanoshita  and  falls  into  Odawara  Bay.  The  distance  along 
the  E.  shore  to  Umijiri,  the  hamlet  at  the  topmost  point,  is  5  M.;  thence  to 
Nagao-tdge  about  3  M. 

Following  the  road  which  skirts  the  lake  we  soon  pass  (right) 
the  pretentious  Imperial  Summer  Villa,  within  a  fenced  and 
guarded  preserve  (no  admittance)  on  a  promontory  overlook- 
ing the  lake.  The  Matsuzaka  Hotel  hereabout  is  semi-foreign; 
rates  from  ¥5  and  upward  a  day.  The  broad  avenue  is  now 
shaded  by  flanking  files  of  magnificent  and  lofty  cryptomerias, 
after  the  style  of  those  at  Nikko.  Fuji  is  seen  at  the  far  right, 
rising  over  the  saddle  formed  by  the  Nagao-tdge.  Hakone 
Village,  a  down-at-the-heel,  old-fashioned  place,  on  the  S.E. 
side  of  the  lake,  has  but  little  to  recommend  it  —  unless  one 
is  seeking  absolute  quiet.  The  Hakone  Hotel  (Hafu-ya),  rates 
from  ¥5  and  upward,  and  several  lonely  inns  stand  on  the 
beach,  waiting  for  the  few  travelers  who  come  this  way  only 
in  summer.  It  is  an  easy  2  hrs.  walk  hither  from  Miyanoshita, 
and  4  hence  to  Atami. 

During  the  Tokugawa  epoch  the  now  decayed  and  decadent  Hakone  was 
an  important  station  on  the  old  Tokaido  between  the  new  capital  of  Yedo 
and  the  old  one  of  Kyoto.  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi  marched  past  here  in  1590 
when  he  assailed  the  Odawara  H6j5  in  their  castellated  fortress,  and  in  later 
times  many  a  glittering  daimyd  train  stopped  here  to  hold  high  revel  in  the 
tea-houses  overlooking  the  storied  lake.  At  that  period  the  old  Hakone  no 
sekisho,  or  'barrier,'  established  for  the  surveillance  of  travelers,  stood  at 
the  pass  just  west  of  the  village,  to  the  terror  of  malefactors  and  the  uneasi- 


TEN  PROVINCE  PASS     5.  Route.  63 


ness  of  political  malcontents  and  refugees.  Here  was  located  the  Kwan,  or 
gate,  the  important  border  post,  which  had  to  be  passed  on  entering  the 
Kwantd  region,  or  used  in  going  in  the  other  direction  toward  the  Kuwansei. 
The  old  highroad  has  now  lost  its  mediaeval  and  military  character,  and  for 
the  latter  purpose  has  been  supplanted  by  the  new  gov't  road  which  leads 
through  the  gorge  of  the  Hayagawa  and  over  the  Nagao-tdge.  The  highest 
peak  of  the  Hakone  Mts.  is  Kami-yama,  4700  ft. 

At  the  far  end  of  the  village  the  road  turns  sharply  up  at 
the  left,  away  from  the  lake;  henceforward  jinrikis  are  imprac- 
ticable, owing  to  the  steepness  of  the  paths.  A  stiff  20  min. 
climb  brings  one  to  the  crest  of  the  ridge,  whence  there  are 
fine  views  in  retrospect.  From  the  summit  of  the  big  rounded 
Kurakake-yama  (3300  ft.),  about  J  hr.  at  the  left,  views  finer 
even  than  those  from  the  Ten  Province  Pass,  6  M.  beyond,  are 
obtainable.  Until  that  point  is  reached  the  trail  ascends  and 
descends  gently  over  a  vast  upland  plain  or  wide  ridge  with 
views  so  far-reaching  and  grand  that  one  feels  as  if  one  were 
walking  over  the  roof  of  the  world;  it  is  a  vast,  silent  world, 
where  only  an  occasional  grass-cutter  is  seen,  and  from  which 
one  looks  down  into  stupendous  valleys  equally  silent  and 
unpeopled.  A  cold  wind  blows  steadily  across  the  top,  bring- 
ing coolness  in  summer  and  a  searching  chill  in  winter.  Fuji 
is  the  dominating  figure  in  the  seemingly  limitless  landscape. 
Erelong  a  solitary,  blasted  old  cryptomeria,  the  Ippon  Sugi, 
is  sighted,  with  a  stone  idol  at  its  base;  and  from  it  the  sea  is 
visible  at  the  far  left. 

A  huge  stone  marks  the  Ten  Province  Pass  or  Jikkoku-tdge, 
(3200  ft.)  which  instead  of  being  a  pass  between  mts.  is  merely  a 
big  rounded  hilltop,  whence  the  mts.  (provided  the  day  be  crystal 
clear)  of  10  provinces  (Suruga,  Sagami,  Izu,  Totomi,  Kai,  Awa> 
Kazusa,  Shimosa,  Musashi,  and  Kotsuke)  may  be  seen.  Fuji- 
san  is  again  the  dominating  feature.  Most  beautiful  of  all  is 
the  province  of  Neptune,  which  stretches  far  below  to  a  hori- 
zon as  distant  as  that  of  optimistic  youth.  Atami  is  hidden  by 
a  bend  in  the  ridge.  Proceeding  across  the  mt.  tops  we  soon 
enter  a  region  where  the  vegetation  shows  the  effect  of  a  S. 
exposure ;  here  the  bell-like  flowers  of  Campanula  japonica,  wild 
violets,  and  a  half-score  flowery  forms  bloom  unappreciated 
and  unseen.  A  short  descent  brings  one  to  a  small  terrace 
(left)  on  which  a  decayed  temple  and  a  tea-house  stand;  hence 
the  slope  downward  is  sharp  and  the  path  winding;  at  times  it 
loses  its  identity  and  degenerates  into  a  V-shaped  gully  ver}' 
slippery  in  wet  weather.  The  camphor  tree  at  the  right  of  the 
path  in  the  upper  outskirts  of  Atami  is  uncommonly  large. 
The  way  is  now  down  through  the  main  st.  of  the  town,  past  the 
geyser  (right)  to  a  terrace  at  the  left,  overlooking  the  sea, 
where,  in  a  pretty  garden,  stands  the  Atami  Hotel,  with  stuffy 
rooms,  poor  food,  and  rates  from  ¥6  and  upward  per  day. 
The  upper  rooms  are  more  expensive  than  those  on  the  ground 
floor.  All  are  two  or  three  times  as  dear  as  those  of  the  native 


64   Route  5.       ATAMI  AND  THE  GEYSER 


hotel  in  the  same  yard  and  under  the  same  management.  To 
prevent  discussion  at  the  last  moment  the  traveler  had  better 
come  to  a  clear  understanding  with  the  proprietor  before  en- 
gaging rooms.  There  are  several  native  inns,  chief  among 
them  the  Takasagoya  Hotel;  ¥3  and  upward. 

Atami  nestles  cosily  in  a  little  V-shaped  valley  which  reaches 
back  into  the  hills  from  the  sea  and  Sagami  Bay,  on  the  E. 
edge  of  the  Izu  Peninsula,  in  Izu  Province.  It  is  embowered 
in  orange  groves,  camphor  trees,  and  many  flowers,  which 
like  the  warm  exposure  and  bloom  riotously.  The  low  wooded 
island  offshore  is  Hatsushima;  Oshima  is  visible  (at  the  S.E.) 
on  a  clear  day,  and  sometimes  at  night  the  heavens  reflect 
the  fires  of  its  active  volcano.  The  chief  sight  of  Atami  is  the 
failing  Geyser  (Oyu,  or  'big  hot  water'),  the  largest  of  its 
kind  in  Japan.  It  has  existed  for  centuries,  but  was  unknown 
to  foreigners  until  Sir  Rutherford  Alcock,  Great  Britain's 
first  Minister  to  the  Mikado's  Court,  visited  Atami  (com- 
memorative monument)  in  Sept.,  1860.  Dr.  Rein,  writing 
in  1884,  mentions  the  geyser  as  breaking  forth  at  regular  in- 
tervals six  times  in  24  hrs.,  on  each  occasion  for  1|  hrs.  and 
rising  to  a  height  of  3-9  ft.  The  sinking  of  many  wells  (now 
prohibited)  to  the  underlying  volcanic  vein,  and  the  tapping 
(for  baths  and  other  purposes)  of  the  hot  stream,  has  so  weak- 
ened the  geyser  that  now  it  spouts  but  once  every  9-10  hrs., 
first  a  quantity  of  steam  accompanied  by  a  sound  of  furious 
boiling,  lasting  sometimes  for  J  nr.,  then  a  gush  of  hot  water. 
This  is  repeated  4  or  5  times  in  an  hr.,  weak  at  first,  then 
stronger.  At  this  time  steam  issues  from  many  crevices  in 
the  rocks  throughout  the  town;  from  the  steam-pipes  over 
which  some  of  the  people  boil  their  food;  from  between  the 
cobbles  in  the  sts.;  and  from  the  various  bath-houses  directly 
connected  with  the  underground  stream.  The  effect  is  weird, 
and  on  a  wet  day  when  the  vapor  hangs  low,  is  decidedly  sug- 
gestive of  a  region  warmer  and  less  satisfying  than  Japan. 
A  thermometer  in  the  adjoining  bath-house  indicates  the  ap- 
proach of  the  eruption,  which  sounds  like  the  bio  wing-off  of 
a  big  locomotive  or  an  ocean  liner.  Instead  of  rising  verti- 
cally the  steam-saturated  water  now  jerks  out  horizontally 
through  a  jagged. hole  in  the  rocks  flush  with  the  ground  and 
impinges  on  a  stone  wall  5  ft.  thick,  about  6  ft.  from  the  aper- 
ture; an  iron  railing  separates  it  (no  fees)  from  the  main  st. 
The  house  behind  it  is  much  frequented  by  tuberculous  na- 
tives, who  inhale  the  hot  vapors  believing  that  they  have 
curative  powers.  The  Japanese  believe  that  the  ejected  mat- 
ter comes,  not  from  the  ground  immediately  beneath  Atami, 
but  from  the  lofty  mt.  behind  it. 

According  to  Bunsen,  these  hydrothermal  manifestations  are  caused  by 
explosive  action,  due  to  the  heating  of  the  water,  under  pressure,  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  geyser-tube.  Bunsen' s  theory  rests  on  the  accepted  principle  that 


YOKOHAMA  TO  NIIGATA      6.  Route.  65 


the  boiling  point  of  water  increases  with  pressure  and  that  the  boiling  point 
at  the  bottom  of  a  long  tube  is  considerably  higher  than  at  the  top.  When 
heat  is  applied  and  maintained  at  the  bottom  of  such  a  tube,  the  heated 
water  acquires  after  a  time  elastic  force  sufficient  to  overcome  the  weight  of 
the  superincumbent  water;  and  the  relief  from  compression  during  the 
ascent  is  so  great  that  steam  is  generated  rapidlj',  and  to  such  an  amount 
that  it  ejects  violently  from  the  tube  much  of  the  water  it  contains.  The 
Atami  geyser  is  a  pygmy  compared  to  those  of  the  Yellowstone  Park,  and  it  is 
less  interesting  in  a  way  than  the  constantly  boiling  springs  of  Beppu  or 
Noboribetsu.  The  geyser  water  contains  sodium,  magnesia,  calcium,  iron, 
and  allied  substances.  The  natives  believe  it  cures  almost  everything. 

A  local  specialty  is  the  gampishi,  sl  thin  but  tough  paper 
made  of  the  fiber  of  Edgeworthia  papyrijera  (Japanese  mitsu- 
mata).  From  it,  and  from  silk  of  the  wild  silkworm,  is  made 
the  gampi-ori,  a  washable  fabric  resembling  coarse  pongee 
which  is  converted  into  cushion-covers  (40-50  sen  each)  and 
many  articles  of  similar  use.  The  many  turned-wood  articles 
for  sale  in  the  shops  are  made  in  local  workshops.  A  favorite 
sweetmeat  (ame)  is  made  of  limes  and  oranges.  The  most 
important  of  the  local  industries  is  fishing.  At  times  large 
schools  of  various  deep-sea  fish  enter  the  bay  and  throw  the 
town  into  great  excitement.  Lookouts  (tomi)  are  stationed 
on  the  highest  promontories,  and  when  a  school  appears  in 
the  bay  the  fishermen  are  apprised  by  means  of  a  primitive 
conch  megaphone  (hora-no-kai) ;  the  huge  nets  employed  re- 
quire a  dozen  men  to  manipulate  them.  Sometimes  a  hundred 
men  in  a  score  of  boats  reap  a  valuable  piscine  harvest, 
10,000  or  more  plump  buri  (amber-fish)  being  taken  in  one 
forenoon.  There  are  a  number  of  pretty  walks  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Atami.  Motorists  often  come  down  from  Yoko- 
hama for  the  sea  views. 

From  Atami  to  Odawara  (thence  to  Kdzu  and  Yokohama). 
A  light  rly.  makes  the  20  M.  run  along  the  picturesque  coast 
in  about  2\  hrs.  (fare,  ¥1.29,  2d  cl.  — no  1st  cl.).  A  heavier 
rly.  line  is  under  contemplation.  The  Atami  jinriki-men 
demand  15  sen  for  the  5  min.  run  (i  M.)  from  the  hotel  to  the 
station.  The  stuffy  little  cars  are  mediaeval  in  design  and 
comfort,  but  the  views  from  them  over  Sagami  Bay  are  lovely. 
Conspicuous  among  the  nondescript  little  stations  is  Enoura, 
with  a  charming  little  bay  and  beach  —  the  delight  of  artistic 
Japanese.  Oranges  and  many  flowers  flourish  on  the  hill- 
slopes.  The  terminal  station  is  near  that  of  the  tram  Way 
between  Kdzu  and  Yumoto  (Miyanoshita).  The  district 
hence  to  Kdzu  and  Yokohama  is  included  in  Rte.  24. 

6.  From  Yokohama  via  Tokyo  to  Karuizawa,  Nagano, 
Naoetsu,  and  Niigata  (Sado  Island). 

Shin-etsu  Line  of  the  Imperial  Government  Railways. 

To  Karuizawa,  105  M.;  several  trains  daily  in  about  5  hrs.  (consult  the 
rly.  time-card).  Fare,  ¥3.85,  1st  cl.;  ¥2.31,  2d  cl.  To  Niigata,  284  M.  in 
about  16  hrs.-  Fare,  ¥7.90,  1st  cl.;  ¥4.74,  2d  cl.  Certain  of  the  trains  are 


66    Route  6. 


YOKOHAMA  TO  NIIGATA 


composed  of  2d  and  3d  cl.  cars  only.  Good  bento  (p.  lxxxiv)  is  sold  at  most 
of  the  large  stations,  along  with  hot  milk  and  the  specialties  for  which  some 
of  the  towns  are  known.  The  water  at  the  wash-stands  on  the  station  plat- 
forms is  not  to  be  drunk.  The  scenery  in  the  mountainous  districts  is  magni- 
ficent and  is  similar  to  that  on  the  Central  Line,  Rte.  25.  The  rly.  traverses 
the  provinces  of  Sagami,  Musashi,  Shimosa,  and  Kotsuke,  and  after  crossing 
the  wild  and  splendid  upland  province  of  Shinano,  runs  along  the  coast  of 
the  Japan  Sea  through  the  rich,  remote,  and  rugged  Echigo  (called  the  pro- 
vince of  Snow)  with  its  little  known  and  little  traveled  routes.  On  the  Karui- 
zawa  highlands  the  rly.  skirts  the  base  of  Asama-yama,  Japan's  most  active 
and  vicious  volcano,  and  affords  inspiring  views  of  its  smoking  cone.  Travel- 
ers bent  on  sight-seeing  can  board  a  ship  at  Niigata  for  Ye.zo  at  the  N.,  or  for 
any  of  the  Japan  Sea  ports  at  the  S.W.  Sado  Island  is  but  a  brief  sail  from 
Niigata,  whence  one  may  also  cross  to  Koriyama  on  the  Main  Line  to  Aomori 
(Rte.  18),  and  either  proceed  N.  from  there  or  return  S.  over  a  different 
route.  At  Naoetsu  connections  can  be  made  with  the  W.  Coast  Route  to 
Kyoto  and  points  thereabout;  and  at  Shinonoi  with  trains  over  the  magnifi- 
cently scenic  Central  Line  to  Nagoya.  The  entire  region  is  interesting  and  is 
yet  unspoiled  by  too  much  progress.  At  a  point  between  Karuizawa  and 
Miyoda  stations  a  mountain  pass  3234  ft.  is  crossed,  the  2d  highest  point 
reached  by  a  Japanese  rly.  The  26  tunnels  of  the  Usui  Pass  are  known 
throughout  Japan  for  their  picturesqueness.  For  the  comfort  of  travelers 
electric  engines  are  now  attached  to  the  train  at  Tunnel  No.  1  whence  they 
haul  the  cars  over  the  pass,  without  smoke  or  dust. 

The  rly.  from  Yokohama  to  Tokyo  is  described  at  p.  107. 
Thence  to  Takasaki  trains  run  over  the  Takasaki  section  of 
the  North-Eastern  Line  (of  the  Imperial  Gov't  Rlys.) 
through  a  level  country  delimned  at  the  S.  by  Fuji-san  and 
the  lofty  mts.  of  Kai_  Province ;  and  at  the  N.  by  the  fine 
Nikko  Range.  16  M.  Omiya  Jet.  is  the  station  where  travelers 
bound  to  Nikko  and  the  N.  change  cars;  there  is  a  refreshment 
room  on  the  platform  where  bento,  sandwiches,  hot  milk,  and 
pots  of  tea  are  sold  at  reasonable  prices.  33  M.  Fukiage  is  the 
Starting-point  for  (3|  M.;  jinriki,  70  sen,  round  trip)  Yoshimi- 
mura,  which  has  some  curious  artificial  caves,  cut  out  of  the 
friable  sandstone  of  a  hill-slope  and  thought  by  some  to  have 
served  as  the  homes  of  an  ancient  people  known  to  the  Jap- 
anese as  Tsuchi-gumo,  or  ' earth-spiders.'  There  are  about 
200  of  these  ill-smelling  holes,  cruder  even  than  the  cliff- 
dwellings  of  the  S.W.  of  the  United  States.  From  48  M.  Kuma- 
gaya,  trains  of  the  Jobu  Rly.  Co.'s  line  branch  off  to  the  left 
and  run  S.  to  14  M.  Hakure.  A  considerable  trade  in  silk  is 
carried  on  at  Kumagaya,  where  there  are  several  factories. 
Noticeable  features  of  the  region  are  the  tree-hedges,  15-20  ft. 
high,  which  surround  many  of  the  houses.  Good  views  of  the 
mts.  at  the  right.  The  clean-looking  country  with  its  thick 
groves  of  slim  pine  trees,  recalls  certain  parts  of  New  England. 
44  M.  Fukaya  has  a  number  of  silk-  and  cotton-mills.  The 
observant  traveler  will  note  that  the  tile-  and  pottery-kilns 
here  and  farther  along  the  rly.  are  always  built  on  the  slope 
of  a  hillock,  a  nest  of  6  or  more  ovens  being  strung  slantwise 
under  a  single  sloping  roof  in  order  to  economize  heat  and 
produce  a  draft.  On  a  clear  day  Asama-yama  may  be  seen 
smoking  furiously  on  the  horizon  (right).  The  mt.  range  far- 
ther to  the  right  is  that  of  Haruna. 


Mydgi-san. 


TAKASAKI  6.  Route.  67 


62  M.  Takasaki  (406  ft.;  pop.  40,000)  in  Gumma  Prefec- 
ture, Kotsuke  Province,  contains  a  number  of  silk-mills  and 
a  big  bakery  that  supplies  the  surrounding  country  with  loaf 
bread.  Inn:  Takasaki-kwan,  opposite  the  station;  ¥2  and 
upward. 

The  short  rly.  (Ryomo  Line)  which  runs  hence  (E.)  to  57  M.  Oyama  (fare, 
¥2.33,  1st  cl.;  ¥1.40,  2d  cl.;  frequent  trains),  a  jet.  on  the  N.E.  Line  (Rte. 
17),  forms  the  shortest  route  to  Nikko,  etc.,  for  travelers  approaching 
Takasaki  from  the  W.  Most  of  the  wayside  towns  are  unimportant.  7  M. 
Maebashi  (Inn:  Shiroiya,  ¥2;  Togokan  Hotel,  ¥4),  with  46,000  inhabs.,  is  the 
capital  of  Kotsuke  Province  and  Gumma  Prefecture,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
important  silk-markets  in  the  country.  The  Kiryu  Fabric  School  is  of  inter- 
est to  those  concerned  with  sericulture.  A  tramway  runs  from  a  point  near 
the  station  to  (10  M.)  Shibukawa,  where  connections  are  made  with  the  line 
ascending  to  Ikao  (p.  87).  The  rly.  which  goes  toward  the  S.W.  runs  to  21  M. 
Shimonita,  with  an  iron  mine. 

From  Takasaki  the  rly.  climbs  at  once  into  the  hills,  crossing 
first  the  Karasu-gawa,  then  the  Shimo  Usui-gawa,  both  of 
which  have  necessitated  costly  riparian  work  to  confine 
them  to  their  rocky  beds.  The  narrow  valley  here  is  pictur- 
esque, and  the  houses  have  their  roofs  held  down  by  a  multi- 
plicity of  stones.  The  ventilating  holes  under  the  ridge-poles 
indicate  that  the  peaked  lofts  are  breeding-places  for  silk- 
worms. Pollarded  mulberry  trees,  the  leaves  of  which  the 
worms  live  on,  are  conspicuous  features  in  the  landscape.  73 
M.  Isobe,  a  poor  town,  has  mineral  springs  which  attract  the 
ailing.  The  bizarre  mt.  peaks  visible  on  the  S.  (left)  skyline 
constitute  a  part  of  Mydgi-san,  the  starting-point  for  which 
is  usually  77  M.  Matsuida  (Inn:  Hishiya,  ¥2),  a  station  near 
the  Kami  Usui  River. 

The  group  of  jagged,  spire-like  peaks  are  known  collectively  as  Myogi-san, 
and  were  perhaps  named  for  a  celebrated  abbot  of  the  Hiei-zan  Monastery 
(Kyoto),  who  came  hither  in  the  10th  cent,  and  was  deified  under  the  title  of 
Myogi  Dai  Gongen.  Individually  they  are  called  Hakuun  ('  White  Clouds  '), 
Kindo  ('Golden  Cave'),  and  Kinkei  ('Golden  Pheasants').  Originally 
the  ribs  of  an  ancient  volcano,  they  have  been  corroded  by  time  and  the  ele- 
ments into  curious  shapes,  now  covered  to  their  highest  point  (about  3800 
ft.)  with  green  vegetation.  On  the  side  of  the  first-named,  a  short  walk  up 
from  the  village  nestling  on  its  flank  {2\  M.  from  Matsuida ;  jinriki,  75  sen 
the  round  trip),  embowered  in  a  grove  of  noble  cryptomerias,  is  a  Shinto 
shrine  dedicated  to  Yamato  takeru  nomikoto  (see  p.  68),  3d  son  of  the  Em- 
peror Keiko.  The  natural  stone  arches  accessible  by  means  of  iron  cables, 
the  picturesque  environs;  and  the  fine  autumnal  tints  attract  many  Tokyo 
people. 

From  Matsuida  the  rly.  follows  the  right  bank  of  the  river 
and  approaches  a  highly  interesting  portion  of  the  line.  The 
flanking  highway  is  practicable  for  motor-cars.  Many  of  the 
bridges  have  brick  instead  of  granite  abutments.  Beyond  80 
M.  Yokogawa  (1364  ft.)  the  line  begins  its  stiff  climb  over  the 
Usui-tdge,  a  difficult  stretch  of  road  but  7  M.  long,  but  which 
required  2  yrs.  to  complete.  The  work  necessitated  engineer- 
ing skill  of  no  ordinary  kind;  rocky  mts.  had  to  be  cut  away, 
ravines  filled  up,  steep  gradients  introduced  on  reverse  curves, 
and  26  brick-lined  tunnels  with  an  aggregate  length  of  14,644 


68   Route  6. 


KARUIZAWA 


Asama-yama. 


ft.  cut  upward  through  the  pass.  The  riskiest  of  the  18  bridges 
(which  have  an  aggregate  length  of  1471  ft.)  spans  the  Usui- 
gawa  between  the  5th  and  6th  tunnels;  it  has  4  spans  of  60 
ft.  each,  and  is  supported  on  brick  arches  (2,200,000  bricks) 
that  rise  110  ft.  above  the  river-bed.  Until  quite  recently  the 
Abt  system  (cog-wheels  working  in  grooved  rails)  was  em- 
ployed, but  electric  traction  engines  (German;  3d  rail  system; 
direct  current)  have  been  introduced.  The  power-house  on  this 
side  of  the  pass  stands  on  a  low  terrace  near  the  river  edge, 
above  the  Yokogawa  Station;  an  auxiliary  station  stands  just 
beyond  the  pass,  near  the  Yagasaki  Block  Station.  The  fleeting 
glimpses  that  one  gets  of  the  raging  river  as  it  tears  through 
the  gorge  far  below  are  fine.  In  some  places  the  gradient  is  1 
in  15;  No.  6  is  the  longest  (1791  ft.)  of  the  tunnels.  No.  26 
is  1419  ft.  long. 

On  emerging  from  the  Usui  tunnels  the  train  passes  out 
of  Kotsuke  Province,  and  over  the  threshold  from  the  low- 
lands of  the  Kwanto  to  the  highlands  of  Shinano;  from  the 
mild  and  fertile  region  in  which  the  Tokugawa  shoguns  ac- 
quired their  strength  and  built  the  Empire,  to  the  rough,  cold, 
mountainous  interior,  so  little  known  to  foreigners,  yet  so 
worthy  of  being  known.  Japanese  familiar  with  the  history  of 
their  country  associate  the  Usui  Pass  with  Yamato  Dake 
('warrior  prince')  or  Yamatotakeru  no  mikoto,  sl  famous  hero 
and  military  genius  of  the  olden  times  (a.d  81-113).  At  the 
age  of  16  he  was  ordered  to  suppress  a  rebellion  in  Kyushu, 
which  he  did  by  disguising  himself  as  a  woman  and  entering 
the  apartment  of  the  chief  of  the  rebels  and  slaying  him.  His 
several  campaigns  led  him  as  far  N.  as  Mutsu  Province,  where 
he  repeatedly  fought  the  Ainu.  He  died  at  32,  but  lives  in  the 
hearts  of  the  people  as  the  conqueror  of  the  Kwanto,  that 
vast  region  E.  of  the  Hakone  Pass;  between  Tokyo  and 
Nikko;  and  between  Usui-toge  and  the  Pacific  Ocean.  This 
district  is  often  referred  to  as  Adzumi-kuni  ('  Country  of 
my  wife'),  a  designation  referring  to  the  lament  of  Yamato 
Dake  over  the  loss  of  his  beloved  wife  Tachibana-hime,  who, 
on  the  passage  across  Yedo  Bay,  flung  herself  overboard  in 
order  to  mollify  Kompira  (Neptune)  and  to  secure  for  her 
husband  a  prosperous  landing  on  the  Kazusa-Awa  Penin- 
sula. —  For  a  continuation  of  the  journey  beyond  Karuizawa 
see  p.  76. 

87  M.  (from  Tokyo)  Karuizawa  (3180  ft.),  a  small,  scat- 
tered town  (see  the  map  opposite  p.  87)  just  over  the 
border  in  Shinano  Province  (Nagano  Prefecture),  one  of  the 
most  popular  of  the  Japanese  hill-stations,  is  noted  for  its 
fine,  cool,  healthful  air;  its  many  wild  flowers,  splendid  views, 
and  its  proximity  to  the  ever-grouchy  Asama-yama,  Japan's^ 
busiest  volcano.  It  is  the  favorite  summer  meeting-place j 
for  Protestant  missionaries,  who  between  July  and  Sept.  fore-/ 


Hotels. 


KARUIZAWA  6.  Route.  69 


gather  here  in  considerable  numbers  to  recuperate,  discuss 
church  and  mission  matters,  and  enjoy  the  splendid  walks 
^which  the  environs  afford.  The  air  of  the  plain  on  which 
Karuizawa  stands  is  a  delightful  tonic  to  the  residents  of  the 
heat-smitten  coast;  and  about  July  15,  soon  after  schools  close 
for  the  summer  vacation,  and  holidays  are  in  order,  the  place 
begins  to  fill  and  the  hotels  to  be  crowded.  The  flowering 
season  is  about  30  days  later  than  that  of  Tokyo,  and  the 
azaleas,  the  wistaria,  and  other  flowers  which  bloom  in  Tokyo 
and  Yokohama  in  early  May  do  not  appear  on  the  highlands 
here  until  early  June.  To  many  this  is  by  far  the  loveliest 
season  —  and  the  most  satisfactory.  The  hotels  are  then 
practically  empty,  winter  rates  (lower  than  in  summer)  prevail, 
and  the  individual  receives  more  attention  than  is  possible 
during  the  busy  times.  The  display  of  azaleas,  when  vast 
reaches  of  the  hillsides  are  practically  covered  with  the  pink 
blooms,  is  unexcelled  in  any  part  of  Japan.  No  less  beautiful 
is  the  manner  in  which  the  wild  wistaria  decorates  the  ravines 
and  hangs  in  exquisite  festoons  from  the  trees.  The  draw- 
backs are  the  frequent  rains,  the  dense  fogs  which  prevail  in 
spring,  ^fae  TOsgnitof  (the  hotels  furnish  nets),  and  the  sand- 
flies (buyu,  or  buto)  whose  bite  is  as  irritating  as  that  of  the 
mosquito.  The  summer  nights  are  cool;  the  winter  climate  is 
cold,  with  frequent  deep  snows.  Most  of  the  flimsy,  primitive 
cottages  built  of  logs  with  the  bark  on,  and  owned  by  foreign- 
ers, are  closed  in  winter,  as  the  occupants  usually  take  their 
leave  in  Sept.  The  native  town  is  a  poor  place  without 
physical  attractions  other  than  its  mountainous  setting.  The 
summer  floods  of  1910  did  considerable  damage  in  and 
around  the  place.  The  local  specialty,  or  tokubetsu,  is 
Asama-budd,  a  good  jam  made  from  grapes  grown  in  the 
vicinity. 

Arrival.  The  small  group  of  native  houses  clustering  about  the  rly.  station 
is  called  Shin  (new)  Karuizawa;  the  town  proper,  Kyu  (old)  Karuizawa,  is 
about  1  M.  to  the  right,  at  the  base  of  the  hills.  Except  in  the  summer  sea- 
son jinrikis  and  luggage-porters  are  scarce,  as  the  men  are  otherwise  em- 
ployed; travelers  should  therefore  write  in  advance  to  the  hotel  manager  and 
ask  to  be  met.  Jinriki  to  the  town  (an  easy  15  min.  walk),  20  sen.  To  the 
Mikasa  Hotel  (35  min.  walk),  25  sen.  A  steamer-trunk  or  several  suit-cases 
can  be  loaded  into  a  jinriki  at  the  regular  fare.  If  there  are  several  trunks, 
give  the  checks  to  the  hotel  manager  and  ask  him  to  have  them  brought  up 
on  a  cart  (50  sen  is  enough).  To  reach  the  town  on  foot  turn  left  from  the 
station,  walk  a  few  hundred  yards  down  the  main  street,  then  turn  up  right 
and  follow  the  long  road.  The  stone  tablet  in  the  station-yard  commemorates 
the  completion  of  the  Usui-tdge  tunnels,  and  the  advent  of  the  rly. 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix).  The  Mampei  and  the  Karuizawa  Hotels  are  in  the 
town;  the  Mikasa  Hotel  stands  at  the  head  of  a  ravine,  10  min.  walk  beyond, 
at  the  left.  All  in  foreign  style,  with  plain  but  wholesome  food.  English 
spoken.  Rates  from  ¥5-6  for  one  person,  and  ¥8-10  for  two  in  a  room. 
Special  rates  for  a  long  stay;  reductions  in  the  off  season.  The  Banshoken, 
an  inn  (comp.  p.  xxxiv)  In  the  native  style,  is  nearly  opposite  the  Karuizawa 
Hotel ;  ¥3  to  ¥3.50  a  day  (Japanese  food).  Certain  of  the  private  houses  take 
in  boarders  at  special  rates  made  known  on  application.  Laundry  in  the 
hotels  at  ¥5  per  100  pieces,  irrespective  of  size.  Ask  for  a  room  with  a  good 


70    Route  6. 


KARUIZAWA 


Kose  Hot  Spring. 


view,  and  preferably  one  with  a  balcony.  Baths  free.  The  well-water  should 
be  boiled  before  it  is  drunk. 

The  local  Shops  are  uninteresting  and  are  usually  devoid  of  supplies  re- 
quired by  foreigners.  The  Yamato,  one  of  the  most  popular  of  the  Yokohama 
shops  (see  p.  6),  usually  opens  its  Karuizawa  branch  Aug.  1,  and  aims  to 
supply  travelers  with  what  they  need. 

Christian  Church  Services  are  held  on  Sundays  in  one  of  the  local 
cottages;  notices  are  posted  in  the  hotel  lobby. 

Walks  and  Excursions  in  the  neighborhood  are  numerous, 
and  many  miles  of  footpaths  lead  up  and  around  themt.  sides. 
While  weeks  can  be  spent  exploring  them  the  traveler  will 
soon  note  that  a  certain  sameness  characterizes  most  of  the 
views.  None  of  the  trips  offer  the  diversity  of  sensation  (nor 
the  danger)  experienced  on  the  climb  to  the  top  of  Asama- 
yama,  nor  the  varied  charm  of  the  walk  to  Kose  and  return 
along  the  ridge  to  Hanare-yama.  The  Jover  of  beautiful  land- 
scapes rich  with  foliage  and  wild  flowers  will  want  to  repeat 
this  walk  again  and  again,  as  the  pleasure  of  studying  the  un- 
trustworthy Asama  from  a  safe  distance  grows  on  one.  The 
varied  plant  life  is  a  sustained  delight.  Many  of  the  minor 
walks  described  in  the  local  guidebook  are  for  those  who  linger 
at  Karuizawa  and  find  time  hanging  heavily.  Horses  and 
guides  can  be  had  upon  application  to  the  hotel  manager  at 
the  following  prices :  Riding-  or  pack-horse  by  the  hr.  35  sen; 
for  the  day,  ¥2.50;  \  day,  ¥1.25;  to  Asama-yama,  ¥2.50; 
to  the  Lava  Stream,  ¥2.50;  to  Kusatsu,  ¥4  (pack-horse,  ¥3); 
groom  (belt df  or  coolie)  per  hr.,  15  sen.  Guide  up  Asama, 
¥1.70.  Jinriki  (with  2  men)  to  Kusatsu,  ¥6;  kago  to  the 
same  place,  ¥9.  The  lads  who  loiter  about  the  hotels  make 
just  as  good  guides  as  older  heads,  and  are  cheaper  (50  sen 
for  the  day  is  ample).  The  country  people  are  amiable,  polite, 
and  helpful. 

To  Kose  Hot  Spring  (1J  M.).  A  good  walker  familiar  with 
the  road  can  do  the  outward  trip  in  §  hr.,  but  it  will  be  pleas- 
anter  if  a  leisurely  morning  can  be  devoted  to  it  and  the  return 
made  over  the  route  indicated  below.  The  road  leads  (left) 
behind  the  Karuizawa  Hotel,  bears  right,  and  passes  up  the 
rocky  river-bed  beside  the  Mikasa  Hotel.  In  June  a  host  of 
odorless  azaleas  flame  amid  the  green  grass  and  young  pines 
of  the  hillsides  and  idealize  the  beautiful  landscape.  A  quaint 
bell  in  a  belfry  stands  on  the  hill  opposite  the  Mikasa,  in  the 
yard  of  which  are  some  fine  double  cherry  blooms.  The  clear, 
cool,  garrulous  little  brook  that  whimpers  down  through  the 
gorge  here  is  deceptive,  for  when  the  spring  rains  give  it  size 
and  power  it  is  apt  to  tear  giant  trees  out  of  the  hills  and  dash 
them  helter-skelter  over  the  lowlands.  The  views  from  the 
road  as  it  zigzags  up  the  pass  are  beguiling.  Hereabout  the 
beautiful  wild  purple  wistaria  grows  in  riotous  profusion, 
along  with  fragrant  honeysuckle  and  a  host  of  other  wild 
flowers.  At  the  crest  of  the  hill  one  follows  the  road  leading 


Flowers. 


KARUIZAWA  6.  Route.  71 


to  the  left,  in  a  line  with  Asama-yama.  Many  hills  and  ridges 
stretch  away  in  crumpled  folds  at  the  right,  while  numerous 
big  ferns  and  a  species  of  lily  with  edible  bulbs  deck  the  slopes 
at  the  left.  Along  the  outer  edge  of  the  pine  grove  (right)  a 
myriad  dainty,  fragrant,  lilies-of-the-valley  grow  wild;  the 
deep  woods  are  flecked  here  and  there  with  flowering  trees, 
and  from  their  cool  depths  comes  the  incessant,  flute-like  call 
of  the  cuckoo.  When  the  wind  is  in  the  right  direction  one 
begins  soon  to  note  a  sullen,  reverberating  roar  like  that  made 
by  a  heavy  rly.  train  crossing  a  bridge;  but  which  emanates 
from  the  restless  Asama-yama,  and  grows  momentarily  louder 
as  one  descends  the  slope  toward  the  base  of  the  unruly  mon- 
ster. The  path  leads  down  a  gentle  declivity  under  overhang- 
ing foliage,  alongside  a  veritable  wild  garden  of  Solomon's- 
seal,  Jack«-in-the-pulpit,  violets,  buttercups,  purple  asters, 
azaleas,  and  a  charming,  snow-white  flower  produced  by  a 
species  of  wild  pear  (konashi).  At  the  foot  of  the  descent, 
instead  of  crossing  the  stream  one  turns  up  right  to  the  small 
cluster  of  houses  bordering  a  warm  brook  —  the  remains  of 
Kose,  which  was  almost  annihilated  by  the  great  floods  of 
1910.  Many  lukewarm  springs  trickle  down  from  the  hillside, 
past  the  primitive  bath-houses  where  the  natives  bathe  'in 
the  buff  '  before  emerging  for  the  customary  sun-bath.  Chil- 
dren like  the  place  for  its  'paddling'  possibilities. 

Returning  through  the  woods-road  to  the  clearing,  we  bear 
to  the  right  and  ascend  the  hill  over  the  path  directly  across 
the  open  from  that  followed  on  the  descent.  Some  fine  moun- 
tain cherry  trees  (yama-zakura)  put  forth  a  host  of  whitish- 
pink  blossoms  hereabout  in  early  spring.  Far  beyond  the 
tumbled  range  of  hills  visible  at  the  left  from  near  the  crest  of 
the  ridge  lies  Kusatsu.  The  thunderous  roaring  of  Asama- 
yama  is  heard  distinctly  here  —  an  ominous  note  in  the  sweet, 
undefiled  country-side  where  a  myriad  insects  hum,  birds 
sing,  and  flowers  bloom  joyously.  At  the  summit  of  the  ridge 
the  path  winds  to  the  right  and  affords  glorious  and  far- 
reaching  views  at  the  right  and  left.  Microscopic  towns, 
roads,  and  streams  are  seen  at  the  far  left,  and  beyond  them 
apparently  interminable  mt.  ranges  which  fade  into  distant 
blue  peaks.  At  the  right  is  a  vast  depression,  the  far  side  of 
which  is  formed  by  a  shoulder  of  the  angry  Asama.  A  pecu- 
liar fascination  attracts  one  to  this  loftiest  of  all  the  Japanese 
volcanoes,  and  as  one  lies  shoulder  deep  in  the  wild  flowers 
which  deck  the  hill  and  watches  the  smoke  curl  upward  from 
the  cone  opposite  —  the  while  hearkening  to  the  furious 
growling  within  —  one  is  brought  to  a  fine  realization  of  the 
transcendental  powers  of  Nature  and  the  impotency  of  man 
when  he  essays  to  cope  with  them. 

The  first  section  of  the  ridge-path  is  through  a  wooded 
section  idealized  by  many  flowers ;  the  tall  spires  of  Mydgi-san, 


72   Route  6.  KARUIZAWA 


Usui  Pass. 


at  the  far  left,  are  strikingly  like  those  of  the  Organ  Mts. 
near  Las  Cruces,  New  Mexico,  U.S.A.  The  snow-streaked 
giants  at  the  far  right  of  the  Gothic-like  pinnacles  are  the  mts. 
of  Shinano  Province.  Many  day-lilies  beautify  this  stretch 
of  road  in  summer,  and  entomologists  will  find  here  an  unusual 
assemblage  of  butterflies.  The  towering  green  side  of  Hanare- 
yama  soon  comes,  within  view,  and  then  Kutsukake  is  seen 
nestling  at  its  base  (right).  [If  time  permits,  one  can  diverge 
here  to  the  right,  follow  the  well-traveled  road  between  Ka- 
mi zaw  a  and  Kutsukake,  and  after  quitting  the  latter  village, 
return  through  Hanare-yama-machi  and  inspect  the  monu- 
ments referred  to  below.]  Karuizawa  is  visible  at  the  (1  M.) 
left.  —  Should  the  traveler  elect  to  return  from  Kose  over  the 
road  taken  on  the  outward  trip,  a  side-trip  can  be  made  to 
a  pretty  cascade,  about  \  hr.  up  a  sheltered  valley  at  the 
right  of  the  Mikasa  Hotel.  The  lovely  clematis-like  flower 
so  much  in  evidence  in  the  tall  trees  is  that  of  the  spindle- 
tree  —  one  of  the  dogwoods  (mayumi). 

The  Bronze  Monuments  (45  min.  walk)  on  the  slope  of 
Hanare-yama,  immediately  beyond  Hanare  village,  are 
reached  by  following  the  Nakasendo  to  the  latter  place,  and 
to  a  group  of  houses  in  a  walled  compound  just  beyond;  then 
pass  through  the  yard  and  follow  the  path  (no  fees)  up  the 
hill  (5  min.)  to  the  terrace.  The  statues  stand  on  artificial 
pedestals  of  volcanic  rock  surmounted  by  gray  granite  plinths, 
whence  one  commands  a  broad  view  over  the  valley  to  the 
distant  mts.  The  figures  are  those  of  a  rich  merchant  and 
his  wife,  the  ancestors  of  the  present  dwellers  of  the  houses 
below;  the  man  holds  a  fan  in  his  hand,  and  looks  self-com- 
placent; the  kneeling  woman  looks  sorrowful.  Both  commem- 
orate the  pride  of  a  man  who  became  rich  because  of  his 
ability  to  hoard  his  wealth. 

Unless  time  hangs  heavily,  and  one  is  fond  of  climbing, 
the  ascent  of  Hanare-yama  (about  If  hr.)  will  scarcely  repay 
the  effort;  the  hill,  which  is  covered  with  grass  to  its  rounded 
summit,  with  no  trees  to  afford  shade,  is  steeper  than  it  looks 
from  below,  and  the  ascent,  particularly  in  the  hot  sun,  is 
arduous.  An  equally  attractive  view  can  be  had  with  a  smaller 
outlay  of  energy  from  the  ridge  followed  on  the  return  from 
Kose.  The  remarks  are  applicable  also  to  Atago-yama,  a 
rounded  hill  just  back  of  the  town,  and  notable  for  the  out- 
cropping of  curious  columnar  rocks  on  its  side.  The  ascent 
takes  about  J  hr. ;  the  shrine  near  the  top  is  of  no  interest. 

The  Usui  Pass  (2  M.)  about  780  ft.  above  the  plain,  is 
reached  by  continuing  to  the  top  of  the  main  st.,  crossing 
the  bridge  over  a  mt.  torrent,  then  following  the  road  that 
zigzags  up  the  hill.  Forenoon  is  the  best  time,  as  fierce  thun- 
derstorms sometimes  break  quickly  over  the  pass  in  the  after- 
noons of  spring  and  summer  days.  The  stone  monument  on 


Yagasaki-yama.         ASAMA-YAMA  6.  Route.  73 


the  near  side  (left)  of  the  bridge  was  erected  (by  the  vil- 
lagers) in  1903  to  the  memory  of  the  Venerable  Archdeacon 
A.  C.  Shaw,  one  of  the  first  missionaries  to  bring  Karuizawa 
into  prominence  as  a  summer  resort.  The  curious,  triple- 
headed  stone  image  in  the  glade  at  the  left  of  the  bridge,  on 
the  far  side  of  the  stream,  resembles  the  Trimurti  of  Hindu 
mythology.  The  grayish- white  ejecta  of  pumice-stone  every- 
where visible  beneath  the  thin  layer  of  soil  points  to  the  great 
activity  of  Asama  in  times  past.  The  view  from  the  top  of  the 
pass,  on  which  stands  the  omnipresent  tea-house,  is  far- 
reaching  and  attractive.  A  slightly  better  view  may  be  had 
from  a  point  farther  along  at  the  left;  from  here  one  sees  the 
castellated  peaks  of  Myogi-san,  the  smoking  Asama,  Shirane- 
san,  the  bulky  Haruna  Mts.,  and  scores  of  lesser  peaks  and 
ridges.  A  yet  wider  panorama  spreads  below  a  point  known  as 
Fujimi-zaka  (called  also  the  Hog's  Back)  about  2  M.  N.  of 
Usui-toge  (follow  the  path  beyond  the  temple  and  bear 
steadily  to  the  right) .  On  a  clear  day  the  impeccable  Fuji-san 
is  visible  on  the  S.  skyline.  A  number  of  plain  trails  radiate 
from  the  hilltop.  By  locating  Karuizawa  one  may  vary  the 
descent  without  straying  far  afield. 

Yagasaki-yama,  or  Prospect  Point,  a  short  distance  S.  of 
therly.  track,  is  known  for  the  beautiful  views  possible  from  it. 
An  entire  morning  should  be  given  to  the  trip,  as  it  is  a  stiffish 
climb  of  about  1  hr.  from  Yagasaki  village  to  the  crest.  The 
return  may  be  varied  by  following  the  path  leading  toward 
Kamado-iwa,  a  picturesque  spot  called  Pulpit  Rock. 

Iriyama  Pass  can  be  included  in  the  above  trip  by  walking 
to  Sakai  and  following  the  trail  leading  due  E.  The  views 
over  the  valley  stretching  between  the  foot  of  the  pass  and 
Asama;  and  toward  Myogi-san,  are  pleasing.  A  popular 
2-day  trip  is  to  (9-12  M.)  The  Kodhu  Farm,  beyond  the  Wami- 
toge.  The  usual  custom  is  to  make  the  outward  trip  the  first 
day,  spend  the  night  at  the  farmstead  (excellent  cream,  butter- 
milk, strawberries,  etc.),  and  return  the  following  day. 

The  Ascent  of  Asama-yama  (8260  ft.;  4330  ft.  higher  than 
Vesuvius) ,  the  largest,  angriest,  most  accessible  and  treacher- 
ous volcano  on  the  main  island  of  Japan,  is  a  simple  matter, 
but  the  dangers  at  the  summit  are  manifold  and  should  not 
be  regarded  lightly.  The  symmetrical  cone  rises  like  a  gigantic 
ulcer  to  a  height  of  5080  ft.  above  the  Karuizawa  plain,  which 
it  shakes  to  its  center  (but  does  no  material  damage),  and 
covers  with  ashes  whenever  it  is  in  one  of  its  irritable  moods. 
One  might  almost  be  justified  in  believing  that  it  bears  a 
special  grudge  against  mt.  climbers,  for  no  sooner  does  a 
number  of  these  assemble  at  the  top  than  the  baleful  monster 
spouts  out  thousands  of  tons  of  hot  rocks  that  kill  some  and 
maim  others.  Until  recently  it  was  the  custom  to  'close'  the 


74   Route  6. 


ASAMA-YAMA 


The  Lava  Stream. 


mt.  in  winter  and  'open'  it  to  climbers  the  first  week  in  May. 
In  1911,  on  the  day  after  the  official  'opening/  while  a  throng 
of  silent  pilgrims  were  gazing  into  the  fearsome  vent,  a  furious 
explosion  (one  of  the  first  for  a  long  time),  followed  by  a  tre- 
mendous outburst,  occurred,  and  numbers  of  the  unfortunates 
were  killed  or  wounded.  A  similar  outbreak  with  lamentable 
results  came  in  Aug.,  1912,  at  the  moment  when  a  party  of 
Karuizawa  residents  were  at  the  summit.  Prior  to  May  26, 
1908,  when  a  violent  and  unexpected  eruption  marked  a  new 
period  of  activity  for  the  volcano,  it  had  remained  compar- 
atively quiescent  for  125  yrs.  The  eruptions  are  now  frequent 
and  formidable;  the  earth  tremors  are  sometimes  felt  in  Tokyo 
and  Yokohama,  and  the  region  roundabout  the  mt.  is  fre- 
quently strewn  with  ashes.  During  the  vicious  manifestation 
of  Dec.  16,  1912,  masses  of  lava  and  incandescent  rocks 
streamed  and  rolled  down  the  mt.  sides,  dense  clouds  of  black 
smoke  hung  over  the  surrounding  country,  and  violent  ex- 
plosions shook  it.  The  configuration  of  the  crater  has  been 
changed  materially  by  these  tremendous  outbursts,  the  most 
violent  of  which  (as  Dr.  Omori,  of  the  Tokyo  Imperial  Uni- 
versity, points  out)  occur  in  May  and  Dec,  when  decided  cli- 
matic changes  take  place.  The  fearsome  eruption  of  1783 
lasted  88  days  and  spread  terror  and  devastation  for  miles 
around.  The  scoriaceous  lava-stream  destroyed  a  celebrated 
primeval  forest  near  by,  along  with  48  villages,  thousands  of 
people,  and  an  unlisted  number  of  domestic  animals.  Many 
of  the  survivors  died  later  from  starvation,  as  the  rain  of 
stones  and  ashes  covered  the  ground  to  a  depth  of  several 
feet  for  miles  around,  destroying  and  burying  all  the  vegeta- 
tion. The  neighborhood  of  the  Nakasendo,  between  Oiwake 
and  the  Usui  Pass,  previously  fertile  and  productive  land, 
was  turned  into  a  blistering  wilderness.  Glowing  masses  of 
incandescent  rock  were  hurled  out  of  the  crater  in  all  directions, 
and  the  dense  shower  of  ashes  turned  day  into  night.  The 
stream  of  lava  flowed  N.  to  the  bed  of  the  Agatsuma-gawa, 
then  turned  to  the  E.  Portions  of  this  vast  field,  whose  gray- 
ish-black masses  of  rock  are  mingled  in  wild  confusion,  are 
yet  visible  from  Asama's  summit,  and  in  certain  of  its  charac- 
teristics it  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  celebrated 
Pedregal,  in  the  Valley  of  Mexico,  near  the  town  of  Coyoacan. 
The  contrast  between  the  bleak  lava  and  the  luxuriant  forest 
vegetation  is  remarkable;  the  one  emblematic  of  death,  de- 
struction and  the  unthinkable  and  blighting  forces  of  Nature; 
the  other  vigorous  with  life,  vocal  with  happy  birds  and  in- 
sects, and  redolent  of  gay  flowers.  The  huge  lichen-covered 
blocks  bear  some  resemblance  to  sea  waves  petrified  and 
stilled  in  their  headlong  course.  This  Lava  Stream  (Oshi- 
dashi-gawara)  forms  a  favorite  excursion  from  Karuizawa; 
the  better  part  of  a  day  should  be  devoted  to  it,  and  a  boy 


Kusatsu. 


ASAMA-YAMA  6.  Route.  75 


should  be  taken  from  the  hotel  to  act  as  guide  and  carry  the 
lunch-basket.  Ladies  will  find  the  walk  tiresome. 

The  most  popular  route  up  Asama  is  via  the  Wakasare-no- 
chaya,  &  tea-house  on  the  Kusatsu  road  reached  by  way  of 
Kutsukake.  The  last  2  hrs.  to  the  summit  must  be  made  on 
foot.  A  day  and  a  local  guide  are  needed  for  the  round  trip. 
The  lower  slopes  of  the  mt.  are  covered  with  the  small  grapes 
from  which  the  local  jam  is  made;  higher  up  are  inclined  seas 
of  sand,  pumice,  volcanic  stones,  and  clinkers;  the  grade  is 
not  as  steep  as  that  on  Fuji,  and  there  are  no  dizzy  precipices 
to  cross.  The  wide,  dome-shaped  summit  is  covered  with 
recently  ejected  stones,  many  of  them  warm  to  the  touch; 
a  rain  of  almost  impalpable  ash  often  descends  gently  and 
steadily.  The  crater  is  about  §  M.  in  diameter  and  600  or 
more  ft.  deep.  The  fact  that  it  is  filling  gradually  at  the  rate 
of  12-15  ft.  each  year,  leads  seismologists  to  the  conclusion 
that  within  the  next  20  yrs.  a  similar  eruption  to  that  of  1783 
will  occur  —  since  the  shallower  the  crater  the  more  violent 
the-  outbreaks.  When  these  occur  all  the  telegraph  wires  in 
Karuizawa  hum  in  unison  with  their  menacing  roar.  The  view 
from  the  summit  is  grand;  the  Kotsuke  Mts.  are  seen  at  the 
N.,  with  the  Nikko  Range  on  the  sky-line.  Haruna-san  seems 
startlingly  near,  as  does  the  commanding  range  at  the  W. 
which  forms  the  boundary  between  Shinano  and  Hida  Prov- 
inces. Fuji  can  be  seen  at  the  far  S.  on  a  clear  day,  and  at  the 
far  W.  JJae^blue  Japan  Sea. 

Kusatsu  (p. 99),  a  mountain  resort  with  celebrated  hot 
springs,  lies  about  26  M.  N.W.  of  Karuizawa,  at  the  end  of  a 
road  practicable  in  the  dry  season  for  jinrikishas,  but  better 
adapted  for  pedestrians  and  horses.  If  the  traveler  is  unwill- 
ing to  walk  up  the  steep  hills  behind  Karuizawa,  and  also  up 
the  five-mile  stretch  between  Tatsuishi  (the  last  rest-house 
on  the  journey)  and  Kusatsu,  as  well  as  at  certain  intervening 
points  on  the  road,  3  men  will  be  necessary.  Horses  are 
cheaper  and  more  satisfactory.  A  pack-horse  will  prove  better 
than  a  jinriki  if  there  is  much  luggage.  On  a  pleasant  day  the 
trip  can  be  delightful,  and  on  a  rainy  one  execrable.  The 
traveler  bound  for  Ikao  and  points  in  N.  Japan  will  save  time 
and  money  by  continuing  on  from  Kusatsu  instead  of  return- 
ing to  Karuizawa.  Before  making  arrangements  for  coolies 
or  conveyances  beyond  Kusatsu  consult  Rte.  7,  p.  95.  The 
traveler  will  also  do  well  to  telephone  to  the  manager  of  the 
Shirane  Hotel  at  Kusatsu  and  inquire  if  the  basha  (p.  xci) 
is  in  service  between  that  point  and  Tatsuishi.  Should  such 
be  the  case  one  can  save  horse-  and  coolie-hire  by  engaging 
'these  to  Tatsuishi  only,  and  taking  the  cheaper  conveyance 
to  Kusatsu.  The  manager  there  will  at  any  time  send  kagos, 
horses,  and  coolies  to  Tatsuishi  to  meet  travelers.  A  light 
rly.  between  Karuizawa  and  Kusatsu  (a  highly  interesting 


76   Route  6. 


KOMORO        The  Chikuma-gawa. 


place)  is  contemplated,  but  until  it  is  completed  the  latter 
town  can  be  reached  easiest  from  Ikao. 

The  road  from  Karuizawa  leads  toward  Kose,  but  at  the 
summit  of  the  hill,  we  continue  on  at  the  right  instead  of 
descending  the  slope,  and  cross  the  crest  of  the  ridge  to  the 
open  country  beyond.  On  clear  days  the  views  are  extensive, 
with  mts.  everywhere  cutting  the  sky-line,  and  grumpy  Asama 
much  in  the  foreground.  The  rest-houses  by  the  wayside  are 
poor,  and  offer  little  in  the  way  of  refreshments  beyond  low- 
grade  boiled  rice,  small  eggs,  insipid  tea,  and  poor  cakes.  A 
large  section  of  the  lowland  hereabout  is  used  by  the  Gov't 
as  a  breeding-farm  for  cavalry  horses.  As  we  approach  the 
Agatsuma  River  the  scenery  becomes  wilder  and  more  pictur- 
esque; the  country  is  sparsely  populated,  and  wide  stretches 
of  it  are  uncultivated.  Rice,  wheat,  a  species  of  palma  christi 
from  which  linen  is  made;  Indian  corn,  and  mulberry  trees  are 
the  chief  products.  The  poor  town  of  Tatsuishi  has  an  inn  in 
which  few  will  care  to  sleep  after  seeing  it.  The  road  hence  to 
Kusatsu  is  described  in  Rte.  7. 

Yokohama- Niigata  Rte.  continued  from  p.  68.  From 
Karuizawa  the  rly.  continues  across  the  plateau  and  soon 
skirts  the  base  (right)  of  Hanare-yama  with  the  hamlet  of 
the  same  name  sprawling  against  its  base.  Entering  a  broken 
country  gashed  by  deep,  green  gorges  through  which  plunging 
rivulets  course  and  brawl,  the  train  is  soon  drawn  steadily 
upward  to  the  2d  highest  point  (3234  ft.)  yet  reached  by  a 
Japanese  rly.  (see  Rte.  25).  From  the  crest  of  the  ridge  mag- 
nificent valleys  stretch  away  to  the  far  left  and  afford  exten- 
sive views.  Crossing  a  deep  gorge  with  an  iron-tinged  stream 
plunging  through  it,  the  train  runs  up  a  spur  track  to  95  M. 
Miyoda  (2710  ft.;  Inn:  Miyoda,  at  the  station,  ¥2),  whence 
it  descends  gradually  over  many  curves  through  a  region  de- 
voted to  the  production  of  mulberry  trees  and  its  concomitant 
industry,  silk.  The  paralleling  Nakasendo  hereabout  is  better 
for  motor-cars  than  many  a  mt.  road  in  America,  and  it  bears 
broad  testimony  to  the  care  which  a  paternal  gov't  devotes 
to  side  issues  in  remote  sections.  The  huge  Asama-yama> 
whose  ugly  personality  dominates  the  entire  region  hereabout, 
is  now  seen  at  the  right,  unobstructed  from  the  broad  base  to 
the  squat  cone;  the  deep  rifts  that  gash  the  grassy  slope  form 
ridges  that  look  like  huge  supporting  buttresses,  and  add 
considerable  massivity  to  the  mt.  Far  below  at  the  left, 
racing  and  plunging  downward  between  high  bluffs,  stretches 
the  Chikuma-gawa,  while  far  beyond  it,  on  a  splendid  up- 
land terrace,  tiny  hamlets  glisten  and  sparkle  in  the  sun. 

101  M.  Komoro  (2276  ft.),  a  clean  town  into  which  water  is  * 
brought  through  bamboo  pipes  overhead  (Inn:  Tsuruya, 
¥2),  has  some  splendid  old  trees,  a  pretty  public  garden  which 
was  formerly  within  the  castle-grounds  of  a  powerful  daimyd, 


The  Shakuson-ji.  KOMORO 


6.  Route.  77 


and  a  locally  celebrated  temple,  the  Shakuson-ji,  a  favorite 
^excursion  for  folks  from  Karuizawa. 

The  temple  stands  on  a  high  bluff  overlooking  the  Chikuma  River,  about  3 
M.  from  the  station  (1  hr.  walk),  in  a  wild  and  romantic  spot  whence  there 
are  fine  views.  The  priests  (of  the  Tendai  sect  of  Buddhists)  have  copied  the 
Chinese  custom  of  making  a  labyrinthine  maze  of  paths  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
several  shrines,  in  some  places  piercing  the  rocks  and  tunneling  the  hills  to 
•accomplish  their  purpose.  The  approach  to  the  monastery  (often  called 
Nunobiki  no  Kwannon)  is  along  a  narrow  gorge  which  winds  up  from  the 
river.  The  general  style  of  the  placets  similar  to  that  near  Lake  Haruna, 
and  differs  from  those  of  W.  Japan  in  that  gorges  instead  of  mt.  tops  are 
favorite  retreats. 

As  the  rly.  continues  down  the  Chikuma  Valley  one  gets 
adorable  views  of  the  bold  bluffs  beyond  the  stream,  and  of 
the  bulky  Yatsugatake  Range  on  the  S.  sky-line.  The  river 
itself,  though  here  an  impetuous  mt.  stream,  later  broadens 
into  the  Shinano-gawa,  and  before  reaching  the  sea  at  Niigata 
becomes  one  of  Japan's  finest  rivers.  Every  foot  of  the  lowlands 
along  its  course  is  sown  to  rice,  barley,  wheat,  and  vegetables, 
while  stunted  mulberry  trees  deck  the  higher  slopes  of  the 
hills.  The  unusual  productivity  of  the  land  is  perhaps  aided 
by  the  subterraneous  fires  of  Asama-yama.  Scores  of  Moorish- 
looking  water-wheels  are  employed  to  irrigate  the  wedge-shaped 
plots  of  land  that  run  back  from  the  river  into  the  hills,  and  they 
impart  an  added  air  of  thrift  and  purpose.  The  peasants  one 
sees  trudging  down  the  hillsides  nearly  all  bear  big  bundles  of 
freshly-cut  mulberry  twigs  for  the  colonies  of  silk-worms  in 
the  homestead.  Tall  white  silk-mills,  constructed  like  Swiss 
chalets,  are_seen  in  some  of  the  wayside  towns. 

109  M.  Oya  (Inn:  Oya-kwan,  ¥2)  is  usually  considered  the 
starting-point  for  the  overland  trip  to  161  M.  Gifu,  near  the 
so-called  S.  terminus  of  the  Nakasendo  —  a  sometime  cele- 
brated highway  now  practically  supplanted  by  the  Central 
Line  of  the  Imperial  Gov't  Rlys.  Below  Oya  a  number  of 
substantial  granite  retaining  walls  keep  the  hillside  terraces 
in  place,  just  as  the  numerous  whirligigs  in  the  grain-fields 
are  supposed  to  keep  the  predaceous  crows  in  theirs.  113 
M.  Uyeda  (1562  ft.)  produces  (in  several  mills)  silk  of  durable 
quality  and  a  special  fabric  (the  chief  product  of  the  district) 
called  Uyedajima  —  a  sort  of  Japanese  pongee.  The  old  castle 
which  once  stood  on  the  river-bank  beyond  the  town  is  now 
a  ruin.  The  BesshoHot  Springs  lie  about  7  M.  westward  of  the 
town  (jinriki,  60  sen).  The  wide  river  racing  downward  at 
the  left,  the  many  quaint  foot-bridges,  and  the  houses  perched 
on  the  steep  hillsides  make  a  pretty  picture.  Beyond  (left) 
119  M.  Sakaki  is  a  bizarre  hill  like  a  primitive  church;  the 
exit  from  the  amphitheater  which  it  overlooks  is  through  a 
great  gap  in  the  mts.  just  wide  enough  for  the  river,  the  rly., 
and  the  highroad ;  and  as  the  train  threads  it  it  is  seen  to  be  a 
sort  of  great  entrance-way  to  a  lovely,  sun-warmed  valley 
intensively  cultivated,  dotted  with  hamlets,  and  flecked 


78   Route  6. 


NAGANO 


Shinonoi. 


with  flowers.  The  thrifty  housewives  can  be  seen  at  work 
busy  with  cocoons  or  reeling  the  moistened  silken  threads  on 
primitive  single  or  compound  reels.  Beyond  135  M.  Yashiro 
the  Chikuma-gawa  is  crossed  (bridge  694  ft.  long)  to  128  M. 
Shinonoi  (Inn:  Maruya,  ¥2),  a  historic  town  on  the  edge  of 
the  Kawanaka-jima  plain  and  known  for  a  great  battle  fought 
(in  1561)  between  the  unscrupulous  feudal  chieftain  Takeda 
Shingen  and  Uyesugi  Kenshin,  an  equally  powerful  baron, 
then  Lord  of  Echigo  Province.  A  branch  rly.  runs  S.E.  via 
Matsumoto  and  connects  at  Shiojiri  with  the  Central  Rly. 
Line  (Rte.  25). 

134  M.  Nagano  (1284  ft.),  capital  of  Nagano  Prefecture, 
with  39,500  inhabs.;  picturesquely  situated  in  a  sort  of  horse- 
shoe curve  at  the  foot  of  a  lofty  mt.  range  that  rises  greenly 
behind  it,  possesses  one  of  the  most  famous  temples  in  Japan 
and  is  the  Mecca  for  pilgrims  from  all  the  region  which  here- 
about faces  the  Japan  Sea. 

The  Fujiya  Hotel,  an  inn  on  the  main  st.  10  min.  walk  from  the  station 
(jinriki,  15  sen),  is  better  equipped  to  entertain  foreigners  than  its  branch 
opposite  the  station.  Rates  from  ¥4  a  day;  a  little  English  spoken.  The  best 
rooms  ar^  at  the  rear,  overlooking  the  quaint  garden.  There  are  a  number  of 
other  inns  hard  by,  chief  among  them  the  Gomei-kwan  (¥2).  —  The  long 
central  st.  is  very  lively  and  picturesque  with  its  scores  of  tidy  shops  crammed 
with  merchandise  indirectly  associated  with  the  temple  and  the  pilgrims  who 
come  in  throngs  to  worship  its  relics.  The  big  mts.  at  the  left  of  the  town  are 
Asashi-yama,  and  Ishi-yama. 

The  Zenko  Temple,  the  property  of  the  Tendai  sect  of  Buddhists,  stands  at 
the  top  of  the  main  st.,  5  min.  walk  from  the  inn  and  20  min.  from  the  station. 
The  traveler  pressed  for  time  can  easily  get  a  comprehensive  idea  of  it  between 
trains  (2  hrs.  is  ample)  or  can  make  the  excursion  hither  from  Karuizawa 
and  return  there  the  same  day.  Fees  are  not  obligatory,  but  are  always 
acceptable.  According  to  tradition  the  original  temple  was  founded  in  a.d. 
670,  and  history  records  that  the  oldest  part  of  the  present  structure  was 
erected  in  the  latter  half  of  the  15th  cent.  The  founders  are  supposed  to  have 
been  Honda  Yoshimitsu,  his  wife  Yayoi-no-Mae,  and  his  son  Yoshisuke,  who 
are  worshiped  along  with  the  three  divinities  to  whom  it  is  dedicated  — 
Amida,  Kwannon,  and  Daiseishi.  The  great  popularity  of  the  fane  is  asso- 
ciated with  the  images  of  these  saints,  which  are  enshrined  in  a  special  sanc- 
tuary in  the  smallest  of  a  nest  of  7  boxes.  The  reliquary  itself  (said  to  date 
from  1369)  is  protected  from  the  profane  gaze  of  foreigners  by  an  elaborate 
brocade  curtain  which  is  drawn  aside  during  the  chief  festivals  —  the  Great 
Invocation  of  Buddha,  held  July  31;  one  on  March  14,  in  commemoration 
of  the  great  earthquake  of  1847;  and  others  at  the  spring  and  autumnal 
equinoxes.  An  elaborate  fable  enshrouds  the  origin  of  these  figurines,  which 
time  seems  to  have  blended  into  one  and  which  the  natives  worship  with  a 
frenzied  reverence.  The  story  runs  that  while  Buddha  was  preaching  his 
doctrines  in  India  a  certain  miserly  Hindu  became  convinced  of  the  impiety 
of  avariciousness  and  declared  his  intention  of  making  a  gold  (or  platinum) 
image  of  the  great  teacher  and  worshiping  it.  The  metal  was  straightway 
obtained  from  the  Dragon  Palace  on  Shumisen  (a  fabulous  mt.  of  wonderful 
height  which  rises  from  the  middle  of  the  ocean  and  forms  the  axis  of  the  uni- 
verse) and  three  images  fashioned  from  it.  In  a.d.  413  they  were  brought  to 
Korea,  and  in  the  6th  cent,  were  presented  by  a  king  of  that  country  to  the 
Emperor  Kimmei.  A  high  military  officer  who  was  opposed  to  the  adoption 
of  Buddhism  in_  Japan  secured  the  images  and  threw  them  into  a  pond  at 
Naniwa  (now  Osaka).  In  the  reign  of  the  Empress  Suiko  (593-628)  one 
Zenko  Honda,  while  passing  the  pond  (later  called  Amida  Pond)  noted  a 
glimmer  of  celestial  light  making  up  through  the  water.  The  figurines,  now 


Zenko  Temple. 


NAGANO  6.  Route.  79 


fused  into  one,  were  forthwith  discovered,  and  as  Zenko  was  a  native  of 
Shinano  Province,  he  brought  the  image  with  him  to  Nagano  and  caused  to 
be  erected  there  a  temple  (ji)  to  be  known  by  his  name.  Because  the  idol  had 
originated  in  India,  and  had  reached  Japan  via  another  country,  it  was  (and 
is)  called  Sangoku-denrai  ('unrivaled  object  imported  through  3  countries') . 
Many  miracles  are  said  to  have  been  worked  by  it. 

The  first  building  at  the  left  within  the  entrance  to  the  temple  grounds 
bears  the  Imperial  Paulownia  crest  and  is  the  official  residence  of  an  abbess 
(Ama  Miya  Samd)  belonging  to  the  Imperial  family  and  to  a  sisterhood  of 
nuns.  Adjoining  it,  back  from  a  big  gateway  facing  the  flagged  walk,  is  the 
elaborate  Dai-  Hongwan,  renovated  in  1900  and  profusely  decorated  in  black- 
and-gold,  with  a  red-and-gold  lacquered  shrine.  The  light  from  the  tall, 
ungainly  lighthouse  on  the  next  terrace  can  be  seen  for  miles  across  the  plain 
and  is  the  beacon  for  many  a  footsore  pilgrim.  Varied  assortments  of  war- 
trophies  —  ammunition- wagons,  cannon,  etc.  —  captured  from  the  Musco- 
vites stand  about  the  court.  Midway  at  the  left,  behind  a  quaint  bridge 
which  spans  a  lotus-pond  overhung  with  some  ancient  gnarled  pines,  is  the 
Dai-  Kanshin,  adjoining  the  abbot's  residence.  Some  excellently  carved 
beams  in  the  natural  wood,  carrying  dragon,  tennin,  waves,  flowers,  and  other 
designs  are  features  of  the  porch,  which  is  newer  than  parts  of  the  interior. 
Here,  in  juxtaposition  to  the  elaborately  and  freshly  decorated  altar  and 
lateral  shrines,  are  a  number  of  beams  used  in  the  erection  of  the  primitive 
temple  centuries  ago.  To  this  place  come  all  the  pilgrims  from  remote  dis- 
tricts, to  buy  and  take  home  with  them  the  locally  celebrated  'sutra  shirts' 
or  kyokatabira,  a  shroud  (sold  by  the  bonzes  for  10  sen)  maple  of  sleazy  white 
cotton  stuff  (like  cheese-cloth)  14  in.  wide  by  34  in.  long,  fashioned  into  a 
front  or  bosom,  and  stamped  with  cabalistic  signs.  Pilgrims  preserve  these 
to  be  buried  in,  along  with  another  mystic  charm,  kechimyaku,  also  sold  at 
the  temples. 

Facing  the  entrance,  across  the  main  court,  is  a  huge  pedestal  surmounted 
by  a  green  bronze,  seated  Jizo,  flanked  on  one  side  by  six  smaller  ones  (roku 
Jizo) ;  each  in  an  attitude  different  from  the  other,  and  each  with  a  baby's 
bib  round  its  neck ;  the  last  in  the  pathetic  row  holds  a  tiny  baby  in  its  arms. 
Jizo  is  one  of  the  most  popular  divinities  of  the  temple,  and  many  stone 
images  representing  him  stand  in  the  yard.  The  Sammon,  or  great  gate,  is 
huge,  time-stained,  and  dingy.  The  large,  strikingly  handsome  green  bronze 
water-receptacles  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  main  entrance  are  almost  cov-  1 
ered  with  crests  and  ideographs  and  are  wOrth  noting.  The  tall  concrete 
tower  at  the  left,  with  names  stamped  in  the  composing  sections,  was  erected 
to  the  memory  of  those  who  subscribed  appreciable  sums  to  the  upkeep  of 
the  temple.  The  Sacred  Library,  adorned  with  a  number  of  gilt  crests  and 
surmounted  by  the  customary  bronze  hoshu  no  tama,  is  closed  to  the  public. 
The  old  graveyard  near  by  is  not  worth  looking  at.  From  a  point  just 
beyond  the  library  one  may  get  a  comprehensive  idea  of  the  vastness  of  the 
two-storied  structure  (108  ft.  wide  by  198  ft.  deep)  with  its  immensely  heavy 
triple-gabled  roof  (upheld  by  136  pillars)  marked  by  a  ridge  in  the  style 
called  shumoku,  from  its  resemblance  to  the  wooden  hammer  used  by  the 
Buddhist  priests  to  strike  a  bell  employed  in  their  religious  services.  The 
69,384  rafters  (said  to  have  been  used  in  constructing  the  temple)  are  sym- 
bolic of  the  number  of  characters  in  the  Chinese  version  of  the  Buddhist 
scriptures.  Many  of  these  are  needed  to  bear  the  weight  of  the  ponderous  roof, 
which  is  marked  by  an  intricate  and  puzzling  system  of  compound  brackets 
stained  by  time  and  the  elements  to  a  rich,  bronze  brown.  Quaint  wind-bells 
pend  from  the  corners  and  tinkle  in  response  to  the  wind  that  sighs  through 
the  lofty  trees.  The  shingles  are  laid  on  a  foot  or  more  thick,  after  the  at- 
tractive manner  of  the  roofs  of  wealthy  Shinto  shrines. 

The  outer  part  of  the  great  central  nave  with  its  two  lateral  aisles  resem- 
bles a  dismantled  junk-shop,  so  littered  is  it  with  huge  drums  and  relics  of 
various  sorts.  The  high,  dark,  coffered  ceiling  with  its  sunken  panels,  each 
adorned  with  a  16-petal  chrysanthemum,  —  in  token  of  the  Imperial  patron-  • 
age,  —  imparts  a  gloomy,  even  dismal,  aspect  to  it,  and  this  is  heightened 
by  the  pigeon-defiled  metal  lanterns  which  pend  at  every  available  point 
from  the  rafters.  The  side  altars  flanking  the  aisles  contain  a  trashy  lot  of 
war  relics  on  a  par  with  the  big  seated  figures  of  the  Regent  of  Hell ;  the  dis- 
graced Binzuru;  of  Buddha,  and  other  lights  that  occupy  the  broad  nave. 


80   Route  6.  NOJIRI  LAKE 


Midway  of  this  is  a  vast  wire  screen  reaching  from  floor  to  roof,  to  which  are 
tied  many  locks  of  hair  and  other  dubious  and  unclean  mementoes.  Against 
the  opposite  panels  forming  the  architrave  are  many  large  and  small  figures 
illustrating  the  terrestrial  manifestations  of  Kwannon;  immense  gilded 
Buddhas  sit  in  the  loggias  at  the  right  and  left.  The  paneled  ceiling  of  the  sanc- 
tum (shoes  must  be  removed) ,  as  well  as  the  curtains  adorning  it,  are  deco- 
rated with  crests,  prominent  among  them  the  frequently  recurring  swastika. 
An  elaborate  pagoda-like  shrine,  richly  and  intricately  decorated;  a  medley 
of  metal  fitments,  gongs,  drums,  sutra-boxes,  and  huge  gilt  columns,  are 
features  of  this  room,  at  the  left  of  which  is  a  strikingly  attractive  reliquary 
containing  a  seated  Buddha  backed  by  a  gilded  mandorla  that  suggests 
Borromenisco  work,  with  its  exquisitely  carved  scrolls  in  low  relief.  Sur- 
rounding the  Buddha  are  a  host  of  wonderfully  lifelike  and  excellently  sculp- 
tured figurines  of  demons  and  saints  in  high  relief;  a  mysterious  and  impres- 
sive ensemble  radiating  mysticism  and  work  of  a  high  order.  Immediately 
at  the  right  of  this  is  the  Holy  of  Holies  with  the  shrine  in  which  the 
sacrosanct  gold  trinity  is  kept.  A  somber  curtain  stamped  with  a  gold 
dragon  breathing  crimson  flames  screens  the  outer  case,  which  may  be  seen 
on  payment  of  a  small  fee. 

Before  leaving  the  temple  visitors  usually  go  through  the  Naijin  Maze,  a 
gallery  beneath  the  floor  enveloped  in  Stygian  darkness.  The  entrance  is 
down  a  few  steps  at  the  extreme  right  of  the  high  altar.  The  inky  black  pas- 
sageway is  clean  of  all  obstruction,  is  sheathed  with  smooth  boards  (no 
splinters)  and  is  about  6  ft.  high  and  as  many  broad.  For  2  min.  or  more  one 
gropes  along  to  a  point  about  %  of  the  way,  where,  at  the  right,  on  a  level  with 
the  hand,  is  a  cow-bell  which  one  rings  to  prove  that  the  circuit  has  been 
made.  Three  times  round  is  supposed  to  provide  eternal  fire  insurance  for 
the  sinful.  Pilgrims  make  the  cheap  and  safe  journey  with  great  eagerness! 
The  exit  is  through  the  entrance.  —  At  the  back  of  the  temple  is  a  chain  of 
pretty  lakelets,  and  at  the  right  a  flowery  garden.  The  traveler  will  be  amply 
repaid  by  following  the  road  leading  right  from  the  temple  entrance,  thence 
over  the  brow  of  the  hill.  The  view  which  rewards  one  is  stupendous  in 
its  magnitude;  hundreds  of  square  miles  of  valley  and  rugged  mts.  stretch 
below  and  against  the  horizon  and  emphasize  the  elevation  on  which  one 
stands.  The  attractive  structure  at  the  right  of  the  path  here  is  a  native 
club,  the  J ozan-kwan,  from  the  large  reception  room  of  which  one  also  com- 
mands an  extraordinarily  extensive  vista.  The  two  small  temples  seen  in  the 
foreground  are  not  worth  visiting.  — The  great  earthquake  of  1847  almost 
ruined  Nagano;  the  Zenkdji  was  badly  shaken,  and  the  big  bell  which  now 
hangs  in  the  belfry  fell  from  its  position  at  the  left  of  the  entrance  and  made 
the  big  dent  still  visible  in  the  pillar.  The  quake  was  immediately  followed 
by  a  fire  that  destroyed  many  hundreds  of  houses;  20,000  people  are  said  to 
have  been  killed  in  the  neighborhood. 

From  Nagano  the  rly.  runs  N.W.  across  the  fertile  and 
practically  level  valley  of  the  Shinano-gawa  to  (1197  ft.) 
Toyono,  where  it  begins  to  climb  to  145  M.  Mure  (1682  ft.). 
The  country  is  broken,  with  tall  mts.  at  the  left;  the  Takizawa 
River  and  two  tunnels  are  passed  before  152  M.  Kashiwabara 
(2304  ft.)  is  reached.  The  old  town  (1  M.  to  the  left)  stands  on 
a  wide  sweep  of  country,  2  M.  from  the  pretty  Nojiri  Lake 
(2  M.  long  from  E.  to  W.)  —  a  resort  for  wild  fowl.  The  region 
is  a  vast  watershed,  and  hence  onward  all  streams  flow  W.  to 
the  Japan  Sea.  The  climate  changes  in  accordance  and  long 
lines  of  snow-sheds  flank  the  rly.  but  fail  sometimes  to  guard 
it  from  the  great  drifts  (8-10  ft.  deep)  which  accumulate  here 
to  be  protected  by  the  environing  mts.  162  M.  Taguchi 
(1774  ft.)  is  the  point  of  departure  for  the  (3J  M.  to  the  W.) 
Akakura  Hot  Springs  (Inn:  Kogakuro,  ¥2),  a  popular  native 
resort.  A  deep  gorge  now  flanks  the  rly.  on  the  right  and 


Japan  Sea. 


NAOETSU  6.  Route.  81 


affords  awe-inspiring  views.  The  train  races  downward  over 
a  sharp  grade  through  several  uninteresting  stations  to  176 
M.  Takada  (140  ft.),  a  spruce-looking  town  in  Echigo  Prov- 
ince (Inn:  Kyosan-kwan,  ¥2.50),  with  a  military  barrack, 
and  a  new  and  attractive  Shinto  shrine  visible  from  the  left  of 
the  train.  Snow  often  lies  10  ft.  deep  in  the  sts.,  and  to  permit 
the  people  to  move  about,  the  high,  peaked-roof  houses  are 
built  with  connecting  porches  or  cloisters,  like  the  portales 
of  a  Spanish  town.  This  style  of  architecture  is  common  in 
the  region  beyond,  the  houses  being  long  and  narrow,  with 
the  narrowest  part  facing  the  st. 

182  M.  Naoetsu,  109  ft.  above  the  sea  (visible  in  the  dis- 
tance), is  the  junction  of  the  West  Coast  Line  (Rte.  p  32),  which 
comes  in  from  the  S.,  and  which  links  the  district  with  Tsuruga, 
Kyoto,  and  other  ports  and  cities  of  W.  Japan.  The  placid 
Arakawa  flows  near  it,  and  the  junks  which  come  in  from  the 
sea  on  its  broad  bosom  carry  to  distant  ports  much  of  the  oil 
for  which  the  rich  Echigo  Province  is  celebrated.  (Inn: 
Matsuba-kwan,  ¥2.50.)  A  specialty  of  the  town  is  a  sticky, 
honey-like  amber  liquid  called  awa-ame,  made  of  millet  and 
sold  (small  round  boxes,  10  sen)  at  the  rly.  station.  The  Tem- 
ple of  Gochi-Nyorai,  about  1  M.  to  the  S.W.,  is  uninterest- 
ing. Oil  is  the  shibboleth  of  the  region,  and  tank-cars  and  oil- 
trains  clutter  the  station-yard. 

The  rly.  (known  formerly  as  the  Hokuyetsu  Line)  now 
bears  to  the  N.  and  for  many  miles  skirts  the  shore  of  the 
lovely  Japan  Sea,  affording  charming  views  of  this  on  the 
left  and  of  the  lofty  mts.  of  Echigo  on  the  right.  The  Arakawa, 
then  the  Hokuragawa,  are  crossed,  and  after  194  M.  Hatsu- 
saki  eight  tunnels  are  threaded  (through  Yone-yama),  the 
longest  1450  ft.  The  unimportant  stations  look  solitary  and 
as  poor  as  the  straw  huts  one  sees  on  the  silent  beach.  Rugged 
and  densely  wooded  promontories  come  down  to  the  sea;  a 
solitary  steamer  wending  its  way  up  to  the  Siberian  port  of 
Vladivostok,  down  to  Tsuruga  or  the  China  Sea,  or  two  or 
three  lone  fishing-boats,  are  all  one  descries  on  this  silent, 
back-yard  Sea  of  Japan  —  the  aqueous  buffer  which  separates 
the  joyous  islands  of  Nippon  from  the  forbidding  steppes  of 
the  Great  White  Tsar.  It  is  strangely  deserted,  and  appears 
to  brood  in  melancholy;  but  like  the  misnamed  Pacific  it  can 
be  turbulent  enough  at  times.  The  shrieking  typhoon  whips 
it  in  summer,  and  rival  blizzards  roar  over  it  in  winter.  One 
notes  that  as  precautionary  measures  against  these  the 
straw  boat-houses;  the  flimsy  shacks  pathetically  called 
'home'  by  the  impoverished  fisher-folk;  the  piles  of  fuel, 
pine  cones  and  what-not  along  the  shore,  are  all  tied  down 
with  ropes,  like  some  of  the  houses  in  Kansas,  to  prevent 
expatriation.  A  tangled  mass  of  convolvuli  trails  over  the 
shifting  sand-dunes  and  adds  a  single  blotch  of  enlivening 


82   Route  6.  THE  JAPAN  SEA 


color.  But  for  the  sounding  waves  which  break  and  die  on 
the  shingly  beach  or  burst  into  the  rocky  caverns  of  the  cliffs, 
the  scenery  would  be  too  severe  to  be  attractive.  Many  rocks 
dangerous  to  inshore  navigation  raise  their  brown  backs  above 
the  blue  water,  and  all  the  cliffs  seem  impregnated  with  iron. 
Sado  Island  looms  through  the  haze  at  the  N.W.  At  some 
points  the  sturdy  fisher-folk  —  the  women  as  strong  as  the 
men  —  use  the  big  caverns  in  the  cliffs  as  natural  harbors  for 
their  craft.  The  sea  yields  bream  (tai),  sole  (karei),  a  kind  of 
brill  or  mackerel  (hirame),  repulsive  but  delectable  squid, 
and  myriad  marine  creatures  that  serve  the  natives  as  food 
and  manure.  The  yards  of  the  more  pretentious  houses  re- 
semble corrals,  as  pine  saplings  tied  with  withes  are  used  as 
fence-posts  and  rails. 

202  M.  Kashiwazaki  (Inn:  Iwato-ya,  ¥2),  a  large  town 
sprawling  along  the  shore,  makes  a  specialty  of  the  bento  sold 
at  the  station  and  much  liked  by  native  travelers.  The  fish 
and  rice  which  in  part  compose  it  are  good,  but  foreigners 
are  apt  to  avoid  the  tiny  pickled  octopi  contained  in  it.  Many 
oil-tanks  dot  the  environs,  and  considerable  oil  is  produced  in 
the  surrounding  country.  The  rly.  now  bears  to  the  right  and 
runs  E.  through  a  densely  wooded  region  to  214  M.  Tsuka- 
yama,  whence  it  resumes  its  N.  course.  Significant  features 
of  the  view  are  the  small  herds  of  Holstein  cattle,  unknown 
in  the  days  of  Old  Japan  and  still  noteworthy  because  of  their 
rarity.  Here  as  elsewhere  in  the  island  milk  (gyu-nyu)  is  fast 
becoming  a  necessary  food.  From  219  M.  Raikdji,  a  branch 
rly.  is  in  process  of  construction  to  the  near-by  town  of  Kosen- 
dani,  and  will  eventually  skirt  the  base  of  the  lofty  Shumon- 
dake,  visible  at  the  far  right.  The  great  staple  of  the  low- 
land country  is  rice,  and  the  wide  paddies  are  laid  out  in  a 
multiplicity  of  patterns,  ranging  from  plots  a  few  feet  square 
to  others  acres  in  extent;  all  are  carefully  separated  from  one 
another  by  small  mud  dykes  or  ridges  pierced  by  sluiceways. 
The  Sugawa,  then  the  broad  Shinano  River  are  crossed,  the 
latter  on  a  6-span  steel  bridge.  Many  rafts  of  logs  float  down, 
and  many  picturesque  and  stately  junks  sail  up  its  sluggish 
current,  the  latter  making  unusually  pretty  pictures  when 
seen  from  afar,  with  the  white  sails  only  showing  above  the 
green  foliage.  Many  bicycles  spin  along  the  country  roads, 
which  are  practicable  for  autos.  The  people  hereabout  pre- 
pare for  the  severe  winters  by  putting  up  along  the  sea  aspect 
of  their  dwellings,  at  distances  of  3  or  more  ft.  from  the  walls, 
tall  frameworks  or  lattices,  the  interstices  of  which  are  filled 
in  with  brushwood,  moss,  etc.  Where  there  are  trees,  fences 
are  erected  between  them,  or  they  are  interlaced  and  formed 
into  a  protecting  wall  to  warol  off  the  winds  which  blow  with 
such  violence  that  steamer  travel  on  the  Japan  Sea  is  inter- 
rupted at  times. 


Oil  Industry. 


NAGAOKA  6.  Route.  83 


235  M.  Nagaoka  (Inns:  Masu-ya,  Seiyoken,  etc.,  ¥2.50) 
a  thriving  town  (pop.  36,000)  170  ft.  above  the  sea,  inEchigo; 
2d  in  importance  to  Niigata  and  formerly  the  residence  of 
Makino,  a  faithful  feudal  adherent  of  the  Tokugawa  regime; 
played  a  prominent  part  in  the  war  for  the  Restoration  and 
was  practically  demolished  in  consequence.  Long  cleated  poles 
and  rocks  hold  down  the  roofs  of  many  of  the  houses,  which 
are  provided  with  the  cloister-like  arcades  so  necessary  during 
the  heavy  winter  snows.  The  numerous  oil-wells  and  tall 
pumps  on  the  hillsides  remind  one  of  a  Pennsylvania  town. 
The  chief  wells  are  in  the  near-by  Higashi  hills,  and  the  re- 
fineries in  Nakajima. 

The  oil  industry  in  Japan  centers  in  Echigo  Province  (which  supplies  99% 
of  the  petroleum  consumed)  and  particularly  about  Nagaoka.  Oil  was  known 
to  exist  here  200  yrs.  ago,  but  the  first  well  was  not  put  down  until  1818.  In 
1876  an  American  geologist  in  the  employ  of  the  Japanese  Gov't  visited  the 
region  and  made  a  report  on  the  fields,  but  the  industry  produced  but  little 
results  until  about  1890,  when  it  assumed  noteworthy  proportions.  The 
geological  formation  of  the  fields  is  similar  to  that  of  other  countries,  and 
foreign  practice  is  employed  in  the  matter  of  wells,  refineries,  etc.  —  Echigo 
is  noted  for  its  pretty  women,  its  rich  farmers,  the  number  of  emigrants  which 
go  to  other  parts  of  Japan  and  to  foreign  countries;  for  the  courtesy  of  its 
people  and  for  its  Shishimai  performers  —  a  dance  executed  by  men  or  boys 
wearing  a  shishi-gashira,  or  lion-head  mask,  lacquered  and  painted  red. 

239  M.  Sanjo;  a  big  stratum  of  gas  is  supposed  to  underlie 
the  region  hereabout,  as  in  some  places  gas  bubbles  up  through 
the  soil  and  is  utilized  by  the  peasantry  for  lighting  and  cook- 
ing. About  15  M.  to  the  S.E.  lies  the  small  summer  resort  of 
Yagi,  near  the  Igarashi  River,  with  some  picturesque  scenery. 
10  M.  farther  on,  at  Yoshi-ga-hira,  is  a  lake  1350  ft.  above  sea- 
level  with  a  boiling  spring  in  its  center.  Fine  groves  of  bam- 
boos and  cryptomerias  now  become  features  in  the  landscape, 
and  petroleum  wells  mark  the  near-by  hills.  A  number  of 
these  cluster  about  (255  M.)  Niitsu,  where  there  are  also 
several  big  tanks.  Acres  hereabout  are  devoted  to  pear  cul- 
ture. The  Koaka  River  is  crossed  to  Kameda  station,  then 
an  arm  of  it  to  264  M.  Nuttari,  the  sometime  terminus  of  the 
rly.  For  a  short  distance  the  rly.  skirts  the  Shinano-gawa 
which  here  is  about  as  wide  as  the  Ohio  at  Cincinnati. 

266  M.  Niigata  (population  62,000),  capital  of  Niigata  Pre- 
fecture and  Echigo  Province,  with  12,000  houses,  many  of 
them  picturesque  and  curiously  constructed,  stands  on  a  sand- 
spit  between  the  Shinano  River  and  the  Japan  Sea.  The  flat, 
clean,  and  attractive  city  was  one  of  the  first  ports  opened 
(in  1869)  to  foreign  trade,  and  at  that  time  was  regarded  as  one 
of  the  quaintest  towns  on  the  W.  coast.  While  advanced  archi- 
tectural ideas  have  changed  many  of  the  primitive  features, 
others  remain.  Formerly  the  majority  of  the  houses  were 
long  and  narrow,  with  peaked,  gabled  roofs;  the  narrowest 
part,  facing  the  st.,  being  provided  with  portals  as  a  protec- 
tion against  the  summer  sun  and  the  winter  snows.  These 


84   Route  6. 


NIIGATA  Eandai  Bashi. 


have  now  shrunk  to  unusually  wide  overhanging  eaves  which 
serve  to  prevent  the  snow  from  sifting  through  the  shoji.  The 
new  gov't  buildings,  the  banks,  and  other  semi-foreign  houses, 
rank  with  those  of  other  Japanese  cities.  Many  canals  inter- 
sect the  city,  and  are  overhung  with  weeping- willow  trees. 
When  the  tide  makes  in,  lines  of  mediaeval  junks  ply  up  and 
down  the  shaded  surface  of  the  streams;  receive  and  dis- 
charge cargo  at  the  very  doors  of  the  warerooms;  and  recall 
certain  Netherland  towns.  Jan.  is  the  coldest  month  and  Aug. 
the  hottest.  Despite  its  more  N.  situation,  and  the  prevalence 
of  heavy  snows,  the  temperature  varies  but  little  from  that 
of  Tokyo,  the  altitude  of  the  barometer  being  25.6°.  The 
city  stands  in  lat.  37°  55'  N.  and  in  long.  139°  03'  E.  of 
Greenwich,  and  is  therefore  in  practically  the  same  lat.  as 
San  Francisco  and  Lisbon. 

A  wide  foot-bridge,  the  Bandai  Bashi,  or  'Myriad  Ages  Bridge*  (430' 
spans,  each  1  ken,  or  6*  ft.  long),  arches  over  the  river  and  connects  the  city 
proper  with  the  rly.  station.  Jinrikis  are  the  chief  mediums  of  conveyance, 
the  omnibuses  being  usually  thronged  with  natives;  fare  to  the  center  of  the 
city  (15  min.  walk),  15  sen.  Inns  (comp.  p.  xxxiv) :  Shinoda,  overlooking  the 
river,  3  min.  left  of  the  city  terminus  of  the  bridge;  ¥3.50  to  ¥4,  according  to 
location  of  rooms  (upper  rooms  preferable) .  The  Sumiyoshi-ya  is  at  No.  5, 
Furomachi.  Luggage  can  be  taken  in  a  jinriki  at  the  regular  lb-sen  rate. 

The  rly.  line  which  runs  E.  from  the  suburban  town  of  Niitsu  connects 
with  Koriyama,  an  important  jet.  in  Rte.  18.  Travelers  to  N.  Japan,  or 
those  who  wish  to  return  to  Tokyo  by  a  different  route  may  elect  to  follow 
this  road,  which  goes  through  highly  picturesque  scenery.  The  line  which 
runs  N.  to  16  M.  Shibata  is  under  construction  and  will  eventually  be  built  to 
Sakata  (Rte.  18). 

Coasting  steamers  of  the  Otaru-Vladivostok  Line  of  the  Osaka  Shosen 
Kaisha  call  each  week  at  Niigata  (in  the  summer  season)  and  connect  the 
port  with  Aomori  (fare,  ¥14),  Hakodate  (¥14),  and  Vladivostok  (¥38.50; 
passports  necessary,  comp.  p.  xxiv).  Ebisu  (see  below)  is  a  port  of  call.  For 
information  relating  to  the  winter  schedule  consult  the  (Niigata  Agency) 
Kagisan  Goshikaisha,  Kami  Okawamaye-dori,  Jubancho. 

The  river-front  is  one  of  the  most  animated  districts  of 
Niigata.  Long  lines  of  junks,  rafts,  etc.,  are  usually  tied  up 
near  the  bank;  whence  small  steamers  leave  for  the  near-by 
Island  of  Sado.  Owing  to  the  violent  N.  winds,  navigation 
over  the  shallow  bar  at  the  river  mouth  is  suspended  during 
several  months  of  the  year,  at  which  time  only  small  craft 
can  come  up  to  the  city.  The  sand-dunes  which  border  this 
on  the  W.,  and  which  exclude  the  sea-breeze  while  cutting 
off  the  sea-view,  are  partially  covered  with  fantastic  pine 
trees  and  in  places  rise  to  a  height  of  50  or  more  ft.  Perched 
along  the  ridge  are  signal  stations,  the  big  Normal  School  with 
its  adjacent  Red  Cross  Hospital,  and  a  number  of  dwellings. 
From  the  crests  of  the  hills  fine  views  are  obtainable  of  Sado 
Island  and  of  the  lofty  mts.  of  Echigo.  On  the  slope  of  the 
high  hill  (called  Hakusan,  or  '  White  Mt.')  at  the  S.  edge  of 
the  city,  there  is  a  restful  park,  some  pretty  trees,  and  a  time- 
stained  Shinto  shrine  near  an  elaborate  monument  to  Jimmu 
Tenno.  Coarse  lacquer-ware  is  a  specialty  of  Niigata,  and  is 
made  in  hundreds  of  homes,  along  with  considerable  lace. 


YOKOHAMA  TO  IKAO.        7.  Rte.  85 


Sado  Island  (Chinese:  Sashu),  17  M.  W.  of  Niigata,  in  the 
Japan  Sea,  beyond  a  deep  channel  (310  fathoms)  across  which 
the  local  steamers  (the  boats  of  the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  are 
the  most  comfortable)  run  daily  (in  5  hrs.,  to  32  M.  Ebisu 
Minato,  ¥3,  1st.  cl.)  between  April  and  Oct.;  is  approximately 
32  M.  long  and  17  M.  wide  at  its  narrowest  point.  It  forms 
(338  sq.  M.)  a  division  of  Niigata  Prefecture;  has  about 
120,000  inhabs.,  and  is  conspicuous  for  2  mt.  ranges  (chiefly 
limestone)  which  overlook  a  cultivated  plain  with  large  bays 
at  the  N.E.  and  S.W.  extremes.  Kimpoku-san  at  the  N.  rises 
to  a  height  of  3895  ft.  From  Ebisu  Minato  (Crab  Port),  a 
poor  and  unattractive  town  (Inn:  Yamagata-ya,  ¥2)  at  the 
N.E.,  to  Aikawa  (chief  town  of  the  W.  side  of  the  island;  Inn: 
Takada-ya,  ¥2),  is  about  16  M.  Just  before  reaching  Aikawa 
the  road  ascends  to  a  pass  500  ft.  above  the  sea-level.  The 
locally  famous  gold  and  silver  mines  (owned  and  operated  by 
the  Mitsu  Bishi  Co.  of  Tokyo)  which  anciently  belonged  to, 
and  were  worked  by  (forced  labor),  the  Tokugawa  shogunate, 
are  located  in  a  steep-walled  valley.  The  silver  sulphid,  native 
gold,  and  chalcopyrite  ores  are  found  in  quartz  lodes  in 
quartzite  veins  varying  from  3  to  18  ft.  in  thickness.  The 
annual  output  of  gold  is  about  14,000  ounces;  silver,  115,000; 
copper,  50  tons.  Cattle-breeding  is  a  growing  industry,  and 
the  island  supplies  many  of  the  mainland  cities  with  good  beef. 
In  the  early  days  Sado  was  a  sort  of  Botany  Bay  for  exiled 
criminals  and  other  undesirables  with  political  aspirations. 
The  militant  Nichiren  was  imprisoned  here  in  1271-72. 


Ikao,  or  Ikaho,  a  beautiful  and  popular  summer  resort  in 
the  splendid  Ikao  Mts.,  2600  ft.  above  the  sea  (in  Kotsuke 
Province),  on  the  steep  northeastern  slope  of  tiaruna-san) 
7  hrs.  by  rail  from  Yokohama,  celebrated  for  its  fine,  bracing 
air;  its  many  hot  springs  which  gush  from  the  hills  and  plunge 
down  innumerable  gorges  to  the  lowlands,  its  charming  views, 
grand  old  forests  and  its  Imperial  Reserve,  is  one  of  the  most 
accessible  and  thoroughly  delightful  of  all  the  Japanese  hill- 
stations.  None  possess  more  diversified  scenery,  a  greater 
profusion  of  exquisite  wild  flowers,  a  more  picturesque  town, 
and  a  wider  range  of  interesting  walks  and  rides.  It  unites 
nearly  all  the  most  desirable  requisites  of  an  ideal  summer 
outing  place:  a  quaint,  clean,  comfortable,  non-luxurious, 
semi-foreign  hotel  (English  spoken),  where  good  food  is  given 
at  reasonable  prices  (one  replete  with  Japanese  charm,  and 
from  the  balconies  of  which  one  enjoys  one  of  the  most  mag- 
nificent prospects  in  nature);  a  comparative  immunity  from 
mosquitoes;  a  multiplicity  of  trails  leading  through  forests 
to  entrancing  peaks,  ferny  dells,  sparkling  brooks,  and  steam- 


7.  From  Yokohama  to  Ikao  and  Kusatsu. 


86   Route  7. 


IKAO 


Flowers, 


ing  gorges;  and  a  gem  of  a  lake  (excellent  skating  in  winter) 
stocked  with  big  carp  and  trout.  Hard  by,  in  a  green  and 
romantically  picturesque  gorge,  is  one  of  the  most  bizarre 
temples  in  the  Empire.  The  entire  region  around  Ikao  is 
studded  with  roaring  waterfalls,  and  rent  by  deep  gorges  from 
which  steam  rises  incessantly.  On  rainy  days,  when  this  hangs 
low  above  the  town,  it  imparts  a  decided  Plutonian  aspect  to 
it.  Hissing  hot  medicinal  water  straight  from  the  seething 
heart  of  the  adjacent  hills  is  piped  directly  into  the  many 
bath-houses,  there  to  be  tempered  by  cold  water  from  the 
same  hills.  The  town  is  built  on  a  series  of  terraces  reclaimed 
from  the  sloping  hillside;  and  the  main  st.,  Odori,  comprising 
a  score  or  more  flights  of  stone  steps  20  or  more  ft.  wide,  is 
one  of  the  quaintest  in  Japan.  The  air  is  crisp  in  April;  cool  in 
May;  delightful  in  June  (barring  the  rains);  and  cooler  in 
July  and  Aug.  than  one  finds  it  at  the  seashore.  The  season 
begins  usually  about  July  and  terminates  with  the  Oct.  (20th) 
festivals.  During  this  period  rooms  in  the  hotels  or  inns  should 
be  engaged  in  advance  (telephone  and  telegraph  connections). 
At  the  beginning  of  the  cold  winter  crowds  of  peasant  pilgrims 
begin  to  arrive  —  folks  who  aim  to  get  lower  rates  at  the  inns 
and  who  profess  to  believe  that  in  the  cold  weather  one  gets 
more  benefit  from  the  baths.  The  best  skating  on  Lake  Haruna 
is  in  Feb. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Ikao  the  hunter  (open  season  Oct.  1  to 
April  1)  will  find  copper  pheasants  (yamadori),  quail  (udsura), 
wild  pigeons  (yamabato),  whose  booming  notes  ring  musically 
through  the  green  woods ;  green  pheasants  (kiji)  and  a  wide 
variety  of  smaller  game.  The  flower-lover  will  find  so  many 
exquisite  flowers  growing  wild  that  he  will  be  reminded  of  the 
celebrated  region  roundabout  Cape  Town,  in  South  Africa, 
which  ships  tons  of  everlastings  each  year  to  England.  White 
magnolia;  the  Paulownia  Imperialist  a  wealth  of  wistaria; 
azaleas;  Jack-in-the  pulpit;  white  dogwood ;  spirsea;  Cherokee 
roses;  wild  hydrangea;  fox-lily;  rhododendrons;  columbine; 
several  varieties  of  clematis,  iris,  and  lilies;  funkia;  peonies; 
several  rare  ferns,  and  a  host  of  other  flowers  grow  wild  in 
the  woods  and  dingles,  along  with  specimens  of  nearly  all  the 
trees  represented  in  the  Japanese  flora.  Owing  to  the  frequent 
rain  —  a  dampening  characteristic  of  most  of  Japan's  hill- 
stations  —  every  inch  of  the  mt.  slopes  is  carpeted  with 
green,  while  the  deep  gorges  are  literally  choked  with  vigor- 
ous plant  life.  The  immensely  tall  cryptomerias  and  the 
lithe  pines  which  often  reach  up  the  sides  from  the  very  bot- 
toms of  the  canons,  are  always  attractive,  but  particularly  so 
when  they  are  interspersed  with  flowering  trees,  wild  rasp- 
berries, and  the  strong,  sinewy,  suffocating  wistaria  vines  — 
the  lianas  of  the  Japanese  woods.  The  frail  pretty  pink  flower 
which  grows  so  profusely  in  the  interstices  of  the  massive  walls 


The  Hot  Springs.  IKAO 


7.  Route.  87 


throughout  the  town  is  the  Saxifraga  sarmentosa  (Japanese 
Yukinoshita) .  The  display  of  cherry  blossoms  in  April  is 
charming. 

The  riy.  from  Yokohama  to  (80  M.)  Takasaki  (fare,  ¥3.08,  1st  cl.;  ¥1.85, 
2d)  is  described  in  Rte.  6,  p.  65.  An  electric  troiley  runs  hence  (fare,  31 
sen)  to  (1£  hrs.)  Shibukawa,  where  a  change  must  be  made  to  another  line  for 
Ikao.  The  station  at  Takasaki  is  opposite  that  of  the  riy.;  luggage-porter, 
5  sen.  The  riy.  company  sells  through  tickets  to  Ikao  and  will  check  baggage 
to  destination,  thus  saving  one  the  trouble  of  looking  after  it  en  route.  At 
Shibukawa  the  cars  stop  in  front  of  a  tea-house  with  a  primitive  waiting-sta- 
tion; the  densha  for  Ikao  comes  up  the  main  st.  of  the  town  (celebrated  for 
its  silk)  1  min.  to  the  left.  Cars  leave  at  intervals  of  1  hr.  and  climb  the  2000 
ft.  (6  M.)  to  Ikao  in  another  hr.;  1st  cl.  fare,  63  sen;  2d  cl.  (as  good  as  the 
first),  41  sen  (return  fares,  48  and  31  sen  respectively).  Travelers  who  ap- 
proach Shibukawa  from  Tokyo  by  way  of  Maebashi  (7£  M.  in  1|  hrs.;  fare, 
23  sen)  will  find  the  electric  car  waiting  at  the  station.  At  Shibukawa  it  stops 
a  2-min.  walk  from  the  Ikao  line.  The  climb  is  picturesque,  with  good  views; 
the  line  crosses  the  highway  from  time  to  time  —  a  shaded,  zigzag  forest  road 
down  which  many  travelers  prefer  to  walk  on  the  return.  The  12-15  inch  soil 
rests  on  a  thick  stratum  of  white  volcanic  ejecta,  the  outpouring  of  the  mts. 
in  times  past.  —  The  Ikao  station  is  10  min.  walk  below  the  town.  Hotel 
(jinriki,  15  sen)  coolies  will  be  in  waiting  for  the  traveler  who  advises  in 
advance  of  his  arrival.  « ■  ■ 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix).  Ikao  Hotels  semi-foreign,  with  foreign  food,  good 
baths  (free)  and  attendance;  from  ¥6  and  upward;  small  reduction  for  2 
pers.  in  one  room;  special  rates  for  a  long  stay.  —  Kogure  Budayu  Hotel, 
¥3-4.  There  are  40  or  more  native  inns,  rooms  in  which  can  be  had  for  ¥5 
a  week,  and  a  special  price  arranged  for  food.  The  Chikira  has  fine  views. 

The  name  Ikaho  means  'High  Mountains/  and  is  derived 
from  the  huge  Haruna  Range  rising  behind  it.  According  to 
the  local  tradition  (which  should  be  taken  with  a  grain  of  salt) 
the  springs  were  discovered  during  the  reign  of  the  (11th) 
Emperor  Suinin  (b.c.  70-a.d.  70).  The  12  chief  families  (who 
have  adopted  for  their  crests  the  12  signs  of  the  zodiac)  trace 
their  lineage  to  famous  personages  of  the  6th  cent.  The  unin- 
teresting Ikao  Jinja  on  a  terrace  (2716  ft.)  back  of  the  town 
is  intimately  associated  with  the  early  history  of  the  place, 
and  the  present  (modern)  structure  is  said  to  stand  on  the  site 
of  one  erected  in  834.  The  large  Buddhist  temple,  the  Tenshd- 
ji,  erected  in  1583  on  the  site  of  the  present  schoolhouse,  was 
burned  during  the  last  decade.  The  Imperial  Preserve,  oppo- 
site the  Ikao  Hotel,  is  the  favorite  summer  retreat  of  a  Prince 
of  the  Imperial  Household.  The  Yachio  Park  and  Athletic 
Ground  is  at  the  lower  end  of  the  town,  near  the  riy.  station. 

The  chief  constituents  of  the  Ikao  springs  are  bicarbonate  of  calcium; 
magnesium  and  ferric  oxide;  sulphate  of  calcium;  magnesium  and  sodium; 
chloride  of  sodium;  silicic  acid  and  minor  solids.  Some  are  more  strongly 
impregnated  with  iron  than  others,  and  some  are  decidedly  sulphuric. 
Their  temperature  ranges  from  cold  to  113°F.  The  waters  run  out  of  the 
mts.  in  little  clouds  of  steam,  through  open  conduits  or  into  bamboo  pipes,  a 
multiplicity  of  which  criss-cross  the  town  and  lead  into  the  different  houses. 
The  gorge  at  Yumoto  is  stained  a  bright  yellow  by  the  precipitations  from 
certain  of  the  streams,  and  these  give  rise  to  a  valuable  local  industry  —  that 
of  dyeing  cloth.  The  natives  believe  that  belts  saturated  with  the  metallic 
deposits  have  medicinal  qualities,  and  that  kimonos  so  dyed  and  worn  are 
equal  to  a  course  of  the  baths.  In  many  of  the  shops  small  bolts  (14  in.  wide 
by  280  long)  of  cotton  crape  of  different  patterns,  dyed  (in  Takasaki)  the 


88   Route  7. 


IKAO 


Birds. 


characteristic  yellow  hue,  are  sold  (¥1)  to  the  pilgrims  as  local  productions. 
The  yellowish-bronze  sediment  is  cleared  out  of  the  pipes  twice  yearly  and 
sold  to  dyers  and  to  those  persons  who  wish  to  benefit  by  the  Ikao  waters 
but  cannot  come  to  them.  The  natives  bathe  in  the  a.m.,  at  noon,  and  after 
supper.  —  Other  specialties  of  the  town  are  turned  woodwork  articles  in 
many  forms;  pretty  basket-work,  and  a  superfine  charcoal  made  from  the 
wood  of  the  Nara,  a  species  of  oak.  In  many  of  the  shops  will  be  seen  bizarre 
and  distorted  specimens  of  petrified  wood  which  has  been  so  converted,  it  is 
said,  by  the  chemical  action  of  the  waters.  The  power  obtained  through  the 
many  big  overshot  and  undershot  wheels  which  creak  all  over  the  place  is 
used  to  turn  lathes  for  the  workers  in  wood. 

Dozens  of  greater  and  lesser  peaks,  rounded  and  wooded  hills,  and  deep 
ravines  environ  the  town,  and  from  the  crests  of  some  of  the  loftier  mts. 
extensive  and  awe-inspiring  views  are  obtainable.  Because  of  some  odd 
slant  in  the  native  mind  the  local  authorities  have  not  added  English  to  the 
many  guide-posts  which  point  the  way  about  the  region  to  those  who  can 
read  Japanese,  but  on  some  of  these  thoughtful  travelers  have  penciled  in- 
structions in  English  that  are  an  aid  to  the  pedestrian.  The  hills  are  grid- 
ironed  with  a  multiplicity  of  well-defined  trails,  and  the  author  has  tried  to 
make  his  observations  regarding  these  as  clear  as  possible.  The  visitor  whose 
time  is  limited  is  advised  to  take  with  him  on  his  rambles,  as  guide  and  car- 
rier, one  of  the  native  boys  about  the  hotel ;  as  a  rule  they  are  willing  to  give 
a  day's  service  for  50  sen,  and  certain  of  them  have  a  scattered  knowledge 
of  the  lore  of  the  woods,  the  birds,  and  the  flowers.  The  Birds  are  as  num- 
erous as  the  latter,  and  on  any  stroll  through  the  forest  one  will  see  cuckoos 
(hototogisu) ;  lovely  Japanese  blue  flycatchers  (ruri) ;  woodpeckers  (kitsut- 
suki) ;  wagtails  (sekirei) ;  bull-headed  shrikes  (mozu) ;  Manchurian  great  tits 
(shijukara) ;  Japan  jays  (kakesu) ;  silver-eyes  (mejiro) ;  the  sweet-throated 
uguisu,  or  Japanese  nightingale  (p.  ccii) ;  and  many  familiar  and  unfamiliar 
birds.  Beautiful  pheasants  rise  from  the  bamboo  grass  on  the  hill-slopes, 
and  the  wild  pigeon  imparts  music  and  mysticism  to  the  cool  forests.  The 
common  people  call  the  cuckoo  kakkodori  from  the  similarity  of  its  call  to 
the  word  kakko.  The  numerous  skylarks  (hibari)  are  of  a  species  known  as 
Alauda  japonica. 

Walks  and  Excursions  (see  the  accompanying  map).  There 
are  enough  of  these  to  occupy  one's  time  for  weeks;  the  most 
popular  only  are  described  below.  The  local  guides,  obtainable 
through  the  hotel  management,  get  ¥1.20  a  day,  and  are  sup- 
posed to  provide  their  own  food,  besides  carrying  that  of  their 
employers.  The  woods  are  said  to  be  free  from  poison  ivy 
and  its  concomitant  miseries. 

To  (J  M.,  15  min.)  Yumoto  ('Source  of  the  Hot  Water'),  a 
picturesque  spot  back  of  the  town  whither  pilgrims  go  in  the 
early  a.m.  to  drink  of  the  evil-tasting  water.  The  walk  can 
be  included  in  the  one  described  below.  Proceed  from  the  hotel 
to  the  main  st.,  turn  up  left  to  the  foot  of  the  steps  leading  to 
the  Ikao  Jinja,  then  bear  round  to  the  right  along  the  edge  of 
the  Yusawa  ravine,  beneath  overhanging  cliffs  clothed  with 
vegetation.  There  are  some  pretty  shops,  a  good  view  of  the 
gorge  (right),  and  a  quaint  bridge.  On  reaching  the  latter 
turn  abruptly  to  the  left  on  the  near  side,  and  follow  the  steam- 
ing hot  stream  to  its  source.  The  dell  is  romantically  and 
wildly  picturesque,  though  very  suggestive  of  the  sullen  de- 
moniacal forces  which  lie  but  a  few  yards  beneath  one's  feet. 
At  one  place  under  the  green  tunnel  there  are  seats  and  a 
dipper  —  the  latter  to  be  avoided.  The  water  tastes  of  iron 
and  is  unpalatable.  Scores  of  rills  rush  noisily  out  from  as 


Excursions. 


IKAO 


7.  Route.  89 


many  crevices  in  the  hillside,  and  leave  yellow,  plushy  tracks 
where  they  have  passed. 

To  Kompira-san  (or  Monokiki-yama,  §  M.;  J  hr.  stiff  climb 
over  a  good  road  beneath  trees),  Miharashi  (1  M.),  Mushiya 
(3 \  M.;  chair  for  the  round  trip,  ¥2.40),  and  Yumoto.  Kom- 
pira  is  the  name  of  a  deserted  shrine  10  min.  walk  down  left 
from  the  point  (beyond  the  bridge  and  post-office)  where  one 
turns  off  the  main  road  and  begins  the  ascent  of  the  hill;  the 
path  is  well  defined,  with  stone  steps  at  intervals.  Keep  the 
rocky  gulch  at  the  right;  the  glades  are  lovely  and  primeval, 
and  usually  echo  to  the  cuckoo's  call.  At  the  summit  there  is 
a  tiny  shack  of  a  tea-house  oblivious  to  a  view  that  holds  one 
spellbound  by  its  immensity.  Far  below,  wriggling  along  the 
valley  floor  backed  by  towering  foothills  of  the  Nikko  Mts., 
goes  the  Tone  River;  a  silvery  streak  which  farther  up  at  the 
left  is  stained  by  the  untidy  inflow  of  the  petulant  Agatsuma- 
gawa.  Cutting  the  E.  skyline  is  the  lofty  Tsukuba  Mt.,  rising 
2925  ft.  from  Hitachi  Province.  Akagi-san  (5000  ft.)  is  nearer, 
while  trailing  away  at  the  left,  their  giant  ridges  threatening 
the  sky,  are  Komochi-yama,  Onoko-yama,  and  a  half-score 
formidable  humps  and  cones,  with  Shirane-san  (7500  ft.) 
lording  it  above  them.  The  delighted  eye  takes  in  hundreds 
of  sq.  miles  of  valley  land  hemmed  in  by  bulky  hills,  planted 
to  various  grains  that  reflect  all  the  shades  of  green  from  that 
of  sprouting  rice  to  the  more  somber  hue  of  brooding  pine 
trees.  At  this  tea-house  one  may,  perchance  for  the  first 
time,  be  offered  a  tea-substitute  popular  throughout  Japan. 
It  is  made  of  parched  barley;  is  called  mugiyu  [mugi  is  a 
generic  term  for  barley,  wheat,  oats,  and  rye];  has  a  dark 
amber  tint;  a  taste  true  to  the  grain;  is  said  to  be  less  injuri- 
ous than  tea,  and  is  drunk  extensively  by  Japanese  soldiers. 

At  the  right  of  Kompira-san  (path  at  the  left),  on  a  bold, 
bald  bluff  (20  min.  walk)  called  Miharashi,  one  may  enjoy 
another  remarkable  panorama.  Thither  the  trail  descends 
the  hill  at  the  right  and  soon  joins  the  long  path  winding  across 
the  slope  to  Mushiya.  Notwithstanding  the  houses  of  this 
(uninteresting)  place  are  visible,  the  walk  is  deceptively  long 
(1  hr.),  as  the  last  portion  rounds  a  number  of  hills  and  incipi- 
ent ravines.  Malodorous  sulphurous  gases  issue  from  pipes 
stuck  in  the  ground  and  supply  a  sort  of  al  fresco  bath  for 
rheumatic  rustics.  Returning,  one  descends  into  the  ravine 
and  bears  round  to  the  left,  skirting  on  the  way  the  base  of  the 
twin  peaks  of  Futatsu-dake  (chair  to  the  summit  and  return 
to  the  hotel,  ¥4.20).  A  20-min.  walk  brings  one  to  the  1st 
tea-house  on  the  Haruna  road,  whence  it  is  30  min.  back  to  the 
hotel.  Yumoto  can  be  included  in  this  trip,  the  whole  of  which 
can  be  accomplished  in  one  forenoon.  If  one  elects  to  return  to 
the  hotel  from  Miharashi,  the  path  to  its  intersection  with 
that  from  Kompira-san  should  be  followed,  thence  downward 


90   Route  7. 


IKAO  Benten  Waterfall 


for  20  min.  (keeping  the  ravine  on  the  left)  to  a  hill  behind  the 
Ikao  Jinja. 

To  the  Nanae,  or  Seven-Fold  Cascade  (|  M.;  chair, 
¥1.60) ;  Benten-daki  (2 J  M. ;  chair,  ¥2.40) ;  and  the  (near-by) 
Odaki  Cascade  (chair  for  the  round  trip,  ¥3).  The  walk  can 
be  made  leisurely  in  about  2J  hrs.  and  allow  J  hr.  for  a  rest  at 
each  place.  Descend  the  steps  of  the  main  st.  (picturesque 
view  in  retrospect)  to  the  bisecting  path  at  the  foot,  then  turn 
left  and  go  down  through  the  cryptomeria  forest  to  the  torrent 
flowing  through  the  gorge.  Thence  the  road  leads  up  the  slope 
beneath  lines  of  immensely  tall  trees  rising  from  the  flank  of 
the  hill.  The  path  is  idyllic  and  recalls  certain  of  the  heavily 
shaded  roads  through  the  Karlsbad  region.  Beyond  the  sum- 
mit of  the  ridge  the  trail  descends  abruptly  to  the  left;  the  by- 
path leading  back  up  the  hill-side  goes  to  Baron  Kawasaki's 
country  villa  where  a  sign-board  forbids  admittance  '  unless 
on  business.'  A  few  minutes'  walk  down  the  charmingly  ir- 
regular and  rocky  path  brings  one  to  a  series  of  pretty  cas- 
cades seen  to  the  best  advantage  from  the  tea-house  facing  the 
lower  one.  As  we  shall  approach  this  later  from  below,  we  now 
cross  the  small  bridge  at  the  foot  of  the  first  fall  and  climb 
the  path  at  the  left.  Fine  views  at  the  right  as  we  cross 
the  glades.  Many  lovely  flowers  and  some  wild  raspberries 
(yama-ichigo)  grow  hereabout.  The  hamlet  at  the  far  right, 
on  the  brink  of  the  stream  below  Odaki,  is  Yunokago.  Avoid- 
ing the  numerous  confusing  by-paths  which  branch  to  the 
right  we  follow  the  main  trail  as  it  hugs  the  hillside,  anon 
descending  and  ascending,  trending  always  to  the  left  until 
the  roar  of  a  waterfall  is  borne  in  from  the  right.  The  last 
path  that  leads  sharply  down  at  the  right  before  we  reach 
(15_min.)  Benten-daki,  must  be  returned  to  later  and  followed 
to  Odaki.  The  long  steel  flume  below  the  waterfall  here  con- 
ducts the  water  which  generates  the  electricity  used  for  light- 
ing Ikao. 

The  Benten-daki  (Waterfall  of  the  Goddess  Benten),  about 
18  ft.  wide  and  40  ft.  high,  stands  at  the  upper  end  of  a  rocky 
and  picturesque  gorge.  The  water  comes  from  Lake  Haruna, 
and  after  falling  with  a  deafening  roar  into  a  turbulent  pool, 
it  dashes  down  the  ravine  to  form  a  number  of  insignificant 
rapids  and  then  the  Odaki  ('Big  Fall').  The  inevitable  tea- 
house with  its  highly  colored  sweets  and  insipid,  non-exhilarat- 
ing mugiyu,  shrewdly  extracts  the  customary  toll  (in  lieu  of 
fees)  by  occupying  practically  the  only  vantage  point  from 
which  the  falls  can  be  seen  satisfactorily.  Above,  on  a  con- 
siderably higher  level,  is  a  foot-path  which  leads  (about  2  hrs. 
going  up;  less  returning)  to  the  head  of  Lake  Haruna.  —  Re- 
turning along  the  trail  to  the  first  by-path  at  the  left  (so 
narrow  that  it  resembles  a  watercourse),  a  sharp  10  min. 
descent  is  made  between  overhanging  trees  to  the  river-bed. 


Haruna  Jinja.  LAKE  HARUNA  7.  Route.  91 


Sections  of  the  path  beyond  to  Yunokago  village  are  a  bit 
roughish  and  are  not  much  liked  by  ladies;  for  some  distance 
the  trail  is  indistinct  and  leads  through  the  river-bed  (right). 
After  the  woods-path  is  picked_up  again,  a  slight  climb  brings 
one  to  the  rather  insignificant  Odaki  fall  (20  ft.;  50  ft.  across). 
The  village  is  a  few  yards  farther  down  the  stream.  Instead  of 
descending  to  it,  we  turn  up  at  the  right  to  (5  min.)  another 
path  (leading  right)  which  should  not  be  followed.  The  main 
trail  continues  (5  min.)  to  a  deserted  shrine  at  the  upper  end 
(right)  of  a  twin  line  of  splendid  cryptomerias  —  the  largest 
measuring  13  ft.  in  circumference  just  above  the  base.  Hence 
the  path  bears  round  to  the  right,  crosses  a  small  brook,  and 
reveals  the  Nanae  Cascade.  The  return  to  the  hotel  is  along 
the  trail  pursued  on  the  outward  journey. 

To  (5  M.)  Lake  Haruna  and  the  (6J  M.)  Haruna  Jinja 
(horse,  ¥2.20;  chair,  ¥4.20).  A  beautiful  walk  to  which  a 
leisurely  day  should  be  devoted.  The  first  \  is  along  a  steady 
incline  to  the  plateau;  the  2d,  a  gentle  descent  to  the  lake; 
and  the  last  lap,  an  abrupt  descent  (good  wide  road)  into  a 
wild  and  romantically  beautiful  ravine  where  the  temple 
stands.  The  return  is  a  steady  45  min.  trudge  out  of  the  gorge; 
a  gentle  uphill  walk  to  the  2d  tea-house;  thence  a  descent  of 
1  hr.  to  the  hotel.  The  whole  is  easily  equivalent  to  15  M. 
on  a  level.  The  views  from  the  mt.  ridges  are  glorious,  and 
the  lake  is  a  gem  of  beauty.  Steps  can  be  economized  by  tak- 
ing a  lad  from  the  hotel  (50  sen)  to  carry  the  luncheon  and 
rain-coats,  point  out  the  different  mt.  peaks,  and  set  the  right 
pace  so  that  one  may  not  have  stiff  muscles  the  next  day. 
By  starting  at  7  a.m.  (breakfast  can  be  had  as  early  as  one 
may  wish  it)  and  walking  methodically,  one  can  easily  reach 
the  temple  at  10;  2  hrs.  to  inspect  the  fine  carvings,  the  gorge, 
and  the  village;  then  a  leisurely  walk  of  1  hr.  will  bring  one 
to  the  tea-house  on  the  lake  shore.  The  luncheon  can  be 
pieced  out  here  with  hot  tea,  etc.,  and  by  ordering  this  sent 
to  the  back  veranda  one  may  enjoy  a  delightful  vista  of  water 
and  mts. 

Beyond  Yumoto,  where  the  bridge  spanning  the  gorge  is 
crossed,  the  zigzag  road  (several  short  cuts)  leads  to  the  1st 
tea-house.  Futatsu-dake  looms  up  bulkily  at  the  left,  and  the 
hills  resound  to  the  liquid  whistle  of  meadow-larks,  the  boom- 
ing note  of  wild  pigeons,  and  the  answering  call  of  the  cuckoo. 
In  summer  the  slopes  are  decked  with  a  glorious  display  of 
day-lilies;  on  rainy  days  one  passes  through  dense  clouds  of 
mist  that  fill  the  canons  with  great  rolls  like  cotton-batting, 
and  hide  the  mts.  behind  an  impenetrable  veil.  The  vast, 
silent  upland  plain,  which  stretches  from  the  top  of  the  ridge 
and  the  2d  tea-house  to  the  shore  of  the  lake,  is  strangely 
beautiful.  Great  herds  of  cattle  could  be  pastured -in  the  deep 
grass  that  grows  unchecked  and  uncut  on  its  gentle  slopes, 


92   Route  7.  LAKE  HARUNA  Haruna  Fuji. 


and  charming  pictures  could  be  painted  of  its  unforgettable 
views.  The  sub-soil  is  volcanic  ash,  and  should  one  happen  to 
pass  here  (as  did  the  writer  on  one  of  his  trips  to  the  lake)  when 
the  distant  Yarigatake  is  erupting,  and  the  wind  is  blowing  in 
the  right  direction,  one  will  experience  the  curious  sensation 
of  walking  beneath  a  steady  fall  of  fine  ashes.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  above  phenomenon  be  present  and  is  added  to  by 
rain,  one  will  be  reminded  of  similar  predicaments  in  towns  of 
N.  China,  when  the  sand  from  the  great  Loess  combines  in  the 
air  with  the  water  and  precipitates  a  fluid  mud  upon  the  just 
and  the  unjust. 

Haruna  Lake  (called  also  Kami  no  se,  and  Ikao-ko), 
a  deep,  pear-shaped  body  of  water  approx.  4  M.  in  circum- 
ference, is  thought  to  fill  the  crater  of  a  long-extinct  volcano, 
and  is  well  stocked  with  salmon  trout  {masu)  and  carp  (koi). 
It  freezes  solidly  in  Feb.  (the  coldest  month  of  the  region), 
and,  besides  affording  fine  fishing  and  skating,  supplies  ice  to 
Ikao  and  neighboring  points.  At  the  Kohantei  Restaurant 
on  the  beach,  boats  can  be  had  at  50  sen  an  hr.,  along  with 
fishing-tackle  (tsuridogu).  The  fish  sometimes  attain  to  a  good 
size  (5  lbs.;  18  in.  long)  and  afford  good  sport  for  line  fisher- 
men; the  catch  can  be  cooked  to  order  in  the  restaurant.  The 
tall,  conical  peak  at  the  right  of  the  lake  (1  hr.  to  the  rocky 
summit)  is  the  Haruna  Fuji  (so  called  for  its  resemblance 
to  Fuji-san).  The  bold  cliff  at  the  left  of  it  is  Eboshigatake; 
the  one  farther  along,  Bingushi-yama;  and  the  odd  pinnacles 
at  the  left,  Suzurigatake.  Beyond  the  tea-house  the  surplus 
water  of  the  lake  flows  through  a  tunnel  seen  after  crossing  the 
pass.  The  flat  patch  of  shore  land  at  the  edge  of  the  plain,  at 
the  right  as  one  approaches  the  lake,  is  beautiful  with  multi- 
colored irises  in  summer.  From  the  meadow  end  of  the  lake 
the  road  winds  along  the  base  of  the  hill  under  a  tunnel  of  green 
foliage.  On  the  near  side  of  the  restaurant  it  turns  up  sharply 
to  the  left  and  ascends  to  the  Tenjin  Pass  (1000  ft.  above  Ikao), 
flanked  on  both  sides  by  small  tea-houses.  From  one  side  here 
a  splendid  view  is  had  of  the  lake  and  the  surrounding  mts., 
and  from  the  other  an  equally  extensive  one  over  the  semi- 
tropical  gorge  in  whose  lower  depths  the  Haruna  Temple 
stands.  The  big  red  torii  under  which  we  pass  marks  the  rear 
entrance  to  its  domain.  The  gradual  descent  along  the  wind- 
ing, well-kept  road,  over  quaint  bridges  spanning  plunging 
waterfalls,  with  alluring  vistas  ahead  and  constantly  rising 
mts.  behind,  is  beguiling.  The  precipitous  slopes  are  covered 
with  growing  things  which  the  wild  wistaria  and  honeysuckle 
bind  in  an  almost  impenetrable  jungle.  After  sampling  the  wild 
grapes  which  abound  one  is  usually  tempted  to  refer  to  them 
with  the  Cockney's  pronunciation  of  the  a. 

Three  hrs.  out  from  Ikao  one  passes  beneath  the  weather- 
beaten  outer  gate  flanked  by  a  wooden  sign  depicting  two  mus- 


THE  HARUNA  TEMPLE    7.  Route.  93 


kets  crossed,  and  skirts  the  side  wall  of  the  terrace  leading  to 
the  inner  gate.  The  setting  of  the  structure  is  so  unique  that 
one  is  usually  unprepared  for  its  astonishingly  fantastic  appear- 
ance. Nothing  in  Japan  is  quite  like  it,  and  it  bears  a  striking 
resemblance  to  pictures  of  gnome-land  or  the  hidden  glens  that 
Rip  Van  Winkle  saw  in  his  weird  dreams.  The  narrow  canon 
through  which  a  tumbling  torrent  (the  Numa-ogawa)  rushes  like 
some  wild  thing  flying  for  its  life,  is  choked  with  cryptomerias 
and  ChamcBcyparis  so  immense  and  so  tall  that  they  appear  to 
rise  for  a  thousand  feet  in  an  effort  to  reach  the  heat  and  light. 
To  trace  their  upward  passage  one  must  stand  still  and  throw 
the  head  far  back,  and  even  then  the  tops  are  scarcely  discern- 
ible. High  above  the  quaint  temple,  and  seemingly  ready  to 
topple  over  and  crush  it,  rise  moss-covered,  craggy,  granite 
spires,  ever-menacing  but  strangely  beautiful.  Across  the 
great  rift  in  the  earth  rises  the  opposite  wall  from  which  many 
of  the  original  trees  have  partly  detached  themselves,  and  as  if 
unable  longer  to  maintain  the  perpendicular  on  its  sheer  sides, 
hang  head  downward  awaiting  the  freshet  or  the  axe  that  will 
dislodge  them.  A  delightful  coolness  pervades  the  place,  and 
white-clad  pilgrims  glide  quietly  to  and  fro  in  a  setting  that 
any  artist  would  love  to  paint. 

A  tea-house  stands  on  the  edge  of  the  lowest  terrace,  while 
higher  up,  on  a  broader  one,  are  the  priests'  apartments.  From 
this  point  a  flight  of  stone  steps  leads  up  to  a  fine  gateway  in 
the  natural  wood  (keyaki)  with  doors,  posts,  and  panels  (both 
sides)  covered  with  wood  carvings  (the  work  of  Myaguchi 
Genzaimon  in  1830)  so  noteworthy  in  detail,  so  broad  in  scope, 
and  so  effectively  presented  that  one  ungrudgingly  ranks  them 
among  the  best  in  the  Empire.  Mythological  dragons,  impos- 
sible quadrupeds,  birds,  animals,  men  in  fighting  armor,  and 
warriors  on  horseback  and  on  foot,  are  all  here  portrayed  in 
high  and  low  relief  with  a  crispness  and  vigor  that  amaze  and 
attract.  The  bronze  fitments  of  the  gateway  and  the  involved 
dragon  rosettes  on  the  panels  of  the  doors  are  also  worth  noting. 

The  Temple  proper,  a  Shinto  structure  erected  in  1725  and 
dedicated  to  Homosubi  (said  to  be  the  Shinto  God  of  Fire) 
and  to  Haniyasu-Hime  (Goddess  of  Earth  and  Growing 
Things),  shows  the  effect  of  a  moist  situation  and  of  great 
age.  It  backs  up  squarely  against  a  sheer  rocky  wall,  in  the 
depths  of  which,  entered  through  gold-lacquered  doors  at  the 
back  of  the  inner  shrine,  is  a  sacred  cave,  very  moist  and 
gloomy,  but  withal  too  sacred  to  be  profaned  by  ordinary 
eyes.  Here  centuries  ago  were  found  a  strangely  fashioned 
bronze  horse,  a  Chinese  metal  mirror,  and  other  things  pre- 
served in  the  reliquary,  but  which  the  amiable  bonzes  show 
with  beaming  faces  to  whosoever  is  genuinely  interested. 
Conspicuous  among  these  relics  are  some  sculptured  kake- 
hotoke,  or  Hanging  Buddhas  (metal  disks  with  ears  carved  with 


94   Route  7.     THE  HARUNA  VILLAGE  Bottle-gourds. 


figures  of  Buddha  and  of  Kwannon) ;  some  Chinese  (or  Korean) 
nickel  mirrors  made  more  than  a  thousand  years  ago  and  bear- 
ing a  striking  resemblance  to  those  in  the  Shoso-in  at  Nara;  a 
remarkably  preserved  sword  about  2  ft.  long  made  by  the 
celebrated  master  Okazaki  Masamune  in  1330;  another  one 
forged  for  the  celebrated  Morinaga-Shinno  (1308-1335,  son 
of  the  Emperor  Go-Daigo),  and  a  number  of  minor  objects. 
The  big  sculptured  and  gilded  ascending  and  descending 
dragons  on  the  side  beams  of  the  porch  are  said  to  be  carved 
each  from  a  single  piece  of  wood.  Black  lacquer  and  gold  are 
the  prevailing  tones  of  the  interior.  The  60  panels  of  the  cof- 
fered ceiling  are  painted  with  flowers  and  winged  dragons;  the 
characters  adorning  the  circle  inclosing  the  four  central  ones 
represent  the  cardinal  points.  Around  the  inner  shrine  are 
some  painted  dragons  and  bold  carvings.  At  the  left  of  the 
temple  yard  is  a  much-prized  lantern  made  of  a  special  im- 
ported iron  ( Namban-tetsu)  and  ascribed  to  Nitta  Yoshisada. 
The  detached  buildings  contain  nothing  especially  interesting. 
The  tall  rock  at  the  left  of  the  gateway  is  called  Hoko-iwa 
(halberd  rock).  The  pinnacle  rocks  which  rise  in  such  gran- 
deur above  the  temple  all  bear  fanciful  names  — Thunder-God 
Rock,  Armor  Rock,  Tortoise  Rock,  etc.  Of  the  thousands  of 
pilgrims  who  visit  the  temple  each  year,  many  come  during 
the  great  festivals  of  May  8-15. 

A  few  yards  below  the  temple,  on  the  near  side  of  the  (red) 
Bridge  of  the  Gods  (shinkyo),  in  a  high  cliff  at  the  right,  is  a 
cave  which  stood  formerly  at  the  rear  of  a  temple  erected  in  the 
14th  cent.;  the  roof  marks  are  still  to  be  seen  against  the  wall. 
Farther  along  is  a  3-storied,  time-stained  pagoda.  The  flagged 
walk  is  pieced  out  by  stone  steps  as  it  descends  farther  into  the 
chasm,  across  which,  high  up  at  the  left,  is  a  curious  natural 
stone  arch  called  Kurakaki-iwa,  or  Saddle  Rock.  Still  farther 
down  the  stream  is  a  huge  gateway,  and  beyond  it  a  big  bronze 
torii  marking  the  upper  end  of  Haruna  Village  (machi). 
This  is  referred  to  as  the  ni-no-torii,  because  3  M.  farther  down 
is  another  big  wooden  one,  the  first.  In  years  gone  by  a  suc- 
cession of  torii  marked  the  17  M.  of  now  wretched  roadway  to 
Matsuida  (see  Rte.  6),  and  up  it  from  the  companion  temples 
at  Myogi-sqn  there  trudged  each  year  perhaps  3  times  the 
40,000  that  are  said  still  to  come  to  this  hoary  old  temple  to 
pray  to  its  divinities  for  good  crops  and  prosperous  times.  To 
aid  in  this  desideratum  each  pilgrim  brings  with  him  a  gourd 1 
which  he  fills  with  sanctified  water  to  take  back  and  scatter 
over  his  little  realty  holdings.  Near  the  2d  torii  are  the  ruins 
of  several  temples  that  were  in  their  prime  300  yrs.  before 
Columbus  discovered  America,  and  when  the  entire  gorge  was 

1  The  dried  bottle-gourds  (hyotari),  which  in  China  are  tied  to  the  backs 
of  children  on  the  boats  to  assist  them  in  floating  if  they  should  fall  over- 
board, are  common  in  Japan,  and  pilgrims  usually  carry  them  on  their 
journeys. 


Funao  Waterfall.    IKAO  TO  KUSATSU        7.  Route.  95 


a  scene  of  Buddhist  activity.  The  red,  metal-trimmed  bridge, 
the  moss-grown  stone  lanterns,  and  the  multiplicity  of  dis- 
mantled stone-work  are  relics  of  those  palmy  days.  The  rush- 
ing stream  that  seems  to  whisper  of  vanished  glory,  the  sing- 
ing birds,  the  lovely  flowers,  and  the  park-like  aspect  of  the 
sequestered  place,  so  many  miles  removed  from  the  strenuous 
world,  are  all  very  charming  and  restful. 

The  traveler  so  inclined  may  vary  the  return  trip  and 
lengthen  it  a  bit  by  diverging  from  the  main  trail  (right)  about 
midway  between  Haruna  Lake  and  the  2d  tea-house,  and  pro- 
ceed to  (4  M.)  Garameki,  which  has  a  mineral  spring  and 
whence  the  shortest  way  back  to  Ikao  would  be  to  descend  the 
path  to  Mushiyu,  thence  via  the  1st  tea-house,  or  over  the 
Miharashi  trail.  The  Futatsu-dake  can  also  be  ascended  over 
one  of  the  several  clear  paths  to  the  summit.  Haruna  Fuji  is 
scalable,  and  a  guide  (¥1)  can  be  obtained  at  the  lakeside  tea- 
house. The  summit  is  not  so  needle-pointed  as  the  natives 
love  to  picture  it,  but  the  views  from  it  are  inspiring  and  are 
worth  the  climb.  Soma-yama  (4850  ft.  above  the  sea,  2250 
above  Ikao),  the  highest  of  the  Haruna  peaks,  is  near  the  2d 
tea-house;  the  trail  is  clearly  defined  and  a  good  walker  can 
reach  the  base  in  25  min.  Another  \  hr.  of  stiffish  climbing 
(chains  fixed  in  the  rocks  help  one  over  the  worst  places)  will 
bring  him  to  the  summit,  whence  Fuji-yama  is  visible  at  the 
S.,  beyond  the  Chichibu  Range.  A  small  shrine  stands  at  the 
top,  and  to  this  many  devout  pilgrims  go  each  year,  usually 
via  the  considerably  harder  and  roughish  trail  from  Mushiyu. 
A  half -score  chains  and  a  ladder  help  one  to  the  top  on  this 
side,  but  a  greater  spiritual  reward  awaits  one  because  of  the 
increased  difficulties  of  the  ascent.  The  trip  from  Ikao  to  the 
summit  and  return  can  be  made  in  one  forenoon  by  getting  an 
early  start.  The  return  journey  can  be  varied  by  proceeding 
first  to  Benten-daki,  then  Odaki  and  the  Nanae  Cascades; 
also  via  Mushiyu,  Miharashi,  and  Kompira-san. 

The  walk  down  to  the  (2 J  M.)  Mizusawa  Kwannon  Tem- 
ple (1J  hr.  via  the  Shibukawa  jinriki-road,  thence  through  the 
woods  at  the  base  of  Sengen-yama;  chair,  ¥2.40;  horse,  ¥1.30) 
will  not  repay  one  unless  time  hangs  heavily.  The  Buddhist 
temple  is  weather-beaten  and  as  uninteresting  as  the  idols  it 
contains.  Beyond  it  (2  M. ;  1  hr. ;  chair,  ¥2.60;  horse,  ¥1.60)  is 
the  attractive  Funao  Waterfall,  but  the  last  part  of  the  journey 
is  tiresome.  The  traveler  with  time  to  spare  will  find  the  walk 
down  the  old  highway  to  Shibukawa  prolific  in  panoramic 
views;  some  travelers  walk  this  (delightful  in  the  early  a.m.; 
time,  1  hr.)  on  leaving  Ikao,  and  send  their  luggage  down  in 
the  electric  car  (chair,  ¥2.60;  jinriki,  50  sen). 
m  Ikao  to  Kusatsu  (a  3-day  trip).  While  the  all-day  (30  M.) 
ride  in  a  tram-car,  basha  and  kago,  is  apt  to  prove  a  bit  weari- 
some, the  country  through  which  one  passes  is  magnificent  — * 


96   Route  7.         IKAO  TO  KUSATSU    Agatsuma  River. 


the  scenery  ranking  with  the  grandest  in  the  Empire.  Kusatsu, 
in  its  primeval  volcanic  setting  high-poised  in  the  Kotsuke  Mts., 
with  unusually  interesting  hot  mineral  baths,  is  unique.  No 
place  is  just  like  it,  and  the  curious  phases  of  life  one  sees  there 
are  unforgettable.  While  one  quarter  of  the  town  is  crowded 
with  lepers^  the  visitor  need  have  no  fear  of  contagion  (possi- 
ble only  after  long  and  frequent  intercourse),  as  the  sulphurous 
(and  other  chemical  and  diabolical)  stenches  that  hiss  out 
from  the  seething  subterraneous  furnace  below  it  act  as  cor- 
rectives and  curatives.  Few  places  of  the  world  will  remind  one 
so  much  of  what  one  imagines  the  nether  world  to  be  like.  The 
hotel  is  clean  and  comfortable,  with  delightful  sulphur  baths. 

Several  routes  are  practicable  from  Ikao,  but  the  best,  easiest,  and  most 
popular  is  by  electric  tram  (43  sen)  to  Shibukawa,  thence  basha  (p.  xci)  to 
(¥1.50)  Tatsuishi,  and  from  there  up  the  winding  mt.  road  (kago,  ¥2.50; 
horse,  ¥1.50)  to  (5  M.)  Kusatsu.  Before  undertaking  the  trip  one  should 
have  the  manager  of  the  hotel  at  Ikao  telephone  to  Nakanojo  and  Kusatsu 
and  ascertain  if  the  road  is  open.  The  Agatsuma  River  is  powerful  and  capri- 
cious, and  is  subject  to  devastating  floods.  That  of  1910  wrecked  the  road  so 
badly  that  2  yrs.  were  required  to  put  it  back  into  commission.  When  it 
washes  out  the  bridges  the  traveler  is  obliged  to  ford  and  re-ford  the  river 
(wire-rope  ferries) ,  walk  long  stretches,  and  make  wide  detours  over  tallish 
hills.  A  clear  day  is  necessary  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  the  mt.  views,  and  an 
early  start  is  advisable.  The  6.30  a.m.  tram-car  from  Ikao  reaches  Shibu- 
kawa a  little  after  7,  and  the  basha  leaves  (or  is  supposed  to  leave)  at  8.  The 
horses  are  fed  with  such  frequency  en  route  that  one  cannot  hope  to  reach 
Tatsuishi  before  6  p.  m.  (or  7) ,  and  the  walk  or  ride  thence  will  consume  2 
hrs.  more.  Those  who  dislike  walking  should  telephone  ahead  to  the  hotel  at 
Kusatsu  and  ask  to  be  met  at  Tatsuishi  by  coolies,  ponies,  and  a  kago  — 
the  latter  very  uncomfortable  for  any  one  weighing  over  100  lbs.  Unless  one 
is  met  there,  a  guide  and  lanterns  should  be  taken  along,  as  the  road  through 
the  canon  at  night  is  of  a  blackness  similar  to  that  of  Erebus.  [The  bashas 
are  expected  ultimately  to  make  Kusatsu  their  terminus.]  If  one  can  find  an 
idle  horse  in  Tatsuishi,  it  can  be  had  for  the  trip  for  75  sen.  If  there  are  several 
in  the  party,  it  is  advisable  to  hire  a  special  basha  from  Shibukawa  (¥8-10), 
for  when  the  ordinary  vehicles  are  crammed  with  the  proletariat  they  are 
almost  as  uncomfortable  as  a  Black  Maria.  The  seat  up  near  the  driver  is 
usually  the  most  sheltered  from  rain.  The  lurching  of  the  crude  conveyance 
is  apt  to  pitch  one  (particularly  when  drowsy)  out  from  the  rear  seat. 

By  telephoning  from  Ikao  to  the  basha  baiting-stable  at 
Shibukawa,  a  boy  will  meet  the  Ikao  tram-car  and  carry  lug- 
gage to  the  stable  for  a  small  fee.  The  basha  proceeds  to  the  N. 
end  of  the  town,  thence  to  Kanai  Village,  where  the  roaring 
Agatsuma-gawa  is  crossed  to  the  shore  town  of  Koizawa.  At 
the  right  hereabout  the  Agatsuma  pours  its  cold  mt.  water 
into  that  of  the  Tone  River,  known  for  its  trout.  The  diverg- 
ing tramway  at  Koizawa  goes  to  Numata  and  forms  a  link  in 
the  trip  from  Nikko  hither  over  the  Konsei  Pass  (Rte.  16). 
Beyond  the  bridge  our  road  turns  abruptly  to  the  left  and  fol- 
lows the  river  almost  to  its  source  (near  Kusatsu).  Ikao  and 
the  commanding  summits  of  Futatsu-dake  are  soon  seen  perched 
high  in  the  mts.  at  the  far  left.  Although  the  highroad  here  is 
good  enough  for  motor-cars,  the  instability  of  some  of  the 
bridges  farther  on  —  particularly  those  propped  on  brackets 
against  the  granite  walls  high  above  the  swirling  river  —  should 


Nakanojo. 


IEAO  TO  KUSATSU        7.  Route.  97 


make  the  motorist  think  twice  before  proceeding.  While  stout 
enough  to  bear  up  under  a  loaded  basha  weighing  a  ton,  they 
might  collapse  under  a  2-ton  automobile.  In  the  springtime 
the  fields  by  the  wayside  are  brown  with  ripening  winter 
wheat,  which  contrasts  sharply  with  the  tender  green  of 
sprouting  rice,  the  more  somber  green  of  the  lofty  pines  which 
clothe  the  hill-slopes,  and  the  yet  richer  hues  of  the  omnipresent 
hemp  (plant  and  product  called  asa),  widely  cultivated  for 
its  fiber  (which  is  made  into  a  stout  linen).  The  power  gener- 
ated by  the  many  water-wheels  seen  along  the  route  is  used 
for  cleaning  rice  and  hulling  wheat  and  buckwheat  (soba), 
much  of  the  flour  of  which  is  made  into  a  kind  of  macaroni 
called  soba  (and  sobakiri).  Roses,  hydrangea,  spiraea,  honey- 
suckle, and  a  host  of  wild  flowers  deck  the  countryside  and 
enliven  the  humble  cottages  of  the  peasantry.  Striking  fea- 
tures of  the  highroad  are  the  swift  mail-carriers  one  sees  sprint- 
ing lightly  along  with  small  bundles  of  mail-matter  strapped 
to  their  shoulders,  or  piled  in  a  light  hand-cart  which  they  pull 
rapidly  after  them.  Tall  mts.  flank  the  entire  route  at  the 
right,  and  into  gashes  in  their  sides  the  road  winds  frequently, 
to  round  gulches  or  to  escape  the  undermining  effect  of  the 
greedy  river.  The  capricious  nature  of  this  has  necessitated 
massive  and  expensive  granite  revetments,  swinging  bridges 
suspended  by  coarse  wire,  and  miles  of  costly  riparian  work 
of  the  style  known  to  the  natives  as  i serpent-baskets,'  and 
referred  to  in  Rte.  25.  Even  these  do  not  prevent  the  rapacious 
waters  from  eating  deeply  into  the  paddy-fields  and  the  mul- 
berry plantations  that  flank  the  stream  on  its  opposite  bank. 
Adown  the  swift  current  one  sees  occasional  rafts  of  logs  that 
swing  round  the  wide  bends  with  grace  and  speed  and  shoot 
the  rapids  with  ease  and  safety. 

The  Nakanojo  baiting-station  is  usually  reached  about  10.30, 
and  as  the  Shibukawa  basha  turns  back  here,  the  traveler  must 
wait  (sometimes  2  hrs.)  for  the  corresponding  basha  to  come  in 
from  Tatsuishi.  The  time  can  be  passed  to  better  advantage 
in  one  of  the  several  tea-houses,  the  Takeno-ya  (where  the 
coach  stops),  the  Fukuda,  Nabe-ya,  etc.  In  the  former  a  palat- 
able soup,  rice,  eggs,  tea,  and  some  minor  native  dishes  are 
served  for  25  sen.  If  the  amiable  proprietor  quizzes  the  traveler 
as  to  his  destination,  etc.,  it  is  usually  with  the  laudable  inten- 
tion of  telephoning  ahead  to  the  hotel  manager  at  Kusatsu 
to  apprise  him  of  approaching  travelers  so  that  he  may  have 
horses  and  kagos  in  waiting  at  Tatsuishi.  Beyond  Nakanojo 
the  road  bears  to  the  left,  crosses  the  Yamada-gawa  (a  tribu- 
tary of  the  Agatsuma-gawa) ,  and  continues  along  the  right 
bank  of  the  latter.  Haramachi  (Inn :  Tachibana,  ¥2)  is  reached 
about  1  p.m.  ;  beyond  it  the  road  climbs  into  the  hills,  which  are 
marked  by  many  cascades  and  plunging  waterfalls.  For  the 
following  3  hrs.  the  scenery  is  extraordinarily  grand;  the  road 


98   Route  7.   KAWARAYU  HOT  SPRINGS  Tatsuishi. 


rises  gradually  to  a  point  hundreds  of  feet  above  the  angry 
river,  which  anon  spreads  out  in  wide,  fan-shaped  rapids,  or 
tears  with  a  sullen  roar  through  deep  gorges  so  narrow  at  some 
places  that  a  goat  could  almost  spring  across  them.  Here 
Nature  shows  herself  in  one  of  her  wildest  and  most  unbridled 
moods.  With  every  mile  the  prospect  changes;  at  times  the 
hills  slope  back  from  the  roadway,  showing  tiny  houses  and 
shrines  perched  high  like  those  of  the  Austrian  Tyrol ;  at  others 
they  rise  sheer  hundreds  of  feet,  and  the  creaking  stage-coach 
has  to  crawl  gingerly  along  on  narrow  terraces  cut  from  their 
soggy  sides.  In  the  angles  of  some  of  the  awe-inspiring  gulches 
the  hard  granite  has  so  repelled  encroachment  that  the  rickety 
wood  bridges  are  swung  on  stout  piano  wires  over  spaces  down 
which  one  looks  500  ft.  upon  miniature  Niagaras  or  slanting 
cascades.  Tremendous  rifts  in  the  earth's  crust,  awe-inspiring 
mts.,  dense  forests,  yawning  chasms,  and  fetching  views  mark 
the  road  to  a  point  (reached  about  4  p.m.)  where  a  foot-bridge 
spans  the  river  and  a  road  leads  left  to  (f  M.)  Kawarayu  Hot 
Springs  (Inn:  Kawarayu,  ¥2.50),  a  popular  and  highly  pic- 
turesque resort  perched  on  a  beautiful  and  lofty  terrace  above 
the  river.  Here  pedestrians  who  make  the  short-cut  overland 
trip  from  Ikao  to  Kusatsu  usually  stop  for  the  night.  (Horse 
from  Ikao  and  return,  ¥5.)  Farther  along  another  bridge  leads 
across  to  the  town. 

The  river  now  broadens  and  we  traverse  a  tunnel  gouged 
through  a  rocky  scarp  with  a  perpendicular  drop  of  hundreds 
of  ft.  to  the  river  below.  The  stone  retaining-walls  hereabout 
are  50  or  more  ft.  high  and  were  built  at  great  expense.  Above 
this  splendidly  massive  work  is  thrown  a  suspension  bridge 
below  which  the  river  rushes  at  tremendous  speed.  Nagano- 
hara  (Inn:  Otsu-ya,  ¥2),  1\  M.  from  Kusatsu,  is  reached  about 
5.20;  hence  to  Tatsuishi  the  road  is  fairly  level  and  uninterest- 
ing. The  poor  town  of  Tatsuishi  is  the  junction-point  of  the 
trail  from  Karuizawa  (p.  75).  A  limited  range  of  food  can  be 
had  at  the  inn,  where  the  basha  stops  (and  whence  it  starts 
back  to  Nakanojo  at  8  a.m.),  but  whosoever  plans  to  sleep  here 
in  order  to  climb  to  Kusatsu  by  daylight  must  be  equipped 
with  a  good  flea-powder  or  be  prepared  to  share  his  bed  with 
numerous  bizarre  and  biting  entomological  specimens.  Here 
the  side-road  to  Kusatsu  goes  up  (N.)  the  gorge  at  the  right  — 
unless  washed  out  by  the  violent  torrent  which  rushes  down  it 
and  merges  its  muddy  waters  with  the  trickling  head-waters 
of  the  Agatsuma-gawa.  In  such  a  case  a  roundabout  trail  is  fol- 
lowed across  the  hills.  The  scenery  is  wild  and  picturesque. 
The  first  3  M.  are  between  the  high,  sloping  sides  of  the  canon, 
which  are  densely  wooded,  fragrant  with  wild  flowers,  and 
dotted  here  and  there  with  charcoal-burners'  huts.  The  wild 
wistaria  is  a  glory  in  early  June.  The  trend  is  steadily  upward, 
and  about  1§  hrs.  out  from  Tatsuishi  the  road  emerges  from 


KUSATSU  HOT  SPRINGS    7.  Route.  99 


the  ravine  and  skirts  a  series  of  tall  hills  at  the  left.  The  views 
across  the  wide  country  at  the  right,  to  the  lofty  Shirane-san, 
are  splendid.  The  traveler  who  tramps  downward  over  this 
trail  in  the  early  hours  of  a  spring  morning  will  be  charmed  by 
the  beauty  and  brooding  solitude  of  the  place, 
j  Kusatsu  |4500  ft.),  celebrated  for  its  hot  sulphur  springs, 
,  bfears  practically  the  same  relation  to  North  Central  Japan 
>  tna^Uiie^iot  Springs  of  Arkansas  do  to  the  Middle  West  of  the 
U.S.A.,  since  it  is  the  rendezvous  for  rheumatics;  those  unfor- 
tunates afflicted  with  the  dread  disease  which  No.  606  aimed 
to  cure;  lepers  and  other  physically  infirm  persons.  The  fas- 
tidious may  not  like  some  of  the  sights  they  will  witness  in  the 
baths  to  which  the  members  of  the  leper  colony  go,  but  these 
can  be  avoided.  The  small,  scattered  town  (more  like  the  re- 
sort of  the  'Old  Scratch'  himself  than  of  humans),  is  built  on 
the  sloping  sides  of  a  V-shaped  ravine  through  the  bottom  of 
which  flow  streams  of  steaming  water  that  paint  their  run- 
ways with  all  the  colors  of  the  spectrum,  and  distribute  a 
stench  which  delicate  nostrils  find  some  difficulty  in  assimilat- 
ing. The  gulch  is  on  a  lofty  plateau  surrounded  by  plains  and 
hills  which  shut  in  the  town  in  such  a  way  that  one  enters  the 
upper  end  of  the  main  st.  almost  before  one  is  aware  of  its 
existence.  On  moist,  lowering  days  clouds  of  steam  hang  over 
the  gorge  and  impart  an  infernal  aspect  to  it.  Great  clouds  of 
steam  rise  from  the  baths  which  flank  the  central  square,  and 
when  one  approaches  this  at  night  the  scene  is  weird  in  the 
extreme. 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix) .  The  Shirane  Hotel  (English  spoken) ,  in  semi-foreign 
style,  stands  at  the  extreme  W.  end  of  the  town,  in  a  semicircle  of  hills  higher 
than  the  town  proper,  and  facing  a  gorge  down  which  rush  streams  of  scald- 
ing sulphur  water.  This  water  is  piped  direct  into  the  hotel  baths,  which  are 
clean,  and  free  to  guests.  Rates  from  ¥5  a  day  and  upward,  Am.  pi.;  5% 
reduction  for  a  week  or  more.  A  small  room  by  the  month,  ¥4  a  day;  large 
room,  ¥4.50;  Japanese  room  with  foreign  bed,  ¥3.50.  There  are  a  number  of 
inns  in  the  native  style,  but  they  are  apt  to  house  guests  (10,000  repair  hither 
annually)  with  whom  the  traveler  might  not  like  to  come  into  contact.  Rates 
from  ¥3  to  ¥3.50  a  day;  native  food.  —  Certain  of  these  hostelries  have 
elaborately  sculptured  facades  in  which  the  turtle  figures  as  a  symbol  of  the 
longevity  assured  by  the  cure. 

The  Hot  Springs,  which  came  prominently  to  the  fore  in  the 
16th  cent,  and  which  range  in  temperature  from  about  75°  to 
160°  F.,  contain  a  large  percentage  of  sulphur,  alum,  iron, 
arsenic,  and  a  combination  of  mineral  acids,  and  are  much 
extolled  for  their  curative  properties.  Some  of  the  cold  springs 
are  of  corrosively  acid  water.  All  issue  from  fissures  in  the  vol- 
canic breccia,  and  where  the  hottest  of  the  waters  run  down 
through  open  gulches  or  bamboo  pipes  to  the  primitive  bath- 
houses the  rocks  are  in  some  places  stained  vitriolic  blues,  bril- 
liant yellows  (with  thick  incrustations  of  flowers  of  sulphur), 
jade  greens,  and  copperas  streaks  that  present  a  beautiful 
appearance  when  the  sun  shines  upon  them.  In  the  pools  the 


100   Route  7.    THE  KUSATSU  BATHS 


sulphur  flowers  cover  everything  several  millimeters  thick; 
many  of  the  near-by  rocks  are  hot  to  the  touch.  In  the  center 
of  the  town  the  steaming  water  is  led  into  wide  evaporating- 
pans  where  the  sulphur  deposits  are  collected.  The  sulphur- 
etted odors  which  rise  all  over  the  town  are  said  to  keep  mos- 
quitoes and  noxious  insects  away  and  to  be  antiseptic  and  dis- 
infectant. The  town  records  show  that  the  place  is  remarkably 
free  from  infectious  diseases  other  than  those  brought  by  per- 
sons seeking  the  cure.  Nor  does  the  steam  which  floats  up 
constantly  in  many  quarters  appear  to  increase  the  summer 
temperature,  which  rarely  rises  above  80°  F.  Although  the 
winters  are  cold,  and  heavy  snows  lie  on  the  surrounding  mts. 
for  months  at  a  time,  snow  rarely  remains  long  in  Kusatsu,  as 
the  underground  rivulets  melt  it  quickly.  The  curative  proper- 
ties of  the  waters  are  said  to  be  remarkable,  and  while  they 
seem  to  have  no  effect  upon  leprosy  in  its  advanced  stages, 
unfortunates  afflicted  with  the  pathogenic  organism  known  as 
Treponema  pallidum  appear  to  get  prompt  relief.  The  search- 
ing qualities  of  the  acids  in  the  waters  find  every  little  abrasion 
of  the  skin,  and  so  efficacious  are  they  in  healing  skin-diseases 
and  wounds  that  many  of  the  soldiers  injured  in  the  Japan- 
Russia  War  were  sent  here  by  the  Gov't  to  find  relief  and 
health.  Persons  afflicted  with  rheumatism  and  gout  are  cured 
of  them.  According  to  the  Japanese  proverb,  'Love  is  the  only 
grave  distemper  against  which  the  waters  of  Kusatsu  can  effect 
nothing/ 

The  Baths,  scattered  all  over  the  small  town,  in  many  ways 
are  the  most  interesting  in  Japan.  Their  average  temperature 
ranges  from  100°  to  118°,  but  in  certain  of  the  houses,  notably 
the  Netsu-no-yu  described  below,  the  coldest  bath  is  1 14°  and 
the  hottest  about  125°;  the  latter  are  the  promptest  in  their 
action  and  effect,  and  they  quickly  bring  out  blisters  on  the 
tenderest  parts  of  the  body.  To  avoid  these  the  timid  seek  the 
cooler  waters  —  which  are  best  adapted  to  those  with  weak 
hearts  and  lungs.  The  hot  baths  cause  palpitation  of  the  heart 
and  pronounced  lassitude,  but  the  latter  is  usually  offset  by 
the  tonic  crispness  of  the  mt.  air.  The  blisters  (which  do  not 
come  unless  one  bathes  several  times  daily)  presage  their 
arrival  by  slight  fever  and  loss  of  appetite.  At  the  end  of  4-5 
weeks  they  become  red,  swell,  exude  pus,  and  then  heal.  The 
first  stage  of  the  cure  (10-14  days)  is  free  from  them.  It  is 
when  they  are  at  their  worst  (3d-5th  week)  that  the  unfortu- 
nate possessor  is  unable  to  walk  without  pain  and  is  the  sub- 
ject of  humorous  allusion  to  what  is  known  locally  as  the 
1  Kusatsu  walk  '  —  a  ludicrously  inelegant  gait  which  must  be 
seen  to  be  appreciated.  As  the  chief  active  substances  in  some 
of  the  baths  are  free  sulphuric  acid  and  arsenic  that  bite  into 
the  suffering  flesh  like  hot  steel  pincers,  the  men  patients  move 
about  slowly  and  painfully,  with  the  legs  well  apart;  planting 


Lepers. 


THE  FEVER  BATH       7.  Route.  101 


first  one  foot  forward,  then  edging  the  other  and  the  torso/ 
round  to  it,  assisted  by  a  cane  and  facial  contortions.  The  \ 
axillae  come  in  also  for  a  visitation  of  the  sores,  and  the  arms 
are  sometimes  held  wide  like  the  wings  of  a  vulture  drying  its 
feathers  in  the  sun.  Ointments  are  forbidden,  and  to  protect 
the  raw  and  stinging  blisters  from  too  virulent  attacks  of  the 
acid,  bathers  usually  swathe  them  tenderly  in  cotton  wool  — 
an  operation  performed  au  jour  just  before  entering  the  bath. 
Great  fortitude  is  required  to  resist  the  inclination  to  discon- 
tinue the  baths  when  the  blisters  begin  to  appear,  for  the 
agony  produced  by  the  contact  of  the  acidulous  waters  is 
acute.  Even  the  stoic  Japanese  writhe  under  the  treatment. 
The  bather  who  once  gets  the  acrid  water  in  his  eyes  will  be 
willing  to  forego  a  repetition  of  it.  There  is  no  special  dietary 
regime,  and  no  medical  treatment  is  prescribed,  as  at  foreign 
spas.  Six  or  7  weeks  and  about  120  baths  constitute  the  cure; 
mild  diseases  require  from  3  to  5  baths  a  day;  serious  ones  from 
1  to  3  (3-5  min.  in  the  hot  water  each  time).  The  weak  condi- 
tion of  the  patient  usually  prevents  his  taking  exercise.  For- 
eigners should  seek  medical  advice  and  undergo  a  physical 
examination  before  attempting  the  more  powerful  baths. 
Persons  who  have  gone  through  a  course  of  treatment  at 
Kusatsu  sometimes  repair  to  the  milder  baths  of  Ikao  to  clear 
the  skin  of  the  irritation  caused  by  the  stronger  waters. 

The  most  interesting  and  typical  of  the  several  baths  is  the 
*  Netsu-no-yu,  or  Fever  Bath,  under  gov't  supervision,  in  a 
squat  frame  building  facing  the  central  square.  The  Goza-no- 
yu,  where  the  Lepers  bathe,  is  farther  down  the  gorge;  the 
sights  and  the  human  misery  one  witnesses  there  are  so  repul- 
sive, and  are  such  a  drain  on  one's  sentiment,  that  squeamish 
persons  had  better  stay  away.  The  stranger  unfamiliar  witn~] 
the  time-honored  customs  of  rural  Japan  will  be  impressed 
curiously  by  the  promiscuous  bathing  of  the  sexes  in  all  the 
baths,  but  he  cannot  fail  to  note  the  natural  decorum  which 
everywhere  prevails.  He  may  also  wish  to  remember  the 
statement  of  a  witty  writer,  to  the  effect  that  'in  Japan  the 
nude  is  seen  but  not  looked  at.'  If  this  be  borne  in  mind  one 
will  have  no  difficulty  in  gaining  admission  as  a  spectator; 
cameras  and  notebooks  are,  however,  excluded.  Five  baths 
daily,  called  Jikan-yu,  or  time-baths,  are  the  rule  in  the  Netsu- 
no-yu,  the  hrs.  varying  with  the  season.  In  summer  the  first  is 
usually  at  5  a.m.  ;  the  others  at  8  and  10  a.m.  and  at  2  and  5  p.m. 
When  all  is  ready  a  bath  attendant  goes  out  into  the  st.  and 
blows  several  long  blasts  on  a  brass  horn,  and  soon  the  bathers 
are  seen  ambling  painfully  across  the  square.  In  the  bath- 
house they  mount  to  a  platform  which  rises  round  the  central 
pools  and  disrobe  to  a  thin  white  shirt  or  tunic.  From  40  to  60 
can  enter  the  pools  at  one  time,  and  when  this  batch  is  out  a 
second  group  is  admitted.   All  bathers  must  submit  to  a  sort 


102   Route  7.  NETSU-NO-YU 


of  semi-military  discipline,  and  must  enter  and  leave  the  water 
together,  at  the  word  of  command  of  the  bath-master.  The 
ratio  of  men  and  women  is  about  4  to  1.  Against  the  walls,  in 
racks  like  cue-racks  in  a  billiard-room,  stand  scores  of  deal 
boards  about  8  ft.  long  and  1  ft.  wide;  each  man  takes  one  of 
these,  then  all  range  themselves  in  a  row  around  the  outer 
edges  of  the  sunken  pools.  A  curious  performance  now  begins 
and  lasts  for  20-25  min.  One  end  of  the  plank  is  dipped  into 
the  water  and  by  a  deft  wrist-motion  a  corner  is  lifted  and 
with  it  about  a  gallon  or  more  of  water,  which  is  flopped  to  one 
side  with  a  splash;  then  the  other  side  is  raised  with  a  like  re- 
sult, the  rim  of  the  pool  giving  forth  meanwhile  a  resounding 
smack  as  the  plank  strikes  it,  first  on  one  edge,  then  on  the 
other.  In  a  minute  or  two  a  concerted  rhythm  is  attained; 
bodies  begin  to  sway  in  unison,  and  to  the  40  or  more  resound- 
ing whacks  is  added  a  vocal  chant  which  soon  rises  to  a  roar. 
The  sound  of  the  voices  and  the  noise  made  by  the  water  and 
the  boards  is  deafening.  Air  is  supposed  to  enter  the  holes 
made  in  the  water,  and  to  cool  it  —  bringing  the  temperature 
down  from  about  135°  to  125°.  The  spirit  of  joyousness  evoked 
by  the  rhythmical  shouting  and  by  the  belief  that  they  are 
beating  the  heat  out  of  their  common  enemy  inspires  the 
bathers  (now  in  a  lather  of  perspiration)  with  a  sort  of  Dutch 
courage,  which,  be  it  said,  does  not  evaporate  when  they  slip 
their  tender  bodies  into  the  scalding  liquid.  During  the  per- 
formance the  planks  are  turned  about  and  the  cooler  ends  put 
in  to  whip  the  water.  At  a  given  signal  the  boards  are  with- 
drawn, placed  upright  in  their  racks,  and  heavy  beams  to 
divide  the  pools  into  aqueous  lanes  just  wide  enough  to  ac- 
commodate a  line  of  bathers  are  placed  in  position.  At  another 
signal  the  bathers  —  who  are  now  joined  by  women  who  have 
taken  no  part  in  the  cooling  operation  —  kneel  in  rows  along 
the  beams  and  pour  each  a  hundred  or  more  big  dippers  full  of 
the  hot  water  over  their  heads  and  necks  —  to  prevent  conges- 
tion and  syncope  on  entering  the  water.  By  this  time  rising 
steam  has  filled  the  room  with  a  thick  gray  mist,  and  any 
clothing  seems  as  heavy  as  if  one  were  in  a  Turkish  bath.  Many 
of  the  naked  backs  of  the  bathers  show  moxa  scars  as  big  as  a 
silver  50  c.  piece,  usually  near  the  spine.  During  an  interval  of 
about  10  min.  the  patients  rest,  or  swathe  their  loins  with  an 
exaggerated  clout  of  cotton  wool,  and  prepare  for  the  scalding 
ordeal. 

Suddenly  the  stentorian  voice  of  the  bath-master  asks  if  all 
are  ready.  The  last  vestige  of  clothing  is  now  whipped  off, 
hastily  twisted  into  a  bundle  and  thrown  to  the  platform,  and 
primitive  Japan  is  represented  by  youth  and  manhood,  ma- 
trons and  maidenhood,  fat  and  slender,  winsome  and  other- 
wise, who  lower  themselves  slowly  into  the  almost  boiling 
water,  until  lines  of  shiny  black  polls  and  slowly  purpling  faces 


Excursions.  SAI-NO-KAWARA        7.  Route.  103 

only  are  to  be  seen  above  the  boards.  A  silence  like  that  of  the 
grave  ensues,  and  is  broken  only  by  the  loud  ticking  of  the 
time-clock  and  the  echo  of  plashing  boards  and  chants  and 
roars  in  other  near-by  baths.  The  bath-master  now  tells  them 
they  will  have  to  stand  the  ordeal  but  three  short  minutes,  and 
he  chants  a  sort  of  deliberate  doggerel,  to  animate  them.  An 
anguished  ai  of  lamentation  or  a  rippling  moan  is  the  only 
response;  these  three  minutes  mean  almost  an  eternity  to  the 
exquisitely  tender,  sore-flecked  bodies  into  which  the  hot  acid 
is  biting  zestfully,  but  the  Japanese  suffer  it  with  accustomed  ' 
fortitude.  When,  at  the  end  of  the  first  minute,  which  in  the 
tense  silence  seems  much  longer,  the  bath-master  assures  them 
that  but  two  minutes  remain,  a  thin  cheer  surcharged  with 
eager  agony  ripples  through  the  room.  The  clock  ticks  with 
awful  slowness,  and  when  the  prompter  tells  them  there  re- 
mains but  a  single  minute  a  score  of  parboiled  bodies  almost 
pop  out  of  the  water,  so  vehement  is  the  response.  Not  a  few 
of  the  grim  faces  look  as  if  they  could  not  stand  the  ordeal  a 
split-second  longer,  much  less  a  minute.  But  they  do,  and  with 
the  final  ringing  shout,  'Get  out  of  the  water  s-l-o-w-l-y,' — 
starting  at  a  point  high  up  the  scale  and  descending  to  a  rich 
basso  profundo,  —  the  threescore  bodies  rise  like  corks  that 
have  been  held  below  the  surface,  and  with  such  amazing 
unity  that  it  would  be  a  good  watch  that  could  register  the 
fraction  of  time  between  the  first  and  the  last.  The  torso  seems 
to  be  the  part  they  want  most  to  release  from  the  grip  of  the 
acid,  for  many  of  the  bathers  stand  waist-deep  and  mop  their 
dark  red,  steaming  bodies  with  towels  which  a  man  or  a  woman  I 
attendant  brings  them.  And  such  bodies!  Those  who  think 
that  the  etiolated  tint  is  the  finest  for  the  human  animal  should 
see  a  group  of  these  bathers  as  they  sit  around  i  in  their  bones f 
after  an  immersion  in  such  waters.  They  are  not  all  scarred  or 
diseased;  many  in  fact  take  the  cure  for  some  little  rheumatic 
tinge;  a  fancied  ill  resulting  from  the  national  scourge,  dys- 
pepsia; or  as  a  preventive  against  the  future.  This  is  particu- 
larly the  case  with  the  women,  who  outwardly  are  as  fit  as  any 
human  animal  could  be.  The  rosy  bronze  of  the  skin  when  it 
begins  to  lose  the  rich  red  hue  imparted  by  the  heat  is  compar- 
able only  in  beauty  to  that  wonderful  crimson  the  oculist  with 
his  special  light  sees  at  the  back  of  the  human  eye.  It  registers 
a  new  color  harmony,  the  exact  counterpart  of  which  one  sees 
under  no  other  condition.  The  hopelessness  of  a  correct  defini- 
tion becomes  apparent  when  a  faultlessly  symmetrical  maiden 
sits  tailor-fashion,  like  some  beautiful  nude  goddess,  in  the 
pearly  haze  that  filters  through  the  paper  shdji,  and  drowsily 
awaits  the  return  of  sufficient  strength  to  dress  herself! 

A  number  of  Walks,  and  Excursions  on  Horseback,  are 
possible  in  the  Kusatsu  neighborhood.  A  favorite  short  stroll 
is  to  (?  M.)  Sai-no-Kawara  (p.  52),  a  volcanic  spot  where 


104    Route  7.  SHIRANE-SAN 


there  are  some  stone  images  of  Jizo  and  little  piles  of  rocks 
commemorating  dead  children.  A  number  of  hot  springs  bubble 
out  of  the  conglomerate  rock  or  run  from  holes  in  the  cliffs. 
They  evidently  flow  over  the  banked  fires  of  a  slumbering 
volcano,  since  the  waters  —  in  many  instances  scalding  to  the 
touch  —  hold  considerable  sulphur  in  solution,  which  they 
deposit  as  an  almost  impalpable  powder  in  the  many  pools 
roundabout.  These  are  the  haunts  of  innumerable  tiny  flies; 
the  pebbles  of  jade-green,  blue,  and  yellow  resemble  semi- 
precious stones.  The  views  of  the  gorge  with  its  steam  and  its 
stench  are  very  curious.  The  big  stones  in  the  river-bed  — 
often  dry  in  summer  —  are  so  loosely  anchored  that  many  will 
wobble  to  the  touch  of  a  hand.  By  following  the  ravine  (W. 
from  the  Shirane  Hotel)  and  leaving  the  line  of  torii  at  the  left, 
one  soon  comes  to  a  point  (marked  by  a  stone  Jizo)  where  the 
stream  bifurcates.  The  path  at  the  left  goes  to  its  source, 
through  the  Sai-no-Kawara.  The  trail  which  winds  over  the 
hills  (right)  from  a  point  f  of  the  way,  goes  to  (2|  M.)  Sessho- 
gawara,  near  the  foot  of  Shirane-san. 

Shirane-san  (7500  ft.),  a  recently  active  volcano  7j  M.  N.W. 
of  Kusatsu  (horse,  ¥2.25;  coolie  to  act  as  guide,  ¥1),  is  usu- 
ally approached  from  this  point.  The  path  from  Sessho-gawara 
is  rough  and  overgrown,  and  climbers  will  do  well  to  diverge 
to  the  left  about  1  hr.  before  reaching  Shibu-toge.  A  4  hrs. 
steady  ride  and  climb  from  Kusatsu  will  take  one  to  the  sum- 
mit (no  difficulties),  where  there  are  3  lakes  in  3  separate 
craters,  2  of  them  cold,  the  other  boiling  hot;  the  latter  holds 
free  sulphuric  acid  in  solution,  to  which  constituent  the  baths 
of  Kusatsu  owe  their  efficacy.  Prior  to  1882,  Shirane-san  was 
regarded  as  a  dead,  innocuous  volcano,  but  the  eruption  of  that 
year,  during  which  the  central  lake  was  greatly  agitated  and 
threw  up  a  column  of  boiling  water,  mud,  and  stones  to  a  height 
of  50  ft.,  was  the  precursor  of  later  ones.  'The  surface  levels 
of  the  lakes  are  subject  to  frequent  and  sudden  changes.  In 
1875  the  Water  of  the  central  lake  lay  140  ft.  below  the  crater 
lip:  in  1882  it  rose  to  within  20  ft.  of  the  top,  and  in  1907  it  had 
fallen  to  100  ft.  All  the  lakes  are  now  shrinking  in  size/ 

At  Shibu  Village  (17  M.  from  Kusatsu;  horse,  ¥4  ;  9  M.,  4 
hrs.  from  the  Shibu  Pass)  there  are  hot  springs  and  a  good  inn 
{Kanagu-ya,  ¥1.50)  where  travelers  are  often  presented  with  a 
pot  of  the  delicious  quince  jelly  (marum,ero)  made  in  the  lo- 
cality. From  Shibu  westbound  travelers  may  proceed  to  (12 
M.,  basha  in  2\  hrs.,  35  sen)  Toyono,  a  station  on  the  Shin- 
etsu  Ely.  Line  (Rte.  6).  The  intervening  scenery  is  fine.  — 
Travelers  from  Kusatsu  to  Karuizawa  will  find  a  list  of 
charges  for  a  jinriki,  kago,  or  horse  posted  in  the  hotel  lobby. 
Foreign  saddles  can  be  obtained  here,  but  there  is  usually  a 
disproportionate  charge  for  them. 

The  Return  from  Kusatsu  to  Tatsuishi  should  be  made 


YOKOHAMA  TO  THE  BONIN  ISLANDS     8.  Rte.  105 


in  the  early  morning,  as  the  trail  is  then  beautiful.  Breakfast 
can  be  had  at  4.30;  jinriki,  80  sen;  2  men  ¥1.40.  A  good  walker 
can  compass  the  downward  journey  easily  in  2  hrs.  Several 
trails  branch  off  at  the  left,  near  the  top  of  the  st.  leading  out 
of  the  Kusatsu  gulch.  The  road  which  trends  right  and  skirts 
the  base  of  the  hills  should  be  followed.  Another  trail  leads  off 
at  the  left  just  before  the  gorge  is  entered.  From  this  point  to 
Tatsuishi  is  all  down  grade. 

The  Overland  Trip  from  Ikao  to  Nikko  presents  fewer 
difficulties  if  taken  in  the  opposite  direction,  for  which  reason 
it  is  described  in  Rte.  16. 

8.  From  Yokohama  to  the  Bonin  Islands. 

The  Bonin  Islands,  or  Ogasawara-jima,  a  triple  group  of 
green,  semi-tropical  islands  (pop.  6000;  area  32  sq.  M.) 
extending  in  a  northerly  direction  from  the  parallel  26°  30'  N. 
to  27°  45'  N.,  about  550  M.  S.S.E.  from  Yokohama,  are  said 
to  have  come  under  Japanese  notice  in  J593,  at  which  time, 
because  they  were  deserted,  their  discoverer  (Ogasawara 
Sadayori)  called  them  Munin,  or  'uninhabited  islands/  They 
are  of  considerable  historic  interest,  since  at  one  time  they 
promised  to  become  a  touchstone  of  international  polity.  Nav- 
igators know  the  most  southerly  group  as  Arzobispo  (Arch- 
bishop), perhaps  named  by  Spanish  navigators  from  Manila. 
This  cluster,  known  also  as  Baylies'  (in  honor  of  Francis  Bay- 
lies, President  of  the  Astronomical  Society),  was  touched  at  in 
1823,  by  a  whaling-ship  (the  Transit)  from  Nantucket  com- 
manded by  Captain  Coffin,  who  named  it  and  who  first  com- 
municated information  of  its  position  to  England.  With 
characteristic  foresight  Captain  Beechy,  of  H.  M.  S.  Blossom, 
called  at  the  island  June  9,  1827,  and  after  naming  the  3  large 
islands  of  the  middle  cluster  respectively  Peel,  Buckland,  and 
Stapleton,  and  the  N.  cluster  Parry's  Group,  called  the  harbor 
of  Peel  Island  'Port  Lloyd/  and  nailed  against  a  tree  a  copper 
sheathing  bearing  the  following  inscription:  'H.  M.  S.  Blos- 
som. Captain  Beechy  took  possession  of  these  islands  in  the 
name  and  on  behalf  of  His  Majesty  King  George,  the  14th 
June,  1827.'  A  mixed  company  of  colonists  numbering  a 
score  or  more  came  from  the  Sandwich  Is.,  in  1830,  at  the  insti- 
gation of  the  English  consul,  and  started  a  settlement.  When 
Commodore  Perry  visited  the  islands  seeking  a  coaling  station, 
on  the  occasion  of  the  first  visit  of  the  American  fleet  to  Japan, 
his  action  was  misinterpreted  by  the  British  Foreign  Office, 
and  in  1853  Sir  George  Bonham,  the  Governor  of  Hongkong, 
opened  a  diplomatic  correspondence  with  the  American 
Admiral  on  the  subject.  In  due  course  Japan  asserted  her 
claim  to  the  islands,  and  formally  annexed  them  in  1877. 
Administratively,  they  belong  to  the  Tokyd-fu.   At  present 


106   Rte.  8.    THE  BONIN  AND  VOLCANO  ISLANDS 


Stapleton  Is.  is  called  Ototo-jima  ('  Younger  Brother');  Buck- 
land  Is.,  Ani-jima  ('Elder  Brother');  and  Peel  Is.,  Chichi- 
jima  ('  Father  Island ') .  Baylies1,  or  Coffin  Is.,  is  now  known  as 
Haha-jima  ('Mother  Island'),  while  the  islets  near  by  are 
called  Nephew,  Sister,  Niece,  and  the  like.  The  head  adminis- 
trative office  is  at  Omura,  near  Port  Lloyd  in  Chichi-jima. 
Ships  of  the  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  keep  up  regular  communi- 
cation between  all  the  chief  islands  and  Yokohama. 

The  islands  are  high,  bold,  rocky,  of  volcanic  origin  and 
characteristics.  The  forests  that  clothe  the  lower  slopes  of 
some  of  the  hills  consist  mostly  of  palms,  —  areca,  panda- 
nus,  sago,  and  a  species  resembling  the  cocoanut.  The  mul- 
berry trees  attain  to  considerable  height,  and  the  ferns  are  the 
size  of  trees.  Sugar  is  one  of  the  chief  exports,  while  canned 
pineapple  and  turtle  are  shipped  to  the  Tokyo  market.  Turtles 
and  whales  are  numerous  in  the  surrounding  waters,  and  are  a 
source  of  wealth.  As  bananas  do  not  reach  maturity  in  Japan 
proper,  those  consumed  are  shipped  chiefly  from  this  region. 
A  specimen  of  the  huge  bats,  which  here  grow  to  the  size  of 
young  chickens,  may  be  seen  at  the  Tokyo  Imperial  Museum. 
As  the  islands  lie  N.  of  the  N.E.  trade  region,  and  E.  of  the 
monsoons,  the  climate  is  remarkably  fine;  the  mean  annual 
temperature  is  about  70°;  it  is  coldest  in  Jan.-Feb.,  when  the 
mean  monthly  temperature  is  55°.  It  is  over  70°  from  May 
until  Oct.  with  a  mean  of  80°  in  Aug. 

Futami  Minato,  the  bay  on  the  W.  side  of  Chichi-jima,  about 
1 J  M.  long  by  nearly  a  1  M.  in  breadth,  with  a  depth  of  20-25 
fathoms  over  a  coral  bottom,  is  visited  yearly  by  whaling- 
ships.  The  population  of  Port  Lloyd,  its  chief  port,  numbers 
about  500,  chiefly  Japanese,  with  a  sprinkling  of  Sandwich  Is. 
half-castes. —  Haha-jima,  35  M.  S.  of  Chichi-jima,  largest  (7 
M.  long  by  li  broad)  of  the  Baylies1  (or  Coffin)  group,  is  hilly 
and  rocky,  the  highest  point  being  1471  ft.  high.  —  Volcano 
Islands,  75  M.  S.  of  the  Ogasawara  group,  were  discovered  in 
1543  by  Bernardo  de  Torres,  and  received  their  name  from  the 
volcano  on  the  central  island.  The  N.  island  is  named  San 
Alessandro  ;  the  center,  Sulphur  Is.,  and  the  S.,  San  Agustino. 
The  region  roundabout  is  known  among  seafaring  men  for  its 
strange  submarine  volcanoes;  at  times  masses  of  mud  and 
ashes  shoot  up  from  the  water,  accompanied  by  rumbling  and 
the  stench  of  sulphur.  Sulphur  Is.  is  5  M.  long  and  has  danger- 
ous reefs  on  its  E.  and  W.  side.  In  Nov.,  1904,  a  rocky  island 
2\  M.  in  circumference  suddenly  poked  its  head  above  the  sea 
3  M.  N.E.  of  San  Agostino,  and  in  due  time  uncovered  a 
pumice-stone  beach,  but  by  1906  it  had  retired  beneath  the 
waves. 


YOKOHAMA  TO  TOKYO        9.  Route.  107 


9.  From  Yokohama  via  Kawasaki,  Kamata  (Ikegami),  and 
Omori,  to  Tokyo. 

Imperial  Government  Railway. 

18  M.  Frequent  (steam  and  electric)  trains  in  30-50  min.  Fare,  80  sen,  1st 
cl. ;  ¥1.55,  round  trip;  2d  cl.,  48  and  92  sen.  Luggage  should  be  checked  well 
in  advance,  as  there  is  usually  a  crush  at  the  end.  Tickets  must  be  shown  at 
the  wicket  before  one  can  pass  to  the  platform. 

Beyond  2  M.  Higashi-Kanagawa  the  line  traverses  a  flat 
country,  where  much  of  the  garden  truck  sold  in  the  city  mar- 
kets is  raised.  Beautiful  views  of  the  sea  at  the  right,  and  of 
Fuji  and  distant  mts.  at  the  left.  Many  of  the  thatched  roofs 
of  the  native  dwellings  have  waving  sweet-flags  (shobu)  grow- 
ing along  the  ridge  poles.  —  3|  M.  Tsurumi.  The  fine  big  Sojiji 
Temple  (headquarters  of  the  Sodo  sect),  on  the  terrace  over- 
looking the  station  at  the  left,  was  removed  hither  in  1911  from 
Noto  Province  and  reconstructed  on  a  grand  scale.  The  views 
from  the  atrium  are  fine.  The  splendid  interior  of  the  main 
temple  is  finished  in  keyaki-wood  stained  a  rich  mahogany 
tint,  with  numerous  skillful  carvings,  in  the  natural  wood,  of 
phoenixes,  turtles,  wave-patterns,  and  the  usual  Buddhist 
motives  (p.  clxxii).  The  sumptuous  altar,  with  a  superb 
gilt  figure  of  Amida  (p.  ccii),  is  finished  in  black  lacquer  and 
gold.  The  crest  so  much  in  evidence  is  the  Paulownia  imperi- 
alis  (p.  cliv). 

8  M.  Kawasaki.  The  big  power-plant  at  the  left  of  the  track 
furnishes  some  of  the  electrical  energy  used  by  the  rly.  About 
2  M.  to  the  right  of  the  station  (frequent  tram-cars)  is  the 
locally  celebrated  Kawasaki  Daishi,  a  huge  Buddhist  temple 
(of  the  Shingon  sect),  founded  in  1131  but  repeatedly  recon- 
structed. The  present  somewhat  tawdry,  weather-beaten 
edifice  dates  from  1842,  is  dedicated  to  Kobo-Daishi,  and  is 
picturesquely  situated  in  a  pretty  garden  with  numerous  flow- 
ering plum  and  cherry  trees,  a  quaint  pond,  some  handsome 
cranes,  and  a  small  menagerie.  The  big  gateway  dates  from 
1897.  The  gigantic  Nio  (p.  ccvii)  which  guard  it  are  inferior 
to  others  which  the  traveler  may  see  in  Tokyo  or  Kyoto.  Both 
the  gateway  and  the  fagade  of  the  main  building  carry  some 
tolerably  good  wood-carvings  of  phoenixes,  turtles,  etc.  The 
sculptures  and  vari-colored  tennin  (p.  clxxvii)  on  the  interior 
panels  are  attributed  to  some  artist  of  the  Kano  school.  The 
most  prized  object  in  the  reliquary,  a  carved  wood  figurine 
of  Kobo-Daishi ,  is  said  to  have  been  fashioned  by  the  great 
scholar  himself,  sometime  in  the  9th  cent.  The  handsome 
bronze  statue  crowning  the  summit  of  a  rockery  in  the  yard 
is  of  the  Goddess  Kwannon.  Turtle- venders  sometimes  take 
their  stand  near  the  temple  entrance  and  ask  the  charitably 
disposed  to  ransom  their  stock  in  trade  and  set  them  at  lib- 
erty. Bucketsful  of  turtles,  ranging  in  price  from  10  to  50  sen, 


108   Route  9.       IKEGAMI  HOMMONJI 


and  in  size  from  a  watch  to  a  plate,  are  often  suspended  from 
strings  or  placed  on  the  top  of  bamboo  posts,  where  they  claw 
the  air  despairingly  in  their  frantic  efforts  to  escape.  Odd  fea- 
tures of  the  host  of  shops  in  the  neighborhood  are  dumpy,  red,  and 
black  figures  of  Daruma  (p.  cxcix),  from  the  size  of  an  egg  to  that 
of  a  pumpkin,  with  blank  white  eyes  which  petitioners  paint  in, 
after  some  cherished  wish  has  been  granted  by  the  temple 
divinity;  they  are  fashioned  on  the  roly-poly  principle,  and 
always  regain  their  equilibrium.  At  some  of  the  tiny  shops, 
clams,  seaweed,  and  various  conchylia  are  packed  in  small  nets 
which  pilgrims  carry  home  with  them.  The  district  through 
which  the  tram-cars  run  is  pretty  in  early  spring  when  the 
deep  pink  of  peach,  the  lighter  tones  of  cherry,  and  the  rich, 
creamy  white  of  pear  blossoms  add  charm.  There  are  many 
pear  orchards,  and  the  trees  are  trained  over  low,  roofed  trel- 
lises so  that  the  fruit  may  be  gathered  easily. 

The  rly.  crosses  the  Tamagawa  on  a  long  bridge  and  traverses 
flat  paddy-fields  to  9  J  M.  Kamata,  where  the  Flower  Gar- 
dens (iris,  peonies,  etc.)  of  the  Yokohama  Nursery  Co.  (see  p. 
8)  attract  many  sight-seers  from  Yokohama  and  Tokyo  at 
special  seasons  (advertisements  in  the  newspapers).  The 
traveler  fond  of  picturesque  old  Buddhist  temples  can  make  a 
delightful  detour  by  descending  from  the  train  here,  walking 
1J  M.  N.W.  to  Ikegami,  and  rejoining  the  line  at  Omori  station. 

The  Hommonji,  a  nationally  celebrated  temple  founded  by  Nichiren  (p. 
cci);  in  1280;  one  of  the  most  important  religious  structures  of  the  Hokke 
sect  in  Japan,  and  one  of  the  most  picturesque  and  typical  that  the  traveler 
will  see,  stands,  with  its  numerous  annexes.on  the  broad  summit  of  a  low  hill 
overlooking  the  pretty  town  of  Ikegami,  —  so-called  from  Ikegami  Munenaka, 
whose  name  is  associated  with  the  construction  of  the  primitive  building. 
The  approach  is  flanked  by  attractive  shops,  and,  in  season,  by  flower  dis- 
plays of  considerable  variety.  Ninety-six  granite  steps  lead  up  to  the  broad, 
beautifully  shaded  terrace,  where  stands  the  colossal  red  gateway  guarded 
by  the  two  Deva  Kings.  The  Main  Temple,  or  Soshi-do,  rises  amid  lofty 
trees  beside  the  equally  impressive  Shaka-dd,  or  Hall  of  Buddha,  —  both 
excellent  reproductions  of  early  Buddhistic  architecture,  and  both  dating 
from  1902.  The  interior  of  the  former  is  a  blaze  of  gold  and  rich  lacquer  sup- 
plemented by  the  customary  polychromatic  carvings  of  dragons,  angels  of  the 
Buddhist  paradise,  etc.,  and  noteworthy  for  70  handsome  sutra-boxes  of  a 
rich  red  lacquer.  The  massive  supporting  columns  are  magnificent  specimens 
of  the  close-grained  keyaki,  finished  in  the  natural  color  and  polished  by  con- 
tact with  the  hands  of  devotees.  The  chief  object  of  veneration  is  a  sculp- 
tured and  seated  wood  figure,  on  the  high  altar,  of  the  sainted  Nichiren, 
ascribed  to  his  pupil  Nichiro,  and  protected  by  an  elaborately  embroidered 
silken  kinran  which  the  priest  in  charge  will  raise  for  a  small  fee.  The  most 
conspicuous  idol  in  the  Shaka-dd,  which  is  connected  with  the  main  building 
by  a  picturesque  bridge,  is  a  well-carved  Buddha  backed  by  a  fine  gilded 
mandorla.  The  handsome  new  altar  at  the  left,  dedicated  to  Shaka,  is 
adorned  with  sculptured  figurines  of  Monju,  Fugen,  and  other  divinities. 
The  large  kakemono  at  the  right  portrays  the  death  of  Buddha.  That  at  the 
left,  silk  embroidered,  shows  Nichiren  on  his  deathbed.  The  12  tolerably  well- 
carved  statuettes  in  the  fine  black  lacquered  reliquary  are  erroneously  attrib- 
uted to  Unkei  (p.  ccxli).  The  huge  Revolving  Library  at  the  rear  of  the  build- 
ing is  said  to  contain  the  complete  Buddhist  scriptures.  At  the  rear  of  the 
extensive  apartments  of  the  priests,  is  a  sunken  landscape  garden  worth 
seeing.  —  By  descending  the  flight  of  steps  (many  leprous  and  repulsive  beg- 
gars) at  the  rear  of  the  Library,  one  reaches  the  sacrosanct  Kotsu-do,  a  da- 


Railway  Stations.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  109 


f 

i 

! 


Railway  Stations.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  109 


goba  surmounting  an  immense  stone  lotus  and  containing  a  bizarre  reliquar- 
ium  (also  lotus-shaped  and  resting  upon  8  green  tortoises)  enshrining  a  much 
bewrapped,  greatly  revered  tooth  said  to  have  belonged  to  Nichiren.  The 
host  of  carefully  tied  little  packages  contain  offerings  to  the  shrine.  A  few 
hundred  feet  below  this,  beyond  the  double  gateway,  is  the  Daibo,  a  much 
venerated  structure  on  the  site  of  the  spot  where  Nichiren  died.  Within  is  a 
pillar  swathed  in  silk  brocade  against  which  he  leaned  before  his  death;  a  bit 
of  hard  wood  which  served  as  his  pillow;  and  a  tiny  wood  figure  purporting 
to  be  Nichiren  and  to  have  been  carved  by  him  the  day  before  he  died.  His 
tomb  is  among  many  others  in  the  grove  up  at  the  right  of  the  Daibo. 

The  five-storied  Pagoda  stands  alone  in  a  fine  grove  not  far  from  the  main 
temple.  The  path  leading  past  it  goes  to  the  Ikegami  Onsen,  with  a  tea-house 
and  a  pretty  landscape  garden  filled  with  flowering  trees,  terraces,  rockeries 
and  flowers.  Byjollowing  the  picturesque  main  road  at  the  left  one  soon 
comes  to  (1  M.)  Omori  Station.  The  hotel  crowning  the  hill  at  the  left  is  the 
Bosui-ro,  in  the  native  style.  The  plum  blossoms  of  the  locality  attract 
many  visitors  in  late  Feb.  Relics  of  the  early  autochthons  have  been  dug  up 
in  the  neighborhood.  —  The  traveler  with  ample  time  may  like  to  visit  the 
near-by  (tram-car,  ^  hr. ;  fare  9  sen)  Haneda,  a  popular  resort  of  the  Tokyo- 
ites,  near  the  sea,  with  a  locally  famed  shrine  to  Inari.  The  chief  festivals  are 
in  March  and  Sept.,  but  at  all  times  during  the  summer  throngs  of  holiday 
folks  swarm  over  the  place  (a  sort  of  local  Coney  Is.)  and  render  it  attractive. 
The  scores  of  small  restaurants  specialize  in  sea-food,  and  the  shops  sell 
marine  zoology  in  many  forms. 

From  Omori  the  train  parallels  the  sea  to  15  M.  Shinagawa, 
an  important  junction  on  the  outskirts  of  Tokyo.  The  old 
forts  visible  at  the  right,  in  Tokyo  Bay,  were  built  by  the 
Shogunal  Gov't  to  repel  the  Americans  under  Commodore 
Perry.  The  traveler  planning  to  visit  the  Tombs  of  the  47 
Ronin  (p.  186)  and  Shiba  Park  (p.  168)  can  save  a  little  time 
by  descending  from  the  train  here  and  visiting  them  in  the 
order  named.  18  M.  Tokyo,  see  below. 


10.  Tokyo 

a.  Railway  Stations.    Ticket  Offices.  Hotels.  Boarding-Houses.  Res- 
taurants. Inns. 

Railway  Stations.  As  Tokyo  is  a  port  of  call  only  for  coastal  and  river 
steamships,  foreign  travelers  customarily  approach  it  by  rly.;  the  line  from 
Yokohama,  Kyoto,  Kobe,  etc.,  runs  in  from  the  S.W.;  that  from  Nikko,  the 
N.  country,  and  Yezo  Is.,  from  the  N.  An  interurban  and  transversal  electric 
line  (part  surface,  part  elevated),  owned  by,  and  operated  in  conjunction 
with,  the  Imperial  Gov't  Rlys.,  crosses  and  half-circles  the  city,  and  connects 
the  central  station  (see  below)  with  those  stretching  from  the  sometime 
important  Shimbashi  Station  (now  a  freight  terminal)  at  the  S.W.  (PI.  E,  7) 
to  Ryogoku  (PI.  H-I,  7),  at  the  N.  E.  Travelers  bound  for  points  in  the  out- 
skirts may  save  considerable  time  by  alighting  at  one  of  the  dozen  or  more 
suburban  or  city  stations  (comp.  the  plan)  reached  by  the  electric  line.,  but 
those  who  intend  to  lodge  at  one  of  the  city  hotels  will  find  it  more  conven- 
ient to  proceed  to  the  Central  Station  (Chuo  Suteishon,  pronounced  chew- 
oh'  station,  comp.  p.  139),  a  colossal,  modern,  fully  equipped  structure  in 
Marunouchi,  Kojimachi-ku  (PI.  F,  6),  not  far  from  the  E.  center  of  the 
city,  the  chief  hotels,  and  the  Imperial  Palace.  The  Manseibashi  Station  is 
mentioned  at  p.  148;  the  Uyeno  Station,  at  p.  149.  Taxicabs  (p.  Ill),  jin- 
rikis  (15  min.  to  the  Imperial  Hotel,  fare,  20  sen;  25  min.  to  the  Seiyoken 
Hotel,  30  sen;  see  p.  Ill)  and  tram-cars  (p.  112)  are  in  waiting  to  carry 
travelers  to  any  part  of  the  city.  English  is  spoken  in  nearly  all  the  station 
departments;  and  always  by  the  employees  in  the  Information  Bureau. 
English-speaking  porters  from  the  different  hotels  meet  all  incoming  trains 
(excepting  those  arriving  at  midnight  or  very  early  in  the  a.m.),  and  the 
traveler  can  be  sure  of  finding  one  awaiting  him  (at  any  time)  if  he  will  write 


110    Route  10.  TOKYO  Hotels. 

or  wire  to  the  hotel  at  which  he  expects  to  stop.  Telephone  booth  in  the  sta- 
tion. Luggage  will  be  delivered  by  the  rly.  co.  (p.  lxxxiii)  or  checks  can  be 
given  to  the  hotel  porter  or  the  manager  (who  will  send  coolies  for  it) .  Hand- 
luggage  can  be  checked  at  the  cloak-room.  Trunks  left  in  the  baggage-room 
more  than  24  hrs.  are  charged  for  at  the  rate  of  4  sen  a  day. 

The  City  Ticket-Offices  of  the  rly.  co.  are  of  more  service  to  Japanese  than 
to  foreigners.  The  best  hotels  maintain  an  Information  Bureau  which  at- 
tends (free  service)  to  the  buying  of  the  traveler's  tickets,  shipping  of  his 
luggage,  etc. 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix).  Comfortable  modern  hotels  adapted  to  foreign 
requirements  are  few;  the  two  largest  and  best  (mentioned  below)  have 
excellent  grill-rooms  (d  la  carte  service  at  reasonable  prices)  popular  with 
foreigners  who  come  to  Tokyo  for  the  day.  Both  hotels  are  apt  to  be  crowded 
during  the  tourist  season,  and  lodgings  should  be  arranged  for  in  advance. 
Both  are  under  the  direction  of  English-speaking  Japanese  familiar  with 
American  and  European  hotels  and  their  methods,  and  are  equipped  with 
information  bureaus;  reading-rooms  with  foreign  newspapers  and  maga- 
zines; steam  heat;  electric  lights;  hot  and  cold  running  water;  free  baths; 
orchestra  at  meals;  and  private  garages  with  autos  at  ¥5  an  hr.  Good  food 
m  prepared  and  served  in  foreign  style.  American  bars. 

/  The  ^Imperial  Hotel  (Teikoku.  —  Tel.  ad.:  'Impeho,  Toky5'),  a  cele- 
f  brated  establishment  (130  rooms  —  some  with  open  fireplaces)  occupying 
a  commanding  position  in  spacious  grounds  (relatively  isolated,  good  air, 
minimum  fire  risk)  overlooking  the  extensive  and  beautiful  Hibiya  Park,  in 
Kojimachi-ku  (PI.  E,  6),  is  convenient  to  the  Central  Station,  the  Embassy  of 
the  United  States,  and  other  foreign  Embassies  and  Legations;  the  House  of 
Parliament;  Imperial  Palace  and  Ministerial  Offices;  mausolea  and  temples 
of  Shiba  Park,  etc.  Rates:  3d  floor  from  ¥6  and  up  per  pers.;  double  room, 
¥11.  —  Best  rooms  on  the  2d  floor,  ¥7  to  ¥9;  for  2  pers.,  ¥18;  other  double 
rooms,  ¥10  for  2  pers.  With  private  bath,  ¥20.  When  rooms  are  engaged 
on  the  American  plan  and  no  meals  are  taken,  a  reduction  of  ¥1  each  is 
made.  Breakfast,  ¥1 ;  tiffin,  ¥1.50;  dinner,  ¥2.  Special  rates  for  a  long  stay. 
English-speaking  management  and  servants.  —  Japan,  a  monthly  magazine 
in  English  (free  to  guests;  to  others  15  sen  a  copy)  issued  by  the  hotel  contains 
considerable  of  interest  to  visitors. 

*Seiyoken  Hotel  (Tel.  ad.:  'Seiyoken,  Tokyo'),  sometimes  called  the 
Tsukiji  Seiyoken,  a  large  and  finely  equipped  (rebuilt  in  1911)  hotel  under 
the  patronage  of  the  Imperial  Household,  stands  in  the  S.E.  quarter  of  the 
city,  in  the  section  called  Tsukiji,  in  Kydbashi-ku  (PI.  E,  7),  near  the  sea,  the 
Shimbashi  station,  and  the  Naval,  Commercial,  and  Mineral  Museums. 
Fine  views;  sea  air;  70  bedrooms  and  several  handsome  dining-rooms  for 
banquets;  delicatessen  shop  with  foreign  wine  and  provisions  in  connection 
with  the  hotel.  Room  only,  from  ¥3  and  upward  per  day;  breakfast,  75  sen; 
tiffin,  ¥1.30;  dinner,  ¥1.50.  Room  and  meals  from  ¥6  and  upward  (for  2 
pers.,  double  the  single  rate  less  ¥2).  Room  with  bath,  for  2,  ¥12.50.  De- 
duction of  5%  for  a  week's  stay;  for  a  month,  10%.  —  Automobile,  ¥5  per 
hr.  (50%  extra  outside  the  city,  and  20%  extra  at  night  and  in  bad  weather). 
Cab  to  the  rly.  station  (Victoria),  ¥1.50;  coupe,  ¥2.50.  The  hotel  maintains 
a  branch  at  Uyeno  Park  (PI.  I,  4),  convenient  for  visitors  to  the  museum, 
library,  and  mausolea;  and  conducts  the  Cafe  Lion,  a  popular-priced  restau- 
rant (meals  in  foreign  style;  music,  dancing,  1  movies,'  etc.)  on  the  Ginza 
(PI.  E-F,  7).  The  Cafe  Shimbashi  (PI.  E,  7),  likewise  under  the  same  man- 
agement, is  a  sort  of  short-order  restaurant  with  corresponding  prices  and 
an  American  bar.  Both  caf6s  are  well  patronized  by  foreigners.  The  Park 
Hotel  at  Matsushima  (Rte.  17)  is  under  the  Seiyoken  management,  and  apart- 
ments can  be  engaged  here. 

Of  the  several  smaller  hotels  perhaps  the  best-known  and  most  popular  is 
the  Hotel  Central,  12  Tsukiji  (PI.  F,  8);  English-German  management  and 
cooking;  ¥5  to  ¥7  a  day,  Am.  pi.;  double  rooms,  for  2  pers.,  ¥9-12;  10% 
rebate  for  a  week's  stay;  for  a  month,  25%. 

Boaeding  Houses  with  foreign  food  and  accommodations  are  scarce; 
consult  some  one  in  the  Embassy  or  Legation. 

Japanese  Restaurants  (comp.  p.  xli)  abound,  but  they  do  not  fill  the 
foreign  void.  Notwithstanding  Tokyo's  reputation  as  the  gayest  city  in  the 
Empire,  the  traveler  will  search  in  vain  for  the  sumptuous  caf6s  of  Europe 


Transportation. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  Ill 


/or  America,  or  the  good  food  which  the  Japanese  renaissance  might  be  sup- 
I  posed  to  have  brought  with  it.  The  good  coffee,  food,  and  wine  the  foreigner 
j  likes  are  found  only  at  the  hotels.  Every  quarter  of  the  metropolis  contains 
,  one  or  more  locally  celebrated  restaurants,  but  English  is  spoken  in  but  few 
(  of  them,  and  foreigners  find  the  food  disappointing.  Many  are  more  expen- 
!  sive  than  vastly  superior  places  (both  as  regards  cuisine  and  general  comfort) 
[  in  New  York,  London,  or  Berlin,  and  Occidentals,  unconcerned  about  the 
special  charms  of  the  geisha,  are  usually  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the  prices 
exacted.  Those  restaurants  which  make  a  specialty  of  out-of-season  dainties 
j  are  to  be  avoided  by  all  but  the  rich,  as  the  food  is  apt  to  be  as  expensive  as 
I  unseasonable  orchids  in  New  York.  The  traveler  who  wishes  to  dine  a  la 
j  Japonaise,  with  or  without  geisha  accompaniment,  will  do  well  to  consult  the 
1  manager  of  the  Imperial  or  the  Seiyoken  Hotel;  besides  selecting  a  place  of 
i  good  repute,  he  will  be  able  to  inform  one  more  or  less  what  the  cost  will  be. 
;  The  Maple  Club  (PI.  D,  6)  serves  meals  in  the  native  style  at  prices  but  a 
,  trifle  higher  than  those  of  the  hotels. 

L  The  Inns  of  Tokyo  cater  chiefly  to  the  wants  of  Japanese.  Although  some 
have  assumed  the  name  'hotel,'  they  are  not  patronized  much  by  foreigners. 
Travelers  may  wish  to  remember  that  Tokyo  is  often  scourged  by  fire,  and 
that  flimsily  built  native  houses  burn  like  tinder  when  ignited. — The  Milk 
Halls  scattered  through  the  city  are  frequented  chiefly  by  Japanese.  Beer 
Halls  were  a  craze  a  few  years  ago.  Those  that  remain,  sell  the  native  beer 
(comp.  p.  lxxiv). 

b.  Means  of  Transportation. 

Taxicabs  (Noriai  jiddsha)  ply  for  hire  and  are  popular;  the  present  fare 
(apt  to  change)  in  a  3-passenger  car  (and  as  many  children  and  packages  as 
can  be  squeezed  into  it)  is  60  sen  for  the  1st  M.  then  10  sen  for  every  addi- 
tional |  M.f  and  the  same  for  each  5  min.  wait.  The  word  1  taxi  '  is  coming 
gradually  into  use. 

Automobiles  (p.  lxxxvi)  can  be  hired  (usual  rate,  ¥5  an  hr.)  at  the  chief 
hotels  and  at  any  of  the  many  garages  scattered  throughout  the  capital; 
English-speaking  chauffeurs.  Where  there  are  several  in  a  party  of  sight-seers, 
motor-cars  are  quicker,  more  convenient,  and  often  much  cheaper  than  jin- 
rikis.  Special  rates  by  the  day  and  for  country  trips.  Strangers  (particu- 
larly Americans)  may  like  to  remember  that  the  rule  of  the  road  is  to  the  left; 
also  that  many  of  the  Japanese  are  still  unfamiliar  with  automobiles^amt 
their  lethal  possibilities,  and  that  only  the  greatest  care  will  prevent  acci- 
dents. 

Cabs  do  not  ply  regularly  for  hire  in  Tokyo,  but  they  may  be  had  of  the 
livery-stables  (bashaku)  or  through  the  hotels;  for  long  rides,  they  are  more 
satisfactory  than  rikishas,  and  if  there  are  several  in  the  party  they  are 
considerably  cheaper.  The  usual  charge  (apt  to  change)  for  a  single  victoria 
is  ¥2  for  the  first  2  hrs.,  and  50  sen  for  each  additional  hr. ;  for  \  day,  ¥3.50; 
whole  day,  ¥6.  Double  victoria,  ¥3.50  for  the  1st  hr.  and  80  sen  for  each 
succeeding  hr.;  \  day,  ¥5;  whole  day,  ¥8.  The  former  can  be  hired  by  the 
month  for  ¥60  to  ¥70;  the  latter  for  ¥90  —  with  everything  furnished.  A 
single  coupe  costs  ¥4  for  \  day,  and  ¥7  the  entire  day.  Double  coupe  ¥5.50 
and  ¥9.  The  former  costs  ¥80-90  a  month;  the  latter  ¥95-110  (according 
to  the  vehicle).  Double  landau,  ¥6  for  \  day;  ¥10  the  entire  day;  ¥110- 
130  a  month.  Certain  of  the  stables  forbid  drivers  to  accept  tips.  A  special 
arrangement  can  be  made  when  a  vehicle  is  wanted  for  a  single  trip  of  less 
than  2  hrs.  duration. 

Jinrikis  (p.  lxxxviii) .  Travelers  must  be  on  their  guard  against  over- 
charge. There  seems  to  be  no  fixed  tariff,  and  prices  rise  steadily.  Always 
ask  the  man  what  he  is  going  to  charge  before  engaging  him;  25%  or  more 
can  sometimes  be  saved  by  walking  a  half-block  or  more  from  the  hotel  or 
station  and  hiring  a  passing  vehicle.  As  a  rule  20  sen  for  a  15  min.  run,  and 
25  for  a  20-25  min.  run,  is  regarded  as  fair  pay:  40-50  sen  is  ample  for  a 
steady  30-40  min.  run  (say  from  the  Imperial  Hotel  to  Uyeno  Park,  or  vice 
versa;  or  from  the  Iidamachi  Station  to  the  Seiyoken  Hotel  in  Tsukiji).  In  foul 
weather,  and  after  9  p.m.  about  10%  more  is  expected.  The  customary 
charge  for  \  day  (around  the  city,  with  occasional  halts)  is¥1.25;  whole  day, 
¥1.50  to  ¥1.75.  Lazy  men  always  expect  more  than  energetic  ones,  and 
they  are  the  noisiest  when  they  consider  themselves  underpaid.  In  case  of 


112    Route  10.  TOKYO  Post-Office. 

dispute  (the  T5kyo  men  are  a  disputatious  lot) ,  refer  the  matter  to  a  police- 
man or  to  the  hotel  manager  (not  to  the  clerk,  who  is  apt  to  side  with  his  i 
countryman) . 

Electric  Street-Cars  (densha,  p.  lxxxvii)  traverse  the  city  in  all  direc- 
tions and  afford  a  cheap,  convenient,  and  rapid  means  of  communication. 
The  lines  are  owned  and  operated  by  the  Tokyo  Municipality,  and  a  gener- 
ous system  of  transfers  makes  it  possible  for  one  to  go  from  almost  any  point 
in  the  vast  metropolis  (including  transpontine  Tokyo)  to  any  other  point  for 
an  inclusive  5-sen  fare.  Round-trip  tickets  between  given  points  are  sold  for 
10%  below  one-way  fares.  Coupon-books  of  tickets  good  over  all  the 
metropolitan  lines  are  sold  by  the  conductors  at  reduced  rates.  The  cars  are 
often  overcrowded,  and  at  certain  hours  one  has  to  press  in  closely  and  hang 
on  to  the  straps,  but  as  a  Japanese  crowd  is  rarely  offensive,  economically 
inclined  foreigners  regard  the  cars  with  favor  because  of  the  saving  of  money 
and  time.  The  custom  in  vogue  is  for  the  conductor  to  sell  and  punch  the 
ticket,  which  must  be  retained  and  delivered  either  to  him  or  to  the  motor- 
man  on  leaving  the  car.  The  custom  of  finding  seats  for  strap-hangers,  or  of 
giving  up  seats  to,  or  making  way  for,  ladies  is  not  yet  firmly  implanted. 
The  cars  stop  only  at  certain  points,  which  are  indicated  by  signs  or  painted 
posts;  starters  are  stationed  at  junctions.  Street  names  are  called  by  con- 
ductors, but  as  they  are  in  the  vernacular,  they  are  often  unintelligible  to 
strangers.  Despite  the  fact  that  many  of  the  employees  speak  no  English, 
the  stranger  seldom  experiences  much  difficulty  in  getting  about,  as  the 
people  generally  are  kind  and  helpful.  Most  of  the  cars  run  all  night. 

The  Elevated  Railway  (koka  tetsudo)  which  enters  the  city  at  Shinagawa, 
at  the  S.W.,  and  traverses  the  city  on  an  arched  brick  structure,  forms  a 
segment  in  the  belt  line,  and  is  part  of  the  Gov't  Rly.  System.  It  offers  the 
best  and  quickest  means  of  reaching  certain  of  the  suburban  towns  (Meguro, . 
Okubo,  Ikebukuro,  etc.),  as  well  as  certain  points  between  Shinagawa  and 
Manseibashi  and  vicinity.    Fares  are  low. 

River  Boats.  For  information  concerning  these,  consult  the  hotel  man- 
ager. Neither  the  (cramped)  excursion  boats  nor  the  ferries  are  much 
patronized  by  foreigners. 

c.  Post,  Telegraph,  Telephone,  Railway,  and  Steamship  Offices.  Shipping- 
Agents;  Tourist  Agencies. 

Post-Office  (comp.  p.  xcii) .  The  Tokyo  Central  Post-Office  is  at  Honzai- 
moku-cho,  in  Nihonbashi-ku  (PI.  G,  6)  near  the  Nihonbashi;  travelers  usu- 
ally receive  and  post  their  mail-matter  at  the  hotel,  or  follow  the  custom  of 
the  local  residents  and  patronize  the  branch  offices  scattered  throughout  the 
city.  The  collections  from  the  (2000  or  more)  red  iron  postal-boxes  promi- 
nently displayed  on  the  streets  are  frequent.  There  is  a  prompt  and  efficient, 
house-to-house  delivery,  and  incoming  mails  are  delivered  several  times 
during  the  day.  The  closing  time  of  foreign  mails  is  advertised  in  the  local 
(English)  newspapers,  along  with  the  sailing  dates  (or  arrivals)  of  steamers. 
Stamps  are  always  on  sale  at  the  hotels.  In  the  one-time  foreign  settlement 
at  Tsukiji,  house  numbers  are  relied  upon  more  than  street  names;  as  at 
Yokohama. 

The  Central  Telegraph-Office  (comp.  p.  xcvi)  is  at  Honzaimoku-cho,  Ni- 
honbashi-ku (PI.  G,6).  Branches  are  scattered  throughout  the  city,  and 
are  found  at  rly.  stations,  but  messages  in  a  foreign  language  are  accepted 
at  but  few  of  them.  Travelers  customarily  hand  their  telegrams  to  the 
hotel  manager,  who  dispatches  them  by  a  boy  to  the  proper  office.  The 
Cable  Office  (comp.  p.  xcvii)  is  in  the  same  dep't  with  the  telegraph;  mes- 
sages for  foreign  countries  are  commonly  transmitted  to  Yokohama  and 
sent  from  there.  Incoming  messages  are  repeated  from  Yokohama  and  the 
local  telegraph  rate  added  to  the  charge. 

Telephones  are  on  the  increase;  the  Central  Office  is  at  Zenigame-cho,  in 
Kojimachi-ku  (PI.  G,  6),  and  there  are  six  branches.  The  on  eat  Kyobashi-ku 
(in  Sanjukkenbori)  i3  housed  in  a  pretentious  white  brick  and  stone  edifice 
topped  by  a  church  spire  and  so  many  crockets,  finials,  and  other  Gothic 
ornaments  that  strangers  usually  take  it  for  a  church.  There  is  a  long-dis- 
tance telephone  (susceptible  of  improvement)  between  Tokyo  and  Yoko- 
hama, and  the  system  is  being  extended.  Automatic  telephone  (Jidd  denwa) 


Shops. 


TOKYO 


10.  Route.  113 


booths  (5  sen  for  5  min.  conversation;  to  Yokohama,  20  sen)  are  scattered 
throughout  the  city,  but  as  English  is  not  always  spoken  at  the  Central 
Office  the  service  is  of  little  or  no  use  to  foreigners  unless  they  have  some  one 
to  call  up  the  desired  number  for  them. 

Railway  Offices  (comp.  p.lxxix).  Those  of  the  Imperial  Gov't  RIys.  are  at 
Gofukubashi,  Kojimachi-ku  (PL  F,  6).  The  South  Manchurian  Rly.  Go.  is' 
at  1  Yuraku-cho  Itchome,  K6jimachi-ku  (PL  F,  6). 

Steamship  Offices,  Toyo  Risen  Kaisha  (Tel.  ad.:  '  Toyoasano'),  I 
Yuraku-cho  Kojimachi-ku  (PL  F,  6).  —  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  (Tel.  ad.: 
'Morioka  Tokyo'),  1  Yuraku-cho  Kojimachi-ku  (PL  F,  6). 

Shipping  Agents  (comp.  p.  cxix).  Helm  Bros.  Ltd.,  Koami-cho  Itchome, 
Nihonbashi-ku  (PL  G,  7). 

Tourist  Agencies:  Japan  Tourist  Bureau  (p.  lxv),  Imperial  Hotel  (PL  E,  6). 
—  T.  Minami  &  Sons  (Minami  Shokai),  3  Rogetsu-cho,  Shiba-ku  (PL  D, 
7).  —  The  Welcome  Society,  Chamber  of  Commerce  Bldg.,  Yuraku-cho, 
Kojimachi-ku  (PL  F,  6). 

Travelers  may  wish  to  remember  that  in  Tokyo  the  heads  of  dep'ts  rarely 
reach  their  offices  before  10  a.m. 

d.  Shops.  Churches.  Embassies  and  Legations.  Newspapers.  Physicians 
and  Dentists.  Banks.  Clubs.  Baths.  Climate. 

Shops  (comp.  p.  cxii).  Tokyo  is  headquarters  for  a  number  of  specialties 
which  can  be  bought  to  better  advantage  than  elsewhere;  the  best  workers 
in  ivory,  wireless  cloisonne,  and  other  crafts  foregather  here,  and  much  of 
the  hammered  silver-work  seen  in  shops  throughout  the  Empire  is  made 
here  —  usually  in  small  home  workshops  whose  output,  fashioned  by  excep- 
tionally skilled  artificers,  is  made  to  order,  or  bespoken  before  it  is  finished. 
The  largest  bookstores  and  cheap  lacquer-ware  establishments  are  located 
in  Tokyo,  and  to  its  always  interesting  bazaars  come  strange  articles  of  daily 
use  from  the  remotest  corners  of  the  land.  Certain  of  the  renowned  silk 
mercers  of  Kyoto  (Iida  &  Co.;  S.  Nishimura,  etc.)  have  branch  stores  and 
factories  in  Tokyo,  where  not  a  few  of  the  foreign  merchants  of  Yokohama 
also  have  storerooms  or  offices.  Like  Kyoto,  Tokyo  is  filled  with  small  but 
fascinating  shops,  and  the  traveler  with  leisure  to  explore  them  can  pick 
up  many  charming  little  souvenirs.  The  several  pretentious  Department 
Stores  are  pygmies  compared  to  the  gigantic  emporiums  of  New  York  and 
London,  and  as  a  rule  they  are  of  but  little  interest  to  travelers,  since  the 
silks  and  other  fabrics  are  customarily  sold  only  in  lengths  suitable  to  native 
requirements  and  unsuited  to  those  of  Occidentals.  Many  articles  are  sold 
only  in  groups  or  quantities  conforming  to  Japanese  usage.  Winter  supplies 
are  often  unobtainable  in  summer,  and  summer  wares  in  winter.  English 
is  not  always  spoken.  Because  of  existing  conditions  many  foreigners  in 
Tokyo  buy  their  dry  goods,  etc.,  in  the  excellent  Yokohama  shops,  where  Eng- 
lish is  spoken;  prices  are  fixed;  stocks  are  varied  and  are  suited  to  their  needs. 

While  the  following  list  does  not  exhaust  the  number  of  Tokyo  shops,  it 
will  no  doubt  fill  the  traveler's  requirements,  as  it  has  been  compiled  with 
care  and  with  the  aim  of  saving  the  stranger  time  and  money.  The  estab- 
lishments recommended  are  ranked  by  tourists  as  among  the  best;  English 
is  spoken  ;  prices  are  fixed,  and  the  shops  have  a  reputation  for  fair  dealing. 

Curios  (comp.  p.  cxii).  Miyamoto  Shoko,  2  Yazaemoncho,  Kyobashi-ku 
(PL  E,  6),  between  Ginza  and  the  canal  N.  of  it.  Goldsmiths.  Manufac- 
turing jewelers;  hand-made  silverware  (a  specialty)  in  quaint  and  unique 
designs  (extensive  display  of  tea-sets,  punch-bowls,  spoons  and  miscellane- 
ous articles).  The  tea-sets  with  Chinese  jade  fitments  are  unusually  beau- 
tiful. Jade  jewelry;  bronzes;  ivories,  etc.  —  There  are  several  small  curio- 
shops  in  Nakadori,  —  the  narrow  street  which  parallels  the  extension  of 
Ginza  from  Kyobashi  to  Nihonbashi.  Certain  of  the  larger  establishments 
make  a  specialty  of  antiques  which  because  of  their  historic  associations 
appeal  more  strongly  to  Japanese  than  to  foreigners. 
f  Culture  Pearls  (comp.  p.  cxix).  K.  Mikimoto,  3  Ginza  Shichomo  (4th 
Ginza) ,  Kyobashi-ku  (PL  E-F,  7) ;  English  spoken.  A  unique  shop  with  a 
splendid  collection  of  mounted  and  unmounted  pearls  at  prices  considerably 

L below  those  of  Europe  and  America  (where  high  customs  duties  exist). 
Handsome  illustrated  catalog  (in  English)  on  request. 


114    Route  10.  TOKYO  Churches. 

Ivoky  Carvings  (comp.  p.  ccxxxvii).  Toyama  &  Co.,  Ginza  Nichome  (2d 
Ginza),  Kyobashi-ku  (PL  F,  7),  a  narrow  street  paralleling  Ginza  at  the  S.E.; 
English  spoken.  Attractive  collection  of  ivory  figures.  Visitors  are  shown 
the  highly  interesting  processes  of  carving  the  raw  ivory. 

Silks,  Embroideries,  Screens,  etc.  S.  Nishimura  (branch  of  the 
Kyoto  silk-weaving  establishment  of  the  same  name),  10  Yamashitacho, 
Kyobashi-ku  (PI.  E,  6) ;  English  spoken.  The  store  is  known  to  many  by  the 
names  'Chirikiya,'  and  'Chiso.'  In  addition  to  the  above,  Mandarin 
Coats,  Kimonos  in  silk  and  cotton;  Cut  Velvet  Squares;  Old  Silk  Brocades; 
Silk  Tapestries;  Curtains;  Underwear  and  Hosiery;  Bath-gowns,  and  a 
beautiful  assortment  of  silk  goods  liked  by  foreigners  are  stocked.  The 
well-known  Kyoto  Dolls  may  be  seen  here.  —  S.  Iida  &  Co.  ('  Takashim- 
aya'),  also  with  headquarters  in  Kyoto.  1.  Nishikonyacho,  Kyobashi-ku 
(PI.  F,  6).  Foreigners  who  do  not  visit  the  Kyoto  store  will  be  interested 
in  the  fine  display  of  rare  old  silks  and  brocades  produced  specially  for 
wealthy  Tokyo  Japanese.  The  Yokohama  store,  which  caters  to  foreigners, 

Booksellers.  Methodist  Book  Publishing  House  (Kyo-bun-kwan),  1 
Ginza  Shichome  (4th  Ginza  st.),  Kyomachi-ku  (PI.  F,  6),  an  establishment 
popular  among  all  sects,  and  a  recognized  power  in  the  dissemination  of 
Christianity  in  Japan.  Publishers  and  distributors  of  sectarian  literature, 
school-  and  text-books,  magazines,  hymnals,  synodical  proceedings,  etc.; 
American  and  English  magazines;  guidebooks;  phrase-books;  maps;  head- 
quarters for  books  on  Japan  and  the  Far  East;  rare  and  out-of-print  vol- 
umes; calendars  and  post-cards;  stationery.  The  attractive  translations  of 
Japanese  poems  and  prose,  printed  on  dainty  crinkled  paper  in  charming 
colors,  make  desirable  souvenirs.  —  Maruzen-  Kabushiki-  Kaisha  (Z.  P. 
Maruya  &  Co.),  11  Tori  Sanchome,  Nihonbashi-ku  — -  Nakanishiya,  2 
Omote-Jinbocho,  Kanda-ku.  —  Y.  Okura,  19  Tori  Itchome,  Nihonbashi- 
ku.  —  German  books  and  papers  at  Geiser  &  Gilbert's  Deutsche  Buchhand- 
lung,  40  Ogawamachi,  Surugadai,  Kanda-ku.  —  The  Liberal  News  Agency, 
18  Hachikancho,  Kydbashi-ku. 

Cloisonne  (see  p.  ccl).  Sosuke  Namikawa,  8  Shinyemoncho,  Nihon- 
bashi-ku (PI.  F,  6);  English  spoken;  purveyors  to  the  Imperial  Japanese 
Household.  The  visitor  should  ask  to  be  shown  certain  of  the  magnificent 
panels  and  pieces  made  specially  for  exhibition  purposes;  likewise  the  enam- 
eled insignia  made  for  the  Imperial  Gov't. 

Porcelain  (comp.  p.  cclii).  Fine  Porcelains  (art  wares)  at  Miyamoto 
Shoko  (see  curios).  Common  ware  at  the Nishiura  Shoten,  Honshirokanecho, 
near  the  Imagawa  bridge ;  and  at  many  of  the  small  shops  scattered  through- 
out the  city.  Yokohama  and  Kyoto  are  the  best  places  in  which  to  buy  the 
cheaper  grades  of  porcelains  and  pottery  which  foreigners  admire. 

Lacquer-Ware.  Kuroye-ya,  18  Tori  Itchome,  Nihonbashi-ku.  —  Kuhei 
Hayashi  (Kiya),  Muromachi  Nichome,  Nihonbashi-ku. 

Color  Prints  and  Fine-Arts  Publications  (comp.  p.  ccxxxi).  The 
Shimbi  Shoin,  Ltd.,  13  Shinsakanacho,  Kyobashi-ku  (PI.  E,  6).  —  The 
Kokka  Co.,  hard  by  in  Yazaemoncho;  English  spoken.  Antiquaries  and 
bibliophiles,  interested  in  old  color  prints  and  beautiful  productions  in  chro- 
moxylography,  will  find  much  to  interest  them  in  both  these  places.  Superb 
collections  (for  sale  at  reasonable  prices)  of  reprints  of  the  rarest  and  choic- 
est prints  and  paintings  of  the  old  masters,  and  of  the  miscellaneous  art- 
treasures  enshrined  in  temples,  museums,  and  private  collections  through- 
out Japan.  Wood-engravers  can  be  seen  at  work  on  the  blocks  from  which 
prints  are  made.  The  beautifully  illustrated  art  magazine  known  as  the 
Kokka  is  printed  by  the  Kokka  Co.  Ask  for  Mr.  Sentard  Sawamura  of  the 
latter  company,  or  Mr.  J.  H.  Fukuoka  of  the  former. 

Haberdashers.  S.  I.  Yamatoya,  3  Ginza  Sanchome,  Kyobashi-ku  (PI. 
F,  6),  a  branch  of  the  Yokohama  store  mentioned  at  p.  5. 

Churches  (kyokwai).  Several  of  the  foreign  colonies  have  each  their 
respective  churches  where  divine  services  are  held  regularly;  the  hours  of 
attendance,  names  of  the  officiating  clergy,  and  other  details  are  custom- 
arily posted  in  the  hotel  lobbies.  Architecturally  the  edifices  call  for  no 
special  mention.  Among  the  most  prominent  are:  — 

The  Ginza  Methodist  Church,  cor.  Yazaemoncho  and  Nishikonyacho, 
Kyobashi-ku  (PI.  F,  6).  Meetings  of  the  Tokyo  Union  Church  are  held  in 


Embassies.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  115 

the  above.  —  Trinity  Cathedral  (American  Episcopal),  39  Akashi-cho, 
Tsukiji  (PI.  F,  8).  —  St.  Andrew's  Church  (Anglican),  11  Sakae  cho,  Azabu- 
ku  (PI.  D,  6).  —  German  Evangelical  Church  (Deutsche  Evangelische 
Gemeinde),  28  Nakarokuban-cho,  K6jimachi-ku  (PI.  E,  4).  —  French  Cathe- 
dral (Roman  Catholic),  35  Akashi-cho,  Tsukiji  (PI.  F,  7).  —  Greek  Cathe- 
dral (Russian),  Surugadai,  Kanda-ku  (PI.  G,  5).  —  Unitarian  Church 
(American),  2  Shikokumachi,  Mita  (PI.  C,  7),  services  in  Japanese.  The 
local  Unitarian  church  is  called  To-itsu  Kyokwai;  the  National  Association 
is  To-itsu  Kristokyo  Kodokwai;  the  equivalent  of  Unitarian  is  To-itsu. 
The  representative  of  the  Unitarian  Mission  to  Japan  is  the  Rev.  Clay 
MacCauley,  A.M.  —  For  the  addresses  of  the  different  Christian  Institu- 
tions —  Foreign  Missions,  Bible  and  Tract  Societies,  Evangelical  Schools, 
Alliances,  Christian  Conventions,  Evangelistic  Bands,  Conferences,  Tem- 
perance and  other  Unions,  Salvation  Army  Quarters,  Y.M.C.A.  Hospitals, 
etc.,  and  of  the  men  and  women  who  conduct  them  consult  the  Japan 
Directory.  —  The  Buddhist  Temples  and  Shinto  Shrines  are  referred  to 
under  different  headings  in  the  Guidebook. 

Embassies  and  Legations.  Ambassadors  or  Ministers  are  accredited  to 
the  Japanese  Gov't  from  most  of  the  foreign  powers  of  note,  and  the  em- 
bassies and  legations  with  few  exceptions  cluster  near  the  Imperial  Palace, 
in  Kojimachi-ku;  or  in  the  contiguous  wards  at  the  W.  and  S.  The  con- 
stantly changing  conditions  and  the  steady  improvement  in  architecture  and 
comfort  in  Tokyo  render  it  difficult  to  give  a  complete  and  accurate  list  of 
street  addresses,  as  they  are  apt  to  change.  At  present  the  American  Em- 
bassy is  at  1  Enokizaka-machi,  Akasaka-ku  (PI.  D,  5);  British  Embassy, 
1  Goban-cho,  Kojimachi-ku  (PI.  E,  4).  —  German  Embassy,  14  Nagata-cho 
Itchome,  Kojimachi-ku  (PL  E,  5).  —  French  Embassy,  1  Akabane-cho, 
Shiba-ku  (PI.  C,  6).  —  Russian  Embassy,  1  Urakasumigaseki,  Tora-no- 
mon,  Kojimachi-ku  (PI.  E,  6).  —  Italian  Embassy,  4  Sannen-cho,  Tora-no- 
mon,  Kojimachi-ku  (PL  E,  5).  —  Austria- Hungary  Embassy,  Kioi-cho, 
Kojimachi-ku  (PL  E,  4).  —  For  the  addresses  of  the  legations  of  Belgium, 
Brazil,  China,  Denmark,  Mexico,  The  Netherlands,  Norway,  Portugal, 
Siam,  Spain,  Sweden,  and  Switzerland,  consult  the  Japan  Directory,  or  the 
hotel  manager. 

Newspapers  are  referred  to  in  detail  at  p.  clvii. 

Physicians  and  Dentists.  For  the  permanent  addresses  of  these  consult 
the  newspapers  or  the  Japan  Directory.  The  hotel  manager  usually  knows 
which  bear  the  best  reputation.  It  is  wise  to  ask  beforehand  what  the  fees 
will  be. 

Banks  (comp.  p.  xxiii).  Bank  of  Japan  (Nippon  GinkS),  Honryogaye-cho, 
Nihonbashi-ku.  —  Yokohama  Specie  Bank,  Ltd.,  8  Honryogaye-cho,  Ni- 
honbashi-ku. —  Mitsui  Bank,  Ltd.  (Mitsui  Ginko),  Suruga-cho,  Nihon- 
bashi-ku. —  Mitsu  Bishi  Bank,  Yayesu-ch5,  Kojimachi-ku.  —  Dai  Ichi 
Ginko,  Ltd.,  1  Kabuto-ch5,  Nihonbashi-ku.  —  The  .Industrial  Bank  of  Japan 
(Nippon  Kogyo  Ginko) ,  1  Zenigame-cho,  Kojimachi-ku.  —  Bank  of  Tai- 
wan, Ltd.,  1  Gofuku-cho,  Nihonbashi-ku. 

Clubs.  Tokyo  Chih  (international,  card  of  introduction  from  some  mem- 
ber), Tora-no-mou,  Kojimachi-ku  (PL  D,  6).  —  Peers'  Club  (known  also  as 
Nobles'  Club;  Peerage  Club,  and  as  the  Kazokukai-kwan) ,  Uchiyama- 
shita-cho,  Kojimachi-ku  (PL  E,  6).  —  The  Maple  Club  (Koyo-kwan),  on 
Maple  Hill  (koyo-zan,  PL  D,  6),  a  sort  of  international  club  and  restaurant 
combined,  celebrated  for  its  cuisine  (lobster  dinners  a  specialty),  its  geisha 
dances  (the  'Maple  Dance  '  can  be  arranged  for  through  a  member;  cost, 
¥10  to  ¥35,  according  to  the  extras),  diplomatic  banquets,  etc.,  is  well 
known  to  visiting  personages  of  rank.  Many  titled  members. 

Baths,  (comp.  p.  xxxix).  Tokyo  swarms  with  bath-houses,  many  of  which 
have  a  very  unsavory  reputation.  Foreigners  patronize  the  hotels.  Despite 
the  fact  that  the  Japanese  bathe  frequently,  there  are  no  fine  Turkish  Baths 
anywhere  in  the  empire  similar  to  those  of  Europe  or  America.  — 

The  Climate  is  referred  to  at  p.  lxvi.  The  temperature  ranges  from  about 
90°  F.  in  Aug.  (78°  in  May;  80°  in  June)  to  28°  (very  thin  ice)  in  late  Jan. 
and  early  Feb.  The  season  of  greatest  cold  (climate  variable)  is  supposed 
to  set  in  Jan.  21  and  end  Feb.  7.  During  this  short  period  the  cold  rains  and 
snows  are  apt  to  be  raw.  The  violent  dust-storms  which  in  March  usually 
follow  a  dry  spell  are  disagreeable.  Winds  are  to  Tokyo  what  fogs  are  to 


116    Route  10.  TOKYO  Theaters. 

London.  The  former  possess  the  advantage  of  being  propitious  for  kite- 
flying, and  of  rendering  unfrequent  the  yunagi,  or  4  evening  calm,'  which  is 
such  a  sultry  feature  of  points  in  W.  Japan.  The  average  number  of  rainy 
days  is  140.  Nov.,  Dec,  and  the  first  3  weeks  in  Jan.  are  sometimes  fine  and 
crisp,  with  many  clear  days.  The  temperature  throughout  the  year  is  not 
afflictive  to  foreigners  accustomed  to  life  in  the  Temperate  Zone,  but  the  long 
summer  days  are  trying.  Typhoons  sometimes  do  considerable  damage  in 
Aug.-Sept. 

e.  Theaters.  Festivals  and  Flower  Displays. 

|  Theaters  \gekijo)  are  found  in  many  quarters  of  the  city,  but  foreigners 
tfsuaUy<4oke  little  comfort  or  pleasure  in  the  purely  native  ones  —  where 
one  must  usually  squat  on  the  floor  either  in  the  pit  (the  least  desirable  and 
cheapest  location)  or  in  one  of  the  semicircular  tiers  of  boxes  at  the  back  of 
the  low  auditorium.  The  structures  often  occupy  mean  sites  in  side  streets 
and  with  few  exceptions  are  devoid  of  architectural  charm.  The  plays  are  in 
the  vernacular  and  are  as  meaningless  to  the  average  traveler  as  the  samisen 
accompaniment  is  distressful.  The  peculiar  lateral  aisles  which  project  from 
the  side  of  the  stage  (butai)  are  called  hanamichi  ('flowery  way'),  and  are 
used  by  the  actors  (yakusha)  and  actresses  (onnayakusha)  in  approaching  or 
leaving  it.  The  stage  usually  rests  upon  rollers,  like  a  rly.  turntable,  and 
when  a  new  scene  is  wanted  it  is  turned  round  with  the  scenery  and  actors  in 
position.  The  latter  sometimes  speak  their  parts  (often  in  strained  and 
hoarse,  apoplectic  voices) ;  at  other  times  they  posture  and  make  panto- 
mimic gestures  which  are  interpreted  by  the  chorus  accompanied  by  samisen. 
Plays  sometimes  begin  at  10-11  a.m.  and  last  till  late  at  night.  Before  en- 
tering, patrons  often  stop  at  a  near-by  tea-house  and  order  food  sent  in  to 
them  at  stated  intervals.  Others  carry  luncheons  or  buy  the  food  offered 
for  sale  by  the  attendants.  The  admission  fee  (kidoseri)  varies  from  25  sen 
to  ¥4,  often  with  an  additional  charge  of  from  ¥3  to  ¥20  for  a  box  (seats 
for  4  squatting  persons)  in  the  galleries  (uzura  ;  sajiki).  Consult  the  ad- 
vertisements in  the  foreign  newspapers  for  plays  and  prices.  Lurid  cine- 
matograph shows  abound.  The  Yose,  or  Music  Halls,  are  not  of  a  high 
order.  The  Kabukiza  Theater,  in  Tsukiji  (PI.  F,  7),  ranks  among  the  best 
native  play-houses.  —  The  Imperial  Theater  (p.  137),  known  also  as  the 
Empire,  and  as  the  Teikok'U  Gekijo,  in  Marunouchi,  Kojimachi-ku  (PL  F, 
6),  is  constructed  in  Western  style,  and  patrons  are  seated  in  European 
fashion.  When  Japanese  plays  (native  drama,  comedy,  melodrama,  etc., 
and  translations  of  Shakespeare's  and  other  popular  plays)  are  acted,  the 
doors  are  usually  opened  at  4  p.m.,  and  prices  range  from  35  sen  in  the  gallery 
to  ¥3  for  a  box  seat.  When  performances  are  given  by  foreign  troupes,  they 
begin  customarily  at  8  p.m.  Prices  approximately  the  same.  For  data  con- 
cerning this  and  the  Yuraku-za  Theater  (near  by) ,  consult  the  daily  news- 
papers. 

i  Festivals  and  Flower  Displays.  The  festivals  (matsuri,  etc.)  of  greatest 
interest  to  travelers  are  usually  associated  with  floral  displays.  The  Japa- 
nese, from  the  highest  to  the  lowest,  have  a  genuine  passion  for  flowers 
{hand),  and,  flower-markets  ihana-ichi)  —  held  customarily  after  twilight, 
to  the  accompaniment  of  colored  lanterns  and  pine  torches  —  are  conspicu- 
ous features  of  the  capital.  At  certain  seasons,  thousands  of  gayly  clad  folks 
repair  to  spots  where  flowers  abound  to  there  take  undisguised  pleasure  in 
their  contemplation  (hanami).  In  spring,  Tokyo  is  converted  into  a  capital 
of  flowers  (hana  no  miyako) ,  and  many  beautiful  specimens  of  the  wonder- 
ful flora  of  the  islands  are  displayed  at  the  local  flower-gardens  (hanaya- 
shiki).  Many  of  the  following  festivals  and  holidays  (matsuribi;  kyujitsu, 
etc.)  are  celebrated  throughout  the  Empire.  There  is  a  festival  of  some  kind 
for  almost  every  day  of  the  year  in  Tokyo,  but  not  all  are  of  interest  to 
foreigners.  Only  the  most  prominent  of  the  religious  festivals  are  mentioned 
below. 

The  official  list  of  national  holidays  is:  Jan.  3  and  5  (New  Year  Holiday); 
Feb.  11  (Kigensetsu,  or  anniversary  of  the  accession  of  Jimmu  Tenno,  the 
1st  Mikado);  April  3  (anniversary  of  Jimmu  Tennd's  death);  AorU  21 
(spring  festival);  July  30  (death  of  Meiji  Emperor);  Sept.  23  (autumn 
testival);  Oct.  17  (harvest  festival);  Oct.  31  (Emperor's  birthday  —  born 
Aug.  31 ;  see  p.  cl) ;  Nov.  23  (offering  of  the  first  rice  to  the  Gods).  There  are 
numerous  other  bank,  and  minor  holidays. 


Festivals. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  117 


Houses  are  decorated  at  New  Year  with  branches  of  young  pine  trees 
called  kado-matsu  ('pine  of  the  doorway'),  typifying  longevity;  and  lithe 
bamboos  (symbolic  of  uprightness) ;  both  planted  at  either  side  of  the  vesti- 
bule. A  rope  of  rice-straw  (shimenawa)  similar  to  the  one  supposed  to  have 
been  stretched  across  the  entrance  to  the  cave  of  the  Sun  Goddess,  is  sus- 
pended across  the  boughs  or  fastened  to  them  as  an  indication  of  spring 
freshness.  At  the  central  point  of  the  rope  a  lobster  (ebi  —  4  which  with  its 
curved  back  and  long  tentacles  is  typical  of  life  so  prolonged  that  the  back 
becomes  bent  and  the  beard  grows  to  the  waist'),  some  fern-fronds  and 
yuzuriha  (laurel)  leaves  (suggestive  of  hardiness) ;  a  piece  of  charcoal  to  ward 
off  evil  influences;  a  dried  persimmon  (for  its  medicinal  qualities) ;  and  a  bit 
of  dried  bitter  orange  (daidai)  symbolic  of  longevity,  are  placed  —  the 
whole  being  called  shimekazari.  Two  bamboo  poles,  usually  painted  with 
black  rings  and  topped  by  brass  balls  and  national  flags,  are  crossed  over 
the  gateway.  '  New  Year  calls  are  made,  the  visitor  customarily  carrying 
with  him  a  "  year  jewel"  (toshi-dama)  in  the  form  of  a  bundle  of  dried  sea- 
weed (hoshi-nori) ,  a  fan,  a  basket  of  oranges,  a  salted  salmon,  a  towel,  a  box 
of  sweetmeats  or  the  like,  always  wrapped  with  scrupulous  neatness  and 
encircled  by  a  cord  with  strands  of  red  and  gold  or  red  and  white,  the  ends 
joined  in  a  "butterfly  knot,"  under  which  is  thrust  a  bit  of  hahotis  (signify- 
ing durability  of  love)  looking  out  from  a  quiver-shaped  envelope.  Black  is 
the  ill-omened  hue  among  colors  in  Japan ;  red  stands  at  the  opposite  end  of 
the  category,  and  red  and  gold  constitute  the  richest  combination,  red  and 
white  being  next  in  order  of  auspiciousness.' 

The  shops  are  closed  and  business  is  limited  to  the  sale  or  purchase  of 
'treasure-ships'  (takara-bune) ,  toys  typical  of  good  fortune.  Sweet  sake  and 
sweet  bean  paste  (yokan)  are  hawked  through  the  streets,  where  many  girls 
in  bright  costumes  play  battle-board  (hago-ita)  and  shuttlecock.  Kite- 
flying is  popular  among  boys  (huge  kites  are  flown  at  Hoshibana-mura,  in  the 
suburbs,  on  June  5th  and  6th).  The  strings  of  the  kites  (shien)  are  often 
covered  with  powdered  glass  (a  Hindu  custom),  and  whosoever  can  sever 
that  of  his  opponent  wins  his  kite.  Dances  are  often  performed  in  the  streets 
by  fantastically  apparaled  actors  with  fans  and  drums,  who  go  about  from 
house  to  house.  'At  the  Palace  and  in  the  residences  of  noblemen,  special 
dances  are  performed,  and  wherever  a  shrine  stands  in  honor  of  Daikoku 
cakes  of  flour  moistened  with  warm  water  are  offered.'  The  Jan.  observances 
are  customarily  referred  to  as  hatsu  ('new,  fresh').  On  New  Year's  Day 
many  Toky  Sites  repair  to  Uyeno  Park,  Atago-yama,  and  other  elevated 
sites  to  get  the  first  sunrise  view  (hatsu  hinode)  of  Fuji-san.  The  first  mer- 
chandise delivered  (hatsu  ni)  by  the  merchants  after  the  turn  of  the  year  is 
sent  out  in  carts  decorated  with  flags,  evergreens,  etc.  The  New  Year  fes- 
tivities begin  with  the  Shihohai,  or  'Worshiping  of  the  Emperor.'  The 
Genshihai,  or  '  Worshiping  of  the  Imperial  Ancestors,'  is  performed  on  the 
3d,  which  is  also  a  big  Buddhist  holiday. 

During  the  succeeding  days  there  are  many  temple  festivals;  a  popular 
indoor  game  in  which  the  entire  household  joins  is  played  with  cards  and  is 
called  karuta  (perhaps  derived  from  the  Spanish  carta).  The  festival  of  the 
Fire  Brigade  (Dezomeshiki) ,  which  falls  on  Jan.  6  and  is  celebrated  at  Hibiya 
Park  (PI.  E,  6),  is  usually  of  interest  to  travelers.  Although  cards  of  invi- 
tation are  sent  out,  strangers  are  admitted  without  formality.  Ropes  are 
stretched  round  the  esplanade,  marquees  are  placed  in  position,  and  10,000 
or  more  persons  assemble  to  witness  the  manoeuvres.  At  an  early  hour  the 
clanging  of  the  fire-bells  is  heard,  engines  from  the  different  stations 
throughout  the  city  foregather,  and  about  10  a.m.  parade  round  the  park. 
Medals,  gifts,  and  40  or  more  barrels  of  sake  are  distributed  among  the  fire- 
men, who,  clad  in  the  picturesque  costumes  of  bygone  times,  join  in  a  me- 
lodious chant  called  Kiyari-uta,  usually  sung  by  men  when  uniting  their 
strength  to  pull  heavy  objects.  After  the  exercises,  amid  a  great  fanfare  of 
trumpets,  20  or  more  of  the  companies  bring  out  long  bamboo  ladders  which 
are  held  upright  and  on  which  expert  tumblers  perform  astonishing  acro- 
batic feats.  A  rescue  race  follows,  a  handsome  young  man  dressed  as  a 
woman  being  rescued  from  a  burning  building,  slid  down  a  rope,  and  hurried 
to  a  hospital.  In  a  succeeding  rescue,  dummies  representing  slow-witted 
yokels  are  dragged  from  a  burning  fire-trap. 

Wrestling-Matches  (p.  clxvii)  begin  about  Jan.  10.  On  the  14th  the 


118    Route  10.  TOKYO  Flower  Displays. 

decorations  of  pine,  bamboo,  etc.,  are  burned  and  replaced  with  willow 
wands  split  into  flower-like  forms  and  fixed  to  the  eaves.  4  The  cremation 
of  the  pine  saplings  and  their  companions  is  intended  to  drive  away  the 
mountain  demons  (who  hate  the  crackle  and  sputter  of  fire),  and  to  invite 
the  cheerful  principle  while  expelling  the  sad.'  All  apprentices  and  servants 
are  given  a  holiday  on  Jan.  16,  and  the  temple  parks,  cheap  theaters,  etc., 
are  crowded.  On  the  night  of  the  20th,  thinly  clad  men  in  white  garments 
may  be  seen  running  through  the  streets,  ringing  bells  and  aiming  for  a  well, 
from  which  they  take  cold  water  and  pour  over  themselves,  at  midnight, 
to  expel  all  sinfulness.  Throughout  the  month  the  stranger  will  note  undue 
animation  in  many  parts  of  the  city,  particularly  in  the  vicinity  of  temples. 

The  Flower  Season  begins  with  the  blossoming  of  the  Plum  Trees 
(ume.  —  Prunus  murne) ,  the  harbingers  of  spring.  The  blossoms  usually  burst 
about  Feb.  15,  and  visits  to  the  various  gardens  mark  the  beginning  of  the 
year's  open-air  fetes.  The  better  class  people  usually  repair  to  the  Garden 
of  100  Flowers  Qiyaku-ka-en)  beyond  Mukojima  (PI.  J,  6;  — ■  rly.  from 
Ry5goku  station,  or  boat  from  Azuma-bashi  landing).  Though  privately 
owned,  the  garden  is  open  to  the  public,  who  make  return  by  paying  (about 
25  sen  per  person)  for  the  tea  served.  The  plum  garden  near  Kameido  (PI. 
J,  8)  is  of  lesser  interest.  The  rly.  runs  excursions  to  Mito  (Rte.  17),  whither 
many  repair  to  see  the  blossoms.  The  Plum  Gardens  of  Sugita  near  Yoko- 
hama are  popular,  as  are  also  several  gardens  between  that  city  and  Tokyd, 
on  the  rly.  The  blossoms  exhale  their  sweetest  fragrance  after  nightfall;  the 
round,  pubescent  fruit,  resembling  small,  hard  peaches,  is  sour,  and  is  usu- 
ally eaten  salted  or  dried,  under  the  name  Ume-boshi.  The  bark  of  the  dark 
reddish-brown  wood  yields  a  light-brown  color  called  shira-cha. 

The  Peach  (momo.  —  Amygdalus  persica),  one  of  the  most  popular  and 
widely  distributed  stone-fruits  in  Japan,  blossoms  in  March.  When  the 
flowers  fall  the  embryonic  fruit  is  protected  from  insects  by  individual  paper 
bags  —  which  also  serve  to  keep  it  pale,  and  free  from  the  ruddiness  disliked 
by  the  Japanese.  The  bark  produces  the  cha-iro,  or  tea-color.  Many  fine 
peach  orchards  flank  the  rly.  line  between  Tokyo  and  Yokohama,  and 
S.W.  of  the  latter  port.  The  Girls'  Doll  Festival  (hina-asobi)  falls  on  March 
3.  On  the  18th,  the  Buddhist  paradise  day  Qiigari)  is  celebrated  with  great 
rejoicing  at  many  of  the  city  temples. 

The  Cherry  (sakura.  —  Prunus  pseudocerasus)  is  the  2d  great  favorite  of 
the  year.  The  blossoms  attain  their  finest  achievement  in  early  April,  at 
I    which  time  Tokyo  is  a  beautiful  bower,  and  Uyeno  Park  (PI.  I,  4)  Hoshiga- 
■j    oka  (PI.  E,  5)  and  other  places  flame  with  the  lovely  pinkish  blossoms.  The 
wild,  original  trees  (chosen  emblems  of  the  old  warriors)  grow  extensively 
in  the  mt.  forests  of  Japan  and  are  called  Yama-zakura.  From  them  a  great 
number  of  varieties  have  been  produced,  some  with  blossoms  a  pale  indigo; 
others  yellow,  etc.  The  double  blossoms  are  lovely.  The  fruit  is  not  pleas- 
ant to  the  taste.  Nearly  every  city  in  Japan  has  parks  or  gardens  filled  with 
\    cherry  trees.  Those  of  Yoshino  (Rte.  34)  are  celebrated.  Mukojima,  with 
its  cherry  blossoms,  is  mentioned  at  p.  229 ;  Koganai,  in  Rte.  25.  The  blooms 
last  about  one  week;  then  the  petals  fall. 

The  Imperial  Cherry  Blossom  Garden  Party  (Kand-kwai),  held  each 
X  year  (unless  the  Court  is  in  mourning)  at  the  detached  Hama-Rikyu  Palace 
in  Tsukiji  (PI.  E,  7),  though  ostensibly  for  the  purpose  of  viewing  the  fine 
NC  cherry  blossoms  within  the  park,  is  not  unfrequently  postponed  until  so  late 
in  April  that  only  a  few  late  blooms  remain.  Travelers  who  desire  an  invi- 
<  tation  must  first  call  upon  their  minister  or  ambassador,  then  make  a  formal 
'  v  application  for  an  invitation  —  which  is  obtained  from  the  Board  of  Cere- 
monies  (shikibushoku) .  The  cards  are  handsomely  embossed  with  the  Im- 
*  perial  chrysanthemum  crest  in.  gold,  and  are  accompanied  by  entrance 
tickets  and  instructions  to  gentlemen  to  wear  frock  coats  and  silk  hats 
'  (or  official  uniforms).  Ladies  are  expected  to  avoid  somber  attire,  particu- 
•/  larly  mourning,  which  because  of  its  hue  is  offensively  suggestive  to  the 
'  •  Japanese  mind.  If  the  day  is  propitious,  the  Emperor  and  Empress,  and 
members  of  the  royal  family  and  nobility,  the  diplomatic  corps,  titled 
strangers,  and  others  are  present  (usually  800  or  more  persons).  In  case  of 
rain  or  unusually  high  wind  (or  other  minor  causes)  the  function  is  either 
declared  off,  or  their  Majesties  remain  away  (but  permit  strangers  to  inspect 
the  grounds,  etc.).  An  elaborate  luncheon  is  served.  The  above  remarks 


Flower  Displays.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  119 


apply  also  to  the  Imperial  Chrysanthemum  Party  mentioned  hereinafter. 
The  water  in  the  palace  ponds  is  saline.  The  bronze  statue  in  the  park  is  of 
Umashimate  no  Mikoto,  a  fabulous  character  supposed  to  have  dwelt  in 
Japan  at  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  Jimmu  Tenno  (b.c.  660). 

The  Pear  (nashi.  —  Pyrus  sinensis),  which  is  extensively  cultivated  and 
widely  distributed,  blossoms  late  in  April  and  is  seen  at  its  best  in  the  many 
orchards  which  flank  the  rly.  between  Yokohama  and  Tokyo.  At  a  height 
of  8-10  ft.  the  tree-tops  are  bent  horizontally,  and  made  to  form  trellised 
arbors  like  those  of  the  grape.  The  rich,  creamy-white  blossoms  often  cover 
this  lattice-work  with  a  beautiful  carpet.  The  large  fruit  ripens  in  Aug.- 
Oct.  and  is  spherical  and  somewhat  flattened  at  both  ends;  the  bronze- 
yellow  skin  is  flecked  with  light  gray  spots;  and  the  coarse,  lumpy  flesh,  of  a 
yellow  color,  though  juicy  and  tolerably  sweet,  lacks  the  mellowness  and 
flavor  of  American  pears. 

The  Fire-Walking  Ceremony  (hiwatari)  and  the  boiling-water  ordeal 
(yubana-shiki) ,  which  take  place  at  the  Shinshu-kyo  Shrine  at  Imagawa- 
koji,  Kanda-ku,  in  early  April  (consult  the  daily  newspapers  for  advertise- 
ments), are  not  frequented  by  the  better  classes,  and  travelers  will  find  it 
difficult  to  get  near  enough  (because  of  the  dense  and  frowsy  throngs)  to 
see  the  clumsy  conjuring  tricks.  The  fire-walking  (a  ceremony  imported 
from  India  via  China)  takes  place  in  the  courtyard  of  the  shrine.  A  thin 
layer  of  charcoal  embers  are  placed  upon  sand,  fanned  into  flame,  then  care- 
fully beaten  down.  After  several  handfuls  of  salt  have  been  thrown  upon 
the  bed,  various  priests  and  their  attendants  shuffle  their  feet  in  wet  salt 
and  tramp  across  it.  The  thinness  of  the  fire-bed  and  the  wet  feet  explain 
the  immunity.  Any  one  can  try  it  who  is  willing  to  run  the  risk  of  being 
scorched.  The  credulous  believe  the  priests  are  in  league  with  the  Devil! 
The  ordeal  by  hot  water  consists  in  wearisome  incantations  and  the  dipping 
of  bamboo  fronds  into  the  hot  liquid  and  letting  air-cooled  drops  fall  upon 
the  naked  person. 

The  Wistaria  (fuji.  —  Wistaria  chinensis),  a  genus  of  leguminous  plant  ; 
known  in  England  as  the  kidney-bean  tree ;  in  Australia  as  the  grape-flower 
vine;  and  in  America  (erroneously)  under  the  generic  name  Wisteria,  was 
named  in  honor  of  Caspar  Wistar  (an  American  anatomist  who  lived  be- 
tween 1761  and  1818),  and  blossoms  best  in  Japan  in  early  May.  It  is 
widely  distributed  and  may  be  seen  in  many  places  (fine  displays  at  the 
Kameido  Garden) .  The  Wistaria  japonica  differs  but  slightly  from  W. 
chinensis,  and  is  popular  for  its  handsome  white  and  purplish  papilionaceous 
flowers,  which  are  usually  trained  horizontally  over  trellises  so  that  the  ter- 
minal racemes  pend  below,  and  the  leaves  (which  develop  later)  spread 
above  the  trellis.  The  plant  affords  an  ornamental  shade;  sometimes  lives 
for  more  than  a  century;  produces  a  bast  from  which  certain  textures  are 
made;  bears  hundreds  of  beautiful  flower  clusters;  and  has  wide-spreading 
branches  and  a  stout,  low  trunk.  When  young,  several  small  shoots  are 
sometimes  evenly  twisted  so  that  late  in  life  the  trunk  has  the  appearance 
of  a  cable.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  popular  among  Japanese  plants,  j 
and  is  supposed  to  have  been  brought  to  Japan  from  China.  The  Kuroda^ 
family,  one-time  rulers  of  Chikuzen  Province,  adopted  the  flower  as  its  crest. 

The  Boys'  Festival  {tango)  falls  on  Ma^  fr.  At  every  house  where  a  male 
child  has  been  born  during  the  preceding  year,  a  huge  hollow  paper  or  silk 
carp,  painted  red  and  black,  is  raised  banner-wise  from  the  flagstaff  above 
the  house.  The  wind  fills  the  symbols  and  thousands  are  seen  whipping  and 
gyrating  to  and  fro,  typifying,  to  the  native  mind  the  resolution  which  the  I 
boy  will  show,  as  he  swims  against  the  current  of  adversity  and  vanquishes  / 
life's  obstacles. 

The  Peony  (botan;  of  the  genus  Poeonia),  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
prolific  of  ornamental  plants,  was  brought  hither  originally  from  China, 
where  it  is  regarded  as  the  King  of  Flowers  ( Hwa  Wang) ,  and  where  it  has 
been  cultivated  for  ages  as  the  'Pride  and  Glory  of  China.'  It  is  greatly 
esteemed  in  both  countries  for  the  supposed  healing  powers  of  its  root.  The 
species  most  cultivated  and  admired,  and  which  serves  as  one  of  the  most 
popular  modes  of  decoration  in  Japanese  and  Chinese  industry,  is  Pwonia 
Moutan  (Chinese:  mowtari),  or  tree-peony,  a  tall,  shrubby  species,  devoid  of 
fragrance  but  with  large,  rose-colored,  or  nearly  white  flowers,  several  on  a 
stalk.  The  most  common  variety  is  P.  officinalis,  an  herb  with  a  large,  com- 


120    Route  10.  TOKYO  Flower  Displays. 

monly  red  flower,  one  on  a  stalk.  The  magnificent  blossoms  of  P.  Moutan  un- 
fold  in.M^av,  and  can  usually  be  seen  to  best  advantage  in  landscape  garden's*. 

~The  Azalea  (tsutsuji),  a  word  derived  from  Greek,  meaning  'dry,'  in 
allusion  to  the  dry  habitat  of  the  plant,  grows  wild  in  many  parts  of  Japan. 
In  company  with  Deutzia  and  a  host  of  other  flowers,  it  adorns  not  merely 
the  uncultivated  sunny  slopes  all  through  temperate  Japan,  but  is  found  in 
almost  every  garden.  It  blooms  in  April  in  the  S.;  in  May  in  Tokyo  and 
vicinity;  and  farther  N.  and  in  the  mts.,  not  till  June.  The  collection  at 
Hibiya  Park  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  capital. 

The  Iris  (hana-shobu,  etc.  —  Iris  laevigata)  delights  flower-lovers  in  June. 
There  are  many  species,  and  many  gardens  ( Horikiri;  Kamata,  etc.) . 

The  Opening  of  the  Sumida  River  takes  place  in  July.  The  Bon  Matsuri, 
or  '  Festival  of  the  Dead,'  survives  in  much  of  its  original  picturesqueness 
at  Nagasaki  (Rte.  40). 

The  Lotus-Flower  (comp.  p.  ccxiii)  is  seen  at  its  best  in  Aug.  at  Shinobazu 
Pond,  at  Uyeno  Park,  and  in  the  Palace  Moats. 

The  Chrysanthemum  (kiku),  a  plant  of  the  genus  chrysanthemum  (Greek: 
'golden  flower'),  the  favorite  of  the  autumn  flora  of  Japan  and  China 
(whither  it  was  brought  in  the  9th  cent.),  has  developed  under  cultivation  a 
great  diversity  of  handsome  and  remarkable  varieties.  In  Japan  it  ranks  as 
the  national  flower,  and  constitutes  the  Imperial  emblem.  Travelers  fortu- 
nate enough  to  secure  an  invitation  to  the  Imperial  Chrysanthemum  Gar- 
den Party  ( Kan-giku-kwai) ,  or  4  Chrysanthemum- vie  wing  Assembly,'  held 
in  Nov.  of  each  year  in  the  Aoyama  Palace  Garden,  will  there  view  the 
finest  collection  in  the  Empire.  Some  of  the  numerous  single  plants  in  this 
display  have  others  grafted  upon  them,  and  produce  as  many  as  1200  beau- 
tiful flowers,  of  various  colors.  Others  have  all  their  energy  skillfully  directed 
to  the  production  of  a  single  gorgeous  bloom.  In  Oct.-Nov.  numerous 
Chrysanthemum  Shows  will  be  found  advertised  in  the  daily  newspapers; 
that  of  Dangozaka  is  spoken  of  at  p.  197.  Among  the  finest  displays  in  pri- 
vate gardens  is  that  of  Count  Okuma. 

The  Maple,  of  which  there  are  22  or  more  varieties  belonging  to  the  genus 
Acer,  of  the  natural  order  Sapindacece,  constitutes  one  of  the  floral  beauties 
of  Japan,  where  none  of  the  ornamental  trees  are  more  highly  prized.  The 
best  known  and  most  valued  varieties  are  Acer  palmatam  (kaede),  and  Acer 
japonicum  (momiji),  whose  leaves  take  on  a  magnificent  red  color  before 
falling  in  autumn,  and  present  a  picture  of  exceptional  charm.  The  tree  in  all 
its  varieties  is  of  low  stature,  sometimes  dwarfed,  and  they  produce  beauti- 
ful and  spectacular  effects  when  growing  amidst  the  other  green  shrubs  in 
a  garden,  or  among  trees  on  a  hillside.  Splendid  displays  can  be  observed 
in  almost  any  part  of  the  country,  Kyoto  and  Nikko  being  specially  f amed J 
During  the  season  the  rlys.  run  excursions  to  the  best-known  localities,  and^ 
advertise  them  in  the  newspapers.  The  extremely  fine-grained,  close,  heavy 
tough,  and  durable  maple  wood  is  highly  prized  as  a  cabinet-wood.  jr 

The  Camellia  japonica  (tsubaki) ,  one  of  the  most  popular  and  widely  culti- 
vated of  the  Japanese  shrubs,  is  highly  prized  as  a  decorative  plant.  Its 
name  (given  by  Linnceus  in  his  Genera  plantarum —  in  1737)  is  in  honor  of 
George  Joseph  Kamel,  a  Moravian  Jesuit  and  traveler  of  the  17th  cent., 
who  visited  Manila  and  later  described  the  plant  in  his  Historia  Stirpium 
Insulce  Luzonis.  In  1739,  the  camellia  was  transplanted  from  Manila  to  the 
Jardin  del  Buen  Retiro  at  Madrid,  and  on  its  introduction  into  England 
it  received  the  name  '  Japanese  rose.'  The  genus  contains  about  a  dozen 
species  of  shrubs  or  trees  and  belongs  to  the  natural  order  Ternstrcemiacece. 
They  all  have  thick,  shining,  evergreen  leaves  and  white  or  rose-colored 
flowers.  The  genus  is  divided  into  two  sections,  one  with  pendulous  flowers 
and  persistent  sepals,  represented  by  Camellia  theifera  (the  tea-plant  of 
commerce) ;  the  other  with  erect  flowers  and  deciduous  sepals,  of  which 
Camellia  japonica  is  an  example.  Of  this  species,  with  beautiful  but  odorless 
flowers  and  elegant  laurel-like  leaves,  several  hundred  varieties  have  been 
produced,  as  well  as  numerous  hybrids  with  the  larger-flowered  C.  reticulata 
of  China,  and  the  fragrant-leafed  C.  Sasanqua  (or  Sazankwa)  of  Japan  — 
the  latter  widely  cultivated  for  its  valuable  nuts  and  oil.  Its  wood  is  also 
used  in  the  manufacture  of  combs,  etc.  Both  the  single  and  double  camellias 
are  found  in  gardens  and  temple  groves.  The  blooming  season  begins  ac- 
cording to  the  latitude,  in  Jan.  or  Feb.,  and  lasts  until  April.  Certain  of  the 


Parks  and  Museums.  TOKYO 


10.  Route.  121 


species  bloom  in  Nov.  and  Dec.,  and  their  flowers  may  often  be  seen  gleam- 
ing through  a  covering  of  snow.  The  bark  of  the  tree  resembles  that  of  the 
beech.  The  wild  variety  belonging  to  the  forest  is  called  Yama-tsubaki. 
Its  simple  red  flowers  open  only  in  a  bell,  not  a  wheel  form,  remaining  half- 
closed,  like  a  tulip.  In  the  neighborhood  of  Tokyo,  C.  japonica  is  usually 
seen  as  a  good-sized  bush;  in  S.  Japan  it  grows  into  a  tall  tree,  on  whose 
branches  the  leafless  mistletoe  (hoya)  called  Viscum  articulatum  is  sometimes 
found. 


In  view  of  the  difficulty  of  planning  successfully  for  the 
special  tastes  and  interests  of  each  individual,,  unquestionably 
the  most  effective  way  for  the  stranger  to  get  what  he  con- 
siders the  best  return  for  a  visit  to  Tokyo  is  for  him  to  select 
from  the  following  detailed  descriptions  those  which  make  the 
strongest  appeal  to  him,  and  visit  the  places  in  question.  While 
a  week  at  least  should  be  devoted  to  the  metropolis,  one  can 
get  a  superficial  view  of  it  in  1-2  days  and  crowd  into  the  time  a 
hurried  inspection  of  the  Shiba  Mausolea,  the  Imperial,  Okura, 
and  Arms  Museums;  the  Palace  environs,  Ginza,  and  Uyeno 
and  Asakusa  Parks.  The  traveler  is  recommended  to  consulT 
one  of  the  principal  daily  newspapers  in  English  for  a  list  of  the 
sights  of  the  day,  and  Japan  (the  house  magazine  of  the  Im- 
perial Hotel)  for  a  forecast  of  the  chief  events  of  the  month.* 
The  hotel  manager  can  always  render  valuable  assistance  in 
helping  one  to  form  sight-seeing  plans,  and  in  getting  special 
permits  to  see  private  museums,  etc.  A  bright  day  should  be 
reserved  for  the  mausolea;  a  rainy  one  can  be  utilized  for  the 
museums.  The  night  life  and  the  river  offer  but  few  attrac- 
tions. The  principal  permanent  attractions  are  listed  below. 
Festivals  and  seasonal  Flower  Displays  are  mentioned  above. 
*  Asakusa  Park  and  Temple  (p.  215),  open  daily,  free. 
Commercial  Museum  (p.  233),  daily,  free,  from  9  to  3,  between 
Jan.  7  and  Dec.  25. 


^Imperial  Museum  (p.  201),  daily,  from  8  to  6  in  summer,  and 
9  to  4  in  winter,  between  Jan.  5  and  Dec.  25;  admission, 
5  sen. 

^Imperial  University  (p.  191),  daily,  9  to  4,  except  Sunday; 

card  from  the  hotel  manager. 
Landscape  Garden  of  the  Koishikawa  Arsenal  (p.  188),  daily; 

card  of  admittance  from  the  hotel  manager. 
,  f  Mausolea  of  the  Tokugawa  Shoguns  at  Shiba  (p.  168)  and 

Uyeno  (p.  210)  Parks,  daily,  from  8  to  4;  admission,  20  sen 

to  each  temple. 

Mineral  Museum  (p.  232),  daily,  free,  9  to  5,  between  Jan.  5 
and  Dec.  25. 

*  Museum  of  Arms  (p.  157),  daily,  8  to  5  in  summer,  9  to  3  in 
winter;  admission,  5  sen. 

Museum  of  Communications  (p.  233),  free,  Sundays,  Thurs- 
days, and  Fridays,  from  9  to  3. 

Naval  Museum  (p.  233),  free,  daily  except  Sunday,  9  to  4. 


Disposition  of  Time. 


122    Route  10.  TOKYO  Descriptive. 

ura  Fine  Arts  Museum,  (p.  160),  daily,  except  Monday;  card 
of  admission  from  the  hotel  manager. 
/Zoological  Garden  (p.  201),  daily,  till  dusk;  admission,  5  sen. 

Situation,  History,  and  Character  of  the  City. 

Tokyo1  (pron.  toque' -yo),  or  Tokio,  or  Tokei,  formerly  called 
Yedo  (or  Edo),  the  largest,  wealthiest,  finegj}.  and  most  pros- 
perous city  of  New  Japan;  capital  of  the  Empire  and  residence 
of  the  Imperial  ruling  family;  the  social,  commercial,  intellec- 
tual, and  financial  center  of  the  islands,  is  a  huge,  scattered, 
but  orderly  city  in  process  of  transformation,  a  few  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea  at  the  N.  end  of  Tokyo  Bay.  It  stands  on 
the  N.  and  S.  banks  of  the  Sumida  River,  in  Tokyo-fu,  Musashi 
Province,  on  the  island  of  Hondo  in  lat.  35°  40'  N.  and  long. 
139°  47'  E.  of  Greenwich  —  practically  that  of  Washington 
and  San  Francisco,  Athens  and  Madrid.  The  city  is  18  M. 
N.E.  of  its  natural  port,  Yokohama,  and  because  of  the  shal- 
low character  of  the  bay  near  the  shore  is  not  approachable 
by  deep-sea  steamships.  The  harbor  is  being  deepened,  and 
millions  of  yen  are  being  spent  on  improvements. 

As  one  of  the  three  Imperial  Fu  of  the  Empire,  Tokyo  stands 
near  the  center  of  an  administrative  district  of  considerable 
size  and  importance,  and  embraces  8  gun  (p.  cliii)  containing 
20  towns  and  157  villages  distributed  over  an  area  of  about 
103  sq.  ri.  Within  this  are  542,090  houses  and  2,186,079 
persons;  the  foreign-born  among  which  are  negligible  in  quan- 
tity. The  census  of  1911  gave  the  citv  proper  a  population 
(which  is  increasing  rapidly)  of  1,989,833  (of  which  881,000 
are  women).  There  are  485,000  houses  arid  1462  streets  dis- 
tributed through  15  Wards,  or  Ku,  as  follows:  — 


Wards 

Meaning 

No.  of  houses 

No.  of  streets 

Population 

Akasaka 

Hillslope 

16,432 

47 

67,225 

Azabu 

Hemp 

17,658 

50 

67,700 

Asakusa 

Corchoropsis 

crenata 

56,161 

160 

263,238 

Fukagawa 

Deep  River 

34,957 

99 

123,887 

Hong  d 

Native  Country 

30,762 

66 

131,375 

Hon  jo 

Main  Place 

40,927 

82 

162,159 

Kanda 

God's  Field 

47,154 

133 

148,461 

Koishikawa 

Pebble  River 

23,570 

77 

96,396 

Kdjimachi 

Old  Street 

16,685 

76 

71,817 

Kyobashi 

Capital  Bridge 

50,010 

207 

190,664 

Nihonbashi 

Japan  Bridge 

24,206 

140 

146,356 

Shiba 

Herbage 

34,601 

132 

166,540 

Shitaya 

Lower  Valley- 

50,389 

73 

169,202 

Ushigome 

Oxen  Quarter 

22,001 

78 

96,141  . 

Yotsuya 

Four  Valleys 

19,487 

42 

68,672 

1  Tokyo,  which  means  '  East  Capital,'  is  derived  from  the  Sinico-Japan- 
ese  word  To,  east;  and  Kyo  (or  kid  or  kei),  capital.  Yedo  means  4  Bay 
Door,'  from  Ye,  bay;  and  Do,  door.  Japanese  often  call  their  beloved 
metropolis  Tdkyd-shi  (Tokyo  City). 


Descriptive. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  123 


These  wards,  shown  on  the  accompanying  plan,  make  the 
getting  about  the  city  comparatively  easy;  if  the  stranger  will 
fix  them  in  the  mind,  it  is  not  difficult  to  locate  any  desired 
lace,  since  the  local  custom  'is  to  mention  them  frequently, 
trangers  with  no  knowledge  of  the  language  can  often  get 
near  to  a  destination  by  uttering  the  single  word  Uyeno, 
Asakusa,  Tsukiji,  Shiba,  or  the  like,  when  addressing  jinriki- 
men  or  street-car  conductors. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  low  hills  at  the  N.  and  W.,  the 
city  is  comparatively  level,  spreading  out  over  a  wide  plain 
like  a  huge  ellipse,  about  6  miles  E.  and  W.  and  8  miles  N.  and 
S.  with  an  approximate  area  of  37.7  sqr.  M.  The  Imperial 
Household  owns  about  J  of  the  land;  |  of  the  remainder  be- 
longing to  the  Tokyo  Municipality,  and  the  residue  to  individ- 
uals. The  most  aristocratic  quarter  is  Kojimachi,  where  the 
Imperial  Palace,  the  embassies,  legations,  and  governmental 
departments  are  situated.  Nihonbashi-ku  is  the  busiest  com- 
mercial section,  with  the  highest  land  values  (cheapest  in 
Fukagawa  and  Koishikawa).  The  most  elevated  section  is 
Akasaka  (120  ft.),  and  the  lowest  Fukagawa  (4  ft.)  —  which  is 
flooded  frequently.  The  Palace  stands  111  ft.  above  the  Bay; 
Uyeno  Park,  67  ft. 

The  Central  Imperial  Gov't  (p.  cliii)  is  represented  in  an 
administrative  capacity  by  a  governor,  and  a  mayor;  each  of 
the  guns  possess  an  executive  chief  and  an  assembly,  while  the 
villages  have  petty  local  governing  bodies.  Of  the  4000  for- 
eigners residing  in  Tokyo  about  75%  are  English  and  Ameri- 
can, the  rest  Chinese,  Koreans,  Germans,  Frenchmen,  Rus- 
sians, and  other  nationalities  in  the  order  described.  The 
former  are  chiefly  represented  in  the  diplomatic  and  ecclesias- 
tical bodies,  and  reside  in  or  near  the  embassies  and  legations, 
or  at  Tsukiji:  the  Chinese  and  Koreans  are  mostly  University 
students.  The  native-born  are  not  averse  to  being  called  by 
the  colloquial  apellative  Edokko  (Yedoites),  since  its  recessive 
meaning  implies  boldness  and  fortitude  as  their  greatest  vir- 
tues. Owing  to  the  steady  influx  of  advanced  foreign  ideas  and 
improved  sanitary  methods  which  help  to  decrease  the  death 
rate  (49  per  thousand),  the  capital  expands  and  grows  apace. 
Under  the  stimulus  of  a  singularly  intelligent,  active,  and 
capable  gov't,  it  is  rapidly  acquiring  international  renown  as  a 
progressive  educational  center.  It  possesses  a  number  of 
splendidly  equipped  libraries,  universities,  and  colleges;  a 
seismological  institute,  which  is  perhaps  the  most  complete 
in  the  world;  several  uniquely  attractive  museums;  scores  of 
minor  educational  institutions;  numerous  fine  landscape 
gardens  and  parks;  and  all  the  requisites  of  a  brilliant  Oriental 
metropolis. 

Tokyo  is  founded  on  water  in  the  sense  that  the  plain  was 
reclaimed  from  a  swamp  long  known  geographically  as  Musashi 


124    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


History  of 


no  Hara  (the  Musashi  moor);  and  that  water  is  within  easy 
reach  of  the  surface  all  over  the  city.  The  355  wells  of  the 
metropolis  testify  to  this,  as  do  the  442  pumps,  familiar  figures 
standing  at  intervals  along  the  thoroughfares  or  alongside  the 
canals  —  from  which  water  is  pumped  to  sprinkle  the  streets. 
This  function  is  made  necessary  by  the  peculiar  nature  of  the 
soil  (Pliocene  of  the  Tertiary ).( Composed  chiefly  of  sedimen- 
tary deposits,  it  is  so  compact  and  tenacious  that  neither  heat 
nor  air  penetrate  it.  Instead  of  absorbing  the  sun's  rays  it  1 
reflects  them,  thereby  rendering  the  atmosphere  stifling  on 
summer  days,  and  cool  as  soon  as  the  sun  sets.  As  the  earth  is  1  j 
too  dense  for  the  water  to  soak  into  it  readily,  a  consecutive^ 
rainfall  of  an  hour  or  more  converts  the  city  into  a  sea  of  mud) 
In  the  absence  of  other  paving  material  than  macadam,  whirl- 
ing clouds  of  fine,  grayish  dust,  which  penetrates  like  the  sand 
from  the  Chinese  Loess,  rise  on  windy  days,  and  make  travel- 
ing highly  disagreeable.  Were  the  city  more  compact,  and 
could  one  get  a  bird's-eye  view  of  it,  it  would  bear  some  like- 
ness to  Venice  or  Bangkok,  for  a  multiplicity  of  canals  spanned 
by  477  bridges  (153  of  stone,  29  of  iron,  and  295  of  wood)  cross 
and  re-cross  it.  Tidal  water  is  considered  the  life  of  certain 
districts,  especially  Nihonbashi,  Kyobashi,  and  Fukagawa — 
the  centers  of  commercial  as  well  as  canal  life.  The  daily  life 
and  character  of  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  these  wards,  and 
of  the  others  which  flank  the  swift  Sumida-gawa,  are  influenced  • 
by  water.  Likewise  their  destinies,  for  many  are  drowned  each 
year,  through  accidents  or  by  the  floods  which  sometimes 
devastate  the  low-lying  quarters  of  the  city  and  claim  an 
appalling  list  of  victims. 

Sixty-three  main  Canals  Qiori)  and  numerous  branches  reach  inward 
from  the  river  and  enable  fairly  big  junks  to  bring  their  cargoes  right  up  to 
the  doors  of  many  of  the  Tokyo  warehouses.  Vast  quantities  of  merchandise 
are  carried  in  and  out  on  these  aqueous  lanes,  —  on  which  most  of  the  city's 
refuse  is  floated  out  to  sea,  and  the  fish  and  market  supplies  are  brought  in. 
The  city  records  show  that  2839  junks,  2135  sculling-boats,  278  steamboats, 
96  European  sail-boats,  27  warehouse-boats,  and  54  ferry-boats,  plying 
between  22  ferries,  traffic  on  the  surface  of  the  Sumida  and  its  converging 
canals.  When  typhoons  blow  in  the  right  direction,  or  mt.  torrents  swell 
the  upper  waters  of  the  river,  many  of  these  flu  vial  lanes  overflow  their  banks 
and  bring  consternation  and  destruction  in  their  train.  The  great  flood  of 
Aug.,  1907,  killed  459  persons,  injured  237,  partly  destroyed  3259  houses, 
flooded  87,000,  washed  away  3108,  and  ruined  many  bridges.  That  of  1910 
was  almost  as  destructive.  When  the  tide  is  out,  some  of  the  canals  are 
offensively  pestiferous,  and  are  paved  with  blue-black  slime  which  indicates 
that  the  refluent  tide  brings  much  of  the  refuse  back  into  the  city. 

Old  Yedo,  prior  to  the  15th  cent.,  was  a  characterless  fishing- 
village.  It  came  first  into  history  in  1456  when  Ota  Sukenaga 
(known  also  as  Ota  Dokwan),  sl  vassal  of  the  Sadamasa  branch 
of  the  Uesugi  family  (of  daimyds),  built  a  castle  on  a  hill  over- 
looking the  bay,  and  after  considerable  fighting  with  his 
envious  neighbors  became  the  acknowledged  master  of  Musashi 
Province.  In  due  course  the  castle  and  fief  passed  to  others,  — 


Old  Yedo. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  125 


ultimately  to  Hojo  Ujitsuna,  who  held  it  until  his  downfall  in 
1590.  It  went  then  to  the  first  Tokugawa  Shogun,  Ieyasu,  who 
razed  the  structure  and  on  its  site  erected  another  which 
endured  as  the  seat  of  the  shogunate  for  260  yrs.  After  his 
crushing  victory  over  his  enemies  at  Sekigahara,  the  celebrated 
founder  of  the  Tokugawa  line  (who  is  regarded  as  the  father  of 
the  present  city)  set  about  with  customary  energy  to  make  the 
reedy  swamps  about  Edo  a  fit  place  of  residence.  With  char- 
acteristic strategy  the  wily  general  not  only  effected  this,  but 
he  safeguarded  his  position  as  master  by  ordering  all  the  great 
feudal  barons  of  the  country  to  build  their  metropolitan  man- 
sions (yashiki)  near  his  well-nigh  impregnable  castle ;  to  live  at 
the  capital  during  a  portion  of  each  year;  and  upon  departing 
for  their  distant  fiefs  to  leave  wives  and  children  as  hostages 
against  a  safe  and  loyal  return.  [Bronze  statuettes  of  both 
Dokwan  and  Ieyasu  may  be  seen  on  the  stairway  landing  of  the 
mayor's  office,  —  PL  F,  6.]  At  this  period  Yedo  resembled  a 
vast  military  encampment,  with  the  shogun's  headquarters 
in  the  castle  on  the  hill,  and  the  dwellings  of  the  daimyos  and 
their  swashbuckling  retainers  spread  out  like  a  fan  before  it. 
Mile  after  mile  of  the  fortress-like  yashiki  of  these  territorial 
barons  stood  where  the  governmental  bureaus,  the  embassies 
and  legations,  the  house  of  Parliament,  Hibaya  Park,  etc., 
stand  now;  grim  but  picturesque  structures  surrounded  by 
open  ditches,  entered  through  massive  gateways  clamped  with 
iron  or  bronze,  oftentimes  studded  with  bosses  and  spikes, 
and  always  guarded  by  haughty,  two-sworded  samurai,  each 
with  his  little  retinue;  so  that  the  great  army  added  consider- 
ably to  the  population  and  prosperity  of  the  new  town.  De- 
spite the  earthquakes  which  at  intervals  almost  demolished  it, 
and  the  conflagrations  which  from  time  to  time  cut  tremendous 
swaths  through  it,  Yedo  flourished  apace  —  so  much  so  that 
at  its  period  of  greatest  prosperity  (before  the  collapse  of  the 
feudal  system  and  the  consequent  downfall  of  the  shogunate) 
it  is  said  to  have  contained  more  than  a  million  inhabitants. 
When  the  shogun7 s  influence  began  to  wane,  and  the  obligation 
laid  upon  the  daimyos  to  maintain  feudal  mansions  in  Yedo 
could  be  evaded,  there  was  an  exodus  which  for  a  time  threat- 
ened the  very  existence  of  the  erstwhile  shogunal  stronghold; 
had  it  not  befallen  that  the  'restored'  Mikado  made  (in  1869, 
28th  day,  3d  month,  2d  year  of  Meiji)  of  Yedo  his  'East  Capi- 
tal/ and  established  (at  the  instigation  of  Okubo  Toshimichi) 
his  residence  and  the  seat  of  the  Imperial  Gov't  here,  the  glory 
and  glitter  of  the  once  famous '  City  of  the  Tycoons'  might  have 
departed  forever.  The  rise  of  Yokohama  was  coincident  with 
Yedo's  threatened  decadence,  and  Osaka's  prestige  was  seri- 
ously impaired  by  the  removal  of  the  capital  from  Kyoto. 

History  speaks  in  mournful  terms  of  the  disasters  which 
overtook  Yedo  during  the  early  years  of  its  existence;  fires  did 


126    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


Old  Yedo. 


terrible  damage,  particularly  when  they  'got  away'  and  devel- 
oped into  what  American  fire-fighters  term  ■  conflagrations. 1 
Those  of  1621-57-68  and  1845  left  scarcely  anything  but 
smouldering  ruins  in  their  wake,  not  even  sparing  the  Imperial 
Palace,  which  burned,  to  be  again  destroyed  in  1863.  So 
terrifying  were  some  of  these  holocausts  that  the  populace 
became  panic-stricken  when  a  fire  started,  and  frantic  men 
dashed  through  the  narrow  streets  furiously  beating  great 
drums  whose  booming  notes  echoed  far  and  wide  and  warned 
the  people  to  be  on  the  watch  against  an  ember-bombardment 
and  its  consequences.  So  deeply  rooted  became  this  custom 
that  it  is  still  practiced,  and  oftentimes  in  the  still  hours  of  the 
night  the  visitor  hears  the  deep,  thrilling  tones  of  drums 
spreading  their  triple  warning  notes;  men  march  through 
streets  miles  from  the  fire,  tapping  drums  and  ringing  bells,  as 
solemn  and  lugubrious  warnings  to  those  afar  to  prepare  for 
dire  disaster.  In  1760  more  than  one  half  of  Yedo  was  reduced 
to  ashes,  and  11  yrs.  later  a  fire  which  burned  for  10  days  and 
swept  over  5  districts  destroyed  an  untold  number  of  houses 
and  killed  400  persons. 

'The  Government  [writes  Captain  Brinkley]  seems  to  have  been  engaged 
in  constant  legislation  and  organization  for  checkirlg  these  catastrophes.  At 
first  the  city  was  divided  into  47  sections,  each  having  its  own  band  of 
firemen,  and  on  alarm  being  raised,  all  the  bands  were  ordered  to  proceed  to 
the  scene.  But  it  was  soon  recognized  that  the  loss  of  life  and  the  robberies 
caused  by  failure  to  control  the  crowds  thronging  the  streets  were  more 
terrible  even  than  the  havoc  wrought  by  the  flames.  Therefore  the  divisions 
of  the  city  were  reduced  to  ten,  and  a  decree  directed  that  only  the  firemen 
of  the  section  actually  burning  should  proceed  to  the  place,  all  the  rest 
remaining  to  protect  their  sections  against  sparks  and  thieves.  Measures 
almost  savagely  drastic  were  adopted  to  prevent  disorder.  Again  and  again 
regulations  appeared  on  the  noticeboards  at  the  cross-streets  forbidding 
any  save  the  nearest  relatives  to  repair  to  the  scene  of  a  fire,  and  authorizing 
the  guards  to  kill  every  person  acting  in  defiance  of  that  restriction.  The 
incendiary  was  crucified,  and  any  one  causing  a  fire  by  negligence  became 
liable  to  capital  punishment,  while  the  members  of  the  five-family  group 
to  which  he  belonged  shared  his  guilt  to  the  extent  of  imprisonment.' 

About  the  middle  of  the  17th  cent,  the  wealthier  citizens 
began  using  tiles  for  roofing  purposes,  as  an  added  precaution 
against  fire,  and  this  was  followed  in  1721  by  the  invention 
(ascribed  to  Hachiroji  Iga)  of  the  fireproof  storehouse  (dozo) 
covered  with  mud  and  plaster,  now  conspicuous  features  in 
every  town.  Conflagrations  continued,  however,  and  in  time 
they  came  to  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  inevitable  ills  of  daily 
life,  and  it  was  said,  'The  Fire  is  Yedo's  Flower'  (Kaji-wa 
Yedo  no  hana  da),  a  proverb  which  lives  in  the  vernacular. 
It  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  fires  to  destroy  from  1000  to  2000 
houses  at  a  time  in  Tokyo ;  statistics  show  that  the  annual  fires 
aggregate  about  700,  and  that  some  8000  houses  valued  at  6 
million  yen  are  burned.  To  the  unstable  paper-lamp  (andon), 
the  unhygienic  fire-box  (kotatsu),  the  shichirin  (a  portable 
furnace  so  called  because  it  requires  only  T7o  of  a  penny  worth 
of  charcoal),  most  of  the  fires,  are  due.  Servants  scorn  the  most 


The  Present  City.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  127 


elementary  precautions  against  fire,  and  the  surprising  thing  is 
that  there  are  not  more  each  year.  The  greatest  fires  often- 
times break  out  in  brothels  and  bath-houses. 

There  was  no  lack  of  floods  in  the  early  days,  for  then  the 
canals  were  as  much  in  evidence  as  now,  and  the  unruliness  of 
the  Sumida-gawa  equally  disastrous;  but  the  toll  of  lives  and 
property  exacted  by  them  was  trifling  compared  with  the  havoc 
wrought  by  earthquakes  —  the  scourge  which  the  long-suffer- 
ing Japanese  dread  the  most.  In  1703  an  earthquake  shook 
down  a  large  portion  of  the  colossal  walls  of  the  castle  moats, 
and  a  fire  followed  in  which  37,000  lives  were  lost;  coincidently 
a  tidal  wave  destroyed  upward  of  100,000  persons  in  the  districts 
of  Sagami,  Kazusa,  and  Awa.  Of  the  most  destructive  earth- 
quakes through  which  the  city  has  passed  that  of  1855  deserves 
special  mention,  for  the  recollection  of  it  and  its  attendant 
horrors  remains  with  the  oldest  inhabitants;  and  the  people, 
notwithstanding  their  habitual  stoicism,  fear  nothing  more 
than  a  repetition  of  it.  Eighty  shocks  were  felt  within  a  month, 
the  most  violent  on  the  night  of  Nov.  10;  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye  Yedo  was  little  better  than  a  rubbish  heap.  Fire  broke  out 
simultaneously  in  30  places  throughout  the  capital,  which  was 
made  as  light  as  day  by  the  glare.  Those  of  the  terrified  people 
who  had  not  thought  instantly  of  saving  themselves,  mostly 
perished  under  beams  and  debris;  many  were  burned  to  death. 
The  survivors  took  refuge  on  the  hills  and  in  the  environs. 
From  time  to  time  the  shocks  were  repeated,  until  they  finally 
ceased  Nov.  28.  The  number  of  fallen  houses  in  Yedo  was 
estimated  at  14,200,  with  1600  warehouses;  104,000  persons 
are  said  to  have  perished.  (Comp.  Earthquakes,  p.  195.) 

The  Present  City.  The  first  intelligent  and  sustained  efforts 
to  beautify  and  modernize  the  1  Eastern  Capital'  were  made 
by  the  late  Emperor  aided  by  the  Municipal  Board.  Both  were 
ceaseless  in  their  efforts  to  reclaim  the  tawdry  suburbs;  replace 
mediaeval  structures  with  comfortable,  modern  ones;  convert 
the  unsightly,  outlying  moats  into  well-paved  thoroughfares; 
and  change  the  vast  waste  places  of  the  metropolis  into  flower- 
decked  parks  or  pleasure-grounds.  A  splendid  example  of  the 
latter  is  Hibiya  Park,  long  a  neglected,  unkempt,  parade- 
ground,  and  now  a  center  for  the  most  magnificent  display  of 
azaleas  in  the  city.  Many  of  the  abuses  which  obtained  during 
the  days  of  the  shogunate  were  corrected,  and  the  Emperor  in- 
stituted many  good  ideas  in  civic  reform.  The  old  two-sworded 
men  who  once  paraded  the  city  streets  —  picturesque  adjuncts . 
to  a  shogun  but  terrible  to  the  cringing  citizen  —  have  vanished 
into  the  limbo  reserved  for  such  obsolete  things,  albeit  their 
romance  and  history  are  enshrined  in  many  a  song  and  poem. 
This  praiseworthy  interest  on  the  part  of  the  Mikado  in  his 
new  capital  soon  began  to  crystallize  in  terms  of  expansion  and 
prosperity.  The  city  throve  visibly  under  the  imperial  urge, 


128   Route  10. 


TOKYO 


The  Present  City. 


and  the  census  of  1875  recorded  149,383  houses,  1177  streets, 
and  565,905,  inhabitants.  The  environs  of  the  castle  were 
beautified;  trees  were  planted;  boulevards  were  laid  out;  parks 
planned;  and  the  Nipponese  were  shown  that  they  had  the 
right  setting  for  one  of  the  finest  cities  in  the  Far  East.  Its 
greatest  growth  and  development  date  from  about  1880,  when 
Japan  was  practically  freed  from  serious  internal  disorder,  and 
fairly  launched  on  its  unexampled  career  of  progress.  The 
united  people  began  to  show  their  eagerness  to  place  their 
country  and  its  historic  capital  on  an  equal  footing  with  those 
of  other  great  nations,  and  civic  improvements  became  the 
theme  uppermost  in  the  metropolitan  mind.  Public-spirited 
citizens  began  to  found  and  endow  universities  and  colleges; 
sturdy  granite  buildings  appeared  where  formerly  stood  the 
thatched  and  wattled  huts  of  the  proletariat;  electric  tram- 
ways and  other  imported  conveniences  were  added;  and  the 
sometime  feudal  stronghold  renounced  retirement  and  ob- 
scurity and  fell  into  its  present  stride. 

The  Tokyo  of  to-day  must  be  a  far  more  comfortable  place 

Jtpr  a  Japanese  to  live  in  than  was  the  Yedo  of  the  Tycoons. 

f  Formerly  if  an  official  made  a  blunder  he  was  likely  to  be 
poisoned  or  stabbed ;  in  default  of  either  he  was  practically  sure 
to  receive  from  some  thoughtful  soul  a  poniard  accompanied 
by  an  invitation  quickly  to  disembowel  himself!  Again,  if  a 
timid  layman  but  looked  askance  at  a  picaroon  of  a  samurai 
his  head  was  sliced  off  in  a  trice  and  his  remains  kicked  into 
the  canal  to  be  floated  out  to  sea.  To-day  the  humblest  citizen 
has  a  voice  that  is  oftentimes  louder  than  was  that  of  the  sho- 
gun  in  the  17th  cent.,  and  the  commoner  is  protected  in  his 

jights  to  a  degree  anciently  undreamed  of.. 

The  sometime  exclusive  capital  of  the  Tokugawa  is  in  an 
agitated  state  of  steady  reformation;  it  is  undergoing  a  sort  of 
sustained  moulting  season  during  which  the  old,  weather- 
beaten,  historic  plumage  is  being  shed  and  a  newer,  more  iri- 
descent, composite  garb  is  taken  on.  In  old  Yedo  the  castle  was 
the  center  round  which  the  capital  developed  its  institutions, 
and  such  also  is  the  case  in  modern  Tokyo.  The  sumptuous 
gov't  offices,  theaters,  banks,  clubs,  commercial  structures, 
and  fine  boulevards  which  the  increasing  wealth  of  the  people 
enables  them  to  construct,  and  which  extend  in  a  constantly 
widening  circle  away  from  the  fine  old  castellated  relic  of  feudal 
days,  are  significant  of  the  newer  order,  and  symptomatic  of 
the  conditions  which  the  Tokyo  of  the  next  few  decades 
will  present  to  the  stranger.  No  longer  can  the  critic  lament 
that  Tokyo  is  monotonous  and  lacks  individuality.  Many  of 
the  modern  edifices  are  not  only  solid  and  semi-classical  in 
character,  of  cut  stone,  and  three  or  four  stories  in  height,  but 
they  stand  in  large  compounds,  away  from  the  shingle  roofs  of 
the  flimsy  native  structures,  not  only  imparting  a  park-like 


The  Present  City.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  129 


aspect  to  the  locality,  but  proving  a  check  against  the  spread 
of  fire.  Whenever  a  conflagration  does  cut  a  swath  through 
any  portion  of  the  old  quarter,  the  alert  and  progressive  author- 
ities profit  by  a  municipal  regulation  covering  such  cases;  and 
narrow  lanes,  which  formerly  ran  like  hair  lines  up  and  down 
and  across  the  city,  are  converted  into  wide  thoroughfares, 
dotted  here  and  there  with  bronze  statues  or  monuments  of 
national  heroes.  These  fires  prove  blessings  in  their  way,  for 
Tokyo  is  so  vast  that  normal  improvements  —  always  neces- 
sarily slow  —  are  scarcely  noticeable,  and  many  years  would 
ordinarily  be  required  to  convert  Ieyasu's  old  capital  into  a 
presentable  Occidental  metropolis.  It  thus  befalls  that  between 
visits,  certain  quarters  of  the  city  grow  almost  out  of  recogni- 
tion —  even  to  Japanese  who  go  abroad  and  later  return. 
Present-day  Tokyo  is  showing*its  commercial  genius  by  absorb- 
ing a  good  deal  of  the  trade  which  once  belonged  to  Yokohama, 
and  during  the  last  few  years  not  a  few  Yokohama  merchants 
have  been  forced  either  to  open  branches  here  or  transfer 
bodily  their  allegiance. 

The  relative  smallness  of  the  majority  of  the  ephemeral, 
frame,  neutral-tinted,  one-  or  two-storied,  .pantile-roofed 
Japanese  Houses  —  which  customarily  shelter  4-6  persons 
and  are  constructed  with  the  reserve  idea  that  they  may  at  any 
time  be  burned,  or  shaken  down  by  an  earthquake  —  accounts 
for  the  lack  of  Tokyo's  compactness.  Though  outwardly 
modest,  even  tawdry,  some  of  them  are  as  deceptive  as  those 
of  Seville,  with  their  delightful  patios,  fountains,  and  flowers; 
for  behind  their  monotonous  exteriors  often  lie  charming  little 
landscape  gardens  dotted  with  tiny  pools,  microscopic  islands, 
bridges,  and  the  like,  where  fluffy-tailed  goldfish  with  pop-eyes 
and  distended  little  stomachs  swim  beneath  flowering  iris, 
lotus,  maples,  or  cherry  blooms,  and  dispute  the  restricted 
spaces  with  captive  turtles,  lovely  cranes,  porcelain  pagodas, 
or  sundry  bronze  ornaments  and  dwarf  trees.)  So  spread  out  is 
the  old  daimyo  stronghold,  and  so  few  the  marked  elevations, 
that  there  is  no  one  point  from  which  the  city  as  a  whole  can  be 
seen.  Sectional  views  are  possible  from  Uyeno  Park,  and 
Atago-yama,  and  a  sweeping  perspective  is  obtainable  from  the 
edge  of  Kudan  Hill  (PI.  F,  4),  whence  one  looks  out  toward  the 
N.E.  over  Kanda-ku,  Nihonbashi,  and  the  wards  beyond,  but 
all  serve  to  impress  one  with  the  vastness  of  Tokyo,  broken  in 
many  places  by  trees,  singly,  in  groves,  and  in  avenues. 

The  vista  from  the  E.  edge  of  Uyeno  Terrace  is  one  of  the 
most  satisfying,  for  beyond  the  intervening  sea  of  dull  gray 
roofs  there  rise  the  fine  old  upward-sweeping,  heavily  tiled 
roofs  of  the  Asakusa  temples,  with  their  gilded  crests  glinting^ 
in  the  sun,  and  hard  by,  the  ever-picturesque  pagodas  and 
semi-Arabic  roofs  of  the  metropolitan  Coney  Island.  Beyond 
is  the  glistening  Sumida-gawa,  and  cutting  the  horizon  like 


130    Route  10. 


TOKYO  The  Present  City. 


lapis-lazuli  spires,  fading  away  into  the  pearly  haze,  are  scores 
of  peaks  of  Japan's  northern  mt.  range. [The  traveler  is  fre- 
quently impressed  by  the  singular  attractiveness  of  these  grand 
old  temple  roofs  seen  from  afar.  Some  of  them  are  astonishingly 
complicated,  with  a  maze  of  gables,  involuted  angles,  demons 
and  mythological  monsters,  and  throughout  Japan  they  take 
the  place  of  the  cathedral  spires  of  Europe  and  America,  and 
of  the  polychromatic  tiled  domes  and  minarets  of  India  and  the 
near  EasO  Coupled  with  the  beguiling  views  of  the  winsome 
Fuji,  whrch  one  gets  from  many  points  in  Tokyo,  the  temples 
would  rescue  any  city  from  the  commonplace.  They  certainly 
refute  the  remark  of  a  hypercritical  traveler  that '  Tokyo  is  a 
city  of  magnificent  distances  without  the  magnificence.'  No 
thoughtful  traveler  could  entertain  this  belief  after  having 
seen  the  splendid  old  castle  inclosure  with  its  superb  moats  and 
colossal,  aristocratically  sedate  and  impressive  walls;  the  bar- 
barically  grandiose  mausolea  of  Shiba  Park,  with  their  splendid 
circumvallation;  Uyeno  itself  enshrined  in  its  glorious  groves 
of  majestic  cryptomerias  and  bewilderingly  beautiful  avenues 
of  flowering  cherry  trees,  or  even  the  broad  Shinobazu-no-ike 
which  stretches  W.  from  the  foot  of  Uyeno  heights  and  which, 
in  August,  is  so  choked  with  a  myriad  gorgeous  lotus  blooms 
that  scarcely  an  inch  of  its  erstwhile  mirror-like  surface  is 
exposed  to  view.  No  well-advised  traveler  to  Tokyo  will  fail: 
to  make  a  pilgrimage  to  this  enchanting  spot  when  the  lotuses  j 
are  in  bloom,  nor  yet  in  early  April  when  the  cherry  blooms  so  j 
idealize  the  park  thatTFe "Beauty-loving  Japanese  seem  seized  j 
with  a  species  of  flower-madness  and  drop  everything  to  hasten  j 
there  and  drink  in  the  impressive  sight.  ^ 

No  quarter  in  Tokyo  can  be  said  to  be  given  up  solely  to 
business,  unless  it  be  the  restricted  area  immediately  adjacent 
to  Yayesu-cho,  as  the  Japanese  custom  is  to  live  and  do  busi- 
ness —  even  manufacturing  —  under  the  same  roof.  So  many 
of  the  houses  are  demure,  box-like  affairs,  too  tiny  to  hold  the 
family  when  the  bread-winning  machinery  is  in  motion,  that 
thousands  of  the  inhabitants  make  the  streets  their  home  dur- 
ing certain  hours  of  the  day.  The  saunterer  along  the  city's 
byways  may  see  scores  of  native  products  in  the  process  of 
making  in  the  little  houses  whose  front  casements  are  shunted 
out  of  sight  in  the  morning  to  leave  the  interior  with  most  of 
its  domestic  practices  open  to  the  gaze  of  every  passer-by. 
In  this,  as  in  other  ways,  huge  areas  of  Tokyo  are  provincial 
rather  than  metropolitan,  but  adherences  to  age-old  customs 
and  social  regulations  add  to  the  general  picturesqueness.  In 
those  remote  quarters  of  the  city  where  a  foreigner  is  still 
strange  to  the  people,  one  gets  many  queer  glimpses  of  the  life 
of  Old  Japan,  transplanted  but  not  changed. 

The  Japanese  possess  the  German's  genius  and  liking  for 
statistics  and  minuteness,  and  a  scrupulously  exact  record  is 


The  Present  City. 


TOKYO 


10.  Route.  131 


kept  of  Tokyo  and  the  doings  of  its  people.*  The  daily  floating 
population  of  the  metropolis  is  29,000,  and  those  who  come  in 
are  counted  as  well  as  those  who  leave.  The  yearly  average  of 
marriages  is  13,000,  wifh  2000  divorces  and  400  suicides  (150 
of  which  are  women).  {Upward  of  200,000  persons  live  on  7-8 
sen  a  day,  and  envy  those  who  can  spend  10  sen  (5  cents,  Ameri- 
can money )}  Of  the  752,000  women,  191,000  work  outside 
their  homes  —  59,000  as  maid-servants;  26,000  as  dressmakers; 
24,200  as  shop  assistants;  20,000  as  hotel-  and  bar-maids;  and 
14,500  as  teachers.  The  majority  (aged  15  to  60  yrs.)  are  un- 
married. Of  the  50,000  children  born  each  year  7000  are  Shoshi 
(born  of  concubines).  The  5200  children  who  are  lost  each 
year  are  as  regularly  found  by  the  3400  policemen  (average 
salary,  ¥27  a  month)  and  restored  to  their  careless  parents. 
The  same  policemen  maintain  order  in  886  bath-houses;  the  5 
licensed  quarters  with  their  6734  women  of  the  half- world; 
the  1618  geisha  houses  containing  3938  geisha  (many  of  whom 
lead  the  police  a  desperate  chase) ;  the  545  high-class,  and  the 
7736  low-class  restaurants;  350  amusement-halls,  numerous 
theaters,  and  450  inns  and  hotels.  ^To  keep  the  police  well  exer- 
cised, they  are  made  to  help  put  out  the  700-odd  fires  which 
occur  annually;  muzzle  the  12,110  dogs  (7634  of  them  'honest' 
watch-dogs)  owned  in  the  city;  kill  the  1,500,000  honorable 
rats  (of  which  there  are  about  3  in  each  house)  slaughtered 
annually  (411  a  day);  keep  one  eye  on  the  6000  loafers  (who 
call  themselves  ronin,  but  who  in  many  cases  are  just  plain 
thieves)  that  roam  and  dawdle  about  the  streets ;  keep  another 
eye  on  the  1176  pawnbrokers;  and  the  759  waste-paper  collec- 
tors,  the  while  urging  the  24,511  careless  jinriki-shafu  to  keep 
on  the  left  side  of  the  road!  The  questions  put  to  these  over- 
worked public  servants,  who  earn  45  cents  a  day,  but  who  are 
always  courteous,  and  usually  unbribable,  have  not  been  listed. 
There  are  1310  Buddhist  temples  (50  yrs.  ago  there  were 
3300)  divided  among  9  sects,  in  the  metropolis,  and  213  Shinto 
shrines.  Of  the  123  places  where  Christianity  is  preached,  7  are 
Roman  Catholic  and  8  Russian  (Greek)  Orthodox.  The  120 
toy  manufacturers  ship  toys  (omocha)  each  year  to  the  value 
of  1J  million  yen.  —  That  the  Japanese  are  fast  becoming  a 
meat-eating  people  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  each  year  35,000 
beeves,  12,000  horses,  and  60,000  hogs  are  killed  in  the  Tokyo 
abattoirs,  and  that  they  consume  besides,  numerous  monkeys, 
wild-boars,  deer,  —  and  cats  [which  are  known  to  be  served  in 
some  of  the  cheap  macaroni  restaurants]. 

The  wide-open,  metamorphosed  capital  of  the  old  shoguns 
now  contains  five  palaces  and  several  imperial  villas;  a  score 
or  more  foreign  embassies  and  legations;  a  Stock  and  a  Pro- 
duce Exchange;  a  Clearing-House;  119  Banks  (with  300  Postal 
Savings  Banks);  three  widely  celebrated  Universities  (nearly 
all  with  private  museums  and  libraries);  and  several  lesser 


132   Route  10.  TOKYO  The  Present  City. 


ones;  an  Academy  of  Fine  Arts;  one  of  Music;  and  a  host  of 
colleges  and  minor  schools  —  conspicuous  among  them  Marine, 
Naval,  Military,  Technical,  Sericultural,  and  Polytechnical 
Schools,  as  well  as  schools  for  Engineering,  Surgery,  Agricul- 
ture, Ely.  Science,  Natural  Science,  Commerce,  and  what-not. 
The  excellent  Foreign  Language  School  accounts  for  hundreds 
of  the  polyglot  men  and  women  one  meets  throughout  Japan, 
while  the  admirable  Rly.  School,  maintained  and  conducted 
by  the  Imperial  Gov't  Rly.  Bureau,  turns  out  each  year  scores 
of  young  men  not  only  well  versed  in  the  science  of  rly.  man- 
agement, but  able  to  speak  English  with  amazing  fluency  and 
academic  purity.  fThe  Jujutsu  School  of  Prof.  Jigoro  Kano 
is  a  unique  product  of  Old  Japan  and  a  special  feature  of  Tokyo. 
In  this  unpretentious  place  many  young  men  and  women 
are  daily  trained  to  proficiency  in  the  subtle  ethics  of  a  singular 
Oriental  science  in  which  foreigners  have  long  been  interested, 
but  whose  higher  laws  of  physical  dynamics  have  yet  to  be 
expatriated} 

As  the  greatest  focus  of  the  new  order  of  things  in  Japan, 
Tokyo  naturally  heads  the  l^st  with  post-offices,  of  which  there 
is  a  central  office  with  23  lesser  ones  and  205  branches  through 
which  225  million  pieces  of  mail  matter  pass  annually;  there 
are  1740  post-boxes  scattered  throughout  the  city.  The  stamps, 
as  well  as  the  national  paper  currency,  are  printed  at  the  Mint 
mentioned  at  p.  140.  Ten  attractive  bazaars  add  to  the  glitter 
of  the  metropolis,  and  scores  of  Commercial  Guilds  conduct 
the  vast  commerce  of  the  capital  through  proper  channels. 
About  350  patents  are  issued  each  year  in  the  Patent  Office, 
but  so  many  of  these  are  to  foreigners  that  one  concludes  the 
Japanese  lack  inventiveness.  The  municipally  owned  tram- 
ways (150  or  more  M.  of  track)  carry  about  100,000  passengers 
daily,  safely,  quickly,  and  for  an  inclusive  5-sen  fare.  At  pres- 
ent there  are  12  parks,  but  the  system  is  being  extended. 
Besides  the  well-stocked  Zoological  Garden  there  are  2  attrac- 
tive Botanical  Gardens  and  an  unlisted  number  of  fine  Land- 
scape Gardens.  The  annual  flower  displays  at  certain  of  the 
parks  and  public  gardens  are  scarcely  equaled  anywhere.  Most 
of  the  15  Hospitals  (the  Salvation  Army  Hospital  was  opened 
in  1912)  are  modern  and  complete;  as  are  also  the  4  prisons. 
The  Yoshiwaras  are  located  at  the  cardinal  points  of  the  capi- 
tal, and  being  thus  relegated,  the  main  thoroughfares  of  the 
city  are  freer  from  a  certain  element  than  are  those  of  almost 
any  city  of  equal  size  on  the  globe.  The  extensive  sewer  sys- 
tem now  under  way  will  cost  about  33  million  yen.  The  water 
(safer  to  drink  it  boiled)  supply  comes  from  the  Tamagawa 
('  crystal  river')  24  M.  away,  and  it  was  first  brought  into  the 
city  in  1900.  There  are  9  cemeteries  in  Tokyo,  besides  several 
crematories  (at  Kameido,  Meguro,  etc.)  or  kasoba.  The  Met- 
ropolitan Race-Course  is  at  Meguro  (PL  A,  6). 


The  Present  City.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  133 


Although  Tokyo  abounds  in  places  of  minor  interest,  and 
the  strangeness  of  its  street  life  appeals  powerfully  to  the  Occi- 
dental, it  possesses  but  few  rapturous  charms  and  genuine 
fascinations.  It  lacks  the  lustrous,  jewel-like  brilliancy  of 
certain  of  the  gorgeous  cities  of  British  India;  the  gay,  sugges- 
tive whirl  of  St.  Petersburg,  Paris,  or  Berlin;  the  stately  streets 
and  delirious  resorts  of  New  York;  or  the  more  sedate  by,t 
equally  attractive  haunts  of  London.  Practically  speaking, 
there  is  no  night  life  that  appeals  to  the  foreigner;  no  nocturnal 
thrills  strong  enough  to  keep  him  out  of  his  bed  till  5  a.m. 
There  are  no  gay  squares  or  plazas;  no  majestic  streets  like 
Fifth  Avenue  or  the  Boulevard  des  Italiens;  no  'Great  White 
Way ' ;  no  luxurious  '  Lobster  Palaces  ' ;  and  no  fashionable 
drives  like  the  Bois,  Rotten  Row,  the  Maidan,  or  even  the 
Bubbling- Well  Road.  Exhibitions  of  plutocratic  pomp;  of 
diamond-decked  decollete;  of  fascinating  feminine  charms,  are 
wanting.  Nor  is  there  a  Bohemian  quarter.  The  theaters 
possess  but  few  allurements  for  the  average  traveler  fresh  from 
'home/  and  the  fact  that  the  local  1  Coney  Island  7  is  within  a 
temple  compound  somehow  chills  his  vivaciousness.  Nor  is  he 
often  blind  to  the  curious  fact  that  not  far  from  some  big  temple 
are  those  strange  products  of  Japanese  civilization,  the  Yoshi- 
waras,  —  poison-spots  where  dwell  the  glittering  enchantresses 
known  as  the  licensed  hetairai.  Neither  codes  of  pride  nor 
prejudice  seem  to  suggest  that  brothels  should  be  as  far  re- 
moved as  possible  from  temples. 

After  dark  Tokyo  is  a  big  dusky  village  to  all  but  the  initi- 
ated, and  to  some  an  intolerably  dull  one.  Unless  one  figures 
in  the  diplomatic  swing,  and  officiates  at  the  almost  ceaseless 
round  of  entertainments  enjoyed  by  that  favored  class,  there  is 
little  for  the  average  man  to  do  outside  the  comfortable  hotel; 
for  the  few  thousand  foreigners  who  dwell  in  Tokyo  are  prac- 
tically lost  in  the  huge  metropolis.  f  On  the  other  hand,  the 
Japanese,  who  do  not  go  in  much  for  a  fast  life,  and  who  are 
easily  pleased,  find  the  decorous  allurements  of  Tokyo  so  potent 
that  they  are  drawn  to  them,  as  by  magnets,  from  all  parts  of 
the  Empire.  To  hobnob  perpetually  with  a  tiny  pot  of  insipid, 
sugarless  tea  and  a  tobacco-pipe  with  a  bowl  no  bigger  than  a 
bullet,  the  while  listening  to  the  beating  of  a  tom-tom  and  the 
doleful  ditties  of  pantomimic  geisha,  fill  them  with  rapture; 
and  once  installed  in  the  capital  they  regard  with  positive  pity 
all  who  are  so  unfortunate  as  to  dwell  outside  iti  Late  diners, 
midnight  smokers,  with  the  Great  Napoleon's  ability  to  sleep  i 
anywhere,  in  any  position,  and  at  any  time,  the  Japanese,  when 
enjoying  themselves,  play  stronger  on  the  soft  pedal  than  on 
the  loud,  with  a  non-percussive  pianissimo  effect  in  which  the 
restless,  feverish  foreigner  finds  it  impossible  to  join. 

Despite  the  incessant  drive  which  modern  ambitions  are 
gradually  instilling  into  commercial  Tokyo,  the  traveler  notes 


« 


134    Route  10. 


TOKYO  The  Present  City. 


a  lack  of  discord  incompatible  with  so  big  a  city.  One  may 
tramp  the  streets  for  weeks  on  end  and  never  witness  a  brawl, 
see  a  child  spanked  (children  are  never  struck  in  punishment) , 
hear  a  profane  word,  or  note  a  cross  look.  The  fact  that  most 
of  the  huddle  of  houses  in  the  city  have  but  a  very  thin  party 
wall;  that  sounds  are  conveyed  distinctly  through  them,  and 
that  the  majority  of  the  people  live  almost  in  each  others' 
mouths,  speak  volumes  for  the  forbearance  mutually  shown. 
That  such  a  vast  multitude  can  dwell  so  closely  packed  yet  on 
such  amiable  and  courteous  terms  is  a  sustained  surprise  to 
Westerners.  Whether  the  free  adoption  of  the  modern  strenu- 
ous life  will  make  for  the  permanent  maintainence  of  this 
almost  idyllic  state  remains  to  be  seen.  With  many,  the  strug- 
gle to  keep  heads  above  the  rising  tide  of  high  prices  is  pathetic, 
and  that  individualism  is  now  prevailing  where  collectivism 
formerly  ruled  is  too  apparent  to  be  disregarded.  Notwith- 
standing this,  the  capital  is  practically  free  from  footpads ;  life  is 
safer  than  in  many  Occidental  cities,  and  foreigners  can  usually 
walk  the  streets  unharmed  at  any  time  of  night. 

Among  the  many  picturesque  spots  in  the  capital  are  certain 
reaches  along  the  network  of  canals,  to  which  the  quaint  doll- 
like houses  back  up  and  squeeze  tightly  one  against  the  other. 
Some  are  built  on  wooden  piles  and  have  overhanging  rear 
balconies  in  the  form  of  modified  oriels  supported  by  brackets 
or  corbels;  when  they  are  filled  with  flowers  and  with  cages  of 
song-birds  they  strongly  recall  vistas  in  Italy  and  southern 
Spain.  The  activity  of  the  barges,  junks,  and  sampans  which 
ply  almost  ceaselessly  along  these  tidal  ways,  and  the  graceful 
shadows  cast  by  the  old-fashioned  humpbacked  bridges  add 
additional  charm  .{The  unpleasant  impression  one  sometimes 
gets  in  these  locamies  is  that  the  people  have  their  sense  of 
smell  so  atrophied  by  indifference  that  it  fails  to  apprise  them 
of  stenches  that  all  but  stagger  Occidentals)  The  experienced 
traveler  knows-  that  '  every  city  set  up  by  the  hand  of  man 
possesses  a  distinctive  smell.'  It  does  not  take  him  long  to  be 
convinced  that  in  certain  Tokyo  quarters  there  are  some  that 
must  have  survived  the  feudal  period  and  have  been  handed 
down  from  remote  antiquity.  The  ungrudging  liberality  with 
which  they  are  distributed  strikes  him  as  queerly  as  do  the  long 
matutinal  street-parades  of  low  carts  filled  with  sloshing  night- 
soil  —  a  mediaeval  custom  which  deserves  to  be  eliminated 
from  cultured  Tokyo.  In  certain  quarters  the  least  observant] 
traveler  cannot  fail  to  note  that  exposure  of  person  is  not  con- 
sidered justiciable;  that  the  Japanese  harbor  no  physical 
secrets  from  one  another;  and  that  open-air  bathing  is  consid- 
ered good  for  the  epidermis.  Unforgettable  impressions  are 
the  rains  of  volcanic  ashes  which  sometimes  settle  over  the 
capital  from  Yarigatake  Volcano  (120  M.  at  the  W.);  that  of 
Feb.  2,  1912,  continued  for  several  hours. 


The  Streets. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  135 


The  Streets  (machi,  cho,  chome,  tori,  or  dori),  of  which  there 
are  1418  covering  some  600  M.,  are  nearly  all  animated,  and  as 
full  of  color  and  joyousness  as  an  Indian  bazaar.  They  are 
named  for  individuals,  trades,  animals,  flowers,  birds,  fishes, 
views,  and  various  natural  objects;  many  of  the  names  are 
duplicated  and  triplicated,  and  very  few  retain  the  same  name 
along  their  entire  length.  Most  of  them  are  rich  in  historical 
interest  —  theaters  of  stirring  events  before  and  after  the 
Restoration.  Repeated  municipal  edicts  have  changed  many 
of  the  picturesque  old  names,  notably  those  that  smacked  too 
strongly  of  the  adventurous  shoguns  and  the  swashbuckling 
picaroons  who  helped  them  to  make  history;  while  the  devas- 
tating hand  of  progress  has  spared  all  too  few  of  the  bizarre 
landmarks  that  were  living  messages  from  the  days  of  Old 
Japan.  There  is  a  Matsu  (pine)  street  in  almost  every  one  of 
the  various  subdivisions  of  the  city,  while  many  are  named  for 
the  bamboo,  peony,  chrysanthemum,  cherry,  stork,  monkey, 
bear,  plum,  rice,  many  kinds  of  fish,  and  what-not.  Some 
streets  take  their  names  from  near-by  bridges.  Few  if  any 
recall  military  exploit;  one,  Anjin-cho  (Pilot  St.),  is  named  for 
Will  Adams  (p.  38),  the  first  Englishman  who  ever  came  to 
Japan.  The  first  Tokugawa  Shogun,  Ieyasu,  gave  new  names  to 
several  of  the  principal  streets,  calling  them  after  some  of  those 
in  Shizuoka,  and  this  nomenclature  remained,  with  scarcely 
any  variations,  until  after  the  civil  war.  But  when  Yedo  was 
changed  to  Tokei  (then  Tokio  and  later  Tokyo),  every  name 
borrowed  from  Shizuoka  or  which  in  any  way  recalled  the 
former  power  and  glory  of  the  House  of  Tokugawa,  was  erased 
and  replaced  by  others.  About  one  sixth  of  the  street  names 
were  altered  by  this  decree,  and  the  old  names,  along  with 
Yedo  (which  is  not  now  used),  were  soon  forgotten.  Many  of 
the  long  streets  have  local  names  that  apply  to  the  sections 
through  which  they  pass.  The  newer  streets  are  wide  and 
spacious,  and  usually  straight. {One  rarely  sees  a  permanently! 
filthy  street  in  Tokyo ;  even  the  narrowest  lanes  are  almost! 
always  clean  and  well  swept)  Sidewalks  are  being  added  to 
the  new  streets,  —  an  innovation  dating  from  the  present  era. 
Blind  alleys  are  called  'bag  streets/  The  wide  avenues  along 
the  castle  moats  and  on  the  hill  at  the  W.  of  the  Palace  are 
said  to  have  been  made  originally  for  the  spectacular  display 
of  feudal  trains.  The  shogunal  glories  have  departed,  but  the 
streets  remain  to  grace  the  splendid  capital  of  New  Japan. 
Those  on  the  plain  are  designated  as  Shitamachi  ('  the  lowest 
part  of  a  city  '),  and  those  on  the  hill-slopes  Yama-no-te  ('a 
region  adjoining  hills  ')•  Those  within  the  outer  moat  are 
known  as  Marunouchi.  Five  big  national  roads  run  through 
Tokyo,  the  most  prominent  being  the  Tokaido,  —  the  one-time 
highroad  to  Kyoto. 


136   Route  10.  TOKYO  Central  Quarter. 


The  Central  Quarter. 

The  region  bounded  by  the  Imperial  Palace  on  the  W. ;  the 
Sumida  River  on  the  E.;  Shimbashi  Station  at  the  S.;  and 
Manseibashi  on  the  N.,  is  the  busiest,  the  most  densely  popu- 
lated, the  wealthiest  and  the  most  progressive  of  the  metropo- 
lis. At  its  W.  limit  a  wide  boulevard  {Kasumigaseki,  and  its 
prolongation  Sakuramondori)  leads  N.E.  to  the  historic  Saku- 
radamon  Gate  of  the  Palace,  and  is  flanked  on  its  N.W.  side 
by  the  Russian  Embassy  and  the  Foreign  Office,  both  of  which, 
with  the  region  to  the  W.,  are  referred  to  at  p.  159.  Diagonally 
opposite  the  latter,  on  the  S.E.,  in  Uchisawaicho  and  in  a  wide 
compound  in  which  are  a  number  of  big  guns  (relics  of  the 
Japan-Russia  War),  are  the  Upper  and  Lower  Houses  of  Parlia- 
ment (see  p.  clii).  The  chief  secretaries  of  both  houses  have 
their  offices  in  the  compound;  the  official  residence  of  the 
Speaker  of  the  Upper  House  is  at  the  S.  W.  corner  of  Hibiya 
Park;  that  of  the  Speaker  of  the  Lower  House  is  opposite  that 
of  the  former.  Directly  facing  the  Foreign  Office  is  the  solid, 
Westernized  brick  and  stone  structure  which  houses  the 
Department  of  the  Navy;  the  middle  one  of  the  ill-propor- 
tioned bronze  statues  in  the  front  yard  is  of  the  celebrated 
Marquis  Saigo  Tsugumichi  (1843-1902),  Minister,  Marshal, 
Admiral,  and  faithful  supporter  of  the  late  Emperor,  as  well  as 
brother  to  the  ill-fated  Saigo  Takamori  (whose  monument 
stands  near  the  entrance  to  Uyeno  Park).  The  statue  at  the 
S.W.  is  of  Count  Kawamura,  of  the  Satsuma  (Kagoshima) 
Clan,  who  was  ennobled  after  the  Restoration ;  the  one  at  the 
N.E.  is  of  Viscount  Nire,  of  the  same  clan.  The  companion 
structures  which  stretch  along  the  street  toward  the  N.E.  are 
the  several  Departments  of  Justice  (the  District,  Appeal,  and 
Supreme  Courts).  The  green-bronze  shaft  with  a  sculptured 
stele  in  the  yard  near  the  entrance  to  the  first  edifice,  commemo- 
rates the  late  Count  Yamada.  The  statue  at  the  left  is  of  the 
late  Count  Oki  —  both  well-known  Ministers  of  Justice  who 
contributed  toward  the  codification  of  the  Japanese  Laws. 
The  interior  of  the  building,  with  its  hundreds  of  small  offices, 
is  gloomy;  the  N.E.  corner  of  the  2d  structure  is  the  official 
residence  of  the  Minister  of  Justice.  Flanking  the  line  of 
houses  on  the  E.  is  the  fine 

Hibiya  Park  (PI.  E,  6),  one  of  the  most  popular  of  the  city 
playgrounds  (opened  in  1893,  covers  about  44  acres).  It  occu- 
pies the  site  of  a  one-time  parade-  and  drill-ground  embraced 
within  the  Imperial  Palace  inclosure,  and  is  celebrated  locally 
for  its  splendid  display  of  white,  pink,  red,  and  violet  azaleas, 
which  bloom  late  in  April  and  are  in  their  prime  early  in  May. 
The  finest  groups  are  in  the  S.W.  corner,  near  the  pretty  foun- 
tain and  lakelet  (music  by  the  military  band  Sunday  after- 
noon). At  the  N.E.  end  is  another  pretty  pond  (lovely  wis- 


Hibiya  Park. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  137 


taria  in  late  April),  where  one  may  usually  see  some  fine  speci- 
mens of  Japanese  cranes  (tsuru) .  English  is  not  always  spoken 
in  the  restaurant  near  the  fountain;  one  of  the  most  popular 
annual  festivals  held  in  the  park  is  referred  to  at  p.  117.  Near 
the  S.  end  is  the  (municipally  owned)  Hibiya  Library  (Hibiya 
Tosho-kwan)y  known  locally  as  the  Juvenile  Library,  because 
most  of  the  (136,000)  books  are  for  youngsters.  Overlooking 
the  park  near  the  S.E.  corner,  back  from  the  street,  is  the 
celebrated  and  aristocratic  Nobles'  (or  Peers')  Club,  a  pic- 
turesque structure  with  a  massive,  bronze-clamped  gateway 
overhung  by  a  big  penthouse  which  formerly  stood  before  the 
Tokyo  mansion  of  one  of  the  feudal  lords  of  Satsuma  Province. 
Near  by  is  the  Hypothec  Bank,  housed  in  a  structure  in  the  old 
Yamato  style  of  architecture  changed  to  meet  modern  require- 
ments. A  few  hundred  yards  W.  is  the  Tokyo  Club;  and  at  the 
S.  the  International  Building  wherein  a  number  of  foreign 
firms  have  their  offices.  The  popular  iMverial  Hotel  is  just 
N.E.  of  this.  At  the  S.  end  of  the  park,  facing  "it,  is  the  office 
of  the  widely  known  Japan  Times  newspaper  (p.  clx).  Still 
farther  S.  is  a  popular  Shinto  Shrine,  the  Hibiya  Daijingu 
(built  in  imitation  of  the  Daijingu  at  Ise)  before  the  altar  of 
which  many  of  the  Tokyo  aristocracy  are  married.  Overlook- 
ing the  park  at  the  E.  is  the  imposing  red-brick  and  granite 
home  (completed  in  1911)  of  the  Metropolitan  Police  Board, 
with  a  bronze  statue  of  General  Kawaji,  late  police  inspector. 
The  cream-colored  structure  beyond,  the  new  Imperial  Thea- 
ter, is  the  finest  of  the  metropolitan  play-houses. 

It  was  designed  by  T.  Yokokawa;  decorated  by  Eisaku  Wada,  Soburo- 
suke  Okada,  and  Ichiga  Murata;  displays  a  medley  of  styles  suggestive  of  the 
French  Renaissance,  and  was  completed  in  1911  at  a  cost  of  over  a  million 
yen.  The  most  conspicuous  features  of  the  enameled  brick  facade  are  6  huge 
fluted  Corinthian  columns  extending  over  the  two  upper  stories;  between 
them  are  tall  French  casements  that  admit  light  to  a  grand  dining-hall,  sur- 
mounted by  an  upper  set  of  smaller  windows.  The  involved  bronze  figurine 
crowning  the  small  dome,  of  an  actor  clad  in  the  voluminous  habiliments  of 
the  extravagant  Genroku  era,  and  holding  a  fan  before  his  face,  is  so  small 
that  a  good  glass  is  needed  to  distinguish  the  details  of  the  work.  The 
interior  is  luxurious  and  pleasing;  Italian  marble  in  various  tints  is  freely 
used  in  the  floors,  wainscoting,  and  stairways;  native  woods  inlaid  are  em- 
ployed in  the  paneled  walls.  The  decorations  of  the  friezes  represent  the 
12  months  of  the  year  —  Jan.,  card-playing;  Feb.,  grafting  of  plants;  March, 
the  doll  festival;  April,  cherry  blossom  and  dancing;  May,  horseback  riding; 
June,  iris  flowers;  July,  bathing  at  the  seashore;  Aug.,  the  full  moon  dance; 
Sept.  depicts  the  ancient  method  of  extracting  perfume  from  the  chrysanthe- 
mum by  covering  its  center  with  cotton-wool;  Oct.,  hunting  with  falcons; 
Nov.,  boating  on  a  river  with  snow  scenery;  Dec,  the  holiday  market  dis- 
play. Each  of  these  scenes  was  chosen  from  a  different  historical  era,  so  as 
to  show  the  various  costumes  in  vogue.  The  ceiling  is  profusely  decorated  in 
gold  and  colors.  There  are  sumptuous  retiring  apartments  for  the  Imperial 
family,  one  of  which  is  in  rose  and  gold,  the  other  having  for  its  distinctive 
feature  a  Japanese  landscape  worked  out  in  natural  woods.  The  imperial 
boxes  rise  between  two  massive  Corinthian  columns,  whose  lower  shafts  are 
of  imported  rose-colored  marble;  a  flock  of  doves  in  high  relief  adorns  the 
pediment.  Splendid  peacocks  in  all  the  beauty  of  natural  coloring;  exquisite 
silk  brocades  from  the  best  Kyoto  looms;  cream,  rose,  and  gold  decorations, 
and  a  host  of  beautiful  hangings  adorn  the  superb,  foreign-style  interior, 


138   Route  10.  TOKYO 


which  is  by  far  the  handsomest  of  its  kind  in  Japan.  Japanese  plays,  as  well 
as  foreign  plays  adapted  to  Japanese  requirements,  are  presented  usually  by 
the  best  actors  in  the  land.  Here  the  stranger  may  see  old  daimyd  proces- 
sions accompanied  by  all  the  glamor  of  the  Tokugawa  days;  splendid  cos- 
tuming; native  dances,  pantomime,  and  what-not.  (Comp.  p.  116.)  Street- 
cars run  past  the  entrance;  the  nearest  point  on  the  elevated  rly.  is  the 
Yurakucho  Station,  5  min.  walk  to  the  S. 

From  where  the  wide,  clean,  and  attractive  Yayesucho  (PL 
F,  6)  debouches  on  Yurakucho  —  which  it  intersects  at  right 
angles  —  one  gets  an  extensive  and  satisfying  view  along  the 
broad  pebbly  esplanade  that  sweeps  straight  up  from  the  outer 
moat  (where  the  Babasakimon  formerly  stood)  to  the  Seimon 
gate  of  the  Palace  inclosure;  here  it  branches  to  right  and  left 
and  seems  to  encircle  the  frowning  walls  with  its  white,  pro- 
tecting arms.  The  vista  is  inspiring,  and  few  Occidental  cities 
can  offer  anything  quite  so  pleasing  as  the  white  turrets  with 
gracefully  gabled  and  tiled  roofs  crowned  by  upturned  dol- 
phins, rising  spectrally  from  the  gray  ramparts  and  serving  as 
guard-houses  or  outposts  of  the  palace  beyond;  nor  the  view 
of  the  copper-bronze,  temple-like  roofs  which  rise  from  amid 
the  green  trees  beyond  the  moat  and  walls.  The  mediaeval 
flavor  of  the  scene  is  as  perfect  as  the  contrast  between  the 
fortress  and  the  modern  structures  which  it  overlooks  —  and 
keeps  at  a  respectful  distance  —  from  its  verdant  scarps.  Level 
greensward  flecked  with  graceful  pine  trees  flank  the  wide 
driveway  at  the  right  and  left.  From  the  nobly  proportioned 
outer  wall  that  here  rises  high  above  the  broad  (almost  200  ft.) 
moat,  pend  a  number  of  the  wonderfully  gnarled  and  artistic 
pine  trees  ( Pinus  parviflora)  which  impart  such  a  decided  and 
characteristic  charm  to  the  landscape.  The  bronze  monument 
to  Kusunoki  Masashige,  in  the  park  at  the  left,  is  described  at 
p.  154.  Yayesucho,  with  its  big  office  buildings  in  the  Cincin- 
nati or  Seattle  style,  has  the  most  pronounced  foreign  aspect  of 
any  of  the  metropolitan  streets  and  is  significant  of  what  the 
entire  neighborhood  will  perhaps  be  a  few  years  hence.  Few 
things  are  more  symptomatic  of  the  modernizing  and  leveling 
influences  that  are  constantly  at  work  in  the  old  Tycoon  capi- 
tal than  these  big  upstanding  symbols  of  commerce  and  wealth. 
In  old  Yedo  the  yashikis  of  the  daimyds  that  once  stood  here 
and  envisaged  the  sacred  Palace  inclosure,  remained  only  on 
sufferance,  and  at  the  cost  of  complete  self-abasement  and 
cringing  devotion.  The  present  structures  (regarded  as  vulgar 
anachronisms  by  the  adherents  of  the  old  regime)  are  here  by 
moral  right  and  commercial  advancement  —  a  dual  dominion 
which  aids  materially  to  soften  the  difference  between  the 
buildings  and  the  grim  old  record  of  Tokyo's  fighting  past.  The 
dissimilarity  of  these  office-rookeries  to  the  turreted  outposts 
of  the  Imperial  retreat  is  singularly  apparent,  but  there  is  no 
trace  of  harshness.  The  impression  one  gains  is  that  the  old 
castle  really  has  no  business  in  its  modern  environment!  — 


Mercantile  Marine.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  139 

The  variegated  edifice  on  the  S.W.  corner  of  the  street  where  it 
debouches  into  Yurakucho  is  the  home  of  the  Tokyo  Chamber 
of  Commerce.  Back  of  it,  facing  Yayesucho  (a  sometime 
military  parade-ground),  are  the  head  offices  of  the  Nippon 
Yusen  Kaisha,  and  the  Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha,  keystones  in  the 
arch  of  Japan's  gigantic  mercantile  marine. 

The  nucleus  of  the  present  Mercantile  Marine  of  Japan  (9970  ships  in 
1914)  was  the  Kaiso  Kaisha  (Steam  Transport  Co.),  established  (the  first 
in  the  Empire  after  the  Restoration)  in  1868,  and  operated  as  a  coastwise 
service  between  Tokyo  and  Osaka.  In  1871  it  was  reorganized  under  the 
name  Yubin  Kisen  Kaisha  (Mail  S.S.  Co.),  which  in  the  same  year  had 
as  a  rival  the  Mitsubishi  (or  hishi)  Kaisha  (Three  Diamonds  Co.).  In  1876 
the  latter  absorbed  the  former,  which  in  1885  was  amalgamated  with  the 
Kyodu  Unyu  Kaisha  (Union  Transport  Co.)  under  the  name  Nippon  Yusen 
Kaisha  (Japan  Mail  S.S.  Co.).  From  its  inception  the  new  company  was  a 
success,  and  it  expanded  so  rapidly  that  in  1896  the  world  was  included  in  its 
scope,  and  the  European,  American,  and  Australasian  services  were  inaugu- 
rated. To-day  the  familiar  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  flag  (white  with  two 
wavy,  horizontal  red  lines)  flies  above  nearly  100  ships  and  is  a  familiar  sight 
in  many  ports  of  the  world.  Excellent  and  bountiful  food;  individual  ser- 
vice; large,  clean,  trustworthy  ships  splendidly  manned  and  modernly 
equipped;  and  a  genius  for  making  travelers  comfortable  at  sea  have  made 
the  N.  Y.  K.  deservedly  popular  with  all  classes.  On  their  ships,  as  well  as 
on  those  of  the  other  two  big  Japanese  lines,  the  Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha  and  the 
Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha,  special  efforts  are  made  to  please  foreigners,  who  find 
the  many  little  unadvertised  and  unlooked-for  native  refinements  acceptable. 
The  curious  and  always  entertaining  national  sports;  the  quaint  ceremonial 
Japanese  dinners  served  at  some  time  on  long  voyages,  in  beautiful  lac- 
quered utensils  accompanied  by  sake  and  other  bizarre  Nipponese  goodies; 
the  'wireless  '  newspapers  published  on  board  and  distributed  by  fleet  run- 
ners with  clusters  of  jingling  bells  at  their  girdles;  the  cleaji  straw  sandals; 
painted  fans;  freshly  ironed  bath-kimonos,  etc.,  often  provided  in  the  cabins 
are  but  a  few  of  the  indications  of  a  desire  to  please  patrons.  Passengers  are 
not  forced  to  find  their  way  ashore  in  strange  ports  as  best  they  may  (a  cusj 
torn  prevalent  on  certain  ships  of  a  certain  American  line) ,  but  are  landed  in 
Company  launches  which  seem  always  at  their  disposal. 

Ships  customarily  bear  the  name  of  some  city  or  country,  with  the  mysti- 
cal affix,  maru  (which  means  4  circularity;  the  division  of  a  castle;  a  round 
thing;  a  sword,'  etc.),  at  the  end.  Others  are  named  Chiyo  ('a  thousand  gen- 
erations,'  'earth  and  sky  ');  Tenyo  ('  heaven  and  sea  '),  or  the  like.  Travel- 
ers along  the  Japanese  coast  will  usually  find  the  ships  of  the  above  lines  cer- 
tain in  their  habits,  speedy,  comfortable,  and  safe.  They  are  much  superior 
to  the  poky  little  ships  of  obscure  lines.  Many  of  the  latter  are  built  to  accom- 
modate small  folks  and  have  cabins  so  tiny  that  bulky  foreigners  are  some- 
times unable  to  stand  upright  in  them  with  comfort,  and  must  perforce  squat 
on  the  floor  with  other  squatters.  Besides  being  capricious  in  other  ways  the 
habit  of  some  of  these  ships  of  emulating  submarines  is  displeasing  to 
strangers. 

The  Municipal  Offices  are  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of 
Yayesucho,  back  in  a  wide  yard.  A  short  distance  N.E.  is  the 
.colossal  Tokyo  Central  Railway  Station,  the  largest  in  the  Far 
East,  and  the  nerve  center  of  the  Administration  Bureau  for 
all  the  railways  of  Japan,  Korea,  and  Formosa. 

The  immense  steel-framed,  brick ,  and  concrete  structure  (a  landmark  of 
the  district)  in  the  so-called  Renaissance  style,  is  fire-  and  earthquake-proof, 
3  stories  high;  1104  ft.  long;  from  66  to  132  ft.  wide;  with  twin,  copper-bronze 
sheathed  towers  124  ft.  above  the  street;  and  faces  the  Imperial  Palace  from 
Marunouchi,  partly  in  the  Eirakucho  and  partly  in  the  Yayesucho  districts. 
Besides  being  modern  in  all  its  appointments,  and  the  most  foreign  of  all  the 
foreign-style  buildings  in  the  Empire,  it  is  a  unique  example  of  the  ability  of 


140    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


The  Ginza. 


the  native  craftsmen  to  construct  buildings  of  the  Western  type  in  a  grandi- 
ose form,  yet  complete  to  the  smallest  detail.  A  number  of  the  administra- 
tive offices  are  located  in  the  building,  which  was  completed  in  1914  at  a  cost 
of  3  million  yen.  It  serves  as  a  union  station  for  all  the  trains  arriving  at 
Tokyo.  The  bronze  statue  in  front  of  the  station  commemorates  the  late 
Viscount  Inouye,  who  did  much  for  the  development  of  railways  in  Japan. 

Up  the  narrow  side  street  which  leads  N.E.  from  Yayesucho 
(or  Yaesucho)  are  the  offices  of  the  important  Kawasaki 
Dockyards;  hard  by  is  a  local  club  surrounded  by  a  number  of 
lawyers'  offices.  The  widely  known  Mitsu  Bishi  Co.  has  its 
main  office  in  the  same  block.  Farther  toward  the  N.,  grouped 
on  the  Palace  side  of  the  curving  canal,  are  the  chief  Gov't 
Offices  —  The  Dep't  of  Home  Affairs,  the  Printing  Bureau 
(permit  from  the  embassy  or  legation)  where  the  national  cur- 
rency (the  mint  for  metallic  coins  is  at  Osaka)  and  postage 
stamps  are  printed;  the  Finance  Dep't;  that  of  the  Official 
Gazette,  and  so  forth.  A  short  distance  S.W.  of  the  Municipal 
Buildings  stands  the  popular  Yuraku-za  Theater  (vaudeville, 
moving  pictures,  juggling,  dancing,  etc.)  and  several  of  the 
native  newspaper  offices.  A  busy  canal  spanned  by  several 
bridges  separates  this  part  of  Kojimachi  Ward  from  Kyobashi 
and  Nihonbashi,  the  most  prominent  of  them  the  Sukiyabashi 
C  tea-room  bridge  ')  so-named  from  the  circumstance  that  the 
district  was  formerly  inhabited  by  retainers  below  the  rank  of 
samurai  whose  duty  it  was  to  perform  the  tea-ceremony  at  the 
Court  service.  The  region  roundabout  was  the  one-time  hunt- 
ing-ground (with  falcons)  of  the  shogun.  At  present  the  sound 
of  the  hammer,  saw,  and  mason's  trowel  is  rarely  absent  from 
the  locality,  and  each  succeeding  day  adds  a  bit  of  change  to 
the  fast- vanishing  Tokio  of  earlier  times.  The  fine  new  granite 
structure  overlooking  the  canal  here  is  the  Ginza  Methodist 
Church  completed  and  dedicated  (Japanese  pastor)  Jan.  19, 
1912.  It  stands  on  ground  (valued  at  ¥40,000)  contributed 
by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Mission;  cost  ¥32,000  (¥2000  of 
which  was  contributed  by  the  Canadian  Church  Mission) ;  is  a 
power  among  foreigners  as  well  as  Japanese ;  has  an  organ  that 
cost  ¥6000,  and  houses  the  National  Temperance  Society,  a 
Japanese  Language  School  for  foreigners,  and  other  offices. 
Many  lines  of  travel  converge  at  the  Sukiyabashi,  between 
which  and  the  Ginza  are  a  number  of  printing-establishments ; 
curio-shops ;  silk-merceries ;  offices  of  professional  and  business 
men,  etc.  The  district  has  a  foreign  tinge,  and  English  is  al- 
most as  current  as  Japanese.  The  commercial  ambition  is  td 
^cure  a  location  as  near  as  possible  to  the  popular  Ginza. 

The  Ginza  (pron.  gin'-zah  —  almost  like  the  gin  in  begin), 
the  great  retail  thoroughfare  (PI.  F,  6-7)  of  the  city;  the  busi- 
est, noisiest,  unhandsomest,  and  most  flamboyant  of  the 
metropolitan  streets,  is  the  best  known  of  all  to  foreigners,  by 
whom  it  is  often  called  the  Broadway  of  Tokyo.  It  derives  its 
name  from  the  -  mint  for  silver  coins '  which  once  faced  it  and 


The  Ginza. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  141 


which  in  turn  was  faced  by  a  number  of  small  shops  of  workers 
in  silver.  Relatively  speaking  it  is  a  short  section  in  the  old 
Tokaido  which  anciently  stretched  from  the  famed  Nihonbashi 
to  Kyoto.  It  is  supposed  to  include  but  four  short  blocks 
(Itchome,  1st;  Nichome,  2d;  Sanchome,  3d;  and  Shichome,  4th) 
between  Owaricho  (near  Shimbashi  station)  and  Kyobashi, 
albeit  by  extension  it  is  (erroneously)  believed  to  stretch  from 
Shimbashi  (bridge)  to  the  Japan  Bridge  (and  even  beyond). 
In  the  early  days  what  is  now  Owaricho  was  called  Shimbashi- 
dori,  but  after  the  latter  rose  in  its  new  character  of  brick  and 
stone,  from  the  ashes  of  the  wooden  structures  burned  in  the 
big  fire  of  1872,  it  was  called  the  New  Town,  and  later  by  its 
present  name.  The  city  records  show  that  the  ever-helpful 
paternal  Gov't  erected  the  first  brick  and  stone  houses  here,  in 
order  to  improve  the  archaic  style  of  inflammable  house  and 
increase  the  immunity  from  fires,  then  rented  or  sold  them  on 
long-time  payments. 

As  the  greatest  of  the  commercial  arteries  which  traverse 
the  metropolis  from  S.W.  to  N.E.,  Ginza  with  its  prolongations 
is  the  least  exclusively  Japanese.  It  outstrips  all  the  other 
streets  in  its  cosmopolitanism,  yet  none  offer  a  more  com- 
prehensive epitome  of  Old  Japan.  A  double  line  of  electric 
street-cars  pulse  through  its  center  and  add  their  din  to  the 
throng  of  jinrikis,  push-carts,  steam-kitchens,  bicycles,  motor- 
cars, state  carriages  preceded  by  running  and  shouting  foot- 
men, and  to  the  hurrying  throng  of  busy  commoners.  Just 
now  it  is  in  a  transitional  stage,  and  its  host  of  shops  in  the 
native  and  foreign  style  expose  for  sale  almost  everything 
from  steam-engines  to  sea-weed,  and  from  motor-cars  to  seed- 
pearls;  a  few  of  these  shops  are  imposing,  with  representative 
stocks  and  attractive  window  displays  —  an  art  in  which  cer- 
tain Japanese  excel.  The  plate-glass  fronts  of  some  —  filled 
with  new-fangled  Yankee,  notions  or  Brummagem  oroide 
jewelry,  with  Parisian  corsets  and  New  England  watches  — 
excite  the  unrestrained  wonder  of  the  simple  country  yokels, 
who  stand  enthralled  before  them  in  much  the  same  way  as 
the  uitlander  does  in  front  of  the  native  shops.  In  both 
cases  the  observers  can  oftentimes  only  guess  at  the  uses  of 
many  of  the  things  exposed  for  sale,  for  Tokyo  is  the  greatest 
retail  center  for  native  products  in  the  Empire,  and  to  this 
huge  emporium  come  specimens  of  the  wonderful  handicraft  of 
people  from  the  remotest  provinces.  The  human  side  of  the  t 
Ginza  is  always  interesting  to  tourists,  and  to  the  critical  J 
person  unfamiliar  with  life  in  rural  Japan,  it  is  doubly  so.  In' 
^nril  and  Sept.,  when  the  country  farmers  and  their  wives  (not 
umrequently  in  the  Mormon  sense  of  the  word)  are  freed  for  a 
few  brief  days  from  the  thraldom  of  their  crops,  they  foregather 
here  to  see  and  to  be  seen;  to  enjoy  a  fugitive  holiday  in  the 
gay  capital,  and  to  spend  their  last  rin  chaffering  for  Occidental 


142    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


The  Ginza. 


dingle-dangles  with  which  to  while  away  the  tedious  hours  at 
home  and  amaze  their  less  fortunate  townspeople.  At  these 
times  perhaps  more  than  at  any  other,  the  stranger  is  the  most 
impressed  by  the  sweeping  democracy  of  the  Japanese  rustics 
in  the  matter  of  clothes  —  or  the  lack  of  them.  To  the  untu- 
tored Western  mind  some  of  these  honest,  whole-souled,  excel- 
lently ignorant  clodhoppers  escape  being  considered  freaks  only 
by  the  narrowest  squeak,  and  that  this  estimate  is  cordially 
reciprocative,  and  is  uppermost  in  the  minds  of  the  bumpkins 
themselves,  is  shown  by  their  wide-eyed  interest  in  some  of  the 
foreigners  they  encounter,  and  in  their  manifest  efforts  to  keep 
their  homely  faces  straight  and  the  tears  of  laughter  out  of 

|  their  bead-black  eyes.  The  cordiality  with  which  the  East  and 
the  West  commingle  is  one  of  the  pleasing  features  of  the  street, 
the  one  discordant  note  being  made  by  the  light-fingered  pick- 
pockets (of  which  there  is  no  dearth)  who  drift  with  the  crowd 
and  lose  no  opportunity  to  annex  Western  gewgaws  and  wal- 

<  lets.  The  kaleidoscopic  throng  which  pulsates  steadily  along 
the  Ginza  from  dawn  to  late  at  night  —  the  wrestlers,  jugglers, 
venders,  geisha,  and  those  that  combine  to  form  the  Japanese 
proletariat  —  make  up  to  the  visitor  for  its  unlovely  newness. 
It  is  a  joyous,  colorful,  naive,  good-tempered,  and  easily 
pleased  assemblage,  plentifully  sprinkled  with  adorable  shaven- 
pated,  brightly  clad  children;  a  strange  but  fascinating  min- 
gling of  the  new  and  the  old.  Colored  lanterns,  thousands  of 
waving  ideographic  banners,  and  a  host  of  shop-signs  almost  as 
artistically  satisfying  as  the  stocks  they  advertise,  all  con- 
tribute to  the  general  animation.  Many  of  the  Japanese  still  keep 
step  with  the  old  regime  and  scrupulously  adhere  to  the  fast- 
vanishing  customs  of  feudal  days.  An  occasional  grave,  digni- 
fied samurai  descendant  may  sometimes  be  seen  picking  his 
way  gingerly  along  the  street,  his  mind  on  the  past  but  with  a 
prudent,  apprehensive  eye  on  the  on-rushing  trolleys  and  the 
speeding  motor-cars.  Scores  of  the  old  observances  still  pre- 
vail, and  scarcely  a  week  passes  that  one  may  not  see  some  sort 
of  a  mediaeval  procession  wending  its  flamboyant  way  across 
the  metropolis,  in  a  blaze  of  color  and  to  the  sound  of  wild 
minstrelsy.  These  are  most  frequent  in  the  vicinity  of  the  big 
temples  and  shrines  which  the  traveler  with  time  to  spare  will 
do  well  to  seek  out.  While  certain  among  them  are  tinselly  and 
devoid  of  great  interest,  others  are  strangely  attractive,  and 
suggest  an  amazing  amount  of  thought  and  ingenuity.  Where 
the  festival  symbolizes  a  daimyd  procession  or  something  of 
the  sort,  the  bewilderingly  beautiful  costumes  are  as  rich  and 
varied  as  those  seen  at  high-priced  theaters,  and  the  onlooker 
is  transported  back  centuries  into  the  heyday  of  the  extrava- 
gant Genroku,  or  some  such  historic  period,  now  immortalized 
by  the  hallowing  effect  of  the  fleeting  years.  Even  the  funeral 
processions  attract  and  hold  the  attention  by  their  oddity. 


The  Ginza. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  143 


Certain  of  the  costumes  of  the  Buddhist  and  Shinto  priests  are 
extraordinarily  attractive,  particularly  those  worn  on  state 
occasions.  A  cleric  in  full  canonicals  never  fails  to  strike  a  pic- 
turesque note  in  any  surroundings. 

The  somewhat  freakish  architecture  of  the  houses  which  face 


/  the  Ginza  and  its  prolongations  is  merely  expressive  of  a  naive 
l  striving  for  something  foreign  and  better  than  the  squat  little 
|  structures  which  for  so  long  have  characterized  this  street. 
Japanese  ideas  of  foreign  styles  find  bizarre  expression  here,  and 
scarcely  an  architectonic  feature  is  wanting  in  some  of  the  rest- 
less edifices  which  stand  cheek  by  jowl  with,  and  tower  super- 
ciliously above,  the  modest  little  places  of  the  more  conserva- 
tive element.  There  is  almost  as  much  irregularity  as  on 
Broadway,  New  York.  Size  without  majesty,  individuality  di- 
vorced from  all  dignity  or  simplicity,  and  convenience  rather 
than  fitness  or  sobriety  are  the  salient  characteristics  of  this 
structural  hodge-podge.  Ginza  is  considered  the '  show  street 1  of 
Tokyo,  but  right  now  it  shows  conclusively  that  whenever  the 
Japanese  disobey  the  spiritual  warnings  of  their  own  unique  and 
transcendentally  beautiful  art,  and  rashly  borrow  from  alien 
sources,  they  commit  solecisms  of  which  the  foreigner  finds  it 
|  hard  to  believe  them  guilty.  Here  and  there  along  the  Japan- 
ese Broadway  one  sees  the  suggestion  of  a  fine  effect,  but  only 
a  suggestion.  Anywhere  but  in  Japan,  with  its  surging,  colorful 
national  life,  it  would  be  considered  ordinary.  As  it  is,  the  lack 
of  academic  restraint  in  the  showy  exteriors  of  some  of  the 
larger  structures  is  strangely  at  variance  with  one's  precon- 
ceived ideas  of  Japanese  masterfulness  in  art.  Shoulder  to 
shoulder  with  ricket}',  weather-beaten  relics  of  feudal  days,  or 
abutting  against  florid  examples  of  a  remote  frontier  type,  one 
sees  new,  so-called  foreign  style  edifices  flaunting  the  fag  ends 
of  half  a  dozen  semi-classical  styles;  the  whole  so  inharmoni- 
ous in  its  smug  complacency,  and  so  viciously  offensive  in  its 
personality  that  the  entire  neighborhood  seems  poisoned  or 
tainted  by  its  unmitigated  materialism.  Not  a  few  have  been 
supplied  with  modern  facades  to  mask  a  mediaeval  torso,  and 
usually  the  windows  stare  out  like  lidless  eyes  gazing  into  a 
hopeless  future.  The  fronts  of  certain  houses  are  covered  with 
porcelain;  not  the  beautiful  polychrome  tiles  which  impart 
such  charm  to  domes  and  seigniorial  mansions  in  Moorish 
Spain,  —  and  which  the  Japanese  know  so  well  how  to  make,  — 
but  garish  colors  that  affect  the  nerves  like  a  shriek,  and  which 
split  their  way  through  the  landscape  and  browbeat  everything 
in  the  neighborhood.  The  exquisite  taste  which  the  Japanese 
display  so  abundantly  in  their  daily  life  and  its  appurtenan- 
ces does  not  here  extend  to  the  shop  facades. 

It  is  the  merchandise  displayed  in  the  shops,  and  the  people 
who  buy  it,  that  rescue  Ginza  from  mediocrity;  for  costumes 
and  customs  vary  with  almost  every  individual,  and  almost 


144    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


The  Ginza. 


every  person  one  meets  forms  some  kind  of  a  pictorial  unit  in  a 
satisfying  kaleidoscopic  whole.  So  interesting  are  they  that 
the  most  critical  traveler  finds  scant  time  to  condemn  the 
/"architectural  medley.  After  nightfall,  Ginza  is  converted  into 
one  of  the  most  picturesque  districts  in  the  city ;  during  certain 
festival  periods  (usually  the  7th,  18th,  and  29th  of  each  month) 
itinerent  vendors  establish  themselves  along  the  outer  edge  of 
the  sidewalks  and  spread  out  quite  alluring  displays  of  old 
bronzes,  wood-cut  prints,  miscellaneous  curios,  second-hand 
books,  and  a  host  of  sweets,  eatables,  and  knick-knacks  which 
they  sell  by  the  light  of  flaring  torches  or  daintily  decorated 
paper  lanterns.  It  is  then  that  darkness  mercifully  softens  the 
outlines  of  the  hybrid  structures,  and  with  the  thousands  of 
lights  like  dancing  glowworms,  Japan  reasserts  itself  in  its 
fairy-like  fascination. 

At  the  nondescript  Kyobashi  (bridge)  the  Ginza  bends 
slightly  toward  the  N.W.,  broadens,  and  merges  its  tumultu- 
ous identity  with  Minamidemma-cho,  which,  with  Nakabashi 
and  Tori-cho  (its  prolongations),  cross  the  dividing-line  be- 
tween Kyobashi-ku  and  Nihonbashi-ku,  and  traverse  the  15  or 
more  short  blocks  intervening  between  it  and  the  famous  Japan 
Bridge.  Just  at  the  left  of  the  Kyobashi  one  of  the  largest  of 
the  city's  vegetable  markets  flanks  the  busy  canal  and  offers 
many  picturesque  sights  in  the  early  morning.  The  host  of 
strange  and  unpoetic  vegetables  are  not  without  interest  to 
those  concerned  in  the  Far  Eastern  Leguminosce,  while  the 
crush  of  quaint  junks  on  the  canal  and  the  odd  costumes  of  the 
bumpkins  who  pilot  them  hither  furnish  endless  materials  for 
writer  or  artist.  (.Beyond  the  Kyobashi,  the  street  crush  is  even 
greater  than  on  Ginza  proper,  and  to  relieve  it,  a  clean  and 
attractive  little  street  nailed  ^akadori  ('interior  st.')>  bearing 
practically  the  same  relation  to  it  that  Nassau  does  to  New 
York's  Broadway,  parallels  it  at  the  right  (E.)  along  its  entire 
length.  It  is  through  this  smoothly  swept,  narrow  artery  that, 
the  jinriki-runners  usually  dart  on  their  cross-town  scampers, 
and  here  stand  many  of  the  small  but  beguiling  curio-shops 
that  have  been  crowded  off  the  main  st.,  or  which  await  their 
turn  to  squeeze  into  it.  Rents  are  considerably  cheaper  here 
than  on  the  Ginza  or  its  extensions.  Here,  along  the  converg- 
ing byways  of  this  greatest  of  Far  Eastern  capitals,  old  Yedo 
sometimes  asserts  itself,  and  the  winsome  life  of  the  early  days 
pulsates  in  its  harmony  of  color  and  picturesqueness.  In  some 
of  these  streets,  the  real  Nipponese  flavor  is  still  retained, 
unmarred  by  the  faintest  smooch  of  unpliant  Occidental  uni- 
formityj  Imbued  with  the  faith  and  the  mental  tranquillity 
and  joyousness  derived  from  the  gentle  teachings  of  the  Bud- 
dhist and  Shinto  creeds;  apparently  oblivious  of  the  hurried 
and  soul-crushing  strenuosity  of  the  adjacent  thoroughfares, 
many  of  the  dwellers  hereabout  pursue  the  even  tenor  of  the 


The  Nihonbashi.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  145 


ancient  ways,  surrounded  by  symbols  of  the  old  and  cherished 
traditions,  and  living  the  lives  of  their  forebears  in  much  of 
their  pristine  simplicity. 

The  commercial  activity  of  the  city  may  be  said  to  reach  its 
height  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  new  and  stately  Nihon- 
bashi, whence  it  radiates  up  the  converging  streets,  with  a 

•  manifest  trend  toward  Uyeno  at  the  N.  Near  this  important 
mercantile  focus  are  a  few  modest  sky-scrapers;  some  of  the 
largest  of  the  city  banks;  the  central  post-office;  the  largest 
of  the  metropolitan  department  stores ;  and  one  of  the  greatest 
fish-markets  in  the  Empire.  The  architectural  hodge-podge  is 
the  same  as  that  we  have  just  left,  but  the  extreme  animation 
and  Venetian  flavor  of  the  region  offset  it.  The  canal  which 
flows  beneath  the  bridge  is  one  of  the  widest  and  busiest  in 
the  city,  and  the  incessant  movement  of  the  archaic  boats  and 
their  people  are  of  unfailing  interest.  Old  color-prints  of  the 
Nihonbashi  ('Japan/  or  1  Sunrise  Bridge')  show  it  as  being 
smaller  and  narrower  than  the  present  structure,  and  to  have 
been  made  of  wood,  arched  like  the  half  of  a  huge  drum,  and 
with  its  wood  posts  surmounted  by  ornamental  bronze  giboshu 
—  the  still  popular  adornments  for  bridges  and  temple  railings 
throughout  Japan.  In  the  old  days  palanquins  occupied  the 
place  of  the  present  jinriki,  and  many  of  the  pictures  in  ques- 
tion show  them  being  carried  across  the  quaint  old  structure. 
At  the  far  end  rose  the  customary  ladder-like  fire-tower  with 
its  lookout  or  crow's  nest  and  bell,  where  watchmen  constantly 
searched  the  sea  of  roofs  for  the  dreaded  '  Yedo  Flower.'  The 
original  of  this  most  celebrated  of  all  the  metropolitan  bridges 
was  constructed  in  1603,  and  the  present  one,  standing  on  the 
site  of  a  wooden  bridge  built  in  1872  and  demolished  in  1907, 
is  13th  of  the  dynasty.  It  is  a  solid  and  attractive  structure 
of  gray,  black-speckled  granite,  in  the  Renaissance  style,  162 
ft.  long,  60  ft.  wide,  with  additional  12  ft.  sidewalks  on  each 
side,  and  was  completed  in  1911  at  a  cost  of  523,890  yen.  The 
winged  griffins  and  other  ornamental  bronze  figures  which  en- 
rich the  candelabra  are  after  Japanese  and  European  designs, 
by  Japanese  artists.  The  name,  Nihonbashi,  engraved  on  the 
stone  pillar,  is  a  facsimile  of  the  chirography  of  Prince  Toku- 
gawa Reiki,  last  in  the  line  of  the  Tokugawa  shogunate.  A 

.  pleasing  and  significant  ceremony  marked  the  official  opening 
{watarizome,  or  'first  crossing')  of  the  bridge,  April  3,  1911. 
As  it  symbolized  the  oldest  structure  built  in  the  neighborhood 
by  human  hands,  and  by  a  logical  sequence  was  supposed  to 
possess  a  special  affinity  for  those  addicted  to  longevity,  it 
seemed  fitting  that  after  Prince  Tokugawa  had  crossed  it,  the 
next  to  follow  should  be  the  person  who  had  lived  the  longest 
in  the  immediate  vicinity.  Therefore,  Mrs.  Kojima  Fusa,  a 
sprightly  lady  109  years  young,  tripped  daintily  after  him,  and 
following  her  went  several  frivolous  young  sprigs,  ranging  from 


146    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


The  Edobashi. 


81  to  89  years.  All  were  accompanied  by  vociferous  banzai's 
(' hurrah';  'ten  thousand  years')  shouted  from  thousands  of 
throats.  A  glittering  procession  representing  ancient  daimyos, 
samurai,  and  other  swaggering  blades;  one  of  brilliantly  clad 
geisha  and  similar  light-hearted  folk,  and  a  few  minor  groups 
followed,  amid  unrestrained  rejoicing. 

The  JJihonbashi  is  known  throughout  Japan  by  all  classes,  • 
and  it  is  ^almost  as  much  a  feature  of  the  Empire  as  the  Em- 
peror himself.  Few  are-the  cities  and  towns  that  do  not  possess 
at  least  one  copy  or  miniature  of  it.  All  the  roads  of  the  main 
island  of  Hondo  are  supposed  to  terminate  here,  just  as  those 
of  ancient  Italy  led  to  Rome.  JPistances  are  calculated  from  it, 
and  all  the  old  daimyd  processions  which  came  here  from 
Kyoto  and  beyond  after  Ieyasu  made  Yedo  his  seat  of  gov't, 
started  from  the  bridge  on  their  return.  As  the  original  start- 
ing point  of  the  Tokaido,  it  is  number  one  in  Hiroshige's  53 
celebrated  views  of  the  old  highway.  It  has  always  been  the 
favorite  theme  of  the  wonderful  color-print  makers  of  Japan, 
as  well  as  that  of  artists  in  other  lines.  Criminals  always  re- 
garded the  bridge  with  abhorrence,  as  their  heads  sometimes 
aderned  its  approaches  as  warnings  to  other  miscreants.  A 
famous  rest-house,  often  mentioned  in  history,  once  stood  at 
the  S.E.  corner,  where  the  land  is  now  considered  the  most 
valuable  in  the  city.  A  short  distance  W.  of  Nihonbashi  is 
Gofukubashi  ('dry-goods  bridge'),  beyond  which,  to  the  S.W., 
is  the  big  Central  Railway  Station. 

A  short  walk  E.  of  Nihonbashi,  and  visible  therefrom,  is 
Edobashi  ('Yedo  bridge'),  the  important  junction  of  several 
fluvial  thoroughfares,  and  quite  near  the  busy  Kabuto-cho. 
Here  stands  the  Stock  Exchange  which  gives  the  district  its 
name/  the  Japanese  Wall  Street.'  The  great  native  staples, 
sugar,  silk,  and  rice,  and  less  tangible  stocks  and  bonds,  are 
the  commodities  dealt  in  chiefly  here  and  at  the  Produce 
Exchange  near  by,  where  some  of  the  keenest  brains  of  Japan 
are  pitted  against  each  other,  and  a  sort  of  pandemonium 
reigns  during  certain  hours  of  the  day.  The  fine  modern  build- 
ing just  around  the  corner  from  the  Central  Post-Office, 
which  also  stands  here,  is  the  Dai-Ichi  Ginko,  a  power  in  the 
financial  world.  The  Mitsui  Family  —  the  Astors  of  Japan  — 
own  considerable  property  hereabout,  where  nearly  all  the 
offices  are  occupied  by  brokers  and  speculators. 

Between  the  Nihonbashi  and  the  Edobashi  is  a  row  of  red 
brick  godowns  with  their  back  doors  opening  out  on  the  canal. 
They  are  the  most  important  Salt-Fish  Warerooms  in  Japan 
and  are  the  largest  distributing-point  of  the  much  prized 
Pacific  salmon  (Oncorhynchus)  for  which  N.  Japan  is  cele- 
brated. About  Nov.  1  of  each  year,  shiploads  of  dried  and 
salted  salmon  (shake,  or  sake)  begin  to  arrive  here,  and  the  fish 
are  distributed  broadcast  over  the  city  and  the  South,  as  far 


Bank  of  Japan. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  147 


as  Manchuria  and  the  distant  interior  of  China.  Upward  of 
130  million  lbs.  valued  approximately  at  7  million  yen  pass 
through  this  great  mart  during  the  winter  season,  at  which  time 
there  is  an  incessant  clemand  for  the  pinkish-orange  flesh  of  the 
5-10  lb.  salmon.  At  times  the  street  is  piled  high  with  mounds 
of  the  briny,  ill-smelling  carcases,  and  hundreds  of  sakanaya 
(fishmongers)  may  be  seen  counting  them  in  sing-song  tones  or 
transferring  them  by  means  of  hand-hooks  from  the  piles  to 
waiting  carts.  Along  toward  the  New  Year  the  demand  in- 
creases; it  reaches  its  acme  Dec.  31,  at  which  time  many 
thousands  of  the  fish  change  hands.  Salmon  forms  the  favorite 
New  Year's  gift  and  is  sent  as  a  Seibo  no  shugi,  or  congratula- 
tory present  in  commemoration  of  the  felicitous  ending  of  the 
old  year.  The  custom  is  so  strong  that  great  personal  sacrifices 
are  made  in  order  to  observe  it. 

Just  across  the  canal  from  this  fish  exchange  is  another  big 
fish-market  where  in  the  early  morning  piscine  types  almost 
as  varied  and  as  beautiful  as  those  at  the  marvelous  Naples 
Aquarium  may  be  seen.  The  neighborhood  reeks  of  fish,  and 
many  canal-boats  load  with  them  here  and  convey  them  to 
other  quarters  of  the  city.  Beyond  Nihonbashi  the  thorough- 
fare bends  to  the  left  and  runs  between  flanking  lines  of  new 
business  houses,  more  in  keeping  with  the  solid  wealth  of  the 
environs.  Perhaps  the  most  modern  of  these  structures  is  the 
big  Mitsukoshi  Department  Store,  completed  in  1914,  and 
representative  of  what  new  Tokyo  is  to  be.  The  huge  office- 
building  at  the  rear,  in  Suruga-cho,  houses  the  Tokyo  head- 
quarters of  the  rich  and  powerful  Mitsui  Bussan  Kaisha,  with 
its  manifold  interests  —  ships,  coal-mines,  docks,  realty;  etc. 
Immediately  behind  the  Mitsukoshi  is  the  Tokyo  branch  of 
the  Yokohama  Specie  Bank,  and,  facing  it,  the  stately  Nippon 
Ginko,  or  Bank  of  Japan,  where  the  Imperial  treasure  is 
stored,  and  which  bears  practically  the  same  relation  to  Japan 
that  the  Bank  of  England  does  to  Great  Britain.  The  wealthy 
owners  of  the  region  contiguous  to  the  bank  propose  to  make 
here  a  model  quarter  along  Occidental  lines,  and  thus  show  the 
rest  of  Tokyo  what  it  ought  to  do. 

The  Bank  of  Japan,  a  limited  liability  institution  in  which  the  Imperial 
Gov't  is  heavily  interested,  was  established  by  an  Imperial  Ordinance  June 
27,  1882,  with  an  original  capital  of  ten  million  yen;  in  1887  this  was  raised 
to  20,  in  1895  to  30,  and  recently  to  60  millions.  It  receives  and  disburses 
State  funds,  issues  its  own  notes  and  affects  the  finances  of  the  Empire  when 
it  adjusts  its  discount  rate.  Gold  and  silver  bullion  to  the  value  of  300  million 
yen  are  sometimes  stored  in  its  strong,  guarded  vaults.  The  semi-classical, 
gray  granite  structure,  of  the  Composite  order,  which  houses  it,  is  after  the 
plans  of  Prof.  Tatsuno ;  the  entrance  forms  three  sides  of  a  handsome  rec- 
tangular court  adorned  with  symmetrical  Tuscan  columns.  The  interior 
treatment  of  the  severely  plain,  dignified,  and  attractive  structure  is  disap- 
pointing. 

Just  beyond  Nihonbashi,  at  the  right,  is  the  small  and  narrow 
Anjin-cho,  where  Will  Adams  lived.  The  region  roundabout 


148    Route  10.  TOKYO  Russian  Church. 


was  anciently  one  of  Tokyo's  worst  slums,  the  abode  of  beg- 
gars, rag-pickers,  street-musicians,  and  thieves.  To-day  the 
land  ranks  with  the  most  valuable  in  the  capital.  —  Jukken- 
dana,  Kaji-cho,  Torishingoku-cho,  and  Suda-cho  are  the  names 
by  which  the  thoroughfare  is  known  between  Nihonbashi  and 
Shoheibashi  ('  guard-bridge  at  the  right  of  which  is  the 
important  Manseibashi  ('turnip-bridge  ')  —  about  2  M.  from 
Shimbashi.  Uyeno  Park  is' about  1  M.  distant.  At  the  left  is 
the  new  Shoheibashi  terminus  of  the  Central  Rly.,  which  comes 
to  this  point  through  Kanda  and  other  wards.  The  new  sta- 
tion, in  the  Renaissance  style,  contains  2  million  bricks,  20,000 
granite  blocks,  180  tons  of  steel  and  considerable  marble  and 
bronze,  and  was  completed  (after  designs  by  Prof.  Tatsuno)  in 
1912  at  a  cost  of  ¥300,000.  The  Bronze  Monument  facing  it 
is  one  of  the  finest  in  Tokyo  and  was  unveiled  in  May,  1910; 
the  bronze  statues  are  after  the  design  of  Prof.  Takamura 
Koun,  of  the  Academy  of  Fine  Arts. /'The  life-size  figure  sur- 
mounting the  shaft  is  that  of  the  brave  Commander  Hirose 
who  nobly  sacrificed  his  life  in  a  vain  effort  to  rescue  a  non- 
commisioned  officer  during  the  memorable  marine  night  attack 
on  Port  Arthur  during  the  Russian  War.  The  dauntless  figure, 
in  a  pose  of  stress,  courage,  and  determination,  stands  beside  a 
signaling-lever,  and  holds  a  binocular  telescope  in  his  left  hand. 
Thrown  round  the  shaft  is  a  bronze  chain  and  anchor,  and 
leaning  against  it,  in  a  crouching  position,  with  a  long-handled 
chopping-axe  grasped  in  his  right  hand,  is  the  figure  of  the 
heroic  but  unfortunate  officer.  Both  mutely  express  the  un- 
questioned courage  of  the  race,  and  both  happened  to  be 
unusually  conspicuous  figures  in  a  titanic  struggle  in  which 
many  of  the  participants  were  heroes  of  a  high  order! — A  short 
walk  up  at  the  left  of  the  station,  through  a  region"of  inns  and 
curio-shops,  brings  one  to  Surugadai  and  the  Russian  Cathe- 
dral, perhaps  the  oldest  of  the  metropolitan  churches. 

/   The  Russian  Orthodox  Church,  or  Greek  Cathedral,  known  locally  as 
/  Nicolai,  from  the  name  of  its  founder,  occupies  a  commanding  position  on 
/  Surugadai  Heights,  in  Kanda-ku,  and  is  a  landmark  in  the  neighborhood, 
i  It  is  Russian  in  character  with  a  Byzantine  touch  that  adds  materially  to  its 
'  picturesqueness.    It  was  founded  in  1871  by  a  zealous,  and  in  several  ways 
j[    remarkable,  Russian  priest  called  Ivan,  or  Nicolai,  who  came  to  Hakodate 
in  1860,  when  24  yrs.  old,  and,  fired  with  religious  ardor,  began  forthwith  to 
devote  his  life  and  energy  to  the  aggrandizement  of  the  Greek  Church  in  the 
Empire.   Its  growth  in  Japan  is  inseparably  associated  with  his  name.  The 
present  cathedral,  begun  in  1884  and  completed  in  1891  at  a  cost  of  178,000 
yen,  has  a  dome  115  ft.  high,  a  bell-tower  125  ft.,  and  an  interior  (shaped 
like  a  Greek  cross,  with  clipped  transepts)  containing  a  number  of  beautiful 
gold  icons  and  various  oil  paintings  depicting  the  customary  Cristus,  the 
Theotokos  ('Mother  of  God'),  and  scenes  in  the  lives  of  various  saints.  The 
iconostasis  is  quite  elaborate  for  so  modest  a  structure,  with  rich  gilding  that 
recalls  certain  of  the  majestic  reredos  of  Churriguera.   There  are  20  medal- 
lions and  portraits  in  oil  on  the  right  wing,  and  an  equal  number  on  the  left, 
with  27  additional  ones  on  the  insweep  conducting  to  the  bema  or  sanctuary ; 
all  are  by  Russian  painters.    The  curious  icon  at  the  left,  in  the  form  of  a 
reclining  Christ,  is  worth  looking  at.     The  vestments  in  the  diaconicon 
(sacristy)  are  rich  and  handsome.  The  largest  of  the  forty  or  more  pictures 


Imperial  Palace.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  149 


(representing  martyrs  in  the  cause  of  Christ  and  humanity)  which  adorn  the 
inner  side  of  the  dome  —  the  Descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Resurrection, 
the  Lord's  Supper,  and  the  Ascension  —  are  by  Uhanoff,  and  were  presented 
to  the  church  by  a  pious  woman  of  St.  Petersburg.  In  obedience  to  the  needs 
of  the  adherents  of  the  church,  the  ritual  is  in  Japanese,  and  the  natives 
make  the  allusive  signs  of  the  faith  as  if  born  to  them.  The  record  left  by 
Archbishop  Nicolai  when  he  died  (Feb.  16,  1912,  aged  76)  is  perhaps  unique 
in  the  annals  of  modern  missionary  work.  During  his  long  life  in  Japan  he 
founded  174  missions  and  churches  counting  a  membership  of  30,000. 
Thousands  of  mourners  followed  his  coffin  to  the  grave  (which  was  decorated, 
with  wreaths  sent  by  the  Emperor  and  the  Empress) ,  and  the  procession  was 
more  than  a  mile  long.  The  chief  actor  in  the  impressive  Jubilee  service  held 
in  the  cathedral  some  months  prior  to  this  event,  was  an  ex-samurai  who 
many  years  ago  tried  to  assassinate  the  young  priest,  in  the  belief  that  his 
religion  would  harm  his  countrymen.  The  saintly  man  argued  with  him  and 
converted  him  from  a  would-be  murderer  to  a  lifelong  friend. 

After  passing  Manseibashi,  the  thoroughfare  loses  much  of 
its  activity  and  ephemeral  charm,  along  with  its  name.  Hence 
to  Uyeno  Park  it  is  known  as  Gokencho  and  is  flanked  by  non- 
descript houses  which  call  for  no  particular  mention  beyond  the 
fact  that  they  show  an  indifference  to  antiquity  or  beauty. 
Certain  of  the  shops  cater  to  foreigners,  as  is  shown  by  the  odd\ 
signs  the  critical  eye  picks  out:  Umbrella  &  Co.;  Milk  Snop;  | 
Barber  Shot;  Advertising  Agent  &  Undertaker;  Traunks  &  I 
Bugs;  and  the  like.  Westernized  symbols  in  crippled  RomajiJ 
are  numerous.  There  is  little  to  relieve  the  studied  uniformity 
of  the  huddle  of  little  gray,  weather-stained  houses  until  one 
nears  the  fine  Uyeno  Park;  here  the  street  becomes  livelier,  and 
bazaars  and  toy-shops  filled  with  fanciful  and  curious  things 
which  are  expected  to  appeal  to  travelers  alighting  in  the  Uyeno 
Station,  and  to  sight-seers  visiting  the  park,  alternate  with 
pretentious  restaurants  and  show  places.  The  largest  of  the 
bazaars  is  the  Teikoku-hakuhin-kwan.  Foreign  food  at  reason- 
able prices  can  be  had  in  the  Seiyoken  Hotel,  just  within  the 
park  entrance,  at  the  left. 

The  Imperial  Palace  and  Neighborhood. 

The  *Imperial  Palace  (gosho),  or  Castle  (0-shiro))  the 
Imperial  Residence  and  the  chief  palace  of  the  Tokugawa 
shogunate  until  the  Restoration  of  the  present  Imperial  Dyn- 
asty, stands  near  the  N.  W.  center  of  the  capital,  in  Kojimachi 
Ward  (PL  E-F,  5)  on  an  elevated  site  which  was  once  the 
geographical  center  of  the  capital,  and  from  which  all  distances 
were  computed.  As  the  political  and  intellectual  center  of  the 
Empire,  the  Japanese  regard  it  with  unusual  reverence;  the 
public  is  rigorously  excluded,  and  only  those  who  are  granted 
tHe  Imperial  favor  are  admitted  within  its  sacred  precincts. 

The  Palace  and  its  appurtenances  are  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Im- 
perial Household  Department,  and  travelers  with  requests  to  make  of  the 
latter  must  first  apply  to  their  minister  or  ambassador,  who  in  turn  will 
perhaps  refer  them  to  the  Foreign  Office.  If  one's  credentials  are  strong 
enough,  one  is  provided  with  a  letter  to  the  proper  official  in  the  dep't,  and  a 
small,  stamped,  ideographic  wood  ticket  (monkari)  which  must  be  shown  to 
the  guard  (admittance  is  refused  without  it,  and  tips  are  useless)  at  the  iron- 


150    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Imperial  Palace. 


studded  Sakashitamon  (gate)  about  i  M.  N.  of  the  Main  Gate  at  the  Niju- 
bashi.  The  ticket  must  be  retained  and  shown  on  leaving;  then  returned  to 
whomsoever  has  supplied  it.  The  Office  of  General  Affairs  {Somuka) ,  where 
the  visitor^  usually  presents  himself,  stands  just  within  the  gate  at  the  left, 
near  the  big  fountain  with  its  wide  basin.  English  spoken. 

The  original  castle,  which  was  long  known  as  the  Yedo 
Castle  (Edo-jo),  was  erected  late  in  the  15th  cent,  by  Ota 
Dokwan  from  whose  descendants  it  was  later  wrested  by  the 
Hojo,  afterwards  to  pass  into  the  hands  of  Tokugawa  ley  am. 
It  comprised  a  main,  middle,  and  outer  castle,  surrounded  by 
miles  of  moats  and  stone  walls,  which  in  turn  were  pierced  by 
25  gates  supplemented  by  drawbridges.  The  numerous  watch- 
towers  and  fortifications  are  naively  referred  to  by  historians 
as  not  so  much  defenses  against  possible  enemies  as  lines  of 
demarcation  between  the  merchants  and  the  samurai.  Toku- 
gawa Ieyasu  razed  portions  of  the  ancient  structures  and  built 
for  himself  (between  1596  and  1614)  a  redoubtable  stronghold 
which  at  a  later  period  came  to  be  known  as  the  West  Castle; 
he  constructed  a  triple  line  of  moats,  the  outermost  9  M.  in 
length,  and  backed  them  by  scarps  of  colossal  granite  blocks 
each  brought  (by  sea)  from  Hyogo  375  M.  away.  The  gates, 
the  towers,  and  all  the  fortifications  were  of  such  massive 
proportions  as  to  1  constitute  one  of  the  most  stupendous 
works  ever  undertaken,  not  excepting  even  the  pyramids  of 
fegypt.  Above  the  immense  masses  of  masonry  rose  lofty 
banks  of  earth,  their  slopes  turfed  with  fine  Korean  grass,  and 
their  summits  planted  with  pine  trees,  trained,  year  after  year, 
to  stretch  evergreen  arms  toward  the  spacious  moats.  These 
moats  varied  in  width  from  22  to  170  yards,  and  through  them 
flowed  broad  sheets  of  water,  reaching  the  city  by  aqueducts 
cunningly  planned  from  a  river  20  M.  distant;  as  evidence  of 
Japanese  engineering  skill  unassisted  by  foreign  science,  these 
conduits  are  scarcely  hsss  remarkable  than  the  castle  itself.  In 
this  combination  we  have  an  example  of  the  homage  to  the 
beautiful  that  holds  every  Japanese  a  worshiper  at  Nature's 
shrine  even  when  he  seems  to  rely  most  implicitly  on  his  own 
resources  of  brain  and  muscle.  Placid  lakes  lapping  the  feet  of 
stupendous  battlements;  noble  pines  bending  over  their  own 
graceful  reflections  in  still  waters;  long  stretches  of  velvety 
sward  making  a  perpetual  presence  of  rustic  freshness  among 
the  dust  and  moil  of  city  life;  flocks  of  soft-plumaged  wild-fowl 
placidly  sailing  in  the  moats  or  sunning  themselves  on  the 
banks,  careless  of  the  tumult  and  din  of  the  streets  overhead; 
sheets  of  lotus-bloom  glowing  in  the  shadow  of  grim  counter- 
scarps —  where  but  in  Japan  could  be  found  so  deliberate  and 
so  successful  an  effort  to  convert  the  frowns  of  a  fortress  into 
the  smiles  of  a  garden?  This  castle  of  the  Tokugawa  Regents 
was  a  portion  of  the  alphabet  by  which  Japanese  character 
could  (and-  can)  be  read.  Hidden  beneath  a  passion  for  every- 
thing graceful  and  refined,  there  is  a  strong  yearning  for  the 


Imperial  Palace.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  151 


pageant  of  war  and  for  the  dash  of  deadly  onset,  and  just  as 
the  shogun  sought  to  display  before  the  eyes  of  the  citizens  of 
his  capital  a  charming  picture  of  gentle  peace,  though  its 
setting  was  a  framework  of  vast  military  preparation,  so  the 
Japanese  of  every  era  has  loved  to  turn  from  the  fencing-school 
to  the  armor,  from  the  field  of  battle  to  the  society  of  the 
rockery  and  the  cascade,  delighting  in  the  perils  and  struggles 
of  the  one  as  much  as  he  admires  the  grace  and  repose  of  the 
other.  There  is  not  to  be  found  elsewhere  a  more  striking 
monument  of  military  power,  nor  can  any  one  considering 
such  a  work  refuse  to  credit  the  Japanese  with  capacity  for 
large  conceptions  and  competence  to  carry  them  into  practice/ 
(Brinkley.) 

Within  the  spacious  walls,  which  anciently  covered  a  much 
wider  area  than  at  present,  and  round  which  the  city  gradually 
grew,  were  the  dwellings  of  the  more  powerful  daimyds  and 
their  numerous  retainers,  with  wide  open  spaces  upon  which 
many  of  the  houses  of  present-day  Tokyo  stand.  The  Shogun 
Hidetada  added  to  the  vast  work  much  of  which  was  destroyed 
by  the  great  fire  of  1873.  For  many  years  thereafter,  and  while 
the  present  Palace  was  building,  the  Emperor  dwelt  in  a  pro- 
visional palace  which  stood  where  the  present  palace  of  the 
Crown  Prince  stands.  There  are  a  number  of  wells  in  the 
enceinte,  and  the  Palace  with  its  gardens  form  a  self-contained 
whole.  The  Fukiage  Landscape  Garden,  in  the  formal 
Japanese  style,  is  the  finest  in  Japan,  with  quaint  lakelets, 
charming  bridges  and  paths,  lotus-pools,  wandering  peacocks 
and  cranes,  etc.  Froin  the  highest  point,  Momijiyama,  or 
Maple  Hill,  one  looks  across  a  beautiful  stretch  studded  with 
splendid  giant  forest  trees  and  others  wonderfully  dwarfed; 
over  plots  where  are  assembled  hundreds  of  specimens  of 
indigenous  flora  as  well  as  others  from  the  neighboring  conti- 
nent, and  to  bowers  to  which  years  of  care  of  the  best  arboral- 
ists  in  Japan  have  been  devoted.  —  Near  the  E.  moat  stands 
the  Central  Meteorological  Observatory,  whence  daily 
weather  reports  are  telegraphed  to  all  parts  of  the  Empire. 

The  chief  Divisions  of  the  Palace  (completed  in  1889  at  a 
cost  of  4  million  yen)  are  known  as  Hommaru  (Main  Castle,  or 
Inner  Citadel)  and  Nishi  no  Maru  (West  Castle).  One  story 
in  height,  constructed  (in  the  pure  Nipponese  style)  originally 
of  light  buff-colored  wood  now  considerably  weather-beaten, 
with  many  graceful  gables  and  eaves  decorated  richly  in  bril- 
liant greens  and  blues,  with  polychromatic  symbols  and  con- 
ventionalized flowers,  they  suggest  palatial  residences  rather 
than  fortresses.  The  general  effect  produced  by  the  many 
angles  and  the  copper-bronze  roof  glowing  with  a  rich  patina  is 
that  of  a  fine  temple  converted  into  a  dwelling.  The  regal 
interior  of  the  main  structure  is  planned  on  Japanese  lines,  but 
modified  to  meet  the  requirements  of  cosmopolitan  Court  life. 


152    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Imperial  Palace. 


Steam  heat  has  replaced  the  illusive  hibachi.  The  exquisite 
joinery,  the  sliding  screens  faced  with  highly  polished  mirrors, 
the  beautiful  native  brocades,  and  the  European  furniture, 
suggest  a  pleasing  blend  of  the  Orient  and  Occident.  The  floors 
are  of  selected  hard  woods  from  the  Imperial  forests.  In  cer- 
tain of  the  apartments,  orange  and  cedar  are  employed  in 
conjunction  with  splendid  embossed  leather-like  paper  carry- 
ing flowing  patterns  of  ivory  and  gold.  The  heavily  beamed 
ceilings  are  coffered  in  places,  each  sunken  panel  enriched 
with  decorations  similar  to  those  in  the  Kyoto  Palace.  Some 
of  the  finest  modern  work  in  gold  lacquer  is  here  seen  in  the 
various  panels  showing  animals,  birds,  flowers,  landscapes,  and 
the  like.  The  Audience  Room  or  Main  Hall  (Sei-den),  often 
referred  to  as  the  Howo-no-ma  because  of  the  phoenixes  which 
form  a  part  of  the  gorgeous  decoration,  is  where  the  Emperor 
receives  his  ministers  and  the  foreign  ambassadors,  and  no  one 
is  admitted  beyond  unless  honored  with  a  special  audience. 
So  exclusive  are  some  of  the  apartments  that  none  but  the 
nearest  relatives  of  the  sovereign  or  the  Empress  are  ever 
accorded  the  privilege  of  entering  them.  The  Imperial  Sanc- 
tuary, or  Kashiko-dokoro  (familiarly  called  Chiyoda-jd,  or 
Tokyo-jo),  where  the  Emperor  worships  the  shades  of  his 
ancestors,  occupies  a  large  hall  constructed  of  cream-white 
knotless  timbers,  polished  as  smooth  as  mirrors  and  devoid  of 
decoration.  The  chastely  beautiful  Shinto  Shrine,  also  of  simi- 
lar wood  with  delicately  chased  silver  fitments,  incloses  a 
model  of  the  sacred  mirror  and  the  usual  Shinto  furniture; 
flanking  it  are  two  smaller  shrines;  one  dedicated  to  all  the 
Imperial  ancestors  since  Jimmu  Tenno;  the  other  to  the  chief 
deities  of  the  Shinto  pantheon.  The  floor  is  covered  with  fine 
straw  mats  bordered  with  white  damask;  the  bamboo  curtains 
carry  the  Imperial  crest.  —  The  private  reception  room  of  the 
Empress  is  hung  in  crimson  silk.  —  The  Imperial  dress  in  pri- 
vate life  is  white  silk.  The  old  Kyoto  dialect  is  in  use  in  the 
inner  life  of  the  Court. 

Of  the  several  Gates  (most  of  which  date  from  the  big  fire  of 
1657)  the  best  known  to  the  casual  traveler  is  the  Seimon  or 
Main  Gate,  at  the  S.E.  corner  of  the  inclosure;  a  massive,  iron- 
studded  structure  (opened  only  on  special  occasions),  with  sl 
postern,  a  penthouse,  and  a  guard.  The  twin  bridges  (Niju- 
bashi),  when  seen  from  a  certain  angle,  look  like  a  single  bridge 
with  two  passageways.  Visitors  usually  enter  the  Palace 
grounds  through  the  Sakashitamon,  farther  along  the  moat 
toward  the  N.  The  Babasakimon,  which  prior  to  the  Japan- 
Russia  War  spanned  the  outer  moat  about  i  M.  to  the  E.  of 
the  Seimon,  was  razed  because  it  was  too  small  to  admit  the 
passage  of  a  throng  at  one  time;  its  demolition  was  hastened 
by  a  fatal  crush  which  occurred  during  a  demonstration  at  the 
close  of  the  war  referred  to.  Coincidently  the  road  leading  to 


Imperial  Palace.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  153 


the  Seimon  was  widened,  as  was  also  the  broad  Gaisenddro 
(Road  of  Triumph)  which  flanks  the  Palace  moat  on  the  E.  and 
commemorates  the  great  struggle  between  the  Japanese  and 
the  Muscovites.  The  region  hereabout  is  called  Marunouchi 
(' inside  the  castle  walls  ');  upward  of  one  hundred  thousand 
persons  of  all  ages  and  sects  knelt  here  in  endless  rows  on  the 
night  of  July  29,  1912,  praying  for  the  late  Emperor  who  lay 
dying  within  the  Palace.  The  Sakuradamon  ('  cherry- village 
gate ')  at  the  S.  with  its  big  penthouse  and  massive  iron  fit- 
ments, is  associated  in  the  native  mind  with  the  assassination 
(comp.  p.  22)  of  It  Kamon  no  Kami,  the  last  of  the  Tokugawa 
Premiers.  Both  the  gates  (the  inner  and  outer  one)  are  known 
by  the  same  name.  The  corresponding  gate  at  the  N.E.  corner 
of  the  inclosure  is  called  Wadakuramon. 

The  Moats  (hori)  which  defend  the  inclosure  are  much  less 
extensive  than  in  former  times,  and  almost  every  year  sees  a 
section  of  them  capitulate  to  commercial  advancement;  the 
outer  moat  at  the  rear  of  the  Palace  grounds  is  now  threaded 
by  an  electric  tramway,  and  other  sections  are  being  filled  in. 
The  fresh  water,  which  is  brought  from  the  Tonegawa,  is  of 
varying  levels  (there  is  a  slight  current),  and  ranges  in  depth 
from  4  to  10  ft.,  and  in  width  from  50  to  200  ft.  Sections  of 
the  surface  are  thickly  covered  with  magnificent  lotus-blos- 
soms in  late  summer,  when  they  present  an  inspiring  sight. 
From  time  out  of  mind  the  deeper,  quieter  reaches  of  the  vast 
trenches  have  been  the  breeding-grounds  for  wild  geese,  ducks, 
and  other  aquatic  birds,  and  before  the  city  acquired  steam 
railways  and  smoking  factories  (which  frightened  many  of  the 
water-fowl  away)  there  came  here  as  regularly  as  the  seasons 
scores  of  storks,  herons,  and  swans,  to  impart  to  the  moats  a 
scene  of  unusual  grace  and  beauty.  The  traveler  who  chances 
to  cross  Marunouchi  on  almost  any  crisp  morning  in  winter 
may  witness  a  sight  characteristic  of  the  city  life  of  the  gentle, 
beauty-loving  Nipponese.  From  one  side  or  the  other  of  the 
Palace  there  comes  a  vast  quacking  or  a  musical  honking  fol- 
lowed by  the  whirring  and  beating  of  heavy  wings,  and  soon 
flock  after  flock  of  iridescent  wild  ducks  or  fat  geese  (gan) 
swing  into  view  and  fly  to  and  fro  across  the  park  or  drift 
slowly  back  to  some  favorite  feeding-ground  on  the  moat, 
thrilling  the  startled  stranger  with  the  unexpected  charm  of 
the  scene. 

Back  from  the  clear  green  waters  of  the  gigantic  inner  trench 
rise  imposing  slopes  from  20  to  50  ft.  high,  with  a  glacis  from 
50  to  200  ft.  covered  with  lawn-like  grassy  turf  and  parapets  of 
fantastic  evergreen  pines  that  take  the  most  curious  horizontal 
directions  and  the  most  capriciously  twisted  shapes,  as  they 
bend  and  sway  and  give  fancy  and  artistic  charm  to  the  moats 
and  walls.  'On  bright  sunny  days  the  silhouettes  of  their 
tortuous  branches  are  mirrored  in  the  still  waters,  and  on  calm 


154    Route  10. 


TOKYO      Crown  Prince7 s  Palace. 


moonlight  nights,  when  the  stars  and  the  lanterns  of  the  run- 
ners tremble  in  the  dark  and  silent  depths,  they  stretch  their 
great  muscular  arms  protectingly  above  them.'  Not  a  few  of 
these  huge  trees  were  living  witnesses  of  the  last  great  events 
of  the  shogunal  days,  and  they  add  to  the  mysterious  solem- 
nity which  broods  above  this  splendid  old  relic  of  a  vanished 
past. 

The  cyclopean  Walls  themselves,  of  remarkable  massivity, 
besides  ranking  among  the  finest  things  in  Tokyo,  are  among 
the  best  examples  of  this  type  of  architecture  in  the  Empire. 
Formed  of  colossal  blocks  of  undressed  stone  upward  of  3  ft. 
thick,  6  ft.wide,  and  16  ft.  long;  fashioned  into  ramparts  from 
25  to  60  ft.  high,  broken  here  and  there  by  solid  spurs  which 
give  them  a  new  direction,  but  which  always  present  a  grim 
and  formidable  front  to  the  outsider,  they  are  wholly  admir- 
able, with  the  spreading  moats  at  their  feet  and  the  pine  trees 
above.  Although  laid  without  mortar,  the  huge  polygonal 
blocks  fit  against  one  another  with  the  nice  precision  of  deco- 
rated tiles,  their  great  jagged  points  running  far  back  into  the 
earth  and  becoming  almost  an  integral  part  of  it.  Anciently 
when  Tsukiji  and  Kyobashi-ku  were  half -submerged  swamps, 
the  sea  washed  the  outer  walls  of  the  enceinte,  the  land  having 
been  reclaimed  by  leveling  Kanda  Hill  and  by  filling  in.  The 
inner  wall  (ni  no  maru)  is  finer  than  the  outer  (san  no  maru), 
whole  sections  of  which  have  been  demolished  to  make  way 
for  new  streets.  Whitewashed  stone  pavilions  raise  their 
curved  roofs  at  angles  of  the  escarpment  and  impart  the  effect 
of  a  castle.  The  well-advised  traveler  will  walk  quite  around 
the  inclosure,  for  only  in  this  way  may  he  get  a  correct  idea  of 
its  size  and  the  beauty  of  its  defenses. 

Facing  the  E.  front  of  the  Palace  grounds  is  an  extensive 
park  which  once  formed  the  Palace  esplanade ;  near  the  center 
of  the  S.  section  stands  a  noteworthy  equestrian  monument 
on  a  handsome  granite  base,  erected  (in  1898)  by  Sumitomo  , 
Kichizaemon  (a  Japanese  copper  magnate)  to  the  undying 
memory  of  General  Kusunoki  Masashige,  a  mediaeval  hero 
whom  the  Japanese  regard  as  the  essence  of  loyalty  to  the 
throne  and  unselfish  devotion  to  the  fatherland.  The  quad- 
rangular pedestal  (which  rises  from  a  granite  plinth  encircled 
by  stone  pillars)  is  enriched  with  a  chaste  and  beautiful  key- 
pattern  string  course.  The  heroic  figure  is  clad  in  ancient 
armor  and  is  the  personification  of  stress  and  courage;  the 
bronze  ideographic  slab  refers  to  the  erection  of  the  monu- 
ment. —  Surrounding  the  Palace  inclosure  are  several  parks, 
the  chief  gov't  buildings,  many  of  the  foreign  embassies  and 
legations,  several  schools,  churches,  shrines,  and  other  places 
hereinafter  described. 

The  Crown  Prince's  Palace  stands  a  short  distance  to  the 
W.  of  the  Imperial  Palace,  in  Akasaka  Ward?  whence  the  com- 


Kudan  Hill. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  155 


mon  name  of  Akasaka  Palace.  The  structure,  from  which 
strangers  are  debarred,  is  built  of  fine  Italian  marble  and 
native  gray  granite,  after  the  general  style  of  the  palace  at 
Versailles,  and  was  designed  by  Mr.  Katayama,  a  Japanese 
architect  who  studied  at  the  Parisian  Ecole  des  Beaux  Arts. 
The  interior  decorations  and  fitments  are  French.  The  build- 
ing (completed  in  1913)  stands  far  back  from  the  street,  in  a 
wide  inclosure  surrounded  on  3  sides  by  high  stone  walls  and 
defended  in  front  by  an  elaborate  iron  grill.  The  most  con- 
spicuous features  are  the  groups  —  at  each  side  of  the  main 
entrance  —  of  gilded  phoenixes. 

Kudan  Hill,  with  its  famous  shrine  and  museum,  stands  at 
theTOvHSomer  of  the  Palace  grounds,  in  Kojimachi-ku,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  as  well  as  elevated  spots  in  the 
city.  Approaching  it  along  the  wide,  populous,  and  upward- 
sloping  Kudan-zaka  (PI.  F,  4)  —  the  Broadway  of  Kanda 
Ward  —  one  reaches  the  crest  of  the  hill  at  the  Tayasumon 
(gate)  of  the  Palace,  where  the  barracks  [the  noon  gun  is  fired 
here]  of  the  Imperial  bodyguard  is  located.  Flanking  the 
entrance  (left)  is  a  tall  bronze  statue  on  a  beautiful  granite 
base,  erected  to  the  memory  of  Viscount  Shinagawa,  a  states- 
man, patriot,  one  of  the  builders  of  New  Japan,  and  a  member 
(ennobled  after  the  Restoration)  of  a  samurai  family  of  the 
Yamaguchi  Clan.  The  smaller  monument  near  by  commemo- 
rates the  late  General  Kawakami,  chief  of  the  Staff  Office 
during  the  Japan-Russia  War.  The  tall,  bayonet-shaped  shaft 
on  a  rusted  iron  base  stands  to  the  memory  of  the  soldiers  of 
the  Imperial  bodyguard  who  died  (while  fighting  on  the  loyal- 
ists' side)  during  the  Satsuma  Rebellion.  The  bizarre  building 
just  across  the  roadway,  with  a  st©ne  lighthouse  in  the  yard,  is 
a  Military  Club;  the  beacon  was  long  a  guiding  light  for  the 
junks  which  sailed  up  Yedo  Bay.  The  views  over  the  city  from 
this  point  are  fine. 

The  Yasukuni-jinja  ('  shrine  which  safeguards  the  tran- 
quillity ^of  the  Empire'},  known  also  as  Shokonsha  (Chinese: 
sho,  invite;  kon,  spirit ;  sha,  temple),  or '  Spirit-Invoking  Shrine/ 
a  Shinto  sanctuary  dedicated  to  all  the  soldiers  who  have 
fallen  in  the  wars  since  the  Restoration,  stands  far  back  on  the 
hill,  about  |  M.  from  the  pebble-strewn  campus  at  the  top  of 
Kudan-zaka.  Two  handsomely  sculptured  stone  lanterns  flank 
the  entrance.  The  deeply  cut  characters  on  the  tall  square  shaft 
at  the  right  give  the  name  and  rank  of  the  shrine,  and  advise  that 
it  is  under  Imperial  protection.  The  two  huge  stone  Dogs  of 
Fo  at  the  right  and  left,  on  massive  stone  bases,  are  war-prizes 
brought  hither  from  China  at  the  close  of  the  war  in  1895.  The 
lines  of  stone  lanterns  which  flank  the  campus  on  either  side 
were  presented  to  the  shrine  (in  1878)  by  different  daimyos. 
The  tall  bronze  monument  (erected  in  1882)  on  a  cylindrical 
base  midway  of  the  esplanade,  surrounded  by  an  iron  fence 


156    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


made  to  represent  arrows,  and  sentineled  by  a  number  of  dis- 
mounted cannon,  stands  to  the  memory  of  Omura  Masujird 
(whose  statue  crowns  the  pedestal),  a  heroic  and  prominent 
figure  of  the  Restoration.  He  it  was  who  instructed  the  samu- 
rai of  Choshu  in  the  military  arts,  and  during  the  war  which 
preceded  the  Imperial  Restoration,  he  fought  against  the  sho- 
gun  at  Yedo  and  Wakamatsu  —  later  pacifying  the  N.E.  region 
of  Hondo  Is.  When  he  had  been  appointed  Vice-Minister  of 
War  (Hyobu-tayu),  and  was  diligently  reorganizing  the  army, 
he  was  assassinated  (Nov.  8, 1869)  along  with  five  of  his  officers. 
The  striking  figure  (better  than  certain  other  bronze  statues 
in  Tokyo)  is  interesting  in  that  it  was  the  first  bronze  statue  to 
be  erected  to  a  Japanese  in  the  Empire. 

'  During  the  lively  festivals  of  May  4-8  and  Nov.  5-7,  a  host 
of  jugglers,  wrestlers,  and  others  erect  peep-shows,  shops,  and 
other  catch-penny  devices  here,  and  by  means  of  thimble- 
rigging and  similar  sly  practices  succeed  in  wheedling  consider- 
able money  from  the  country  bumpkins  who  then  frequent  the 
place.  An  immense  and  noisy  crowd  drifts  up  and  down  the 
long  campus  at  these  times,  and  occasionally  space  is  cleared  for 
wire-rope  walking,  a  horse-race,  or  historic  dances.  The  sol- 
diers who  come  in  throngs  give  thanks  at  the  shrine  for  some 
military  victory,  or  do  honor  to  the  memory  of  comrades  killed 
in  the  Russian  War.  Across  the  street  from  the  S.W.  end  of  the 
inclosure  is  the  Fujimiken  Restaurant,  where  a  limited  range 
of  food  cooked  in  foreign  style  can  be  had  at  moderate  prices. 

A  colossal  bronze  torii  erected  in  1887,  and  in  itself  so  fine  as 
to  impel  one  to  acts  of  worship,  marks  the  entrance  to  the 
temple  yard ;  at  the  right  and  left  are  some  unusually  handsome 
bronze  lanterns  ornamented  (along  the  base)  with  fabulous 
kirin  with  gold  eyes,  and  (at  the  top)  with  wriggling  dragons. 
The  Ema-do  just  within  the  entrance,  at  the  left,  is  a  tawdry 
affair  with  some  execrable  pictures  of  horses  stuck  to  the  walls 
and  ceiling;  the  guns  and  sabers  were  given  by  the  soldiers  of 
the  arsenal.  During  festival  nights  the  trees  are  hung  with 
colored  light  bulbs  and  the  effect  is  pretty.  At  this  season 
cages  along  the  inner  fence  are  packed  high  with  offerings  to 
the  shrine  —  huge  mirror-shaped  rice-cakes  called  kagami- 
mochi;  big-bellied  sake  tubs;  hosts  of  potted  plants;  tins  of  bis- 
cuits and  what-not,  each  bearing  the  giver's  name  —  and 
usually  his  place  of  business.  The  stone  lanterns  in  the  yard 
were  erected  (in  1878)  by  the  Japanese  nobility,  to  replace 
some  ugly  glass  ones  of  an  earlier  period.  The  white  magnolias 
are  beautiful  in  season. 

The  simple  but  imposing  Honden,  or  main  shrine,  built  in 
1869,  in  the  pure  Shinto  style,  is  of  little  interest  to  the  traveler. 
The  two  blue-and-white  porcelain  ornaments  inclosed  in  wire 
netting,  which  stand  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  entrance,  were 
gifts  of  the  wife  of  a  daimyo.  The  peaceful  and  ecclesiastical 


Museum  of  Arms. 


TOKYO 


10.  Route.  157 


character  of  the  sanctuary  changes  as  soon  as  one  walks  across 
the  yard  to  the  right  of.it.  What  at  first  blush  looks  like  the 
repair  yard  of  a  machine-gun  shop  is  found  to  be  a  reliquary 
of  the  Japan-Russia  War;  many  battered  and  mutilated 
machine-guns  stand  here  on  pedestals  made  for  them,  and  on 
or  near  them  are  inscriptions  recounting  their  bloody  history. 
The  7-cent.  gun  behind  the  shield  was  removed  by  the  Russians 
from  a  Russian  warship,  set  up  on  shore  for  the  defense  of  Port 
Arthur,  and  did  great  damage  to  the  assaulting  army  before  it 
was  captured.  The  badly  broken  gun  at  the  rear  of  the  upright 
shell,  which  serves  as  a  descriptive  tablet,  was  thus  mutilated 
by  a  27-cent.  gun  manipulated  by  the  Japanese  —  a  dreadfully 
battle-scarred  relic  of  a  horrific  war.  The  long,  crippled  gun 
at  the  left  of  another  cartridge-shaped  descriptive  shaft,  was 
put  out  of  commission  by  a  28-cent.  Japanese  gun.  The  tall 
mounted  gun  (also  a  28-cent.,  with  the  number  97-15L  and 
8461  on  the  same  plate)  was  manufactured  at  the  Osaka 
Arsenal  and  was  one  of  those  which  killed  the  greatest  number 
of  Russians;  during  the  early  part  of  the  war  it  was  badly 
damaged  by  the  Russian  fire,  but  was  later  repaired  and  was  a 
powerful  argument  in  the  surrender  of  Port  Arthur.  According 
to  the  tablet,  it  was  placed  on  shore  2000  meters  from  the  outer 
line  of  defense,  and  from  that  point  it  hurled  its  deadly  missiles 
on  to  the  forts  and  ships.  It  was  instrumental  in  sinking  the 
Russian  warships  Retevezan,  Pobeida,  Poltava,  Peresviet,  Sevas- 
topol, and  the  Bayan.  The  wicked  thing  rests  on  a  great 
movable  base,  and  the  wonder  is  that  men  could  ever  move  its 
huge  bulk  from  a  rocking  ship  to  the  shore. 

The  placing  of  these  guns  behind  the  cover  of  203  Metre  Hill  resulted 
disastrously  for  the  Russian  ships  cooped  up  in  Port  Arthur  Harbor.  One 
big  ship  and  six  destroyers  were  the  only  vessels,  torpedo-launches,  and  other 
small  craft  excepted,  which  escaped  destruction.  The  terrific  plunging  fire 
from  High  Hill  not  only  cruelly  mutilated  all  the  ships  that  could  not  find 
shelter,  but  the  torpedo  village  of  Tiger's  Tail  was  utterly  destroyed.  The 
arsenal  works  on  the  S.  side  of  the  E.  end  of  the  basin  were  also  heavily 
punished. 

Other  evil-looking  guns  stand  about  the  grounds,  which 
extend  back  (behind  the  shrine)  to  a  lovely  garden  with  a  fish- 
pond.  The  bronze  fountain  in  this,  in  the  form  of  a  boy  holding 
a  struggling  fish,  was  a  gift  of  the  Marquis  Mayeda,  daimyo  of 
Kaga  Province.  The  plum  trees  which  bloom  here  in  late  Feb. 
are  worth  coming  to  see. 

The  *Museum  of  Arms  (  Yushiukwan) ,  with  a  magnificent 
collection  almost  as  complete  as  that  in  the  Royal  Armory  at 
Madrid,  stands  at  the  right  (N.)  of  the  shrine,  in  the  same  com- 
pound. Entrance  at  the  right;  open  from  8  a.m.  to  5  p.m.  in 
summer,  and  9  to  3  in  winter;  admission,  5  sen.  The  attractive 
foreign-style  edifice  of  red  brick  and  white  granite  was  built 
for  the  purpose,  around  four  sides  of  a  handsome  garden  con- 
taining a  pond,  some  graceful  trees  and  a  number  of  dismounted 


158    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Museum  of  Arms. 


cannon  —  also  relics  of  the  late  war.  The  43  clean  and  well- 
lighted  rooms  contain  a  superb  lot  of£  objects  associated  with 
Japan's  greatest  epochs,  and  it  is  to  be  deplored  that  no  cata- 
log in  English  exists  to  give  the  interested  traveler  a  com- 
pleter description  of  them;  for  in  point  of  beauty,  variety,  and 
historic  interest  many  are  deserving  of  minute  attention.  The 
splendid  collection  of  now  almost  priceless  swords  and  blades 
is  worth  seeing  many  times.  —  As  the  present  location  of  many 
of  the  articles  is  avowedly  temporary,  and  is  subject  to  change, 
no  effort  will  be  made  here  to  describe  them  in  rotation. 

We  enter  through  a  narrow  room  filled  with  implements  of 
war  dating  from  an  age  when  art  went  hand  in  hand  with  armed 
contest,  and  enemies  of  the  State  were  shot  with  cannon  so 
beautiful  in  design  and  decoration  that  they  must  have  miti- 
gated the  pain  of  the  wounded.  On  both  sides  of  the  passage- 
way are  many  relics  of  early  Korean  and  Chinese  invasions; 
and  of  Japanese  internecine  strife.  Here  are  many  tangible 
evidences  of  intercourse  with  the  first  Europeans  —  for  from 
the  cruel  and  scheming  Jesuits,  and  the  mercenary,  psalm- 
singing  Dutchmen,  the  old  feudal  barons  got  all  they  knew  of 
war-instruments  more  complicated  than  bows  and  arrows, 
spears,  clubs,  and  battle-axes.  Scattered  among  these  varied 
and  artistic  mementoes,  which  range  in  size  from  ponderous 
cannon  of  wonderful  bore  to  dainty  damascened  matchlock 
pistols  of  intricate  mechanism,  are  man}^  early  Japanese  rifles 
inlaid  with  gold  and  silver  foil  and  displaying  a  singular  perfec- 
tion of  design  and  execution.  The  old  saddles,  the  Dutch 
shells,  and  minor  war  panoply  are  less  interesting. 

The  collection  of  war-pictures  —  many  of  them  painted 
with  more  fury  than  art  —  includes  portraits  of  field  marshals, 
generals,  and  many  smaller  fry.  Several  canvases  illustrate 
phases  of  the  Mongol  Invasion  (Rte.  39)  and  the  cruelty  of  the 
yellow  hordes  sent  hither  by  the  redoubtable  Kublai  Khan. 
The  case  of  swords  belonging  to  the  Yasukuni  shrine  contains 
some  that  are  classed  as  national  treasures.  The  fine  sword 
with  a  jewel-encrusted  sheath,  enriched  with  fat  goldfishes, 
was  given  by  Baron  Iwasaki  and  is  said  to  be  similar  in  design 
to  the  famous  heaven-sent  sword  .worshiped  at  the  Sacred 
Shrine  at  Ise.  The  splendid  Korean  blade  near  by  is  worth 
looking  at. —  In  other  rooms  are  extensive  collections  of 
armor  under  which  the  greatest  hearts  of  Old  Japan  once  beat 
with  life  and  purpose ;  the  banners  which  hang  above  them  were 
captured  from  rival  fiefs  or  foreign  enemies.  A  host  of  smaller 
objects  of  interest  repose  in  the  glass  cases  — some  properly 
identified,  others  understandable  only  to  the  native  mind.  The 
barbed  spears  15  ft.  long  attest  the  muscularity  of  some  of  the 
old  warriors;  the  suits  of  mail  are  purely  Japanese.  The  cases 
containing  the  fine  collection  of  relics  of  the  Fujiwara,  Ashi- 
kaga  and  the  Tokugawa  epochs  are  highly  interesting.  Near  by 


Southwest  Quarter.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  159 


are  assortments  of  weapons  used  by  the  early  Ainu  and  by  the 
Formosan  head-hunters. 

Of  interest  to  Americans  is  the  machine-gun  (made  by  Pratt 
&  Whitney,  of  Hartford,  Conn.)  presented  'To  His  Majesty, 
the  Mikado  of  Japan,  by  General  U.  S.  Grant.'  It  usually 
stands  near  an  old  Chinese  cannon  mounted  on  a  red  and  gold 
carriage  (a  relic  of  the  Boxer  War) .  Hard  by  are  some  Gatling 
battery  guns;  an  old  Claxton  gun;  several  bronze  cannon  of 
Strasbourg  make  with  the  crown  and  monogram  of  the  lesser 
Napoleon,  and  the  date  1861-62;  some  grim  old  Russian  guns; 
a  collection  of  German  armor  of  the  16th  cent.;  and  a  host  of 
relics  of  various  kinds,  wrested  from  the  Russians  on  the 
plains  of  Manchuria.  The  enlarged  and  colored  photographs 
of  the  Russian  War  are  instructive.  In  some  of  the  rooms  are 
huge  war-drums,  relics  of  the  Stone  Age  in  Japan,  and  a  host 
of  articles  of  domestic  use  among  the  Ainus.  In  an  adjoin- 
ing building  is  the  Museum  Library;  misnamed,  since  it  con- 
tains only  a  lot  of  kakemonos  and  specimens  of  chirography 
(some  of  the  panels  20  ft.  long)  of  dead  worthies. 

The  Southwest  Quarter. 

The  section  embraced  within  the  Akasaka,  Azabu,  Shiba, 
and  the  S.W.  half  of  Kojimachi  wards  is  one  of  the  most 
attractive  of  the  city.  The  N.E.  part  is  often  called  the  Official 
Quarter,  for  at  the  W.  of  the  Palace  moat,  where  long  double 
rows  of  the  mansions  of  feudal  barons  once  stood,  are  one  or 
more  detached  palaces,  numerous  embassies  and  legations; 
shrines,  schools,  dwellings,  and  the  well-known  Foreign  Office, 
where  international  questions  are  discussed.  The  region  at  the 
back  of  this  structure  is  almost  wholly  residential.  Parlia- 
ment, the  Naval  Department,  and  the  Law  Courts  face  it,  and 
the  magnificent  old  wide-spreading  cherry  trees  in  the  yard 
are  a  beautiful  sight  in  early  April.  The  life-size  bronze  monu- 
ment (erected  in  1908)  on  a  granite  pedestal  in  front  of  the  por- 
tico commemorates  Count  Munemitsu  Mutsu  (b.  1847,  d. 
1897),  sometime  senator  (genrdin-gikwan)  and  stanch  sup- 
porter of  the  Imperial  Restoration.  Becoming  implicated  in 
the  Satsuma  Rebellion  he  was  imprisoned,  but  in  1888  was 
made  Minister  to  Washington,  and,  in  1892,  Minister  of  Foreign 
Affairs.  The  official  residences  of  the  present  minister  and  his 
secretary  (who  also  is  press  censor,  etc.)  are  in  the  compound 
with  the  Foreign  Office.  That  of  the  Vice-Minister  and  of  the 
foreign  adviser  are  near  by,  and  that  of  the  Prime  Minister 
is  in  the  immediate  neighborhood.  The  big  building  in  the  rear 
of  the  Gaimusho  is  the  Detached  Palace  (often  called  Kasumi- 
gaseki-rikyu  — '  spring-mist  '  palace  —  from  the  hillslope  on 
which  it  stands)  of  the  late  Prince  Arisugawa  Taruhito  Shinnd. 
Distinguished  foreign  visitors  are  often  quartered  here.  The 


160    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


Fine  Arts  Museum. 


commanding  equestrian  statue  in  the  yard  of  the  near-by  Staff 
Office  (PL  E,  5)  commemorates  the  Prince  (b.  1835;  d.  1895) 
who  commanded  the  army  sent  to  subdue  the  last  partisans 
of  the  shogun  in  1868-69;  and  the  one  which  suppressed  the 
Satsuma  Rebellion  in  1877.  He  was  the  first  Director-in-Chief 
of  the  Staff  Office;  was  made  a  Field  Marshal  in  1878,  and  died 
during  the  Chinese- Japanese  War.  The  German  Embassy 
stands  near  the  moat,  at  the  rear  of  the  Staff  Office,  and  farther 
along  the  moat,  on  a  commanding  site  embowered  in  cherry 
trees,  is  the  British  Embassy.  That  of  the  United  States 
occupies  an  insignificant  structure  at  some  distance  to  the  left 
(W.)  near  the  summit  of  a  slight  acclivity  known  as  Reinanzaka 
(PI.  D,  5).  Hard  by  is  the  popular  St.  Andrews  Church,  and 
the  Okura  Private  Museum  described  below. 

The  *Okura  Fine  Arts  Museum,,  (Okura  Bijutsu-kwan) ,  at 
No.  3,  Aoi-cho,  Edomizaka,  near  the  American  Embassy  in 
Akasaka-ku  (PI.  D,  6),  one  of  the  finest  and  most  extensive 
collections  (said  to  be  worth  5  million  yen)  of  Japanese,  Chin- 
ese, and  Korean  art-antiques  in  the  Empire,  is  housed  (at 
present)  in  the  palatial,  semi-foreign  dwelling  of  its  owner, 
Mr.  Kihachiro  Okura,  a  public-spirited  multi-millionaire,  a 
well-known  poet  (over  the  pseudonym  of  T suruhiko-o) ,  and  a 
connoisseur  of  unusual  taste  and  judgment.  Few  travelers 
interested  in  Far-Eastern  art  will  wish  to  leave  Tokyo  without 
seeing  this  admirable  collection,  which  in  many  respects  sur- 
passes that  of  the  Imperial  Museum  (with  which  it  will  perhaps 
later  be  merged)  at  Uyeno  Park. 

Mr.  Okura  began  the  acquisition  of  the  rarest  of  his  gems  of  native  crafts- 
manship soon  after  the  Restoration  (in  1868),  before  Japan  was  'discov- 
ered '  by  collectors,  and  when  but  a  limited  few  Japanese  valued  at  their 
true  worth  the  superb  porcelains,  bronzes,  lacquers,  and  similar  art  products 
made  during  the  most  brilliant  epoch  of  the  luxurious  and  extravagant 
Tokugawa  period. 

'  Highly  prized,'  says  Dr.  Rein,  'as  were  the  beautiful  fabrics,  bronzes, 
and  fine  ceramics,  the  old  prosperous  families  seem  to  have  valued  nothing 
so  much,  next  to  their  swords,  as  a  fine  piece  of  lacquer-work  from  the  hand  of 
some  recognized  master.  But  as  the  old  order  of  things  in  Japan  was  broken 
up,  shoguns  and  daimyos  lost  their  power,  and  many  beautiful  specimens  of 
industrial  art  which  had  hitherto  been  treated  to  a  certain  extent  as  heir- 
looms, and  had  been  exhibited  and  admired  with  pride  and  pleasure,  were 
neglected  and  trifled  away,  and  a  large  number  of  the  old  and  valuable  lac- 
quered articles  came  into  the  hands  of  traders  and  strangers.  Their  price 
at  that  time  (1868-70)  is  said  to  have  been  so  low  as  to  justify  the  often 
repeated  expression  of  the  seller,  that  it  would  be  more  profitable  to  burn 
them  and  to  collect  and  sell  the  gold  used  in  making  them.' 

The  collection  of  Chinese  lacquer  of  the  Ming  Dynasty  is 
perhaps  unrivaled  for  beauty,  variety,  and  worth;  and  but 
little  less  inferior  is  the  collection  of  porcelains  produced  dur- 
ing various  Chinese  dynasties.  Among  the  rare  and  choice 
Japanese  pieces  are  some  lacquered  objects  by  Ogata  Korin 
(a  celebrated  17th  cent,  artist),  and  others  by  Koyetsu  (see 
p.  161).  The  sculptured  wood  masterpieces  by  Unkei  (p.  ccxli) 
are  of  undeniable  authenticity,  as  are  also  the  bronzes  and 


fine  Arts  Museum.  .  TOKYO 


10.  Route.  161 


wood-carvings  from  the  (7th  cent.)  Horyuji  Temple,  near  Nara, 
the  rare  and  splendid  productions  of  Eshin,  and  other  now 
almost  priceless  antiques.  A  feature  of  the  exhibit  is  a  Buddhist 
temple  which  once  stood  in  ShibaPark  and  which  is  representa- 
tive of  the  best  work  of  the  late  Tokugawa  period.  The  series  of 
Thibetan  bronzes,  pictures,  and  other  objects  form  a  collection 
perhaps  unique  in  its  completeness  of  the  art  of  that  little- 
known  country. 

s  the  collection  is  private,  the  museum  is  not  open  to  the  general  public. 
Admission  can,  however,  be  secured  through  one's  ambassador  or  minister; 
through  some  friend  of  the  owner;  or  upon  request  to  the  manager  of  the 
Imperial  Hotel,  at  Tokyo.  The  rooms  are  apt  to  be  closed  on  Mondays. 
\JThere  is  no  official  catalogue  of  the  collection,  which  is  being  constantly 
added  to.  English  is  spoken.  No  fees  necessary.  Many  of  the  vases,  etc., 
are  '  loaded  '  with  shot  or  some  similarly  heavy  substances,  or  are  tied  down 
to  prevent  their  being  tipped  over  and  broken  by  earthquakes.  The  position 
of  the  articles  is  changed  from  time  to  time.  The  entire  collection  is  remark- 
ably free  from  forgeries,  and  it  differs  from  that  of  the  general  run  of  muse- 
ums in  that  a  large  proportion  of  the  articles  have  been  selected  for  their 
beauty  and  artistic  excellence.  The  very  old  ones  are  significant  reminders 
of  the  great  antiquity  of  the  Japanese  dynasty. 

The  Entrance  (shoes  need  n,pt  be  removed)  is  at  the  end  of 
a  wide,  pebble-strewn  driveway  which  winds  up  through 
spacious  grounds,  then  beneath  a  temple-like  gateway,  to  the 
base  of  a  commanding  hill  (Edomizaka)  on  which  the  buildings 
stand.  Two  handsome  bronze  temple-lanterns  stand  at  each 
side  of  the  richly  carved  portico  —  also  in  the  Buddhist  style  of 
architecture.  The  two  huge  sculptured  wood  Deva  Kings  in 
the  vestibule  are  virile  examples  of  the  immortal  Unkei's  best 
work.  The  large,  decorated  cedar-wood  doors  (after  the  style 
of  those  of  Hideyoshi's  Peace  Palace  at  Momo-yama)  behind 
them  are  less  worthy  of  attention  than  other  and  better  ones 
upstairs.  In  niches  at  the  right  of  the  long,  winding  stair,  above 
the  wainscoting,  are  carved  and  seated  wood  figures  of  various 
Buddhist  bonzes  and  divinities.  The  carved  and  gilded  pierced 
wood  panels  are  worth  looking  at. 

At  the  upper  landing  is  a  small  hall  notable  for  some  crisp 
carvings  of  various  designs;  for  some  bold  and  striking  wood 
sculptured  dragons;  and  for  a  painted  dragon  (on  the  ceiling) 
ascribed  to  Kand  Tsunenobu.  Beyond  the  door  at  the  right  is 
a  tiled  hall  in  which  there  are  some  large  and  very  old  wood 
figures  admirably  carved  (artist  unknown)  out  of  single  pieces 
of  camphor  wood;  and  some  curious  old  Thibetan  bronzes;  one 
of  Vishnu,  the  mythological  Hindu  god.  In  the  small  room  at 
the  end  of  the  passage  are  kept  some  of  the  best  examples  of 
the  splendid  lacquered  work  of  Kdyetsu  (p.  ccxliv)  who  was 
equally  renowned  as  a  writer,  a  painter,  a  worker  in  lacquer 
and  porcelain,  and  as  an  expert  swordsmith,  and  who  descended 
from  a  celebrated  family  of  sword-makers.  One  of  his  master- 
pieces here  is  a  somber  lacquered  box  overlaid  with  lead  deer  in 
relief  —  the  delight  of  Japanese  art  connoisseurs.  Another  is  a 
flattish  bamboo  basket  with  a  superimposed  imperial  car 


162    Route  10.  TOKYO  Fine  Arts  Museum. 

(gosho-guruma)  effectively  wrought  in  metal,  and  near  it  an 
India-ink  writing-case  of  Raku-yaki  (p.  ccliii)  showing  a  pecu- 
liarly brilliant  glaze  which  modern  craftsmen  find  difficulty  in 
imitating  successfully.  Near  by  are  some  lacquered  pieces  by 
Korin  whose  specialty  in  this  subtle  art  was  the  superimposition 
of  gay  and  brilliant  flowers,  fans,  and  the  like.  His  work  con- 
trasts strongly  with  the  gloomy  productions  of  his  predecessor. 

Retracing  our  steps  to  midway  of  the  corridor  we  enter  a 
large  room  (the  reconstructed  ballroom  of  the  Okura  mansion) 
containing  a  number  of  big  glass  cases  with  scores  of  statues 
of  various  sizes.  The  highly  colored  (new)  painted  panels  of 
the  showy  coffered  ceiling  are  of  subjects  taken  from  a  similar 
ceiling  in  the  Horyuji  Temple;  until  time  tones  the  colors  to 
the  tints  of  the  originals  their  chief  charm  will  lie  in  the  fact 
that  they  are  faithful  representations  of  an  art  that  flourished 
in  old  Yamato  13  centuries  ago,  when  Japanese  art  was  in  its 
infancy  and  all  its  inspirations  were  drawn  from  China  or  India. 
Many  of  the  wood  statues  in  this  room  date  from  the  Nara 
period  (8th  cent.);  the  two Shi-tenno  (p.  ccvii)  in  the  central 
case  (left)  are  by  Unkei;  beside  them  is  a  small  shrine  contain- 
ing a  central  figure  of  Monju  surrounded  by  a  thousand  tiny 
carved  Buddhas,  and  another  Monju  on  a  lion,  delicately  and 
beautifully  carved  by  the  same  artist.  Among  the  many  fine 
antiques  in  the  opposite  case  is  a  conspicuous,  solid-lacquer 
statue  of  Prince  Shotoku-taishi  when  a  boy  —  a  bizarre  relic 
of  the  earliest  authentically  historical  period  of  Buddhism  in 
Japan.  The  group  of  beautifully  sculptured  and  gilded  figur- 
ines at  the  rear  of  the  room  once  belonged  to  the  Tonomine 
Temple  (lite.  34),  and  besides  being  remarkably  preserved  is  one 
of  the  most  important  extant  of  the  early  art-craftsmanship  of 
Japan.  It  represents  the  heavenly  orchestra  of  the  Buddhist 
paradise  and  is  noteworthy  in  that  each  figure  differs  in  atti- 
tude and  expression  from  its  neighbor,  and  is  an  admirable 
example  of  pure  Japanese  art  in  a  field  in  which  the  sculptors 
of  India  and  China  excel.  The  large  central  image  of  Amida 
(p.  ccii)  has  a  Kwannon  (p.  ccv)  at  the  right,  and  Daiseishi 
(symbolic  of  filial  piety)  at  the  left.  Each  of  the  25  supple  and 
charmingly  graceful  feminine  figures  carries  some  sort  of  a 
musical  instrument  carved  with  consummate  skill.  The  group 
of  lovely  Buddhas  at  the  right,  —  a  tall  one  and  two  smaller 
ones,  —  each  with  a  nimbus  emitting  rays  of  celestial  light,  is 
ascribed  to  Eshin  Sozu.  It  symbolizes  a  vision  that  appeared 
to  the  artist  while  at  prayer,  and  is  supposed  to  represent 
Buddha  in  paradise,  enveloped  in  golden  light ;  the  cloud  waves 
carved  in  high  relief  on  the  splendid  gilded  dragon-stand  are 
admirably  executed,  as  are  likewise  the  lotuses,  the  waves,  and 
the  figures  of  the  Rakan  on  the  boldly  carved  gilt  panel  of  the 
table  on  which  the  3  central  figures  sit. 

An  unhandsome  but  very  valuable  figure  in  this  room  is  a 


Fine  Arts  Museum. 


TOKYO 


10.  Route.  163 


sculptured  wood  Buddha  which  was  perhaps  imported  into 
Japan  during  the  reign  of  the  (33d  ruler)  Empress  Suiko  (593- 
628) ;  it  is  believed  to  be  of  Hindu  origin,  and  it  exhibits  some 
of  the  first  rude  efforts  of  the  ancient  craftsmen  to  represent 
the  human  form.  The  traveler  should  not  overlook  the  narrow 
framed  wall-panel  of  a  gold  Buddha  on  a  black  ground,  painted 
by  the  great  Eshin.  Near  it  is  one  of  the  most  skillfully  carved 
figures  in  the  museum  —  a  short,  squat  form  in  a  shrine,  called 
the '  Running  Daikoku '  (p.  ccviii).  It  is  ascribed  to  Unkei  and 
is  remarkable  for  its  lively,  picaresque  expression.  A  close 
examination  discloses  the  fact  that  what  looks  at  first  sight 
like  the  runner's  tongue  is  only  his  extended  lower  lip.  Another 
interesting  relic  is  a  surprisingly  well-preserved  portable  shrine 
of  the  Tempyd  era  (8th  cent.),  containing  a  willowy  Buddha  (of 
the  Suiko  period  —  6th  cent.)  said  to  be  a  mixture  of  gold  and 
bronze.  Noteworthy  are  the  still  charming  decorations  of  the 
delicate  little  shrine  doors  —  done  by  some  loving  artist  whose 
name  was  perhaps  forgotten  a  millennium  ago.  These  paint- 
ings puzzle  and  delight  modern  Japanese,  for  the  litharge 
(mitsudaso)  employed  was  manipulated  with  such  surprising 
skill  that  present-day  craftsmen  despair  of  being  able  success- 
fully to  imitate  it.  There  are  many  other  choice  art  treasures 
in  the  room  (some  by  recognized  masters),  among  them  a 
number  of  wood,  bronze,  gold,  and  lacquered  figures  from  tiny 
statuettes  to  those  of  heroic  size  and  minatory  mien. 

We  pass  now  into  a  narrow  room  at  the  right,  containing  one 
of  the  finest  collections  of  gold  lacquer  extant  —  the  one-time 
belongings  of  sh  oguns  and  other  royal  personages .  Noteworthy 
among  the  best  is  an  Imperial  (17th  cent.)  midare-bako,  or 
shallow  tray  (once  the  property  of  the  3d  Tokugawa  shogun, 
Iemitsu),  richly  decorated  with  bamboos  in  gold  lacquer,  and 
used  to  carry  the  royal  vestments  so  that  menial  hands  would 
not  pollute  them.  Highly  interesting  is  a  traveling-box,  or 
chest,  employed  by  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi  for  carrying  (on  his 
fighting  campaigns)  utensils  employed  in  the  tea  ceremony; 
the  metal  car  with  which  the  box  is  overlaid  is  a  good  specimen 
of  early  handiwork.  The  curious  yellow  bronze  incense-burner 
with  dragon  ears  is  very  heavy  and  is  believed  to  have  formed 
a  unit  in  the  collection  of  an  early  Chinese  emperor.  A  dainty 
and  greatly  reverenced  relic  is  a  small  lacquered  box,  once  the 
property  of  Masako,  the  wife  of  Minamoto  Yoritomo,  a  12th- 
cent.  despot.  The  graceful  lacquered  stand  for  holding  wash- 
ing utensils  was  formerly  employed  in  the  important  ceremony 
known  as  gembuku,  when  a  boy's  forelock  was  shaved  and  for 
the  first  time  (at  15  yrs.  of  age)  he  was  clothed  with  a  man's 
apparel,  or  had  his  name  changed.  It  is  worth  noting  that  all 
the  microscopic  insets  of  the  piece  were  put  in  separately,  with 
infinite  pains.  Among  the  other  excellent  lacquered  objects 
are  some  with  the  popular  nashi-ji  finish  (p.  ccxliv).  Others 


164    Route  10. 


TOKYO         Fine  Arts  Museum. 


show  the  togidashi  work,  i.e.,  surfaces  on  which  gold  dust  is 
applied  before  the  coating  of  lacquer,  so  as  to  produce  a  metal 
luster  by  polishing.  A  fine  box  here  displays,  in  an  exquisite 
lightening  of  gold  tone,  the  8  celebrated  beauties  of  the  Lake 
of  Omi. 

Passing  through  this  room  we  ascend  a  long  winding  stair 
to  an  upper  apartment  containing  many  choice  specimens  of 
lacquer-work,  the  products  of  a  period  when  bulky  pieces  and 
lacquered  furniture  were  more  highly  prized  than  the  smaller 
and  daintier  bits.  Here  is  shown  some  of  the  best  work  of  the 
most  celebrated  lacquerers  who  settled  in  Yedo  during  the 
17th  cent.,  when  the  Tokugawa  rule  was  firmly  established, 
peace  reigned  throughout  the  Empire,  and  the  shoguns  and 
feudal  barons  enjoyed,  in  practically  undisturbed  serenity,  the 
many  refinements  of  a  luxurious  age. 

That  certain  of  these  old  craftsmen  attained  their  highest 
achievements  of  beauty  and  excellence  during  this  period  is 
convincingly  shown  by  many  of  the  objects  in  the  room.  Worth 
noting  is  the  oblong  carrying-chest  called  Nagamochi  (in  reality 
a  traveling- trunk),  on  which  are  the  crests  of  260  daimyds,  with 
the  Tokugawa  crest  (of  the  shogun)  in  the  center  of  the  top; 
radiating  in  all  directions,  in  scarcely  distinguishable  char- 
acters —  so  exquisitely  fine  is  the  work  —  are  brief  histories 
of  the  daimyds  and  of  their  fiefs  and  incomes,  —  a  record  in 
gold  of  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  picturesque  periods  of 
the  nation's  life.  Near  this  chest  are  some  smaller  and  daintier 
ones,  called  Hasamibako  —  lacquered  kimono-boxes  suspended 
by  metal  rings  which  fit  over  a  pole  carried  on  a  coolie's  shoul- 
der. In  former  times  they  were  used  by  persons  of  rank  for 
sending  presents  on  the  occasion  of  weddings  and  other  festal 
occasions.  The  style  of  lacquered  work  on  the  inner  side  of  the 
overhanging  covers  of  the  boxes  is  called  Mura-nashi-ji,  or 
clustered  and  irregular  spots  of  pear-skin  design.  The  heavy, 
elegant,  silk  cords,  with  tassels,  were  used  to  fasten  the  stiff 
silken  covers  in  which  the  boxes  were  wrapped.  —  The  superb 
set  of  lacquered  pieces  in  the  wall-case  formed  the  necessary 
part  of  a  wealthy  lady's  trousseau  in  the  Tokugawa  period. 
The  wedding  palanquin  (norimono)  of  heavy  gold  lacquer  — 
another  instance  of  the  luxury  of  that  brilliant  era  —  belonged 
to  the  Princess  Mori,  an  18th-cent.  beauty  who  married  Lord 
So  —  a  descendant  of  a  family  of  daimyds  who  from  the  13th 
cent,  onward  ruled  over  the  Tsushima  Islands;  the  family 
crest  appears  on  the  shoulder-poles  by  which  6  coolies  (nori- 
mono-kaki)  carried  the  dainty  conveyance.  It  is  worth  while 
sliding  the  finely  lacquered  shutter,  and  lifting  the  tilting  eave 
of  the  roof  to  peep  into  the  luxurious,  silken  interior,  where  the 
haughty  princess  used  to  sit  as  she  was  borne  from  and  to  the 
feudal  mansion  of  her  lord.  The  finely  lacquered  musical 
instruments  in  this  room  are  interesting. 


Fine  Arts  Museum. 


TOKYO  10,  Route.  165 


We  now  proceed  to  an  apartment  where  there  is  a  solid  silver 
mantelpiece  of  intricate  workmanship  that  formed  a  part  of 
the  Japanese  exhibit  at  the  Paris  Exposition.  The  sentiment 
expressed  by  the  sea-gulls  flying  over  the  crests  of  the  break- 
ing waves,  and  the  great  moon,  represented  by  the  huge  circu- 
lar mirror  above,  is  prettier  than  the  object  itself.  Of  much 
greater  interest  is  the  large  glass  wall-case  containing  a  superb 
collection  of  lacquered  inrd  —  the  dainty  little  sectional  medi- 
cine- or  seal-cases,  which  formerly  were  carried  swung  to  the 
belt,  and  which  now  are  the  favorites  of  many  collectors.  Each 
of  the  170  or  more  gem-like  receptacles  has  its  spirited  sculp- 
tured ivory,  or  other  netsuke  (used  originally  for  holding  the 
kinchaku,  or  tobacco-pouch,  at  the  girdle),  which  in  themselves 
are  worthy  of  detailed  inspection.  Conspicuous  among  the 
inrd  are  several  of  porcelain,  the  most  valuable  and  the  rarest 
being  by  Ogawa  Kenzan.  The  awkward  porcelain  duck  is  by 
one  of  the  early  Kyoto  potters,  and  is  prized  more  for  its  age 
than  for  its  beauty. 

The  practically  flawless  cabinet  of  Kiri-gane-taka-makiye 
('cut-metal-raised-gold-lacquer-w^ork')  in  the  big  central 
glass  case  should  not  be  overlooked,  as  it  is  considered  one  of 
the  most  perfect  specimens  extant  of  the  best  17th-cent.  crafts- 
manship. It  was  made  (by  a  now  unknown  artist  who  spent 
16  yrs.  at  the  task)  for  the  luxury-loving  Tokugawa  shogunf 
Tsunayoshi  (1646-1709),  during  the  Genroku  era.  A  more 
exquisitely  chaste  ornamentation  than  that  of  the  raised  gold 
work  —  which  consists  of  plates  of  pure  yellow  gold  fastened 
to  the  lacquered  base  —  is  scarcely  conceivable.  Every  milli- 
meter of  the  inner  and  outer  surfaces  is  fleckless,  and  all  carry 
the  same  faultless  designs  of  mountains,  seas,  pine-clad  hills, 
rivers,  waterfalls,  and  dainty  vistas  —  surprisingly  well  exe- 
cuted in  view  of  the  difficult  medium  employed.  The  silver 
corner  pieces  are  intricately  chased,  and  their  delicate  imagery 
is  very  pleasing.  While  the  color-loving  enthusiast  may  find 
the  object  cold,  and  lacking  in  the  grace  and  charm  which  tints 
inspire,  to  the  average  Japanese  —  who  ponders  over  the 
unthinkable  patience  required,  and  the  care  and  fidelity  to 
nature  displayed  —  it  is  a  priceless  relic  of  one  of  the  greatest 
periods  of  development  of  the  lacquerer's  art  in  Japan.  Its 
perfection  is  only  equaled  by  the  purity  of  the  artist's  concep- 
tion, and  of  the  gold  employed  in  its  fashioning.  —  Before 
leaving  the  room  the  traveler  should  inspect  the  case  contain- 
ing a  dozen  or  more  flawless  rock-crystals,  the  largest  a  trifle 
over  5  in.  in  diameter. 

We  now  go  to  an  adjoining  apartment  where  there  are  many 
specimens  of  early  lacquer-work,  some  of  them  dating  from  the 
12th  cent.,  thence  ranging  down  through  various  periods  of  the 
Kamakura  and  Tokugawa  epochs;  most  valuable  among  them, 
from  a  historical  viewpoint,  are  the  pieces  on  which  are  skill- 


166    Route  10.  TOKYO         Fine  Arts  Museum- 

fully  pictured,  in  gold  lacquer,  certain  of  the  tall,  lanky,  awk- 
ward-looking Hollanders  of  the  Deshima  Factory  (at  Nagasaki), 
with  their  queer  hats,  long  pipes,  cumbrous  shoes,  and  vol- 
uminous clothes.  They  appear  as  odd  to  the  traveler  now  as 
they  must  have  to  the  amazed  Japanese  of  the  17th  cent,  when 
they  first  sailed  up  from  the  S.  in  their  bizarre  ships  laden  with 
the  strange  European  articles  which  the  Nipponese  had  never 
seen.  The  collection  of  the  oldest  and  rarest  pieces  is  called 
Jidai-makiye  (antique  lacquer).  Scattered  through  it  are  a 
number  of  objects  which  once  belonged  to  the  Taiko  Hide- 
yoshi.  —  In  the  lower  hall,  through  which  we  now  pass,  are 
some  curious  old  Thibetan  pictures  (for  which  the  museum  is 
celebrated)  rarely  seen  in  collections.  In  a  following  room  are 
hundreds  of  beautiful  and  costly  brass  and  bronze  statues 
chiefly  of  divinities  of  the  Buddhist  Pantheon ;  in  still  another 
is  an  extensive  collection  of  rare  porcelains  with  several  splen- 
did pieces  by  Kenzan. 

Noteworthy  among  the  folding  screens  (bydbu)  in  the  spa- 
cious Screen  Room,  are  some  by  Korin  showing  various 
paintings  on  an  old  gold  ground.  Equally  attractive  are  those 
depicting  gorgeously  clad  women  of  the  Genroku  era,  the  work 
of  the  inimitable  Domo  no  Matahei  (p.  ccxxviii),  whose  whim- 
sical delineations  of  street  life  are  celebrated.  The  Chinese 
Department  upstairs  contains  a  rich  and  valuable  assortment 
of  fine  porcelains,  crystal- ware,  jade,  jadeite,  bronzes,  furniture 
inlaid  with  nacre,  and  many  superb  pieces  depicting  Chinese 
art  in  its  different  phases.  The  opium-smoking  couch  is  bar- 
barically  elaborate;  the  big  chunks  of  malachite  (a  hydrous 
carbonate  of  copper)  are  from  Siberian  mines.  In  the  long 
glass  case  are  some  ancient  Chinese  tiles  (the  oldest  said  to 
date  back  3000  yrs.)  that  resemble  fine  intaglios.  Opening  out 
of  this  room  is  the  Korean  Department,  with  many  porce- 
lains, bronzes,  and  other  relics  of  the  long-dead  art  of  that 
strange  country.  Passing  through  a  room  where  there  are  many 
suits  of  well-preserved  ancient  Japanese  armor,  we  come  to 
several  big  cedar  doors  handsomely  decorated  in  the  style 
popular  in  the  16th  cent.  They  are  said  to  have  come  from 
HideyoshiJs  palace  at  Momo-yama  (near  Kyoto).  —  In  a 
shallow  wall-case  is  a  varied  lot  of  carved  wood  masks,  start- 
lingly  lifelike,  and  used  in  the  ancient  dances. 

Proceeding  now  through  a  corridor  terminating  at  the  left 
wing,  we  enter  the  Temple  Department,  first  traversing  a 
spacious  room  where  a  number  of  huge  gilded  Buddhas  sit  in 
solemn  silence,  as  if  meditating  over  the  mutability  of  Bud- 
dhistic affairs.  The  suite  forms  the  sometime  shrine  (with  its 
customary  priests'  apartments)  which  was  erected  by  the  4th 
Tokugawa  shogun,  Ietsuna,  in  Shiba  Park,  and  dedicated  to  his 
wife.  With  the  transition  of  time  the  structure  was  given  by 
the  Tokugawa  family  to  the  Zojoji  corporation,  which  later 


TOKYO 


10.  Route.  167 


sold  it  to  its  present  owner.  The  building  was  dismounted, 
transferred  here,  and  reconstructed  and  decorated  in  its  pris- 
tine splendor.  Outer  walls  inclose  it.  In  one  of  the  rooms  is  a 
very  valuable  but  singularly  uncomely  Fugen  on  an  elephant, 
not  very  shapely,  and  almost  ready  to  crumble  to  dust  by  the 
weight  of  the  years  which  rest  upon  it.  It  was  carved  some 
time  between  a.d.  710-84,  by  an  unknown  student  of  one  of 
the  India  schools,  and  is  considered  such  a  priceless  treasure  of 
early  art  that  it  was  sent  to  the  Paris  Exposition  to  be  enjoyed 
by  antiquarians  there.  In  the  old  naijin,  or  innermost  shrine- 
room  of  the  temple,  the  door  to  which  is  guarded  by  two  lions 
ascribed  to  Kano  Tsunenobu,  is  a  big,  seated,  gold-bronze 
Buddha  (one  of  the  finest  in  the  collection)  of  Indian  or  Chin- 
ese origin,  with  a  facial  expression  singularly  like  that  of  its 
amiable  owner.  The  elaborate  coffered  ceiling,  with  each  sunken 
panel  covered  by  a  wriggling  dragon,  is  worth  looking  at. 

Quitting  the  temple  sanctum  we  proceed  along  a  tiled  hall- 
way adorned  with  numerous  antiques,  among  them  some  excel- 
lent panels  by  Ritsuo,  an  18th-cent.  artist  whose  specialty 
was  the  skillful  superposition  of  porcelain  ornamentation  to 
wood  surfaces.  The  upper  rooms  form  a  finely  decorated 
Jodan  and  Gedan  (a  sort  of  tribune  and  lower  room),  the  latter 
with  some  sliding  screens  (by  Kano  Sanraku)  that  came  out  of 
Hideyoshi's  palace  and  are  considered  masterpieces;  bamboos 
and  flowering  trees  on  an  old-gold  ground  are  the  decorative 
themes.  The  coffered  ceiling  with  dragons  is  handsome.  The 
mural  painting  in  the  alcove  (tokonoma)  of  the  Jodan  is  attrib- 
uted to  Kano  Eitoku.  The  plain  but  chaste  coffered  ceiling, 
with  its  panels  of  shimmering  gold,  is  striking;  also  the  richly 
gilded  and  deeply  carved  ramma  showing  foliated  peonies  in 
bloom.  In  an  adjoining  room  is  one  of  the  choicest  and  most 
valuable  collections  of  carved  Pekin  cinnabar  lacquer  (tsui- 
shiu)  extant;  the  deep,  rich  Indian  red  color  and  the  wonder- 
fully intricate  surface  work  are  admirable.  Several  big  glass 
cases  are  required  to  hold  all  the  pieces,  nearly  every  one  of 
which  is  a  gem.  In  strange  contrast  to  these  adorable  expres- 
sions of  the  old  artistic  spirit  of  the  Ming  Dynasty  are  the 
grotesque  hanging  wood  panels  of  the  curiously  mis-shapen, 
foreshortened  horses  attributed  to  the  celebrated  left-handed 
sculptor,  Hidari  Jingoro  (p.  259). 

On  the  stair  landing  near  by,  in  a  glass  case,  is  a  repulsive 
but  extraordinarily  effective  sculptured  wood  figure  of  one  of 
the  Rakan,  the  work  of  the  inimitable  Unkei.  The  equally 
homely  figure  in  the  other  case  will  bear  close  inspection,  for 
certain  of  the  skillful  touches  betray  a  master  hand;  the  figure 
(from  the  old  Kofuku-ji  Temple  at  Nara)  is  one  of  Shaka's 
ten  most  learned  disciples,  and  is  perhaps  the  work  of  the  priest 
Mondoshi,  an  8th-cent.  Indian  sculptor  who  has  left  other 
specimens  of  his  illuminating  work  in  the  Nara  Museum.  — In 


168    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


Shiba  Park. 


addition  to  the  rooms  described  there  are  others  with  miscel- 
laneous lots  of  Japanese  screens,  kakemonos,  and  various 
curios.  The  traveler  with  time  ,to  spare  may  perhaps  wish  to 
inspect  the  bronze  objects  near  the  fountain,  in  the  yard.  TKel 
bronze  statue  of  Mr.  Okura  (unveiled  Oct.  23,  1913,  on  his 
77th  anniversary)  is  the  work  of  the  sculptor  Kozaburo  Takei- 
sAj^SSTcosf>35,000  yen. 

*Shiba  Park  (or  Shiba  Kden  or  kdenchi),  a  large,  well- wooded 
plot  dotted  with  temples,  shrines,  gorgeous  mausolea,  tombs,  a 
pagoda,  a  lakelet,  numerous  monuments,  pleasure-gardens, 
and  what-not  in  the  S.W.  quarter  of  the  city,  in  Shiba-ku 
(PL  D,  6),  flanks  the  car  line  (10  min.  from  Hibiya  Park)  and 
contains  some  mortuary  temples  of  the  Tokugawa  shoguns 
and  their  consorts  which,  though  rapidly  decaying,  still  rank 
with  the  finest  structures  of  their  kind  in  Japan,  and  are  classed 
with  the  'sights'  of  the  capital.  Though  wastefully  rather 
than  tastefully  splendid,  they  well  deserve  a  visit,  particularly 
by  those  who  may  not  have  seen  the  similar  shrines  of  Nikko. 
Hard  by  the  park  is  a  Charity  Hospital  (jikei-in)  in  which  the 
Empress  takes  considerable  interest,  and  of  which  she  is 
patroness.  Near  it  is  the  Shiba  Ward  office.  At  the  N.E. 
corner  of  the  park  is  a  permanent  bazaar  (the  first  of  its  kind 
established  in  Tokyo)  where  hosts  of  native-made  gimcracks 
can  be  bought  at  fixed  prices.  The  exhibits  of  potted  plants 
and  dwarf  trees  held  here  from  time  to  time  attract  lovers  of 
such  things.  The  bronze  lamp-standard  diagonally  across  the 
road  from  the  Main  Gate  to  Shiba  Park,  adorned  with  turtles 
and  cranes  (symbolic  of  longevity),  was  erected  by  the  people 
of  the  ward  in  commemoration  of  the  marriage  of  the  present 
Emperor.  The  bronze  statue  at  the  right  of  the  gate  stands  to 
the  memory  of  the  late  Count  Goto,  a  member  of  the  Tosa 
Clan,  and  a  prominent  figure  in  the  early  life  of  New  Japan. 

Shiba  Park  dates  its  prosperity  from  1596  when  the  first  Tokugawa  shogun, 
Ieyasu,  —  who  had  selected  Yedo  for  his  capital  6  yrs.  before,  —  caused  the 
Zojoji  Temple  (the  metropolitan  headquarters  of  the  powerful  J  odd  sect  of 
Buddhists)  to  be  moved  hither  and  declared  it  the  place  where  the  funeral 
tablets  (ihai)  of  himself  and  his  descendants  should  be  preserved.  In  course 
of  time  thirty  or  more  temples  and  mortuary  shrines  sprang  up  in  the  Shiba 
inclosure,  most  of  the  latter  dating  from  the  17th  cent.  Repeated  fires  de- 
stroyed a  number  of  the  minor  buildings,  and  the  great  conflagration  of  1874 
burned  the  magnificent  old  Zojoji  with  most  of  its  contents;  leaving  only  the 
big  outer  gate  (sammon)  standing  as  a  sole  survivor  of  the  original  group.  A 
smaller  and  less  imposing  structure  was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  burned 
temple,  to  be  again  destroyed  in  1908.  A  newer  and  more  elaborate  fane 
is  now  being  constructed.  The  steady  expansion  of  Tokyo  and  its  growing 
needs  has  resulted  in  the  clipping  off,  from  time  to  time,  of  sections  of  the 
erstwhile  wide  temple  inclosure,  so  that  the  park,  which  was  officially  opened 
to  the  public  in  1878,  is  now  much  smaller  than  formerly.  One  by  one  its 
glories  are  disappearing,before  the  march  of  progress,  utilitarianism,  and  the 
jrelentless  greed  of  ages. 

If  possible  the  mausolea  should  be  visited  on  a  bright  morning,  as  the  clap- 
boarding  which  partly  incloses  and  protects  them  from  the  weather  renders 
even  the  brilliant  interiors  darksome,  and  this  duskiness  is  enhanced  by  the 
split  bamboo  blinds  (sudare)  which  usually  hang  before  the  entrances.  A  fee 


Shiba  Mausolea.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  169 

of  20  sen  per  person  is  exacted  by  the  custodian  (at  the  office)  of  each  of  the 
five  groups  of  buildings,  and  for  this  an  English-speaking  guide  is  supplied, 
who  conducts  one  about  and  then  points  the  way  to  the  next  group,  where 
the  process  is  repeated.  This  small  fee  removes  the  necessity  for  tipping,  but 
it  is  not  unusual  for  Japanese  to  deposit  small  coins  before  certain  of  the 
shrines,  which  for  them  have  a  religious  import.  Upon  leaving  the  mortuary 
temple  of  the  2d  Shogun  a  ticket  is  handed  the  visitor  and  this  is  given  up 
at  the  entrance  to  the  Octagonal  Shrine  or  tomb;  without  it  a  second  fee 
is  exacted.  Admittance  through  the  sammon  to  the  temporary  structure 
erected  on  the  site  of  the  Zojoji  is  free.  With  the  exception  of  this  gate,  the 
other  front  gates  are  kept  closed ;  the  entrance  to  the  mausolea  being  at  the 
sides  through  the  respective  offices.  Consult  the  accompanying  plan.  Covers 
are  provided  gratis  for  shoes,  which  do  not  have  to  be  taken  off. 

Visitors  above  5^  ft.  tall  will  save  themselves  numerous  bumps  by  keeping 
an  eye  on  the  door-cases  as  they  pass  through  them,  since  they  are  all  made 
for  persons  of  small  stature.  Those  pressed  for  time  will  perhaps  be  satisfied 
with  an  inspection  of  the  mausoleum  of  the  2d  Shogun,  and  of  the  octagonal 
hall  wherein  he  is  buried ;  the  former  is  the  finest  and  richest  of  the  group ,  and 
the  latter  contains  what  is  thought  to  be  the  largest  and  best  specimen  extant 
of  antique  Japanese  gold  lacquer  in  the  shape  of  a  tomb.  Next  in  point  of 
excellence  is  the  mortuary  temple  of  the  6th,  12th,  and  14th  Shoguns;  and  fol- 
lowing, in  the  order  named,  is  the  Ten-ei-in,  where  the  consorts  of  several  of 
the  shoguns  are  enshrined;  the  temple  of  the  7th  and  9th  Shoguns;  and 
lastly  the  Toshogu.  Architecturally  they  are  all  practically  the  same,  the  dif- 
ference consisting  of  the  varying  richness  of  their  interior  decorations;  all  are 
worth  seeing  if  one  has  the  time  to  spare,  and  all  may  be  superficially  in- 
spected in  2  hrs.  or  less.  All  but  the  one  first  mentioned  can  be  easily  omitted 
if  the  traveler  has  seen  the  similar  mausolea  at  Uyeno  Park,  since  they  are 
examples  of  the  same  class  of  architecture  and  decoration.  The  Pagoda  is 
not  worth  looking  at,  nor  are  the  other  shrines,  unless  the  visitor  is  specially 
interested  in  them  and  their  worship.  It  remains  to  be  said  that  with  this 
Guidebook  and  one  of  the  English-speaking  bonzes  supplied  by  the  temple 
office,  any  other  guide  or  cicerone  is  unnecessary.  Those  who  plan  to  see 
all  the  buildings  will  save  time  by  beginning  their  inspection  of  them  at  the 
mausoleum  of  the  7th  and  9th  Shoguns,  then  systematically  following  the 
course  outlined  hereinafter. 

The  *Shiba  Mausolea  consist  of  single  isolated  wood  temples  or  shrines 
which>ise  from  slightly  elevated  granite  bases  (a  double  protection  against 
moisture  from  the  ground  and  from  fires),  and  are  supported  by  a  maze  of 
sturdy  compound  brackets  admirably  adjusted  to  withstand  the  heavy 
thrust  and  strain  of  the  ponderous  and  somewhat  clumsy  tile-roofed  build- 
ings. They  are  usually  connected  with  the  custodian's  office  (Shamusho) 
by  a  closed  corridor,  and  are  themselves  protected  by  time-stained  weather- 
boarding  which,  while  imparting  to  them  the  bedraggled  look  of  old  barns, 
protects  the  exterior  decorations  from  the  fierce  glare  of  a  brilliant  sun,  and, 
in  a  measure,  from  the  corrosive  quality  of  the  atmosphere  in  one  of  the  most 
unstable  and  treacherous  climates  of  the  world.  The  single-story  structures 
are  usually  encircled  by  narrow  galleries  flanked  by  classically  low  railings  of 
ornamented  lacquer,  overshadowed  by  the  deep  projecting  eaves.  Almost 
every  inch  of  the  exterior  walls  of  the  temples  is  covered  with  some  sort  of 
rich  decoration,  —  either  carved,  painted  or  lacquered,  —  but  most  of  this  is 
now  faded  and  lusterle3s.  The  interiors  are  divided  into  three  apartments  — 
one  room  at  either  end  of  a  narrow  connecting  corridor  called  the  ainoma  or 
Meeting  Room,  where  the  shogun  and  the  abbot  came  from  the  inner  shrine 
(Jionden)  at  the  rear,  to  meet  the  daimy 6s  who  approached  from  the  (rec- 
tangular) outer  Oratory  {haiden);  the  beautifully  lacquered,  temple-shaped 
shrines  which  contain  the  mortuary  tablets  of  the  deceased  are  kept  in  the 
honden.  The  shogun  only  was  permitted  to  penetrate  to  this  sacrosanct 
inclosure  when  he  came  to  worship  the  deified  shades  of  his  forebears,  who 
are  regarded  as  the  tutelary  divinities  of  Japanese  families.  The  daimy 6s 
of  the  most  exalted  rank  and  highest  income  occupied  scrupulously  graded 
mats  in  the  ainoma;  lesser  ones  had  to  be  content  with  seats  in  the  haiden; 
and  the  small  fry  were  kept  in  the  front  yard  (the  most  important  nearest 
to  the  steps)  or  outside  the  gate. 

In  certain  of  the  mausolea,  notably  those  where  mortuary  tablets  of  per- 


170    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


Shiba  Mausolea. 


sons  of  Imperial  blood  are  enshrined,  visitors  are  not  allowed  beyond  a  small 
railing  placed  athwart  the  ainoma,  unless  they  hold  special  permits.  This 
should  not  be  considered  in  the  light  of  a  deprivation,  as  the  shrine-rooms  of 
the  various  temples  differ  but  slightly  one  from  the  orher.  The  actual  Tombs 
(haka)  beneath  which  the  shoguns  are  buried,  are  customarily  placed  on  a 
higher  terrace  near,  or  at  the  back  of,  the  temples,  and  they  are  always  at  the 
rear  of  a  little  oratory,  through  the  open  doors  of  which  the  spirits  of  the 
august  dead  are  reverenced.  Though  outwardly  shabby,  the  interiors  of  some 
of  these  oratories  are  sometimes  surprisingly  ornate.  They  are  not  unusually 
closed  to  the  casual  visitor. 

The  trained  eye  of  the  architect  will  not  fail  to  observe  in  these  Shiba 
temples  the  evidences  of  the  architectonic  law  which  pervades  the  designs 
of  all  of  them  —  the  adjustment  of  beams  and  joists,  pillars  and  pilasters, 
.arches  and  buttresses  to  an  external  but  hidden  necessity  —  that  of  protecting 
them  against  earthquakes  —  in  the  most  active  belt  of  which  Tokyo  stands. 
At  first  blush  they  appear  unstable  and  lacking  in  organic  coherence;  the 
tremendously  heavy,  tile-weighted  roofs,  with  their  disproportionate  over- 
hang, seem  too  large  for  the  slender  walls,  and  one  rather  expects  them  to 
twist  round  during  an  earthquake  and  in  falling  grind  their  fragile  supports 
into  powder.  Doubtless  the  impression  made  was  deliberately  aimed  at,  the 
startling  effect  of  too  much  massiveness  in  the  roof  not  seeming  undesirable 
in  the  period  when  the  temples  were  designed.  An  interior  inspection  al- 
ways invalidates  the  impression  of  weakness  gained  from  the  outer  view, 
for  here  the  columns  are  startlingly  solid  and  one  readily  understands  how 
the  structures  could  have  successfully  withstood  not  only  the  fifty  or  more 
subterranean  jogglings  which  Tokyo  receives  every  year,  but  the  occasional 
big  jishin  which  comes  ever  so  often  to  remind  the  metropolitans  of  the  exact 
nature  of  the  earth  beneath  them.  That  these  almost  priceless  relics  of  a 
period  when  the  national  art  was  uninfluenced  by  that  of  the  West  have  so 
successfully  withstood  the  assaults  of  centuries,  is  due  in  a  great  measure  to 
the  many  coats  of  thick,  glass-like  lacquer  with  which  the  wood  is  covered, 
and  which  acts  like  a  sheathing  of  some  impermeable  metal,  also  to  the 
moisture-resisting  granite  which  serves  as  bases.  In  these  essentials  they 
differ  notably  from  the  unpainted  dwellings  of  the  proletariat.  The  custom- 
ary pantiles  used  on  the  roofs  of  the  better  class  of  the  latter  houses  are  re- 
placed here  by  copper-bronze  strips  which  time  has  coated  with  a  fine  patina 
that  imparts  a  decided  element  of  beauty  and  charm.  The  demon-faced  ante- 
fixes,  or  the  upright  ornaments  bearing  cre3ts  which  figure  at  the  ends  of  the 
ridges,  serve  the  double  purpose  of  adornment  and  as  expedients  for  cover- 
ing the  points  where  the  imbrications  end.  A  pleasing  phase  of  extreme 
antiquity  is  noticeable  about  the  brilliantly  decorated  doors,  which  are 
customarily  swung  on  solid  metal  pivots  let  into  soffits  above,  and  projec- 
tions from  the  sills  below,  and  in  this  they  recall  the  ponderous  doors  of 
Spanish  and  Mexican  cathedrals. 

If  an  unpleasant  quality  be  found  in  the  lack  of  repose  in  some  of  the 
interiors,  it  is  usually  offset  by  the  effect  of  exceeding  richness  and  original- 
ity.  The  decorations  of  certain  of  the  upright  wall-panels  are  sometimes 
disappointing  to  the  foreigner,  who  may  also  be  impressed  by  an  indescrib- 
able uneasiness  in  the  too  lavish  enrichment;  but  the  general  sense  of  unity  is 
nevertheless  apparent  in  the  wonderfully  barbaric  fineries  which  greet  the 
eye  at  every  turn.  Time  has,  in  a  measure,  harmonized  the  conflicting  colors, 
particularly  in  the  upper  structural  parts  of  the  exterior,  and  few  can  with-, 
stand  the  strange  impressiveness  of  the  mausoleum  of  the  2d  shogun.  This\ 
fa  at  once  the  most  magnificent  and  complete  monument  of  ecclesiastical  / 
art  that  exists  in  Tokyo,  and  is  undoubtedly  the  most  beautiful  of  the  large  / 
lacquered  products  of  a  high  degree  of  perfection  which  have  come  down  to/ 
Nus  from  the  17th  cent.  Contrasted  with  the  spick-and-span  newness  of  cer- 
tain of  the  recently  redecorated  Nikko  mausolea  (where  the  buildings  are 
regarded  as  national  treasures  and  a  special  fund  is  set  aside  by  the  State 
for  their  up-keep),  the  Shiba  buildings  (which  are  owned  by  the  Tokugawa 
family  and  are  left  practically  to  care  for  themselves)  look  shabby  and  for- 
lorn. This  aspect  is  heightened  somewhat  by  the  complicated  adventitious 
elements  which  have  been  grafted  on  to  them,  and  which  detract  in  a  way 
from  their  fine  effect. 


Shiba  Mausolea.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  171 


The  Great  Gate  (Sammori)  which  admits  one  to  the  wide 
atrium  of  the  Zdjdji  was  redecorated  in  1911,  and  is  still  a 
splendid  and  sturdy  example  of  an  old  style  Buddhist  temple 
gateway.  The  rich  Indian  red  lacquer  with  which  it  is  entirely 
covered  makes  an  impressive  picture  against  the  green  of  the 
environing  trees;  it  is  unusually  plain,  and  the  black  metal 
ornaments  which  adorn  it  add  dignity  and  beauty.  There  are 
three  sets  of  heavy  doors,  six  in  all,  each  studded  with  metal 
bosses  and  display-hinges,  and  each  swung  on  huge  pivots  let 
%  into  soffits  above  and  below.  The  massive  upright  pillars,  which 
sit  in  bronze  sockets  resting  upon  granite  bases,  are  of 
almost  imperishable  keyaki,  but  smaller  in  circumference  than 
certain  of  the  superb  timbers  employed  in  the  mausoleum  of 
the  2d  shogun.  A  maze  of  massive  compound  brackets  support 
the  twin  roofs,  which  are  tiled,  with  demon-faced  antefixes  at 
the  salient  angles.  The  upper  story  is  reached  by  flights  of 
stairs  leading  from  the  lateral  wings;  permits  are  necessary, 
but  the  images  (gilded  figures  of  Shaka,  Fugen,  Monju,  and  a 
few  other  divinities)  contained  therein  are  of  no  special  interest, 
and  will  scarcely  repay  the  time  spent  in  seeing  them. 

The  Priest's  Apartments  stand  at  the  left,  within;  and  at 
the  right,  beneath  a  tawdry  temporary  tower,  is  the  great 
bronze  bell  cast  in  the  16th  cent.  The  new  Zdjdji  stands  on 
the  terrace  ahead;  the  chief  idol,  a  richly  gilded  image  of 
Amida  is  ascribed  to  Eshin.  The  white  crest  on  the  purple 
hangings  of  the  fane  is  the  mitsu-aoi,  or  three-leaved  asarum 
which  formed  the  crest  (a  symbol  frequently  employed  in  art 
expression)  of  the  Tokugawa.  At  the  right  of  the  temple  en- 
trance stands  a  low  gray  stone  bearing  a  chiseled  impression  of 
Buddha's  foot,  comparing  in  size  and  general  grotesqueness  to 
the  diplodocus-like  tooth  revered  in  the  Maligawa  Temple  at 
Kandy,'in  Ceylon,  as  one  of  Buddha's  original  grinders.  The 
thousands  of  wood  strips  displayed  roundabout  show  the 
names  of  the  devotees  who  subscribed  to  the  erection  of  the 
new  temple.  The  black  Amida  preserved  within  the  temple  is 
ascribed  to  Eshin  and  is  said  to  have  been  carried  by  Ieyasu 
as  a  mascot  in  his  military  campaigns. 

We  begin  our  inspection  of  the  mausolea  at  the  Mortuary 
Shrine  of  the  7th  (Ietsugu)  and  9th  (Ieshige)  Shoguns:  the 
entrance  is  at  the  N.  side  of  the  inclosure  (comp.  the  plan) 
opposite  the  pine  grove  called  Matsubara.  The  office  of  the 
custodian  is  just  within.  On  payment  of  the  20-sen  fee  the 
traveler  is  conducted  through  a  long  hall  with  faded  decora- 
tions, to  a  side  gallery  which  is  followed  until  the  main  entrance 
is  reached.  The  most  conspicuous  features  of  this  are  two  re- 
splendent tie-beams  formed  of  intricately  carved  and  gilded 
wood  dragons;  one,  headed  toward  the  shrine,  called  the 
ascending  dragon;  the  other,  facing  the  corridor,  the  descend- 
ing dragon.  The  arcade  is  a  maze  of  still  rich  but  sadly  faded 


172    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Shiba  Mausolea. 


polychrome  decorations,  in  which  many  colors  and -much  gold- 
leaf  are  felicitously  blended;  the  entire  structure  shows  the 
marks  of  time  more  plainly  than  the  succeeding  ones.  There 
are  some  graceful  old  pine  trees  in  the  pebbled  yard.  The 
Oratory  (21  by  27  ft.)  still  retains  much  of  its  former  great 
beauty;  the  six  wide  wall-panels,  each  of  one  piece  of  solid 
camphor  wood,  display  the  Japanese  conception  of  Korean 
lions  (by  Kano  Chikanobu;  1660-1728)  charging  across  a 
gleaming  gold  ground.  The  rectangular  sculptured  ornamen- 
tal panels  let  into  the  architrave,  also  cut  from  single  camphor 
wood  strips,  carry  100  different  wave-patterns  bewilderingly 
intricate  and  richly  tinted  in  colors.  The  fine  decorations  on 
the  sunken  panels  of  the  handsome  coffered  ceilings  are  thought 
by  some  to  rank  with  the  best  in  the  entire  group;  polychro- 
matic flowering  peonies  form  the  central  figures,  while  encirc- 
ling them  are  conventional  butterfly  wings,  attractively  and 
skillfully  painted.  The  lacquered  cross-sections  are  almost 
covered  with  delicately  chased  metal  enrichments;  the  Toku- 
gawa  crest  predominating.  The  bizarre  compound  brackets 
which  extend  quite  round  the  room  below  the  ceiling  are  each 
adorned  with  the  head  of  the  baku  (a  fabled  animal  said  to 
swallow  evil  dreams).  Every  inch  of  surface  between  the 
bracket  groups  is  ornamented  with  minutely  perfect  painted 
tracery  in  conventional  designs.  On  the  monthly  festivals 
(12th  and  13th)  the  abbot's  seat  beneath  the  swinging  metal 
baldachin  is  occupied  by  him.  The  boxes  which  one  some- 
times sees  ranged  about  the  room  are  then  placed  near  the 
seat,  and  the  kneeling  bonzes  intone  the  ritual  from  the  Bud- 
dhist sutras  which  they  contain.  In  lieu  of  capitals  the  tops  of 
the  supporting  columns  are  enriched  with  an  intricately  diver- 
sified drapery  painted  so  skillfully  as  easily  to  deceive  one  into 
believing  it  finely  colored  silk  brocade. 

The  decorations  of  the  corridor  (15  by  30  ft.)  which  joins 
the  haiden  to  the  honden  are  similar  to  those  of  the  outer  room. 
Massive  floors  heavily  lacquered  in  red  or  black  underlie  the 
soft  mats.  The  gilded  wall-panels  with  rampant  lions  are  by 
Chikanobu.  Seven  lacquered  and  highly  polished  steps  lead 
up  to  the  room  where,  on  exquisitely  lacquered  stands  made 
for  them,  repose  the  sacred  reliquaries  —  marvelous  structures 
of  rich  yellow  gold  and  other  chased  metal ;  lacquer,  intricate 
sculpture,  brilliant  colors,  and  gleaming  crests.  Scarcely  less 
remarkable  are  the  superb  red  lacquered  tables  before  them, 
on  which  the  temple  furniture  and  offerings  are  customarily 
set  out.  The  shrine  of  the  9th  shogun  stands  at  the  left;  that 
of  the  7th  in  the  middle;  and  that  of  Tokugawa  Tsunashige 
(father  of  lenobu,  the  6th  shogun)  at  the  right.  The  sculptured 
wood  images  and  mortuary  tablets  within  were  presented  by 
Mikados  and  are  never  shown.  Excellently-carved  wood 
statuettes  of  Kwannon,  Benten,  and  the  Gods  of  the  Four 


Shiba  Mausolea.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  173 


Directions  guard  the  shrines  from  all  evil  influences.  The 
interior  of  the  apartment  is  a  maze  of  gilding  and  rich  painting 
supplemented  by  carved  phoenixes  and  the  like.  Fourteen 
years  are  said  to  have  been  spent  at  work  on  the  building. 

Returning  to  the  main  entrance,  we  proceed  to  the  arcade 
where  many  swinging  bronze- lanterns  (the  gifts  of  daimyos1 
wives)  are  displayed;  the  central  gate  is  the  Kara-mon  (Chin- 
ese Gate) :  the  Buddhist  angel  on  the  ceiling  panel  is  by  Chik- 
anobu;  the  sculptured  wood  panels  of  birds  and  flowers  are 
badly  weather-beaten,  and  are  inferior  to  certain  of  those  in 
the  other  structures.  The  tall  bronze  lanterns  in  the  inclosure 
beyond  are  a  portion  of  the  212  which  stand  in  the  various 
compounds  of  this  temple;  most  of  them  date  from  1716-61, 
and  were  gifts  by  daimyos  whose  annual  revenue  exceeded 
100,000  koku  of  rice.  The  old  gate  at  the  foot  of  the  inclosure 
is  the  Chokugaku-no-mon  (Imperial  Tablet  Gate),  on  the 
fagade  of  which  is  a  tablet  placed  there  by  one  of  the  emperors; 
in  the  court  beyond  are  some  of  the  750  stone  lanterns  presented 
to  the  shrine  by  daimyos  whose  income  ranged  lower  than 
100,000  koku;  the  outer  gate  is  the  Ni-ten-mon,  or  Gate  of  the 
Two  Deva  Kings,  by  whom  it  is  guarded.  The  inner  gate  is  a 
marvel  of  carving,  with  dragons,  birds,  pierced  panels,  and  the 
like.  The  mythological  phcenix  is  a  popular  and  frequently 
recurring  subject.  From  this  point  the  traveler  gains  a  fairly 
correct  idea  of  what  the  approach  to  the  shrine  must  have 
looked  like  in  the  old  days,  when  glittering  trains  of  daimyos 
approached  it  through  the  several  gates  (now  closed)  and  the 
path  leading  up  through  the  colonnade.  The  splendor  increased 
as  one  neared  the  sacred  reliquary,  and  the  final  outburst  of 
Oriental  magnificence  was  enough  to  dazzle  the  most  stolid. 

Passing  to  the  rear  of  the  shrine  we  come  to  the  O-shikiri- 
mon,  or  Great  Dividing  Gate,  beyond  which  only  the  shogun 
and  the  abbot  were  allowed  to  go  —  the  daimyos  remaining 
in  the  temple  garden  and  worshiping  the  August  Tomb  from 
afar.  Though  now  but  a  shadow  of  its  one-time  richness  the 
structure  is  still  noteworthy,  chiefly  for  the  skillfully  carved  and 
gilded  open-work  panels  in  the  wings.  They  are  the  work  of 
Nakamura  Izumi  no  kami;  are  each  fashioned  out  of  a  single 
piece  of  keyaki-wood;  and  are  so  adroitly  executed  that  the 
running  kirin  show  to  equal  advantage  on  either  side.  In  the 
sunken  pebbly  court,  which  we  now  cross  under  the  guidance 
of  the  temple  bonze,  are  44  headless  bronze  lanterns,  the  hoshu- 
no-tama  which  originally  ornamented  them  having  been  stolen 
by  some  vandal  during  the  troublous  period  which  immedi- 
ately preceded  and  followed  the  Restoration  —  at  which  epoch 
iconoclasm  was  not  considered  reprehensible  by  certain  mis- 
guided Japanese.  The  uniform  gray  pebbles  of  the  court  here 
are  symbolic  of  the  immoderate  extravagance  of  the  builders 
of  these  magnificent  memorials  to  the  dead  shoguns.  Because 


174    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


Shiba  Mausolea. 


of  their  granitic  character  and  their  supposed  quality  of  neither 
fading  nor  changing  color  when  wet,  they  were  all  brought  (as 
were  the  others  in  Shiba  Park)  from  the  distant  province  of 
Kii  (S.  of  Kyoto),  on  horseback,  at  a  tremendous  outlay  of 
time  and  effort. 

At  the  top  of  the  steps  stands  the  small  but  gorgeous  Ora- 
tory of  the  9th  shogun,  well  preserved  despite  152  years  of 
exposure  to  the  changeable  Japanese  climate.  The  highly 
polished  floor  is  of  deep  black  lacquer;  the  prancing  kirin  on 
the  brilliant  gold  wall-panels  are  by  Chikanobu  (a  great  favor- 
ite of  Yoshimune,  the  8th  shogun),  to  whom  is  also  ascribed  the 
handsomely  decorated  sunken  panels  of  the  coffered  ceiling. 
The  crests  on  the  folding  outer  doors  are  (top)  the  Tokugawa; 
{center)  the  Wheel  of  the  Law  and  (below)  a  compound  toko,  or 
mace,  held  by  Buddhist  priests  when  praying.  Eighteen  stone 
steps  lead  up  from  the  rear  of  the  oratory  to  the  pagoda-shaped 
granite  tomb  resting  on  its  octagonal  base  and  surrounded  by  a 
copper-sheathed  fence.  Twenty  feet  below  the  shrine-like 
structure,  wrapped  like  that  of  a  mummy  and  covered  with 
artificial  cinnabar  and  charcoal  to  arrest  decay,  lies  the  body 
of  the  9th  shogun.  The  strangely  contorted  teak  tree  (sharasoju) 
at  the  left  of  the  inclosure  is  said  to  be  150  yrs.  old  (which  is 
doubtful) ;  to  have  come  originally  from  India,  and  to  have  been 
presented  to  the  shrine  by  a  king  of  Korea.  It  resembles  a 
sycamore,  and  the  profusion  of  white  flowers  (June- July)  are 
not  unlike  those  of  Camellia  japonica.  According  to  Buddhists 
(who  often  mention  the  tree  in  their  sacred  scriptures)  the 
greenish-brown  trunk  of  the  original  tree  (under  which  Buddha 
is  thought  to  have  been  born)  turned  white  when  he  exchanged 
earth  for  nirvana.  —  The  immense  corner-stones  of  the  wall 
supporting  the  terrace  came  from  Osaka.  The  tomb  of  the 
7th  shogun,  on  a  similar  terrace  at  the  left,  dates  from  1716, 
when  the  unfortunate  lad  died,  aged  7  yrs.  Leaving  the  in- 
closure by  the  entrance  gate,  we  skirt  the  front  of  the  park  for  a 
short  distance,  turn  up  the  lane  (right)  between  the  Main  Gate 
and  the  Goto  Monument,  to 

The  Mausoleum  of  the  6th  (Ienobu),  12th  (Ieyoshi),  and 
14th  (Iemochi)  Shoguns.  It  is  entered  through  an  inconspicu- 
ous gateway  in  the  plain  side  fence  which  leads  from  the  outer 
street  to  the  custodian's  office  opposite  the  Zojoji.  One  pene- 
trates directly  to  the  sumptuously  decorated  colonnade  which 
extends  quite  across  the  inclosure  and  is  supported  by  many 
lithe  and  graceful  pillars,  enriched  by  numerous  swinging 
bronze  lanterns,  and  adorned  by  some  superbly  sculptured  and 
gilded  panels  through  the  interstices  of  which  pour  streams  of 
yellow  sunlight.  The  general  effect  of  the  cloister  strongly 
recalls  certain  of  those  of  the  Alhambra,  The  motifs  of  the 
carved  and  polychromatic  groups  set  into  the  panels  of  the 
closed  side  of  the  structure  are  peacocks,  flowers,  shrubbery, 


Shiba  Mausolea.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  175 


birds,  and  the  usual  mythological  emblems  so  profusely  em- 
ployed by  the  early  craftsmen.  Though  extraordinarily  attrac- 
tive, they  are  nevertheless  inferior  to  those  of  the  shrine  proper, 
where  they  have  been  protected  from  the  insidious  attacks  of 
the  weather.  The  sculptures  of  the  Kara-mon  are  crisp, 
spirited,  and  equally  elaborate  on  both  sides.  Through  the 
apertures  one  glimpses  the  disused  front  yard  with  its  many 
headless  bronze  lanterns  and  its  fine  old  bronze-roofed  bell- 
tower.  The  customary  Chokugaku-no-mon  stands  between  this 
and  the  outer  inclosure,  which  in  turn  contains  the  usual  quota 
of  stone  lanterns  and  is  entered  by  the  (now  closed)  Ni-ten- 
mon,  with  its  caged  Nio  —  seen  to  advantage  from  the 
street.  The  flying  tennin  on  the  ceiling  of  the  Kara-mon  is 
attributed  to  Kano  Yasunobu  (1767-98). — The  wonderfully 
decorated  and  impressive  curved  arch  above  the  entrance  to 
the  Oratory  gives  one  an  inkling  of  the  surpassing  magnificence 
of  the  interior  adornments.  Most  noteworthy  are  the  superbly 
carved  and  gilded  rectangular  wood  panels  above  the  folding 
doors,  with  Dogs  of  Fo  and  peonies  in  high  relief ;  all  pierced  and 
artistically  painted  in  a  pleasing  medley  of  harmonious  colors 
that  blend  with  those  of  the  complicated  series  of  compound 
brackets  above  them.  The  work  is  attributed  to  Kano  Yasun- 
obu, and  is  similar  in  detail  to  that  of  the  mausolea  at  Uyeno 
Park. 

The  interior  of  the  Oratory  is  astonishingly  rich  and  effec- 
tive. Each  panel  of  the  coffered  ceiling  carries  a  gold  flying 
dragon  surrounded  by  brilliant  cloud  effects  on  a  blue  ground ; 
the  interlacing  bars  are  covered  with  heavy  gold  lacquer  and 
delicately  chased  metal  resembling  fine  niello,  with  the  Toku- 
gawa  crest  as  the  most  prominent  enrichment.  The  ceiling 
supports  here  take  the  form  of  successive  groups  of  colored 
compound  brackets  adroitly  employed  as  decorative  expedi- 
ents, each  group  with  a  salient  baku  head  and  between  them 
such  a  variety  of  intricate  tracery  that  the  eye  wearies  in  fol- 
lowing it  to  a  logical  end.  The  supporting  pilasters  are  heavily 
sheathed  with  gleaming  gold  foil  that  produces  an  effect  of 
great  opulence.  In  lieu  of  capitals  their  tops  are  covered  with 
downward-flowing  drapery  painted  to  represent  brocade 
falling  in  graceful  folds  and  covering  a  third  or  more  of  their 
surface.  The  finest  things  in  the  somewhat  restricted  (21  by 
48  ft.)  room,  with  its  low  ceiling  and  its  black  lacquered, 
camphor-wood  floors  covered  with  soft  rush  mats,  are  the  20 
rectangular  carved  wood  panels  of  the  architrave,  representing 
100  different  birds  and  a  like  number  of  flowers,  all  exception- 
ally well  done  both  as  regards  the  sculpture  and  the  decorating. 
The  birds,  in  high  relief,  poised  ready  to  fly,  or  in  an  attitude 
of  flight  or  rest,  are  carved  with  such  fidelity  to  nature  that 
one  regrets  that  the  name  of  the  artist  (they  are  erroneously 
ascribed  to  Kano  Yasunobu)  who  fashioned  them  is  lost.  The 


176    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Shiba  Mausolea. 


2d  panel  at  the  left  of  the  entrance  to  the  ainoma,  with  its 
beautiful  white  Japanese  lilies  (oddly  enough  an  unusual  theme 
with  the  native  workmen),  was  considered  by  one  of  the shoguns 
so  perfect  that  for  many  years  a  curtain  hid  it  from  the  adora- 
tion of  profane  eyes.  The  rusted  hooks  still  show  in  the  wall 
above  it.  There  is  a  delicate  purity  about  the  carving  sugges- 
tive of  the  best  work  of  Hidari  Jingoro,  and  this  is  emphasized 
in  the  unvarying  and  natural  trimness  in  the  bodies  of  the  little 
birds,  which  seem  to  lack  only  the  life  principle  to  start  them 
hopping  from  twig  to  twig.  The  hydrangea,  double  cherry 
blossom,  maple  leaf,  Japanese  quince,  bamboo,  peony,  chrys- 
anthemum, and  other  motives,  are  faithfully  portrayed  in  the 
different  panels,  all  of  which  deserve  close  inspection. 

The  six  grandiose  wall-panels,  each  4  by  6  ft. ;  each  cut  from 
a  single  camphor-wood  strip,  and  each  with  a  gambolling 
Chinese  lion  on  a  gold  ground,  are  ascribed  to  Yasunobu.  The 
regal  seat  beneath  the  swinging  baldachin  is  that  of  the  abbot. 
The  massive  cross-beam  over  the  entrance  to  the  corridor 
carries  rich  ornamentations  of  gold  on  a  black-lacquered 
ground,  with  huge  salient  baku  heads  at  each  end.  The  general 
decorative  scheme  of  the  room  is  continued  in  the  corridor, 
where  anciently  none  except  the  relatives  of  the  Tokugawa 
family  were  allowed.  The  traveler  who  wishes  to  see  the  inner 
shrine  must  come  armed  with  a  special  permit,  since  the  mor- 
tuary tablet  of  a  princess  of  the  blood  (consort  of  the  14th 
shogun)  is  preserved  here,  and  the  public  is  debarred  from  going 
beyond  the  low  railing  near  the  foot  of  the  steps.  Within  the 
sanctuary  are  three  splendid  and  lovely  shrines,  two-storied 
marvels  of  gold  lacquer  and  delicate  sculpture.  The  reliquary 
of  the  princess  (and  of  the  14th  shogun)  is  at  the  extreme  left. 
The  purple  altar  frontal,  of  rich  stuff  embellished  with  gold 
chrysanthemum  crests,  was  presented  by  the  late  Emperor 
(to  whom  the  princess  was  aunt).  The  middle  shrine  is  that  of 
the  6th  shogun,  and  that  at  the  right  of  the  12th.  The  beauti- 
fully carved,  lacquered,  and  gilded  figurines  of  the  Shi-tenno 
which  guard  the  shrines  are  unusually  graceful  and  pleasing, 
without  the  customary  hideousness  of  face  and  mien. 

But  slightly  less  attractive  than  the  shrines  themselves  are 
the  superb  gold  lacquered  mensoe  which  stand  before  them  and 
on  which  repose  the  usual  sacred  offerings.  Note  the  lovely 
little  black  lacquered  incense-burner  adorned  with  small  gold 
16-petaled  chrysanthemum  crests;  resting  on  a  small  table  with 
similar  decorations,  before  the  altar  of  the  princess.  Ib  is 
unusually  dainty,  and  the  black  lacquer,  though  apparently 
ordinary,  is  of  the  richest  and  costliest  kind ;  the  crest  denotes 
that  it  is  an  Imperial  gift  (one  of  several  made  on  Sept.  2,  the 
anniversary  of  the  princess).  The  interior  of  the  apartment 
fairly  glows  with  richness;  ornate  sculptured  panels  adorn  the 
walls;  the  beautiful  panels  of  the  coffered  ceiling  are  painted 


Shiba  Mausolea.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  177 


with  artistic  phoenixes  in  colors  on  a  gold  ground  (like  those  of 
the  Nijo  Castle  at  Kyoto),  and  the  groups  of  compound  brack- 
ets (which  have  not  been  repainted  since  they  were  placed  in 
position  more  than  200  yrs.  ago)  show  colors  such  as  the  old 
European  masters  used  in  their  finest  and  most  enduring  pic- 
tures. The  long  narrow  gold  panels  at  the  right  and  left  of  the 
richly  carved  doors  of  the  honden,  with  lotus  leaves  and  flow- 
ers, are  graceful  and  charming. 

Some  gnarled  and  stately  pine  trees  rise  above  the  flagged 
walk  leading  past  the  side  of  the  mausoleum  to  the  tomb.  In 
the  ceiling  panel  of  the  Dividing  Gate  there  is  a  handsome  white 
peacock  worth  looking  at.  The  artistic  bronze  lanterns  of  the 
sunken  court  here  have  retained  their  hoshu-no-tama  tops. 
The  view  across  the  court  to  the  twin  flight  of  (37)  stone  steps 
beyond,  surmounted  by  the  fine  old  Kara-mon  gateway  with 
its  now  ruinous  sculpture,  is  beguiling.  The  Oratory  before 
the  Tomb  of  the  6th  Shogun  contains  a  coffered  ceiling 
adorned  with  painted  dragons,  four  big  gold  wall-panels  em- 
bellished with  kirin,  and  some  carved  ramma  that  produce  a 
rich  effect.  The  traveler  should  not  miss  seeing  the  tomb, 
embosomed  in  lofty  crymptomerias  on  a  terrace  reached  by  19 
steps,  as  the  gateway  is  one  of  the  best  things  in  the  group.  It  is 
a  magnificent  casting  of  solid  bronze,  covered  with  intricate 
sculptures  and  called  i  Korean  bronze  gate'  from  the  belief 
that  the  panels  were  brought  from  Korea  (in  1598)  by  Hide- 
yoshi's  soldiers.  No  bronze  panels  of  comparable  magnitude 
are  to  be  found  elsewhere  in  Tokyo,  and  none  of  equal  merit 
were  cast  in  Japan  before  1890.  The  chief  decorative  motives 
are  ascending  and  descending  dragons  (agari-ryu,  and  kudari- 
ryu)  modeled  in  low  relief ;  the  former  rising  from  waves,  the 
latter  emerging  from  clouds.  Their  positions  on  the  inner  side 
of  the  gate  are  reversed.  The  five  crests  on  each  face  of  the 
heavy  swinging  doors  are  in  the  form  of  Pater 'ce.  The  inner 
side  of  the  inclosing  fence  is  sheathed  with  copper-bronze. 
Visitors  must  be  content  with  a  distant  view  of  the  richly 
chased  bronze  tomb  (20  ft.  below  which  the  shogun  lies  buried), 
as  they  are  not  allowed  within  the  inclosure.  Note  the  curious 
metal  locks.  —  Lined  along  this  terrace,  in  separate  inclosures 
each  with  its  respective  oratory  below,  are  3  sets  of  tombs, 
behind  handsomely  carved  gateways  and  within  bronze-roofed 
fences.  That  at  the  right,  of  plain  granite,  beyond  a  red  gate, 
is  of  the  12th  shogun.  The  tomb  of  the  princess,  with  its 
Imperial  chrysanthemum  crests,  is  closed  to  the  public.  — 
Crossing  the  street  and  proceeding  along  the  path  at  the  rear  of 
the  Zojoji,  then  beneath  a  low  gateway,  we  enter  the  com- 
pound described  below. 

The  Reliquary  (Ten-ei-in;  O-Tamaya;  Sogen-in)  of  the 
consorts  of  the  2d,  5th,  6th,  nth,  and  13th  Shoguns,  stands 
near  the  temple  of  the  2d  shogun,  with  a  scintillating  and  beau- 


178   Route  10. 


TOKYO  Shiba  Mausolea. 


tiful  interior  differing  but  slightly  from  those  already  described. 
The  outer  gate  is  mournfully  faded  and  is  always  closed;  the 
row  of  stone  lanterns  along  the  front  fence  were  gifts  by  petty 
daimyds.  The  custodian's  house  is  at  the  left.  The  attendant 
conducts  the  visitor  along  a  narrow,  winding  passage  to  the 
front  porch  of  the  oratory,  or  Hall  of  Worship  (21  ft.  by  42  ft.), 
which  shows  its  age  more  than  some  of  the  other  temples  on 
account  of  having  been  one  of  the  first  (it  antedates  those  of 
Nikko  by  19  yrs.)  mausoleum  of  its  kind  erected  for  the  Toku- 
gawa  family.  Time-resisting  camphor-wood  was  employed 
throughout  in  its  construction,  and  over  much  of  this  were 
placed  48  successive  coats  of  thick  black  lacquer,  which  pre- 
served it,  but  which  to-day  imparts  a  decidedly  somber  aspect 
to  the  interior.  The  haiden  is  further  darkened  by  sudare  so 
placed  as  to  preserve  the  interior  from  the  effect  of  the  too- 
bright  sunlight,  and  by  the  broad  overhang  of  the  massive  front 
porch.  The  almost  endlessly  diversified  decorations  on  the 
black  pilasters  are  attractive,  as  are  also  the  fine  panels  of 
the  architrave,  with  their  customary  carvings  of  birds  in  high 
relief.  The  Imperial  chrysanthemum  crest  is  here  more  in  evi- 
dence than  the  trefoil  emblem  of  the  Tokugawa,  indicating 
that  the  tablets  of  personages  of  royal  blood  are  enshrined 
within.  The  delicately  and  beautifully  chased  metal  clasps  of 
the  interlacing  strips  on  the  coffered  ceiling  are  said  to  be  of 
gold  plate  on  a  silver  base.  A  splendidly  relucent  crossbeam 
covered  with  thick  gold  foil  extends  across  the  entrance  to  the 
ainoma  and  forms  a  bright  and  glittering  note  in  the  dusky 
environment.  The  elephant  heads  of  some  of  the  other  tem- 
ples are  replaced  here  by  those  of  minatory  Dogs  of  Fo  which 
seem  to  challenge  one's  right  to  pass  to  the  sacred  precincts 
beyond.  In  the  oratory  there  may  sometimes  be  seen  a  fine 
mandara  depicting  numerous  saints  of  the  Buddhist  pantheon; 
this,  with  a  gold  screen  and  some  bronze  lanterns,  completes 
the  equipment. 

The  decorations  of  the  corridor  (11  by  19  ft.)  are  similar  to 
those  of  the  oratory,  and  both  are  on  a  lesser  scale  of  magnifi- 
cence than  those  of  the  inner  sanctuary,  which  is  a  blaze  of 
gold  and  glory.  Each  of  the  100  panels  of  the  coffered  ceiling 
shows  an  artistically  painted  phoenix  in  an  attitude  differing 
slightly  from  that  of  its  neighbor  —  the  work  of  Kand 
Tanyu,  who  also  did  the  fine  shishi  wall-panels  at  the  right  of 
the  shrines.  His  skill  in  depicting  this  mythological  animal  — 
considered  by  the  Japanese  to  be  one  of  the  most  difficult 
subjects  for  a  painter's  brush  —  makes  his  fame  enduring. 
Albeit  the  gold  has  worn  away  in  places,  the  vigorous  action  of 
the  subjects  is  still  apparent,  and  they  rarely  fail  to  excite  the 
admiration  of  the  beholder.  The  richly  fretted  beams  and 
splendidly  carved  and  decorated  wood  ramma  above  the 
architrave  are  worth  noting;  likewise  the  shishi  (ascribed  to 


Shiba  Mausolea.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  179 


Hidari  Jingoro)  at  the  capital  of  the  different  gilded  columns. 
The  maze  of  jutting  beam-ends,  all  brilliantly  decorated;  the 
countless  metal  enrichments  of  the  entablatures;  the  graceful, 
Egyptian-like  drapery  decorations  which  flow  down  them ;  the 
subtle  imagery  displayed  in  the  intricate  diaper-work,  and  the 
almost  endless  minor  ornamentation  impart  a  gorgeousness 
which  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  Behind  several  of  the 
reliquaries  are  fine  gold  lacquered  wall-panels  with  paintings 
of  beautiful  lotus-blooms;  the  one  at  the  rear  of  the  shrine  just 
at  the  right  of  the  entrance,  is  75  in.  wide;  80  in.  high;  5  in. 
thick;  is  said  to  be  a  single  piece  of  camphor-wood,  and  is 
adorned  with  a  great  leaping  shishi  ascribed  to  some  unknown 
painter  of  the  Kand  school.  The  three  almost  equally  superb 
panels  at  the  far  end  of  the  right-hand  passage,  behind  the 
reliquaries,  are  attributed  to  Kand  Yasunobu.  The  splendor 
of  the  profusely  decorated  flying  buttresses  or  tie-beams  above 
the  ambulatory  is  noteworthy. 

The  shrines  themselves,  each  of  which  contains  the  posthu- 
mous names  (inscribed  on  a  tablet  of  bronze)  of  those  to  whom 
they  are  dedicated,  are  exquisite  specimens  of  the  finest  work 
of  the  incomparable  lacquerers  of  Old  Japan  —  structures  that 
bear  a  stronger  resemblance  to  jewelry  than  to  aught  else,  and 
which  rank  among  the  most  perfect  extant.  Their  dainty  and 
refined  beauty  is  enhanced  by  their  rich  and  glowing  setting. 
Each  stands  on  a  species  of  dais  above  which  rises  a  splendid 
baldachin-like  roof  upheld  by  ten  symmetrical  and  glowing 
columns,  every  millimeter  of  whose  surface  is  thickly  plated 
with  shining  gold  over  red  lacquer.  Artistic  brass  lanterns 
swing  before  the  shrines,  one  of  which  has  been  placed  at  the 
end  of  the  ambulatory  because  it  contains  the  tablets  of  the 
favorite  concubines  of  the  5th  and  7th  shoguns.  —  Certain  of 
the  interesting  minor  architectural  details  of  the  temple  can  be 
studied  to  advantage  from  the  encircling  porch;  the  great 
curved  beams  decorated  in  still  lively  colors ;  the  brown  ribs  of 
the  roof  all  sheathed  with  metal  caps  adorned  with  Tokugawa 
crests  and  intricate  tracery;  the  rich  gold  foil  on  the  surface 
between  them ;  the  windows  which  resemble  inverted  bells  and 
are  often  employed  in  domestic  architecture,  are  all  interesting. 
Upon  leaving  the  sanctuary,  note  the  quaint  old  flat  bronze 
gong  hanging  against  the  right  wall.  The  ornaments  and 
relics  contained  in  the  wall-cases  ranged  along  the  passage 
from  the  shrine  to  the  custodian's  quarters,  are  the  belongings 
of  the  defunct  ladies  —  most  of  whom  are  buried  in  Uyeno 
Park. 

The  Mausoleum  of  the  2d  Shogun  (Hidetada)  is  adjacent 
(S.)  to  the  Ten-ei-in.  The  custodian's  office  stands  between 
the  two,  at  the  top  of  a  short  flagged  walk,  just  within  the 
inclosure  at  the  right.  As  it  is  the  most  profusely  decorated  of 
all  the  temples  and  shrines  of  the  Shiba  group,  it  is  generally 


180   Route  10. 


TOKYO  Shiba  Mausolea. 


the  most  admired.  Despite  its  somewhat  gaudy  character,  it 
ranks  as  one  of  the  well-nigh  priceless  relics  of  a  period  wheji 
ecclesiology  was  inseparably  linked  with  the  unique  art  of  the 
Hermit  Nation;  demonology  was  oftentimes  uppermost  in  the 
minds  of  the  people;  and  their  tutelars  took  the  form  of  snarling 
dragons,  impossible  lions,  and  a  host  of  mythological  animals 
grafted  upon  eager  minds  by  the  Chinese  Buddhists  who  a 
thousand  years  before  had  taken  them  under  their  mediaeval 
tutelage.  The  crested  reptiles  which  with  fiery  eyes,  rending 
claws,  and  watchful  malice,  guard  the  entrance  to  the  temples; 
the  surly,  spiteful  shishi  which  adorn  the  wonderful  gold 
lacquered  panels  of  the  inner  sanctuary,  and  the  other  emblems 
which  the  traveler  may  note,  are  merely  fanciful  symbols  of  a 
religion  as  mild  in  its  way  as  that  often  represented  by  pictures 
of  saintly  men  writhing  under  cruel  tortures;  horrifying  roods; 
sanguinary  figures  of  a  gentle  Christ  suffering  physical  agony 
and  mental  anguish  on  a  blood-stained  cross;  and  of  refined 
women  stretched  on  the  rack  of  the  Inquisition.  The  wonder- 
ful art  which  finds  physical  expression  here  proves  beyond  all 
peradventure  that  so-called  paganism  need  not  necessarily  be 
confounded  with  barbarism. 

If  the  traveler  finds  certain  of  the  interior  adornment  a  bit  too  vivid  to 
suit  his  taste,  he  may  wish  to  remember  that  in  the  old  days  the  fondness  for 
display  (another  Chinese  importation)  was  so  deeply  ingrained  in  the  splen- 
dor-loving shoguns  that  for  purposes  of  decoration,  the  costliest  materials 
that  money  could  buy  were  employed,  whether  or  not  they  were  always  the 
most  suitable.  The  people  were,  as  a  rule,  impressed  in  proportion  to  the 
extravagance  displayed.  In  the  mechanical  arts  the  simplest  effects  are 
oftentimes  the  most  difficult  to  obtain ;  certain  of  the  glossy  black  lacquers 
are  considerably  more  expensive  than  others  of  rich  and  glowing  tints,  while 
the  finest  and  most  highly  prized  gold  lacquers  not  unfrequently  look  cheap 
to  the  unpracticed  eye.  For  many  years  common  iron  was  imported  into 
Japan,  and  was  almost  as  precious  as  gold.  The  subtle  Japanese  derive  genu- 
ine pleasure  in  the  practice  of  these  little  deceptions,  which  are  often  discern- 
ble  to  the  uninitiated  only  after  close  scrutiny.  The  decorations  as  a  whole 
suggest  that  the  purpose  of  the  builder  must  have  been  to  surpass  every- 
thing of  the  kind  previously  done  in  Yedo,  and  to  spare  neither  pains  nor 
expense  in  doing  it.  No  records  exist  of  the  cost,  which  would, be  difficult 
to  estimate  considering  that  in  the  17th  cent,  money  was  perhaps  a  hundred 
times  more  valuable  than  it  is  to-day. 

The  mausoleum  is  seen  at  the  left  as  we  approach  the  office. 
The  intricate  metal  enrichments  and  glistening  finery;  the 
maze  of  resplendent  monsters  and  the  mass  of  extraordinary 
carvings,  clustering  below  the  massive  eaves  of  the  steep- 
pitched,  overhanging  roof,  amaze  the  beholder.  Scores  of 
glittering,  basiliscine  eyes  glare  down  from  red-throated  drag- 
ons, Korean  lions,  and  other  fabulous  beasts;  reptilian  heads 
protrude  at  every  angle  in  the  guise  of  corbels ;  and  the  wealth 
of  fine  gold;  the  astonishing  medley  of  bright  colors;  the  wild 
richness  and  barbaric  splendor,  make  the  structure  one  of 
unequalled  Oriental  attractiveness.  —  From  the  priests'  apart- 
ment we  enter  a  connecting  hallway  which  terminates  in  a 
short  flight  of  black  lacquered  steps  leading  to  the  temple  bal- 


Shiba  Mausolea.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  181 


cony.  The  Oratory,  20  ft.  long  by  40  ft.  wide,  is  entered  from 
the  side.  The  central  columns,  the  pilasters,  and  the  floor 
beneath  the  mats  are  covered  with  48  coats  of  brilliant  black 
lacquer  which  struggle  with  the  lush  colors  of  the  interior  to 
impart  a  somberness  to  it.  The  pierced  panels  of  the  architrave 
are  intricately  carved  with  peacocks  and  phcenixes  in  high 
relief,  and  the  delicate  polychromatic  diaper- work  under  the  low 
ceiling  suggests  that  of  an  Egyptian  tomb.  The  coffered  ceil- 
ing here  differs  from  that  of  all  the  other  temples  in  the  Shiba 
group  in  that  the  sunken  panels  between  the  metal-adorned, 
interlacing  strips,  are  of  cloisonne  and  tortoise-shell  work;  less 
beautiful  and  imposing  than  those  of  the  other  buildings,  but 
perhaps  more  costly.  The  sliding  wall  panels  with  their  funereal 
slats  are  of  heavily  lacquered  camphor-wood.  The  floor  of  the 
ainoma  (12  by  30  ft.)  is  covered  with  many  coats  of  rich  Indian 
red  lacquer.  The  highly  polished  black  lacquered  doors  (51  in. 
wide  by  82  high)  are  said  to  be  single  pieces  of  camphor-wood. 
The  sculptured  and  gilded  group  of  squirrels,  grapes,  and  bam- 
boos immediately  above  the  entrance,  is  worth  looking  at ;  as  well 
as  the  complicated  maze  of  beams  and  rafter-ends  just  above  it. 

No  single  room  in  the  Shiba  group  is  so  richly  decorated  as 
the  inner  sanctuary,  admittance  to  which  is  gained  through 
massive  metal-encrusted  doors  swung  on  huge  pivots  let  into 
soffits  above  and  below.  The  reckless  splendor  of  the  display 
is  astounding.  Ten  huge,  symmetrical,  metal-sheathed  col- 
umns, like  shafts  of  solid  gleaming  gold,  rise  from  three  sides 
of  a  central  or  inner  dais  (27  by  29  ft.)  which  is  delimned  by 
a  black  lacquered  strip  separating  it  from  the  outer  aisle  or 
ambulatory.  From  the  inner  side,  two  larger  ones,  30  ft.  high 
and  32  in.  in  diameter,  called  respectively  Udaijin  ('Minister 
of  the  Right')  and  Sadaijin  ('Minister  of  the  Left'),  spring 
up  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  wide  table  on  which  the  shrine 
stands.  Each  is  said  to  have  been  hewn  from  a  single  keyaki 
trunk,  and  both  rank  among  the  largest  in  Japan.  The  custom 
of  first  wrapping  these  immense  timbers  with  a  sort  of  buck- 
ram to  prevent  the  outer  coating  of  gold  foil  flaking  off  through 
climatic  influences  at  work  in  the  wood,  can  be  studied  to 
advantage  on  certain  of  them,  as  the  weight  of  the  275  or  more 
years  that  rest  upon  them  have  slightly  marred  them.  In  the 
center  of  the  canopy-like  ceiling  held  up  by  these  wonderful 
glittering  columns,  on  a  huge  latescent  gold  disk,  is  a  great 
gleaming-eyed,  minatory  dragon,  the  work  of  Kand  Doshun 
(1747-97).  An  almost  endless  maze  of  criss-crossing,  inter- 
secting beams,  brackets,  cornices,  and  sculptured  dragon-heads 
painted  in  the  brightest  colors  of  the  spectrum,  are  discernible 
in  the  dusky  heights.  From  the  lower  and  more  ponderous 
cross-beams  to  the  floor,  every  available  foot  of  the  shimmer- 
ing walls  carry  some  sort  of  glowing  decoration  —  intricate 
arabesques,  key-pattern  courses,  complicated  frets,  or  crests 


182   Route  10.  TOKYO  Shiba  Mausolea. 


and  symbols.  The  rectangular  carved  and  pierced  wood 
friezes  of  the  entablature,  each  formed  of  a  single  longitudinal 
strip  of  camphor-wood,  and  called  sukashibori,  from  the  open 
character  of  the  work,  are  10  ft.  or  more  in  length,  and  are 
extraordinarily  effective.  So  wonderful  are  the  sculptured 
phcenixes  glistening  in  all  the  iridescence  of  natural  color,  that 
they  seem  ready  to  fly  down  from  their  perches  amid  the  reeds 
and  waves  and  clouds.  The  decorations  of  the  superstructure 
blend  perfectly  and  harmoniously  with  those  below,  the  light 
here  being  tempered  by  the  shadows  above.  Gorgeously 
painted  drapery  (an  idea  probably  borrowed  from  woven 
tapestries)  that  recalls  in  its  opulence  the  original  cloth  of  gold, 
sweeps  downward  in  graceful  folds  to  envelop  the  upper  halves 
of  the  columns,  and  simulates  the  soft  curtains  enfolding  the 
couch  of  the  sleeping  shogun. 

Many  superb  gold-plashed  wall-panels  of  camphor- wood 
take  the  place  of  wainscoting,  and  most  of  them  carry  foliated 
lotuses  in  their  natural  colors.  The  immense  wall-panel  at  the 
back  of  the  shrine  dais,  with  two  angels  of  the  Buddhist 
paradise  hovering  in  mid-air  above  a  wide  lotus  pool  choked 
with  flowers,  is  by  Kano  Doun  (1625-94).  The  battered  war- 
drum  in  one  corner  of  the  side  aisle  differs  somewhat  in  form 
from  the  usual  Japanese  drum,  and  is  said  to  be  of  Korean 
origin.  The  Tokugawa  shogun,  Ieyasu,  is  believed  to  have  used 
it  at  the  sanguinary  battle  of  Sekigahara  (in  1600).  The 
reliquary  which  contains  the  mortuary  tablet  of  the  great 
Hidetada  is  a  magnificent  specimen  of  gold-lacquer  embellished 
with  chased  metal  ornaments,  on  a  special  platform  reached  by 
flights  of  black  lacquered  steps  and  adorned  with  wood- 
carvings  in  bas-relief  by  Hidari  Jingoro.  Certain  of  the  metal 
clasps  are  rare  specimens  of  cloisonne  work  made  when  the 
art  in  Japan  was  in  its  infancy.  The  long  and  narrow  red 
lacquered  tables  which  stand  before  it  are  superb  works  of 
art;  the  ornamental  bronze  flambeaux  upon  them  are  worth 
looking  at.  The  tall  bronze  crane  standing  on  a  tortoise's  back, 
and  the  fat-paunched  shishi  in  the  form  of  an  incense-burner, 
are  said  to  have  been  brought  from  China  by  one  of  the 
Minamoto  Clan  upward  of  a  millennium  ago.  The  metal 
vases  near  the  base  of  the  Prime  Minister's  pillars  contain 
68  metal  peonies  symbolic  of  68  early  provinces  of  the  Empire. 
They  were  given  to  the  shrine  by  the  11th  shogun,  on  the  200th 
anniversary  of  the  death  of  the  2d  shogun.  The  matchless 
stands  are  beautiful  and  perhaps  unique  specimens  of  splen- 
didly embossed  taka-makiye  gold  lacquer;  the  almost  faultless 
character  of  the  fine  tracery  (similar  to  the  best  niello)  and  the 
Tokugawa  crests,  rank  them  among  the  richest  specimens 
extant  of  this  antique  work.  The  sweetly  resonant  tones  of 
the  fine  old  bronze  gong  near  the  entrance  have  been  mellowed 
by  a  generous  admixture  of  gold  with  the  copper. 


The  Pagoda. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  183 


IOn  leaving  the  mausoleum  the  traveler  is  given  a  ticket 
(free)  to  the  Octagonal  Hall  (Hakkaku-do)  which  enshrines 
the  tomb  of  the  2d  shogun  and  stands  on  the  hillslope  a  few 
hundred  yards  to  the  S.  We  cross  the  yard  in  front  of  the 
temple  (note  the  big  stone  lavers  in  the  yard),  mount  a  succes- 
sion of  stone  steps,  and  follow  the  flagged  sunken  way  —  a  sort 
of  open  subway  —  between  stone  walls  overshadowed  by  lofty 
cryptomerias.  The  red  gate  at  the  left,  within  the  iron  fence, 
was  the  one-time  main  gate  to  the  tomb.  In  front  of  the  latter 
is  the  uninteresting  Oratory,  and  in  the  corner  of  the  yard,  at 
the  right,  is  a  monstrosity  in  the  shape  of  a  hinoki  tree  grafted 
into  a  camellia  —  one  of  those  unhappy  perversions  of  nature 
of  which  the  Japanese  seem  curiously  fond.  Near  it  is  an 
orange  tree  whose  fruit,  when  broken  from  the  stem,  is  said  to 
exhibit  a  figure  like  the  Tokugawa  crest!  An  octagonal  stone 
fence  incloses  the  gloomy  structure  which  shelters  the 
Shogun's  Tomb,  which  in  turn  is  shaped  like  a  hoto,  or 
Buddhist  pagoda,  and  is  mounted  on  a  tall  granite  base  in  the 
form  of  a  lotus.  Conventional  lions  and  peonies  (the  king  of 
beasts  and  of  flowers)  form  conspicuous  decorative  figures 
among  the  intricate  maze  of  enamel  and  crystal  inlay.  The 
scenes  on  the  upper  half  represent  the  'Eight  Views  ■  of  Siao- 
Siang  (China)  and  similar  one  of  Lake  Biwa.  Within  is  a 
carved  wood  image  of  the  shogun  (who  is  buried  20  ft.  beneath 
the  base)  and  a  bronze  tablet  with  his  posthumous  title  — 
Taitoku-in  (' Great  Virtuous  Retired  Chief).  Eight  upright 
pillars  sheathed  with  (sometime)  gilded  copper-bronze  plates 
support  the  roof ;  the  maze  of  decorated  panels  and  gold-lacquer 
of  the  interior  is  now  badly  time  worn.  Visitors  are  generally 
barred  from  entering,  but  a  small  fee  will  secure  the  privilege 
of  a  closer  inspection.  At  the  right  of  the  entrance  are  two  curi- 
ously carved  stones,  one  (the  work  of  Yoshioka  Buzenosuki, 
in  1645)  representing  Shaka's  death  and  his  entry  into  nirvana; 
the  other,  portraying  25  bosatsu  advancing  to  welcome  him. 

The  Pagoda  (p.  clxxxiii),  which  stands  near  the  summit  of 
Maruyama  Hill,  is  weather-beaten,  dilapidated,  and  not  worth 
looking  at.  Near  it  are  some  popular  tea-houses  embowered  in 
lovely  cherry  trees,  and  a  handsome  green  bronze  shaft  erected 
in  1890  to  commemorate  the  life-work  of  I  no  Tadayoshi,  a 
celebrated  historian  and  cartographer  (1745-1821),  who  died 
after  completing  the  first  comprehensive  map  of  Japan.  The 
mound  on  which  the  monument  stands  is  believed  to  be  an 
artificial  tumulus  (tsuka)  of  the  gourd-shaped  kind  used  for 
imperial  interments  over  a  thousand  years  ago;  there  are  two 
smaller  tumuli  close  by.  Princes  of  a  family  which  reigned  in 
Japan  in  very  early  times  are  thought  to  be  buried  here.  The  ' 
bronze  statue  (cast  in  the  Military  Arsenal  in  Koishikawa, 
and  unveiled  April  19, 1913)  of  Count  Taisuke  Itagaki  (founder 


184    Route  10. 


TOKYO        Ankoku-den  Temple. 


of  the  Liberal  Party)  cost  ¥71,000  and  was  erected  in  honor  of 
the  statesman  responsible  for  the  introduction  of  constitu- 
tional government  in  Japan.  —  From  the  hilltop,  which  is  a 
favorite  resort,  a  fine  view  is  had  of  the  sea  and  the  S.  section 
of  the  city  along  the  shore. 

Descending  the  Maruyama  by  a  winding  path  on  the  E.  side, 
we  soon  come  to  the  Ankoku-den  Temple,  known  also  as 
Toshogu,  because  Ieyasu,  the  1st  Tokugawa  shogun,  is  wor- 
shiped here  under  that  (posthumous)  title.  On  the  17th-18th 
of  each  month  a  gay  and  picturesque  festival  is  held  here  in  his 
honor,  and  bizarre  theatricals  and  dancing  with  masks  are 
performed,  The  temple  dates  from  about  1620,  and  though 
ostensibly  Buddhistic,  Shinto  supremacy  is  indicated  by  the 
mirrors,  the  gohei,  and  the  two  wolf-like  Korean  lions  which 
guard  the  entrance.  In  the  front  yard,  near  the  entrance  to 
the  custodian's  office  (20-sen  fee),  are  two  tall  icho  trees  said 
to  have  been  planted  by  Iemitsu  (3d  shogun)  about  1650.  The 
cherry  trees  here  are  lovely  in  early  April.  Outwardly  the 
temple  is  ornate  and  similar  in  design  to  others  in  the  Shiba 
group,  with  malicious  red-throated  dragons,  snarling  lions  and 
other  fictitious  beasts  glaring  out  from  the  eaves.  We  enter 
the  shrine  by  a  long  passage  connected  with  the  office;  the 
most  revered  object  in  the  sanctuary  is  a  carved  and  seated 
wood  image  of  Ieyasu  made  when  he  was  61  yrs.  old;  an 
antependium  conceals  it,  but  a  request  to  see  it  will  generally 
obtain  the  privilege.  The  shrine  is  about  4  ft.  high  with  elabo- 
rate cornices  and  brackets  and  with  walls  of  beautiful  gold 
lacquer  covered  with  designs  in  low  relief;  8  small  landscape 
views  supplemented  by  dragons  and  cloud  effects  adorn  the 
door  panels,  and  bamboos  and  pines  ornament  the  sides.  At 
either  side  of  the  altar  are  standing  screens  on  the  top  rails  of 
which  perch  sculptured  wood  hawks  in  the  form  of  incense 
burners;  the  one  at  the  left  formerly  contained  a  silver  recep- 
tacle (which  has  been  stolen).  The  fragrant  resin  employed 
for  incense  is  from  the  precious  aloe  ( Kyara.  —  Aquilaria 
Agallocha)  which  grows  in  the  mountainous  regions  of  Cochin- 
China  and  Assam.  The  great  shogun' 's  fondness  for  falconry 
is  shown  by  the  six  wall-panels  of  gold-lacquer,  on  each  of  which 
is  a  painted  hawk  the  original  of  which  was  owned  by  him: 
the  work  is  attributed  to  Iemitsu,  and  it  is  considered  so  pre- 
cious that  curtains  usually  hide  it  from  the  public  gaze. 
Hanging  against  one  wall  is  a  kakemono  portraying  Ieyasu 
(center),  Minamoto  Yoritomo  (right),  and  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi, 
all  great  rulers  of  Old  Japan.  The  panels  at  the  rear  of  the  shrine 
show  imaginary  birds  of  paradise  (gokuraku-jodo),  the  work  of 
some  unknown  artist  of  the  Kano  school.  'Particularly  valu- 
able to  the  Japanese  is  the  painting  representing  Shaka, 
Monju,  and  Fugen,  (perhaps)  by  Kano  Masanobu  (1453-90). 
It  is  noteworthy  because  the  slanting  eyes  look  in  all  direc- 


Keio  University. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  185 


tions,  from  which  circumstance  it  is  called  happd-niramiai 
(eyes  that  look  in  8  directions).  In  the  two  red-lacquered 
cases  at  the  sides  of  the  shrine  are  100  little  stands  on  which 
are  piled,  on  festival  days,  the  100  different  non-flesh  foods 
that  the  gods  delight  in.  The  bows  and  arrows  (from  the 
daimyd  of  Echizen  Province)  in  the  stands  before  the  shrine  are 
replicas  of  the  weapons  used  by  the  great  Ieyasu  in  his  many 
battles;  the  metal  vases  (about  250  yrs.  old)  with  their  decora- 
tions of  pure  silver,  are  gifts  from  the  daimyd  of  Owari  Province. 

The  Benten  Shrine  5  min.  walk  from  the  Toshogu,  round 
the  base  of  Maruyama,  is  prettily  located  on  a  tiny  islet  in  a 
lotus-pond  (lovely  in  August)  spanned  by  a  bridge  called  Fuyd 
(hibiscus).  The  wistaria  arbor  facing  the  shrine  is  charm- 
ing in  May. 

A  short  distance  N.  of  Shiba  Park  (PI.  D,  6)  stands  a  conical 
hill  called  (after  Mt.  Atago,  at  Kyoto)  Atago-yama  sur- 
mounted by  a  shrine  (Atago-jinja)  dedicated  to  Homusubi- 
no-Mikoto  (last  child  of  Izanagi  and  Izanami),  the  god  supposed 
to  protect  towns  against  fire.  From  the  adjacent  tower 
(Atago-to)  a  far-reaching  view  of  Tokyo,  the  sea,  the  matchless 
cone  of  Fuji-san,  the  Hakone  Range  and  a  number  of  lesser 
mts.  may  be  had.  We  approach  the  hill  from  Atago-machi, 
which  skirts  its  E.  base.  The  most  difficult  ascent  is  by  the 
men's  stairs  (otoko-zaka) ,  an  almost  perpendicular  flight  of 
86  stone  steps,  with  a  heavy  chain  in  the  middle,  from  top  to 
bottom,  to  aid  in  the  toilsome  ascent.  The  near-by  women's 
stairs  (onna-zaka),  with  108  steps  and  5  landings,  are  easier 
and  more  circuitous.  A  3d  ascent,  considerably  to  the  right 
of  both,  called  shin-zaka,  or  '  new  road/  is  easier  still.  Many 
Japanese  seek  the  spot  in  April  when  the  cherry  trees  are  in 
bloom,  and  also  on  New  Year's  Day,  to  get  the  first  view  of 
Fuji.  The  credulous  believe  that  on  a  certain  night  in  July, 
when  the  moon  wanes,  3  distinct  rays  of  light  can  be  seen 
emanating  from  it  at  the  moment  of  rising  from  the  sea. 
Great  good  luck  is  supposed  to  abide  with  the  wight  fortunate 
enough  to  see  them.  The  small  Tokyo  Hotel  (native  manage- 
ment) stands  near  the  tower. 

The  Keio  University,  known  locally  as  the  Keiogijuku  (Keio 
Free  School),  on  Mita  Heights,  a  short  distance  S.W.  of  Shiba 
Park,  in  Shiba-ku  (PL  C,  7),  was  founded  in  the  Keio  Era 
(1865-67)  by  a  famous  educator,  Yukichi  Fukuzawa,  —  fre- 
quently referred  to  as  the  'Sage  of  Mitla.'  The  original  pur- 
pose of  the  school  (which  was  first  established  in  the  compound 
of  the  Okudaira  mansion,  in  1858)  was  to  teach  the  Dutch 
language  to  young  men  of  the  Okudaira  Clan;  but  two  years 
later  English  was  substituted  for  Dutch.  When  in  1868  the 
grounds  of  the  Okudaira  mansion  became  a  part  of  the  Foreign 
Concession,  the  school  was  removed  to  Shin-senza,  and  later 
(1871)  to  its  present  site.  The  institution  is  akin  to  Harvard 


186    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


The  47  Ronin. 


University  in  that  it  is  endowed  privately  and  owes  neither 
its  existence  nor  its  maintenance  to  Gov't.  The  Public  Speak- 
ing Hall,  which  was  completed  and  dedicated  in  1875,  was 
the  first  in  Japan  to  be  used  for  this  purpose.  The  splendid 
new  (red  brick  and  granite)  Library  building  (open  to  the 
public)  in  the  Gothic  style  of  architecture,  completed  in  1912 
at  a  cost  of  360,000  yen,  contains  upward  of  50,000  rare 
books  in  English,  German,  French,  Chinese,  etc.  It  stands 
on  a  commanding  elevation  whence  one  may  enjoy  a  remark- 
able panorama  of  Tokyo  city,  the  bay,  Shiba  Park,  and  en- 
virons. Beside  the  usual  equipment  of  a  first-class  modern 
university  there  is  a  Ju-jutsu  School,  one  for  Physical  Cul- 
ture, etc.  There  are  about  5000  students  and  a  faculty  of 
about  200  —  chiefly  trained  abroad.  During  the  50  yrs.  or 
more  of  its  existence  the  institution  has  sent  forth  about  4000 
men,  a  number  of  whom  have  become  leaders  in  their  respec- 
tive fields  of  activity.  The  university  confers  4  degrees: 
Bachelor  of  Political  Science  (Seiji  Gakushi) ;  B.  of  Economic 
Science  (Rizai  Gakushi)',  B.  of  Laws  (Horitsu  Gakushi); 
and  B.  of  Arts  (Bun  Gakushi).  The  annual  tuition  fees,  in- 
cluding room,  board,  and  other  expenses,  amount  to  approx- 
imately ¥227. 

The  Tombs  of  the  Forty-Seven  Ronin  (Shi-ju-shichi-shi)  are 
in  the  grounds  of  a  small  and  uninteresting  Buddhist  temple 
known  as  Takanawa  Sengaku-ji,  about  1  M.  S.  of  Shiba  Park 
(PI.  A-B,  7)  and  \  M.  N.  of  Shinagawa,  near  Kuruma-cho,  in 
Shiba-ku.  Travelers  approaching  Tokyo  from  Yokohama  can 
alight  at  Shinagawa,  board  a  tram-car  proceeding  N.  along 
Kuruma-cho  and  its  prolongations  (to  Ginza),  and  descend 
(in  5  min.)  at  a  point  2  min.  walk  (left)  from  the  temple;  or  it 
can  be  reached  on  foot  in  15  min.  —  \  hr.  is  sufficient  to  inspect 
the  place,  which  is  of  no  great  interest  to  foreigners.  The 
anniversary  of  the  death  of  the  Ronin,  who  (early  in  the  18th 
cent.)  committed  harakiri  (p.  clxx)  after  having  revenged  an 
insult  to  their  feudal  lord  (Asano  Takumi  no  Kami,  of  Ako, 
Harima  Province),  is  celebrated  every  year  from  April  6  to 
May  5,  at  which  time  the  place  is  often  thronged.  The  shops 
flanking  the  approach  are  devoted  to  the  sale  of  lurid  chromos 
setting  forth  the  carefully  planned  assault,  and  of  novels  and 
what-not  relating  to  the  occurrence.  The  curious  old  cart 
(niguruma)  inside  the  gate  at  the  left,  has  ponderous  wheels 
studded  with  iron,  and  iron  tires  an  inch  thick  —  a  relic  of 
early  times.  The  war-trophies  sitting  about  the  yard  are 
reminders  of  the  late  unpleasantness  with  the  Muscovites. 
The  gray  building  at  the  left,  embowered  in  pine  trees,  is  the 
Kanranjo,  behind  which  stands  the  tombs  (path  at  the  left) 
and  in  which  are  enshrined  (small  fee)  numerous  bits  of  cloth- 
ing, sculptured  wood  figures,  etc.,  of  the  valiant  worthies.  The 
well  where  they  washed  the  head  of  Kira  Kotsuke  no  Suke, 


The  Hei-jinja. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  187 


before  placing  it  on  the  tomb  of  their  dead  master,  is  at  the 
right  of  the  path.  A  small  offering  is  usually  handed  to  the 
caretaker  at  the  turnstile  on  entering  the  inclosure.  The  tombs 
are  beyond,  in  a  plot  (right)  girdled  by  a  stone  fence  and  over- 
hung with  tall  pines.  That  of  the  chief  ronin,  Oishi  Kuranosuke, 
is  in  the  corner  at  the  right,  within  a  latticed  shrine ;  the  tomb 
of  his  master  is  hard  by,  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence.  In  a 
similar  shrine,  in  the  opposite  corner,  is  the  grave  ol  Oishi' s 
son,  Chikara.  The  tablets  on  all  refer  to  the  exploits  of  the 
men.  Incense  burns  incessantly,  and  many  sentimental  per- 
sons leave  visiting-cards  on  the  graves  —  which  are  chosen 
spots  for  those  who  wish  to  commit  suicide.  The  story  of  the 
47  ronin  is  told  in  MitforoVs  Tales  of  Old  Japan  (New  York, 
1893). 

The  *Hei-jinja,  a  Shinto  shrine  (Pl.E,  5)  often  referred  to  as 
Sanno,  in  Hoshigaoka  Park,  in  one  of  the  most  select  districts 
(Nagata-cho)  in  the  capital  (known  locally  as  Daimyo  Koji,  or 
'Noble's  Quarter  '),  is  in  Kojimachi-ku  (from  which  circum- 
stance the  park  is  called  Kojimachi  Park)  about  1  M.  back  of 
the  Foreign  Office.  While  the  annual  festival  (Sept.)  ranks 
with  the  most  important  in  the  city  (the  shrine  receiving  the 
Imperial  patronage  and  being  dedicated  to  the  Imperial 
ancestors),  it  is  of  less  interest  to  strangers  than  the  splendid 
display  of  cherry  blooms,  which  attracts  thousands  in  April. 
The  narrow  sloping  lane  overhung  with  these  splendid  trees 
flanks  the  Chinese  Legation  on  the  N.  (right),  and  is  seen  to 
the  best  advantage  from  a  point  near  the  foot.  On  a  faultless 
spring  day  when  the  buds  have  burst  into  flowers  and  a  gay 
and  colorful  procession  of  brightly  clad  maids  and  matrons 
trip  blithely  beneath  the  lovely  canopy,  the  scene  is  unusually 
pretty  and  appealing.  The  sanctity  of  the  spot  usually  pre- 
cludes the  tipsy  manoeuvres  of  the  rattle-pated  wights  who 
not  unfrequently  spoil  one's  enjoyment  of  the  cherry  display 
at  Mukojima,  and  to  many  the  ensemble  is  far  more  pleasing. 
From  the  foot  of  the  slope  the  road  loops  the  hill  as  if  a  lariat 
were  thrown  round  it;  a  tiny  lakelet  with  carp  and  fluffy-tailed 
goldfish  nestles  in  a  dimple  at  the  base,  while  to  the  right  is  a 
stone  slab  commemorating  the  brave  men  who  died  on  sea  and 
land  during  the  Japan-Russia  War.  The  maple  trees  on  the 
face  of  the  hill  present  an  inspiring  sight  in  the  fall. 

The  52  steps  leading  up  to  the  shrine  are  at  the  left;  men 
usually  mount  those  of  the  otoko-zaka,  while  the  women  seek 
the  easier  onna-zaka,  a  little  farther  beyond.  A  huge  torii 
marks  the  foot  of  the  incline,  and  here  and  there  are  graceful 
pines  and  some  splendid  cryptomerias;  the  two  seated  wood 
figures  in  the  clipped  loggias  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  great 
red  gateway  are  the  Imperial  guards  (zuijin),  which  are  to 
Shinto  shrines  what  the  Nid  are  to  Buddhist  temples.  The 
host  of  spit-balls,  or  tiny  wads  of  paper  adhering  to  them  are 


188    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Northeast  Quarter. 


prayers  that  have  been  popped  in  by  some  credulous  (and 
perchance  rascally)  devotee  seeking  pardon  for  some  offense 
committed,  or  praying  for  the  furtherance  of  some  personal 
aim.  The  funny  little  stone  monkeys  which  squat  demurely 
in  the  cages  at  the  rear,  enveloped  in  baby-clothes  and  painted 
in  comic  colors,  are  supposed  to  be  the  servants  of  Hex  ('a 
warrior  '),  and  are  confreres  of  the  many  which  figure  on  the 
altar,  the  screens  and  other  fitments  of  the  shrine.  The  old 
wheeled  cannon  between  the  two  gates  is  a  Russian  war-prize. 
Black  is  the  dominant  note  of  the  interior,  the  wood-carvings 
of  which  are  very  old  —  and  worthless.  The  edifice  is  said  to 
date  from  1654,  and  it  was  long  the  chief  tutelary  shrine  in 
Yedo  of  the  Tokugawa  Regents.  The  Imperial  crest  is  much 
in  evidence.  In  the  yard  is  a  small  laurel  (signboard)  planted 
by  Admiral  Togo  to  commemorate  the  victory  of  his  fleet  over 
the  Baltic  squadron  in  1905.  The  hilltop  has  the  reputation  of 
being  cool  in  summer,  and  many  are  attracted  hither;  from  the 
tea-houses  which  flank  the  inclosure  fine  views  are  obtainable. 
The  Hoshigaoka-charyo  (restaurant)  —  at  one  corner  of  the 
compound  —  is  celebrated  locally  for  its  (native)  cuisine  and 
for  tea-  and  flower-ceremonies  conducted  with  stilted  etiquette. 
The  big  red-brick  structure  visible  at  the  S.W.  houses  the  3d 
Brigade  of  the  Imperial  Guard.  From  the  flight  of  picturesque 
steps  which  lead  down  at  the  rear  of  the  hill  extensive  views 
may  be  had. 

Shimizudani  Park,  a  short  walk  N.  of  Hoshigaoka  Park,  is 
noted  for  its  fine  double  cherry  blossoms  and  its  splendid  dis- 
play of  azaleas  in  season.  Near  the  small  pond  with  goldfish  isa 
huge  monolith  to  the  memory  of  Okubo  Toshimichi,  one  of  the 
builders  of  New  Japan  who  was  assassinated  near  the  spot 
in  1878.  Not  far  to  the  W.  of  this  (PL  D,  4)  is  the  wide  and 
finely  wooded  park  inclosing  the  Akasaka  and  Aoyama  Pal- 
aces (sometime  residence  of  the  Crown  Prince),  with  superb 
landscape  gardens,  lakelets,  and  groves;  the  annual  Imperial 
Chrysanthemum  Garden  Party  is  held  here.  The  region  is 
high,  clean,  and  healthy.  A  short  walk  to  the  W.  of  the  park  is 
the  Military  College,  and  near  it  the  spacious  Barrack  and 
Military  Parade-Ground  (Aoyama  rempeiba),  where  resplen- 
dent military  reviews  are  sometimes  held  and  where  the  trav- 
eler may  see  battalions  of  infantry  or  cavalry  manceuvering 
and  practicing  the  adroit  moves  of  military  stratagem.  S.  of 
this  is  the  Aoyama  Cemetery  (hakaba),  where  many  Japanese 
notables  are  buried. 

The  Northeast  Quarter. 

The  Koishikawa  Arsenal  Garden  (  Hohei-kosho  Koraku-en), 
in  Koishikawa-ku  (PL  G,  3-4),  within  the  precincts  of  the  Ar- 
senal (special  permit  from  the  embassy,  legation,  or  War  De- 


The  Gokaku-ji. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  189 


partment),  though  once  the  pride  of  Tokyo  (on  account  of  its 
superior  design  and  construction),  is  now  a  sooty,  blasted,  and 
melancholy  place  with  but  faint  traces  of  its  former  beauty. 
Tram-cars  pass  the  Arsenal  gate  (take  the  Sotobori  car)  through 
which  one  is  conducted  to  the  garden;  the  bronze  monument 
in  the  yard  commemorates  Lieutenant-General  Oshiba.  The 
proximity  of  the  garden  to  the  busy  workshop  (which  is 
steadily  encroaching  on  its  one-time  beautiful  preserve)  ac- 
counts for  the  many  dead  trees  (killed  by  smoke  and  noxious 
gases)  and  the  withered  state  of  the  semi-tropical  vegetation. 
At  times  the  blatant  rat-tat-too  of  hurrying,  pounding  air- 
riveters,  and  the  crashing  of  speeding  machinery,  coupled  with 
the  ear-splitting  blasts  from  steam- whistles,  almost  deafen  the 
visitor  —  who  is  supposed  to  fee  the  attendant  that  conducts 
him  about.  The  spot  upon  which  the  present  garden  stands  was 
once  the  residence  of  Tokugawa  Yorifusa  (daimyd  of  Mito, 
and  9th  son  of  the  shogun,  Ieyasu),  who  transformed  the  entire 
region  roundabout  (between  1603  and  1661)  into  a  beautiful 
park,  with  the  garden  as  its  finest  achievement.  This  is  now  a 
sad  reminder  of  the  fact  that  militarism  and  utilitarianism  are 
exercising  a  distressing  effect  on  many  of  the  sometime  beauty 
spots  of  the  Empire,  and  that  they  are  one  by  one  moving 
toward  an  ignoble  and  unmerited  oblivion. 

Autumn  is  the  best  time  to  visit  the  garden,  as  the  redden- 
ing maples  are  more  beautiful  than  the  spring  blossoms  or  the 
summer  blooms.  The  different  views  are  supposed  to  be  minia- 
tures of  famous  vistas  throughout  Japan;  all  the  formalities  of 
cropped,  grassy  hills;  clipped  trees,  tiny  plunging  cascades, 
and  stiff  moon-bridges  are  still  observed,  but  the  visitor  needs  a 
strong  and  working  imagination  to  clothe  them  with  romance 
or  any  special  beauty.  The  attendant  who  conducts  the  visitor 
about  is  as  full  of  legends  as  a  pirate  is  full  of  oaths,  and  from 
him  one  may  learn  vastly  more  about  the  garden  than  the 
designer  ever  intended,  or  the  present  owners  perhaps  ever 
dreamed  of.  There  are  many  winding  walks,  stone  lanterns, 
flowering  trees  (the  finest  of  the  old  trees  are  dead),  dilapi- 
dated summer-houses  and  arched  bridges,  all  surrounding  a 
fine  lakelet :  above  them  broods  a  desperate  melancholy  which 
one  is  usually  glad  to  leave  behind. 

The  Gokaku-ji  (temple)  of  the  Shingi  branch  of  the  Shingon 
sect  (p.  cc)  of  Buddhists,  at  the  top  of  Otowacho,  in  Otsuka- 
Sakashitamachi,  Koishikawa  Ward  (PI.  G,  1),  W.  of  the 
Koishikawa  Arsenal  Garden,  though  now  weather-beaten  and 
dilapidated,  was  once  rich  and  powerful.  It  was  founded  (in  the 
17th  cent.)  at  the  instance  of  the  mother  of  the  5th  Tokugawa 
shogun,  Tsunayoshi,  and  is  chiefly  noteworthy  for  an  idol  (of 
the  Nyoirin  Kwannon)  made  of  amber,  once  the  property  of 
the  3d  Tokugawa  shogun,  Iemitsu.  The  shabby  interior  of  the 
big  structure  is  not  as  interesting  as  the  fine  old  cherry  trees 


190    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Lafcadio  Hearn. 


which  adorn  the  yard  and  attract  many  visitors  in  spring.  At 
the  right  and  left  of  the  stone  steps  leading  up  to  the  terrace 
on  which  the  edifice  stands  are  some  fine  banks  of  azaleas. 
Behind  the  temple  is  a  cemetery  used  by  the  Imperial  Family. 
Beyond,  a  few  min.  walk  toward  the  W.,  along  a  good  road 
flanked  by  a  nursery  of  icho  trees  is 

Lafcadio  Hearn's  Grave,  in  the  Zoshigaya  Cemetery  (PI. 
G,  1).  The  stone  which  covers  the  ashes  of  the  great  stylist 
stands  in  a  small  inclosure  (down  the  8th  side  path  at  the  left 
of  the  straight  road  leading  in  from  the  entrance),  surrounded 
by  a  low,  neatly  trimmed  bamboo  hedge,  and  overshadowed 
by  some  beautiful  flowering  camellias,  azaleas,  red-berried 
nandina  domestica,  and  a  number  of  coniferous  trees.  A  line  of 
maki  trees  (Podocarpus  chinensis),  of  graceful  stature  and 
foliage,  marks  the  inner  side  of  the  inclosure,  which  is  entered 
through  a  small  latticed  gate.  Standing  within  are  a  number 
of  young  oaks  (kashi-no-ki)  and  flowering  trees.  Beneath  a 
group  of  these  is  a  small  bench-like  seat,  and  near  it  a  rough, 
semicircular  boulder,  from  which  rises  a  modest  gray  granite 
shaft  with  incised  Chinese  characters.  The  inscription  on  the 
face,  translated,  reads:  1  Grave  of  Koizumi  Yakumo.'  That 
on  the  right:  ' Shogaku  In-den  Joge  Hachi-un  Koji  '  (which, 
liberally  translated,  means,  'Man  of  superior  enlightenment 
who  dwells  like  an  undefiled  flower  in  the  mansion  of  the  eight 
rising  clouds  ')  —  the  latter  perhaps  in  poetic  reference  to  the 
upstanding  petals  of  the  lotus,  which  always  form  the  seat  of 
Buddha.  The  inscription  at  the  left  advises  that  he  'Died  the 
26th  day  of  the  9th  month  of  the  37th  Year  of  Meiji 9  (Sept. 
26,  1904).  The  grave  is  looked  after  by  Hearn' s  family,  which 
in  turn  has  long  been  the  object  of  the  fostering  care  of  a  gen- 
erous American  gentleman  (Hearn' 's  lifelong  friend),  Pay-Di- 
rector Mitchell  McDonald,  of  the  U.S.  Navy.  The  wood  strips 
which  rise  behind  the  shaft  are  called  sotoba  (a  Sanskrit  word 
meaning  'noble  '),  and  the  inscriptions  thereon  are  quotations 
from  the  Buddhist  sacred  books,  placed  here  (on  anniversa- 
ries and  other  special  occasions)  to  please  the  spirit  of  the 
departed.  Flowers  in  upright  bamboo  tubes  stand  near  the 
base  of  the  monument. 

f  Perhaps  no  foreigner  ever  wrote  so  beautifully,  so  interestingly,  so  search- 
ingly,  and  understandingly  about  Japan  as  Lafcadio  Hearn.  The  popu- 
larity of  his  best  books  —  which,  with  his  Life  and  Letters  (by  Elizabeth 
Bisland),  are  published  by  Houghton  Mifflin  Co.  of  Boston,  U.S.A.  —  in- 
creases in  proportion  as  they  become  better  known.  The  extraordinary  bril- 
liancy and  lucidity  of  his  style,  coupled  with  the  vast  amount  of  information 
which  he  gives  about  the  innermost  life  and  thoughts  of  the  Japanese,  place 
his  books  in  a  class  apart.  He  was  born  June  27,  1850,  on  the  island  of  Santa 
Maura  (of  the  Ionian  Islands)  and  was  called  Lafcadio  after  the  Greek  name 
Levkas,  or  Lefcada,  a  corruption  of  the  old  Leucadia.  Soon  after  his  arrival 
in  Japan  in  1890  he  began  work  as  a  teacher  of  English  in  the  Middle  School 
of  Matsue,  Izumo  Province.  In  Jan.,  1891,  he  was  married  there  to  Setsu 
Koizumi,  a  lady  of  high  samurai  rank,  by  whom  he  had  several  children. 
From  her  he  took  the  name  (by  which  he  was  afterward  known  to  the  Japan- 


Imperial  University.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  191 

ese)  of  Koizumi,  which  signifies  'Little  Spring.'  For  personal  title  he  chose 
the  classical  term  (for  Izumo  Province),  Yakumo,  or  'Eight  Clouds.' — From 
Matsue  he  went  to  Kumamoto  (in  search  of  a  warmer  clime) ,  and  3  yrs.  later 
(1895)  to  Kobe,  where  he  joined  the  staff  of  the  erudite  Japan  Chronicle.  Ill- 
health  and  failing  eyesight  sent  him,  in  1896,  to  Tokyo,  where,  through  the 
direct  instrumentality  of  his  friend  Prof.  Basil  Hall  Chamberlain,  he  became 
a  Professor  of  English  in  the  Imperial  University.  Later  he  accepted  the 
chair  of  English  in  the  Waseda  University.  After  his  death  (caused  by  a 
general  breakdown)  the  funeral  ceremony  was  performed  according  to 
Buddhist  rites  at  the  Jito-in  Temple,  in  Ichigaya.  His  remains  were  cre- 
mated. The  modest  house  (No.  266  Nishi  Okubo)  in  which  he  lived  and  died, 
and  in  which  his  family  still  lives,  is  about  |  M.  E.  of  the  Shinjuku  Sta- 
tion (PI.  D,  2) ,  in  a  fenced  inclosure  with  trees,  about  \  M.  at  the  right  of  the 
street  called  Naitoshinjuku-machi  (descend  a  few  min.  before  the  tram-car 
reaches  the  station) .  Hearn's  study  is  preserved  in  the  state  in  which  it  was 
on  the  day  he  died.  The  stranger,  desirous  of  completing  the  pilgrimage  by 
visiting  the  grave,  may  proceed  from  Shinjuku  Station  (Beit-Line  Rly.)  to 
Ikebukuro  Station  (10  min.,  5  sen),  thence  \  M.  (jinriki,  10  sen)  to  the  ceme- 
tery (at  the  E.).  If  the  grave  is  visited  first  the  trip  can  be  made  in  inverse 

The  V* Imperial  University  {Teikoku  Daigaku)  of  Tokyo 
occupies^ group  of  semi-classical  buildings  a  short  way  S.W. 
of  Uyeno  Park,  in  Hongo-ku  (PI.  H,  4)  in  the  extensive  grounds 
of  the  one-time  metropolitan  residence  (of  which  the  old  gate 
is  the  only  remaining  relic)  of  the  daimyd  of  Kaga  Province. 
Tram-cars  run  to  within  a  short  distance  of  the  main  gate, 
which  is  always  open  to  those  interested.  Almost  every  one 
about  the  place  speaks  English,  and  not  a  few  speak  German, 
since  Teutonic  minds  have  left  a  strong  impress  upon  the 
institution.  This  dates  from  March  1,1 ,886^ when  an  Imperial 
Ordinance  fused  the  Tokyo  Daigaku7*university')  and  the 
Kobu  Daigaku  (both  independent  organizations) .  The  present 
name  was  given  it  in  1897  to  distinguish  it  from  the  sister 
institution  at  Kyoto.  The  Agricultural  College  (with  a  library 
of  60,000  miscellaneous  books,  in  the  Komaga  suburb,  6  M. 
distant)  represents  the  fusion  of  the  Komaga  Agricultural 
College  and  the  Tokyo  Dendrological  College.  The  present 
College  of  Science  dates  from  1888.  The  new  Library  buildings 
were  erected  in  1892.  The  former  fine  Institute  of  Civil  Engin- 
eering was  burned  in  1904,  but  was  rebuilt  (in  1907),  along 
with  the  Institutes  of  Naval  Architecture  and  Technology  of 
Arms.  The  university  is  the  center  from  which  Western 
learning  is  disseminated  throughout  Japan,  Korea,  and  China. 
As  a  sort  of  Japanese  Oxford,  it  stands  at  the  head  of  all 
the  universities  of  the  Empire.  The  gov't  appropriation  is 
¥1,300,000  a  year,  and  there  are  private  endowments.  There 
are  182  established  chairs,  and  a  faculty  of  365  (directors, 
professors,  and  lecturers).  The  admission  fee  for  students  is 
¥5,  and  the  tuition  fee  for  the  3  annual  terms,  ¥35  inclusive. 

The  well-equipped  museum  for  Civil  Engineering  con- 
tains 136  models  of  railroads,  bridges,  canals,  port-works, 
waterworks,  etc.;  that  of  Mechanical  Engineering,  1800 
models;  Naval  Architecture,  1230  models;  Technology 
of  Arms,   150  models;   Electrical  Engineering,  1800 


192   Route  10.  TOKYO  Geological  Museum. 


models;  Architecture,  8600  models,  plates,  and  drawings; 
Applied  Chemistry,  8600;  and  Mining  and  Metallurgy, 
12,500  specimens,  etc.  The  Section  of  History  embraces 
Japanese,  Chinese,  and  Occidental  History.  That  of  Litera- 
ture, Japanese,  Chinese,  Sanskrit,  English,  German,  French, 
and  Philology.  In  the  Zoological  Museum  of  the  Natural 
Science  Department,  there  is  a  rich  and  varied  collection 
(about  6000  species)  of  invertebrates,  including  about  2500 
specimens  of  Japanese  birds  distributed  among  400  species 
(the  best  collection  extant  of  the  avifauna  of  the  islands). 
Nearly  all  the  common  species  of  reptiles,  amphibians,  and 
fishes  are  represented,  including  many  from  Formosa  and 
Korea.  The  collecton  of  Crustacea  embraces  some  highly 
interesting  specimens  of  the  bizarre  products  of  the  Japanese 
coast,  while  the  molluscs  are  also  well  represented.  The  valu- 
able collection  of  shells  was  a  gift  from  the  Boston  Society  of 
Natural  History.  That  of  insects  contains  many  bizarre  speci- 
mens from  the  Loochoo  Islands,  and  from  certain  volcanic 
regions  of  Japan.  A  noteworthy  feature  of  the  Museum  is  a 
collection  of  beautiful  and  remarkable  glass-sponges  discovered 
recently  in  the  Sagami  Sea.    (See  p.  35.) 

The  Geological  Museum  of  the  College  of  Science  (with 
about  10,900  specimens)  is  on  the  ground  floor  of  the  Natural 
Science  Department  building,  and  comprises  five  sections: 

  STRATIGRAPHICAL,     PALiEONTOLOGICAL,  MlNERALOGICAL, 

Petrographical,  and  a  Section  devoted  to  indigenous  speci- 
mens of  minerals,  rocks,  and  fossils.  Among  these  are  to  be 
found  splendid  specimens  of  Stibnite  crystals  from  Shikoku; 
Anorthite  crystals  ejected  from  a  volcano  in  Miyakojima; 
Cordierite  in  contact  rocks  from  various  localities;  Danburite 
crystals  from  Obira;  fine  Topazes  from  Mino;  large  pseudo- 
morphic  crystals  of  Ferberite  from  Kai;  Columbite  crystals 
from  Hitachi,  and  other  interesting  and  beautiful  things. 
Noteworthy  in  the  palaeontological  section  are  the  Ammon- 
ites from  Rikuzen,  and  the  Hokkaido;  the  Mesozoic  plants 
from  Nagato,  Tosa,  and  Kaga;  Tertiary  shells  from  Oji  and 
the  Hokkaido;  impressions  of  plants  of  the  same  age  from  Mogi, 
Shiobara,  and  elsewhere;  and  the  mammalian  remains  of  the 
Stegodons,  and  a  bison  from  Shodoshima.  Many  rare  plants 
are  included  in  the  specimens  kept  in  the  Herbarium  of  the 
Botanical  Institute.  In  the  Anthropological  Museum  are 
interesting  ethnographical  collections  from  the  little  known 
and  rarely  visited  island  of  Saghalien,  and  from  the  Hok- 
kaido; others  from  the  almost  equally  unfamiliar  Loochoo 
Islands,  and  from  Korea,  China,  Formosa,  Micronesia,  Mela- 
nesia, Polynesia,  and  America.  The  archaeological  collections 
from  Europe  and  America  differ  but  little  from  those  to  be 
seen  in  American  and  Continental  museums,  but  the  relics  of 
prehistoric  and  proto-historic  Japan  are  unique. 


University  Library.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  193 


The  Astronomical  Observatory  (in  Azabu-ku,  in  a  2-acre 
park  formerly  occupied  by  the  Naval  Observatory)  attached 
to  the  College  of  Science  is  the  best  equipped  in  the  Far  East. 
From  it  the  mean  standard  time  is  distributed  daily  to  all  the 
telegraph  stations  of  the  Empire,  and  for  the  noon  signal-sta- 
tions at  Tokyo,  Yokohama,  Kobe,  and  Moji. 

The  Botanical  Garden  of  the  University,  in  Hakusan- 
Gotenmachi,  Koishikawa-ku  (PL  H,  2),  about  1  M.  to  the 
N.W.,  has  an  area  of  40  acres  and  is  under  control  of  the  Col- 
lege of  Science.  There  are  3000  or  more  native  and  foreign 
plants  arranged  according  to  Engler  and  PrantVs  system  of 
classification.  Besides  the  various  plant-houses  in  Japanese 
style,  such  as  the  Okamuro,  Osakamuro,  and  Anamuro,  there 
is  a  greenhouse,  built  in  European  style,  with  many  interesting 
tropical  plants.  A  beautiful  pleasure-ground  is  a  feature  of  the 
inclosure,  which  is  open  to  the  public  (admission,  5  sen) .  Certain 
travelers  may  be  interested  in  the  seed-catalogue,  published 
yearly  and  sent  to  foreign  botanic  gardens  and  universities, 
and  to  botanists  in  different  parts  of  the  world  —  with  a  view 
to  the  selection  and  exchange  of  seeds.  The  Alpine  Botanic 
Garden  at  Nikko  is  a  branch  devoted  to  the  cultivation  and 
study  of  the  rich  flora  for  which  the  Nikko  Mts.  are  cele- 
brated. 

Besides  an  Experimental  Farm,  the  College  of  Agricul- 
ture possesses  5  forests  (intended  for  practical  instruction  in 
sylviculture),  two  in  Tokyo-fu,  one  in  Chiba  Prefecture,  one 
in  the  Hokkaido  (of  57,000  acres),  and  one  (of  144,000  acres)  in 
Formosa. 

The  *  University  Library,  with  nearly  i  million  volumes, 
is  a  veritable  mine  of  wealth  for  the  scholar  and  investigator. 
Upward  of  250,000  of  the  books  are  in  the  Chinese  and  Japan- 
ese languages;  190,000  are  of  European  or  American  proven- 
ience, and  the  remainder  from  various  sources.  The  most 
important  of  the  special  collections  are  the  Max  Mutter  library 
of  about  10,000  vols.;  Prof.  EngeVs  collection  for  the  study  of 
statistics,  5200  vols.;  Prof.  Denberg's  Law  Library,  6400  vols.; 
Geography  of  Japanese  counties  and  towns,  6400  vols. ;  Docu- 
ments relating  to  Buddhist  and  Shinto  Temples  under  the 
Tokugawa  Gov't,  1100  vols.;  Documents  of  the  Supreme  Court 
under  the  same,  9100  vols.;  Documents  relating  to  Korea  dur- 
ing the  same  era,  1100  vols.  The  most  precious  among  the  rare 
and  valuable  books  are:  The  Great  Chinese  Encyclopaedia 
(Kintei-Toshio-shusei),  about  10,000  vols.;  the  Tibetan  Tripi- 
taka,  350  vols. ;  the  Mongolian  Tripitaka,  106  vols. ;  the  Rokuon 
and  Onryu  Diaries,  about  220  vols.  The  numerous  books  re- 
lating to  early  Jesuit  Missions  in  Japan,  besides  being  priceless, 
are  highly  interesting  records  of  a  sorry  page  in  the  history  of 
both  the  country  and  the  misguided  bigots  who  invaded  it.  — 
Athletes  are  usually  interested  in  the  schools  for  Judo  (see 


194    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Marine  Biolog.  Sta. 


p.  clxiv),  Baseball  and  Football,  Archery,  and  Fencing.  The 
University  Boathouse  is  on  the  Sumida  River  (PI.  I,  6).  There 
is  a  well-equipped  Swimming-Station  at  the  Mihama  Penin- 
sula, in  Izu  Province. 

The  Marine  Biological  Station  at  Misaki,  in  the  province 
of  Sagami,  dates  from  1887,  and  for  ten  years  served  as  the 
center  of  researches  in  marine  zoology  in  Japan.  Besides  a 
small  library  there  is  an  interesting  aquarium.  Situated  at  the 
extremity  of  the  peninsula  that  juts  out  between  the  Bay  of 
Sagami  and  the  Gulf  of  Tokyo,  the  station  has  access  to  locali- 
ties long  famous  as  the  home  of  some  remarkable  animal  forms. 
Along  the  coast,  all  sorts  of  bottoms  are  found,  yielding  a  rich 
variety  of  marine  life.  The  100  fathom  line  is  within  2  or  3  M. 
of  the  shore,  and  depths  of  500  fathoms  are  not  difficult  of  ac- 
cess. The  existence  of  a  remarkable  deep-sea  fauna  in  these 
profounder  parts  has  been  ascertained  within  the  last  few 
years,  and  zoological  treasures  are  now  being  constantly 
brought  up.  The  warm  Kuro-shiwo  (p.  cxlv)  sweeps  by,  not 
many  miles  out,  and  a  branch  of  it  often  comes  very  near  the 
station,  bringing  exceedingly  rich  and  interesting  plankton. 
The  mention  of  such  names  as  Euplectella,  Hyalonema,  Pleu- 
rotomaria,  Metacrinus,  Macrocheirous,  and  the  Chamlydose- 
lachus  Mitsukurina,  Rhinochemaera,  etc.,  will  recall  to  the 
naturalist  some  of  the  characteristic  forms  of  this  region.  The 
station  is  primarily  intended  for  the  use  of  students  and  in- 
structors of  the  University,  but  its  facilities  are  extended  to 
other  persons  who  are  qualified  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
opportunities  of  research  here  afforded.  Every  summer  a  course 
of  elementary  zoology  with  laboratory  work  is  given  for  the 
benefit  of  teachers  of  intermediate  schools. 

A  unique  and  sustainedly  interesting  adjunct  to  the  Uni- 
versity, and  one  which  most  travelers  (who  are  welcomed  —  no 
fees)  will  wish  to  inspect  (English  spoken),  is  the  *Seismolog- 
ical  Observatory  (Jishin-gaku  Kyoshitsu)  and  its  contents,  — 
at  present  under  the  supervision  of  Dr.  F.  Omori,  one  of  the 
greatest  living  authorities  on  earthquake  phenomena. 
4  The  study  of  this  strange  science  was  begun  in  Japan  in  a  systematic  man- 
ner soon  after  the  Restoration;  the  eminentPro/.  Milne  (died,  1913)  gave  the 
impetus  to  it,  and  although  earthquake  observation  began  to  be  conducted 
in  a  scientific  way  in  Tokyo  in  the  8th  year  of  Meiji  (1875),  the  existing  Seis- 
mological  Society  was  not  founded  until  1880.  The  many  volumes  of  Trans- 
actions and  the  various  copies  of  the  Seismological  Journal  of  Japan,  since 
issued  by  this  body,  contain  some  highly  valuable  contributions  to  the 
advancement  of  seismology.  In  addition  to  the  central  station  at  Tokyo, 
there  are  many  auxiliary  stations  scattered  throughout  the  Empire,  some  of 
them  well-equipped  with  valuable  recording  instruments.  In  connection 
with  them  is  the  Earthquake  Investigating  Committee  (Shinsai  Yobo 
Chosakwai),  established  by  an  Imperial  Ordinance  in  June,  1892;  and  the 
Vulcanological  Survey,  whose  object  is  to  study  the  new  and  old  volcanoes  of 
Japan  as  regards  their  internal  structure,  their  rocks,  foundations,  modes  of 
distribution,  etc.  Geotectonic  maps  are  issued,  and  underground  conditions 
are  being  constantly  observed.  The  earthquake-proof  brick  building  in  the 
University  grounds  rests  on  a  solid  concrete  foundation  and  covers  an  area 


Seismological  Observ.         TOKYO  10.  Route.  195 


of  nearly  83  sq.  meters.  The  walls,  of  parabolic  section  with  the  vertex  down- 
wards, are  5.5  m.  high,  2.4  m.  thick  at  the  ground  level,  and  0.7  m.  at  the 
top.  A  tiled  roof  with  skylights  rests  loosely  on  the  walls,  in  which  there  is 
but  one  entrance.  Many  interesting  experiments  are  carried  out  by  the 
Society.  The  movements  of  walls,  effects  on  houses  of  different  construction, 
fracturing  experiments,  vibrations  of  bridge-piers,  deflection  and  vibration 
of  railway  bridges  during  earthquakes,  and  many  kindred  phenomena  are 
studied,  and  the  important  results  are  not  only  printed  in  Japanese  and 
foreign  languages,  but  the  professors  also  lecture  to  students  of  geology  and 
physics  in  the  College  of  Science,  and  to  those  of  architecture  and  civil 
engineering  in  the  College  of  Engineering. 

The  amazingly  delicate  and  unique  registering  instruments  (most  of  which 
were  invented  and  made  in  Japan)  housed  in  the  Observatory  are  novel  and 
of  unfailing  interest.  Certain  of  the  seismometers  (jishinki)  are  so  unthink- 
ably  fine  and  so  admirably  adjusted  that  they  register  every  earth  pulsation 
from  the  most  violent  and  destructive  earthquakes  (jishin)  to  the  tiniest 
tremor.  To  prevent  their  recording  every  passing  vibration,  some  are  placed 
on  massive  concrete  foundations  which  are  isolated  from  the  radiating  wood 
floors  and  the  walls  by  air  spaces.  So  adjusted,  they  resemble  dainty  jewel- 
weighing  balances  poised  on  bulky  stone  monuments.  The  mere  pressure  of 
the  thumb  against  this  concrete  pedestal,  or  the  iron  frame  of  the  machine, 
throws  the  nervous  little  needles  into  a  state  of  ludicrous  agitation.  The  seis- 
mograms  which  they  register  from  all  parts  of  the  world  are  recorded  by  deli- 
cate points  moving  across  a  band  of  smoked  glazed  paper  wound  round  a 
drum.  This  cylinder  is  turned  by  clock-work  at  any  required  rate  according 
to  the  particular  kind  of  earth  motion  it  is  desired  to  observe.  The  rotation 
of  the  drum  is  marked  by  a  time  ticker,  which  is  in  circuit  with  a  chrono- 
meter. There  are  many  of  these  ingenious  machines,  all  of  which  record  me- 
chanically, day  and  night.  On  the  surrounding  walls  are  scores  of  enlarged 
photographs  portraying  scenes  in  districts  visited  by  earthquakes.  Those 
of  Messina-Reggio  show  the  imperfect  construction  of  the  houses,  which 
collapsed  in  a  rain  of  rubble  at  the  first  tremble,  and  are  meant  to  be  com- 
pared with  the  Japanese  wood  houses,  which  always  sway  and  twist  before 
falling,  thus  giving  the  inmates  a  chance  to  escape.  In  the  terms  used  in  the 
Observatory,  a  '  slight '  earthquake  shock  is  one  which  is  almost  too  feeble 
to  be  felt;  a  '  weak  '  shock  is  one  whose  motion  is  well  pronounced  but  not  so 
severe  as  to  cause  general  alarm ;  and  a  '  strong  '  shock  is  one  which  is  suffi- 
ciently sharp  to  produce  small  cracks  in  walls,  to  throw  down  articles  from 
shelves,  and  the  like;  these  terms  are  generally  employed  in  reports  of  earth- 
quakes. 

Earthquakes  have  long  been  the  natural  phenomena  most  destructive  to 
life  and  property  in  Japan.  In  the  authentic  history  of  the  islands  they  are 
first  mentioned  during  the  reign  of  the  (19th)  Emperor  Ingyd,  in  a.d.  416. 
Since  that  remote  time,  of  the  myriad  quakes,  2000  have  been  unusually 
strong,  223  destructive,  and  10  accompanied  by  an  appalling  loss  of  life. 
Of  these  47  had  their  origin  in  the  bed  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  17  in  the  Japan 
Sea,  2  in  the  Inland  Sea;  114  were  insular,  and  43  obscure.  Seven  of  those 
from  the  Pacific  originated  off  the  S.E.  coast  and  were  accompanied  by  tidal 
waves  (tsunami)  which  caused  greater  damage  than  the  quakes  themselves. 
The  worst  of  the  10  great  quakes  occurred  Oct.  28,  1707,  and  the  area  dam- 
aged included  the  E.  part  of  Kyushu,  the  Island  of  Shikoku  and  the  S.  part 
of  the  Main  Island,  between  the  provinces  of  Harima  on  the  W.,  and  Kai 
and  Suruga  on  the  E.  Earthquakes  were  carefully  registered  in  Kyoto 
(which  was  the  capital  of  the  Empire  for  1070  yrs.  between  797  and  1867) 
for  over  a  thousand  yrs.,  and  during  that  time  it  was  shaken  violently  228 
times. 

They  occur  with  greater  frequency  along  the  E.  coast  of  the  islands  than 
on  the  W.  coast,  and  their  distribution  seems  to  have  a  close  connection  with 
the  curvilinear  form  of  the  country.  According  to  Dr.  Omori,  '  the  group  of 
the  Japanese  islands  forms  an  arc,  with  its  concavity  toward  the  Japan  Sea, 
and  the  general  geographical  distribution  of  destructive  earthquakes  in 
Japan  may  be  summarized  as  follows:  the  provinces  on  the  concave  or 
Japan-Sea  side  of  the  arc  were  disturbed  almost  exclusively  by  local  shocks; 
while  those  on  the  convex  or  Pacific  side  were  often  disturbed  by  great  non- 
local ones,  whose  origins  were  situated  in  the  ocean.  The  three  great  pro- 


196    Route  10. 


TOKYO        Seismological  Observ. 


vinces  of  Rikuzen,  Rikuchu,  and  Nemuro  were  often  disturbed  by  great 
earthquakes  of  sub-oceanic  origin.'  A  formidable  quake  is  almost  invariably 
followed  by  weaker  ones,  and  when  it  is  violent  and  destructive,  the  number 
&i  minor  shocks  following  it  may  amount  to  thousands,  and*  continue  for 

^several  yrs.  Between  1885  and  1903  there  was  a  yearly  average  of  1447 
\  shocks  (there  were  2729  in  1894),  or  a  daily  average  of  nearly  4;  (in  all 
sj*27,485).  Upward  of  1400  are  now  recorded  yearly,  with  an  average  of  two 
irritating  snakes.  Since  1872  there  have  been  15  very  serious  earthquakes, 
with  considerable  damage  to  life  and  property.  Fifty  or  more  (about  one  a 
week)  are  felt  in  Tokyo  each  year.  That  of  June  20,  1894,  was  the  most  vio- 
lent that  has  shaken  the  capital  since  the  great  catastrophe  of  1855.  (Comp. 
p.  127.)  Many  buildings  were  damaged,  and  there  was  some  loss  of  life. 

Pronounced  magnetic  disturbances  usually  precede  or  accompany  earth- 
quakes in  Japan,  and  the  most  violent  ones  are  those  which  follow  a  year  or 
so  of  comparative  tranquillity  In  many  cases  a  rumbling  sound  like  that  of 
distant  thunder,  or  a  rushing  sound  like  a  blast  of  wind  is  heard  just  before, 
or  simultaneously  with,  the  arrival  of  the  earth  ripples  or  tremblings,  when 
the  origin  of  the  disturbance  is  near  the  observer.  These  sound-phenomena 
are  of  more  frequent  occurrence  in  rocky  districts,  than  on  the  plains.  The 
mean  interval  between  two  disquieting  earthquakes,  for  the  whole  of  Japan, 
is  about  2?  yrs.  Although  shocks  come  singly  they  have  a  tendency  to  occur 
in  groups.  More  take  place  in  summer  than  in  winter.  The  annual  variation 
of  the  frequency  of  destructive  quakes  is  the  reverse  of  that  of  the  ordinary 
small  shocks.  Thus,  the  constant  occurrence  of  minor  tremblings  is  regarded 
as  maintaining  the  region  concerned  in  a  comparatively  safe  condition,  by 
preventing  the  abnormal  accumulation  of  stress  in  the  earth's  crust.  An  un- 
usually low  seismic  frequency  is  regarded  as  dangerous,  and  the  precursor 
of  destructive  disturbances. 

f'  One  of  the  most  appalling  earthquakes  of  recent  times  occurred  at  6.37 

f  a.m.  on  Oct.  28,  1891,  at  Gifu,  in  the  province  of  Mino;  it  was  felt  throughout 
the  whole  of  Central  and  Southern  Japan.  Over  7000  people  were  killed, 
17,000  were  injured,  and  nearly  20,000  buildings  were  destroyed,  besides 

I  bridges,  arches,  and  miles  of  railway,  embankments,  etc.  There  were  163 
after-shocks  which  extended  over  a  period  of  two  yrs.  (Comp.  Gifu.)  Since 
.  :  this  great  shake,  which  is  referred  to  as  the  Mino-Owari  Earthquake,  there 
*|  has  been  a  noticeable  increase  in  the  visitations.  Following  it  was  the  rela- 
tively destructive  shock  of  Noto,  on  Dec.  9,  1892;  Kagoshima,  Sept.  7,  1893; 
Eastern  Yezo,  March  22,  1894;  Tokyo  and  vicinity,  June  20,  1894;  Shonai, 
Oct.  22,  1894;  Ugo  and  Rikuchu,  Aug.  31,  1896;  Nagano,  Jan.  17,  1897; 
Sendai  and  Rikuzen,  Feb.  20,  1897;  and  in  addition  several  volcanic  erup- 
tions, landslips,  subterranean  noises,  etc.  On  June  15,  1896,  a  terrific  disturb- 
ance at  the  bottom  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  communicated  itself  to  the  superin- 
cumbent water,  and  this,  in  the  form  of  a  tidal. wave,  rushed  in  on  the  N.E. 
coast  of  the  Main  Island  and  devastated  it  for  a  length  of  250  M.,  kill- 
ing perhaps  30,000  people,  and  ruining  their  homes.  Many  of  the  recent 
earthquakes  in  Japan,  extending  over  a  large  area,  are  thought  to  be  due  to 
tectonic,  or  mountain-forming  agencies.  The  quakes  accompanying  volcanic 
eruptions  are  usually  confined  to  a  comparatively  small  area,  and  their  effect 
is  more  noticeable  in  the  interior  villages  than  the  seacoast  cities.  Only  in 
very  exceptional  cases  do  the  earth-tremors  interfere  with  the  daily  life  of  the 
people.  Here  and  there  a  chimney  or  an  insecure  wall  tumbles  to  the  ground, 
and  it  is  only  in  cases  of  disastrous  quakes,  like  that  of  Gifu,  that  one  hears 
of  much  loss  of  life.  Earthquakes  in  Tokyo  are  apt  to  be  considerably  less 
destructive  to  life  and  property  than  the  fires  which  sometimes  follow  them. 
While  the  Japanese  are  willing  to  forego  the  jarring  sensation  of  a  stiff  jishin, 
the  average  traveler  finds  the  experience  somewhat  novel.  The  newer  style 
of  solid  architecture  coming  rapidly  into  vogue  tends  materially  to  diminish 
the  destructiveness  of  the  quakes,  —  from  which  travelers  have  little  to  fear. 
Valuable  vases  and  similar  objects  in  museums  and  curio-establishments 
are  usually  loaded  with  shot  or  some  heavy  substance  to  prevent  their  tum- 
bling from  their  places  during  a  lively  shake. 

No  destructive  earthquake  has  occurred  in  the  7  provinces  of  Iki,  Oki, 
Tajima,  Shiribeshi,  Kitami,  Hitaka,  and  Tokachi;  only  one  each  in  Chi- 
kugo,  Buzen,  Suwo,  Hoki,  Mimasaka,  Ishikari,  and  Teshio;  11  only  in  each 
of  the  14  provinces  of  Yamashiro,  Yamato,  Kawachi,  Settsu,  Kii,  Ise,  Shin- 


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TOKYO  10.  Route.  197 


ano,  Mikawa,  Totomi,  Suruga,  Sagami,  Musashi,  Shimotsuke,  a.nd  Iwashiro; 
between  6  and  10  in  each  of  the  13  provinces  of  Iyo,  Izumi,  Iga,  Omi,  Echizen, 
Mino,  Owari,  Kai,  Izu,  Shimosa,  Hitachi,  Echigo  and  Rikuzen;  and  between 
2  and  5  in  each  of  the  remaining  42  provinces. 

A  short  walk  W.  of  the  University  brings  one  to  Prof.  Kano's 
Jujutsu  School  (p.  clxiv  and  PI.  H,  3-4).  The  district  to  the  W. 
contains  a  number  of  schools  and  colleges.  The  Waseda  Uni- 
versity (in  Oshigome-ku,  PL  F,  2)  was  founded  in  1902  (by 
Count  Okuma)  on  the  site  of  the  Toky5  Academy  established 
by  him  in  1882.  It  is  an  important  and  fully  equipped  private 
institution,  with  a  fine  library  (152,000  vols.),  178  instructors, 
5400  students,  and  an  internationally  celebrated  baseball  team. 

Dangozaka  (PL  1, 3),  a  sometime  popular  resort  (now  falling 
into  a  decline)  a  short  way  N.  of  the  Imperial  University,  is 
known  for  its  annual  Chrysanthemum  Show  (held  in  autumn), 
where  growing  and  cut  flowers  are  fashioned  into  samurai, 
dancers,  mythological  character,  animals,  junks,  etc.,  or  made 
to  represent  historical  scenes.  A  small  entrance  fee  is  exacted 
at  some  of  the  places.  Curio-shops  and  story-tellers  enliven 
the  pretty  neighborhood  —  to  reach  which,  take  the  tram-car 
to  the  corner  of  Makicho  and  Hakusan,  and  walk  10  min.  to 
the  right.  Or  descend  from  the  Beit-Line  Rly.  at  Nippori 
Station,  climb  the  hill,  and  continue  along  the  pretty  lane  (20 
min.)  called  Yanaka  Sansakimachi. 

*  Uyeno  (or  Ueno)  Park  (PL  I,  4),  the  largest  and  hand- 
somest of  the  Metropolitan  Parks,  at  the  N.  edge  of  the  capi- 
tal, in  Shitaya  Ward,  celebrated  for  the  Imperial  Museum 
(comp.  the  accompanying  Park  Plan),  the  Zoological  Gardens, 
the  beautiful  Mausolea  of  the  shoguns,  the  Time  Bell,  Bronze 
Daibutsu,  and  many  minor  attractions,  is  one  of  the  brightest, 
cleanest,  and  highest  points  in  the  city,  and  from  its  eminences  ^ 
comprehensive  views  of  the  environing  region  are  obtainable. 
A  wealth  of  fine  old  trees  flank  the  shaded  avenues,  many  of 
which  lead  to  dainty 'shrines  and  sequestered  retreats.  Vast 
throngs  congregate  here  k^&EriJ  to  view  the  splendid  cherry 
blossoms  which  overshadow^ne*public  drive;  in  Aug.  to  enjoy 
•the  wealth  of  lotus  blooms  on  Shinobazu  Pond;  and  at  all 
times  of  the  year  to  partake  of  the  joyousness  which  pervades 
the  place.  The  site  belonged  originally  to  the  daimyo  family  of 
Todo  (of  Iga  Province),  and  the  name  Uyeno  is  derived  from 
the  circumstance  that  its  general  situation  is  said  to  resemble 
the  town  of  the  same  name  in  the  above  province.  In  the  early 
days  the  place  was  considered  unlucky  and  the  common 
people  called  it  Ki-mon,  or  Devil's  Gate.  As  a  sort  of  antidote, 
the  shogun,  Iemitsu,  caused  to  be  erected  here  (in  1625)  a  group 
of  great  temples,  the  chief  one  of  which  he  called  Kwan-ei-ji 
(from  the  name  of  the  era  during  which  it  was  built) .  To  the 
whole  he  gave  the  name  To-ei-zan  ('Hiei-zan  of  the  East')  to 
distinguish  them  from  the  Hiei-zan  fanes  near  Kyoto.  The 


198   Route  10.  TOKYO  Uyeno  ParkJ 

glitter  and  magnificence  of  the  temples  were  planned  to  help 
ward  off  the  evil  spirits.  The  original  structure  occupied  the 
site  of  the  present  museum,  but  it  was  burned  in  1868  on  the 
occasion  of  a  fierce  conflict  between  the  partisans  of  the  shogun 
and  the  imperialists;  along  with  it  went  the  colossal  gateway 
which  stood  at  the  S.  entrance  to  the  inclosure.  The  grounds 
(which  were  acquired  in  1873  by  the  Imperial  Household)  were 
laid  out  by  the  famous  priest  Tenkai,  or  Jigen-Daishi,  the 
superior  (in  1625)  of  both  the  Uyeno  and  Nikko  temples,  and 
whose  influence  over  Tokugawa  Ieyasu  was  so  marked  that  he 
became  known  as  the  '  Minister  of  the  Black  Gown.' 

At  the  S.  entrance  to  the  park,  where  the  tram-cars  from 
Ginza  turn  to  the  right,  pass  the  Uyeno  Rly.  Station  and  pro- 
ceed along  the  broad  Kurumazakamachi  to  Asakusa,  there  are 
43  stone  steps  which  lead  to  the  upper  level ;  strangers  should 
read  the  regulations  (in  English)  on  the  sign-board  at  the 
right.  Those  who  plan  to  visit  the  museum  and  other  buildings 
and  to  spend  the  day  in  the  park  may  wish  to  remember  that 
meals  in  foreign  style  are  served  at  the  Uyeno  branch  (English 
spoken)  of  the  Tsukiji  Seiyoken  Hotel  (p.  110),  near  the  bronze 
Buddha  (reached  by  following  the  broad  avenue  which  leads 
up  at  the  left  of  the  steps).  The  bronze  statue  at  the  right,  of  a 
bulky,  material-looking  man  leading  a  small  dog,  stands  to  the 
memory  of  Saigo  Takamori  (1827-77)  a  prominent  figure  in 
the  war  for  the  Restoration. 

Takamori  occupied  a  high  position  in  the  army  of  his  daimyo,  and  in  1874 
he  was  made  marshal.  Later,  when  the  question  of  an  intervention  in  Korean 
affairs  was  mentioned,  it  was  found  that  Takamori1  s  views  were  opposed  to 
those  of  the  Gov't.  Retiring  to  Kagoshima  ^  (Rte.  41),  he  established  a 
school  to  which  many  of  the  youth  of  Osumi  and  Satsuma  flocked.  The 
restored  Gov't  foresaw  the  rise  of  his  power  and  made  strenuous  but  vain 
efforts  to  bring  him  back  to  Tokyo.  The  insurrectionary  movement  (known 
as  the  Satsuma  Rebellion)  finally  broke  out  in  1877,  and  on  Feb.  15,  Taka- 
mori, at  the  head  of  15,000  men,  took  possession  of  Kagoshima.  Marching 
N.  he  met  the  Kumamoto  army,  defeated  it,  and  laid  siege  to  that  city  — 
which  was  defended  with  great  vigor  by  Colonel  Tani.  Thereupon  the  Gov't 
declared  Takamori  to  have  forfeited  his  princely  rank  and  titles,  and  it  sent 
Arisugawa  Taruhito  with  a  considerable  body  of  men  against  him.  The 
rebels  had  to  withdraw  before  superior  numbers,  but  making  a  supreme 
effort,  Takamori  succeeded  in  entering  Kagoshima.  There,  surrounded  on 
all  sides,  the  insurgents  prepared  to  sell  their  lives  dearly.  The  last  battle 
took  place  on  Shiroyama,  Sept.  24.  Saigo  was  wounded  by  a  ball,  and  one 
of  his  faithful  retainers,  Beppu  Shinsuke,  put  an  end  to  his  life.  The  statue 
was  erected  to  his  honor  in  1899.  He  was  fond  of  hunting,  and  the  dog  at  his 
right  was  his  favorite  and  constant  companion. 

The  line  of  houses  near  the  edge  of  the  bluff  at  the  right  are 
popular  native  restaurants  and  tea-houses.  Behind  the  small 
house  near  the  monument  is  an  elevated  tomb  called  Shogitai, 
above  the  remains  of  the  soldiers  who  died  defending  the  sho- 
gun's  castle  at  the  time  of  the  Restoration.  Hard  by  (left)  is 
the  Kiyomizu  Temple  (a  copy  of  the  famous  one  at  Kyoto, 
described  in  Rte.  27).  At  the  rear,  surrounded  by  a  low  bamboo 
fence,  is  a  much  revered  cherry  tree  called  the  Shinshiki- 


Time  Bell. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  199 


Sakura,  and  near  it,  a  well,  both  known  to  the  people  for  a 
verse  (written  by  Shinshiki,  a  celebrated  poetess)  to  the  effect 
that  'It  is  dangerous  to  have  a  well  near  a  beautiful  cherry 
tree,  for  while  looking  at  one,  a  person  may  fall  into  the  other! ' 
The  temple  is  a  cherished  relic  of  feudal  days  —  one  of  the  lone 
survivors  of  the  group  erected  by  Iemitsu;  the  view  from  the 
front  platform  is  attractive.  The  large  picture  at  the  right  of 
the  entrance  (a  portrait  of  a  well-known  teacher  of  the  sword- 
dance)  was  given  to  the  temple  (by  his  pupils)  to  celebrate  the 
20th  anniversary  of  the  Japanese  Constitution.  Above  the 
entrance  within,  hanging  in  a  bad  light,  is  a  spirited  picture  of 
the  battle  referred  to  above.  The  chief  divinity  at  the  shrine  is 
the  Thousand-handed  Kwannon,  said  to  be  more  than  a  thous- 
and yrs.  old.  The  scores  of  dolls  in  the  individual  glass-fronted 
boxes  at  the  left  were  presented  by  the  mothers  of  children 
whose  ailments  were  cured  by  the  intervention  of  the  benevo- 
lent goddess.  The  fine  grove  of  cherry  trees  near  the  temple 
presents  a  beautiful  sight  in  April,  and  gives  the  name  Sakura- 
ga-oka  (cherry  plateau)  to  the  section.  The  hill  beyond  the 
intersecting  roadway  is  called  Suribachi-yama  because  of  the 
similarity  in  shape  to  a  suribachi  —  an  earthenware  vessel  in 
which  bean-soup  is  prepared. 

By  bearing  round  to  the  right  of  this  the  traveler  comes  to 
the  Fine  Art  Building,  where  at  certain  seasons  (usually  spring 
and  fall)  art-exhibits  of  various  kinds  (admission,  10  sen)  are 
displayed  (and  sold).  From  the  open  space  beyond  a  superb 
view  may  be  had  of  that  section  of  the  city  lying  to  the  E.  of 
the  Sumidagawa.  The  temple  in  the  walled-in  garden  at  the 
left  calls  for  no  special  mention. 

By  turning  to  the  left  beyond  the  iron  bridge  we  come  to  the 
Ryd-Daishi  Temple  (Buddhist),  dedicated  to  Jigen-Daishi  and 
to  the  celebrated  bonze  (of  the  Tendai  sect;  b.  912;  d.  985)  Jie- 
Daishi,  a  great  court  favorite  and  sometime  head  of  the  Hiei- 
zan  temples.  His  portrait  is  ascribed  to  Kand  Tanyu.  The 
swinging  gongs  which  mark  the  entrance  to  the  fane;  the  strik- 
ingly handsome  roof;  the  superb  laver,  and  the  several  bronze 
lanterns  in  the  yard  are  worth  noting.  The  double  doors  (with 
the  Imperial  chrysanthemum  crest)  at  the  side  of  the  yard 
give  access  to  the  tomb  of  a  prince  (a  one-time  abbot  of  the 
Uyeno  temples)  who  for  some  time  was  retained  here  as  a 
political  hostage.  The  large  building  at  the  right  of  the  front 
gate  is  a  storeroom.  The  two  housed  images  enveloped  in 
baby's  clothes  are  of  the  benevolent  Jizd. 

The  Time  Bell,  a  huge  bronze  instrument  near  the  entrance 
to  the  Seiyoken  Restaurant,  is  a  sort  of  chronometer  for  many 
thousands  of  persons  who  live  in  the  region  roundabout  and 
who  usually  synchronize  their  watches  with  its  booming  notes. 
Anciently  it  belonged  to  the  temple  (long  since  destroyed)  to 
which  the  nearby 


200    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Shinobazu  Lake. 


Brpnzg  Daibutsu?  or  Buddha,  was  an  adjunct.  The  latter  is 
21  ft.  High,  was  cast  in  1695,  and  is  in  every  way  inferior  to 
the  great  Daibutsu  of  Kamakura. 

The  Equestrian  Statue  of  Prince  Komatsu  (a  relative  of 
the  Emperor,  and  a  descendant  of  the  Fujiwara),  which  stands 
near  the  big  torn,  on  a  handsome  brown  speckled  granite  base 
16  ft.  sq.  (from  Rokkozan);  is  15  ft.  9  in.  high;  was  designed  by 
Shin-ichiro  Okada;  cast  at  the  Koishikawa  Arsenal;  cost 
¥100,000,  and  was  unveiled  March  18,  1912.  —  The  Magnolia 
grandiflora  in  the  fenced  inclosure  at  the  rear  (right),  called  the 
Grant  Giokuran,  or  Kinenju  ('Keepsake  Tree'),  was  planted 
Aug.  25, 1879,  by  Mrs.  U.  S.  Grant.  The  one  at  the  left,  a  Cu- 
pressus  Lawsoniana,  was  planted  by  General  Grant  the  same  day. 

The  Toshogu,  &  Shinto  shrine  dedicated  to  Tokugawa  Ieyasu, 
stands  at  the  end  of  the  shaded  walk  (fine  cryptomeria  trees) 
leading  from  the  torii  near  the  main  drive;  is  a  miniature  of  the 
Toshogu  at  Nikko,  and  was  erected  between  1624  and  1643. 
The  tall  stone  lanterns  were  gifts  of  daimyos.  The  gateway  was 
restored  in  1890.  The  interior  and  exterior  of  the  shrine  dis- 
play a  maze  of  polychromatic  carvings  and  diaper-work 
inferior  to  that  of  the  mausolea  described  hereinafter.  The 
coffered  ceiling  is  latticed.  The  line  of  framed  pictures  around 
the  oratory  are  of  ancient  court  poets.  The  wood  masks  with 
gilded  teeth  are  used  on  festival  days.  The  tablet  above  the 
entrance  to  the  inner  sanctum  carries  Ieyasu's  posthumous 
name,  To-sho-gu,  copied  from  an  original  written  by  the 
Emperor  Gomi-no-o  (17th  cent.).  The  square  building  between 
the  shrine  and  the  dilapidated  old  pagoda  is  the  i  heavenly 
music  hall.' 

The  Lake  (Shinobazu-no-ike)  or  Pond,  a  shallow  sheet  of 
water  at  the  left  of  the  main  entrance  to  the  park,  contains 
an  island  with  a  pretty  shrine  dedicated  to  the  Goddess  Benten, 
and  a  handsome  granite  bridge  referred  to  by  sentimental 
folks  as  the '  moon-gazing  bridge/  In  Aug.  the  water  is  almost 
hidden  by  splendid  lotus  blooms,  and  on  a  moonlit  night  the 
scene  is  singularly  lovely.  Hundreds  of  wild  fowl  frequent  the 
spot  in  winter  and  are  a  delight  to  the  children  who  come  hither 
to  feed  the  big  carp  and  goldfish  with  which  the  water  is  alive. 
The  view  of  the  shrine  from  the  hill  behind  the  Seiyoken 
Restaurant  is  very  attractive,  particularly  when  the  redden- 
ing maples  flame  in  contrast  with  the  greensward.  The  tall 
bronze  lute  (biwa)  in  the  temple  atrium  is  symbolic  of  the 
celestial  harmonies  produced  by  the  goddess.  The  brilliant 
fitments  of  the  building  date  from  1911,  when  it  was  renovated. 
The  bridge  is  reached  by  passing  beneath  the  arch  at  the  right. 
The  group  of  buildings  visible  on  the  hill  beyond  forms  a  part 
of  the  Imperial  University.  The  pond  is  a  relic  of  the  time  when 
a  large  section  of  modern  Tokyo  was  covered  by  the  waters  of 
Yedo  Bay,  and  Uyeno  was  a  knoll  washed  by  the  waves. 


Balcony 

Upper  Floor 


Balcony 

Annex 


Main  Entrance 

Ground  Floor  of  Main  Building 


Annex, 


Rotunda 


New  Wing 


GENERAL  PLAN 
OF  BUILDINGS 


TOKYO 
IMPERIAL  MUSEUM 


100 


200 


0  200         400      *  600  80 

Drawn  Specially  for 
TERRY'S  JAPANESE  EMPIRE 

Copyrighted 


Imperial  Library.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  201 


The  *Imperial  Library  (Tosho-kwan),  is  at  the  W.  side  of  the 
park,  near  the  museum  (see  the  plan),  and  was  established  in 
1885.  It  stands  at  the  head  of  the  374  libraries  (129  public; 
245  private;  2,645,265  books)  scattered  throughout  the  Empire, 
and  is  a  priceless  boon  to  the  thousands  of  struggling  and 
impecunious  students  who  draw  knowledge  from  its  500,000 
volumes  —  60,000  of  which  are  in  English,  German,  French, 
Spanish,  Italian,  and  Russian.  More  than  a  million  persons 
visit  it  each  year,  20,000  of  whom  are  foreigners.  It  is  housed 
in  a  modern,  3-storied,  vitrified  brick-and-stone  building,  semi- 
classical  in  style,  and  equipped  with  a  comprehensive  card- 
system  (catalogues  in  English)  and  many  conveniences.  Many 
newspapers  are  kept  on  file,  and  there  is  a  special  reading-room 
set  apart  for  ladies.  A  copy  of  every  book  printed  in  the  ver- 
nacular in  Japan  must  be  sent  here.  Ordinary  tickets  for  the 
temporary  use  of  the  library  cost  2  sen  (5  sen  in  a  special 
reading-room)  for  a  single  admission.  Annual  membership  fee, 
¥5.  Only  Tokyo  residents  can  take  books  away;  Rules  and 
Regulations  on  the  bulletin  board  near  the  ticket-office,  where 
application-blanks  can  be  had.  The  card-index  and  cata- 
"  logues  are  in  the  first  room  at  the  right  of  the  entrance.  Open 
from  7-8  a.m.  to  9-10  p.m.  except  on  the  1st  of  each  month.  — 
The  large  building  N.W.  of  the  library  is  the  Conservatory  of 
Music.  That  at  the  S.W.  is  the  School  of  Art.  —  A  few  min. 
walk  S.  of  this  is 

The  *Zo61ogical  Garden  (Dobutsu-en),  with  an  assemblage 
of  animals  ranging  from  polar  bears  to  wallabies.  The- uneven 
character  of  the  hillside  over  which  the  inclosure  (open  all  day; 
admission,  3-5  sen)  spreads,  permits  of  numerous  attractive 
terraces,  lakelets,  and  miniature  landscape  gardens.  The 
grounds  are  clean  and  inviting.  The  fauna  and  avifauna  of  the 
Japanese  possessions  are  well  represented. 

The  *  Tokyo  Imperial  Museum  (Teiko  k  u  Hakubutsukwan; 
known  locally  as  the  Uyeno  Hakubutsukwan) ,  a  gov't  institu- 
tion  standing  back  in  a  wide,  handsome,  26-acre  park  with  a/ 
pond,  fountain,  and  many  flowering  trees,  is  near  the  center  of 
Uyeno  Park  (see  the  Park  plan)  and  is  by  far  the  most  import-    ~  , 
ant  museum  in  the  Empire. 


It  is  open  daily  (from  Jan.  5  to  Dec.  25)  between  8-9  a.m.  and  4-6  p.m., 
except  on  days  following  national  holidays  (consult  the  notice-board  at  the 
right  of  the  outer  gate).  Admission,  5  sen;  children,  3  sen.  The  catalogue  is 
in  Japanese,  and  but  few  of  the  attendants  speak  English.  The  only  fees  cus-  ^ 
tomary  are  2  sen,  or  thereabout,  to  the  keeper  of  the  umbrella-stand  at  the 
door,  and  as  much  to  the  servant  who  provides  the  shoe-covers  at  the  en- 
trance  of  the  passage  leading  to  the  new  wing  (left).  Strangers  find  no  diffi- 
culty  in  getting  about,  as  attendants  and  printed  signs  point  the  route  to  be  i/lf 
followed.  Foreigners  enter  the  central  building  through  the  main  door; 
natives  wearing  clogs  must  change  these  for  sandals  at  the  door  at  the  right 
(see  the  Museum  plan) .  Tickets  must  be  purchased  at  the  little  office  (left) 
outside  the  big  gate,  and  delivered  at  the  turnstile.  The  administration 
building  (English  spoken)  is  at  the  right  rear  of  the  left  wing,  and  is  ap- 


202    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Imperial  Museum. 


proached  either  from  the  outside  or  through  the  passageway  crossing  the  cor- 
ridor which  connects  the  wing  with  the  main  structure.  The  big  building 
without  the  main  gate  (left)  is  devoted  to  temporary  exhibits  of  various 
products. 

The  imposing  old  gateway  (full  of  shot-holes)  is  the  sole  surviving  relic 
of  the  original  dwelling  of  the  chief  priest  of  the  sometime  splendid  Kwanei- 
ji  Temple  —  which  is  said  to  have  been  finer  than  any  of  the  present  struc- 
tures at  Nikk5.  The  main  museum  building,  a  semi-classical  edifice 
(erected  in  1883)  of  red  brick  with  granite  trimmings,  is  Alhambraic  in  ap- 
pearance, with  twin  miradores  on  the  roof,  and  considerable  polyfoil  tracery 
about  the  Moorish  windows.  The  newer  and  more  stately  left  wing  (hyokei- 
kwan),  an  Ionicized,  triple-domed  building  of  gray  granite  beautiful  in  its 
classic  simplicity,  is  embellished  with  two  handsome  bronze  lions  (which 
guard  the  main  entrance),  some  bronze  Greek  vases,  and  other  artistic  addi- 
tions, and  was  a  gift  (in  1910)  from  the  Tokyo  municipality  in  congratula- 
tory commemoration  of  the  wedding  (in  1900)  of  the  Crown  Prince  (now 
the  Emperor) .  The  insignificant  bronze  statuette  at  the  right  of  the  central 
pond  stands  to  the  memory  of  Dr.  Edward  Jenner.  Scattered  through  the 
spacious  grounds  are  numerous  proofs  of  Japan's  military  successes  during 
the  Russian  War. 

The  nucleus  of  the  splendid  and  sustainedly  interesting  col- 
lection (to  which  additions  are  constantly  being  made)  was 
established  in  the  later  days  of  the  shogunate,  from  whose 
hands  it  passed  into  those  of  the  present  Gov't.  Since  1886  it 
has  been  under  the  control  of  the  Household  Department;  its 
excellent  organization  is  due  to  the  indefatigable  energy  and 
foresight  of  Baron  Kuki,  Director  of  the  Fine  Arts  at  the  close 
of  the  last  century.  There  are  upward  of  170,000  articles  (2000 
of  which  are  the  personal  property  of  the  Emperor,  and  4000 
of  which  were  contributed  by  various  public-spirited  citizens) 
classified  under  the  heads  of  Departments  of  Industrial  Art; 
Fine  Arts;  Natural  Products;  and  History.  Though  practi- 
cally free  from  forgeries  the  collection  contains  many  copies 
of  objects  (particularly  in  sculptured  wood)  exhibited  in  other 
museums  through  the  country,  but  these  are  usually  so  marked. 
Following  the  Japanese  custom  of  retiring  certain  articles  from 
view  at  stated  times,  and  either  storing  them  for  a  brief  period 
or  loaning  them  to  other  museums  in  the  Empire,  but  few  of 
the  exhibits  can  be  called  permanent ;  those  in  the  Department 
of  Industrial  Arts  are  admittedly  temporary  and  are  changed 
sometimes  as  often  as  twice  a  month.  In  cases  where  articles 
mentioned  in  this  Guidebook  have  been  temporarily  with- 
drawn, if  stored  in  the  museum  godown  they  can  be  seen  on 
presentation  of  a  letter  from  some  one  in  authority,  or  on 
payment  of  a  small  fee  (30-50  sen),  if  application  be  made  at 
the  museum  office.  Nearly  300,000  persons  visit  the  museum 
each  year,  of  which  about  35,000  are  school  teachers  and  their 
pupils  —  who  are  all  admitted  free.  A  magnificent  collection  of 
gold  coins  valued  at  40,000  yen  was  stolen  from  the  rooms  in 
1911  and  was  not  recovered.  With  characteristic  and  praise- 
worthy foresight,  the  patriotic  men  of  the  Gov't  are  sedu- 
lously adding  to  the  assemblage  of  the  now  almost  priceless 
relics  of  the  early  history  of  the  race,  and  the  museum  now 
easily  ranks  (in  a  smaller  way)  with  that  of  South  Kensington 


Imperial  Museum.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  203 

and  the  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts.  The  decree  by  which 
monasteries  and  temples  throughout  the  Empire  are  compelled 
to  make  temporary  deposits  of  their  portable  treasures  in  the 
museums  of  Tokyo,  Kyoto,  and  Nara,  is  of  great  benefit  to 
the  public,  particularly  to  those  strangers  who  might  be  unable 
to  visit  certain  of  the  most  distant  Buddhist  repositories. 
Other  excellent  features  are  the  special  exhibits  sometimes 
arranged  to  commemorate  the  birth  or  the  death  of  a  master 
whose  work  is  shown,  or  to  correspond  to  certain  eras  or  a 
zodiacal  symbol  appropriated  to  each  new  year.  Thus  the  year 
of  the  boar,  the  crane  (a  favorite  symbol),  or  the  pine,  may  be 
inaugurated  by  an  exhibition  of  works  of  art?  in  which  these 
signs  figure. 

The  highly  interesting  collection  of  prehistoric  objects  is 
perhaps  unique  in  that  it  is  derived  mainly  from  authentic 
finds  made  within  the  confines  of  the  Empire.  The  series  of 
archaic  pre-Buddhist  potteries  found  in  the  soil  or  in  tombs  is 
of  great  archaeological  importance.  Finds  of  this  nature  are 
made  from  time  to  time  somewhere  on  the  islands,  and  are  not 
unfrequently  presented  to  the  museum  —  which  also  accepts 
deposits  and  temporary  loans  from  private  collectors.  The 
fugitive  character  of  the  exhibits  renders  it  impracticable  to 
describe  the  contents  of  the  museum  in  detail  and  be  certain 
not  to  confuse  or  mislead  the  reader.  The  men  in  charge  are 
making  efforts  properly  to  classify  and  label  the  more  or  less 
permanent  objects,  and  to  add  bi-lingual  annotations  that  will 
help  the  stranger  to  a  proper  understanding  of  them. 

The  collections  of  porcelains  and  pictures  are  incomplete, 
and  are  inferior  to  those  of  certain  private  collectors;  neither 
are  representative  of  the  evolution  and  development  of  these 
great  arts  in  Japan,  and  in  neither  are  there  many  rare  or 
precious  examples.  In  these,  as  w,ell  as  in  its  collection  of 
sculptures,  the  Tokyo  Museum  is  inferior  to  those  of  Kyoto 
and  Nara.  The  paucity  of  the  widely  famous  color-prints 
(p.  ccxxxi),  now  so  much  admired  abroad,  is  due  in  a  measure 
to  foreign  appreciation  of  their  rare  worth.  While  the  Japan- 
ese were  regarding  the  best  work  of  the  inimitable  Hokusai, 
Hiroshige,  and  other  native  artists  as  mere  playthings  for 
children,  and  unworthy  to  be  ranked  with  the  national  arts  of 
Europe  and  the  West,  connoisseurs  of  those  countries  were 
showing  their  conception  of  their  value  by  diligently  collecting 
them.  When  the  Japanese  awoke  to  this  fact  many  of  the 
finest  specimens  had  been  expatriated  beyond  recall. 

The  Entrance  Hall  has  for  its  largest  object  an  equestrian 
statue  in  plaster  (copy  of  the  one  in  bronze,  in  the  yard  of  the 
Staff  Office)  of  the  late  Prince  Arisugawa.  The  huge  and  fan- 
tastically decorated  drum  backed  by  a  sort  of  tall  gilded  man- 
dorla  covered  with  Buddhist  symbols,  which  usually  stands 
just  within  the  entrance  at  the  left,  was  formerly  used  on  spe- 


204    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Imperial  Museum. 


cial  festival  occasions  and  is  an  alleged  copy  of  the  original 
from  the  Dragon  Palace  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea!  The  smaller 
drums,  palanquins,  and  archaeological  fragments  are  of  no 
special  interest.  Turning  to  the  left  (of  the  entrance)  we  en- 
ter (consult  the  accompanying  plan) 

Room  i,  with  a  fine  and  extensive  collection  of  ancient  and 
modern  bronzes,  damascene  and  other  metal  pieces,  enriched 
here  and  there  with  some  notable  specimens  of  Chinese  10th- 
cent.  work.  The  inlaid  bronzes  (particularly  the  gold-bronze 
with  damascening)  are  excellent  examples  of  a  difficult  craft 
in  which  the  Japanese  excel.  The  ancient  metal  mirrors,  of 
which  there  are*  a  number,  are  partly  of  Chinese  (14th  cent.) 
and  partly  Korean  origin;  as  are  also  the  curious  old  bells. 
The  various  specimens  of  sword-furniture  are  ancient  and 
modern. 

Room  2  contains  many  authentic  sculptured  wood  figures 
so  highly  prized  as  to  be  considered  national  treasures ;  promi- 
nent among  them  is  a  large  but  daintily  slender,  gold-flecked, 
seated  figure  of  an  Indian  goddess,  with  a  disk  at  the  back,  the 
right  leg  crossed  over  the  left  knee,  and  the  right  hand  lifted 
to  the  face.  There  is  little  subtlety  and  less  charm  in  this 
vermiculated  figure  (which  came  from  the  Horyuji,  near 
Nara),  the  chief  interest  of  which  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is  of 
7th-cent.  workmanship  and  that  it  represents,  with  its  manifest 
Hindu  character,  one  of  the  earliest  specimens  of  native  sculp- 
ture after  the  introduction  of  Buddhism,  —  perchance  the 
first  lisping  of  the  new  art  in  Japan.  Many  statuesque  carved 
and  gilded  figures  in  a  standing  or  seated  attitude  are  ranged 
round  the  room,  some  in  glass  cases  and  all  badly  mauled  by 
the  hand  of  time.  Noteworthy  among  them  are  two  splendid 
Buddhas  of  fine  wood  covered  with  gold  foil,  crowned  and 
bejeweled,  and  on  intricately  carved  bases.  Both  (the  prop- 
erty of  Count  Tanaka)  are  superb  examples  of  the  flourishing 
art  of  the  Ashikaga  period,  and  they  are  among  the  best  that 
the  traveler  will  see  in  Japan.  The  magnificently  carved  and 
gilded  mandorlas  which  back  them,  each  displaying  six  flying 
tennin,  sculptured  in  bold  relief,  are  executed  with  a  skill  no 
whit  inferior  to  the  best  effort  of  Jose  Churriguera.  A  curious 
Eleven-faced  Kwannon,  life-size,  with  tarnished  jewels  on  her 
sometime  gilded  breast,  stands  in  the  same  case  with  one  of  the 
Buddhas,  and  dates  from  the  9th  cent.  The  misshapen,  carved, 
colored,  and  lacquered  wood  figure  (dating  from  the  Kama- 
kura  epoch)  which  stands  in  the  case  with  the  other  Buddha, 
and  surmounts  a  venomous  gnome  (typifying  pestilence  and 
calamity)  is  Zochoten,  one  of  the  Gods  of  the  Four  Directions, 
who  attacks  and  repels  demons.  The  two  flat,  pierced,  and 
sculptured  wood  panels  framed  against  a  white  ground,  in 
one  of  the  wall-cases,  are  celebrated  pieces  ascribed  to  Kobo- 
Daishi;  the  other  ten  that  complete  the  original  twelve  are  in 


Imperial  Museum.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  205 


the  Nara  Museum.  In  other  cases  in  the  room  are  a  host  of 
wood  and  metal  Buddhas  and  other  saints  of  the  Buddhist 
pantheon,  from  Siam,  Burma,  China,  India,  and  Tibet.  Some 
are  hung  with  tarnished  dingle-dangles,  others  are  clad  in 
gracefully  flowing  draperies  delicately  carved  out  of  the  wood, 
and  all  are  more  or  less  interesting  examples  of  early  crafts- 
manship. The  small  12th-cent.  figures  of  colored  and  lacquered 
wood  ascribed  to  Unkei  are  more  likely  copies  of  the  originals 
at  Nara.  A  strikingly  handsome  16th-cent.  sculptured  wood 
figure  of  Shaka  (Sakya-muni)  stands  on  a  finely  colored  wood 
base  in  one  of  the  cases  and  is  well  worth  looking  at,  as  it  is 
the  finest,  in  point  of  decoration,  in  the  room.  The  superb 
drapery  is  picked  out  in  an  amazingly  delicate  and  intricate 
pattern  of  gold-lacquer,  and  this  design  runs  quite  round  the 
figure,  the  forehead  of  which  is  adorned  with  a  white  and  a 
pink  crystal  boss.  The  features  have  a  strong  Hebrew  cast, 
and  the  flame-tipped  mandorla  bears  Sanscrit  characters.  The 
very  ancient  seated  wood  figure  of  a  fierce  deity  backed  by  a 
flaming  mandorla  is  Fudo,  and  the  other  big  one  in  the  same 
case,  Jizo;  both  are  fine  specimens  of  the  Fujiwara  epoch. 
Another  statue  worth  noting  is  that  of  the  willowy,  sylph-like 
Arya  Avalokitesvara  —  8th-cent.  copper  work.  Also  a  richly 
chased  and  sculptured  figure  of  Gotama  Buddha,  with  a  face 
which  was  formerly  covered  with  bright  gold  foil,  but  which 
has  turned  black  with  extreme  age.  The  crudely  carved  but 
highly  prized  figurine  of  the  Empress  Jingo  (the  alleged  in- 
vader of  Korea  in  a.d.  200)  perhaps  dates  from  the  3d  or,  4th 
cent,  of  the  Christian  era.  A  fine  Hindu  trimurti,  with  a  face  of 
Vishnu  at  the  right,  Siva  at  the  left,  and  Brahma  in  the  middle, 
is  sometimes  displayed  in  this  room. 

Room  3  is  devoted  to  an  interesting  assortment  of  miscel- 
laneous articles;  the  cases  full  of  carved  wood  masks  used 
anciently  in  the  sacred  dances  are  perhaps  -the  most  worth 
inspecting;  those  of  plain,  unpainted  wood  are  early  specimens 
of  the  Tempyo  era  (8th  cent.)  The  finest  (those  usually  em- 
ployed in  the  classic  No  dance)  are  lacquered  in  flesh  tints  of 
various  shades,  and  express  many  degrees  of  human  emotion. 
Some  show  furious  faces  with  veins  like  swollen  whipcord; 
others  grimace,  look  calm,  agonized,  comic,  or  angry,  and  not 
a  few  display  the  hand  of  a  master  in  their  construction. 

Room  4  has  a  superb  collection  of  modern  carvings  in  ivory, 
wood,  lacquer,  shell,  and  inlaid  work.  The  corner  closet 
entirely  covered  with  arabesque  and  intricate  tracery  is  of 
Indian  origin.  The  netsukes  exemplify  a  handicraft  in  which 
the  Japanese  display  noteworthy  manual  skill  and  subtlety. 
The  assortment  of  musical  instruments  is  incomplete. 

Room  5.  Old  and  modern  lacquer  and  inlay  work  —  much 
of  the  latter  of  Chinese  provenience,  and  resembling  the  finest 
intarsia.  The  specimens  of  Pekin  lacquer,  though  fine,  are  out- 


206    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Imperial  Museum. 


classed  by  those  in  the  Okura  Museum  (p.  160).  A  noteworthy 
object  is  the  remarkably  well-preserved  chest  (the  property  of 
the  Mikado)  covered  with  madreperl  inlay  and  dating  from 
the  7th  cent.  It  perhaps  came  originally  from  Korea,  as  there 
is  a  similar  specimen,  indubitably  of  Korean  craftsmanship, 
in  the  Seoul  Museum  (Rte,  46).  For  nearly  a  millennium  it 
was  a  prized  relic  in  the  Horyuji.  Despite  its  great  age  the  in- 
laid phoenixes  and  medallions  are  intact,  and  are  remarkable 
examples  of  a  nice  skill  in  workmanship  but  little  inferior  to 
that  of  to-day.  The  Q.A.  Shaw  collection  of  lacquer  (now  the 
property  of  the  museum)  embraces  a  number  of  good  18th-cent. 
pieces,  some  in  the  oft-copied  style  of  Korin,  with  superim- 
posed pewter  insets.  The  excellent  copies  of  13th-cent.  work, 
particularly  that  showing  mother-of-pearl  in  a  gold  ground,  in 
imitation  of  the  style  known  as  Fusenryo,  are  interesting.  The 
almost  imperishable  nature  of  good  gold-lacquer  is  exemplified 
in  the  exhibit  which  shows  portions  of  the  lot  (of  fine  17th- 
cent.  work)  sent  by  Japan  to  the  International  Exposition  at 
Vienna.  On  the  return  voyage  the  S.S.  Nile  (of  the  French 
Mail)  that  bore  them  was  lost  off  the  Izu  coast,  and  the  articles 
remained  uninjured  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea  from  Feb.  29, 
1874,  to  July  18,  1875,  when  they  were  recovered.  The  best 
lacquered  objects  in  the  room  are  perhaps  the  beautifully 
colored  boxes  (18th-cent.  work  by  Ogawa  Ritsuo)  with  raised 
work  in  lacquer  and  porcelain,  both  of  which  show  in  a  highly 
interesting  way  the  possibilities  of  the  medium.  The  writing- 
box#(f or  paper)  portrays  the  Chinese  Emperor  Hsiian-Tsung, 
and*  Yang  Tai-chen;  the  companion  one  (for  the  ink-stone) 
depicts  the  lissome  and  fascinating  Hsi-Shih  looking  at  her 
reflection  in  a  mirror.  Ogata  Korin  has  some  masterful  pieces 
here,  and  modern  craftsmen  stand  before  the  cases  and  copy 
his  intricate  and  alluring  designs  in  much  the  same  way  that 
amateur  painters  copy  the  pictures  in  European  galleries.  The 
gold-lacquered  box  with  a  black  eagle  on  the  top,  by  Kajikawa 
I  (18th  cent.),  is  worth  looking  at;  also  the  small  framed  oval 
picture  (in  one  of  the  wall-cases)  done  in  madreperl,  and  show- 
ing Louis  XVI  working  at  the  bench  as  a  locksmith. 

Room  6  is  dedicated  to  (uninteresting)  engravings,  embroid- 
eries, tapestries,  old  prints,  and  what-not.  —  Crossing  the 
rear  of  the  entrance  hall  we  enter 

Room  7,  with  a  collection  of  mineral  specimens  and  pictures 
of  mines  and  appurtenances  similar,  but  inferior,  to  the  display 
in  the  Mineral  Museum  described  at  p.  232.  The  huge  petrified 
ivory  tusk  covered  with  barnacles  was  evidently  brought  up 
from  the  bottom  of  the  ocean;  the  kindred  relics  —  tusks  of 
mammoths,  plaster  casts  of  prehistoric  animals,  and  the  like  — - 
need  not  detain  the  traveler.  Among  the  mineral  specimens  in 

Room  8  are  some  meteorites  worth  looking  at.  The  wax 
models  of  plants  in  Room  g  are  chiefly  for  educational  work. 


Imperial  Museum.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  207 

Room  10  contains  many  specimens  of  the  exceptionally  rich 
marine  flora  of  the  Japanese  coasts. 

Room  ii  has  a  varied  collection  of  stuffed  birds  from  Japan 
and  her  island  possessions,  with  others  from  the  South  Sea  Is. 
Most  noteworthy  among  the  indigenous  fowls  are  the  hand- 
some long-tailed  Gallus  Bankiva  Domesticus  from  Tosa  Prov- 
ince. The  tail  feathers  of  the  cockerels  (on-dori)  are  phenome- 
nally long,  one  measuring  14  ft.  6  in.,  another,  11  ft.  9  in. 

The  Tosa  (or  Brocade)  Fowls,  from  Shikoku  Is.,  are  of  various  hues 
(sometimes  pure  white)  and  are  produced  by  careful  selection  and  in-breed- 
ing. The  birds  are  obliged  to  sit  on  high,  narrow  perches,  and  are  fed  on  rice 
and  vegetables.  The  tail  feathers  are  never  moulted;  those  of  the  hen  {men- 
dori)  are  usually  a  trifle  shorter  than  those  of  her  extraordinary  mate. 
Exceptional  cockerels  are  said  to  sometimes  produce  tails  15-18  ft.  long! 
When  a  fowl  is  taken  out  for  exercise  a  man  holds  up  the  tail  to  prevent  its 
being  soiled  or  mutilated. 

Conspicuous  among  the  birds  are  some  stuffed  specimens 
of  the  splendid  long-tailed  Argus  pheasant;  the  iridescent 
Reeves's  pheasant;  the  golden,  Amherstian,  and  others  — 
some  from  China  and  some  from  Japan.  The  reptilia  in  this 
room  lack  interest. 

Room  12  has  many  cases  of  stuffed  animals  ranging  in  size 
from  mice  to  giraffes;  the  repulsively  grotesque  bat  (komori) 
from  the  Bonin  Islands,  with  a  body  as  large  as  a  good-sized 
pullet  and  a  spread  of  naked,  membranous  wing  3  ft.  across,  is 
interesting  in  that  the  Japanese  claim  the  folding  fan  was 
evolved  from  the  idea  suggested  by  the  wings  of  this  flying 
mammal.  Live  specimens  of  the  native  and  Korean  bears  shown 
here  may  be  seen  in  the  near-by  Zoo. 

Room  13,  which  completes  the  exhibits  on  the  ground  floor, 
contains  mineral  specimens,  pictures,  and  working-models  of 
antique  and  modern  mines;  maps  showing  the  mineral  distribu- 
tion in  Japan;  rock-crystals  in  the  rough;  many  ore  samples; 
and  a  host  of  things  interesting  chiefly  to  mineralogists.  — 
Ascending  the  winding  stair  at  the  right,  we  reach,  on  the  up- 
per landing, 

Room  14,  with  a  limited  but  interesting  collection  of  vehicles 
illustrating  methods  of  transportation  during  the  days  of  the 
shogunate,  prior  to  the  introduction  of  the  jinriki  and  other 
Western  ideas.  Among  the  ponderous  objects  are  imperial  carts, 
palanquins,  models  of  state  barges  and  other  ships,  etc.  The 
red-and-gilt  model  or  a  double-decked  ship  with  many  oars 
(called  the  Tenchi  Maru,  or  'Ship  of  Heaven  and  Earth')  is 
not  unlike  a  Long  Island  Sound  boat  .  The  cumbersome  palan- 
quins (horen),  surmounted  by  stiff,  brass  phoenixes,  belonged 
to  long  dead  mikados.  The  smaller  and  daintier  ones  (nori- 
mono),  more  like  a  sedan-chair  in  shape,  were  the  gold-lacquered 
conveyances  of  the  sometime  grand  dames  of  the  shoguns  and 
daimyds;  when  passing  through  the  seaport  towns  men  were 
wont  to  carry  them,  but  maids  are  said  to  have  performed  the 


208    Route  10.  TOKYO  Imperial  Museum. 


arduous  service  on  the  mt.  roads  of  the  interior.  The  great 
awkward  carts  (goshoguruma)  almost  as  large  as  a  native  house, 
ornamented  with  tasteless  geometrical  designs,  and  with  wide- 
spread thills,  belonged  to  royalty  and  were  drawn  by  cattle. 
The  very  elaborate  modern  one  (which  may  be  here  or  in  the 
entrance  hall  below)  is  the  Jusha  used  at  the  funeral  cere- 
monies of  the  Emperor  Mutsuhito. 

Rooms  15  to  18  contain  interesting  collections  of  costumes, 
implements,  and  other  articles  used  in  the  daily  lives  of  Kore- 
ans, Formosans,  Ainus,  and  the  Loochoo  and  South-Sea 
Islanders ;  the  curious  feather  coats  of  the  latter  are  inferior  to 
the  similar  work  of  the  Hawaiians  and  Aztecs.  Most  of  the 
Formosan  exhibits  refer  to  the  Chinese  immigrants  rather  than 
to  the  aboriginals  of  that  island.  There  is  a  small  collection  of 
fish-skin  coats  from  Russian  Asia;  boomerangs;  clubs,  krises, 
and  other  war-implements  of  the  Polynesian  and  Australasian 
tribes;  odd  bits  of  Pueblo  Indian  (U.S.A.)  pottery;  some  rag 
figures  from  Mexico;  and  some  nephrite  axes  (prehistoric 
Japanese)  that  are  counterparts  of  similar  tools  found  in  the 
Mixtec  and  Zapotec  Indian  tombs  of  Southern  Mexico!  In 
Room  19  are  some  Egyptian  relics  —  mummies  and  the  like; 
and  in  Rooms  20  and  21  more  South-Sea  Islands,  things,  a 
collection  of  coins,  toys,  and  other  native  objects.  From  the 
balcony  of  Room  22  —  where  there  is  a  comprehensive  assort- 
ment of  musical  instruments  —  one  may  enjoy  a  good  view  of 
the  museum  grounds.  Room  23  contains  lacquered  articles  of 
no  particular  interest. 

Rooms  24-25  exhibit  a  number  of  highly  interesting  life- 
size  figures  of  shoguns,  warriors,  archers,  hunters,  musi- 
cians, and  the  like,  begirt  with  the  weapons,  surrounded  by 
many  articles,  and  clad  in  the  gorgeous  habiliments  of  the 
epochs  in  which  they  lived.  A  dappled  gray  horse  tricked  out 
with  wonderful  war-panoply  stands  in  one  corner  of  the  room, 
and  in  a  big  wall-case  in  room  25  there  is  a  fetching  little  maid 
fashioned  with  amazing  fidelity  to  nature  and  clad  in  beautiful 
raiment,  sitting  by  the  utensils  formerly  employed  in  the 
punctilious  cha-no-yu  (tea)  ceremony.  From  a  picturesque 
and  historical  viewpoint  the  exhibit  is  noteworthy.  Room  26 
contains  a  miscellaneous  assortment  of  clothing,  masks,  mu- 
sical instruments,  and  the  like.  Room  27  has  war-implements 
and  costumes,  and  some  splendid  armor,  swords,  and  spears. 
I  Room  28  is  of  peculiar  interest  to  foreigners  because  of  the 
j  collection  it  contains  of  objects  associated  with  the  introduc- 
\  tion  of  Christianity  into  Japan,  and  their  suggestion  of  the 
momentous  and  sanguinary  consequences  of  that  transcen- 
dental adventure.  There  are  several  cases  filled  with  the  sad- 
dening relics  of  certain  of  the  unfortunate  friars  who  suffered 
death  and  a  distressful  martyrdom  in  the  holy  cause,  while  in 
j  others  are  displayed  some  of  the  methods  adopted  by  the 


Imperial  Museum. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  209 


Japanese  to  annul  the  effects  of  their  zealous  teachings.  Time- 
stained  (and  indubitably  tear-stained)  amulets;  pathetic 
little  bronze,  gold,  madreperl  and  other  crucifixes  bearing  the 
figure  of  the  blessed  Saviour;  rosaries,  porcelain  figurines,  and 
diminutive  oil  paintings  of  the  Madonna  and  Child;  little 
parchment  prayer-books  in  Latin,  Portuguese,  Spanish,  and 
Japanese;  foreign  coins  found  in  the  pockets  of  crucified  priests; 
and  a  host  of  miscellaneous  personal  belongings  are  seen  along 
with  the  celebrated  trampling-boards  (fumie)  which  the  for- 
eigners (as  well  as  Japanese)  in  Nagasaki  and  elsewhere  were 
required  by  the  authorities  to  trample  upon  as  evidence  that 
they  did  not  belong  to  the  Christian  sects.  Some  of  them  are  of 
metal,  others  of  wood,  an  inch  or  more  thick  and  about  6  by  10 
in.  in  size,  with  insets  of  Christ  in  various  attitudes  —  the  De- 
scent from  the  Cross;  as  he  stood  before  Pontius  Pilate;  as  he 
hung  on  the  cross;  and  so  on;  as  well  as  others  showing  the 
Virgin  Mary  and  the  Child  Jesus.  Here  also  is  a  long  letter 
written  by  Date  Masamune  to  the  Pope,  in  1614.  Hard  by  is  a 
biggish  chapel  bell,  of  bronze,  with  the  date  1577  on  it.  In  the 
same  case  with  it  are  two  of  the  notorious  sign-boards  (kosatsu) 
with  their  warnings  to  the  people  against  practicing  the  doc- 
trines of  the  '  Depraved  Sect.'  On  one  a  reward  is  offered  for 
information  against  those  who  practice  the  Christian  religion 
(Kirishitan-shil) ,  with  the  date  of  the  5th  month  of  the  1st 
year  of  the  Shotokuera  (the  year  of  Our  Lord,  1711).  Another 
bears  the  date  of  the  3d  month,  4th  year  of  Keid  (1868). 
Translated,  the  text  (which  is  in  raised  letters)  reads :  '  The 
practice  of  the  perverse  Christian  religion  is  severely  prohib- 
ited. Suspected  persons  are  to  be  denounced.  Awards  shall  be 
given.  The  above-mentioned  decree  must  be  rigorously  •  ob- 
served. Council  of  State.'  There  are  a  number  of  Buddhist 
relics  in  the  room,  besides  many  other  objects  of  religious 
import.  —  Descending  the  stairs  and  returning  again  to  room 
10,  we  cross  the  narrow  passageway  to  the  red  brick  annex 
containing  rooms  29  to  37  inclusive.  In 

Room  29  are  various  prehistoric  remains,  pottery,  arrow- 
heads, etc.  Room  30  is  devoted  to  a  rich  and  varied  assortment 
of  singular  old  Japanese  bronze  bells,  and  to  numerous  ancient 
objects  associated  with  birth  and  death  in  the  early  years  of 
the  Empire.  Rooms  31-32  are  upstairs,  and,  besides  articles 
similar  to  the  above,  contain  a  number  of  earthenware  sepul- 
chers  in  which  notables  were  buried ;  the  images  of  men,  horses, 
fowls,  and  the  like  represent  a  period  following  the  decree 
•  releasing  retainers  and  servitors  from  being  slain  to  accompany 
their  master  to  the  Great  Beyond.  In  a  glass  case  here  are 
numerous  specimens  of  magatama  and  kudatama  —  tubular 
beads  of  chalcedony,  etc.,  worn  by  Japanese  in  the  early  twi- 
light of  time. 

Room  33.  The  ship-like  structure  with  decorated  panels,  in 


210    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Mortuary  Temples 


the  center  of  the  room,  is  the  cabin  of  a  one-time  pleasure-boat 
(yakata-bune) .  The  colossal  statues  of  sculptured  wood  are 
skillful  copies  made  from  originals  at  the  Nara  Museum.  The 
hanging  panel  pictures  in  Room  34  are  of  no  great  interest;  the 
specimens  of  undecipherable  chirography  are  relics  of  early 
emperors.  The  huge,  handsomely  colored  wall-map,  litho- 
graphed in  Amsterdam  in  the  17th  cent,  and  dedicated  to 
Ludovico  XIV,  King  of  France  and  Navarre,  shows  in  an 
interesting  and  comical  manner  the  artist's  conception  of  the 
world  at  that  time.  Of  more  interest  are  the  painted  folding 
screens  in  Room  35,  portraying  the  first  Portingalls  and  Dutch- 
men who  came  a-trading  to  Nippon.  The  native  painters  have 
given  us  a  highly  entertaining  vision  of  these  jaunty,  swash- 
buckling, commercial  adventurers,  and  the  shaven-pated, 
vinous-faced  friars  who  accompanied  them  in  their  ships; 
showing  how  strangely  they  looked  and  dressed  in  those  far- 
off  days.  The  screens  and  kakemono  in  Room  36,  and  the 
handsome  pictures  in  Room  37,  are  loaned  by  Buddhist  tem- 
ples and  are  subject  to  withdrawal.  Returning  to  the  main 
entrance,  thence  to  room  3,  the  visitor  enters  the  corridor 
leading  to 

The  New  Wing,  with  8  rooms  (4  on  each  floor)  devoted  to 
temporary  exhibits  loaned  by  individuals  or  institutions.  Ex- 
traordinarily rich  collections  of  fine  old  brocade  silks,  pictures, 
screens,  costumes,  and  the  like,  are  sometimes  to  be  seen  in  the 
upper  rooms,  while  numerous  cases  of  porcelains,  crystal-ware, 
lacquered  objects,  and  various  fine-art  products  are  displayed 
on  the  lower  floor.  The  marble  rotunda  is  handsome;  the  fine 
old  cherry  tree  in  the  yard  is  so  aged  that  crutches  are  neces- 
sary to  support  its  long,  feeble  arms.  —  Leaving  the  museum 
grounds  by  the  main  entrance,  then  bearing  to  the  left  (E.)  we 
come  to  the  broad  avenue  leading  to  the  temples  described 
below. 

The  Mortuary  Temples  of  the  Shoguns  (Tokugawa  Reibyo) 
stand  at  the  extreme  N.  end  of  the  park  in  a  fine  grove  of 
cryptomerias,  i  M.  from  the  entrance.  While  characterized 
by  the  same  decorative  delirium  displayed  in  the  brilliant 
shrines  of  Shiba  and  Nikko,  they  are  smaller  and  less  ornate, 
and  the  traveler  whose  time  is  limited,  and  who  has  inspected 
those  mentioned,  will  perhaps  not  feel  repaid  for  the  journey 
hither.  With  their  respective  tombs  the  structures  form  two 
adjacent  groups,  in  separate  compounds;  both  belong  to,  and 
are  maintained  privately  by,  the  descendants  of  the  Tokugawa 
family.  Flanking  each  of  the  buildings  is  the  office  (shamusho)  • 
of  the  custodian,  to  whom  a  fee  of  20  sen  per  person  must  be 
paid.  Like  the  Shiba  mausolea,  these  are  protected  by  an  outer 
shell  of  clapboarding  which  renders  the  interior  so  dusky  that 
on  a  cloudy  day  the  finer  details  of  the  decorations  are  apt  to  be 
missed.  Long  lines  of  mouldering,  moss-grown  stone  lanterns, 


of  the  Shoguns. 


TOKYO 


10.  Route.  211 


the  gifts  of  various  daimyos,  mark  the  attractive  approach  to 
the  one-time  richly  decorated  and  massive  gates,  now  perma- 
nently closed.  Time  has  dealt  harshly  with  these  once  magni- 
ficent examples  of  17th  cent,  art,  and  the  hands  of  irreverent 
thieves  have  aided  the  iconoclastic  years  in  their  work  of 
destruction.  In  general  appearance  the  temples  are  almost 
alike,  the  one  in  the  E.  inclosure  being  known  as  Dai-ichi  0- 
Tamaya,  and  that  in  the  W.,  Dai-ni  O-Tamaya.  The  latter  is 
the  most  ornate  and  best  preserved.  So  many  nightingales 
nest  in  the  lofty  cryptomerias  near  by  that  the  Japanese  call 
the  spot  Uguisu-dani,  or  Nightingale  Valley. 

Passing  through  the  outer  doorway  the  traveler  finds  him- 
self in  a  long  colonnade  whose  one-time  rich  coloring  and  crisp 
carvings  are  now  faded  and  vermiculated  —  mere  shadows  of 
former  grandeur.  Sixteen  square  uprights  sheathed  in  bronze 
sockets  support  the  roof,  from  which  pend  a  double  line  of 
bronze  lanterns,  the  gifts  of  daimyos.  Massive  bronze  lanterns 
and  a  disused  bell-tower  are  the  chief  features  of  the  inclosure 
at  the  left,  where  there  are  a  number  of  granite  bases  whence 
other  bronze  lanterns  were  taken  to  be  cast  into  cannon  during 
the  battles  for  the  Restoration  (of  the  Mikado).  Evidence  of 
the  great  beauty  of  the  structure  when  it  was  new  is  shown 
by  the  many  bits  of  gold  foil  that  still  cling  to  the  copper- 
bronze  imbrications  of  the  roof  —  which  perhaps  at  one  time 
was  entirely  covered  with  the  yellow  metal.  The  many  com- 
pound brackets  which  support  the  sanctuary  roof  show  all  the 
colors  of  the  rainbow,  now  softened  by  time  and  exposure. 
Much  of  the  gold  has  been  rubbed  off  the  swinging  doors,  and 
the  red  lacquer  shows  underneath.  In  lieu  of  capitals  the  up- 
right columns  carry  many  folds  of  intricate  diaper-work  and 
arabesques,  painted  to  imitate  rich  hangings,  and  bearing  a 
close  resemblance  to  fine  old  brocade.  Almost  every  inch  of 
the  surface  of  the  cross-beams  is  adorned  with  polychromatic 
enrichments,  the  whole  recalling  certain  ornate  surfaces  in  the 
Alhambra,  or  some  of  the  Byzantine  interiors  of  Constanti- 
nople. The  ends  of  many  of  the  beams  are  sheathed  in  beauti- 
fully chased  bronze  caps,  and  from  beneath  them  project  con- 
ventional lion-heads  in  brilliant  reds  and  golds. 

An  almost  endless  diversity  of  faultless  imagery  in  metal, 
lacquer,  paint,  and  gold  characterizes  the  interior  of  the  ora- 
tory, which  in  turn  is  but  a  faint  reflection  of  the  lavish  Orien- 
tal splendor  displayed  in  the  inner  sanctuary  beyond.  The 
most  conspicuous  feature  of  this  haiden  (21  by  48  ft.)  is  the 
superb  coffered  ceiling,  with  its  interlacing  twin  strips  heavily 
lacquered  and  embossed  with  Tokugawa  crests  in  rich  gold; 
and  its  sunken  panels,  on  each  of  which  is  a  writhing  dragon 
on  a  blue  ground;  fine  blue-and-gold  cloud  effects  are  features 
of  the  panel  corners.  The  wide  wall-panels,  of  single  pieces  of 
camphor-wood,  are  covered  with  gleaming  gold  foil  across 


212    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


Tombs  oj 


whose  luminous  surface  charge  prancing  Korean  lions  —  the 
work  of  some  painter  of  the  Kano  school.  The  resplendent  seat 
of  the  abbot,  with  its  many  fitments,  occupies  the  center  of  the 
room  and  is  worth  looking  at. 

The  connecting  corridor,  from  which  all  but  the  shogun  and 
the  richest  of  the  great  feudal  barons  of  his  time  were  barred,  is 
12  ft.  wide  and  24  ft.  long,  with  decorations  similar  to  those  of 
the  oratory,  but  with  a  coffered  ceiling  showing  white  and 
black  phoenixes  on  the  gold  ground  of  the  sunken  panels,  and 
cloud  effects  at  their  corners.  The  massive  doors  of  the  inner 
sanctum  sanctorum  are  profusely  carved  in  intricate  arabesque 
patterns,  and  are  excellent  specimens  of  17th-cent.  work. 

The  Honden  (21  by  33  ft.)  sparkles  with  gold  and  color; 
metal  canopies  hang  from  the  ceiling  —  which  is  coffered  and 
covered  with  a  delicate  lattice-work  through  which  the  sheen 
of  rich  gold  is  visible  —  and  the  gold-lacquered  shrines  with 
their  regal  equipment  impart  an  air  of  great  opulence.  These 
are  of  the  3d  shogun,  lemitsu  (who  is  buried  at  Nikko) ;  the  4th 
(Ietsuna) ;  10th  (Ieharu),  and  11th  (Ienari).  The  reliquaries  are 
exquisite  specimens  of  raised  gold-lacquer;  temple-shaped, 
with  quaint  locks,  and  emblazoned  with  Tokugawa  crests. 
Between  these  superb  and  now  priceless  relics  of  the  golden 
past  are  splendidly  carved  and  richly  appareled  figurines  of 
the  deities  who  guard  the  august  tablets  within.  Here  also  are 
handsome  metal  flambeaux,  lotus-flowers,  and  what-not;  while 
facing  them  are  series  of  red  lacquer  tables  on  which  gold- 
plated  and  other  incense-burners  stand.  In  a  sumptuous  little 
shrine  on  the  floor  at  the  left  are  sutras,  or  rolls  of  the  Buddhist 
scriptures. 

Of  the  several  Tombs  in  the  garden  at  the  rear  of  the  com- 
pound, the  bronze  one  (of  Ietsuna)  is  worth  noticing.  It  is 
splendidly  massive,  intricately  carved,  and  surmounts  a  circu- 
lar granite  base  of  graceful  proportions.  The  granite  door 
replaces  one  of  bronze  that  was  stolen  during  the  Revolution  of 
1868,  when  everything  available  in  the  shape  of  base  metal  was 
cast  into  cannon.  The  impressive  gateway  and  its  housings 
weigh  many  tons.  Sculptured  bamboo  phoenixes,  and  myth- 
ological unicorns,  as  well  as  illuminated  Sanscrit  characters 
adorn  it,  while  above  all,  in  glittering  emblazonry,  are  numer- 
ous Tokugawa  crests.  The  great  stones  which  form  the  inclos- 
ing garden  walls  are  like  those  of  some  castle  keep.  In  this 
sheltered  spot  the  beautiful  Camellia  Japonica  blooms  extrava- 
gantly, and  in  their  seasons  come  and  go  the  exquisite  azaleas, 
double-petaled  cherry  blossoms,  the  plum-leafed  spiraea 
(kogome-bana) ,  with  its  fragrant  white  flowers  and  handsome 
silky  leaves;  and  many  other  flowers;  prominent  among  them 
the  purple  glories  of  the  tree-lotus.  Ienari,  the  11th  shogun, 
was  as  passionately  fond  of  flowers  as  he  was  of  children  (of 
which  he  had  51,  31  of  whom  died  in  their  youth),  and  to  com- 


the  Shoguns. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  213 


memorate  the  former,  a  graceful  cherry  tree  overshadows  his 
tomb.  His  posthumous  title  was  Buflkyd-in,  or  '  Great  Re- 
tired Moral  Teacher ' !  —  Though  almost  in  the  center  of  the 
great  throbbing  heart  of  20th-cent.  Tokyo,  this  sequestered 
retreat  seems  a  thousand  miles  from  its  rush  and  clangor.  Save 
for  the  hoarse  cawing  of  noisy  rooks  in  the  adjacent  groves,  a 
restful  silence  broods  above  its  century-old  walls  and  its  pon- 
derous tombs.  Here  in  this  sun-warmed  spot  perfumed  by  lush, 
semi-tropical  flowers,  and  hallowed  by  the  memories  of  the 
mellow  sunset  flamings  of  the  golden  shogun  days,  the  dead 
regents  sleep  their  last  sleep,  surrounded  by  the  graves  of  those 
who  loved  them,  and  perchance  dreaming  sweetly  of  the  hal- 
cyon, never-to-be  forgotten  days  of  Old  Japan. 

Regaining  the  main  road  we  proceed  to  the  adjoining  com- 
pound, where  the  Second  Shrine  (sometimes  called  Go  Ryoya) 
stands.  A  second  fee  is  paid  and  the  traveler  is  ushered  into  a 
similar  cloister  where  hang  28  quaint  bronze  lanterns  amid 
decorations  that  are  almost  a  replica  of  those  of  the  Dai-ichi 
O-Tamaya.  The  intersecting  colonnade,  which  is  newer  and 
brighter  than  the  other,  is  supported  by  columns  covered  with 
intricate  carvings  like  those  of  Pekin  lacquer;  the  porch  of  the 
oratory  is  of  brilliant  Indian  red  lacquer,  while  the  cross-beams 
are  covered  with  rich  diaper- work  resembling  imperial  brocade. 
The  haiden  is  48  ft.  wide  by  21  deep,  with  enrichments  similar 
in  many  details  to  those  of  the  adjacent  building.  The  con- 
necting corridor  (12  by  24  ft.)  terminates  at  the  honden  (33  by 
21  ft.),  which  is  entered  through  beautiful  doors  carved  in  bas- 
relief.  The  superb  gold  lacquered  reliquaries  contain  the  mor- 
tuary tablets  of  the  5th  (Tsunayoshi),  8th  (Yoshimune),  and 
13th  (Iesada)  shoguns;  of  Kokyo-in  (son  of  the  10th  shogun); 
and  of  8  concubines  —  all  mothers  of  shoguns.  The  fierce 
figures  which  guard  the  shrines  are  the  Gods  of  the  Four 
Directions.  —  In  this  room  there  is  an  exquisite  little  gold-lac- 
quered, pagoda-like  sacrarium  in  whose  duskily  gleaming 
depths  is  a  tiny  seated  figure  of  Buddha,  a  veritable  little  chis- 
eled gem  of  artistic  excellence.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find'a 
more  bewitching  example  of  perfect  Japanese  workmanship 
than  this  dainty,  jewel-like  structure  with  its  thousands  of 
polished  and  gilded  segments,  finished  and  fitted  with  the 
scrupulous  care  and  patience  which  certain  of  the  early  crafts- 
men knew  how  to  employ.  Such  elegant  little  reliquaries  are 
usually  intended  for  the  precious  bones  or  similar  priceless 
relics  of  revered  saints,  and  this  one,  with  its  tiny,  flawlessly 
fashioned  personification  of  the  wonderful,  mystical,  inscru- 
table 'Light  of  Asia/  is  one  of  their  most  satisfying  examples. 
—  Among  the  granite  tombs  in  the  garden  is  a  massive  and 
beautiful  bronze  one  (of  the  5th  shogun)  which  is  a  replica  of 
the  one  in  the  adjacent  compound.  The  remainder  are  scarcely 
worth  seeing. 


214   Route  10. 


TOKYO         Higashi  Hongwanji. 


The  Higashi  (Eastern)  Hongwanji  (PI.  J,  5),  a  Buddhist  tem- 
ple of  commanding  proportions  about  1  M.  E.  of  Uyeno  Park 
(follow  the  tramway  along  Inari-cho),  in  the  Asakusa  district, 
is  headquarters  of  the  powerful  Shin-shu,  was  founded  in  1657, 
and  is  a  companion  structure  to  the  Nishi  Hongwanji  (p.  234). 
The  present  building,  one  of  the  chief  religious  edifices  of  the 
metropolis,  dates  from  the  19th  cent,  and  stands  at  the  foot  of 
a  long,  pebble-strewn  yard  crossed  by  a  high  wall  that  runs 
parallel  with  the  street.  The  twin  gates  are  less  interesting  than 
the  handsome  green  bronze,  lotus-shaped  water-basins,  on 
granite  base's  in  the  yard.  The  several  buildings  within  the 
compound  are  dependencies  of  the  main  temple ;  the  one  on  the 
right  just  within  the  gate  is  the  Taiko-do,  or  Drum-Hall,  where 
the  huge  temple  drum  is  kept.  In  the  extreme  left  corner  is  a 
kindergarten.  The  big  bronze  lanterns  on  sculptured  granite 
bases  in  the  atrium  near  the  steps  are  worth  looking  at.  The 
most  striking  features  of  the  massive  entrance  are  the  four 
immense  square  pillars,  cut  from  single  keyaki  trees  and  set  in 
elaborately  embossed  bronze  sockets.  Nine  bronze-sheathed 
steps  lead  to  the  upper  platform,  which  is  also  of  immensely 
heavy  keyaki  timbers,  some  of  them  4  ft.  wide  and  of  unusual 
thickness.  Shoes  must  be  removed  at  the  foot  of  the  steps, 
where  they  are  taken  care  of  (fee,  1  sen)  by  a  woman  stationed 
there  for  the  purpose.  At  the  extreme  right  of  the  porch,  which 
extends  quite  around  the  structure,  in  a  huge  hexagonal  glass 
case,  is  a  sanctified  rope  used  in  the  construction  of  the  mother 
fane  at  Kyoto.  Noteworthy  hereabout  is  the  profusion  of  care- 
fully sculptured  brackets  and  cross-beams  in  the  natural  wood, 
carrying  a  network  of  chrysanthemums,  peonies,  dragons, 
elephants,  lions,  and  what-not  —  the  whole  ranked  among  the 
best  wood-carvings  in  the  capital.  The  white  beam-ends  show 
a  form  of  decoration  popular  in  temples  of  this  sect.  The 
immense  wire  mesh  which  pends  from  the  handsome  sloping 
roof,  and  encircles  the  structure  as  a  protection  against  fire, 
gives  it  the  look  of  a  Vast  aviary.  The  massive  front  doors, 
enriched  with  sturdy  brouze  nails  and  ancient  bosses  after  the 
Arabian  style  adopted  in  Spanish  cathedrals,  when  open  are 
replaced  by  paper  shdji  which  slide  to  and  fro  and  shut  out  the 
miniature  gales  that  sweep  through  the  vast,  unobstructed 
nave.  The  steps  which  lead  down  from  the  right  connect  the 
temple  with  the  Jiki-do,  or  preaching-hall. 

The  capacious  Interior  with  its  140  mats  is  divided  into  a 
big  central  and  two  lateral  naves  with  an  ambulatory.  The 
14  ponderous,  highly  polished  round  keyaki  columns,  and  the 
numerous  pilasters  support  a  network  of  handsomely  carved 
cross-beams,  and  impart  an  air  of  decorous  solemnity  to  it. 
The  usual  quadrangular  brass  lanterns,  assemblage  of  banners, 
texts,  and  what-not  adorn  the  pillars  and  walls,  and  the  notices 
mix  piety  with  materialism  by  admonishing  devotees  neither 


Asakusa  Kwannon.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  215 


to  smoke  nor  sleep  on  the  mats.  The  sunken  panels  of  the  plain 
coffered  ceiling  are  of  keyaki;  the  panels  above  the  chancel 
rail  carry  heavy  open-work  carvings  of  tennin  and  phoenixes. 
The  high  altar  is  a  bulky  structure  lacquered  red  and  picked 
out  with  black  and  gold.  Against  the  gilded  walls  at  the  sides 
hang  pictures  of  Buddhist  saints;  at  the  right  is  a  posthumous 
tablet  of  Tokugawa  Ieyasu,  which  is  brought  out  for  special 
veneration  on  the  17th  of  each  month.  The  tall,  handsome 
black  Amida  in  the  gold-lacquered  reliquary,  in  the  center  of 
the  high  altar,  is  worthy  of  note.  The  contribution-box  in  the 
sunken  space  before  the  altar  is  big  enough  to  bury  a  horse  in. 
Imposing  services  are  held  in  the  temple  the  4th  week  in  Nov., 
in  honor  of  the  founder  of  the  sect.  On  this  day  the  men  are 
supposed  to  wear  the  special  kataginu  (a  sort  of  silk  coat 
anciently  worn  by  samurai),  and  the  women  the  headdress 
called  tsunokakushi  (a  peculiar  bonnet  with  antennae),  referred 
to  in  the  Buddhist  texts  under  the  dictum  that  'A  woman's 
exterior  is  that  of  a  saint,  but  her  heart  is  that  of  a  demon ! ' 
Minor  services  are  held  at  various  other  times  during  the  year. 
—  The  big  bronze  temple  bell  stands  beneath  a  quaint  tower 
in  the  temple  yard,  at  the  left,  near  a  quiet  pool.  Hard  by  are 
two  stone  monuments  to  the  memory  of  the  soldiers  who  died 
during  the  Japan-China  War;  the  white  shaft  refers  specially 
to  those  killed  in  the  Pescadores. 

The  *  Asakusa  Kwannon,  or  Temple  of  Sensoji  (the  Chinese 
name  for  Asakusa),  a  huge  Buddhist  fane  (of  the  Tendai  sect) 
in  Asakusa  Park  (PI.  J,  5-6),  in  the  ward  of  the  same  name,  a 
short  walk  E.  of  the  Higashi  Hongwanji,  is  one  of  the  most 
popular  and  typical  of  the  metropolitan  temples. 

The  vast  inclosure  is  divided  into  numerous  sections,  one  of  which  is  a  sort 
of  Coney  Island  with  a  score  or  more  cheap  theaters,  aquariums,  cycloramas, 
wax-work  shows,  'movies.'  and  what-not.  A  host  of  beautiful  cherry  trees 
clothe  themselves  in  their  loveliest  garb  in  early  April  and  help  to  idealize 
the  lakelets,  fountains,  wooded  islets,  fantastic  pine  trees,  etc.  Innumerable 
oriflammes,  paper  fishes,  flags,  ideographic  pennants,  vari-colored  paper 
lanterns  (chochin),  and  the  like  adorn  the  houses  and  add  gayety  and  color. 
Perhaps  nowhere  in  the  big  city  can  the  native  life  be  seen  to  better  advan- 
tage. The  tourist  should  not  leave  Tokyo  without  spending  at  least  a  few 
hours  at  this  popular  resort  of  the  proletariat,  where  no  entrance  fee  is 
charged;  no  guides  pester  one;  no  skin-games  are  practiced  on  the  unsus- 
pecting uitlander,  and  where  the  toys  and  catch-penny  devices  are  so  ingen- 
ious, cheap,  and  attractive,  that  the  liberal-minded  is  tempted  to  buy  out  the 
whole  show  and  give  it  back  to  the  amiable  folks  who  work  so  indefatigably 
for  the  small  copper  tokens  of  the  realm.  Instead  of  proviDg  an  ordeal  the 
multitude  of  people  combine  to  form  a  huge  free  side-show.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  find  a  brighter,  more  orderly,  a  more  effervescently  happy  and 
less  mischievous  assemblage,  for  the  Japanese  masses  possess  a  self-restraint 
perhaps  unparalleled,  and  only  the  watchful,  underpaid  police  discern  any 
silent  undercurrent  of  lawlessness. 

The  street-cars  (5  sen)  put  one  down  at  the  S.  end  of  a  long,  narrow  lane 
that  leads  from  the  street  to  the  inner  gate.  The  rows  of  one-story  red-brick 
shops  flanking  the  thronged  thoroughfare  are  known  as  naka-mise  ('  middle 
shops'),  because  they  stand  between  the  one-time  outer  gate  (burned  50 
yrs.  ago)  and  the  inner  gate  to  the  temple  inclosure.  Behind  them  run  paral- 
leling lanes  so  narrow  that  they  remind  one  of  certain  of  the  darksome  by- 


216    Route  10. 


TOKYO  The  Red  Pagoda. 


ways  of  Toledo,  Spain.  Here  stand  scores  of  tiny  restaurants  (ryoriya)  that 
cater  to  the  swarms  of  hungry  visitors  and  fill  them  for  a  few  sen  with  all 
manner  of  strange  comestibles  —  and  perhaps  a  few  microbes.  The  scraping 
of  thousands  of  pairs  of  wooden  clogs  (geta)  on  the  stone  flagging  of  the  cen- 
tral way  is  deafening  at  first,  but  one  soon  forgets  it  in  the  attractions  of  the 
small  shops  filled  with  their  multitude  of  tiny  toys  and  replicas  of  articles 
used  in  the  daily  lives  of  the  people.  Peanuts  and  popcorn;  flapjacks  and 
lollypops;  lurid  books  and  chromos;  and  a  host  of  gaudy  baubles  to  wheedle 
the  pennies  from  the  pockets  of  the  country  bumpkins  are  displayed  on  all 
sides  —  a  small  world  of  miniature  arts  and  crafts  priced  to  please  the  thin 
purses  of  the  people. 

The  big  Denbd-in  Temple  behind  a  gate  marked  Dai-san-Ku,  midway  of 
the  lane,  is  uninteresting.  The  elaborate  gold-bronze  statue  just  within  the 
first  gate  is  a  Kwannon.  The  shrine  at  the  left  of  the  end  of  the  lane,  near  the 
main  gate  to  the  chief  temple,  is  dedicated  to  Fudo.  The  pathetic  figure  at 
the  right  of  the  atrium,  enveloped  in  dead  childrens'  garments,  is  the  benevo- 
lent Jizd.  The  stone  praying-wheel  near  by  is  found  usually  in  the  yards  of 
temples  of  the  Shingon  and  Tendai  sects. 

The  credulous  believe  that  ingwa  (the  Sanskrit  karma  —  from  in,  cause; 
and  kwa,  the  fruit  or  effect)  pay  in  this  life  for  effects  produced  in  the  last, 
and  when  they  wish  to  be  cleansed  of  any  sin  they  turn  the  wheel  with  the 
request  to  Jizd  to  let  fate  take  its  course  —  the  course  resembling  the  per- 
petual revolutions  of  a  wheel.  (From  this  belief  comes  the  expression  so  fre- 
quently heard  in  Japan:  Nan  no  ingwa  de  konna  ni  kuro  suru  dard,  'What 
have  I  done  in  my  previous  existence  to  lead  such  a  wretched  life? ')  It  is 
not  unusual  for  certain  of  the  Japanese  Buddhists  to  follow  the  Tibetan 
custom  of  preparing  a  type  of  wheel  which  can  be  fixed  in  the  bed  of  a  stream 
and  turned  by  the  action  of  the  current.  Each  revolution  of  the  wheel  counts 
as  an  uttered  prayer,  and  by  the  aid  of  this  contrivance  prayers  are  sent  up 
night  and  day  for  the  person  who  placed  it  there.  Formerly  there  existed  in 
the  Asakusa  grounds  a  huge  revolving  tower  so  arranged  on  a  pivot  that  a 
slight  shove  would  set  it  going.  Prayers  were  attached  to  the  cylinder,  which 
was  kept  almost  constantly  in  motion.  The  same  idea  (sometimes  called 
4  Wheel  of  Fortune ')  is  expressed  in  Spanish  churches  by  a  wheel,  in  the 
felloe  of  which  a  number  of  small  bells  are  inserted;  it  was  set  in  motion 
during  mass  or  on  dias  de  fiesta,  and  its  position,  on  coming  to  rest,  was  sup- 
posed to  denote  a  favorable  or  an  unfavorable  response  to  the  prayer  of  the 
applicant. 

At  the  right  of  the  main  entrance,  on  a  hill  back  from  the 
street,  is  the  Big  Bell  whose  sonorous  voice  can  be  heard  over 
a  wide  area.  Between  it  and  the  st.  are  two  big  bronze 
Kwannons,  seated  on  lotus  blooms.  The  immense  two-storied 
gateway  with  its  high  tiled  roof,  huge  boss-studded  doors,  and 
bulbous  lanterns,  is  very  striking.  On  either  side,  in  tall 
loggias,  stand  fiercely  stern,  colossal  carved  wood  Nio  (p.  ccvii), 
personifications  of  His  Satanic  Majesty ;  while  to  the  left  of  the 
left  figure,  hanging  against  the  structure,  are  grouped  exag- 
gerated straw  sandals  hung  there  by  credulous  persons  desir- 
ous of  becoming  good  walkers.  The  huge  paper  lanterns  are 
gifts  from  the  local  fish-market  and  were  placed  here  partly 
for  pious,  partly  commercial  reasons,  since  the  donors  have 
their  advertisements  on  them.  The  sign-board  high  up  on  the 
gateway  facade  bears  the  name  of  the  temple. 

The  red  Pagoda  (p.  clxxxiii)  at  the  right  of  the  gateway, 
inside  the  temple  grounds,  is  a  relic  of  the  Buddhism  which 
filtered  through  China  on  its  way  to  Japan.  The  pair  of  ugly 
octagonal  light-towers  were  presented  by  devotees  whose 
names  are  incised  in  the  stone  segments.  The  square  structure 


The  Red  Pagoda.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  217 


at  the  left  of  the  pagoda  is  the  Revolving  Library  {rinzo), 
with  numerous  sculptured  Dogs  of  Fo  under  the  eaves,  and  an 
inner  receptacle  with  a  complete  set  (6771  vols.)  of  the 
.  Buddhist  scriptures.  The  square  edifice  between  the  rinzo  and 
the  E.  gate  is  the  dance-hall  (kagura-den) .  The  large  iron 
■  heaven- water  receptacles  *  beyond  the  tall  stone  torii  hoard 
up  rain-water  against  a  possible  fire.  The  two  bulky  stone  lions 
on  pedestals  flanking  the  walk,  and  the  pair  of  bronze  ones, 
guard  the  adjacent  Asakusa  Jinja,  a  brilliantly  decorated 
structure  with  a  red  porch,  a  straight-pitched,  picturesque  roof, 
and  many  swinging  lanterns.  Around  to  the  right,  behind  a 
group  of  torii,  is  a  small  Fox  Shrine  with  many  bizarre  fitments. 
Turning  to  the  left,  and  passing  along  the  highly  decorated 
rear  of  the  jinja,  we  come  to  a  small,  hexagonal  building  (just 
behind  the  main  temple)  called  the  Jizo-do,  with  a  big  gilded 
and  seated  figure  of  that  divinity  surrounded  by  a  host  of 
smaller  stone  ones,  seated  and  standing  on  semi-circular  tiers ; 
the  red  ribbon  adornments  are  emblematic  of  maternal  peti- 
tions that  have  been  answered.  The  new  building  at  the  left, 
Daiho-do,  with  a  tall  sloping  tiled  roof,  is  an  annex  of  the 
main  temple,  where  special  petitions  from  pilgrims  are  re- 
ceived. The  sacred  white  horse,  the  fountain  with  its  mytho- 
logical figure  in  bronze,  and  the  shrine  of  Ema-d,  the  King  of 
Hades,  with  the  commanding  figure  of  this  worthy,  call  for  no 
mention  other  that  these  bean-eating  equines  seem  curiously 
out  of  place  in  an  intelligent  Japanese  community.  The  big 
Daibutsu  is  inferior  to  that  of  Kamakura.  The  small  red  build- 
ing  hard  by  is  the  Yakushi-do,  or  shrine  dedicated  to  the 
Buddhist  God  of  Medicine  and  mitigator  of  man's  woes. 

On  this  side  of  the  temple  is  a  group  of  attractive  pine  trees 
overshadowing  a  winding  streamlet  spanned  by  a  quaint 
arched  stone  bridge  and  harboring  many  sacred  turtles.  The 
flanking  bronze  lanterns  are  worth  looking  at.  The  red  shrine 
is  dedicated  to  the  Goddess  Benten.  The  Hokyo-in-to  ('  tower 
of  the  sacred  box  and  seal')  shaped  like  a  bronze  lantern  and 
standing  behind  a  tall  iron  railing  was  erected  to  commemorate 
the  soldiers  who  died  in  the  Japan-China  War.  The  striking 
saber-shaped  bronze  shaft  rising  near  by  from  a  broad  granite 
plinth,  whose  base  is  girdled  by  massive  chains,  is  the  Chukon- 
hei,  and  is  a  gift  of  the  people  of  Asakusa  Ward  in  memory  of 
the  loyal  soldiers  who  died  during  the  Russian  War.  —  The 
flagged  walk  between  the  main  gateway  and  the  entrance  to 
the  temple  proper  leads  between  lines  of  stone  and  bronze 
lanterns,  and  small  stands  where  a  petty  commerce  is  trans- 
acted in  grain  with  which  to  feed  the  tame  pigeons  and  the 
lusty  cockerels  that  infest  the  place.  The  former  are  as  numer- 
ous as  at  San  Marcos,  or  at  certain  of  the  Jeypur  temples,  and 
the  soiled  condition  of  the  finely  chiseled  lantern  and  temple 
fitments  is  due  to  their  careless  habits.  The  big  bronze  water 


218    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


The  Temple. 


jars  in  lotus-leaf  design  near  the  entrance  are  worth  noting. 
The  properties  of  the  many  tall  icho  trees,  which  stand  in  the 
temple  yard  (beautiful  golden  foliage  in  autumn)  are  referred 
to  at  p.  471.  The  facade  is  almost  covered  with  signs  and  . 
inscriptions ;"  the  large  picture  on  the  wall  at  the  right,  showing 
two  men  and  a  tiger  asleep,  and  a  Buddhist  priest,  symbolizes 
the  idea  that  life  is  a  dream  and  that  religion  is  the  only  living 
thing. 

The  Temple  is  108  ft.  square,  is  surrounded  by  a  wide 
gallery,  and  stands  on  the  site  of  a  similar  structure  destroyed 
by  fire  about  1650;  the  theory  that  the  original  structure  was 
built  in  the  6th  cent,  is  untenable.  It  owes  its  existence  to  the 
shogun,  Ietsuna,  and  is  a  fine  example  of  the  strength  and 
solidity  which  characterized  many  of  the  17th-cent.  edifices. 
Four  immense  red  lacquered  keyaki  pillars  set  in  bronze 
sockets  support  the  great  porch,  back  from  which  slopes  a 
splendid,  tile-covered  roof  of  fine  proportions.  The  rich  adorn- 
ments beneath  the  king-post  at  each  end  are  worth  looking  at. 
From  the  platform,  reached  by  a  flight  of  bronze-sheathed 
steps,  one  commands  an  interesting  view  of  the  massive  front 
gate  and  of  the  swarm  of  people  pulsing  through  it.  The  in- 
terior of  the  fane  is  not  overly  clean,  and  it  looks  more  like  an 
untidy  junk-shop  than  a  place  for  worship.  The  grotesque 
figures  of  grumpy-looking  saints,  —  perhaps  so  because  badly 
bespattered  by  the  careless  pigeons,  —  the  fantastic  lanterns, 
curious  bronzes,  bizarre  furniture,  Buddhist  sutras,  emblems, 
banners,  and  what-not,  add  to  the  general  stuffiness;  which  is 
accentuated  in  a  way  by  the  incessant  sound  of  clapping  hands, 
jingling  coins,  scraping  geta,  and  the  general  hubbub  caused 
by  a  moving,  chattering  multitude.  Flapping  pigeons  dart  to 
and  fro,  defile  the  temple  adornments,  and  deftly  escape  cap- 
ture at  the  hands  of  the  children  who  make  a  business  of  try- 
ing to  surprise  them.  Crying  babies,  yelping  pariah  dogs,  and 
ailing  people  crying  aloud  to  Amida  to  help  them,  add  to  the 
general  clatter.  Facing  the  middle  entrance  is  a  bronze  recepr 
tacle  surmounted  by  a  prancing  shishi;  a  fire  burns  within,  fed 
by  inflammable  incense,  and  aromatic  steam  hisses  as  it 
escapes  from  the  crevices.  A  host  of  huge  lanterns  pend  from 
the  cross-beams,  and  the  hurtling  wind  sways  them  to  and  fro 
and  imparts  an  air  of  instability  to  the  structure.  A  number 
of  shrines  stand  within,  and  near  them  tiny  kakemonos  bearing 
inscriptions  from  Buddhist  texts  are  sold  by  the  priests.  Cer- 
tain, of  the  ideographic  banners  are  petitions  for  the  happi- 
ness of  persons  who  have  already  visited  the  188  most  cele- 
brated temples  and  shrines  throughout  the  Empire,  and  who 
now  lodge  their  concentrated  requests  here  at  the  last  of  the 
series;  others  are  handsomely  executed  by  artists  who  pray 
for  a  benediction  on  their  profession,  and  for  more  customers. 

At  the  right  of  the  inner  shrine  is  a  huge  framed  picture 


The  Inner  Shrine.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  219 


representing  an  ancient  lyric  drama  in  which  Shojo,  a  fabulous 
being  with  a  human  form,  red  hair,  and  a  vinous  complexion, 
plays  the  chief  part.  Below  it  is  a  seated  figure  of  Binzuru,  the 
helper  of  the  ailing,  with  a  bib  round  his  neck  and  his  face 
partly  rubbed  away;  the  figure  is  ascribed  to  the  celebrated 
bonze,  Jikaku-Daishi  (794-864).  The  carved  and  painted  pic- 
ture in  relief  on  the  opposite  wall  represents  three  Chinese 
heroes  of  antiquity;  the  time-stained  tennin  on  the  ceiling  are 
ascribed  to  Kand  Doshun.  At  the  tables  in  front  of  the  main 
shrine  pictures  of  Kwannon  are  bought  by  the  credulous  as 
talismans  against  sickness,  and  as  aids  to  women  in  child- 
birth. Tickets  are  sold  here  that  purport  to  tell  the  sex  of  an 
unborn  child! 

Albeit  the  Inner  Shrine  is  supposed  to  be  inaccessible  to 
the  general  public,  a  courteous  request  accompanied  by  25-50 
sen  will  secure  admission  and  the  service  of  a  priestly  guide. 
As  the  floor  is  covered  with  fine  matting,  shoes  must  be 
removed,  and  it  is  advisable  to  ask  some  one  to  watch  them,  as 
they  must  be  left  outside  the  sanctum;  the  attendant  who 
guards  them  expects  10  sen.  The  darksome,  mystical  interior 
is  a  maze  of  gold-lacquer,  metal  lotus-flowers,  lanterns,  figur- 
ines of  Kwannon,  and  a  small  army  of  diverse  devils'  and 
divinities,  all  peering  out  from  the  dusky  depths  of  their 
niches.  The  chief  object  of  veneration  (never  shown)  is  a  small 
gold  statuette  (If  in.  high)  of  the  Goddess  Kwannon,  attributed 
(erroneously)  to  Gyogi-bosatsu,  a  learned  7th-cent.  Korean 
bonze.  Every  10  yrs.  a  spurious  and  alleged  miraculous  image 
is  shown  to  the  gullible;  and  on  Dec.  13  of  each  year  a  dupli- 
cate is  paraded  before  the  uncritical.  According  to  the  legend 
the  original  image  was  found  sometime  during  the  7th  cent, 
by  three  fishermen,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Sumida  River,  and 
, because  it  was  drawn  up  in  their  net,  a  crest  formed  of  3  nets 
adorns  parts  of  the  temple.  In  March,  1911,  the  image  and  its 
repository  (along  with  the  pagoda  near  the  outer  gate)  were 
elevated  to  the  rank  of  national  treasures,  and  were  made  over 
to  the  Gov't.  The  beautiful  red,  black,  and  gold-lacquer 
shrine  which  incloses  it  —  one  of  the  finest  examples  extant  of 
choice  17th-cent.  workmanship  —  contains  9  other  nested 
reliquaries,  each  increasing  in  richness  with  the  diminution  of 
size;  the  image  is  said  to  repose  in  the  10th  and  smallest. 
According  to  the  temple  records,  the  building  has  been  burned 
4  times  since  its  establishment  (perhaps  in  the  15th  cent, 
coincident  with  the  expansion  of  old  Yedo),  but  each  time  the 
shrine  and  its  contents  have  been  saved  through  a  special  door 
cut  through  the  wall  at  the  back.  The  guardian  figures  are 
the  Gods  of  the  Four  Directions,  supplemented  by  the  Thirty- 
three  Terrestrial  Manifestations  of  Kwannon.  The  two  pic- 
tures displaying  gold-lacquered  horses,  which  hang  at  the  right 
and  left  of  the  shrine,  were  gifts  from  the  shogun,  Iemitsu,  at 


220    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


The  Inner  Shrine. 


whose  initiative  the  present  temple  was  constructed,  — 
although  it  was  completed  during  the  reign  of  Ietsuna.  Above 
the  lateral  shrine  at  the  right,  where  18  of  the  figures  of 
Kwannon  are  ranged,  there  may  be  seen  on  a  bright  day  a 
huge  painting  of  a  dancing  angel ;  the  work  of  Kand  Yasunobu, 
one  of  the  most  celebrated  artists  of  the  old  times.  To  the 
right  is  a  shrine  to  Fudd,  with  an  image  of  the  Fire  God 
attributed  to  the  inimitable  Unkei,  and  a  tall,  gilded  figure  of 
Kwannon  presented  to  the  temple  by  a  Tokugawa  shogun.  A 
number  of  bizarre  objects  are  scattered  about  this  room,  among 
them  a  fine  Indian  goddess  seated  on  a  water-buffalo.  The 
handsome  brass  and  bronze  incense-burners  at  the  foot  of  the 
shrine  are  worthy  of  notice. 

The  priest  now  conducts  the  visitor  to  the  rear  of  the  main 
shrine  where  there  is  an  Ura  Kwannon,  or  rear  shrine  guarding 
the  door  in  the  wall  through  which  the  sacred  figurine  is 
removed  in  case  of  fire.  On  the  door-posts  are  inscriptions  to 
the  effect  that  the  image  was  1072  yrs.  old  at  the  time  of  the 
Genroku  Era  (1688-1704).  The  big  time-stained  painting  on 
the  rear  wall  depicts  the  Dragon  Goddess  receiving  from 
Fugen-bosatsu  (the  Universally  Wise  and  Benevolent  Goddess) 
a  hokekyo,  or  roll  of  the  Buddhist  scriptures;  Buddha,  Amida, 
and  a  host  of  other  personages  appear  in  the  perspective.  On 
the  corridor  walls  are  two  huge  paintings  on  lacquered  wood, 
10  by  20  ft.,  and  20  by  40  ft.,  depicting  the  28  vols,  of  the 
Buddhist  scriptures. 

The  altar  at  the  left  of  the  main  shrine  is  dedicated  to  Aizen 
Myo-6  (the  Goddess  of  Love);  15  of  the  manifestations  of 
Kwannon  stand  here,  while  farther  at  the  left,  in  a  shrine 
corresponding  in  location  to  the  Fudo  shrine  at  the  right,  is  a 
beautiful  little  pagoda,  rich  in  reds  and  blues  and  gold-lacquer, 
with  a  tiny  Buddha  inside  it.  There  is  also  a  handsome, 
Kokuzd-bosatsu,  in  a  small  glass  case.  Farther  along,  in  a 
bulky  wall-case  with  a  metal  screen,  are  1000  seated  images  of 
Kwannon;  the  image  at  the  right,  on  a  red  drum,  is  a  Chinese 
importation.  The  large  plate-glass  mirror  (one  of  the  first 
brought  to  Japan)  was  given  to  the  temple  (by  an  association 
of  wrestlers)  just  after  the  Restoration,  at  a  time  when  it  was 
regarded  as  a  Western  marvel.  The  seated  image  of  the  abbot 
Zennin  Shonin,  which  formerly  stood  here,  is  now  in  a  narrow 
room  at  the  right  of  the  main  shrine. 

We  leave  the  temple  grounds  by  the  wide  avenue  leading  W. 
toward  the  lake;  the  low  cream-colored  brick  structure  (cost, 
¥32,000)  at  the  left,  crowned  by  a  hoshu  no  tama,  contains 
an  Indian  Buddha  and  was  erected  in  1912.  The  scores  of  tiny 
shops  hereabout  do  a  roaring  trade  with  yokels  on  holidays. 
The  pretty  lakelet  is  said  to  be  the  residue  of  the  waters  of 
Tokyo  Bay  which  once  covered  the  temple  grounds.  In  sub- 
stantiation of  this  fact  the  locally  celebrated  Asakusa-nori 


The  Yoshiwara. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  221 


(laverwort),  a  palatable  seaweed  (Porphyra  vulgaris)  which  is 
now  gathered  near  Shinagawa  Bay,  retains  the  name  because 
it  was  once  gathered  here.  On  the  W.  side  are  many  cheap 
theaters,  platforms  for  jugglers,  acrobats,  etc.  The  lofty  tower 
at  the  right  (220  ft.  and  50  ft.  in  diameter),  popularly  called 
Ju-ni-kai  (12  stories),  was  erected  in  1890  and  is  devoted  to 
picture-shows,  etc.  The  new  structure  at  the  left  of  it  is  used 
for  wrestling-matches.  There  is  a  small  aquarium  in  the 
Kdenchi  (park),  and  numerous  wax- work  displays.  —  The  low 
hill  called  Matsuchi-yama,  between  Asakusa  Park  and  the 
Sumida,  is  a  favorite  rendezvous  of  certain  Tokyoites,  who 
foregather  here  in  springtime  to  enjoy  the  view  of  the  opposite 
Mukdjima  and  its  cherry  trees. 

The  Yoshiwara  (PL  J,  5),  or  prostitute  quarter,  known  collo- 
quially as  Naka,  a  widely  celebrated  relic  of  feudal  times  and 
an  unusually  interesting  example  of  the  efforts  of  a  sane  and 
highly  civilized  gov't  to  regulate  (by  segregation)  one  of  the 
most  potent  and  delicate  sociological  evils  inherited  from  all 
the  ages  (and  incidentally  to  prevent  the  spread  of  one  of  the 
most  fearsome  scourges  that  afflict  humanity),  lies  about  i  M. 
northward  of  Asakusa  Park  (rikisha  in  10  min.;  fare,  15  sen) 
and  an  almost  equal  distance  W.  of  the  Sumida  River,  near 
the  N.  outskirts  of  the  metropolis,  in  the  midst  of  a  labyrinth 
of  dusty  streets  and  tawdry  houses,  grouped  in  a  walled 
inclosure  (about  i  M.  square)  entered  through  guarded  gate- 
ways and  policed  by  a  squad  of  specially  picked  men.  Though 
supposedly  the  most  grossly  wicked  spot  in  Japan,  this  hand- 
some intramural  settlement  is  at  once  bizarre  and  brilliant  — 
notwithstanding  its  character  of  a  self-confessed  Sodom  wholly 
given  over  to  bawdry  and  hetserism;  (and  to  the  mercenary 
men  of  low  morals  who  employ  the  misguided  women  for  their 
own  financial  aggrandizement) ;  to  the  dominating  influence 
of  courtezans  and  geisha;  to  paramours  and  panderism;  and 
to  the  small  army  of  shopkeepers,  restaurateurs,  and  the  lesser 
fry  who  meretriciously  cater  to  the  unbridled  instincts  of  the 
licentious  element. 

It  is  perhaps  needless  to  mention  that  the  Tokyo  municipality  and  the 
better  element  of  the  capital  are  not  a  bit  proud  of  this  ignoble  appendage  of 
Japan's  greatest  city.  The  thoughtful  traveler  who  visits  this  spot  so  far- 
famed  for  its  ill-fame,  will  view  it  not  as  a  wanton  flowering  of  the  inconti- 
nence which  in  a  greater  or  less  degree  is  a  restrained  characteristic  of  other 
nations  besides  the  Japanese,  but  rather  as  a  noteworthy  success  in  prevent- 
ing immorality  from  sauntering,  soliciting,  and  elbowing  one  aside  in  the 
city's  thoroughfares;  from  ogling  and  enmeshing  strangers;  and  from  flaunt- 
ing immodesty  and  lewdness  in  the  faces  of  those  who  are  not  looking  for  it 
and  who  might  otherwise  remain  unconscious  of  it.  The  present  enlightened 
Gov't  has  repeatedly  distinguished  itself  by  drastic  legislation  against  trans- 
actions that  pledged  unfortunate  women  to  a  life  of  shame.  It  has  promul- 
gated laws  dissolving,  without  reserve,  all  covenants,  and  annulling  all 
monetary  obligations,  between  harlots  and  their  masters,  and  it  has  decreed 
that  all  capital  invested  in  enterprises  inconsistent  with  the  moral  law  should 
be  treated  as  stolen.  In  one  decree  prostitutes  and  geisha  were  considered  as 
having  dehumanized  themselves,  and  therefore  money  due  by  them,  or  by 


222    Route  10.  TOKYO  The  Yoshiwara. 

others  on  their  account,  could  not  be  recovered.  Severe  penalties  were  pre- 
scribed for  any  attempt  to  bind  a  girl  to  degrading  and  dissolute  service  in  a 
joroya,  or  licensed  house  of  ill-fame.  History,  however,  again  repeated  itself; 
age-worn  traditions  proved  too  strong  for  legislation;  and  finding  that  the 
world-old  social  evil  could  not  be  suppressed,  the  lawmakers  adopted  the 
middle  course  and  regulated  it. 

It  was  not  until  Yedo  had  become  the  seat  of  the  Tokugawa  Shdgunate 
that  regular  brothels  were  established,  and  up  to  1614  there  was  no  fixed  place 
set  apart  for  sexual  commerce.  The  first '  red  light '  district  to  be  inhabited 
by  these  '  priestesses  of  humanity '  in  the  ancient  capital  was  founded  in  a 
wide  swampy  area  overrun  with  reeds  and  rushes.  From  the  prevalence  of 
the  latter  the  place  was  called  yoshiwara ,  or  '  rush-moor.'  So  that  the  local- 
ity might  have  a  more  auspicious  title  the  name  was  afterwards  adroitly 
changed  to  yoshi-wara,  or  'good-luck  moor.'  In  1626  all  the  stews  of  the 
growing  metropolis  were  transferred  hither,  and  among  them  many  bath- 
houses presided  over  by  Jezebels  semi-euphemistically  termed  Jigoku,  or 
'hell-women,'  chosen  usually  for  their  beauty  and  attractiveness.  In  1657 
this  '  Hell's  Kitchen '  was  swept  by  fire,  and  the  new  houses  of  the  present 
site  erected.  Later  this  became  known  as  the  shin,  or  '  new '  yoshiwara  (a 
generic  term  now  applied  to  many  such  '  Flower  Districts'  in  the  Empire), 
in  contradistinction  to  the  moto,  or  '  old '  yoshiwara.  Between  1655  and  1897 
the  raging,  purifying  flames  of  30  great  conflagrations  destroyed  the  unhal- 
lowed settlement.  Each  time,  and  with  incredible  rapidity,  a  larger  and 
more  resplendent  one  has  risen  from  the  ruins,  until  the  final  great  fire  of 
April  10, 1911,  burned  all  the  palatial  buildings  in  the  inclosure  and  over  6000 
in  the  immediate  neighborhood;  killing  an  unlisted  number  of  people  (among 
them  many  inmates  of  the  houses) ,  injuring  134,  and  causing  a  monetary  loss 
of  ten  million  yen.  The  fire  was  the  signal  for  a  national  discussion  almost  as 
heated;  but  despite  many  protests  and  suggestions  to  eradicate  the  evil  and 
definitely  to  consign  it  to  a  merited  oblivion,  or  at  least  to  a  site  beyond  the 
city  limits,  the  present  yoshiwara  sprang  once  more  into  being,  and  on  a  scale 
of  gilded  grandeur  outclassing  all  previous  efforts.  Building  operations 
began  as  soon  as  the  ruins  were  chilled  enough  to  handle,  and  the  Tokyd 
builders  established  a  record  for  speed  never  before  accomplished  in  secular 
operations! 

Though  architecturally  a  medley  of  many  styles  —  coupled  with  a  host  of 
efforts  far  from  stylish  —  the  settlement  possesses  a  striking  individuality. 
The  houses  are  more  solidly  built  than  were  any  of  those  in  former  times,  and 
so  fearful  are  the  people,  that  now  when  a  high  wind  prevails,  the  local  bath- 
houses (the  foci  of  most  of  the  fires)  are  made  to  suspend  business  till  it  dies 
away.  Floridity  and  Pompeiian  voluptuousness  are  the  dominating  notes; 
flower-adorned  balconies,  stucco-figures,  tiled  insets,  and  various  caprices 
distinguish  certain  of  the  temple-like  facades,  into  which  are  let  the  often- 
times coarsely  vulgar  names  of  the  establishments.  Certain  of  the  entrances 
are  striking  and  elaborate;  resplendent  gilded  dragons  adorn  the  ceilings, 
and  great  masses  of  real  flowers  in  season  (and  artificial  cherry  or  plum  blos- 
soms out  of  season)  grouped  with  all  the  indubitable  skill  of  native  horticul- 
turists, impart  an  artistic  effect.  The  libidinous  masters  of  the  houses  prac- 
tice all  the  allurements  known  to  them  to  enmesh  the  senses  of  the  passer- 
by. Gold,  madreperl,  marble,  rich  green  bronze  and  highly  polished  brass; 
native  woods  of  beautiful  grain  and  finish;  huge  cheval-glasses;  colossal 
gilded  temple-drums;  red-and-gold  lacquer  of  exquisite  native  workman- 
ship; and  other  emblems  of  wealth  are  skillfully  disposed  to  entice  the  way- 
farer, the  while  dulling  his  senses  to  the  wickedness  concealed  beyond. 
Through  these  sometimes  palatial  entrances,  hung  with  rich  satin  brocades, 
one  glimpses  alluring  vistas  of  reposeful  interiors;  of  lotus-pools  and  tinkling 
fountains;  tiny  landscape  gardens  and  arched  bridges;  of  cool,  flower-em- 
bowered, perfumed  retreats,  dimly  lighted,  through  which  barefooted  women 
patter;  or,  reclining  with  studied  carelessness,  suggest  Ionian  bathing-scenes 
or  other  spectacular  situations  that  disturb  the  shallow  noddle  of  the  sala- 
ciously  disposed. 

The  entrances  of  the  pseudo-4  aristocratic '  establishments  resemble  theater 
lobbies,  in  that  behind  deep  plate-glass  windows  one  sees  successive  rows  of 
enlarged  photographs,  plain  or  colored,  or  full-length  pictures  of  women, 
and  landscape  views  in  which  the  latter  figure  with  skillfully  reproduced 


The  Yoshiwara. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  223 


faces.  These  pictures  replace  the  'dressed  shop-front'  referred  to  herein- 
after. The  likeness  to  a  theater  is  accentuated  by  the  box-office  which  stands 
near  the  door  and  which  is  presided  over  by  a  cashier,  or  ticket-taker.  After 
inspecting  the  photographs,  and  making  a  mental  choice,  the  visitor  sidles 
up  to  the  box,  pays  the  customary  fee,  and  whisks  briskly  into  the  house 
and  out  of  sight  of  the  cynical  loungers  without. 

The  Niroku  published,  in  1912,  some  statistics  concerning  licensed  prosti- 
tutes in  Japan,  and  particularly  in  Tokyo.  According  to  the  latest  returns 
there  are  48,769  licensed  prostitutes  in  the  whole  country,  of  whom  6000  are 
in  Tokyo.  To  this  latter  number  Niigata  Prefecture  (Echigo)  contributes 
the  largest  share,  followed  by  Tokyo,  Gifu,  Aichi,  Ibaraki,  Yamagata,  and 
Mie  Prefectures  in  the  order  named.  Fukushima  Prefecture  shows  the  small- 
est number.  The  common  price  charged  for  each  customer  is  35  sen,  of 
which  one  half  goes  to  the  employer  or  keeper  of  the  house.  Of  the  remain- 
ing 17h  sen,  10  sen  is  applied  for  the  repayment  of  the  loan  raised  from  the 
employer  at  the  start,  the  balance,  1\  sen,  being  the  net  profit.  This  latter 
sum,  however,  is  still  liable  to  levies  in  the  shape  of  funds  for  the  purchase  of 
furniture  and  table  utensils  and  the  residue  is  spent  on  toilet  powder,  and 
paper,  hair-dressing,  tooth-powder  and  brushes  for  the  use  of  the  guest.  The 
employer  provides  the  inmate's  food  twice  a  day,  consisting  of  rice  and  an- 
other dish  worth  from  1  to  1|  sen  a  day.  How  it  tastes  can  be  better  imag- 
ined than  described.  The  woman  is  naturally  obliged  to  buy  something 
palatable  for  herself  out  of  her  own  pittance.  Her  earnings  amount  to  about 
14  sen  a  day,  which  is  insufficient  to  supply  her  wants.  She  gets  a  rebate  of 
\  sen  for  every  plate  of  fish  or  other  eatable  ordered  by  the  guests  (which 
usually  costs  them  25  sen,  but  the  vender  gets  from  8  to  15  sen^oh]y,  the  dif- 
ference going  to  the  keeper  of  the  house").  The  number  of  men  and  women'") 
who  subsist  on  these  poor  creatures  is  quite  formidable,  there  being  in  the  I 
Yoshiwara  680  men  and  840  women,  their  nomenclature  being  yarite  (gover-  / 
ness),  shinzo  (maidservants),  banto  (clerks  and  menservants) ,  and  naka* 
bataraki  (assistants).  There  are  sixty-four  tea-houses  where  the  better 
classes  of  guests  take  their  meals  or  call  geisha  before  repairing  to  the  bro- 
thels, and  here  their  accounts  are  settled,  payment  being  made  after  the 
spree,  although  running  accounts  are  kept  by  some  frequenters.  There  are  a 
large  number  of  eating-houses,  and  those  dependent  for  their  support  on  the 
custom  of  mere  sight-seers  include  40  oden-sellers,  15  daifuku-sellers,  and 
over  50  vendors  of  tsujiura  (small  pieces  of  paper  with  some  words  printed  on 
them  telling  the  buyer's  fortune,  or  words  supposed  to  come  from  his  sweet- 
heart). The  people  employed  at  the  brothels  are  not  paid  for  by  the  keepers, 
being  dependent  for  their  support  on  4  tips '  which  average  from  30  yen  to 
100  yen  per  month. 

No  section  of  Tokyo  is  cleaner  superficially,  outwardly  more 
decorous,  and  freer  from  ribaldry  and  pornographic  offensive- 
ness  than  the  joro  quarter;  one  who  sees  it  in  the  daytime  will 
find  alert  gendarmes  patrolling  the  streets,  and  perfect  order 
prevailing.  The  same  lanterns  and  flags  and  banners;  the  same 
pleasing  medley  of  color;  and  the  same  all-pervading  winsome- 
ness  characteristic  of  the  streets  of  most  of  Japan's  well-regu- 
lated cities  are  in  evidence;  and  withal  a  surprising  and  note- 
worthy lack  of  the  degradation  one  naturally  associates  in  the 
mind  with  a  region  confessedly  given  over  to  unchastity.  It 
has  rather  the  general  aspect  of  a  handsome,  vivacious  bazaar; 
particularly  on  locally  celebrated  festival-days,  when  throngs 
of  sight-seers  flock  into  the  compound  to  witness  the  various 
brilliant  displays  and  ingenious  advertising  dodges  (direct 
advertising  is  inhibited)  evolved  by  the  proprietors  of  the  dif- 
ferent establishments.  [One  of  the  most  popular  is  the  Niwaka, 
a  sort  of  comic  play  held  on  summer  nights.] 

An  unkempt  thoroughfare,  the  Nihon  Tsutsumi  ('  Japan 


224   Route  10.  TOKYO  The  Main  Street 


dyke'), — formerly  flanked  by  poisonous  lacquer  trees, — 
leads  past  the  main  entrance  to  the  yoshiwara  on  the  E.,  and 
from  it  there  branches  off  at  the  left,  as  one  approaches  it  from 
the  Sumida  River,  a  short,  lively,  sloping  street  flanked  on  both 
sides  by  small  shops  and  tea-houses  —  some  of  the  latter  dedi- 
cated to  illicit  intrigues.  The  first  half  of  this  approach  is 
called  Emon-zaki,  or  Dress  Hill,  from  the  circumstance  that 
visitors  to  the  gay  abode  of  vice  beyond  are  supposed  to  adjust 
neckties  and  make  tentative  efforts  to  spruce  up  a  bit  as  the 
jinriki  whirls  them  onward  toward  the  O-Mon  (great  gate).  At 
the  right  of  Emon-zaki  is  a  small  Shinto  shrine  (a  permanent 
adjunct  to  all  such  places)  called  the  Yoshiwara  Jinja;  hence 
to  the  gate  the  division  is  called  Go-jik-ken-michi  (50-house 
street),  from  the  50  tea-houses  which  originally  faced  it. 
Before  the  last  great  fire  a  graceful  arch,  surmounted  by  a 
gilded  figure  of  a  woman  supposed  to  typify  the  Venuses 
within,  spanned  the  space  between  the  iron  gate-posts  —  the 
inscriptions  on  which  (by  a  popular  playwright)  convey  a 
subtle  meaning  to  those  versed  in  the  classic  poetry  of  Japan 
and  China.  Liberally  interpreted  they  mean:  'A  dream  of 
springtide  when  the  air  is  filled  with  cherry  blossoms.  Tidings 
of  the  autumn  when  the  streets  are  flanked  with  lighted  lan- 
terns/ The  couplet  refers  to  the  former  line  of  splendid  flower- 
ing cherry  trees  which  grew  in  graceful  attitudes  through  the 
center  of  the  main  thoroughfare;  and  to  the  oddly-shaped  lan- 
terns on  upright  bamboo  stakes  which  stood  at  the  base  of  each 
tree.  When  the  lamps  were  lighted  in  the  soft  dusk  of  an  April 
night,  and  a  gentle  and  caressing  breeze  shook  the  downy  blos- 
soms in  clouds  from  the  trees,  the  scene  was  one  of  singular 
beauty;  even  though  it  showed  to  what  base  uses  art  could  be 
put.  The  charm  of  this  and  of  the  Yo-zakura,  or  '  Night 
Cherries '  (a  poetical  name  applied  to  the  women  of  the  re- 
sort), is  celebrated  throughout  Japan,  and  has  long  been  en- 
shrined in  song  and  poetry. 

The  Main  Street,  Naka-no-cho,  runs  straight  for  716  ft. 
from  the  wide  entrance  gate,  through  the  compound  to  the 
Medical  Inspection  Bureau,  where  physical  examinations  are 
held  each  week.  Branching  off  at  right  angles  are  short  side 
streets  —  Yedo-cho,  Sumi-cho,  Kyo-machi,  and  Ageya-machi 
—  some  of  which  terminate  at  gates  closed  at  night  and  used 
as  exits  in  the  day-time.  Connecting  these  side  streets  (on 
which  are  some  of  the  finest  houses)  are  certain  cool,  seques- 
tered byways  that  recall  the  narrow,  shaded  lanes  of  Cairene 
and  Syrian  bazaars,  flanked  by  tall  houses  whose  upper  bal- 
conies almost  touch.  These  are  the  most  picturesque  within 
the  inclosure;  at  night  they  are  rendered  brilliant  and  strikingly 
vivid  by  the  slatted  cages  (deep  and  wide-barred  front  win- 
dows innocent  of  glass),  backed  each  by  its  row  of  gorgeously 
clad,  black-eyed,  enameled  houris  sitting  like  wax  figures  on  a 


of  the  Yoshiwara. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  225 


proscenium,  before  wonderful  dead  gold  screens  or  polished 
mirrors  that  add  limitless  depth  to  the  apartments  and  reflect 
again  and  again  the  bars  themselves  and  the  silent,  eager, 
staring  faces  between  them.  In  the  morning  they  are  often 
filled  with  heavy-eyed,  languorous  women  being  coiffed  and 
barbered  for  the  evening  orgy,  or  with  lively,  chaffing  ones  who 
impatiently  await  the  breakfast  which  a  scurrying  maid  is 
bringing  steaming  on  a  tray  from  a  near-by  restaurant,  and 
who  shrill  out  mutilated  salutations  in  English  to  the  saunter- 
ing stranger.  In  the  first-class  houses,  some  of  which  are  sup- 
posed to  be  celebrated  for  the  charm  and  beauty  of  their  cour- 
tezans, there  is  no  such  thing  as  this  hari-mise,  or  '  dressed 
shop-front/  and  patrons,  instead  of  seeing  the  women  from  the 
street,  and  there  making  their  choice,  must  be  introduced  by  a 
professional  go-between  —  usually  a  woman.  There  are  many 
such  '  introducing-houses '  in  the  inclosure,  and  some  of  the 
celebrated  restaurants  and  chayas  are  said  to  be  dedicated  to 
this  purpose.  —  During  the  forenoon  of  a  sunny  day  brilliantly 
colored  sleeping-garments  are  hung  out  to  air  from  the  bal- 
conies of  many  of  the  houses,  while  the  capricious  sultanas,  if 
not  sauntering  through  the  streets  accompanied  by  fresh  young 
women  attendants,  are  reposing  in  the  crepuscular  shadows  of 
the  inner  rooms. 

At  night  when  the  short  streets  are  a  blaze  of  electric  light,  | 
and  throngs  of  men,  women,  and  children  —  the  latter  usually 
with  bead-eyed,  shaven-pated,  babies  pick-a-back  —  pulsate 
through  the  settlement,  the  scene  is  as  singular  as  any  the 
traveler  will  see  in  the  Eastern  world.  Foreigners,  metropoli- 
tans, country  yokels,  soldiers,  fortune-tellers,  harlequins,  i 
blind-shampooers,  female  hair-dressers,  beggars,  venders  of* 
rice-dumplings,  boiled  red-beans,  cigarettes,  and  a  score  of 
native  goodies,  elbow  their  way  good-naturedly  through  the 
compound  milling  with  iniquitous  humanity.  Dapper  little 
policemen  clad  in  spick-and-span  uniforms,  helmets,  and  white 
gloves,  and  equipped  with  swords,  spectacles,  lanterns,  and 
notebooks,  are  on  the  spot  to  repress  all  coarseness  or  brutality, 
and  to  keep  a  keen  eye  out  for  brawlers,  tipsy  visitors,  or  other 
disturbers  of  the  remarkable  order  of  the  place.  Frequently 
one  hears  their  sharp,  staccato  Kora,  Koraf  (lit.,  ye,  but  figu- 
ratively: 'Move  along  there  now,  step  lively! ')  shrilling  above 
the  din,  forbidding  frolicsomeness  and  enjoining  decorum. 
Soon  after  dusk  a  curiously  feverish  but  suppressed  animation 
thrills  through  the  place  —  a  precursor  of  the  mise  wo  haru 
(lit.,  to  arrange  goods  in  order  and  expose  them  for  sale),  or  the 
filing  into  their  cages  of  the  'bud  and  blossom'  of  the  most 
celebrated  joroya  in  Japan.  Then  the  whole  yukaku  (group  of 
visitors)  seethes  with  subdued  excitement.  In  the  more  pre- 
tentious houses  the  women  form  a  gaudy  assemblage  in  a 
richly  decorated  room  visible  from  just  inside  the  entrance, 


226    Route  10. 


TOKYO     The  Yoshiwara  inmates. 


but  not  from  the  street.  Clad  in  gorgeous  costumes  of  silk  or 
satin  which  cover  them  completely  from  throat  to  heel ;  rigged 
out  in  sumptuous  coral  and  metal,  porcelain,  or  tortoise-shell 
hairpins  ranged  round  their  heads  like  a  halo;  with  penciled 
eyebrows;  lips  splashed  with  crimson;  be-powdered  and  freshly 
coiffed;  these  statuesque  Eves  seat  themselves  submissively 
each  on  her  silken  mat,  where,  like  some  resplendent  impersonal 
merchandise,  she  waits  patiently  beside  a  circular,  brilliantly 
polished  brass  hibachi,  before  a  glistening  cheval-glass  that 
reflects  every  line  of  her  back  and  her  sloe-black,  elaborate, 
and  distinctive  coiffure.  An  assumed  look  of  modesty  and 
candor  masks  the  soul-besmirching  traffic  in  which  each  is 
engaged.  There  is  nothing  in  the  outward  display  that  would 
startle  the  most  prudish.  Later,  as  one  by  one  they  are  beck- 
oned out  and  glide  noiselessly  to  some  deeper  recess  of  the 
house,  there  floats  out  on  the  soft  night  air  the  tinkling  notes  of 
samisen;  the  melancholy  thrumming  of  silken-girdled  drums; 
the  soft  pounding  of  tabi-shod  dancing  feet;  the  swish  of  volup- 
tuous garments;  and  the  hoarse,  throaty,  contralto  tones  of 
artificially  trained  geisha  voices. 

Of  the  3000  or  more  tawareme  in  the  shin-yoshiwara  (the 
next  largest  in  Tokyo  is  the  Susaki,  in  Fukagawa  Ward,  with 
2000  inmates)  but  few  are  Tokyo  women;  they  are  chiefly 
recruited  from  provinces  where  the  conditions  of  life  are  con- 
sidered hard  and  grinding.  Poverty,  personal  misfortune,  and 
calamities  resulting  from  eathquakes,  crop-failures,  tidal 
waves,  and  the  like  are  said  to  be  the  chief  causes  for  girls 
entering  upon  a  life  of  shame.  [Certain  Japanese  do  not  con- 
sider it  a  disgrace  for  a  girl  to  show  her  filial  love  by  selling 
herself  for  a  few  years  to  help  her  poverty-stricken  parents, 
but  rather  as  an  act  of  heroism.]  The  people  like  to  believe 
that  there  are  few  if  any  voluntary  victims,  and  that  no  one 
adopts  the  career  if  an  alternative  offers:  only  the  pressure 
of  dire  necessity  is  held  to  justify  the  sacrifice.  This  is  gener- 
ally counted  a  grievous  affliction  by  those  who  must  have 
recourse  to  it,  and  by  friends  it  is  regarded  with  profound  pity. 
The  life  of  gilded  misery  led  by  the  women  is  referred  to  as 
'the  painful  world,'  and  each  one  is  said  to  live  in  the  hope  of 
being  redeemed  (from  the  debt  owed  to  the  brothel-keeper)  by 
some  rich  man  or  lover.  Unless  this  redemption  comes  early, 
malignant  diseases,  premature  old  age,  or  a  suicide's  grave 
usually  dissolves  the  tie. 

Among  themselves  the  women  of  this  underworld  call  each 
other  i  sister.'  To  outsiders  they  are  generally  known  by  ficti- 
tious names,  such  as:  Little  Purple;  Faint  Cloud;  Pine  Moun- 
tain; Double-blossomed  Plum;  Floral  Fan;  Whispering  Wind; 
Jewel  River,  and  the  like.  Superior  women  are  termed  oiran; 
the  principal  girl,  oshoku.  Poets  and  novelists  have  thrown  a 
halo  of  tender  romance  over  their  sad  lives,  and  many  a 


The  Sumidagawa. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  227 


touching  love-story  has  been  told  and  written  about  them. 
The  women  dress  in  accordance  with  their  own  wishes  or  those 
of  their  master;  some  adorn  themselves  in  fine  brocade  silks 
heavy  with  gold  or  silver  enrichments  (and  thus  sink  deeper 
into  the  debt  of  their  exploiters);  others  affect  the  bizarre 
fashions  of  bygone  days;  while  others  yet  affect  gaudy  red 
crape  with  elaborate  collars  and  exaggerated  satin  obi  (sashes) 
tied  in  front  (the  distinctive  badge  of  shame  of  the  joro). 
Others  essay  to  make  themselves  appear  younger  and  prettier 
by  wearing  silk  crape  adorned  with  intricate  figures,  purple 
satin  collars,  and  a  maki-obi,  or  narrow  sash,  wound  round  and 
round  the  waist  and  merely  tucked  in  to  hold  it  in  place.  A 
significant  fancy  of  certain  of  these  sirens  is  to  wear  a  costume 
(long  celebrated  as  distinctively  yoshiwaresque)  of  fine  purple 
satin  richly  embroidered  with  great  sprawling  red  lobsters! 
Others  wear  plain  crested  clothes  to  imitate  special  styles  fa- 
vored by  their  first  cousins,  the  geisha  (p.  clxi).  Musk  is  the 
favorite  perfume.  The  studied  display  of  physical  charms 
that  are  usually  concealed  is  rarely  resorted  to. 

To  the  shin-yoshiwara  and  the  4  lesser  resorts  of  a  similar 
nature  in  the  capital  come  annually  about  14  million  visitors, 
who  squander  upward  of  2  million  yen  on  the  inmates.  Most 
of  the  robberies,  murders,  and  suicides  of  the  metropolis  are 
in  some  way  related  to  these  plague-spots,  the  common 
name  for  which  with  many  is  doku  (poison).  Some  parents 
warn  their  children  to  beware  of  their  inmates  as  they  would 
cayenne  pepper,  and  supplement  the  injunction  by  a  reference 
to  the  proverb,  •  Pleasure  is  the  seed  of  trouble/  Others  exist 
who  are  willing  to  allow  their  daughters  to  serve  the  yoshiwara 
inmates,  and  by  having  them  trained  in  the  arts  of  Aspasia 
eventually  dedicate  them  to  Aphrodite.  When  certain  persons 
are  obliged  to  mention  the  jordya,  they  prefer  to  call  it 
Fuyajoy  or  'Nightless  Castle';  Hana-no-chimata,  1  Flowery 
streets ';  'Kutsuwa,'  etc.  The  gossamer  wantons  who  inhabit 
it  are  referred  to  as  'barren  virgins  ';  'strumpets';  and  by 
other  opprobrious  epithets.  Certain  municipal  rules  are 
enforced  rigorously  in  the  different  houses.  A  minute  descrip- 
tion is  taken  of  every  visitor  —  the  name,  profession,  height, 
facial  characteristics,  color  of  hair  and  eyes,  general  figure  and 
build,  style  of  clothes  worn,  personal  defects,  and  the  like. 
When  the  official  blank  is  filled  in  it  forms  an  excellent  descrip- 
tion of  the  person  and  is  filed  for  reference.  —  The  numerous 
towns  of  Japan  named  Yoshiwara  have  nothing  to  do  with  the 
above-mentioned  establishment. 

The  Sumidagawa,  the  2d  river  of  importance  on  the  Yedo 
plain,  has  its  sources  N.W.  of  Tokyo,  on  the  border  of  Musashi 
and  Kai  Provinces,  and  it  is  to  Japan's  capital  what  the 
Thames  is  to  London  and  the  Seine  to  Paris.  Entering  the  city 
from  the  NJg,  it  flows  past  the  Asakusa,  Nihonbashi,  and 


228    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


Transpontine. 


Kyobashi  Wards,  separating  them  from  Hon  jo  and  Fukagawa 
(placing  the  latter  in  the  same  relative  position  to  Tokyo  that 
the  Thames  does  with  Surrey),  before  washing  the  shores  of 
Tsukishima  Island  and  emptying  into  Tokyo  Bay.  While  for 
the  Tokyoites  the  river  possesses  all  the  charm  that  the  Seine 
holds  for  the  Parisians,  it  does  not  appeal  strongly  to  foreign- 
ers. The  boats  which  ply  up  and  down  it  are  small,  tippy,  and 
stuffy;  the  refuse  which  the  converging  canals  bring  into  it  is 
objectionable  to 'the  senses;  the  dreadful  night-soil  boats  which 
glance  along  its  surface  and  leave  a  trail  of  grease  behind  recall 
glue-factories  and  sulphureted  hydrogen;  and  the  tawdry 
houses  which  back  up  to  its  shores  and  insult  it  with  their  drain- 
age add  but  little  charm  or  picturesqueness.  It  is  perhaps 
prettiest  and  liveliest  off  Mukojima  Embankment,  during  the 
cherry-blossom  season,  when  collegiate  boat-races,  local 
regattas,  and  the  like  add  life  to  it.  'The  citizen's  ideal  of 
summer  pleasure  is  to  hire  a  yanebuhe  (a  boat  having  its  middle 
part  covered  by  a  roof  —  yane  —  under  which  the  pleasure- 
seekers  sit),  engage  two  or  three  geisha,  and  travel  lazily 
upstream,  with  scull  or  sail,  debarking  at  one  of  the  many 
famous  restaurants  that  line  both  banks  of  the  river,  whence 
he  drifts  home,  after  dinner,  along  the  path  of  the  moonbeams, 
merry,  musical,  and  perhaps  love-sick.  These  delights  cul- 
minate at  a  fete  called  the  "  river  opening' 1  (kawa-biraki) 
which  takes  place  nominally  on  "  moon-night"  in  midsummer. 
Those  for  whom  the  fete  is  organized  contribute  nothing  to  the 
preparations.  All  that  part  of  the  affair  is  undertaken  by  the 
riverside  restaurants  and  boat-house  keepers,  who,  for  the 
sake  of  the  throng  of  customers  that  the  celebration  brings, 
put  up  a  considerable  sum  to  purchase  fireworks.'  At  this  time 
the  long  Ryogoku  Bridge  is  packed  with  spectators,  the  sur- 
face of  the  turgid  river  is  almost  covered  with  canopied  craft 
adorned  with  colored  paper  lanterns,  the  air  vibrates  with  the 
shouts  of  roysterers;  the  clapping  of  hands;  the  tinkling  of 
samisen ;  the  tuneless  voices  of  singing  geisha;  and  the  thrum- 
ming of  unsympathetic  drums,  and  the  whole  represents  one 
of  Tokyo's  most  popular  festivals.  Boats  should  be  engaged  in 
advance.  Consult  the  hotel  manager.  There  is  a  funayado,  or 
place  where  boats  can  be  hired,  near  the  Ryogoku  Bridge,  on 
the  Nihonbashi  side. 

Transpontine  Tokyo  (PI. I- J,  7-8),  a  wide,  unkempt  region 
delimned  by  the  Hon  jo  and  Fukagawa  Wards  and  separated 
from  Tokyo  proper  by  the  wide  arid  swift  Sumida  River, 
possesses  but  few  attractions  for  foreigners.  Several  big 
bridges  —  the  Azuma-  Umaya-  and  Ryogoku-bashi  ('two- 
province  bridge,'  so-called  because  Honjo-ku  belonged  formerly 
to  another  province)  —  link  the  latter  ward  and  its  dull  streets 
to  the  lively  Asakusa;  while  farther  to  the  S.  the  Shin-Ohashi 
('new  great  bridge,'  576  ft.  long,  begun  in  1909  and  completed 


Kameido. 


TOKYO  10.  Route.  229 


in  1912  at  a  cost  of  ¥590,000)  joins  Honjo  to  Nihonbashi-ku. 
The  Eitai-bashi  connects  Fukagawa  with  Kyobashi-ku. 
Ryogoku-bashi  is  a  sort  of  miniature  Brooklyn  Bridge  where 
pyrotechnic  displays  are  to  be  seen  on  summer  nights,  and 
from  which  sad  souls  with  suicidal  thoughts  leap  off  sometimes, 
to  smother  their  dark  sorrow  in  the  sooty  funnel  of  a  passing 
steamship  I  The  most  southerly  of  the  bridges  is  the  small 
Aioi-bashi,  a  sort  of  Japanese  Bridge  of  Sighs,  over  which 
recalcitrants  are  conducted  to  the  big  prison  on  Tsukishima, 
in  Tokyo  Bay.  The  Mercantile  Marine,  and  the  Marine 
Products  Schools  near  the  entrance  are  of  interest  chiefly  to 
seamen.  Neither  Honjo  nor  Fukagawa  is  noted  for  pulchri- 
tude, or  for  odors  that  recall  those  of  Araby  the  Blest.  On  the 
contrary,  the  sixty-six  distinct  stenches  for  which  Cologne  was 
once  celebrated  seem  to  have  taken  up  their  quarters  here  in 
the  foul  open  drains,  and  the  odoriferous  truck-gardens  which 
reach  quite  up  to  the  ragged  and  melancholy  outskirts.  The 
Fukagawa  Park,  with  its  Hachiman  Shrine,  and  Temple  to 
Fudo,  is  inferior  to  Uyeno,  Shiba,  or  Hibiya,  and  the  yoshiwara 
is  smaller  than  that  of  the  metropolis.  According  to  a  local 
writer  'many  kinds  of  fish  and  turtles  are  nursed'  in  the  Fish 
Nurseries. 

Mukojima  ('opposite  island'),  in  Honjo-ku  (PL  J,  6),  once 
celebrated  for  its  fine  cherry  trees,  is  declining  in  popularity 
with  the  better  classes.  Jinriki  from  the  Imperial  Hotel,  50 
min.,  65  sen  (¥1.10  for  the  round  trip);  tram-car,  5  sen.  The 
double  line  of  gnarled  cherry  trees  planted  in  the  18th  cent, 
was  badly  injured  by  the  floods  of  1912.  The  pretty  spectacle 
offered  by  the  cherry  blooms  in  April  is  often  marred  by  the 
antics  of  the  thirsty  coolies  who  soak  sake  while  enjoying  the 
floral  display  and  sometimes  encroach  upon  the  reserve  of 
others. 

The  big  edifice  of  the  Dai  Nippon  Brewery  Co.,  near  the 
Azuma-bashi,  occupies  the  site  of  a  one-time  celebrated  land- 
scape garden,  the  Satake  yashiki  of  a  powerful  daimyo.  Good 
beer  is  served  in  a  corner  of  the  garden,  admittance  to  which 
costs  10  sen. 

Kameido'"  (PI.  J,  8),  with  its  Shrine  and  Wistaria  Garden,  in 
Honjo-ku,  in  a  tawdry  neighborhood  near  the  N.E.  outskirts 
of  the  city,  should  be  visited  in  late  April  or  early  May,  as  the 
wistaria  usually  begin  to  droop  about  the  end  of  the  first  week 
in  May.  An  easy  way  to  reach  the  park  is  to  board  a  train  of 
the  Gov't  Rly.  (Sobu  Line)  at  Ryogoku  Station  (PI.  I,  7)  and 
proceed  (fare,  9  sen)  to  Kameido  Station,  thence  turn  N.  and 
walk  12  min.  The  small  temple  grounds  stand  in  the  midst  of  a 
sea  of  low  native  houses  whose  surroundings  are  without  inter- 
est. The  narrow  thoroughfare  leading  to  the  entrance  termin- 
ates in  a  handsomely  carved  gateway  in  the  natural  wood, 
adorned  with  shishi,  fishes,  birds,  dragons,  and  wave-patterns. 


230    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Kameido  Gardens. 


Just  within  the  inclosure  is  a  locally  celebrated  Drum  Bridge 
(Taiko-bashi),  &  time-worn  structure  over  whose  high  hump 
devotees  climb  (risky  with  high-heeled  shoes)  as  an  act  of 
special  devotion  to  the  divinity  to  whom  the  shrine  is  conse- 
crated. Ladies  usually  elect  to  approach  the  shrine  along  the 
picturesque  pathways  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  pond.  Be- 
yond the  first  bridge  is  a  second  smaller  one  facing  an  attractive 
eight-roofed  gate  surmounted  by  sculptured  dragons,  turtles, 
and  phcenixes.  At  the  foot  are  stone  Dogs  of  Fo,  and  behind 
them,  in  glassed-in  cages,  are  carved  and  painted  gods  in  the 
guise  of  zuijin,  or  the  ancient  guards  of  nobility.  The  grounds 
are  laid  out  in  imitation  of  those  in  which  Sugawara  Michizane, 
to  whom  the  shrine  is  dedicated,  lived  and  died  in  exile  (in 
Kyushu).  The  pond  is  called  Shinji-no-ike,  or  ' Pond  of  the 
Heart, 'because  of  its  fancied  resemblance  in  shape  to  this  organ. 
The  name  Kameido  is  said  to  be  derived  from  kamei  (lit.,  sitting 
like  a  tortoise,  with  the  feet  spread  out  behind),  wherefore  the 
big  stone  tortoise  which  the  visitor  will  note  a  few  yards  to  the 
right  of  the  temple.  Some  pretty  bridges  span  the  narrowest 
^parts  of  the  pond,  and  many  graceful  trees  overshadow  it. 
f  The  Wistaria  (p.  119),  which  most  foreign  travelers  come 
(  to  see,  hangs  in  splendid  cream-white  and  pale-lilac  clusters, 
3-5  ft.  long,  from  the  trellises  which  flank  three  sides  of  the 
pond,  and  by  reflecting  themselves  in  the  water  create  a  lovely 
picture.  Thousands  of  pendants  sway  to  and  fro  with  the  wind 
and  early  in  May  scatter  their  fragile  petals  like  snowflakes 
on  the  walks  and  the  surface  of  the  pond.  During  the  season 
many  flower-loving  Japanese  sit  on  the  broad  platforms  ex- 
tending out  from  the  tea-houses  to  enjoy  the  scene.  Along  the 
walks  are  many  tiny  shops  where  artificial  flowers  made  in  the 
form  of  wistaria  hair-ornaments,  metal  turtles,  tiny  hand- 
painted  porcelain  cups  (attractive  souvenirs,  10  sen  each), 
and  other  gewgaws  are  sold.  Many  jugglers  ply  their  deceptive 
profession  here.  — The  chief  shrine  is  just  beyond  the  second 
bridge;  the  gold  screens  and  pictures  —  the  latter  representing 
certain  of  the  ancient  pantomimic  religious  dances  —  which 
adorn  the  interior  are  relics  of  the  time  when  Buddhism  and 
Shintoism  were  often  worshiped  under  the  same  roof.  The 
image  of  Michizane,  who  is  here  worshiped  as  the  God  of 
Literature,  is  carved  out  of  the  wood  of  a  plum  tree  which  grew 
in  the  yard  of  the  chief  shrine  at  Dazaifu.  One  of  the  popular 
festivals  falls  in  Jan.  of  each  year. 

The  Kameido  Plum  Gardens  ( Ume-yashiki)  lie  about  \  M. 
E.  (PI.  J,  8)  of  the  Kameido  Shrine,  and  are  beautiful  when  the 
blossoms  come  out  in  March  (the  latest  of  the  Tokyo  plums  to 
bloom) .  Many  of  the  remaining  trees  are  very  old  and  decrepit ; 
the  pleasure  of  a  visit  to  the  garden  (no  fees)  is  diminished  by 
the  offensive  stench  which  arises  from  the  open  sewers  in  the 
neighborhood. 


The  Eko-in. 


TOKYO 


10.  Route.  231 


The  Hori  Kiri  Iris  Gardens  (PL  J,  6)  are  about  2  M.  E.  of 
Mukojima  and  are  reached  by  jinriki  (a  special  bargain  must  be 
made  with  the  runner) ;  the  flowers  are  at  their  best  in  June. 

The  Eko-in  ('a  Buddhist  temple  where  mass  is  said  for  the 
deaa"),  a  well-known  fane  belonging  to  the  Jodo  sect  (p.  cxcix), 
is  within  5  min.  walk  of  the  Ryogoku-bashi  (PI.  H,  7)  in  Honjo- 
ku,  adjacent  to  the  National  Art  Hall  ( Kokugi-kwan)  where 
wrestling  and  such  exhibitions  are  held.  The  main  entrance  is 
from  the  side  street,  and  the  long,  flagged  yard  was  for  years 
the  most  popular  wrestling-arena  in  the  city.  The  chief  object 
of  interest  in  the  rather  nondescript  temple  is  the  huge  recum- 
bent figure  of  the  dead  Buddha,  near  which  is  an  inscription 
to  the  effect  that:  'If  you  wish  immortality  and  a  future  life, 
do  not  cease  to  pray  earnestly/  In  a  small  reliquary  behind 
is  a  sculptured  image  of  the  founder  of  the  Jodo  sect  (anniver- 
sary services  in  April).  The  red  and  gold-lacquered  main 
altar  contains  a  seated  figure  of  Amida.  The  carved  wood 
statue  of  Buddha  is  supposed  to  represent  him  when  he 
emerged  from  his  long  retirement  and  meditation  in  the  mts. 
The  room  at  the  right  contains  some  passable  kakemono  and 
several  small  shrines  of  beautiful  workmanship.  —  The  small 
white  temple  midway  between  the  gate  and  the  main  structure, 
though  closed  to  the  general  public,  will  be  opened  for  a  small 
fee  (shoes  must  be  left  at  the  entrance).  The  fine  main  shrine 
(zushi)  of  rich  gold-lacquer  adorned  with  subdued  colors  and 
intricately  carved  in  bas-relief,  is  made  in  a  style  peculiar  to 
the  Jodo  sect  and  resembles  an  antique  German  wood  press; 
all  the  panels  carry  complicated  traceries  and  figurines,  and 
the  inner  side  of  the  doors  are  of  beautiful  gold  lacquer- adorned 
with  delicately  painted  figures.  The  central  Kwannon,  a  gift 
by  the  mother  of  the  4th  Tokugawa  shogun,  is  known  as  the 
Ichi-gon  Kwannon  because  it  will  receive  a  single  petition  only 
from  any  one  person.  The  coffered  ceiling  is  richly  painted, 
and  the  two  big  Nid  are  worth  looking  at.  The  figures  at  the 
right  of  the  shrine  are  the  33  terrestrial  representations  of 
Kwannon.  The  great  dragon  which  adorned  the  ceiling  was 
ruined  by  the  fire  of  1855. 

At  the  rear  of  the  main  temple  (path  at  the  right)  is  a  locally 
famous  cemetery,  often  referred  to  as  the  Burying-Ground  of 
the  Nameless  Dead.  Here  lie  untold  thousands  of  the  unfortu- 
nates who  were  burned  in  the  great  fire  of  1657,  and  those  who 
were  killed  in  the  equally  destructive  earthquake  of  1855. 

This  great  conflagration  is  but  one  of  the  many  sinister  and  similar  disas- 
ters which  in  times  gone  by  have  scourged  the  Japanese  metropolis.  History 
records  that  the  fire  burned  with  great  fury  during  two  entire  days  and 
nights,  and  that  107,046  people  perished.  A  common  pit  was  dug  for  the 
bodies;  priests  from  all  the  different  Buddhist  sects  foregathered  at  the 
sepulcher,  and  during  7  days  a  thousand  scrolls  of  the  sacred  book  were 
recited  for  the  repose  of  their  souls.  The  immense  grave  was  called  the 
Muenzuka  ('tomb  of  one  dead  with  no  relative  alive'),  and  later  the  tem- 
ple which  was  built  near  it  was  called  the  Muen-ji  (or  temple  of  persons 


232    Route  10. 


TOKYO  Mineral  Museum. 


without  relation  or  kindred).  Segaki  (masses  for  the  spirits  of  the  dead 
having  no  relations)  are  regularly  held  on  the  2d  and  19th  of  each  month. 
Because  the  dead  buried  at  the  temple  were  without  relatives  who  could 
support  the  temple,  Eko-in  was  for  a  long  time  the  place  where  sacred 
images  were  brought  from  the  provinces  to  be  worshiped  by  the  people  of 
Yedo,  and  in  order  to  swell  the  meager  receipts  public  performances  were 
given  in  the  temple  atrium.  Prayers  were  (and  still  continue  to  be)  offered  up 
here  for  the  souls  of  dead  animals,  and  a  small  fee  will  procure  a  short  ser- 
vice and  burial  in  the  adjacent  grounds  for  cats,  dogs,  and  other  domestic  pets. 

Conspicuous  among  the  graves  is  that  of  Nezumi  Kozo,  the  Japanese 
Robin  Hood:  a  national  and  historical  figure,  the  theme  of  many  a  story. 
Robber  of  the  rich  and  protector  of  the  poor,  Nezumi  ('rat,'  the  robber  of 
the  household)  Kozo  (a  small,  lithe  person)  was  a  little  man  of  keen  wit  and 
remarkable  agility  and  prowess  —  the  darling  of  the  proletariat.  His  droll 
and  daring  exploits  form  the  subject  of  many  dramas  and  other  theatrical 
plays.  His  grave  —  distinguished  by  a  small  shelter  and  much  burning  in- 
cense —  attracts  thousands  of  the  commonalty  and  not  a  few  contributions 
to  the  temple  exchequer.  (The  priests  are  not  overmuch  proud  of  the  dubi- 
ous distinction  which  Kozd's  memory  has  associated  with  the  temple.)  The 
headstone  has  to  be  replaced  many  times  each  year,  as  the  credulous  believe 
that  if  a  bit  of  it  is  surreptitiously  carried  away  it  will  act  as  a  golden  talis- 
man in  speculative  enterprises.  When  the  belief  proves  true,  the  sly  klepto- 
maniac usually  fulfills  his  secret  vow  and  replaces  the  mutilated  stone  with 
a  new  one.  The  enterprising  wight  with  the  small  stock  of  headstones  near 
by  makes  his  living  by  keeping  these  handy  and  carving  the  names  of  lucky 
investors  on  them,  then  setting  them  up.  Students  are  confident  of  success 
in  their  examinations  if  they  can  carry  a  chip  from  the  stone  in  their  kimono 
sleeve  during  the  ordeal.  When  the  course  of  true  love  runs  unevenly,  lovers 
come  hither  to  spill  their  smothered  grief,  and  to  implore  the  shade  of  Kozo 
to  bind  up  their  wounds.  The  bamboo  vases  have  been  filled  with  fresh 
flowers  every  day  for  nearly  a  century,  and  fresh  incense  has  been  offered 
just  as  frequently.  The  big  amphitheater  which  overshadows  the  campo 
santo  is  where  wrestling-matches  (p.  clxvii)  are  held., 

Tsukiji  C filled-in  ground'),  the  one-time  Foreign  Conces- 
sion, occupies  a  strip  of  land  facing  the  bay  at  the  S.  edge  of 
the  city  (PI.  E-F,  7)  in  Kyobashi-ku,  and  with  its  several 
museums,  the  big  Seiyoken  Hotel,  etc.,  contains  consider- 
able of  interest.  Foreigners  were  formerly  confined  to  this 
quarter,  the  approaches  to  which  were  guarded  by  sentinels. 
It  is  now  the  favorite  dwelling-place  of  numerous  foreign 
missionaries,  whose  houses  and  the  foreign-style  churches 
make  it  resemble  the  suburb  of  some  Western  city.  Many 
schools  and  deserving  establishments  for  the  moral  and  intel- 
lectual advancement  of  the  people  are  maintained  by  the 
mission-workers  in  various  parts  of  the  metropolis.  The  most 
successful  among  these  envoys  are  often  those  who  possess  a 
medical  or  scientific  training,  and  who  blend  the  necessary 
material  with  the  spiritual  education.  Not  a  few  missionaries 
in  Japan  have  rendered  eminent  service  in  this  way.  The 
Charity  Hospital,  adjoining  the  Naval  Medical  College, 
is  well  equipped  and  was  opened  in  March,  1912.  St.  Luke's 
Hospital  is  in  Akashicho,  near  the  American  Church.  The 
Type  Foundry  was  the  first  of  its  kind  established  in  Japan. 
The  Kabukiza  Theater  is  one  of  the  most  popular  of  the  (native) 
metropolitan  play-houses. 

The  Mineral  Museum  (Hakubutsukwan),  opposite  the 
Commercial  Museum,  in  the  Department  of  Agriculture  and 


Naval  Museum.  TOKYO  10.  Route.  233 


Commerce  (Pl.E,  7),  open  daily  from  9  to  5  (except  on  the 
days  following  national  holidays)  free,  recalls  in  a  smaller 
way  the  superb  collection  of  mineralogical  specimens  at  South 
Kensington.  The  bulk  of  the  exhibits  are  from  Japan  and  they 
comprise  almost  every  mineral  from  lead  to  gold.  Besides  some 
highly  interesting  meteorites,  fine  rock-crystals  from  Kai, 
Hoki,  and  other  provinces;  chalcedony  from  Echigo;  obsidian 
from  Himeshima  (in  Bungo),  and  a  host  of  fossiliferous  and 
other  objects,  there  are  charts  showing  the  annual  production 
of  metals,  and  much  other  data  of  interest  to  mineralogists. 
The  pictures  show  some  of  Japan's  most  celebrated  volcanoes; 
that  of  Bandai-san  is  in  relief  and  portrays  it  before  and  after 
the  last  eruption.  The  colored  relief,  in  chalk,  of  Aso-san  gives 
an  excellent  perspective  of  that  stupendous  vent  in  Kyushu.  — 
Just  behind  the  museum,  in  the  W.  wing  of  the  Department 
of  Communications  (Teishin-sho)  building,  is  a  small  but 
interesting  Museum  (open  Sun.,  Thurs.,  and  Fridays,  free, 
from  9  to  3)  illustrating  in  a  variety  of  ways  Japan's  progress 
from  feudalism  to  civilization.  Old-time  methods  of  transpor- 
tation, mining,  and  the  like  are  strikingly  and  picturesquely 
compared  —  by  means  of  effective  wax  figures,  etc.  —  with 
those  of  Europe  and  America,  and  models  of  a  host  of  modern 
machinery  are  shown  for  the  enlightenment  of  native  students. 
The  miniature  fire-towers  of  old  Yedo  show  microscopic  men 
in  the  attitude  of  wig- wagging  signals  to  others  far  across  the 
house-tops.  The  Post-Office  Department  contains  a  complete 
collection  of  Japanese  postage-stamps.  —  A  less  interesting 
display  is  contained  in  the  Commercial  Museum,  in  the  left 
wing  of  the  huge,  rambling  edifice  (known  locally  as  the 
No-sho-musho),  one  square  back  of  the  Teishin-sho,  and  across 
the  street  from  the  Mineral  Museum.  Open  daily,  free  (9-3), 
except  between  Jan.  1  and  7,  and  Dec.  25  and  31.  Besides  a 
practically  complete  collection  of  domestic  products,  there  is  a 
library  with  books  referring  to  commercial  and  industrial 
subjects.  Questions  relating  to  Japan  are  answered  free, 
samples  of  manufactured  products  are  shown,  with  prices, 
and  reports  are  distributed  to  those  interested.  The  big 
building  adjacent  on  the  right  is  the  Seiyoken  Hotel  (p.  110). 

The  *  Naval  Museum  (PI.  E,  7)  in  the  Naval  University 
building,  near  the  Seiyoken  Hotel,  open  daily  (except  Sunday) 
free  (the  ticket  received  at  the  gate  must  be  returned  on  leav- 
ing), contains  an  extensive  and  interesting  collection  of  war- 
trophies  (chiefly  from  Russia  and  China),  paintings  in  oil  of 
land-battles  and  sea-fights,  relief  maps  of  Russian  forts,  and 
a  host  of  objects  directly  related  to  Japan's  titanic  struggles 
for  autonomy.  The  painting  of  Admiral  Togo,  on  the  deck  of 
his  battleship  during  the  great  sea-fight  off  Tsushima,  is  worth 
looking  at.  Upstairs  there  are  a  number  of  ships'  models  and 
marine  paraphernalia. 


234    Route  10. 


TOKYO 


Tokyo  Bay. 


The  Nishi  (Western)  Hongwanji,  known  locally  as  the  Tsu- 

kiji  Monseki,  a  big  temple  (branch  of  the  Higashi  Hongwanji 
described  at  p.  214)  faces  Tsukiji  Sanchome  (PI.  E,  7),  5  min. 
walk  from  the  Seiyoken  Hotel,  in  a  large  compound  with  many 
lanterns,  etc.  The  massive  sweeping  roof  and  the  magnificent 
proportions  of  the  structure  are  impressive;  the  interior 
differs  but  little  from  the  sister  edifice  in  Asakusa.  The  big 
wheeled  cannon  and  the  other  war  relics  in  the  yard  are  from 
China  and  Russia.  The  present  temple  dates  from  1872,  and 
stands  on  the  site  of  a  former  structure  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1869.  The  image  of  Amida,  at  the  main  altar,  is  ascribed  to 
Shotoku-taishi. 

Tokyo  Bay  (wan)  flanks  the  metropolis  on  the  S.  and  is  40  M. 
long.  Maps  of  the'12th  cent,  show  that  the  water  then  extended 
to  Uyeno  Park  and  included  Asakusa,  while  those  of  the  16th 
cent,  show  that  Fukagawa  and  Honjo  Wards  were  both  sub- 
merged. When  the  Americans  first  anchored  in  the  shallow 
waters  of  Yedo  Bay  it  was  a  favorite  breeding-ground  for 
whales.  After  these  were  driven  off  it  became  a  popular 
dwelling-place  for  alaj^  which  are  now  gathered  at  certain 
seasons  by  a  host  ofmeri,  women,  and  children  —  an  occupa- 
tion known  as  Shiohi-gari.  Dredging  operations  are  in  pro- 
gress, and  the  foreshore  being  constantly  reclaimed  is  to  serve 
as  the  foundation  for  harbor  works  to  cost  20  million  yen. 

The  Environs  of  Tokyo  are  tawdry  and  of  little  interest  to 
the  hurried  traveler.  The  few  pretty  spots  are  pretty  only 
when  idealized  by  floral  displays  in  season,  and  even  then  they 
call  for  no  special  description*.  Takao-zan,  and  the  Tama- 
gawa  are  mentioned  in  Rte.  25.  Meguro,  in  Shiba-ku  (PI.  A,  6), 
a  pleasant  suburban  village  with  a  Race-Course  (Keibajo)  and 
an  Aviation  Field,  is  known  for  a  temple  dedicated  to  Fudo; 
for  its  peony  gardens;  its  autumnal  display  of  maples;  and 
for  chestnuts  and  bamboo-shoots  —  which  with  the  plum 
blossoms  herald  the  approaching  spring  and  attract  excursion- 
ists. The  race-meetings  are  advertised  beforehand  in  the  local 
newspapers  (in  English) .  The  station  of  the  Belt  Line  Rly .  is 
about  §  M.  N.E.  of  the  village.  At  the  street  level  we  turn  first 
to  the  right,  then  bear  to  the  left  to  the  hill  called  Gyonin-zaka. 
Instead  of  following  the  broad  road  which  leads  to  the  right, 
we  now  descend  into  the  valley  lying  beyond.  Midway  of  the 
slope,  at  the  left,  in  a  clean  little  yard,  is  a  small  Buddhist 
temple  with  an  interior  crowded  with  tall  statues  of  Amida  and 
his  retinue,  backed  by  high  gilded  mandorlas.  Note  the  bronze 
Buddha  in  the  yard,  and  the  wistful  little  sculptured  stone 
statuettes  of  his  disciples  which  ring  the  main  figure  and  ex- 
tend along  the  flank  of  the  hill,  beneath  the  trees.  The  iris 
garden  behind  the  hedge  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road  is 
very  pretty  in  June.  About  |  M.  farther  down  the  road,  at 
the  left  edge  of  the  village,  at  the  base  of  the  hill,  on  a  com- 


TOKYO  TOVRIES  ISLAND     11.  Route.  235 


manding  terrace  (right)  shut  off  from  the  main  street  by  a 
picturesque  stone  wall  of  slabs  7  by  14  in.  inscribed  with  the 
names  of  contributors  to  the  edifice,  stands  a  shrine  with  500 
standing  and  seated  figures  of  the  Go-hyaku  Rakan  (the  local 
name  for  the  fane),  Buddha's  nearest  disciples.  The  robes  of 
many  are  yellow,  red,  and  green,  and  the  solemn  assemblage 
produces  a  curious  effect  on  the  mind.  A  handsome  bronze 
bell  swings  in  a  campanario  at  the  right.  By  continuing  along 
the  street  where  it  bends  to  the  left,  one  soon  comes  (£  M.) 
to  a  diverging  road  (right)  at  the  end  of  which  is 

The  Temple  of  Fudo  (p.  ccvi),  or  Fudd  Sama,  behind  a  big 
tawdry  gateway  with  huge  Nid  in  the  loggias.  The  peonies  in 
May  and  the  chrysanthemums  in  Nov.  bring  many  picnickers 
to  the  tea-houses  hard  by.  The  waterfalls  at  the  left  (under 
which  naked  Japanese  sometimes  stand  for  hours  in  bitter 
weather,  in  order  to  wash  away  their  sins)  were  (according  to 
tradition)  brought  into  life  by  Jikaku-Daishi,  who  struck  the 
stones  with  his  mace  (tokko)  —  whence  the  name,  Tokko-no- 
taki,  or  Mace  Waterfall.  The  twin  cascades  fall  from  wide- 
throated  bronze  dragons  into  the  pool  below  and  radiate  a 
refreshing  coolness  in  summer.  The  bronze  lantern  at  the  top 
of  the  steps  is  worth  looking  at.  The  statue  of  Fudd  (also 
ascribed  to  Jikaku-Daishi)  stands  at  the  main  altar  of  the 
gaudily  decorated,  polychromatic  temple. 

At  the  corner  of  the  lane  leading  from  the  main  road  to  the 
fane,  in  the  Kado-Ise  Tea-House,  is  kept  the  key  (fee  of  10 
sen  to  the  girl  who  shows  the  way)  to  a  near-by  inclosure 
wherein  are  the  graves  of  Gompachi  and  Komurasaki,  an  his- 
torical pair  (consult  Tales  of  Old  Japan,  by  A.  B.  Mitford) 
sometimes  referred  to  as  the  Japanese  Paul  and  Virginia. 
Their  time-worn  tombstones  are  overshadowed  by  slim  bam- 
boos. Fresh  flowers  and  incense  are  placed  daily  before  the 
graves.  The  spot  is  called  Hiyoku-zuka  from  a  fabulous 
Chinese  bird  (Hiyoku-no-tori),  each  sex  of  which  is  supposed 
to  have  but  a  single  eye  and  a  single  wing,  but  whict).  unite 
when  flying  and  make  a  single  bird  (synonymous  of  constancy 
in  love).  It  is  a  favorite  place  of  pilgrimage  for  love-lorn 
Japanese,  who  come  hither  to  drown  their  sorrow  in  sake, 
toughen  their  constitutions  beneath  the  icy  drip  of  the  twin 
cascades,  and  acquire  dyspepsia  by  gorging  the  bamboo- 
dinners  which  are  a  specialty  of  the  local  restaurants. 

ii.  From  Tokyo  to  Vries  Island. 

Vries  Island  (named  for  Maarten  Gerritz  Vries,  a  Dutch 
navigator  of  the  17th  cent.),  called  Oshima  by  the  Japanese,  is 
the  largest  (9  M.  long  by  5  wide)  and  northernmost  of  the 
Seven  Isles  of  Izu  (province),  a  chain  which  fronts  the  Gulf 
of  Tokyo  (63  nautical  M.  S.  of  the  capital),  and  is  familiar  to 


236   Route  12.  NARITA 


incoming  travelers  because  of  the  smoking  cone  of  Miharay 
an  active  (and  treacherous)  volcano  which  rises  2512  ft.  above 
it.  Foreign  travelers  rarely  visit  the  islands,  which  have  but 
few  inhabitants.  The  soil  consists  of  volcanic  scoria,  and  the 
vegetation  is  limited.  The  chief  occupation  of  the  people  is 
fishing.  Some  butter  is  made  for  the  Tokyo  market.  Small 
steamers  (fare,  ¥2.40)  ply  regularly  between  Tokyo  and  (10 
hrs.)  Niijima,  the  principal  village.  Inns:  Mihara-kwan; 
Chioya;  ¥1.50  to  ¥2.  The  latter  is  near  the  steamer  landing. 
The  ascent  to  the  summit  of  the  crater  can  be  made  in  one 
forenoon ;  guide  from  the  inn,  ¥1  for  the  round  trip.  Unlike  the 
women  of  Japan  proper,  those  of  Oshima  have  fair  complexions, 
reddish  hair  (caused  by  drenching  it  in  camellia  oil  —  tsubaki- 
abura):  and  a  nasal  twang.  They  carry  burdens  on  their  heads 
like  Sicilian  women.  Oshima  was  anciently  a  place  of  exile 
for  undesirable  politicians. 

12.  From  Tokyo  via  Chiba,  Sakura  (Narita),  and  Naruto  to 
Choshi. 

Sobu  Lines  of  The  Imperial  Government  Railways. 

To  Sakura  Jet.,  where  a  branch  line  diverges  to  (5  M.)  Narita,  is  32  M. 
Several  trains  daily  in  If  hrs. ;  fare,  ¥1.35,  1st  cl. ;  81  sen,  2d  cl.  —  To  Choshi, 
73  M.  in  4  hrs.;  fare,  ¥2.83,  1st  cl.;  ¥1.70,  2d  cl. 

Tokyo,  see  p.  122.  To  22  M.  Chiba,  the  rly.  follows  the  con- 
tour of  the  N.  end  of  Tokyo  Bay  through  Shimosa  Province 
and  a  region  calling  for  no  particular  mention.  The  villagers 
along  the  coast  obtain  their  livelihood  by  fishing  and  supplying 
the  Tokyo  markets.  Chiba,  the  capital  of  Chiba-ken,  with 
33,400  inhabs.,  has  nothing  to  interest  foreign  travelers.  Hence 
to  32  M.  Sakura  Jet.,  the  trend  of  the  line  is  N.E.  To  reach 
Narita  one  must  change  here  to  the  Narita  Rly.  Co.'s  line. 
For  a  continuation  of  the  journey  to  Choshi,  see  p.  240. 

Narita,  a  small  town  (pop.  6000)  with  many  inns  which  cater 
to  pilgrims,  contains  a  locally  celebrated  temple  called  the 
Shinshd-ji  (belonging  to  the  Shingon  sect  of  Buddhists)  dedi- 
cated to  Fudo  (p.  ccvi),  and  said  to  date  from  1704.  Its  full 
name  is  Narita-Shingo  Shinshd-ji,  or  'The  Divinely  Protected 
Temple  of  Recent  Victory  on  Mt.  Narita/  and  the  image  of 
Fudo  (ascribed  to  Kdbd-Daishi)  is  said  to  possess  such  miracu- 
lous powers  that  thousands  of  credulous  pilgrims  foregather 
here  each  year  (in  April  and  May)  to  make  their  obeisances 
before  it.  Other  popular  festivals  fall  on  the  28th  of  each  month 
and  attract  many  folks  from  the  country  side. 

The  temple  stands  on  the  side  of  a  hill  about  j  M.  (tram-cars,  6  sen) 
at  the  left  of  the  station,  facing  an  interesting  street  lined  with  many  pic- 
turesque shops  dedicated  to  the  sale  of  yokan  (a  sweetmeat  made  of  brown 
beans  and  larded  with  chestnuts) ;  to  honey-like  mizuame  and  to  many 
marine  products,  conspicuous  among  them  big  shells  painted  on  the  inner 
side  with  fishes,  turtles,  sailors,  temples,  and  what-not.  According  to  the 
priestly  fabrication  Fudd's  image  was  brought  from  China  by  its  author  and 


NARITA  12.  Route.  237 


enshrined  in  a  temple  on  Takao-san,  near  Kyoto.  Here  it  acquired  such  re- 
nown for  its  wonderful  powers  that  the  Mikado,  who  was  then  at  war  with 
rebellious  subjects  in  Shimosa,  commanded  it  to  be  taken  to  the  seat  of  the 
disturbance.  There,  by  its  intervention,  the  rebels  suffered  disastrous 
defeat  (in  a.d.  940),  and  at  the  termination  of  the  civil  war  it  was  ordered 
back  to  Kyoto.  But  when  the  bonze  Kwancho  essayed  to  return  it,  it 
straightway  showed  its  preference  for  Narita  by  suddenly  becoming  so  heavy 
that  no  man  or  men  could  budge  it.  Appearing  in  a  dream  to  the  Mikado, 
Fudd  declared  his  intention  of  sticking  to  Narita  for  the  purpose  of  blessing 
and  civilizing  the  region.  Thereupon  His  Majesty  granted  a  fund  for  the 
erection  of  a  suitable  temple,  and  this  is  said  to  have  stood  on  the  site  of  the 
present  one.  The  great  gate  was  added  in  1831,  and  the  next  year  saw  the 
erection  of  the  auxiliary  buildings.  The  treasury  of  the  temple  is  said  to  con- 
tain a  sword  (never  shown)  presented  by  the  Emperor  Shujaku  (931-46)  to 
Fudd  in  recognition  of  his  services.  Tradition  has  it  that  this  weapon  was 
forged  for  the  regalia  of  the  Emperor  Mommu  (697-707)  by  the  celebrated 
(first  of  the  native  swordsmiths)  AmakXtni,  whence  its  name,  Amakuni-no- 
hoken;  one  touch  of  it  is  believed  to  cure  insanity  and  to  relieve  persons  pos- 
sessed of  the  fox  demon. 

Viewed  from  the  tall  inns  across  the  street  the  temple  and 
its  adjuncts  are  very  picturesque;  a  highly  ornamented  copper- 
sheathed  lantern  with  gilt  enrichments  stands  in  the  corner  of 
the  yard  near  the  street,  behind  an  inclosing  wall  formed  of 
hundreds  of  stone  slabs,  7  by  15  in.,  impressed  with  ideographic 
names  of  the  contributors  to  the  fane.  Similar  slabs  compose 
the  minor  walls  in  the  compound,  which  is  crowded  with  stone 
lanterns,  shishi,  tablets,  pyramids  of  water-buckets  for  use  in 
case  of  fire,  cylindrical  iron  tubs,  and  what-not.  The  conspicu- 
ous adornments  of  the  huge  gateway  with  its  resplendent 
copper-bronze  roof  is  the  recurrent  gilded  Wheel  of  the  Law  — 
the  customary  crests  on  temples  dedicated  to  Fudd.  Behind 
it,  on  higher  terraces,  stand  the  main  temples,  the  Hondo  and 
Komyo-dd.  The  newer  temple  at  the  left  has  for  its  chief  idol 
a  sculptured  and  seated  figure  of  the  great  apostle  Kobo- 
Daishi  (p.  cxxvi), surrounded  by  some  good  wood-carvings,  some 
life-size  paintings  of  former  abbots,  and  some  inharmonious 
war-relics.  Beyond  the  corner  of  the  big  wall  (tamagaki), 
which  extends  to  the  right  of  the  steps  leading  up  to  the  gate- 
way, is  a  sacred  well,  inclosed,  where  pilgrims  perform  the 
ceremony  of  bathing  in  cold  water  —  a  penance  to  them,  as 
they  customarily  use  hot  water.  The  ugly  beacon  at  the  right 
of  the  gate,  with  its  many  names,  dates  from  1894.  The  nonde- 
script structure  where  male  devotees  are  seen  fasting  is  the 
Okoto  Danjiki-do.  Diagonally  across  the  yard  is  the  Onna 
Danjiki-do,  reserved  for  women  f asters,  who  appear  to  enjoy 
the  notoriety. 

Formerly  the  period  of  abstention  from  all  food  was  3  weeks;  6  days  now 
constitute  the  test  of  devotion.  Many  of  the  hungry  pilgrims  try  to  pass  as 
much  of  this  time  as  they  can  in  sleep.  According  to  tradition  the  (16th 
cent.)  saint  Doyo  passed  100  days  in  fervent  prayer  for  religious  light.  Fin- 
ally one  of  the  gods  appeared  to  him  and  thrust  a  sharp  sword  down  his 
throat.  The  blood  flowed  freely,  but  after  the  operation,  which  miraculously 
left  no  wound,  the  mental  powers  of  the  saint  were  found  to  be  vastly  in- 
creased. His  robes,  dyed  with  the  blood  spilt,  are  said  to  be  enshrined  in  the 
temple  reliquary,  and  pictures  illustrating  the  occurrence  hang  on  the  walls. 


238    Route  12. 


NARITA 


Sixteen  stone  steps  lead  up  to  the  massive  gateway  of  sculp- 
tured keyaki,  whose  huge  supporting  beams  and  rafters, 
sheathed  in  richly  embossed  metal,  carry  coarse  but  well- 
executed  wood-carvings  badly  defaced  by  the  pigeons  which 
nest  therein.  The  big  swinging  bronze  lanterns  are  very  deco- 
rative. The  scowling  Nio  in  their  respective  loggias  are  erro- 
neously attributed  to  Kobo-Daishi,  and  are  practically  covered 
by  the  spit-ball  prayers  launched  at  them  by  the  credulous. 
The  two  huge  figures  behind  them,  in  cages  overlooking  the 
inner  yard,  are  (left)  Bishamonten,  and  Tamonten,  companions 
to  the  Deva  Kings.  The  white  marble  bridge  above  the  pretty 
pond  with  turtles  and  goldfishes  is  one  of  the  few  of  this 
material  the  traveler  will  see  in  Japan.  In  the  inclosure  here 
are  many  upright  tablets  and  a  huge  monument  in  the  form  of 
a  bronze  sword  held  upright  by  the  figurines  at  the  base  and 
symbolizing  the  Doyo  tradition  referred  to  above.  A  pictur- 
esque shrinelet  stands  at  the  top  of  a  flight  of  small  steps  at  the 
left,  and  with  the  host  of  symbols,  scattered  about  it,  and  the 
two  huge  bronze  and  gilded  Dogs  of  Fo  which  guard  the  steps 
to  the  upper  terrace,  imparts  a  singular  aspect  to  the  place. 

At  the  top  of  the  (33)  steps  which  lead  up  to  the  terrace 
stands  the  Hondo,  of  unpainted  keyaki  and  surrounded  by  a 
wide  porch  around  which  pilgrims  plod  monotonously  in  the 
operation  called  O-hyaku-do  fumo,  or  '  a  hundred-times  trot 
around.'  Whosoever  makes  the  circuit  this  number  of  times, 
counting  his  rosary  and  marking  time  with  the  white  strings 
held  in  his  hand,  travels  about  3  M.  and  acquires  enough 
merit  to  have  his  sins  washed  away.  The  approach  to  this 
porch,  through  the  atrium  crowded  with  tablets,  lanterns,  and 
all  the  metal  accompaniments  and  enrichments  of  a  prosper- 
ous Buddhist  tera,  is  almost  as  picturesque  as  the  view  in  retro- 
spect, over  the  roof  of  the  gateway  and  the  terraces  below. 
As  is  the  custom  with  ecclesiastical  establishments  which 
depend  upon  alms  rather  than  upon  state  aid,  the  contribution- 
box  (saisen-bako)  is  a  capacious  structure  6  ft.  wide,  4  ft.  deep, 
and  18  ft.  long,  metal-studded,  with  cross-bars  and  a  deep 
slot  running  the  length  of  it.  Another  one,  about  half  the  size, 
stands  at  the  left  and  echoes  loudly  when  the  small  coins  of 
the  pilgrims  are  cast  into  it. 

Above  the  large  one  are  some  noteworthy  sculptured  panels, 
now  badly  faded,  showing  the  conventional  Buddhist  phoe- 
nixes, dragons,  birds,  waves,  and  the  like,  all  in  polychromatic 
colors  and  protected  by  wire  netting.  The  squirming  gold 
dragon  on  a  black  panel  in  the  ceiling  is  worth  looking  at,  as 
well  as  the  flying  tennin  on  smaller  side  panels  —  the  work  of 
Kano  Yasunobu  (18th  cent.).  To  this  artist  of  the  celebrated 
Kano  school  is  also  ascribed  the  large  painting  of  the  Sixteen 
Rakan,  behind  the  main  altar.  The  red  seated  figure  of  carved 
wood  at  the  left,  with  parts  of  his  body  rubbed  away,  is  the 


NARITA  12.  Route.  239 


contrite  Binzuru  (p.  ccviii).  One  must  remove  one's  shoes  to 
obtain  a  closer  look  at  the  interior  and  the  main  shrine  (no 
fees),  on  the  central  altar  of  which,  looking  very  black  and 
ominous,  is  a  huge  seated  Fudd,  flanked  by  his  disciples  Seitaka- 
Doji  and  Kongara-Doji.  A  huge  brass  baldachin  pends  above, 
and  many  brass  fitments  stand  below.  The  coffered  ceiling  is 
a  dirty  black  streaked  with  the  stains  of  the  incense  which  has 
burned  here  for  upward  of  200  yrs.  The  big  temple  drum  at  the 
left  can  be  heard  all  over  the  neighborhood;  the  collection  of 
gold  and  silver  coins  in  a  frame  at  the  corner  allotted  to  the 
bonzes  are  of  the  Tokugawa  era. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  objects  about  the  building  are 
the  excellent  wood-carvings  on  the  doors,  back  and  sides;  all 
are  protected  by  wire  screens,  and  though  the  facial  expres- 
sions of  the  human  figures  lack  character  and  grace,  the  intric- 
acy of  the  carving  and  the  multiplicity  of  the  subjects  com- 
mand respect.  The  small  groups  on  the  square  panels  of  the 
doors,  each  about  2  by  2J  ft.,  illustrate  acts  in  the  lives  of 
certain  of  the  Twenty-four  Paragons  of  Filial  Piety  (mentioned 
in  the  Chinese  Repository,  vol.  vi)  and  are  ascribed  to 
Shimamura  Shumbyd.  The  long  panels  (4  by  9  ft.)  on  the 
sides  and  back  of  the  temple  portray  events  in  the  lives  of  the 
Five  Hundred  Rakan,  and  are  attributed  to  Matsumoto 
Rydsan.  The  leering,  bulbous,  sodden  faces  (no  two  of  which 
are  alike)  of  these  'perfected  Buddhist  saints  '  are  the  reverse 
of  holy,  and  are  singularly  out  of  harmony  with  their  reputed 
deeds.  The  large  carved  animals  on  the  architrave  above  the 
panels  are  fabulous  and  mediocre,  and  are  without  counter- 
parts in  any  civilized  zoo. 

Perched  among  the  rocks  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  behind  the 
temple  are  a  number  of  small  shrines;  one,  high  up  on  the  right, 
contains  a  figure  of  En-no  Shokaku,  a  be- whiskered  individual 
pictured  with  a  pilgrim's  staff  in  his  right  hand;  he  was  a 
Buddhist  hermit  who  dwelt  in  solitude  on  Mt.  Katsuragi  for 
30  yrs.  (during  the  7th  cent.),  and  whose  specialty  was  to 
climb  the  highest  mts.  of  the  country  and  consecrate  them  to 
Shaka.  One  of  the  early  mikados,  wearying  of  this  ceaseless 
agility,  accused  the  bonze  of  sorcery,  and  exiled  him  (in  699) 
to  one  of  the  Izu  Islands,  but  relented  and  pardoned  him 
some  years  after.  —  The  36  bronze  figures  dispersed  about 
the  rockery  symbolize  the  36  terrestrial  manifestations  of 
Kwannon. 

The  3-storied,  intricately  carved,  polychromatic  Pagoda  at 
the  right  of  the  Hondo  is  a  sad  simulacrum  of  a  sometime 
gorgeous  structure.  On  a  par  with  it  in  point  of  decoration  is 
the  near-by  Revolving  Library  —  time-stained,  vermiculated, 
and  tottering  to  its  fall.  Straight  across  from  the  pagoda,  at 
the  right,  is  an  Ex-voto  Hall  with  a  curious  medley  of  gifts; 
among  them  an  English  bronze  cannon  incised  with  the  Crown, 


240   Route  12. 


CHOSHI 


the  monogram  G.R.IV.,  the  date  1824,  and  a  metal  ribbon 
with  Honi  Soit  qui  Mai  y  Pense  —  a  fine  old  relic  of  gallant 
King  George  IV.  In  an  iron  cage  is  a  rope,  3  in.  in  diameter 
and  100  ft.  long,  made  of  hair  from  women's  heads,  and  em- 
ployed to  haul  the  beams  used  in  the  construction  of  the  tem- 
ple. The  buildings  seen  across  the  valley  at  the  far  right  are 
the  Narita  Library,  the  Public  School,  etc. 

From  this  terrace  52  granite  steps  lead  up  to  the  final  one 
on  which  stands  the  Komyo-do,  or  Hall  of  Resplendent  Light, 
a  weather-beaten  structure  showing  signs  of  former  magnifi- 
cence. Its  location  is  superb,  high  above  the  town,  on  a  clean- 
swept  space  girdled  by  a  fringe  of  splendid  trees  through  which 
beguiling  views  are  obtainable.  The  central  figure,  which 
seems  out  of  place  in  the  tawdry,  incense-stained  interior,  is 
Dainichi- Nyorai,  one  of  the  Buddhist  trinity  personifying 
purity  and  wisdom.  Immediately  behind  the  building,  in  an 
artificial  cave  constructed  of  ideographic  slabs,  behind  a  dim 
light  which  shows  only  as  a  yellow  gleam  in  the  murky  dark- 
ness, is  a  shrine  dedicated  to  him.  Many  small  shops,  tea- 
houses, peep-shows,  and  the  like  share  the  hilltop  with  the 
temple,  at  the  left  of  which  is  an  open  Ex-voto  Hall  containing 
a  number  of  pictures  of  no  worth.  —  The  vista  across  the  tem- 
ple roofs  as  we  descend  to  the  street  is  very  pretty.  The  situa- 
tion is  just  such  a  one  as  the  nature-loving  Buddhists  like  to 
select  for  their  shrines  —  at  once  symbolic  of  the  lofty  retreat 
whence  the  hermit  Buddha  looked  out  with  dreamy,  contem- 
plative gaze  over  the  world  below,  as  well  as  appealing  to  the 
sentiment  of  all  who  love  to  view  life  from  the  high  places. 

The  traveler  who  elects  to  return  to  Tokyo  may  do  so  over  the  line  trav- 
ersed on  the  outward  journey,  or  proceed  direct  (over  the  Narita  Rly.  Co.'s 
line)  from  Narita  to  (28  M.)  Abiko  (fare,  ¥1.29,  1st  cl.)  and  join  the  North- 
Eastern  Line  described  in  Rte.  17,  p.  305.  From  Narita  the  rly.  continues 
N.E.  through  a  nondescript  country  to  37  M.  Sawara. 

Tokyd-Choshi  Rte.  continued  from  p.  236.  From  Sakura 
Jet.  the  rly.  runs  E.  over  a  level  country  to  45  M.  Naruto,  then 
turns  abruptly  to  the  left  and  runs  N.E.  via  56  M.  Yokaichiba, 
to  73  M.  Choshi  (Inn:  Daishin,  ¥2  and  upward),  a  seashore 
town  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tone  River;  a  sort  of  Japanese  Cape 
Cod.  The  people  engage  either  in  catering  to  the  wants  of  the 
picnickers  who  come  hither  from  Tokyo,  or  devote  their  time 
to  catching  sardines  (iwashi),  which  assemble  here  in  such 
numbers  as  to  imply  that  they  like  the  process  of  being  boiled 
for  their  oil  and  later  used  as  a  fertilizer.  The  great  cauldrons  in 
which  they  are  reduced  are  not  fragrant,  and  foreigners  with  a 
refined  sense  of  smell  take  but  little  pleasure  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. The  near-by  coast  is  pretty,  but  less  so  than  the  lovely 
Matsushima,  farther  N.  Broad  lagoons  stretch  away  N.W., 
and  the  natives  delight  to  ride  over  them  on  the  poky  little 
river  steamboats  which  ply  hence  to  several  of  the  ports. 


KATSUURA  12.  Route.  241 


i.  From  Tokyo  vit  Chiba,  Soga  (Kisarazu)  and  Oami  to  Katsuura  (Ko- 
minato).  Sobu  and  Boso  Lines  of  the  Imperial  Government  Railways. 

To  Kisarazu  45  M.  Several  trains  daily  in  1£  hrs.;  fare,  ¥1.90,  1st  cl.; 
¥1.14,  2d  cl.  To  Katsuura  77  M.  in  about  3  hrs.,  fare,  ¥2.98  1st  cl.;  ¥1.79, 
2d  cl.  The  line  traverses  the  provinces  of  Shimosa  and  Kazusa,  penetrating 
the  picturesque  Boshu  Peninsula,  a  favorite  tramping-ground  for  Tokyo" 
people. 

From  Tokyo  to  Chiba  Jet.  is  described  in  the  foregoing  route. 
Thence  the  rly.  runs  along  the  E.  shore  of  Tokyo  Bay  to  3  M. 
Soga  Jet.,  where  the  line  for  Kisarazu  turns  to  the  right  to  fol- 
low the  contour  of  the  bay,  while  the  main  line  continues  across 
a  fairly  level  country  to  14  M.  Oami  Jet.  mentioned  herein- 
after. 

From  Soga  to  Kisarazu  is  20  M.  and  throughout  the  run  one  gets  alluring 
glimpses  of  the  bay  and  of  the  scores  of  junks  and  smaller  craft  bound  to  or 
from  Tokyo.  The  waters  hereabout  teem  with  a  great  variety  of  fish,  and 
fishing  is  the  chief  industry  of  the  villagers  along  the  shore.  Kisarazu  (Inn: 
Torikai,  ¥2)  a  poor  town  with  but  little  of  interest,  is  liked  by  the  Japanese 
for  the  succulent  eels  caught  and  cooked  there.  Foreign  residents  of  the 
metropolis  often  make  the  place  (steamers  daily  from  Tokyo)  the  point  of 
departure  for  walking  trips  to  the  interior  of  the  peninsula,  which  is  charm- 
ing in  springtime,  with  many  flowers  and  delightful  sea  views.  An  extension 
of  the  rly.  is  in  process  of  construction  to  15  M.  Kururi,  thence  over  the  hills 
to  10  M.  Odaki,  and  on  to  5  M.  Katsuura,  the  present  terminus  of  the  line 
described  below.  The  mt.  visible  at  the  S.  of  the  proposed  line,  is  Kano-san 
(1250  ft.),  astride  the  border  of  Kazusa  and  Awa  (Chinese  name,  Boshu) 
Provinces. 

At  Oami  Jet.  the  Togane  line  runs  in  a  N.E.  direction  to  8  M. 
Naruto,  a  junction  on  the  line  to  Choshi.  Our  line  here  turns 
to  the  right  and  runs  southward  until  it  strikes  the  sea  at  (26  M. 
from  Chiba  Jet.)  Ichinomiya,  a  nondescript  fishing- village. 
55  M.  Katsuura  (Inn:  Kdzen,  ¥2),  a  busy  little  fishing-town  is 
usually  the  point  of  departure  for  the  near-by  (4  M.  to  the  S.) 
Kominato  village,  known  to  Buddhists  throughout  Japan  as 
the  birthplace  (or  the  place  of  exile)  of  the  bonze  Nichiren. 
He  is  said  to  have  married  here  and  to  have  become  a  fisher- 
man. Later  he  prohibited  the  catching  of  fish,  and  as  the  pro- 
hibition is  still  observed,  the  finny  tribes  haunt  the  adjacent 
waters  undisturbed  in  such  numbers  that  the  environing  coast 
is  called  Tai-no-ura,  or  Sea  Bream  Coast.  A  temple,  the 
Tanjo-ji  ('Nativity  Temple/  said  to  have  been  established  in 
1286),  stands  to  his  memory  and  is  an  object  of  veneration  by 
the  adherents  of  the  Hokke  sect.  The  present  edifice,  erected 
in  1846  on  the  site  of  an  earlier  structure,  contains  some 
mediocre  carvings  and  a  number  of  relics  of  the  militant  saint, 
—  whose  ashes  are  deposited  in  the  Minobu  Temple  (Rte.  25). 


II.  NORTHERN  JAPAN 


Route  Page 

13.  From  Tokyo  via  Utsunomiya  to  Nikko  (Chuzenji, 
and  Yumoto)  243 

The  Cryptomeria  Japonica,  243. 

14.  Nikko  and  its  Environs  243 


Arrival,  243;  Hotels,  244;  Shops,  244;  Nikko,  244;  History, 
245;  The  Mountains,  246;  Climate,  246;  Flowers,  247; 
The  Sacred  Red  Bridge,  248;  The  Temples,  250;  Annual 
Procession,  251;  Mausoleum  of  Ieyasu,  252;  Nikko  Park, 
253;  Sambutsu-do,  253;  Sorinto,  254;  Bronze  Bell,  254; 
Rinno-ji,  255;  Museum  of  Iemitsu  Relics,  256;  The 
Pagoda,  257;  The  Nio-mon,  258;  The  First  Terrace  (of 
the  Ieyasu  Shrine),  259;  Hidari  Jingoro,  259;  Treasures 
of  the  Ieyasu  Shrine,  259;  Library  of  the  Sacred  Books, 
260;  The  Second  Terrace,  262;  Yakushi-do,  262;  The 
Yomei-mon  and  the  Third  Terrace,  265;  The  Kara-mon 
and  the  Fourth  Terrace,  269;  The  Honden,  270;  Holy  of 
Holies  of  the  Ieyasu  Mausoleum,  273;  Tomb  of  Ieyasu, 
279. 

The  Iemitsu  Mausoleum,  280;  The  Futa-ara  Jinja,  281; 
Memorial  House,  281;  Futatsu-dd,  282;  Nio-mon,  282; 
Niten-mon,  283;  Yasha-mon,  283;  Kara-mon,  283;  Hon- 
den, 284;  Holy  of  Holies,  285;  Tomb  of  Iemitsu,  287; 
Temple  of  Jigen-Daishi,  287;  Hongu-Jinja,  288.  — Ex- 
cursions, 288.  —  Kirifuri-no-taki;  and  Makkura-daki, 
289;  Jakko  Temple,  Nana  Waterfall,  Gy5ja-dd,  Takino 
Temple,  and  the  Vermicelli  Cascade,  290.  —  Gamman- 
ga-fuchi,  293;  Botanical  Garden,  294;  Urami-ga-taki, 
and  the  Jikwan-no-taki,  294;  Ascent  of  Nyoho-zan,  296; 
Toyama  Hill,  296. 

15.  From  Nikko  to  Chuzenji  and  Yumoto    ....  296 

Kegon  Waterfall,  298;  Lake  Chuzenji,  298;  Chuzenji  Vil- 
lage, 299;  Nantai-zan,  299;  Ashio  Copper  Mines,  300; 
Dragon's  Head  Cascade,  301;  Yu-no-taki,  302;  Yumoto 
Lake  and  Village,  302. 

16.  From  Yumoto  via  the  Konsei  Pass  to  Ikao  .    .    .  303 

Shirane-san,  304;  Suga,  Maru,  and  Ojiri  Lakes,  304;  The 
Kuryu  Pass,  305. 

17.  From  Tokyo  via  Mito,  Sendai,  Matsushima  and 
Morioka  to  Aomori  (Yezo  Island)  305 

Mito,  306;  Tokugawa  Nariaki,  306;  Sendai,  308;  Tansu, 
309;  Date  Masamune,  310;  Matsushima,  311;  Kinka- 
zan,  312;  Shiogama,  314;  Chusonji  Monastery,  315; 
Morioka,  316;  Mt.  Iwate,  316;  Aomori,  318;  Tsugaru 
Strait,  319. 

18.  From  Tokyo  via  Utsunomiya,  Fukushima,  Yama- 
gata  and  Akita  to  Aomori  (Hokkaido)    .    .    .  .319 

Shiobara  Mineral  Springs,  320;  Koriyama  and  the  Gan- 
etsu  Line  to  Niigata,  321;  Inawashiro  Lake,  Bandai-san, 
Wakamatsu,  321;  From  Koriyama  to  Taira,  322;  Fuku- 
shima, 322;  Yonezawa  and  the  Uesugi,  323;  Yamagata, 
324;  Gwassan,  and  Chokai-zan,  324;  Akita,  325;  Tsugaru 
Fuji,  326;  Aomori,  326. 


TOKYO  TO  NIKKO     18.  Route.  243 


13.  From  Tokyo  via  Utsunomiya  to  Nikko  (Chuzenji  and 
Yumoto). 

North-Eastern,  and  Nikko  Lines  of  the  Imperial  Government  Railways. 

91  M.  Several  through  trains  daily  in  4§  hrs;  fare,  ¥3.43,  1st  cl.;  ¥2.06, 
2d  cl.  Special  excursion  rates  at  certain  seasons.  The  rly.  to  Utsunomiya  is 
described  in  Rte.  18,  p.  320.  Utsunomiya  (Inn:  Shirokiya,  ¥3.50;  opposite 
the  station) ,  capital  of  Tochigi  Prefecture  and  chief  city  of  Shimotsuke  Pro- 
vince, with  47,500  inhabs.,  was  anciently  the  seat  of  the  powerful  Utsu- 
nomiya family,  descendants  oiFujiwara  Michikane  (955-95) .  A  great-grand- 
son of  Michikane  became  a  Buddhist  bonze  under  the  name  of  Sden,  and  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  Futaara  Temple.  The  old  castle  was  built  by  his 
son  Munetsuna. 

From  Utsunomiya  the  rly.  runs  N.W.  to  8  M.  Kanuma 
where  it  turns  N.  and  crosses  a  finely  wooded  country  on  a 
steadily  rising  grade.  The  magnificent  Cryptomeria1  Avenue 
which  parallels  it  for  some  distance,  leads  brokenly  to  Nikko 
and  terminates  at  the  foot  of  the  town.  Travelers  with  ample 
time  at  their  disposal  sometimes  alight  at  21  M.  Imaichi,  and 
walk  the  remaining  4  M.  to  Nikko,  beneath  the  lofty  trees. 
Originally  this  fine  avenue,  the  Nikko-Kaido,  was  40  or  more 
M.  long,  and  stretched  in  an  unbroken  line  past  Utsunomiya 
to  the  mausolea  of  which  it  served  as  a  regal  approach.  It  is 
said  to  have  been  planted  by  daimybs  too  poor  to  contribute 
money  toward  the  erection  of  the  mortuary  shrines  to  the  dead 
shoguns.  Scattered  among  the  cryptomerias  are  numerous 
Retinosporas,  or  i  Trees-of-the-Sun '  (Chamcecyparis  obtusa), 
the  Japanese  cypress  (hinoki),  a  tree  also  cultivated  in  Amer- 
ica. The  iconoclastic  peasantry  have  chopped  down  some  of  the 
noble  trees  for  firewood,  and  beside  making  huge  gaps  in  the 
avenue,  they  destroyed  a  mile  or  more  of  it  to  make  way  for 
their  houses  in  Nikko.  In  many  places  it  is  as  broken  as  the 
departed  glory  of  the  sovereigns  in  whose  honor  it  was  planted. 
The  rly.  approaches  it  several  times  before  reaching  the  Nikko 
station,  but  its  perspective  is  marred  by  frequent  curves. 

\ 

14.  Nikko  and  its  Environs. 

Arrival.  The  rly.  station  (see  the  accompanying  plan)  is  near  the  foot  of 
the  single  street  which  serves  as  the  main  thoroughfare  of  the  long,  thin  town 


1  The  Cryptomeria  Japonica  (Jap.  sugi),  one  of  the  finest,  most  valuable, 
and  most  widely  employed  of  the  Japanese  conifers,  is  to  Japan  what  the 
giant  Sequoia  is  to  California,  to  which  it  has  much  similarity.  There  is  but 
one  species,  and  in  England  and  America  it  is  called  the  Japanese  cedar.  It 
is  carefully  cultivated  in  Japan,  from  slips  and  seedlings;  chiefly  from  the 
latter.  The  tree  demands  a  deep  soil  and  protection  against  storms.  It 
thrives  best  in  a  hot,  dry  climate,  and  is  very  sensitive  to  cold.  It  is  a  quick 
grower  and  when  fully  developed  often  measures  18  ft.  in  circumference, 
while  the  tall,  perpendicular  shafts  raise  their  dark-green,  regular,  conical 
heads  from  100  to  110  ft.  in  the  air.  It  is  much  favored  for  temple  groves  and 
the  avenues  leading  thereto.  It  is  a  marvelous  wood-producer,  the  wood 
being  brownish-red  at  the  core,  sapwood  white,  easily  split,  of  agreeable 
smell,  easy  to  work,  durable  in  water,  but  also  very  brittle.  From  this  cir- 
cumstance it  is  not  employed  in  bridge-building  or  work  of  a  similar  nature 
where  sudden  and  violent  strains  are  to  be  met,  but  it  is  widely  used  by  the 
Japanese  in  the  construction  of  their  houses. 


244    Route  14.  NIKKO  Hotels. 

of  Hachi-ishi,  at  the  top  of  which  are  the  chief  hotels,  the  temples,  etc.  The 
Daiya  River  flanks  this  st.  on  the  right.  There  are  no  cabs.  The  tramway  is 
an  adjunct  to  the  Ashio  Copper  Refining  Co.,  but  the  cars  pass  the  principal 
hotels,  and  carrv*  passengers  through  and  beyond  the  town  to  the  terminus 
near  Futamiya.  ( Jinrikis  and  trustworthy  English-speaking  runners  for  the 
hotels  meet  all  incoming  trains,  to  take  charge  of  passengers'  luggage,  etc. 
The  average  charge  for  a  trunle  to  the  hotel  is  20  sen;  deliver  checks  to  the 
runner  or  to  the  hotel  manager^  The  upward  slope  of  the  st.  necessitates  2 
men  to  each  jinriki;  fare  to  the  jfcanaya  Hotel  (1  M.,  15  min.;  25  min.  walk), 
20  sen;  to  the  jUji^Ji^j^  CU  M.  25  min.;  35  min.  walk),  30  sen  each.  The 
latter  is  on  theotnersuJeof  the  river,  beyond  the  temples,  overlooking  the 
upper  town  of  Iri-Machi. 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix).  The  * Kanaya  Hotel  (Pl.D,  3)  Tel.  add.:  '  Kanaya 
Nikko  ' ;  occupies  a  commanding  position  on  a  hill  at  the  left  near  the  Red 
Bridge.  English  spoken;  modern  improvements;  fine  views;  good  food; 
recommended.  Single  room  (the  best  are  above  the  dining-room,  overlooking 
the  Daiya-gawa  and  the  mts.)  for  1  pers.,  from  ¥5  and  upward  per  day;  ¥9 
and  upward  for  2  pers.,Amer.  plan;  with  private  bath,  for  2  pers.,  from  ¥16 
to  ¥20.  Special  reductions  for  a  fortnight  or  longer.  The  suites  in  the  semi- 
Japanese  wing  (with  foreign  furniture)  are  comfortable  and  are  a  bit  cheaper 
than  the  others.  Certain  of  the  interior  decorations  are  copied  from  those  in 
the  mausolea.  The  pictures  in  the  dining-room  are  of  famous  native  poets. 
Baths  free.  Laundry,  5  sen  for  each  article  irrespective  of  size.  —  Telephone 
connections  with  the  Lakeside  Hotel  at  Chuzenji.  —  Nikko  Hotel,  10  min. 
beyond  the  Red  Bridge.  English  spoken;  rates  from  ¥4  to  ¥8  per  day,  with 
reduction  for  2  pers.  in  one  room.  —  A  number  of  Japanese  Inns  (comp.  p. 
xxxiv)  cluster  near  the  Kanaya  Hotel,  with  rates  ranging  from  ¥2  to  ¥3.50  a 
day  for  native  food  and  room.  There  are  several  small  so-called  hotels,  in 
semi-foreign  style,  in  Hachi-ishi. 

Shops  (comp.  p.  cxii)  abound,  and  as  some  of  them  have  grown  in  recent 
years  from  small  '  holes  in  the  wall  '  to  pretentious  establishments,  the  visi- 
tor should  be  sure  that  he  is  getting  fair  value  when  making  investments. 
Curios  can  usually  be  bought  to  better  advantage  in  Tokyo,  Yokohama,  or 
KySto.  The  well-known  (and  almost  tasteless)  Nikko  peppermints  are  sold 
in  many  places  at  50  sen  the  box ;  the  kuri-yokan  (so-called  from  the  chestnuts 
mixed  with  the  sweetened  bean-paste)  is  good  and  cheap ( 10  sen).  Occasion- 
ally a  good  bear-skin  can  be  bought  in  the  fur-stores  which  make  a  spe- 
cialty of  the  skins  of  deer,  martens,  foxes,  rabbits,  etc.  Turned-wood  articles 
in  great  variety,  and  wistaria  walking-sticks,  are  sold  in  many  of  the  shops; 
the  plates  are  sometimes  made^T'TWe^PrTIBlus  called  Boletus  versicolor,  and 
known  to  the  Japanese  as  Saru-no-koshi-kake,  or  Ape-stool.  It  clings  to  the 
trunks  of  old  foliaceous  trees  in  mt.  forests  ami  often  attains  great  dimen- 
sions. Bizarre  plates  varnished  black,  with  their  upper  part  hollowed  and 
lacquered  in  red,  and  with  borders  showing  2  or  3  growth-rings  of  the  mush- 
room in  all  its  natural  irregularity,  are  sometimes  seen.  The  easily  worked 
wood  of  the  horse-chestnut,  or  tochi-no-ki  (the  tree  which  gives  the  name  to 
the  prefecture  in  which  Nikko  is  situated) ,  is  much  used  in  making  furniture 
and  small  articles.  Various  other  pretty  objects  are  made  from  the  black 
fossil  wood  found  near  Sendai.  The  dainty  little  trays,  and  cups  and  saucers 
(made  usually  of  magnolia  wood),  finished  in  black,  red,  or  gold-lacquer  (the 
latter  tarnishes),  are  very  fragile,  since  they  are  sawn  against  the  grain  and 
therefore  chip  easily.  Most  of  the  small  articles  turned  from  camphor-laurel, 
alder,  etc.,  come  from  Hakone.  Roots  and  branches  of  the  rhododendron  are 
here  hollowed  out  for  bowls,  ash-cups,  water-dippers,  and  what-not,  then 
lacquered  on  the  inside  and  provided  with  a  lacquered  cover.  Old  cork-like 
polyporus  is  treated  in  the  same  way,  and  furnishes  a  quantity  of  hollow 
vessels  which  attract  by  their  want  of  symmetry  as  well  as  their  originality. 

Nikko  (' sunny  splendor a  mt.  town  (pop.  8000)  in  the 
N.W.  part  of  Shimotsuke  Province,  perhaps  derives  its 
name  (a  corrupted  and  contracted  form  of  the  Chinese 
Nikwozan)  from  Nikkd-bosatsu,  &  Buddhist  divinity  who 
resides  in  the  sun.  While  not  included  by  the  Japanese  in  the 
'three  great  sights'  it  nevertheless  appeals  strongly  to  most 


History.  NIKKO  14.  Route.  245 

foreigners. (The  solemn  and  impressive  grandeur  of  the  lofty, 
forest-belted  mts.  which  tower  above  it;  the  barbaric  splendor 
of  the  temples  and  mausolea  enshrined  in  their  noble  groves; 
the  austere  charm  of  the  plunging,  brawling,  ever-changing 
river;  the  cool  climate;  the  proximity  to  many  lovely  water- 
falls; to  the  near-by  Chuzenji  and  Yumoto  lakes,  and  to  other 
resorts,  make  it  a  sort  of  Mecca  not  only  for  resident  foreigners, 
but  for  travelers  from  many  parts  of  the  world!)  In  few  places 
have  art,  nature,  and  religion  worked  together  with  such 
harmonious  results,  whence  the  oft-repeated  expression: 
'  Nikko  mirumade,  Kekko  to  iu  na!J  — '  Until  you  have  seen 
Nikko,  do  not  say  splendid!  1 

History.  Nikko  came  prominently  into  history  when  the  Buddhist  bonze 
Shodo-Shonin  ('  pioneer  of  the  mountain  ')  erected  there  (in  766)  a  small 
shrine  which  he  called  Shihonryu-ji  ('  Temple  of  the  Four  Dragons  ').  Prior 
thereto  the  region  had  been  shunned  by  the  timid  because  of  a  superstitious 
dread  of  the  fierce  storms  which  whipped  it  from  time  to  time,  and  which, 
according  to  oral  tradition,  rushed  from  a  dark  and  fearsome  cavern  —  the 
noisome  home  of  certain  malign  spirits  —  on  the  slope  of  Nantai-zan,  which 
overlooks  Lake  Chuzenji.  Shodo-Shonin  declared  the  old  Shinto  deity  of  the 
mountain  to  be  only  a  manifestation  of  Buddha,  and  this  so  pleased  the 
simple  folk  that  in  808,  Tachibana  Toshito  (then  governor  of  the  province) 
rebuilt  the  original  temple  on  a  larger  scale  and  called  it  Honryu-ji  ('Dragon 
Temple  ').  Two  years  later,  Kyobin,  a  disciple  of  Shodo-Shonin,  built  the 
Mangwan-ji,  which  became  the  chief  temple  of  Nikko;  Kyobin  was  estab- 
lished as  its  first  superior  in  818,  and  its  head  bonzes  were  named  by  the 
emperor.  In  820,  Kobo-Daishi  visited  the  region  and  changed  the  original 
name*  of  Futa-ara-yama  (applied  to  it  because  of  the  storms  above-men- 
tioned) to  Nikko-zan  (the  name  of  the  present  range  of  mts.  on  the  N.W. 
boundary  of  Shimotsuke  Province).  The  pious  bonzes  will  remind  the  scoffer 
that  from  that  day  the  evil  dragons  which  foregathered  in  the  cavern  on 
Nantai-zan  ceased  to  scourge  the  district  with  hurricanes,  albeit  Nikk5 
remains  to-day  the  home  of  mist  and  rain. 

In  850,  Jikaku-Daishi  erected  3  large  temples  and  36  smaller  ones  at 
Nikko,  and  thenceforward  it  became  a  sanctified  place  to  which  many  devo- 
tees made  annual  pilgrimages.  Several  emperors  and  shoguns  made  grants 
of  land  to  the  temples,  which  eventually  (about  1220)  possessed  70  villages 
with  a  yearly  revenue  of  180,000  koku  of  rice.  In  1590,  Hideyoshi  con- 
fiscated the  temple  domains  with  their  incomes,  leaving  only  the  village  of 
Ashio  which  yielded  but  600  koku.  All  but  9  of  the  temples  were  demolished 
or  transported  elsewhere,  and  Nikko  declined  greatly.  Its  second  rise  began 
in  1617,  when  Hidetada,  the  2d  shogun  of  the  Tokugawa  dynasty,  erected 
here  a  superb  mortuary  shrine  as  a  repository  for  his  father's  body,  then  tem- 
porarily enshrined  at  Kund-zan  (Rte.  24) ,  a  lovely  spot  near  Shizuoka.  Under 
the  able  administration  of  the  high-priest  Tenkai,  Nikko  from  that  time 
gradually  recovered  its  former  prosperity.  In  1645,  the  Emperor  Go-  Komyd 
conferred  on  Ieyasu  the  posthumous  title  of  T osho-daigongen,  and  decreed 
that  every  year  an  Imperial  messenger  should  carry  presents  to  his  tomb. 
On  the  death  (in  1651)  of  the  shogun,  Iemitsu,  his  remains  also  were  brought 
here  and  a  temple  was  erected  to  his  memory.  In  1654  a  son  of  the  Emperor 
Go-Mino-o  was  appointed  high-priest  of  the  Tendai  sect  of  Buddhists  and 
established  himself  at  Nikko  in  the  primitive  Mangwan  Temple,  which 
was  thereafter  called  Rinnd-ji,  and  became  known  as  its  principal  house. 
Since  that  time  its  superior  has  always  been  a  prince  of  royal  blood,  who  was 
called  Rinnd-ji  no  Miya.  In  1871,  the  temple  took  its  former  name  of  Mang- 
wan-ji, only  to  be  again  (in  1884)  re-named  Rinnd-ji.  It  has  lost  much  of 
its  original  splendor,  and  is  now  commonly  known  as  the  Sambutsu-do. 

Nikko's  prestige  received  a  second  shock  at  the  time  of  the  Restoration; 
Buddhism  was  disestablished,  all  the  ecclesiastical  revenues  reverted  to  the 
State;  the  temple  of  Ieyasu  (or  Toshogu)  was  shorn  of  much  of  its  magni- 
ficent Buddhist  paraphernalia,  and  of  its  glories  of  ritual;  the  200  priests 


246    Route  14.  f  NIKKO  The  Mountains. 

which  gave  it  animated  splendor  were  scattered ;  and  it  was  converted  into  a 
Shinto  shrine.  The  temple  of  Iemitsu  remained  Buddhist.  The  first  for- 
eigners who  were  permitted  to  visit  Nikko  were  Sir  Harry  (and  Lady) 
I    Parkes,  Great  Britain's  representative  in  Japan  in  1870. 

The  Mountains  —  green,  lofty,  and  copper-impregnated  — 
which  half-encircle  Nikko  town  from  the  N.  toward  the  S.W. 
and  overshadow  it  with  their  mighty  bulk,  are  an  ever-present 
delight.  They  seem  all  to  be  holding  hands,  as  if  better  to 
keep  in  touch  with  the  holy  patriarch,  Nantai-zan.  Belted 
with  forests  of  splendid  conifers  and  a  host  of  other  evergreen 
and  deciduous  trees;  deeply  gashed  with  green,  verdure- 
choked  ravines  into  which  plunge  scores  of  lovely  waterfalls; 
flaming  with  fragrant  and  beautiful  wild  flowers,  and  peopled 
by  deer,  monkeys,  pheasants,  and  other  game,  they  hold, 
land-locked  in  their  higher  reaches,  exquisite,  dark-green, 
mirror-like  lakes  drowsing  in  endless  serenity  and  heedless  of 
the  imperative  call  of  the  ocean  thousands  of  feet  below.  For  a 
great  part  of  the  year  the  highest  peaks  are  clothed  or  patched 
with  snow,  and  at  all  times,  from  their  easily  scalable  passes, 
one  may  enjoy  prospects  of  Nature  which  leave  one  speechless 
with  admiration.  At  the  right  (N.)  of  the  town  rises  the  low, 
thickly  wooded  and  relatively  isolated  Toyama,  surmounted 
with  trees  and  a  small  rest-house.  Hard  by  at  the  left,  but  a 
trifle  higher,  with  patches  of  forest  on  its  bold,  grassy  slopes, 
is  Akanagi-yama  (8000  ft.),  linked  by  a  knife  ridge  to  the 
equally  imposing  Nyohd-zan,  mentioned  hereinafter.  Below 
this,  at  the  left,  with  patches  of  bare  earth  showing  on  its 
sides,  is  Ko-Manago;  smaller,  as  its  name  implies,  than  its  big 
brother,  6-Manago  (7666  ft.),  which  stands  at  the  left  and  is 
conspicuous  for  the  bare  gullies  which  gash  it.  A  graceful  line 
sweeps  downward  from  its  lofty  shoulder  and  forms  a  vast 
arete  that  joins  it  to  the  sacred  Nantai-zan  —  the  monarch  of 
the  region.  The  twin  hummocks  on  its  near  side,  close  to 
Nikko,  are  called  Futago-yama  ('twin  mts.').  ^  The  steepish 
hill  behind  the  Kanaya  Hotel,  crowned  by  a  little  tea-house 
and  approached  by  a  good  path  whence  superb  views  are 
obtainable  in  retrospect,  is  Daikoku  ('good-luck').  The  entire 
region  is  washed  by  the  Daiya  River,  a  right-hand  tributary  of 
the  Kinu-gawa,  which  comes  in  from  Sanno-toge.  —  The  spe- 
cies of  marble  quarried  in  certain  of  the  hills  is  called  Nikko- 
roseki. 

(  Climate.  The  summer  climate  of  Nikko  is  not  quite  in  keep- 
/  ing  with  the  sunny  suggestiveness  of  its  name.  Fine  crisp  days 
often  characterize  April  and  May,  but  when  spring  glides  into 
summer  the  rains  become  steady  and  nerve-trying.  At  this 
period  many  of  the  rivulets  become  raging  torrents,  and  the 
waterfalls  miniature  Niagaras.  When  they  all  merge  their 
muddy  waters  with  the  tumultuous  flood  of  the  raging  Daiya- 
gawa,  it  threatens  the  entire  region  with  watery  destruction, 


The  Flowers, 


NIKKO  U.  Route.  247 


and  requires  the  combined  efforts  of  most  of  the  townspeople 
to  dam  it  and  curb  its  furious  whims.  At  such  times  it  domi- 
nates the  town'like  an  evil  spirit,  roaring  and  tumbling  through 
the  gorge  and  smiting  the  high  retaining  walls  with  a  rage  that 
is  awe-inspiring.  Travelers  who  plan  mt.  excursions  on  days 
which  open  sunnily  should  go  equipped  with  rain-coats,  for  the 
afternoon  may  see  a  vast  rain-soaked  blanket  of  clouds  sagging 
above  the  mt.  tops,  with  a  regular  sizzle-sozzle  pouring  from  a 
million  pin-holes  in  it.  Thunderstorms  are  features  of  the 
afternoon  rains  in  midsummer.  The  rains  slacken  in  Sept., 
and  Oct.  and  Nov.  are  usually  beautiful.  Heavy  snows  mark 
the  winter,  with  a  minimum  temperature  of  about  12°  F. 
above.  May  is  perhaps  the  best  of  the  spring  months,  and  Oct. 
in  the  autumn.  ^Travelers  at  all  seasons  should  carry  heavyv 
clothing,  as  snow  flurries  not  unfrequently  occur  in  April-May.) 
The  almost  unexampled  wetness  of  Nikko  stimulates  the  plants 
to  sustained  activity,  and  produces  a  luxuriance  of  vegetation 
scarcely  equaled  in  the  same  latitude  anywhere.  Even  the 
tiny  pores  of  the  fence-stones  and  the  granite  monuments 
send  forth  vivid  green  Protococcus  viridis,  and  one  sometimes 
sees  fat  old  carved  stone  Buddhas  with  thick  and  grotesque 
wigs  of  bright  green  grass  or  close-clinging  green  lichen  all  over 
their  otherwise  bald  pates! 

The  Flowers  are  legion  and  are  all  beautiful;  the  plum 
blossoms  of  March  are  followed  by  those  of  the  cherry  in 
April,  and  by  the  lovely  drooping  wistaria  in  May.  Jungjs 
a  glory  of  azaleas,  clematis,  and  iris;  wild  varieties  of  the  latter 
idealizing  the  hillsides  as  late  as  July.  The  autumn  maples 
are  superb  and  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  Scores  of  wild 
flowers  grow  in  wanton  profusion  on  the  mountain-sides,  those 
which  love  the  higher  slopes  and  the  cooler  air  looking  down 
upon  warm  ravines  wherein  flaming  azaleas  strive  to  emulate 
their  lofty  example  by  rising  in  tree-like  bushes  20  ft.  or  more 
high.  Splendid  conifers,  maples,  tochi-no-ki,  lacquer,  and  other 
trees  add  their  different  shades  of  green  to  the  general  plan. 
Nature  demonstrates  her  charm  most  strikingly  in  Nikko  in 
the  towering  cryptomeria  trees  whose  gigantic  proportions, 
unusual  height,  purity  of  form,  and  sumptuous  development  of 
foliage  harmonize  grandly  with  the  gleaming,  gold-flecked, 
green  copper-bronzed  roofs  of  the  temples  and  the  brilliant 
vermilion  of  the  fences,  pagodas,  and  shrines.  Some  of  them 
are  20  ft.  or  more  in  girth  3  ft.  above  the  ground  and  propor- 
tionately tall,  and  the  majestic  double-columnary  avenues 
formed  by  them  seem  to  stretch  out  into  infinity  and  to  encour- 
age the  lagging  pilgrim  by  their  grateful  shade.  They  form 
regal  approaches  to  the  sacrosanct  shrines,  and  once  arrived 
they  cluster  around  the  temples  as  if  to  serve  as  a  background 
and  buffer  between  them  and  the  mts.,  rising  in  echelon  behind 
them  and  giving  the  temples  themselves  the  height  which  they 


248    Route  14. 


NIKKO  Sacred  Red  Bridge. 


lack,  and  which  deficiency  the  terraces  partly  supply.  Man 
feels  like  a  pygmy  as  he  walks  in  the  solemn  shade  at  the  foot 
of  these  faultlessly  straight  and  superbly  tall,  pyramidal  trees, 
which  seem  peculiarly  fitted  to  shelter  the  glittering  pomp  and 
pageantry  of  the  one-time  gorgeous  shogun  and  daimyd  pro- 
cessions. They  add  immeasurably  to  the  soothing  charm 
which  broods  above  Nikko,  and  they  repress  with  a  dominat- 
ing personality  the  sometimes  too  garish  tones  of  the  temples 
and  shrines. 

The  Sacred  Red  Bridge  {Mihashi),  one  of  the  most  striking 
and  picturesque  objects  in  Nikko  (and  which  is  sacred  to  all 
but  the  small  boys  who,  monkey-like,  scoot  over  it  at  night), 
is  83  ft.  long,  18  ft.  wide,  and  rests  upon  two  monolithic,  torii- 
shaped,  gray  granite  pillars  which  stand  at  either  end.  Between 
these  the  bridge  leaps  in  one  graceful  sweeping  arch  across  the 
rhyolitic  gorge  cut  by  the  river  below.  Lacquered  a  rich,  deep 
Indian  red,  which  shines  lustrously  in'  The*  summer  rains; 
adorned  with  black  metal  clamps  and  gilded  washers  that 
impart  a  tri-color  effect;  flanked  at  each  end  by  wide-sweeping 
wings  and  closed  (and  locked)  gates  that  are  resplendent  in 
black,  red,  and  gold,  the  bridge  makes  a  fine  bit  of  color  amidst 

•  the  dark  green  of  the  surrounding  trees  and  the  soft  gray  of 
the  rocks  beneath.  The  restless,  crystal-blue  river  which  raves 
unceasingly  below  it  refuses  to  reflect  the  warm  red  shape 
which  a  quiet,  glassy  pool  would  love  to  hold  in  its  embrace. 
The  effect  imparted  by  the  structure  is  that  of  one  built  on  a 
slight  curve.  It  is  arched  in  the  center;  and  along  this  ridge 
(from  which  the  two  sides  slope  gently)  is  a  line  of  black  iron 
that  contrasts  harmoniously  with  the  lacquer  which  is  laid  in 
many  thick  coats  (red  above  and  black  underneath)  upon  the 
massive  keyaki  floor-beams-.  The  ten  giboshu  (p.  clxxxvi)  which 
crown  the  upright  posts  of  this  and  many  other  bridges  in 
Japan,  impart  a  funereal  aspect  to  it.  It  spans  the  river  112 
ft.  up  from  the  tram-car  (and  foot)  bridge  of  the  commonalty, 

y*£hd  is  used  by  the  public  only  when  the  lower  bridge  is  out  of 
¥  commission.  General  U.  S.  Grant  was  invited  to  walk  over  it 
when  in  Nikko  in  1879,  but  protested  that  it  was  too  sacred 
V  to  be  thus  defiled  by  him.  It  has  been  widely  copied  in  native 

*^art,  and  many  counterparts  exist  in  the  Empire.  The  original 
mihashi  was  constructed  in  1636,  and  for  many  succeeding 
years  it  was  opened  only  to  shoguns,  envoys  of  the  Mikado, 
and  (twice  yearly)  to  pilgrims.  According  to  the  record  it  was 
erected  to  commemorate  the  following  miracle :  — 

When  Shodo-Shonin  was  searching  for  Nantai-zan,  the  sacred  mt.  of  his 
dreams  (just  as  the  wandering  Aztecs  sought  the  symbolic  eagle,  snake,  and 
cactus  in  the  Valley  of  Mexico),  he  reached  this  point  in  Nikko  to  find  that 
the  rapid  waters  of  the  Daiya-gawa  barred  further  progress;  thereupon  he  fell 
into  a  state  of  profound  meditation,  and  he  prayed  long  and  fervently  that 
the  propitiatory  gods  might  aid  him.  Like  Santa  Rosa  de  Lima,  his  wisdom 
and  saintliness  enabled  him  to  converse  with  the  birds  and  beasts  of  the 


Sacred  Red  Bridge.  NIKKO  14.  Route.  249 

fields,  and  as  he  sat  on  the  near  bank  of  the  stream  where  it  is  now  spanned 
by  the  sacred  bridge  a  dragon  appeared  to  him  and  questioned  the  motive 
of  his  praj'er.  Learning  that  his  wish  was  to  cross  the  stream,  the  dragon 
retired  to  the  little  shrine  of  Jad-Gongen  (or  Shad-jinja;  which  still  stands 
at  the  opposite  end  of  the  bridge). whereupon  the  god  of  that  shrine  emerged 
holding  a  red  and  a  blue  dragon  in  his  hands.  Placing  them  at  the  edge  of  the 
ravine  he  bade  them  form  a  bridge,  which  they  did  by  stretching  themselves 
to  the  other  shore  and  permitting  a  path  of  rich  green  grass  to  grow  instantly 
between  them.  Upon  this  miraculous  and  heaven-sent  structure  Shonin 
quickly  passed  over.  From  this  circumstance  the  bridge  is  often  referred  to 
in  old  histories  as  the  Yama-suge-no-ja-bashi.  or  'mountain-grass-dragon-^ 
bridge.'  The  original  red  bridge  was  destroyed  Sept.  23, 1902,  by  one  of  the  I 
most  smgular"catast"rbphes  in  the  history  of  the  region. 

The  June  rains  continued  far  into  the  autumn  and  the  entire  region  round- 1 
about  suffered  under  an  almost  interminable  downpour.  Land-slips  occurred  f 
on  several  of  the  most  precipitous  peaks  of  the  environing  range,  but  the  I 
most  serious  (one  that  made  an  ineffaceable  record  in  local  annals)  was) 
that  of  the  sacred  Nantai-zan,  overlooking  Chuzenji  Lake.  The  morning  of\ 
Sept.  23  opened  lowering  and  sullen,  with  such  thick  sheets  of  rain  that 
even  much  of  the  atmosphere  was  closed  out,  and  one  had  to  gasp  for  sufB-  J 
cient  breath.    The  priests  and  bonzes  were  praying  fervently  in  the  little  ) 
temple  which  stood  on  the  mt.  flank,  near  the  edge  of  the  lake,  and  were  I 
assisted  by  many  pilgrims;  a  sentiment  of  impending  disaster  possessed  the  I 
usually  cheerful  people.  Suddenly,  at  about  8.30  a.m.,  a  wide  area  composed 
of  sodden  ash  and  volcanic  tufa  thickly  covered  with  forest  trees  and  under- 
brush, detached  itself  from  a  point  near  the  mt.  summit  and  began  to  slide 
down  its  steep  side;  an  instant  later  it  gained  the  momentum  of  millions  of 
tons  of  matter  in  space  and  plunged  down  the  slope  with  unthinkable  .swift- 
ness and^force,  leveling  or  carrying  along  with  it  the  forest  in  its  path.  The 
doomed  priests  and  their  panic-striken  suppliants  heard  the  awful  roar  of  the 
oncoming  avalanche,  but  before  they  could  even  reach  the  temple  doors  it 
had  lifted  the  whole  area  —  buildings,  trees,  graves,  shrines,  torii,  monu- 
ments, and  what-not  —  and  hurled  it,  along  with  the  people,  into  the  cold 
depths  of  the  lake;  there  to  bury  it  beneath  other  acres  of  debris. 

As  this  huge  mass  suddenly  plunged  to  the  500  ft.  bottom  of  the  lake,  a 
corresponding  body  of  water  leapt  upward,  and,  as  if  terrified  at  the  inva- 
sion, hurled  itself  in  blind  panic  over  the  Kegon  precipice.  When  it  hit  the 
300  ft.  bottom  of  this  abyss  it  bounded  down  the  mt.  side  and  shot  seaward 
like  a  small  world  sundered  from  the  law  of  attraction.  The  whole  of  the 
Nikko  mts.  seemed  to  tremble  beneath  the  furious  impact  and  the  mad  rush 
of  the  crazed  monster.  At  the  Uma-gaeshi  tea-house  —  which  was  kept  by 
an  old  woman  and  her  small  daughter  and  two  grandchildren  —  a  peasant 
had  just  stepped  up  to  buy  a  pair  of  waraji  and  a  tiny  cup  of  tea;  the  little 
grandaughter  was  tying  on  the  sandals;  the  daughter  was  singing  at  her 
household  chores,  while  the  old  woman  and  the  young  grandson  were 
gathering  brushwood  on  the  adjacent  hillside. 

Suddenly  there  broke  on  the  quiet  morning  air  a  roar  that  froze  the  blood 
in  their  veins.  Then  the  twain  saw  the  vast  wall  of  onrushing  water,  boul- 
ders, earth,  and  forest  trees  strike  their  little  home  and  hurl  it  hundreds  of 
feet  into  splintered  nothingness,  carrying  with  it  all  their  loved  ones  and  all 
their  earthly  possessions.  It  had  come  in  a  moment,  and  in  a  moment  it  had 
gone,  but  the  scars  it  left  are  still  to  be  seen  in  the  sorrowful  face  of  the  old 
woman  (now  installed  in  a  new  tea-house  built  by  her  friends)  and  in  the 
seared  lines  along  the  river's  bed.  The  only  warning  Nikko  had  of  the  com- 
ing of  the  formidable  Frankenstein  which  the  sacred  mountain  had  startled 
out  of  Chuzenji' 's  depths,  was  that  ominous  and  inexplicable  calm  which 
often  presages  disaster,  and  which  so  depresses  human  spirits.  Just  at  9 
a.m.  a  thoughtful  schoolmaster,  feeling  that  his  little  charges  would  be 
happier  at  home  than  in  the  big  schoolhouse  across  the  river  (below  the 
present  bridge),  convoyed  them  across  the  lower  of  the  (then)  three  bridges, 
and  sent  them  scurrying  to  their  respective  nests.  A  minute  after  the 
hundreds  of  children  had  crossed  the  bridge  safely,  the  terror  was  seen  plung-  j 
ing  down  the  gorge  with  a  shriek  that  was  hysterically  synchronized  by  every  • 
electrically  charged  wire  in  the  town,  and  by  every  temple  bell  and  sus- 
pended gong  within  the  sacred  grove.   The  huge  bells  moaned  as  if  in  • 


250    Route  14-  NIKKO  The  Temples. 

anguish,  and  they  hummed  and  buzzed  angrily  for  minutes  after  the  thing 
had  gone.  As  the  monster  approached  the  Red  Bridge,  it  reached  out 
octopus-like  arms  and  gathered  in  many  of  the  humble  homes  of  the  people 
along  the  river's  edge.  It  picked  up  a  dozen  or  more  of  the  great  stone 
Buddhas,  which  for  centuries  had  gazed  vacantly  at  the  stream  from  the 
Gamman-ga-fuchi  bank;  wrenched  the  dainty  little  temple  of  t)ainichi-do 
from  its  moorings  in  its  exquisite  little  garden ;  spun  it  into  position,  and  then, 
with  diabolical  frenzy,  hurled  it,  along  with  the  ponderous  granite  Buddhas, 
crashing  against  the  lovely,  shrinking,  sacred  bridge.  The  structure  leapt 
from  its  base  as  if  blown  up  by  dynamite,  dislodged  the  2d,  and  then  the  3d 
bridge,  and  shot  downstream  later  to  be  splintered  into  a  thousand  frag- 
ments and  strewn  over  a  hundred  miles  of  lowland  and  sea.  Fifty  lives  were 
lost,  3  bridges,  and  200  houses  were  wrecked  in  the  vicinity  of  Nikko,  along 
with  several  of  the  waterfalls  which  had  hitherto  been  noted  for  their  beauty. 

The  *Temples,  indubitably  the  finest  of  their  kind,  may  be  said  to  be 
divided  into  two  groups:  the  Ieyasu  Shrines,  the  first  up  at  the  right  from  the 
nether  end  of  the  red  bridge;  and  beyond,  at  the  left,  the  Iemitsu  Temples. 
The  former  are  under  the  supervision  of  a  Shinto  abbot  (office  at  the  Sha- 
musho;  see  the  accompanying  plan) ;  the  latter  a  Buddhist  abbot  of  the 
Tendai  sect  —  under  whose  control  (office  in  the  Rinnd-ji  compound,  near 
the  Sambutsu-do)  are  also  the  Kyozo;  the  Sambutsu-dd;  and  the  Museum  of 
Iemitsu  relics  (all  in  the  Ieyasu  group).  By  mutual  agreement  the  entrance 
fee  of  80  sen  (tickets  at  the  Kanaya  Hotel  or  at  the  ticket-offices  of  the 
respective  groups)  admits  one  to  both  sets  of  buildings,  although  in  some, 
additional  5-sen  fees  are  exacted.  Application  for  admission  to  those  struc- 
tures closed  to  the  general  public  must  be  made  to  the  respective  abbots. 
The  court  of  last  resort  is  the  Imperial  Household  Department  at  Tokyo. 
Customarily  the  buildings  are  opened  at  7-8  a.m.  and  closed  at  4  p.m., 
albeit  some  of  the  auxiliary  structures  close  earlier.  One  cannot  reenter  on 
the  same  ticket,  which  must  be  relinquished  when  the  2d  group  is  visited. 
Morning  is  the  best  time  to  inspect  the  buildings,  and  if  possible  a  bright  day 
should  be  selected,  as  the  ceilings  are  low  and  floods  of  sunlight  are  requisite 
for  a  critical  examination  of  the  interiors  —  which  on  overcast  days  are  dark 
and  gloomy.  Hats,  shoes,  umbrellas,  walking-sticks,  outer-coats,  etc., 
must  be  left  at  the  Karamon  gate  of  both  mausolea,  where  they  are  kept  for 
a  small  fee  (5-10  sen  is  ample  for  a  party).  Dogs  are  excluded,  and  smoking 
is  strictly  forbidden.  Unusual  precautions  are  taken  against  fire  in  all  the 
buildings.  A  special  appointment  (p.  273)  in  advance  is  necessary  to  gain 
admission  to  the  Holy  of  Holies  of  the  Ieyasu  shrine,  and  a  special  permit 
(sometimes  obtainable  of  the  Imperial  Household  Department,  or  through 
one's  minister  or  ambassador)  and  appointment  for  that  of  the  Iemitsu 
temple.  —  Cameras  are  permitted  in  the  temple  grounds,  and  pictures  can 
be  taken  of  the  exterior  of  the  buildings  only  on  a  previous  payment  of  ¥1 
for  each  group ;  the  privilege  applying  only  to  the  day  and  hour.  Without 
this  permit  cameras  must  be  left  at  the  gate.  Good  pictures  are  possible  only 
on  bright  days,  as  the  wide  overhanging  eaves  cast  heavy  shadows.  —  Fees 
to  the  temple  attendants  are  unnecessary  unless  one  makes  special  demands 
of  them.  Japanese  usually  deposit  a  few  sen  in  the  contribution-boxes 
(which  because  of  their  size  can't  be  overlooked) ,  or  before  the  altars.  In  the 
latter  case  they  often  twist  a  wisp  of  paper  round  the  coin  before  tossing  it 
on  the  floor  —  an  ancient  custom  that  appeals  to  the  economically  disposed, 
since  it'masks  the  value  of  the  offering.  —  For  a  clearer  understanding  of  the 
chief  structural  features  of  the  buildings  the  traveler  is  referred  to  the  chap- 
ter on  Temple  Architecture  (p.  clxxii) .  The  art  motifs  are  alluded  to  in  con- 
nection with  Buddhism  (p.  clxxxix). 

The  Mausolea  owe  their  being  to  the  Tokugawa  shoaun,  Ieyasu,  who 
commanded  his  son  Hidetada  to  choose  a  site  and  erect  a  suitaoie  structure 
to  receive  his  ashes.  When  Ieyasu  died  in  1616,  Hidetada  (who  had  suc- 
ceeded to  the  shogunate  in  1605)  began  the  work  —  which  outwardly  was 
completed  the  following  year.  On  April  20,  1617,  the  cortege  (one  of  the 
grandest  in  Japan's  history)  bearing  Ieyasu' s  remains  left  Kuno-zan,  and 
reached  Nikko,  May  8.  There  a  choir  of  Buddhist  priests  in  full  canonicals 
intoned  the  classic  scriptures  ten  thousand  times.  It  was  ordained  that  ever 
afterward  the  chief  priest  of  Nikko  should  be  a  prince  of  the  Imperial  blood, 
with  the  title  Rinnd-ji  no  miya.  An  envoy  of  high  rank  was  subsequently 


Ucwa^  9^0^^  V-^cmsSs  <f&*f 


B 


C 


MKKO  MAUSOLEA 


AND  ENVIRONS 

SCALE 


800 


1600  Eng.Ft. 


0  200  400  Meters. 

Drawn  Specially  for 

TERRY'S  JAPANESE  EMPIRE 
Copyrighted 
Railroads  mmmm 

1.  Post  Office  D-5 

2.  Police  Station. 

3.  Red  Bridge  BUS 

4.  Hongil  Jinga.__F-4 

5.  Imperial  Villa._B-8 

6.  Shaka-do.  B-3 

IEXASU  MAUSOLEIM 

7.  jRinnoji  D-4 

8.  Abbots'  Shrine  E-4 

9.  Sambutsu-do...E-3 

10.  Sorinto___  E-3 

11.  Ryo-Dai"shi____F-3  yfl 

12.  Nio-mon  F-2 

13.  Storerooms  F-2 

14.  ChOzu-ya  E-2 

15.  Kycrzo  _E-2 

"  Yakushi-do.... E-2  )U^S, 

17.  Yomei-mon  F-l  \  {  y'\ 

18.  Mikoshi-da  E-2  M  

19.  Kagura-den  F-2  /Toinh 

20.  Sakashita-mon.G-2  O  Prinec'f, 

21.  Goma-do__  G-l  Ifitashir^kaW^ 


irk/' 


<_^<-«wci 

MAUSOLEUM  I 

t         -_^--'  Ryulf* 


Tomb  ofvi-iJ't 


I>ai»hi  , 


22.  Kara-mon  "_""  F-l  # >  f  )  jVV, V$^^^^^^^_i_i____W  ( N  V '<fRrY C 

23.  Honden.  F-l    IL  fl  d  4'  •_'.  -^Tr^r^^,^>  >r 

24.  Nai-naijr„-.;r.::F-i  W^yfri/.'*  >>/.»},  MKj>* 


IEMITSl!  MAUSOLEI  M    ^W^WA(n;  J 

25,  Futatsu-do  C-3  •'^.v^v/|%P 

2G.  Nio-mon  _C-2  ggffi  a  fm  £_ 

27.  Niten-mon  _C-2  ***T_S 

Yasha-mon  C-2  /\ 

I.  Kara-mon  C-l  1 

30.  Honden  B-l 


Ganiman-ga-fuchi 


Aikko  Elec+riey 


Light 


Annual  Procession. 


MKKO 


14.  Route.  251 


sent  by  the  Emperor  to  the  shrine  once  a  year,  to  offer  sacred  gilt  gohei 
(p.  ccxix).  Tokugawa  Iemitsu  ( Hidetada's  eldest  son)  amplified  his  grand- 
father's wishes  by  building  several  beautiful  adjuncts  to  the  main  shrine. 
The  belief  is  held  by  certain  secular  historians  that  this  splendor-loving 
sovereign  had  a  double  purpose.  Besides  erecting  a  sumptuous  sepulcher  for 
himself,  he  tried  not  only  to  dazzle  the  daimyds  by  the  fertility  of  his  own 
imagination,  and  by  his  practically  limitless  power  and  wealth,  but  also  to 
impoverish  them  in  their  competitive  efforts  to  contribute  to  the  beautifica- 
tion  of  his  costly  undertakings.  For  so  long  as  they  were  in  straitened  cir- 
cumstances rebellion  would  be  difficult,  and  none  could  venture  to  erect 


structures  half  so  magnificent  or  impressive.  That  the  wildest  extravagance 
is  displayed  within  and  without  the  temples  and  shrines  the  traveler  will  be 
able  to  note. 

The  temple  records  contain  no  estimate  of  the  original  cost  of  the  various 
structures,  the  careful  work  on  many  of  which  was  contributed  by  mikados, 
shoguns,  daimyds,  etc.,  at  different  periods.  Even  the  names  of  the  great 
architects  and  artists  who  produced  here  the  finest  religious  architectural 
expressions  east  of  Agra  have  been  forgotten.  The  traveler  who  finds  himself 
puzzled  at  the  application  of  Buddhist  enrichments  to  Shinto  shrines,  and 
vice  versa,  will  wish  to  remember  that  when  Buddhism  was  disestablished, 
its  material  separation  from  Shintoism  was  sometimes  impossible.  In  those 
cases  where  a  division  was  impracticable,  either  the  Buddhists  or  the  Shinto- 
ists  withdrew,  leaving  always  the  impress  of  their  distinctive  personality. 
The  flexibility  of  Buddhist  fanes  (which  formerly  were  put  together  without 
nails)  sometimes  facilitatet?"*Tn"eir  removal  bodily  from  Shinto  precincts. 
This  was  the  case  with  the  colossal  Sambutsu-do,  which  50  yrs.  ago  stood 
near  the  Futa-ara  shrine,  and  which  was  taken  apart  (along  with  the  Sorinto) 
and  moved  to  its  present  site.  Though  under  Shinto  control,  and  with  a  cor- 
responding ritual,  the  Ieyasu  mausoleum  is  essentially  Buddhist  in  all  its 
externalities;  as  is  also  the  Futa-ara  shrine  and  the  beautiful  Yakushi-dd. 
The  thoroughly  gorgeous  Revolving  Library,  though  Buddhist,  is  within  the 
Shinto  compound.  —  A  general  restoration  scheme,  begun  in  1905,  is  still  in 
progress:  ¥320,000  are  being  spent  in  rejuvenating  the  buildings  —  some- 
times to  the  detriment  of  the  fine  old  colors.  The  four  chief  priests  of  the 
Ieyasu  shrine  are  appointed  by  Gov't.  The  7  lesser  ones  and  their  subor- 
dinates are  local  appointees. 

The  Annual  Procession  which  commemorates  Ieyasu's  birthday  is 
gorgeously  spectacular  and  falls  on  June  2.  Ancient  costumes  are  worn,  and 
queer  palanquins  and^armor  are  features  of  it.  The  State  palanquins  proceed 
to  the  Futa-ara  shrine  on  the  afternoon  of  June  1,  where  a  special  ceremony 
in  which  Imperial  envoys  take  part  is  celebrated.  At  11  a.m.  of  the  2d,  the 
procession  proceeds  hence  to  the  Otabisho,  where  the  sacred  dance  (azuma- 
asobi)  is  held.  A  somewhat  similar  festival,  in  which  man3'  of  the  towns- 
people join,  falls  on  Sept.  17,  and  is  supposed  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of 
Ieyasu's  death  (albeit  he  died  in  May).  His  deified  spirit,  with  that  of 
Hideyoshi  and  Yoritomo,  is  supposed  to  occupy  the  palanquins  during  the 
procession. 

r'  There  is  a  recessive  beauty  about  the  mausolea  which  does  not  appear  at 
/  the  first,  or  even  at  the  second  visit,  and  few  indeed  are  the  travelers  who  can 
1  at  once  sense  the  fine  undertones  or  appreciate  the  strange  assymetry  which 
'■  governs  the  general  plan.  As  the  gorgeous  structures  blazing  with  gold  burst 
on  the  sight  from  the  deep-green,  sequestered  groves  which  so  lovingly  en- 
shrine them,  the  effect  is  so  dazzling  that  many  of  their  softer  graces  —  the 
shy,  subtle  touches,  the  deepening  of  shade,  the  correspondence  of  things 
remotely  related,  that  give  depth  and  elegance  to  the  whole  —  are  over- 
looked.   Most  tourists  will  wish  to  visit  them  again  and  again,  for  each 
•  approach  reveals  some  fugitive  charm  previously  unnoted,  and  each  time 
one  gets  nearer  in  spirit  to  the  sentiment  of  the  great  artists  who  here  re- 
corded their  finest  achievements  for  the  admiration  and  appreciation  of 
1  future  generations.  Whosoever  finds  himself  in  Nikko  when  the  moon  is  full, 
and  who  fails  to  see  the  temples  when  Luna  sheds  her  pale,  gossamer  radi- 
ance over  them  and  pencils  deep  shadows  beneath  the  great,  overhanging 
eaves,  out  from  under  which  glare  the  golden  eyes  of  the  minatory  dragons; 
or  when  she  lays  slender,  searching,  silvery  fingers  between  the  outspread 
branches  of  the  giant  trees  and  traces  elfin  shadows  or  lace  fretwork  on  the 


252   Route  1 4.  NIKfcO       Mausoleum  of  ley asu. 

graveled  walks  beneath,  loses  something  out  of  his  life  which  not  even  the 
Taj  Mahal  by  moonlight  can  ever  quite  replace.  Then,  save  for  the  rush  of 
the  distant  river,  a  solemn  stillness  broods  above  the  spot.  Silent  are  the 
great  bells  and  the  erstwhile  noisy  rooks  —  which  now  sleep  in  their  nests 
high  in  the  topmost  branches  of  the  tall  cryptomerias.  The  great  torii  and 
the  fine  pagoda  loom  much  larger  than  during  the  day  when  the  sword-like 
sunbeams  cut  the  clinging  shadows  from  about  them,  and  with  the  som- 
berly lustrous,  copper-sheathed  roofs  with  their  gilded  crests  blinking  at 
the  face  of  the  moon,  make  a  beguiling  picture  which  one  does  not  soon 
forget.  Under  the  bewitching  influence  of  this  radiant  orb  the  memory 
hearkens  back  to  the  glittering  daimyo  and  shogun  processions  which  an- 
ciently wound  beneath  the  great  trees  and  up  the  terraces,  and  one  can 
almost  hear  the  soft,  rhythmical  tramp  of  ghostly  feet,  the  hushed  sv/ish  of 
brocade  robes,  the  murmur  of  long-dead  voices  and  the  chant  of  the  priestly 
ritual  that  accompanied  the  processions  of  gorgeous  palanquins  and  mail- 
clad  samurai. 

The  Ieyasu  group  of  shrines  and  their  accessories  stands  within  a  series  of 
courts  occupying  graduated  terraces  one  above  another  on  the  side  of  a  hill 
called  Hotoke-iwa  (Buddha's  Rock).  No  central  axis  commands  the  ap- 
proaches and  communications;  the  courts  rise  one  behind  the  other,  and 
with  the  exception  of  the  Yomei-mon  and  the  Kara-mon  'their  great  gates 
are  not  so  arranged  as  to  lend  to  each  other  a  beauty  of  perspective  which 
no  other  art  would  have  neglected ;  we  are  in  the  presence  of  a  play  of  imagin- 
ation that  verges  on  caprice,  that  seems  to  obey  no  logical  law;  and  that, 
nevertheless,  creates  pure  beauty  with  the  marvelous  elements  it  brings  to 
its  work.'^The  last  and  most  sacred  inclosure  is  the  highest  of  all,  and  behind 
this  rises  the  stately  forest,  high  up  in  the  wooded  heights  of  which,  reached 
by  a  roundabout  walk,  is  the  tomb  of  the  great  shogun^  No  distant,  all- 
embracing  view  enables  the  traveler  to  get  a  definite  idea  of  the  general 
effect;  it  is  only  when  he  finds  himself  beyond  the  first  great  gate  and  at  the 
foot  of  the  2d  terrace  that  the  multiplicity,  the  majesty,  and  the  almost 
overpowering  beauty  of  the  structures  and  their  sequestered  setting  flashes 
upon  him. 

Then,  as  he  ascends  through  the  marvelous  maze  of  barbarically  beautiful 
architecture,  beneath  torii  and  gateways  each  more  attractive  than  its  fel- 
low; past  towers  and  lanterns  and  detached  buildings  loaded  with  grace  and 
ornament  and  clamoring  for  attention;  progressing  to  the  final  sacrosanct 
holy  of  holies  like  some  devout  pilgrim  passing  through  successive  incarna- 
tions to  the  radiant  nirvana,  he  can  almost  believe  himself  in  some  fantastic 
fairyland.  To  the  artist,  and  the  architect  in  particular,  the  almost  unex- 
ampled richness  of  the  exterior  decoration,  the  wonderful  range  of  artistic 
conception,  the  beautiful  cementless  walls,  the  constructional  expedients 
employed  in  the  pagoda,  the  amazing  vigor  and  boldness  of  the  carved  panels 
of  the  terrace  inclosures,  and,  above  all,  the  commanding  beauty  and  dignity 
of  the  mass  appeal  strangely  and  potently. 
f*  Scarcely  less  imposing  than  the  temples  themselves  are  the  sacred  groves 
l^of  colossal  cryptomerias  which  enshrine  tfrem.  Pleasant  and  cool  on  the  hot- 
test days,  musical  with  the  cawing  of  rooks,  the  twitter  of  birds,  the  whim- 
pering of  crystalline  brooks  which  race  downward  through  them,  the  har- 
monious voices  of  the  great  booming  bells,  the  subdued  chant  of  priestly 
litanies  and  the  staccato,  reverberating  notes  of  Buddhist  drums,  and  often- 
times fragrant  with  the  clouds  of  incense  which  float  outward  from  the 
temples  and  drift  like  gray  ghosts  through  the  arms  of  the  trees,  they  add  a 
charm  and  a  restfulness  to  the  structures  which  no  other  vegetation  could 
give.  A  long  dynasty  of  abbots  and  bonzes  sleep  with  the  shoguns  beneath 
y,  the  damp  mould  at  the  feet  of  the  stately  giants,  and  many  of  their  tombs 
[  arejmoss-grown  and  lichen-covered.   The  traveler  soon  begins  to  regard  the 
I  temples  and  the  groves  as  one  blended  masterpiece  of  imperishable  charm,  as 
I  indeed  they  are,  for  the  buildings  were  designed  to  harmonize  with  their  sur- 
roundings, and  the  rich  coloring  of  each  of  the  structures  is  in  striking  accord 
!    with  the  wonderful  green  of  the  softening,  enveloping  foliage. 

The  Mausoleum  of  Ieyasu,  with  its  numerous  dependencies, 
is  about  \  M.  from  the  Kanaya  Hotel.  Beyond  the  Red 
Bridge  a  long,  finely  shaded,  upward-sloping  avenue,  called 


The  Sambutsu-dd.  NIKKO 


H.  Route.  253 


Nagasaka,  leads  to  the  left,  while  a  few  ft.  inward  is  a  more 
abrupt  one  which  joins  it  near  the  crest  of  the  hill.  The  lane 
leading  to  the  right  goes  to  the  temple  office.  The  3  small, 
shrine-like  structures  in  the  loop  formed  by  the  2  roads  consti- 
tute the  Otabisho,  the  terminus  of  the  procession  referred  to 
above.  Passing  the  Choyo-kwan,  or  Imperial  Summer  Retreat 
(left),  facing  a  noble  avenue  60  ft.  wide  and  J  M.  long  which 
leads  straight  to  the  final  inclosure,  we  come  to  the  Nikko 
Park,  with  a  pretty  lakelet  spanned  by  quaint  bridges  and 
flanked  by  parterres  of  flowers.  The  footpath  which  crosses 
it  affords  a  short  cut  to  the  Iemitsu  Mausoleum.  The  gray 
monolithic  slab  on  a  slight  eminence  near  the  head  of  the  pond 
was  erected  by  the  Hoko-kwai,  or  Nikko  Preservation  Society, 
and  bears  a  spirited  appeal  to  the  public  to  assist  in  preserving 
Nikjso  and  its  natural  beauties  in  their  original  state.  Within 
theinclosure  at  the  right  of  the  wide  avenue  stands 
y  The  Sambutsu-do,  or  'Hall  of  the  Three  Buddhas,'  so 
named  for  3  colossal  Buddhas  which  occupy  a  large  part  of  the 
great  nave.  The  huge  red-and-gilt  structure,  88  ft.  high,  65  ft. 
wide,  and  102  ft.  long,  faces  S.  from  a  wide  terrace  where  the 
original  Mangwan-ji  once  stood.  The  wide-spreading  cherry 
tree  at  the  right  of  the  entrance  is  said  to  be  over  a  hundred 
years  old.  The  two  gigantic,  gaudily  painted  Nid  in  the 
vestibule  (admission,  5  sen)  are  ascribed  to  Unkei  (p.  ccxli) 
and  are  classed  with  the  best  examples  of  wood-carving  in 
Nikko.  The  vermiculated,  leprous-looking  figurine  in  a  baby's 
cap  and  bib,  at  the  left  of  the  striking  bronze  incense-burner, 
is  the  indiscreet  Binzuru  (p.  ccviii).  The  3  circular  brass  pic- 
tures above  the  bamboo  screen  which  cuts  the  nave  in  halves 
portray  Yakushi,  the  Medicine  God.  The  immense  roof  is  sup- 
ported by  64  splendid  keyaki  wood  columns  3  ft.  or  more  in 
diameter  and  hewn  from  single  great  boles.  The  kakemonos 
which  the  priest  offers  to  visitors  (50  sen  to  ¥5)  bear  a  portrait 
and  the  precepts  of  Tenkai-Shonin  {Ieyasu's  friend  and  coun- 
selor).- The  hackneyed  admonitions  urge  one  'To  be  slow  in 
anger,  firm  in  duty,  thin  in  color,  spare  in  diet,  and  broad  o^ 
heart.'  The  seeker  after  Buddhistic  wisdom  is  informed  'that 
the  more  one  gets,  the  more  one  wants;  hence,  blessed  be  he 
who,  unfilled,  is  yet  content!  ' 

The  three  immense  images  (Amida,  15  ft.  wide  and  27  ft. 
high,  in  the  center;  Senju- Kwannon  at  the  right;  and  Batd- 
Kwannon  at  the  left)  sit  on  wide  lotus-flower  bases  resting  on 
lacquered  platforms;  are  attributed  to  Jikaku-Daishi,  and  are 
excellent  specimens  of  Buddhistic  carving  and  gilding.  The 
poor  light  of  the  darkened  interior  interferes  with  a  detailed 
inspection  of  them.  A  smaller  figure  of  Fudo  sits  at  the  right, 
and  one  of  Yakushi  before  the  Amida.  At  the  left  are  carved 
figurines  of  Tenkai-  and  Shodo-Shonin.  The  hand-painted 
mandara,  or  silk  and  lotus-fiber  scroll  hanging  against  the  wall, 


254   Route  U.  NIKKO  The  Bronze  Bell 


is  old,  remarkably  preserved,  and  greatly  venerated;  the 
symbolic  figures  of  the  border  represent  the  Wheel  of  the 
Law.  The  16  Buddhas  and  bosatsus  in  the  outer  ring,  the  12  in 
the  central  square,  and  the  inner  portraits  of  Shaka  Nyorai 
and  Taho  Nyorai  are  painted  with  considerable  skill.  At  the 
rear  of  the  nave  are  some  uninteresting  carved  wood  figures 
—  veritable  blue  devils  —  of  Fudo  and  other  ruffianly  demons. 

At  the  rear  of  the  Sambutsu-do,  on  a  higher  terrace,  is  a  small 
Buddhist  temple  dedicated  to  Ryo-Daishi  (the  two  Daishis, 
whose  tombs  stand  on  the  hillslope  behind  the  Futatsu-dd). 
The  tiny  images  of  deities  for  sale  by  the  priests  (10-50  sen) 
are  carved  out  of  grains  of  rice. 


I  The  Sorinto,  or  1  Evil-averting  Pillar/  a  hollow,  cylindrical 
copper  shaft  rising  44  ft.  from  a  stone  plinth  30  ft.  square  at 
the  left  of  the  Sambutsu-do,  is  said  to  penetrate  the  socle 
(8  ft.  sq.)  to  a  depth  of  2  ft.  4  in.,  and  to  have  been  erected  at 
Nikko  in  1643  as  a  companion  of  the  Sorin  Pagoda  which  once 
stood  on  the  summit  of  Hie-zan,  near  Kyoto.  The  faded  gilt 
ideographs  on  the  shaft  (3  ft.  9  in.  in  diameter)  refer  to  its 
history  and  its  functions.  The  various  Buddhistic  symbols  at 
the  top  all  enter  into  the  mystical  process  of  keeping  demons 
at  a  safe  distance.  The  heavy  open-work  gates  of  the  granite 
fence  are  carved  out  of  single  blocks.  The  two  elaborate  and 
strikingly  handsome,  heavily  chased,  bronze  lanterns  (20  ft. 
high)  near  the  steps  date  from  the  17_th  cent,  and  were  pre- 
sented to  Ieyasu's  shrine  by  a  guild  of  Osaka  silk  mercers,  with 
the  request  that  they  be  placed  within  the  shrine  inclosure, 
but  the  social  status  of  merchants  at  that  period  precluded  the 
realization  of  the  wish.  From  this  vantage-point  one  may  get 
a  comprehensive  view  of  the  great  proportions  of  the  Sambutsu- 
f'do,  with  its  wide  eaves  from  which  pend  bronze  wind-bells. 


The  Bronze  Bell,  whose  grave,  sweet,  penetrating  notes 
mark  the  fleeting  hours  between  dawn  and  twilight,  swings 
from  a  weather-beaten  belfry  surmounting  a  stone  platform 
in  the  Sambutsu-do  compound.  It  is  about  6  ft.  high,  with  a 
mouth  49  in.  wide  and  lips  6  in.  thick.  A  curved  dragon  hook 
holds  it  in  space;  gilded  Tokugawa  crests  adorn  it,  and  there 
are  other  special  raised  crests  to  receive  the  impact  of  the  huge 
swinging  beams  with  which  it  is  struck.  A  notice  on  the  belfry 
warns  the  traveler  that  the  bell  must  be  touched  by  none  but 
the  man  who  comes  out  from  a  near-by  house  and  sounds  the 
hours  as  they  come  and  go.  The  great  beam  hits  the  hol- 
low bronze,  a  great,  buzzing,  angry  roar  issues  from  the  wide 
mouth  and  warns  all  Nikko  that  old  time  is  flying.  The  bell 
sounds  cracked  when  heard  near  to,  but  at  a  distance  the  tone 
is  very  pleasing;  a  melodious  voice  surcharged  with  memories 
of  the  hallowed  past.  The  other  bell  which  the  traveler  usu- 
ally hears  twice  a  day,  and  which  sounds  the  call  for  the  priests 


The  Abbot1  s  Garden. 


NIKKO 


14.  Route.  255 


and  bonzes  to  foregather  for  their  frugal  meals,  hangs  in  the 
belfry  of  the  Ritsu-in. 

Almost  facing  the  Sambutsu-dd  is  a  group  of  buildings  called 
Rinno-ji,  wherein  dwells  the  Buddhist  abbot  under  whose 
immediate  jurisdiction  the  Buddhist  fanes  of   Nikko  are 
assembled.  The  traveler  with  special  permits,  or  a  letter  t?T*> 
the  abbot,  should  crave  permission  to  see  the  charming  little 
landscape  garden,  as  well  as  the  beautiful  private  shrine  with  \ 
its  choice  treasures,  both  of  which  .are  within  the  residence  ,,, 
compound. 

The  Abbot's  Garden,  with  its  tiny  winding  lakelet,  its 
lovely  dwarf  trees,  quaint  bridges,  summer-house,  and  adorable 
perspectives,  is  patterned  after  the  8  views  which  have  made 
Lake  Biwa  celebrated.  In  the  springtime  it  is  a  blaze  of  deli- 
cate plum  and  cherry  blossoms;  thence  through  the  summer 
and  autmun  —  when  it  is  a  glory  of  lovely  maples  —  it  shows 
in  sequence  many  of  the  exquisite  flowers  for  which  Japan 
is  noted.  At  all  times  it  is  a  tranquil,  sequestered  spot,  but 
it  is  particularly  so  at  twilight,  when  the  environing  groves 
are  redolent  of  fragrant  piny  odors,  and  a  spirit  of  peace  seems 
to  brood  above  it.  From  the  pretty  little  hill  and  arbor  at 
one  end  there  is  a  view  of  the  holy  Nantai-zan.  —  The  Private 
Shrine,  a  charmingly  refined  specimen  of  Buddhist  art,  is 
well  worth  seeing;  in  one  of  the  chastely  beautiful  apartments 
leading  to  it  are  some  handsome  old  screens  portraying  a  host 
of  strangely  clad  figures  that  take  part  in  a  sacred  dance  held 
in  Nikko  twice  every  century.  Fourteen  abbots  of  royal  blood 
have  worshiped  here,  and  their  mortuary  tablets,  artistically 
inscribed  with  jet-black  ideographs  on  a  gold  ground,  repose 
in  14  black  and  gold-lacquered  reliquaries  at  the  right  and  left 
of  the  high  altar.  Against  the  wall  of  this  sacrosanct  room  are 
some  kakemono  depicting  Buddha  and  his  disciples,  painted 
with  rare  good  taste  and  a  wonderful  fidelity  to  detail.  Under 
a  strong  glass  what  appears  to  be  delicate  tracery  is  shown  to 
be  hundreds  of  amazingly  perfect,  microscopic  heads.  In  a 
lateral  shrine  are  some  noteworthy  sculptured  wood  figurines, 
covered  with  copper,  of  Fudo  and  36  of  his  followers.  The 
almost  priceless  (Chinese)  seigi  bowl  which  one  may  some- 
times see  in  front  of  the  altar  was  a  gift  from  the  ill-fated 
Prince  Kitashirakawa  before  he  set  out  upon  his  Formosa 
campaign.  One  of  the  most  cherished  possessions  of  the* 
Tendai-shu  in  Nikko  may  also  be  seen  here  (when  it  is  not 
stored  in  the  godown)  in  the  form  of  a  splendidly  illuminated  , 
mandara,  4  ft.  wide  by  8  ft.  long,  of  the  Buddhist  Paradise,  j 
perhaps  the  work  of  Kano  Motonobu  (p.  ccxxvii).  Buddha  is' 
shown  in  the  center,  with  Kwannon  on  his  right  and  Seishi- 
bosatsu  on  the  left,  amidst  scores  of  deified  temples,  saints, 
clouds,  scroll-work,  and  other  heavenly  attributes.  Though 
now  somewhat  defaced  by  time,  the  picture  is  extraordinarily 


256    Route  1%.  NIKKO  Iemitsu  Relics. 

masterful.  —  The  fusuma  of  the  altar-room  are  choice  speci- 
mens of  the  finest  modern  work;  the  12  polychrome  saints  and 
demons  are  portrayed  on  a  ground  of  gleaming  gold  foil,  and 
are  remarkably  effective.  The  hikite,  or  metal  insets,  are  of 
the  finest  damascene  work.  In  an  adjoining  room  are  some  valu- 
able old  screens  (by  Matabei,  p.  ccxxviii)  illustrating  ancient 
processions  leaving  the  Sumiyoshi  Temple  at  Osaka,  and  pre- 
sented to  Jigen-Daishi  by  the  Emperor  Go-Yozei  in  1590.  — 
The  various  apartments 'are  finished  in  flawless  hinoki  wood 
and  are  faultless  expressions  of  a  cultivated  taste  supplemented 
by  fine  spirituality. 

The  Museum  of  Iemitsu  Relics,  in  the  Rinnd-ji  garden,  at 
the  right  of  the  Sambutsu-dd  (open  from  7  a.m.  to  4  p.m.; 
admission,  8  sen;  shoes  must  be  removed),  contains  a. number 
of  personal  belongings  of  the  shogun  and  others  presented  to 
Alls  shrine.  In  the  rainy  season  the  most  perishable  objects  are 
/  wrapped  and  stored  in  the  near-by  godown.  The  malarious- 
v ....  looking  idol  which  faces  the  entrance  is  the  guardian  of  the 
museum  and  the  god  who  cherishes  all  precious  things.  The 
illuminated  kakemono  (about  300  yrs.  old),  hanging  against 
one  of  the  walls  at  the  right,  shows  Buddha  on  his  death-bed 
surrounded  by  the  myriad  creatures  that  loved  him,  and  the 
heavenly  spirits  awaiting  his  entry  into  nirvana.  Some  better 
specimens  of  (modern)  Japanese  illuminated  scroll-work  may 
be  seen  in  the  glass  wall-case  in  the  first  room  at  the  left.  The 
three  long  panels  representing  ancient  Buddhist  festivals  carry 
hundreds  of  tiny  figures  in  gorgeous  apparel,  glittering  daimyd 
trains,  temples  picked  out  in  gold,  gods  and  goddesses,  and  a 
host  of  religious  symbols  on  their  silken  surfaces,  and  indicate 
amazing  patience,  and  a  noteworthy  technique.  Near  this  is 
a  large  silk  kakemono  of  Yakushi-Nyorai,  painted  on  a  blue 
ground.  On  this  floor  there  are  some  old  kakemono  painted  by 
Kano  Tanyu;  a  number  of  swords,  arrows,  and  other  war- 
implements,  musical  instruments,  a  fine  big  rock-crystal  in  the 
rough,  a  handsome  lacquered  and  mother-of-pearl  inlaid 
palanquin  on  which  (it  is  said)  the  bones  of  the  shogun,  Ieyasu, 
were  brought  from  Shidzuoka  to  Nikko,  and  many  articles  of 
minor  interest.  The  series  of  10  panel  pictures  of  the  Buddhist 
Judgment  ,  are  by  some  unknown  Chinese  artist.  —  A  collec- 
tion of  articles  of  greater  merit  occupy  the  2d  floor;  the  several 
pieces  of  gold-lacquer  are  fine  and  rare;  the  smoky  rock-crystal 
is  worth  looking  at,  as  is  also  a  well-painted  Buddhist  picture 
roll  (makemono)  about  12  in.  wide  and  50  ft.  long.  Here  also  is 
a  wood  figure  called  the  Laughing  Yakushi,  carved  with  a 
pocket-knife,  by  Shodo-Shonin;  a  shapely  bronze  lantern,  and 
a  lovely  (modern)  set  of  illuminated  scripture  rolls  setting  forth 
the  tenets,  in  exquisite  ideographs,  of  the  beliefs  of  the  Hokke 
sect  (p.  cci).  The  ends  of  the  flawless,  hand-made  paper  rolls 
—  which  are  kept  in  handsome  lacquered  sutra-boxes  —  are 


The  Pagoda. 


NIKKO 


14.  Route.  257 


tipped  with  rock-crystals  set  in  chased  gold.  The  set  of  16 
bronze  bells  which  once  formed  a  part  of  this  collection  are  in 
the  museum  of  the  Ieyasu  Shrine  on  the  first  terrace. 

The  fine  avenue  which  is  flanked  on  the  right  by  the 
Rinno-ji  and  the  Sambutsu-do,  and  on  the  left  by  the  park, 
leads  up  between  a  towering  line  of  grand  old  cryptomerias^ 
some  of  them  centuries  old,  to  a  colossal  stone  torii,  an  out- 
post to  the  shrines  beyond,  and  an  essential  feature  of  Shinto 
architecture.  It  is  27  ft.  6  in.  high  with  columns  3  ft.  6  in.  in 
diameter,  and  it  was  presented  by  the  daimyd  of  Chikuzen 
Province,  in  1618.  Besides  being  unusually  massive,  it  is  one 
of  the  first  granite  torii  to  be  erected  in  N.  Japan.  At  the  right, 
at  the  other  side  of  the  vermilion  fence  inclosing  a  grove  of 
tall  trees,  stands  a  small  group  of  buildings  which  serves  as  a 
sort  of  subsidiary  temple  outfit,  called  0  Kari-den,  where  the 
image  of  Ieyasu  is  housed  when  the  main  shrine  undergoes 
repairs.  At  the  left  of  this  is  an  attractive  bronze  tomb  be- 
neath which  are  the  ashes  of  a  treasure-godown  which  burned 
some  years  ago;  to  prevent  a  repetition  of  the  disaster  the  ashes 
were  collected  and  buried  here.  The  wide  avenue  leading  from 
the  left  of  the  torii  terminates  at  the  Iemitsu  Temple;  the  one 
at.  the  right  of  the  pagoda  leads  to  the  Futa-ara  Shrine. 


'  The  Pagoda  (p.  clxxxiii),  a  richly  decorated,  five-storied 
structure,  dates  from  the  17th  cent.,  is  105  ft.  high,  42  ft.  sq., 
is  one  of  the  finest  of  its  kind  in  Japan,  and  was  presented  by 
Sakai  Wakaza-no-kami,  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  Tokugawa. 
Its  peculiar  construction  renders  it  immune  against  minor 
earthquake  shocks  (from  which  Nikko  is  not  free),  as  the  im- 
mense central  pole  (in  this  instance  in  3  pieces)  is  102  ft.  long 
and  24  in.  in  diameter,  swings  within  12  in.  of  the  ground,  and 
acts  as*  a  sort  of  huge  gyroscope.  The  rich  vermilion  of  its 
sides  (now  hushed  into  pleasing  tones  by  time  and  the  deep 
green  of  the  environing  trees),  the  graceful,  upturned  corners 
of  its  multiple,  quadrangular  roofs  .with  bronze  wind-bells 
a-swing  from  each  corner,  its  positive,  polychromatic  decora- 
tions and  metal  fitments,  add  a  decidedly  picturesque  note  to 
the  temple  group.  The  carved  and  multicolored  groups  (3  on 
each  side)  in  the  niches  formed  by  the  highly  tinted  compound 
brackets,  represent  the  12  signs  of  the  zodiac.  The  screw- 
shaped  metal  finial  at  the  topmost  point,  is  about  15  ft.  high 
and  serves  as  a  lightning-rod  and  a  demon-arrester.  In  the 
lower  story  is  a  small  shrine  encircled  by  a  narrow  ambulatory 
with  a  coffered  ceiling;  the  carved  and  gilded  figure  which 
faces  the  court  and  sits  with  back  to  the  shrine  is  Dainichi- 
Nyorai;  that  at  the  left  is  Yakushi;  Shaka  sits  on  the  right,  and 
Amida  at  the  rear. 

A  flagged  path  leads  hence  to  the  steps  of  the  Nid-mon,  at 
the  foot  of  which  (right)  is  the  ticket  office  —  where  cameras 
must  be  left  unless  one  has  a  permit  to  introduce  them. 


258    Route  H. 


NIKKO 


The  Ni d-7non. 


Admission  tickets  must  also  be  obtained  or  shown  here.  The 
road  leading  around  the  shrines  to  the  right  of  the  big  gate 
goes  to  the  abbot's  office  (where  permits  for  photographing 
can  be  obtained). 


The  Nio-mon,  the  grand  entrance  to  the  successive  terraces 
beyond,  is  reached  by  18  stone  steps  and  has  for  its  chief 
features  the  two  customary  sculptured  wood  Nio  (attributed 
to  Unkei  and  brought  hither  from  the  great  gate  to  the 
Iemitsu  Mausoleum).  They  stand  in  covered  loggias  7  ft.  sq., 
and  '  their  threatening  attitudes,  furious  eyes,  convulsed 
mouths,  clenched  fists,  and  huge,  nervous  feet,  seem  rather  to 
menace  than  to  welcome  the  faithful.'  In  similar  cages  behind 
are  the  usual  ama-  and  koma-inu  (p.  clxxvii),  likewise  shown 
with  mouths  open  and  closed.  —  This  magnificent  outpost  to 
the  gorgeous  structures  beyond  was  almost  annihilated  by  a 
huge  cryptomeria  which  fell  across  it  during  a  heavy  tempest 
in  1909,  and  much  of  it,  including  the  striking  ornamentation, 
dates  from  1911.  The  gracefully  curved,  copper-bronze  roof 
flecked  with  gilded  disks  bearing  the  Tokugawa  insignia,  the 
huge,  emblazoned  antefixes  that  resemble  automobile  fronts, 
the  massive  ridge-pole  gleaming  with  yellow  gold  and  flashing 
crests,  and  the  flaming,  rich  Indian-red  lacquer  spangled  here 
and  there  with  gold  and  backed  by  a  somber  foil  of  black, 
make  of  it  an  extraordinarily  striking  and  picturesque  object. 
Reds,  blues,  greens,  blacks,  and  gold  leaf  are  used  unsparingly 
in  the  marvelous  decorations,  which  are  charmingly  enriched 
by  a  wealth  of  metal  fitments.  The  black  and  gold  of  certain  of 
these,  —  in  the  form  of  bosses,  rosettes,  and  hinges  (the  latter 
for  appearances  only),  —  applied  to  the  lustrous  red  of  the 
massive  doors,  produce  an  unusually  harmonious  note.  The 
doors  themselves  swing  on  huge  pivots  let  into  soffits  above 
and  below,"  and  the  general  effect  recalls  certain  of  the  newly 
decorated  doors  of  those  Mexican  cathedrals  dominated  by 
Mudejar  influence.  The  big  bolts  which  aid  the  two  surly 
giants  to  keep  out  demons  and  other  undesirables  are  6  ft.  long 
and  4  in.  sq.  —  The  richly  chased  brass  sockets  in  which  the 
beam-ends  are  sheathed  serve  as  ornaments  and  for  preserving 
the  wood  from  insects  and  the  weather.  The  cross-beams  are 
embellished  with  a  striking  diaper-pattern  in  a  medley  of 
colors,  while  below,  at  salient  angles,  are  gilded  heads  of  the 
mythological  baku  and  clusters  of  sculptured  flowers.  In  the 
spandrels  formed  by  the  grouped  supports  of  the  elaborately 
decorated  compound  brackets  are  polychromatic  kirin^  and 
brazen  Dogs  of  Fo,  while  beneath  the  cross-beam  on  the  inner 
side  of  the  passage  are  panels  of  tigers  carved  in  high  relief. 
It  is  worth  while  to  step  to  the  ends  of  the  structure  to  observe 
the  maze  of  gilding,  wood-carvings,  intricate  tracery,  fabulous 
beasts,  peacocks,  and  what-not  which  adorn  them.  While 
the  general  decorative  scheme  of  this  structure  is  duplicated  on 


Ieyasu  Shrine. 


NIKKO  14.  Route.  259 


some  of  the  buildings  of  the  upper  terraces,  its  proportions  are 
more  pleasing  than  some  others,  it  can  be  observed  from  more 
points  of  vantage,  and  certain  of  the  carvings  are  subordinated 
to  truer  architectural  positions. 

The  First  Terrace,  a  neatly  pebbled,  irregular  court  inclosed 
by  wood  fences  and  stone  walls  (the  latter  worthy  of  attention), 
is  conspicuous  for  the  temple  storerooms  which  stand  at  the 
right;  the  central  building,  an  extraordinarily  elaborate  struc- 
ture with  5  porch  tie-beams  surmounted  by  groups  of  splendidly 
carved  and  gilded  phoenixes,  contributes  one  of  the  '  sights  ' 
of  the  inclosure,  in  the  form  of  a  pair  of  grotesquely  carved  and 
decorated  elephants  in  the  act  of  trying  to  retain  a  precarious 
foothold  on  a  narrow  ledge  beneath  the  gable  roof.  The  curi- 
ous position  of  the  leg  joints,  the  ring  about  the  ear  of  the 
darker  beast,  and  the  fact  that  the  tails  and  toes  are  not  those 
of  known  species,  suggest  that  their  talented  portrayer,  Mr. 
Hidari  Jingord,1  never  saw  a  real  elephant.  The  walls  of  the 
edifices  look  squashed  by  the  weight  of  the  massive  roofs,  and 
the  metal  enrichments  make  them  appear  not  unlike  gigantic 
accordeons.  The  Greek  key-pattern  in  all  its  purit/y  occupies 
a  prominent  place  amid  the  maze  of  arabesques,  diaper-work, 
crests,  and  tracery. 

The  Treasures  of  the  Ieyasu  Shrine  are  preserved  in  the 
building  with  the  elephant  panel.  Open  from  8  a.m.  to  4  p.m.; 
admission,  8  sen.  Shoes  must  be  removed  at  the  foot  of  the 
steps.  The  splendid  gold-lacquered  chests  in  the  twin  glass 
cases  near  the  entrance  belonged  to  Ieyasu;  his  covered  palan- 
quin with  a  bullet  hole  in  the  roof  stands  at  the  right.  The 
ancient  costumes  in  the  cases  at  the  left  were  worn  in  the 
dance  pictured  on  the  gilded  screen  near  by.  The  16  smafr. 
bronze  bells  in  a  red-  and  gold-lacquered  frame,  belonged  to  ; 
Ieyasu,  and  though  alike  externally,  when  struck  they  produce, 
with  fine  effect,  the  clear,  sweet  tones  of  two  octaves.  They  i 
bear  the  name  Minamoto  Shigemune,  and  are  interesting  in 
that  the  musical  scale  of  the  Europeans  was  not  employed  by 
the  early  Japanese.  The  key  to  the  case  is  kept  by  the  abbot 
and  can  be  obtained  only  as  a  special  concession.  The  large' 
lacquered  box  in  the  upper  case  once  held  the  shogun's  corre- 
spondence. The  small  metal  badge  was  employed  by  him  as  a 
clepsydra  (mizudokei),  an  article  in  common  use  in  Old  Japan. 

1  Hidari  Jingoro  (1594-1634)  was  a  son  of  Itami  Masatoshi,  and  a  samurai 
in  the  service  of  the  Ashi kaga.  His  trade  was  that  of  a  carpenter,  but  he  early 
developed  a  talent  for  carving  wood,  and  he  rose  to  be  one  of  the  most  cele- 
brated sculptors  in  Japan.  He  was  left-handed,  hence  his  name  Hidari. 
These  two  elephants,  and  his  sleeping  cat,  referred  to  hereinafter,  are  famous 
in  Nikko.  Some  of  his  finest  work  may  be  seen  in  the  Nishi-  Hong  wan ji 
Temple  at  Kyoto.  Because  of  a  whimsical  turn  of  mind,  he  was  fond  of  carv- 
ing cats,  some  in  an  attitude  of  sleep,  others  crouching  and  watching.  A 
number  of  the  latter  are  scattered  throughout  Japan,  and  certain  of  them  are 
so  lifelike  that  real  cats  '  have  been  known  to  put  up  their  backs  and  spit  at 
them.' 


260    Route  14. 


NIKKO 


The  Kyozo. 


The  3  bronze  vases  and  the  incense-burner  are  early  Korean 
work.  The  relics  in  the  succeeding  cases  comprise  head-dresses, 
mirrors,  ivory  maces,  a  dressing-case  used  by  Ieyasu's  wife, 
10  finely  tempered  swords  presented  by  different  shoguns, 
some  clothing  (including  Chinese  shoes)  worn  by  Ieyasu, 
metal  lanterns  that  lighted  the  shoguns  through  the  holy  of 
holies  in  ancient  times,  silk-reels  used  by  Imperial  consorts, 
a  big  drum  employed  in  the  sacred  dance,  and  a  7-ft.  elephant 
tusk  given  by  some  one  to  Ieyasu. 

At  the  left  of  the  Nio-mon,  surrounded  by  a  stone  fence,  is  a 
koya-maki  about  10  ft.  in  circumference,  which  is  said  to  have 
come  from  the  famous  monastery  of  Koya-san,  to  have  been 
planted  here  by  Ieyasu,  and  to  be  the  largest  of  its  species  in 
Japan.  Near  it  (with  a  curious  slope  to  the  roof)  is  the  one-time 
stable  for  the  horse  (recently  deceased)  which  carried  the  illus- 
trious Prince  Kitashirakawa  in  the  Formosan  campaign  of 
j  1895.  The  monkeys  in  the  carved  panels  of  the  building  are 
mentioned  in  the  footnote.1  The  small  red  structure  next  to 
the  stable  is  called  the  Red  Watch-House,  wherein  the  guardian 
of  the  terrace  dwells.  Next  in  line  is  the  elaborate 

Stone  Water  Basin  (On  Chozu-ya),  an  immense  rectangu- 
^  lar  basin  of  fine  gray  granite  92  in.  long,  48  wide,  and  40  high, 
presented  in  1618  by  Nabeshima  Naoshige,  feudal  lord  of  the 
fief  of  Saga,  in  the  province  of  Hizen,  from  which  place  (nearly 
a  thousand  miles  distant)  it  was  brought  to  Nikko.  It  weighs 
several  tons,  but  its  surface  is  leveled  with  such  precision,  and 
it  is  adjusted  so  evenly  on  its  base,  that  when  a  surplus  of 
water  (which  comes  in  from  one  of  the  mt.  cascades  and  is  sold 
to  pilgrims  for  the  purification  of  hands  and  lips  before  enter- 
ing the  shrines)  is  admitted  it  wells  evenly  over  the  sides  like 
a  sheet  of  glass.  The  resplendent  baldachin  which  shelters  it  is 
supported  by  12  monolithic  columns  of  varying  dimensions. 
The  tops  of  these,  as  well  as  parts  of  the  horizontal  tie-mem- 
bers, are  encased  in  hammered  metal  sockets,  diapered  in  fine 
patterns,  and  ornamented  with  the  shogunal  arms.  Almost 
every  shade  between  white  and  black  has  been  drawn  upon  to 
furnish  the  decorations  of  the  superstructure,  and  this  medley 
(which  blends  admirably  when  seen  from  a  distance)  is  further 
enriched  by  tinted  carvings  of  winged  dragons,  and  a  series  of 
curious  but  characteristic  brackets  supporting  a  graceful, 
sweeping  roof  with  rounded  gables.  The  twin  dragons  above 
the  gorgeous  tie-beam  are  particularly  noteworthy.  The 
sumptuous  red  building  near  by  is 

The  Kyozo,  or  rinzo  (Library  of  the  Sacred  Books).  A 
special  permit  must  be  obtained  from  the  abbot  at  the Rinno-ji, 
1  This  Simian  trinity  is  called  Koshin,  and  represents  the  'day  of  the 
monkey'  in  the  old  Japanese  calendar.  The  native  conception  is  that  these 
monkeys  (saru)  will  neither  see,  hear,  nor  speak  any  evil,  whence  they  are 
called  blind  (mi)  ,  deaf  (kika),  and  dumb  (iwa).  They  are  often  portrayed 
in  the  native  art. 


The  Kyozo. 


NIKKO  14.  Route.  261 


as  the  building  is  closed  to  the  general  public.  Few  structures 
in  the  Nikko  group  are  better  proportioned,  and  the  slight 
upward  tilt  at  the  roof  corners  imparts  a  piquant  touch.  A 
system  of  complicated  and  profusely  decorated  compound 
brackets  fitted  to  a  nicety  support  the  roof,  which  is  sheathed 
with  copper-bronze,  hung  with  brass  wind-bells,  and  tipped 
with  a  continuous  course  of  antefixes  that  resemble  ancient 
cannon  and  are  adorned  with  gilded  Tokugawa  crests.  The 
granite  plinth  from  which  the  edifice  rises  is  50  by  50  ft.  The 
exterior  is  a  harmonious  blend  of  blue,  green,  and  gold  on  a 
ground  of  rich  Indian  red,  and  black  lacquer.  When  it  was 
finished  it  appeared  so  perfect  to  its  designer  that  he  feared 
to  incur  the  wrath  of  the  gods,  and  to  insure  his  personal  safety 
he  inserted  several  warped  uprights  in  the  front  divisions,  which 
were  also  made  of  unequal  widths.  The  gracefully  curved 
windows,  the  profusion  of  metal,  the  handsomely  embossed 
doors  swung  on  pivots  let  into  soffits,  are  all  worthy  of  atten- 
tion^ are  also  the  multi-colored  decorations — which  continue 
quite  around  the  structure  —  and  the  well-painted  flying 
phoenixes  in  the  panels  under  the  eaves.  Tigers,  elephants, 
rabbits,  birds,  dragons,  flowers,  the  mythological  kirin,  butter- 
flies, and  a  multiplicity  of  geometrical  designs  —  many  of  them 
sculptured  —  are  expressed  in  low  and  pleasing  tones.  The 
carved  elephant  in  the  panel  above  and  at  the  left  of  the  door 
is  accredited  to  Hidari  Jingord.  The  ornament  on  the  top- 
most point  of  the  roof  is  the  demon-arresting  hdshu-no-tama. 

The  cheap  and  lurid  decorations  of  the  Interior  are 
strangely  at  variance  with  those  outside.  When  the  outer  doors 
are  opened,  inner  ones  of  sloe-black  lacquer  with  wire  screens 
instead  of  panels,  are  revealed,  and  when  these  are  slid  back 
one  sees  the  smiling  and  apparently  blinking  sculptured  wood 
figures  of  Fu-Daishi  (p.  ccix),  with  his  sons  Fuken  and  Fujd, 
seated  near  the  Revolving  Library  (which  is  said  to  contain  the 
complete  Buddhist  scriptures).  Because  of  the  presence  of  4his 
idol  the  building  is  often  called  Warai-dd.  The  gaudy  bookcase 
(20  ft.  high  by  15  ft.  in  diameter)  is  pivoted,  and  despite  its 
great  mass  and  weight  a  strong  push  will  set  it  to  revolving. 
The  flying  dragons  in  the  lower  panels  suggest  Chinese  influ- 
ence. The  raised  platform  which  extends  around  3  sides  of  the 
inclosure  shows  gamboling  shishi  on  the  lower  panels.  Huge 
dull  red  pillars  support  the  roof.  The  panels  in  the  clerestory 
are  adorned  with  flying  tennin  on  a  gold  ground ;  those  of  the 
coffered  ceiling  have  painted  phcenixes  on  a  pearl-gray  ground. 
The  sepia  dragon  on  the  big  cross-beam  is  by  some  painter  of 
the  Kano  school. 

The  statuesque  bronze  torii  which  stands  on  the  same  terrace 
with  the  rinzo  has  Greek  tracery  round  the  base  and  on  the  tie- 
beam  and  is  studded  with  gilded  Tokugawa  crests.  The  many 
stone  and  metal  lanterns  were  gifts  by  various  daimyds.  The 


262    Route  14. 


NIKKO  The  Second  Terrace. 


two  near  the  foot  of  the  steps,  8  ft.  5  in.  high  and  perforated 
with  the  sun,  the  crescent,  and  the  swastika,  were  made  (about 
1630)  of  namban-tetsu,  or  ' foreign  iron';  were  presented  by 
Date  Masamune,  the  feudal  lord  of  Sendai,  and,  like  the 
famous  iron  monument  at  Delhi  (India),  have  withstood  for 
nearly  300  yrs.  the  corrosive  effects  of  an  unusually  wet  climate. 
Ferns  and  grasses  grow  from  the  old  stone  lanterns,  which  are 
marked  with  the  name  of  the  donor  and  are  hoary  with  age.  — 
Twenty-two  stone  steps  leads  hence  to 

The  Second  Terrace.  At  the  top  of  the  stairs,  at  the  right 
and  left  are  two  weather-stained  corbel-like  stone  shishi  in 
an  attitude  of  leaping  downward  from  the  lichen-  and  moss- 
covered  stone  balustrade  which  flanks  the  edge.  Each,  with 
its  attached  pillar,  is  carved  from  a  single  block  of  stone,  and 
according  to  local  tradition  they  so  pleased  the  shogun, 
Iemitsu,  when  he  came  from  Tokyo  to  inspect  the  work  of  his 
architects,  that  he  forbore  to  pass  adverse  criticism  on  the 
remainder.  The  Bronze  Bell  swinging  from  the  massive  metal 
baldachin  at  the  right  was  presented  by  a  one-time  king  of 
Korea,  and  it  is  known  locally  as  the  1  Moth-eaten  Bell' 
because  of  an  air-bubble  which  broke  through  the  casting  and 
left  a  jagged  hole  near  the  top.  The  ponderous  elephant  heads, 
with  gold-plated  eyes,  at  the  salient  angles  of  this  and  the 
companion  baldachin  across  the  walk,  attract  attention.  The 
roofs  of  the  canopies  are  lighter  in  color  than  the  bronze  of  the 
temple  roofs,  and  the  credulous  believe  that  gold  was  mixed 
with  the  metal.  Hard  by  is  a  Bronze  Candelabrum  pre- 
sented by  the  King  of  the  Loochoo  Islands;  behind  it  is  a  tall, 
metal-studded  belfry  used  as  a  storehouse  for  odds  and  ends. 
The  fine  cryptomerias  on  this  terrace  are  noteworthy;  the  one 
at  the  right  measures  21  ft.  9  in.  in  circumference,  3  ft.  above 
the  base,  and  is  a  trifle  smaller  than  the  larger  of  the  2  on  the 
opposite  side  (left)  —  which  measures  nearly  26  ft.  The  one 
behind  the  tower  is  25  ft.  2  in.  in  girth;  the  fine  red  of  the  cedar 
shows  where  the  bark  has  been  chipped  off.  At  the  left  is  a 
drum-tower,  a  companion  piece  to  the  opposite  belfry;  near  it 
is  a  bronze  candelabrum  (inclosed)  brought  from  Holland  and 
presented  to  the  shrine  by  the  Dutch  Resident  of  the  Deshima 
factory  at  Nagasaki.  Near  thisl  is  an  elaborately  twisted 
Bronze  Lantern  evidently  of  allied  origin.  It  turns  on  a 
pivot  in  its  base  and  is  celebrated  locally  because  the  series 
of  bronze  Tokugawa  crests,  which  adorn  the  upper  part,  are 
turned  upside  down;  the  trefoil  leaves  being  cast  (because  of 
the  ignorance  of  the  maker)  in  reverse  order. 

The  Yakushi-do,  or  Temple  of  Yakushi-  Nyorai  (p.  cciii), 
was  made  in  imitation  of  the  Horaiji-in  in  Mikawa  Province, 
and  is  dedicated  to  Yakushi,  who  was  the  patron  saint  of 
Ieyasu.  It  stands  at  the  extreme  left  of  the  2d  terrace  and  is  at 
once  the  most  beautiful,  architecturally  satisfying,  and  splen- 


The  Yakusht-dd. 


NIKKO 


14.  Route.  263 


didly  preserved  funerary  temples  of  the  Ieyasu  group.  A 
superbly  rich  red  lacquer  porch  adorned  with  brass  ornaments 
and  black  giboshu  encircles  the  building,  which,  because  of 
its  interior  splendors,  its  air  of  solid  worth,  and  elegant  rich- 
ness, appeals  strongly  to  the  visitor.  Until  quite  recently  the 
public  was  debarred,  as  the  interior  was  considered  too  sacred 
to  be  exposed  to  public  view.  In  the  general  outer  decorations 
it  resembles  others  of  the  Ieyasu  shrines,  but  the  workmanship 
of  parts  of  the  interior  is  finer  and  more  opulent.  Its  plan  is  a 
square,  like  that  of  the  Rinzo,  and  its  only  defect  is  that  it 
stands  on  a  pitifully  restricted  area,  flanked  on  one  side  by  a 
high  (but  beautiful)  stone  wall  whence  a  good  perspective  view 
is  impossible.  This  frowning  wall  and  the  towering  trees 
contiguous  so  darken  the  interior  that  twilight  reigns  on  the 
brightest  day.  The  richness  of  the  edifice  is  such  that  many 
days  would  be  needed  to  inspect  it  in  its  minute  details,  to 
obtain  an  insight  into  the  aims  of  the  masters  who  decorated  it, 
and  to  understand  those  decorations  in  all  their  mythological 
intimations.  The  material  expression  of  the  artist's  thoughts 
are  expended  on  the  exterior  in  the  shape  of  writhing  dragons 
(note  the  white  ones  wriggling  along  the  3  huge  tie-beams 
between  the  4  outer  posts  of  the  porch),  gilded  elephant  heads, 
carved  groups  of  polychromatic  birds,  flowers,  and  animals; 
and  such  a  wealth  of  decoration  and  ornament,  carried  over 
every  inch  of  exposed  surface,  that  the  eye  wearies  in  following 
out  the  intricate  patterns.  What  involved  and  profuse  carv- 
ings are  to  certain  of  the  most  highly  decorated  old  Buddhist 
fanes,  the  wealth  of  arabesques  in  colors  are  to  this.  Yet 
carvings  are  not  wanting;  in  the  niches  formed  by  the  network 
of  pink-tinted  compound  brackets  there  are  (17  on  the  facade, 
11  on  the  right,  17  in  the  rear,  and  11  at  the  left)  clusters  of 
such  excellently  sculptured  birds  (including  some  solemn  owls), 
flowers,  and  animals,  that  each  one  is  worthy  of  close  study. 

Mounting  the  broad,  lacquered  steps  the  visitor  finds  himself 
in  the  wide  vestibule  separated  from  the  nave  by  a  series  of 
black-lacquered,  sliding,  lattice-work  doors,  heavily  banded 
with  finely  made  damascene-work  remarkably  preserved.  While 
these  doors  impart  a  note  of  mourning  to  the  maze  of  bright  ex- 
terior decorations,  all  the  varying  suggestion  of  color  was  taken 
into  consideration  by  the  painter,  and  they  are  quite  in  keeping 
with  the  character  of  the  shrine.  The  superstructure  of  the 
vestibule,  particularly  the  immense  tie-beams,  exhibits  such  in- 
tricately ornamented  surfaces  that  the  flawless  wood  resem- 
bles costly  native  brocades.  Though  rich,  the  colors  are  quiet 
in  tone,  accented  with  much  gold,  in  pattern  and  ornament, 
with  designs  so  carefully  and  symmetrically  balanced  and 
worked  out  to  an  ever-disappearing  end  that  one  marvels 
at  the  fertility  of  imagination  and  the  admirable  technique 
of  these  old  master-craftsmen.  One  also  applauds  their  man- 


264    Route  14. 


NIKKO  The  Yakushi-dd. 


ifest  restraint,  for  the  poise  of  the  opulent  ornamentation  is 
judiciously  maintained,  with  a  fine  subordination  of  the  ar- 
tistic to  the  Orientally  fantastic.  —  The  12  painted  hawks 
ranged  around  the  vestibule  show  the  birds  in  their  different 
feathers  from  Jan.  to  Dec.  [Hawking  was  a  favorite  pastime 
of  Ieyasn,  and  this  building,  which  is  said  to  have  been 
erected  before  his  death,  was  his  favorite  shrine.]  The  myth- 
ological phoenix,  carved,  colored,  and  shown  in  many  grace- 
ful postures,  forms  the  classical  subject  of  the  magnificent 
panels  of  the  architrave,  the  work  of  which  is  admirable  and 
indicative  of  a  talent  of  no  mean  order.  The  Tokugawa  crest 
adorns  the  central  panels  of  the  richly  coffered  ceiling  —  thus 
supplementing  the  classic  with  the  political,  and  completing 
the  cycle  of  early  Japanese  thought.  The  bronze  gong  whicn' 
sits  on  a  stand  at  the  left  of  the  entry  conceals  a  surpassingly 
sweet  tone ;  when  struck  a  strong  blow  it  gives  forth  a  surpris- 
ingly melodious  and  tenacious  note,  the  dying  echoes  of  whicj^ 
linger  in  the  air  for  several  minutes.  ^ 
A  fee  of  5  sen  is  customary  when  one  passes  behind  the  slid- 
ing doors  to  the  rectangular,  sacrosanct  interior  —  which  is  of 
a  surpassing  luxuriance.  Twenty-two  massive  keyaki  pillars 
of  noteworthy  asymmetry  —  some  of  them  21  in.  in  diameter, 
covered  with  red  lacquer  and  then  with  gleaming  gold  foil  in 
such  profusion  that  they  resemble  great  uprights  of  solid 
metal  —  support  the  huge,  regally  decorated  cross-beams,  each 
of  one  piece  and  each  covered  from  tip  to  tip  with  intricate 
polychromatic  tracery.  Such  an  abundance  of  grotesque  deco- 
rations in  gold  and  colors  wanders  over  the  walls  and  up  to  the 
ceiling  that  minor  beauties  and  effects  are  lost  sight  of,  and  the 
brain  wearies  in  its  efforts  to  assimilate  the  picture.  The  floor 
is  of  -  heavy  black  lacquer  polished  like  a  piano  top,  and  along 
one  side  of  it  there  rises  an  elevated  platform,  also  heavily  and 
showily  lacquered,  with  side  panels  of  excellently  carved  Dogs 
of  Fo  and  lotus-flowers.  Resting  upon  this  dais  is  a  wonderful 
object  in  the  form  of  a  treasure-shrine,  of  sumptuous  gold- 
lacquer  ornamented  with  chased  metal,  and  dove-tailed,  with 
no  nails  in  its  construction  (a  characteristic  of  many  Japanese 
temples).  Inside  the  reliquary  (closed  to  the  public)  is  a 
beautifully  sculptured,  and  expressive,  gilded  figure  of  Yakushi- 
Nyorai  backed  by  a  handsome  pierced  mandorla  completely 
covered  with  heavy  gold  foil  after  the  style  of  the  finest 
Borromenisco  work.  At  each  outer  corner  stands  in  full  war 
panoply  one  of  the  Shi-Tenno —  Jikoku  at  the  East;  Zocho 
at  the  South;  Komoku  at  the  West,  and  T anion  at  the  North. 
At  the  right  and  left  of  the  shrine,  6  on  either  side,  in  unusual 
mythological  fullness,  stand  highly  colored,  superbly  chiseled 
figures  of  the  12  signs  of  the  zodiac.  Some  repose  in  front  of 
pierced  and  gilded  mandorlas,  and  the  zodiacal  signs  —  in 
the  forms  of  the  animals  which  represent  them  —  are  cunningly 


The  Third  Terrace.  NIKKO  14.  Route.  265 


concealed  in  the  helmets,  or  about  their  habiliments.  There 
are  also  other  figures  representing  celestial  bodies,  while  hang- 
ing before  the  shrine  is  a  massive  chased  metal  tengai,  a  present 
from  the  wife  of  a  one-time  feudal  baron  of  Saga  Province. 

Not  the  least  interesting  of  the  interior  enrichments  is  the 
unusually  large  dragon  (drawn  in  Chinese  ink,  by  Kand 
Yasunobu)  which  almost  entirely  covers  the  immense  ceiling 
—  itself  54  ft.  long,  18  ft.  wide,  and  made  of  hinoki-wood 
planks  one  inch  thick.  Albeit  Yasunobu's  dragons  are  usually 
enveloped  in  clouds,  this  one  is  bare,  and  because  of  this 
peculiarity  it  is  called  the  Naked  DitAGON/TBy  standing  be- 
neath its  head,  and  clapping  the  hands  together,  a  spooky 
sound,  considerably  like  a  death-rattle,  is  heard  all  over  the 
temple.  No  sound  other  than  a  hand-clap  will  evoke  it,  nor 
can  an  answer  be  elicited  unless  one  stands  directly  beneath 
the  head.  From  this  peculiar  quality  it  is  called  also  the  Crying 
Dragon^ 

On  leaving  the  Yakushi-do,  pass  clear  around  to  the  rear  of 
the  structure  and  note  the  chaste  beauty  of  this,  as  well  as  that 
of  the  sides.  At  the  right  is  the  finest  stone  wall  in  the  inclo- 
sure,  erected  and  presented  to  the  shrine  in  about  163Q  by 
Date  Masamune.  The  corner  stones  are  monolithic  in  propor- 
tions, while  those  of  the  center  measure  on  an  average  30  by 
36  in.  across  the  face.  Like  most  of  the  Japanese  walls  of  this  * 
character  the  stones  are  so  accurately  chiseled  that  neither  I 
mortar  nor  cement  is  needed  to  hold  them  in  place,  and  in  \ 
some  instances  the  joining  is  so  perfect  that  the  most  aggressive  , 
vegetation  finds  difficulty  in  getting  a  foothold  between  them. 
The  splendid  state  of  preservation  after  nearly  3  centuries  of 
use  is  attributed  to  a  thick  sheet  of  lead  which  is  said  to  have 
been  placed  originally  at  the  back  to  keep  out  moisture. 
The  Yomei-mon,  or  (2d)  great  gate,  stands  at  the  edge  of  the 
j  Third  Terrace,  12  steps  up  from  the  2d.  The  natives  love  to 
/  call  it  the  Higurashi-no-mon,  or '  Sunrise-till-dark '  gate,  because 
{  an  entire  day  can  be  spent  studying  its  wonderful  details.  It 
)  is  one  of  the  most  elaborate  structures  in  Nikko,  and  is  24  ft. 
/  high,  22  long,  and  15  deep. 

The  manifest  aim  of  the  artist  who  designed  this  Oriental  masterpiece  was 
that  it  should  be  observed  from  a  distance,  in"  contradistinction  to  the 
•  /   interior  of  the  temples,  whose  amazing  decorations  will  usually  bear  the 
/    closest  scrutiny.  It  is  sculptured  with  an  almost  incredible  wealth  of  detail, 
\   and  when  seen  from  the  terrace  below  it  is  strikingly  barbaric  and  opulent, 
)  shimmering  with  a  splendor  that  kindles  the  enthusiasm.    So  viewed,  its 
f  minor  crudities  —  perhaps  inseparable  from  a  work  of  its  class,  but  which 
bring  a  shade  of  disillusionment  if  analyzed  too  closely  —  are  subordinated 
\  to  the  general  harmonious  effect,  which  unequivocally  is  appealing.  To  help 
the  critic  to  a  proper  appreciation  of  his  work,  the  skillful  designer  adroitly 
placed  on  the  2d  terrace,  at  just  the  required  distance  from  the  gate,  both  as 
regards  height  and  angle,  the  two  striking  but  less  elaborately  ornamented 
\  drum-  and  bell-towers,  whose  superstructure,  it  will  be  noted,  though 
,  astonishingly  complicated  and  attractive,  doe3  not  hold  the  eye  and  rivet  the 
imagination  with  the  tenacity  and  forcefulness  that  seem  to  radiate  from  the 


266   Route  14. 


NIKKO  The  Third  Terrace. 


gate  itself.  To  heighten  the  general  effect,  and  perhaps  to  act  as  a  spur  to  the 
imagination,  the  smaller  (and  sometime),  more  jewel-like  Kara-mon  was  so 
placed,  beyond  it,  that  the  Yomei-mon  served  as  a  superb  frame  for  a  dain- 
tier and  more  attractive  picture.  And  in  this  shrewd  adjustment  the  beguil- 
ing artifice  was  employed  of  making  just  enough  of  a  winsome  disclosure  to 
awaken  a  desire  to  have  more  disclosed.  The  resultant  effect  is  that  of  twin 
angles  gradually  converging  toward  an  apex  in  which,  with  studied  careless- 
ness, the  flawless  gem  of  the  group  is  naively  placed.  That  both  gates,  when 
viewed  from  a  short  distance,  are  rich  and  glowing  segments  in  an  extraor- 
dinarily attractive  group,  —  one  that  deftly  reveals  a  hitherto  undreamed-of 
symphony  of  form  and  color,  —  the  average  traveler  will  doubtless  admit. 
He  will  also  no  doubt  conclude  that  the  Yomei-mon  —  which  is  distinctively 
and  purely  Japanese  —  is  far  finer  than  the  Kara-mon,  —  which  is  Chinese 
in  conception  and  perhaps  in  workmanship,  —  and  also  that  both  are  un- 
questionably the  floridly  barbaric  expression  of  a  high  ideal  in  structural  art. 

The  gateway  itself,  though  sadly  mauled  by  the  hand  of 
time  (re-decorated  in  1911),  is  a  marvel  of  architecture  and  of 
wood-carving  enriched  by  metal  fretwork  deserving  of  close 
study.  It  is  two-storied,  with  long  and  elaborately  decorated 
wings,  on  whose  outer  side  are  many  boldly  sculptured  panels; 
on  the  inner  side  there  is  a  finely  lacquered  (red)  and  simply 
decorated  corridor  11  ft.  wide  and  676  ft.  long,  with  a  key- 
pattern  in  blended  colors  serving  as  a  string-course.  In  their 
respective  loggias  at  the  right  and  left  are  seated  figures  of 
Saaaijin  and  Udaijin,  ancient  guards  in  all  the  panoply  of  war. 
Behind  them,  in  corresponding  cages,  are  upstart  Korean  lions, 
whose  belligerent  attitude  is  evidently  inspired  by  the  intensity 
of  the  colors  applied  to  their  pelts.  The  side  panels  of  these 
cages  are  deeply  carved  and  represent  large  peonies;  the  nar- 
rower panels  above  them  show  aquatic  birds  and  phcenixes. 
The  groups  of  carved  and  vari-colored  flowers  in  the  niches 
between  the  gilded  brackets  of  the  roofs  are  not  unattractive, 
and  they  are  supplemented  by  painted  tennin  on  panels.  The 
sepia  dragons  in  the  roof  of  the  portico  are  attributed  to  Kand 
Motonobu.  The  multiplicity  of  ornamentation  is  carried  even 
to  the  pickets  of  the  cages,  which  are  sheathed  in  chiseled  brass 
sockets. 

The  major  part  of  the  lower  structure  is  of  a  creamy  white 
enriched  with  numerous  metal  fitments  that  blaze  in  the  sun- 
light. At  the  right  and  left  of  the  loggias  are  carved  wood 
panels  of  frolicsome  shishi,  in  basso-relievo ,  whose  coats  have 
preserved  the  soft,  light  patina  of  the  original  white  paint. 
The  huge  Dogs  of  Fo  with  gilded  eyes,  teeth,  and  nails,  which 
seem  ready  to  leap  down  upon  the  visitor  from  the  cross- 
beams of  the  gate,  have  wires  sticking  in  their  muzzles  to  add 
to  their  fierce  mien.  They  are  the  most  striking  ornaments  of 
the  massive  beams,  above  which,  in  niches  formed  by  the 
angles  of  the  highly  decorated  compound  brackets,  are  succes- 
sive and  slightly  projecting  groups  of  indifferently  carved 
figures,  in  high  relief  and  with  elaborate  robes,  of  Chinese 
sages.  Another  line  of  gilded  Dogs  of  Fo  extends  above  these, 
and,  with  the  upturned  ends  of  certain  of  the  brackets,  support 


The  Third  Terrace,  NIKKO  14.  Route.  267 


a  metal-studded  balcony  in  the  panels  of  which  are  other 
groups  of  Chinese  boys  at  play  amidst  flowers;  some  ride 
hobby-horses,  others  carry  youngsters  pick-a-back,  while 
others  read  books  or  play  upon  musical  instruments.  These 
designs  run  quite  around  the  structure,  but  at  the  rear  both 
big  and  little  men  seem  to  feel  out  of  sight,  and,  laying  aside 
the  dignity  which  is  supposed  to  clothe  persons  so  enshrined  in 
art,  they  are  seen  to  be  riding  upon  huge  fishes,  dragons, 
cranes,  phoenixes,  and  what-not,  and  to  be  indulging  in  various 
ludicrous  pranks. 

The  upper  story  (reached  only  by  a  ladder)  is  given  over  to 
huge  white  and  gilded,  crimson-throated  dragons  in  almost 
every  conceivable  attitude:  there  are  terrific  dragons  with 
cruel-looking  claws  and  spiny  tails;  others  with  hoofs  like 
horses;  ascending  and  descending  dragons;  dragon  heads  and 
dragon  tails;  involved  dragons  and  simple  dragons;  but  so 
many  of  them  that  one  suspects  the  artist's  fertility  of  inven- 
tion suddenly  deserted  him,  and  dragons  and  more  dragons 
was  all  that  he  could  think  of.  A  few  graceful,  carved,  and 
gilded  howo  in  low  relief,  and  in  different  positions,  occupy 
niches  below  the  brackets,  and  are  seen  painted  on  the  support- 
ing roof-beams  above.  Metal  wind-bells  pend  from  quaint 
hooks  at  the  corners  under  the  eaves.  The  elaboration  of  the 
minor  detail  of  the  structure  is  uniquely  intricate.  Carved 
flowers,  arabesques,  groups  of  figures,  tinted  clouds,  water- 
scapes, diaper-patterns,  and  ornamental  compositions  drawn 
by  the  brush,  hammered  up  in  metal,  and  wrought  by  the 
sculptor's  tools  are  so  arranged  that  the  whole  is  pleasing  in 
proportions  and  of  a  striking  color-harmony.  The  graceful, 
curved  gabled  roof  is  sheathed  with  copper-bronze  and  provided 
with  gilded  antefixes  of  crests  and  other  designs.  The  upright 
pillars  are  of  peculiar  interest  to  the  Japanese,  to  whom  the 
odd  and  bizarre  appeal  quite  as  strongly  as  the  artistic.  Of 
massive  keyaki-wood,  they  are  carved  all  over  with  a  minor 
geometrical  design  into  which,  at  intervals,  are  inserted  carved 
medallions  of  birds,  flowers,  mythological  and  other  animals. 
Prominent  among  these  (note  the  central  pillar  at  the  left)  is  a 
medallion  showing  a  pair  of  frolicsome  tigers,  the  fine  stripes 
of  whose  coats  are  formed  ingeniously  by  the  delicate  and 
splendid  veining  of  the  wood.  The  next  pillar  (inside,  left)  is 
called  the  Ma-yoke-no- Hashir a,  or  'Evil  Averting  Pillar';  its 
claim  to  fame  rests  on  the  fact  that  the  basic  design  is  (when 
compared  to  that  of  the  others)  carved  upside  down,  and  the  § 
cicerones  who  conduct  hundreds  of  pilgrims,  foreign  visitors, 
native  soldiers,  students,  and  others  through  the  shrines,  elicit  I 
gasps  of  credulous  amazement  by  explaining  that  it  was  done 
purposely,  to  avert  the  just  anger  of  the  gods  at  having  erected 
such  a  magnificent  structure!  The  fact  that  the  numerous  I 
carved  medallions  are  upright,  and  that  the  minor  carvings  ) 


268   Route  14. 


NIKKO  The  Third  Terrace. 


only  are  reversed,  smacks  more  of  error  than  of  design.  —  The 
sculptures  of  the  side  wings  of  the  gate  are  bold,  crisp,  and 
decisive,  and  they  must  have  been  very  beautiful  when  new. 
The  left  wing  is  shorter  than  the  right;  the  sloping  roof  or 
coping  extends  3  ft.  over  the  side,  but  it  has  not  protected 
entirely  the  carvings  or  their  decorations  from  the  attacks  of 
the  weather.  Each  wing  carries  two  series  of  panels,  the  upper 
ones  (7  at  the  left  and  15  at  the  right)  displaying  sculptured 
phoenixes,  flowers,  bamboos,  storks,  etc.;  the  lower  series,  of 
pierced  work,  ovaliform  and  with  lacquered  margins,  carrying 
aquatic  fowl  —  ducks,  geese,  herons,  etc.,  in  repose  or  in 
flight.  Above  the  upper  row  are  horizontal  connecting  beams 
diapered  with  a  hexagonal  pattern  and  ornamented  with  metal 
fittings.  Higher  yet  is  a  series  of  narrow  wave-work  panels. 
Consummate  skill  is  a  salient  characteristic  of  all  the  work.  — 
/  In  former  times  no  merchant  was  allowed  to  pass  beyond  the 
gate,  and  samurai  were  obliged  to  leave  their  swords  without. 
The  ancient  sign  which  still  stands  at  the  right  of  the  steps, 
near  the  foot,  requests  royalty  not  to  ride  horses  through  the 
gate  nor  permit  themselves  to  be  carried  in  in  chairs! 

At  the  right  of  the  Ydmei-mon  (on  the  3d  terrace)  stands  a 
dainty,  richly  decorated  building  called  the  Kagura-den, 
wherein  a  comely  virgin  priestess  (who  looks  the  part,  and 
who  wears  a  white  surplice  over  a  brilliant  skirt,  with  a  nun's 
bonnet  on  her  head,  and  carries  a  wand  in  her  hand)  goes 
through  a  few  clipped  motions  of  the  sacred  dance  in  exchange 
for  the  sundry  coppers  which  travelers  and  pilgrims  toss  into 
the  room.  Metal  hooks  hold  up  the  side  blinds,  and  the 
Imperial  16-petal  chrysanthemum  crest  is  noticeable  amidst 
the  polychromatic  decorations.  The  structure  is  an  attractive 
blend  of  black,  red,  and  gold,  barring  the  highly  tinted  basket 
of  flowers  (evidently  an  afterthought)  on  the  gilded  panel  at 
the  right-hand  corner.  Directly  opposite  this  edifice  is 

The  Goma-dd,  or  Incense  Hall,  with  a  handsome  porch 
and  a  brilliantly  decorated  facade  blazing  with  brass  and  gold 
foil.  On  the  panels  above  the  porch-beams  a  number  of  big- 
eyed  fish  are  sculptured.  Groups  of  carved  and  tinted  pheas- 
ants in  high  relief  adorn  the  niches  of  the  compound  brackets, 
and  the  green  panels,  or  pickets,  with  metal  end-sheaths,  that 
form  the  window-bars,  impart  a  not  unhandsome  look  to  the 
black  and  red  lacquered  structure  —  which  because  of  the 
perforated  ceiling  that  allows  the  smoke  from  the  cedar- wood 
incense  to  escape,  is  often  called  tengai.  The  12  painted  hawks 
in  the  interior  are  replicas  of  those  in  the  Yakushi-dd,  and  they 
show  the  birds  in  the  twelve  periods  between  Jan.  and  Dec. 
Some  merit  is  claimed  for  these  pictures,  which  were  painted 
by  Sakai  Tadakatsu  (1587-1662),  one  of  the  four  principal 
lieutenants  of  the  shogun,^  Ieyasu.  The  priests  here  offer  for 
sale  (the  commercial  idea  is  strongly  developed  in  the  bonzes  of 


The  Fourth  Terrace.  NIKKO  14.  Route.  269 


the  Nikko  temples)  painted  kakemono  showing  Ieyasu  and  a 
facsimile  (with  an  English  translation)  of  his  precepts;  the 
cheapest  scroll  costs  15  sen;  the  ordinary  ones,  ¥1,  and  the 
silk  ones,  ¥5.  The  large  gilt  panels  in  the  room  are  the  work  of 
Kano  Tanyu.  —  The  handsomely  decorated  edifice  across  the 
courtyard  from  the  Yomei-mon,  at  the  left,  is  the  Mikoshi-dd, 
or  Palanquin  House  (closed  to  the  public),  where  the  palan- 
/uins  employed  in  the  annual  procession  are  stored. 


The  Kara-mon,  or  Chinese  Gate,  so  called  because  the 
design  and  general  decorative  plan  are  Chinese,  and  the  rare 
woods  used  in  its  construction  were  imported  from  China, 
stands  on  the  Fourth  Terrace,  is  3d  in  the  series  of  gates,  and  is 
reached  by  5  short  steps  which  lead  up  from  the  court  below. 
It  is  smaller  than  the  Y omei-mon,  less  ornate,  and  more  dilapi- 
dated. It  was  re-decorated  in  1911,  but  its  pristine  beauty  was 
not  restored.  Shoes,  canes,  outer  wraps,  umbrellas,  etc. ,  must 
be  left  here  (cameras  also,  sometimes)  before  one  can  inspect 
the  inner  side  of  the  gateway  or  proceed  to  the  honden.  The* 


traveler  who  wishes  to  inspect  the  exterior  sides  and  rear  of  the  I 
honden  must  come  equipped  with  slippers,  else  he  must  walk 
around  the  yard  in  his  sock  feet,  as  the  ground  is  too  holy  to 
be  trodden  upon  with  shoes!  —  A  long  dynasty  of  writers,  ; 
accepting  the  dictum  of  some  earlier  authority,  have  worked 
themselves  up  to  a  fine  frenzy  over  this  gate,  describing  it  as  a 
miracle  of  proportion  and  ornament,  the  exquisite  acme  of 
Buddhistic  achievement  —  and  what-not.  While  showing 
traces  of  former  beauty,  it  is  now  so  decrepit,  and  so  badly 
defaced  by  time  and  the  elements,  that  it  is  apt  to  strike  the 
critical  traveler  as  crude  and  decayed.  The  wings  at  the  right 
and  left  form  an  interior  corridor  12  ft.  wide  and  522  ft.  long, 
which  extends  quite  around  the  inclosure.  Dragons,  plum 
branches,  bamboo,  and  the  like  are  entwined  about  the  upright 
columns  of  the  gate  and  are  affixed  thereto  with  brass  nails; 
this  ornamentation  extends  from  the  uprights  over  the  lintel, 
whose  brackets  are  tufts  of  deeply  carved  chrysanthemums. 
The  sculptures  in  general  lack  delicacy;  they  cover  almost 
every  inch  of  the  remaining  pillars  and  panels,  the  motives 
being  medallions,  rosettes,  and  flowers.  The  latter  are  particu- 
larly noticeable  between  the  series  of  horizontal  members 
superposed  one  above  another,  the  upright  panels  of  which 
are  formed  of,  and  covered  by,  flowers  and  aquatic  plants. 
Just  beneath  these  is  a  procession  of  indifferently  sculptured 
figurines  supposed  to  be  the  adherents  of  the  founder  of  the 
Chinese  monarchy.  Above  them,  under  the  gracefully  curved 
roof,  are  larger  carved  panels ;  on  the  right  a  sacred  cow  repos- 
ing tranquilly  amidst  flowers;  on  the  left  another  Chinese  sage. 
Rabbits  chiseled  in  high  relief  form  the  salient  features  of  the 
upper  panels  on  the  inner  side  of  the  structure.  The  pierced 
and  gilded  panels  are  each  cut  from  one  piece  of  wood. 


270    Route  14. 


NIKKO 


The  Honden. 


The  carved  tennin  in  the  panel  above  the  portico  is  attributed 
to  Hidari  Jingord.  The  roof  is  topped  by  two  bronze  dragons 
and  a  shishi  held  down  by  metal  clamps.  Elaborately  chiseled 
metal  sockets  sheathe  the  beam-ends,  and  the  panels  are  ar- 
ranged with  a  correct  understanding  of  the  laws  which  gov- 
ern the  distribution  of  ornament.  The  gate  is  barbarically 
rich-loooking  when  seen  from  a  distance,  and  the  cream-white 
effect  of  the  pillars  enhances  its  charm.  The  general  decorations 
of  the  wings,  with  their  many  carved  panels  and  geometrical 
designs,  differ  but  little  from  those  of  the  Ydmei-mon.  On  the 
terraces  above  the  corridors,  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  court, 
are  maple  trees  which  are  a  glory  in  autumn.  A  short  covered 
;way  leads  from  the  gate  to 

sj  The  Honden,  or  Oratory,  the  outer  room  in  the  last  of  the 
shrines  at  the  top  of  the  series  of  terraces.  It  is  a  marvel  of 
wood,  metal,  and  paint  so  artistically  distributed  and  adjusted 
as  to  make  of  the  structure  the  most  gorgeous  and  attractive 

(  of  the  Ieyasu  group.  It  is  also  a  record  of  the  finest  achieve- 
ments of  those  long-dead  masters  who  poured  out  their  very 
souls  in  this  physical  expression  of  Buddhist  art  interpreted  by 
Japanese  genius  and  fancy;  happily,  not  in  vain,  for  the  travel- 
ing world  has  paid  its  homage  and  expressed  its  sentiment 
before  this  masterpiece  for  upward  of  half  a  century,  and  will 
no  doubt  continue  to  do  so  as  long  as  the  building  retains  its 
present  shape.  Natives  know  it  as  the  Toshogu  (which  by 
extension  is  often  applied  to  Ieyasu  himself).  As  is  so  often  the 
' .  case  with  Japanese  temples,  this  one  is  so  hemmed  in  by  fences 
and  trees  that  its  wonderfully  decorated  exterior  and  its  fine 
physical  proportions  are  seen  at  a  genuine  disadyantage;  a 
narrow,  pebbly  strip  of  land  flanks  it. on  its  four  sides,  while  the 
mt.  with  its  crowning  forest  rises  so  abruptly  at  the  rear  that 
it  gives  the  impression  of  being  ready  to  slide  down  upon  it  at 
any  moment.  To  get  the  right  perspective  on  the  rich  decora- 
tions just  beneath  the  eaves  one  must  scramble  up  the  hill 
at  the  back  or  view  the  side  from  the  steps  leading  to  the 
Shogun's  Tomb  higher  on  the  hill.  Even  there  the  view  is  ob- 
structed. —  The  great  front  porch  is  upheld  by  square  cream- 
white  pillars  of  flawless  keyaki  set  in  elaborately  chased  metal 
sockets,  and  of  a  grain  so  fine  that  it  is  employed  as  a  subsidiary 
aid  in  the  intricate  carvings  of  its  surfaces.  The  pillar  at  the 
extreme  left  is  much  admired  and  is  called  the  '  Licking-paw 
Tiger  '  pillar  from  a  sculptured  medallion  in  which  a  tiger  is 
shown  in  the  act  of  licking  his  paw;  the  hair  and  the  stripes  of 
the  animal  are  formed  skillfully  of  the  fine  lines  of  the  wood. 
Other  carvings  are  of  bamboos,  pine  trees,  butterflies,  and 
animals  inclosed  in  small  medallions  which  stand  out  from  a 
background  of  tracery  so  delicate  that  it  resembles  true  ver- 
miculated  work.  The  immense  single-piece  tie-beams  of  the 
porch  simulate  flying  buttresses  and  are  formed  of  writhing 


The  Honden. 


NIKKO  14.  Route.  271 


dragons  sculptured  with  consummate  skill  and  supplemented 
by  dragon  heads  that  protrude  from  every  angle.  The  cross- 
beams are  cream- white,  richly  carved,  and  carry  superimposed 
Dogs  of  Fo. 

Black  with  gleaming  gold  decorations  and  brass  trimmings 
are  the  most  striking  notes  in  the  outward  aspect  of  the  build- 
ing; along  the  architrave  birds,  flowers,  and  much  geometrical 
tracery  form  the  motives.  Six  metal-sheathed  steps  lead  to  the 
landing  and  the  elaborately  ornamented  doors,  which  are  a 
maze  of  carved,  painted,  or  gilded  flowers  and  arabesques. 
The  front  and  sides  of  the  outer  room  have  many  slatted  win- 
dows which  are  held  up  by  long  metal  hooks.  We  penetrate 
first  to 

The  Honden,  a  rectangular  room  30  ft.  wide  by  48  ft.  long 
provided  with  a  smaller  chamber  at  each  end.  The  soft  rush 
mats  are  of  the  finest  quality  and  are  edged  with  silk  brocade; 
the  beautiful  coffered  ceiling  (which  is  said  to  be  a  copy  of  that 
in  the  Ming  Palace  at  Peking)  contains  a  hundred  or  more 
recessed  panels,  on  each  of  which  is  painted  a  wriggling  dragon 
in  an  attitude  differing  from  all  the  others,  each  executed  in 
Kand  Tanyu1  s  best  manner.  The  corners  of  the  panels  — 
which  resemble  sunken  lunettes  —  are  covered  with  elabo- 
rately chased  metal  ornaments,  and  there  are  intermediate 
channels  of  gilded  lattice-work  over  a  warm  crimson  ground. 
The  effect  is  unusually  rich  and  is  in  close  imitation  of  a  har- 
monious red-and-gold  mosaic.  Discreetly  arranged  around  the 
cornice  of  this  room  are  36  painted  panels  (the  work  of  Tosa 
Mitsunobu),  each  with  a  seated  figure  of,  and  an  ideographic 
reference  to,  Japan's  most  celebrated  poets  before  the  11th 
cent.  Objects  of  minor  interest  are  the  dragon  drum  —  which 
shows  its  Chinese  origin  in  the  5  claws  of  the  dragon  painted 
on  it  —  and  the  gold-plated  gohei  presented  by  the  Emperor. 
The  big  circular  mirror  which  usually  hangs  above  the  gohei 
is  about  2  ft.. in  diameter  and  is  symbolic  of  Shinto  shrines;  the 
gilded  panels  around  the  room  are  by  Kand  Tanyu.  The 
ceremony  preceding  the  entry  into  the  Holy  of  Holies  is  per- 
formed in  this  room. 

Gilded  sliding  fusuma,  adorned  with  exaggerated  Dogs  of 
Fo  and  attributed  to  Kand  Tanyu,  admit  the  traveler  to  a 
small  room  at  the  right,  originally  the  private  oratory  of  the 
shogun.  It  is  13  ft.  long  by  30  wide  and  it  contains  four  hand- 
some large,  inlaid,  framed  panels  carved  in  several  woods  in 
the  natural  color,  with  phoenixes  glued  and  nailed  on  to  the 
background;  the  finely  penciled,  gold-lacquered  frames  are 
worth  looking  at,  as  are  also  the  cross-beams,  which  are  dec- 
orated with  an  elaborate  diaper-pattern  resembling  precious 
silk  brocade.  The  brackets  are  black  and  gold;  the  minor 
adornments  are  similar  to  those  of  the  honden,  and  the  wood 
used  in  the  ceiling  is  the  kind  of  which  incense  is  made.  —  The 


272   Route  14. 


_ 

NIKKO 


The  Stone  Room, 


room  at  the  left  is  still  more  elegant.  The  fusuma  carry  painted 
peonies  and  Dogs  of  Fo  on  a  dead  gold  ground  (the  work  of 
Kano  Tanyu),  and  instead  of  phoenixes  the  carved  wood 
panels  (each  47  by  66  in.  and  cut  from  a  single  slab  of  kwarin- 
wood  —  Cydonia  sinensis  —  imported  from  China)  carry 
sharp-eyed  eagles  which  stand  against  a  background  of  deli- 
cate and  complicated  tracery.  The  metal  ornaments  of  the 
cross-beams  are  of  choicest  damascene  work  with  5  pieces 
superimposed,  and  all  very  rich-looking.  The  beams  them- 
selves are  entirely  covered  by  a  riotous  wealth  of  florid,  bro- 
cade-like decorations.  The  admirably  chiseled  Buddhist  angel 
on  the  ceiling  is  picked  out  polychromatically  in  a  strikingly 
naturalistic  way,  and  surrounded  by  scores  of  sculptured  and 
painted  chrysanthemums  and  recessed  lunettes  of  a  dark  wood. 
Beneath  the  gold  and  black  brackets  are  spirited  carvings  of 
birds  and  flowers  in  high  relief  —  the  former  seeming  just 
ready  to  fly  out  of  their  tinted  retreats.  Few  carvings  in  the 
temple  are  more  animated  and  attractive.  The  capitals  of  the 
pilasters  —  of  keyaki,  lacquered  red,  then  covered  with  gold 
foil  —  are  unusually  sumptuous. 

At  the  back  of  the  honden  4  steps  descend  to  a  sunken  apart- 
ment 12  ft.  deep  by  30  wide,  called  the  Stone  Room  because 
the  lacquered  floor  Is  said  to  rest  upon  a  single  large  stone.  The 
bonzes  usually  invite  the  traveler's  attention  to  the  carved, 
lacquered,  and  gilded  rococo  sheaths  which  almost  cover  the 
4  supporting  columns.  Though  elaborately  executed,  the 
assemblage  of  fantastic  scrolls  and  other  conventional  work  is 
feeble  and  meaningless,  and  impresses  the  beholder  by  its 
costliness  (¥80,000)  rather  than  as  an  expression  of  a  high 
order  in  art.  The  ceiling  is  lovely.  Each  of  the  28  large  and  17 
small  sunken  panels  bears  a  beautifully  painted  mythological 
phcenix  (the  work  of  Tanyu)  on  a  blue  ground  covered  with 
superb  tracery,  and  each  flying  bird  is  pictured  in  an  attitude 
different  from  its  fellows.  The  two  deeply  recessed  panels 
serve  as  trap-doors  to  the  loft.  Not  an  inch  of  the  walls  and 
ceiling  but  is  richly  and  extravagantly  decorated  with  a  host 
of  indescribable  forms.  Specially  noteworthy  are  the  gold- 
lacquered  panels  behind  the  sheltering  screened  doors  at  the 
right  and  left  of  the  descending  stairs,  and  in  the  same  relative 
positions  at  the  top  of  those  opposite.  Three  kinds  of  lacquer 
—  Chinese,  Korean,  and  Japanese  —  have  been  used  in  their 
composition,  and  they  are  admirable  expressions  of  coherent 
opulence.  At  the  landing  of  the  6  metal-sheathed  steps  stand 
2  solid  silver  vases  (presented  by  Tokugawa  Ienari,  the  11th 
shoguri)  weighing  each  150  lbs.  and  containing  sprigs  of  bam- 
boo of  a  gold  alloy;  plum  branches  of  virgin  silver;  and  pine 
twigs  of  shakudd  —  an  alloy  of  copper,  antimony,  and  gold. 
The  finely  inlaid  lacquer  tables  flecked  with  Tokugawa  crests 
are  worth  looking  at.  Above  the  triple  set  of  regal  folding 


The  Holy  of  Holies.  NIKKO 


14.  Route.  273 


doors  with  elaborate  Chinese  locks  are  carved  brackets  and 
friezes  enriched  with  chased  metal  fitments.  The  uprights  and 
cross-beams  are  finished  in  the  rich  brownish-gray  of  the 
natural  wood.  Above  the  doors  runs  a  line  of  complicated 
compound  brackets  with  8  huge  protruding  elephant  heads, 
open-mouthed  and  menacing.  At  the  right  and  left  of  the  room 
are  gorgeous  gold  panels  embellished  with  flying  phoenixes, 
and  twin  pierced  panels  said  to  be  made  of  single  slabs  and 
which  sift  a  diffused  light.  The  bonze  who  usually  sits  at  the 
left  of  the  stairs  serves  sanctified  sake  from  small  antimony  or 
red-lacquered  dishes;  for  a  trifling  fee.  x 


The  Holy  of  Holies  o'f  the  Ieyasu  Mausoleum,  the  Ultima  Thule  of  the 
shrines;  at  once  the  richest  and  most  coveted  sight  in  N.  Japan,  occupies  3 
rooms  (which  may  be  converted  into  one)  at  the  rear  of  the  last  building  on 
the  upper  (and  last)  terrace,  called  respectively  (1st)  Go  Heiden,  (2d)  Go 
Naijin,  and  (3d)  Go  Nai  Naijin.  Refined  imagery  and  an  exquisitely  tender 
and  delicate  fancy  characterize  the  wonderful  decorations,  and  as  the  suite 
is  considered  the  most  sacred  of  the  Nikko  temples  and  shrines,  the  general 
public  is  barred  therefrom.  Entrance  is  obtained  only  by  a  special  appoint- 
ment (which  can  be  made  by  telephone  from  the  hotel)  and  a  fee  (payable 
at  the  door  of  the  honden)  of  ¥10  for  one  person,  or  ¥7  each  for  two  or  more. 
There  is  no  extra  charge  for  a  guide  or  an  interpreter,  nor  is  the  regular  en- 
trance fee  of  80  sen  exacted.  The  special  ceremony  ( Kitosai)  performed  by 
Shinto  priests  in  full  canonicals  —  attractive  robes,  gauze  caps,  and  what- 
not —  within  the  honden  and  the  Stone  Room,  before  the  doors  of  the  inner 
shrine  can  be  opened,  usually  occupies  about  15  min.  Although  days,  and 
even  weeks,  might  be  devoted  to  an  appreciative  study  of  the  interior  deco- 
rations, from  \  to  1  hr.  is  the  time  generally  given  to  it  by  travelers.  Though 
usually  brought  up  in  the  shadow  of  the  holy  precinct,  the  bonzes  who 
conduct  the  visitor  through  the  inner  maze  are  healthily  unconscious  of  the 
beauty,  the  sentiment,  and  even  of  the  names  attached  to  the  various  deco- 
rations, and  they  must  not  be  looked  to  for  accurate  information.  The  hon- 
est ones  generally  acknowledge  a  frank  ignorance  of  the  structure  and  all  its 
details;  the  others  proffer  data  which  are  misleading.  Shoes  (mens')  hats, 
wraps,  etc.,  must  be  left  outside.  The  aspirant  is  invested  with  a  ceremonial 
robe  (usually  green)  which  he  must  don  and  kneel,  as  do  the  bonzes,  during 
the  impressive  ritual.  Whether  or  not  the  traveler  follows  the  native  custom 
of  bowing  the  head  until  it  touches  the -floor,  and  of  scrupulously  imitating 
every  genuflection  of  the  leader,  is  a  matter  of  personal  taste;  but  a  strict 
observance  of  the  custom  and  a  due  reverence  for  the  sanctity  of  the  spot  are 
not  only  tributes  deserved  by  the  honored  dead,  but  add  a  piquant  charm  to 
the  memory  of  the  act.  The  red-  and  gold-lacquered  cups  from  which  the 
holy  sake  is  drunk  are  sold  at  35  sen  (the  antimony  ones  cost  20  sen),  and 
they  make  pretty  souvenirs  of  a  Unique  experience. 

The  first  part  of  the  ceremony  is  enacted  in  the  honden.  A  number  of 
priests  clad  in  ancient  and  picturesque  costumes  file  into  the  room,  and, 
kneeling,  go  through  various  evolutions  of  a'religious  import,  while  3  of  their 
number  evoke  a  series  of  wailing  cries,  convulsive  notes,  and  'dissonant 
squeaks'  from  a  flute  and  two  native  reed-instruments  called  sho.  Another 
sits  by  and  beats  a  drum.  The  cadence  is  solemn,  as  befits  the  occasion,  and 
the  effect  is  weird  —  particularly  if  the  great  bell  in  the  Sambutsu-do  com- 
pound sends  out  it's  deep-tongued  challenge  to  the  auditors  during  the  cere- 
mony. Then  the  bonzes  intone  the  mystic  ritual  and  strike  their  hands 
together  with  a  sharp,  dry  sound,  to  summon  the  holy  spirit  to  witness  the 
ceremony.  The  offerings  to  the  shades  of  the  gods  —  comprising  various 
specially  prepared  vegetables,  and  rice  cakes  with  the  Tokugawa  crest 
stamped  upon  them  —  are  now  brought  forward  and  are  carried  into  the 
go  heiden  by  white-clad  acolytes  with  shields  tied  across  their  mouths  to 
prevent  the  breath  from  defiling  them.  Gohei  and  other  paraphernalia  are 
also  introduced.  [A  2d  ceremony  of  bringing  these  out  is  conducted  after  the 
visitor  departs.]  After  receiving  a  lighted  paper  lantern  bearing  the  Toku- 


274   Route  14. 


NIKKO 


The  Go  Heiden. 


gawa  crest,  the  visitor  follows  the  priests  into  the  outer  room  where  the  sake 
and  food-offerings  are  spread  out  on  a  long  table.  Partaking  of  these,  and  thus 
being  duly  sanctified  by  the  holy  rites,  the  inspection  of  the  shrine  is  begun. 

The  Go  Heiden,  so  called  from  the  gold  gohei  therein,  is 
about  12  ft.  deep  by  42  wide.  Because  of  the  wan  light  which 
filters  through  the  latticed  windows,  it  is  less  dim  than  the 
other  two  rooms,  where  inky  darkness  usually  prevails.  One 
must  strain  the  eyes  to  inspect  properly  the  opulently  rich, 
time-defying  decorations  which  adorn  every  inch  of  surface  of 
the  superb  walls  and  ceiling.  The  latter  is  coffered,  and  each 
sunken  panel  carries  an  artistically  painted  and  illuminated 
phcenix  a  shade  richer  than  those  on  the  ceiling  of  the  honden. 
The  panels  (7  by  7  in.)  of  the  sliding  doors  which  separate  this 
apartment  from  the  inner  inclosure  are  of  brass,  plated  with 
gold  and  perforated  in  the  center  with  a  fylfot  several  inches 
square,  and  the  tempered  light  which  shines  through  them 
produces  a  pleasing  effect.  The  large,  hand-painted  silk  screen 
at  the  left  end  of  the  room  shows  an  ancient  horse-race,  on  one 
side,  and,  on  the  reverse,  two  gamboling  Dogs  of  Fo,  by  some 
unknown  artist  of  the  Kano  school.  At  the  extreme  right  and 
left  of  the  dividing  wall  are  two  large  gold-foil  panels  of  keyaki, 
with  polychromatic  howo  in  striking  attitudes.  The  chrys- 
anthemum crests  at  the  four  corners  of  the  frames  formed  by 
extensions  of  the  mural  decorations,  have  12  instead  of  16 
petals.  The  4  upright  pillars  which  support  the  superbly  and 
daintily  decorated  cross-beams,  and  which  carry  alternate 
carvings  in  relievo  of  chrysanthemums  and  peonies,  rank  among 
the  best  of  this  class  in  Japan;  the  oak-like  wood  is  the  time- 
defying  keyaki.  The  long  line  of  split  bamboo  sudare  which 
stretch  quite  across  the  room  and  form  the  removable  parti- 
tion between  it  and  the  interior,  are  heavy  with  elegant  metal 
adornments  and  are  of  the  finest  quality,  as  is  also  the  cream- 
white  tatami  of  the  floor,  with  the  edges  of  the  omote  neatly 
bordered  with  silk  brocade.  An  uprolled  sudare  at  the  right 
gives  access  to 

The  Go  Naijin  (or  Naijin)  whose  beautiful  coffered  ceiling 
at  once  attracts  attention  by  being  different  from  that  of  any 
of  the  other  temples.  Each  recessed  panel  is  covered  with 
gleaming  gold  foil,  and  over  this  is  artistically  arranged  a  deli- 
cately and  beautifully  pierced  wood  panel  which  resembles 
heavy  lace,  through  the  interstices  of  which  the  eye  picks  out 
the  gold  as  it  reflects  the  lantern's  rays.  The  curved  panels  at 
either  side  carry  skillfully  painted  chrysanthemums  and  peonies 
in  their  natural  colors.  Along  the  architrave  are  some  strik- 
ingly sculptured  and  tinted  birds  in  high  relief,  poised  as  if  for 
instant  flight.  Between  another  series  of  superbly  carved 
keyaki  pillars  in  the  natural  wood  is  a  set  of  folding  doors  with 
sculptured  and  gilded  panels  enrichecj  with  such  exquisite 
superimposed  damascene-work  that  one  marvels  at  the  skill 


The  Go  Naijin.  (  NIKKO  14.  Route.  275 


of  these  early  craftsmen  and  speculates  as  to  how  they  learned 
the  subtle  manipulation  of  a  metallic  art  which  originated  so 
far  from  their  country.  Every  bit  of  the  wood  about  the  doors 
is  so  heavily  lacquered  as  to  make  it  resemble  massive  gold, 
and  the  effect  attained  is  superlatively  rich.  —  At  the  left  end 
of  the  room,  let  into  the  front  wall,  is  a  gold-foil  panel  about 
8  ft.  sq.  covered  with  a  bizarre  painting  of  Bishamonten, 
looking  very  much  like  the  prototype  of  Blue  Beard,  in  his 
wonderful  painted  draperies.  Near  by,  on  the  base-board  of 
the  side  wall,  are  two  long  gold  panels  carrying  pictured 
Buddhas  in  whose  placid  faces  eternal  repose  is  expressed. 
Though  singularly  effective  they  are  surpassed  by  others  in 
the  adjoining  room.  Rich  creamy  silk  habutaye  protects  all  the 
panels  from  the  rude  contact  of  any  one  moving  about  in  the 
dim  light.  Farther  along,  on  the  side  wall,  is  one  of  the  finest 
paintings  (artist  unknown)  in  the  building.  A  beautiful  gold 
figure  of  Amida,  the  source  of  boundless  light,  is  shown  sur- 
jounded  by  wonderfully  effective  clouds  through  which  float 
celestial  beings  with  musical  instruments  in  their  hands.  As 
the  Supreme  Buddha  of  the  Paradise  of  the  Pure  Earth  of  the 
West,  Amitdbha  sits  in  the  high  heavens  and  from  that  exalted 
place  sends  from  his  all-seeing  eye  a  glorious  beam  of  light 
downward  to  illuminate  the  earth.  It  will  be  noted  that  of  the 
12  bosatsu  (or  perfected  saints  —  usually  pictured  as  men), 
11  are  women.  One,  a  ravishing  being,  strikes  her  biwa  with  an 
ivory  plectrum;  another  plays  upon  a  harp;  while  others  still, 
in  diaphanous  draperies,  hover  about  the  central  figure  and 
produce  a  bewilderingly  beautiful  effect.  Another  big  mural 
painting  at  the  end  of  the  passage  contains  15  strikingly 
executed  figures,  while  in  a  companion  picture  at  the  end  of 
the  opposite  aisle  are  grouped  the  Chinese,  Japanese,  and 
Korean  demons  that  safeguard  all  the  temples  in  the  land. 
The  groundwork  of  this  picture  is  especially  noteworthy,  as  it 
shows  a  complex  arrangement  of  intermingling  squares  into 
which  the  habiliments  of  the  figures  blend  so  ingeniously  and 
harmoniously  as  to  form  a  sort  of  shadow  design,  which  the 
eye  does  not  register  at  first.  The  large  panel  at  the  right  sug- 
gests demonology  gone  to  seed,  as  some  of  the  black  devils  on 
a  flaming  ground  have  several  heads,  arms,  and  legs,  and  such 
a  multiplicity  of  members  that  one  grows  tired  of  counting 
them. 

Certain  of  the  most  precious  relics  of  this  almost  priceless 
reliquary  are  usually  kept  in  this  aisle;  to  see  them  a  special 
letter  from  the  Imperial  Household  Department  at  Tokyo,  to 
the  abbot  in  charge  of  the  mausoleum,  is  necessary.  One  of 
them,  sometimes  shown  to  visitors,  is  an  exquisite  sword  pre- 
sented by  the  Emperor  to  Iemitsu.  The  rich  Indian  red-lacquer 
box  in  which  it  is  kept  is  beautifully  inlaid  with  Tokugawa 
crests  and  wave-patterns  in  iridescent  madreperl,  with  richly 


276   Route  14. 


NIKKO 


The  Go  Nai  Naijin. 


chased  gold  clasps  at  the  edges,  bound  by  massive  silk  cords 
and  wrapped  in  choice  old  brocade  from  an  Imperial  loom. 
Swinging  from  the  hilt  of  the  sword  are  several  gold  rings 
inlaid  with  multi-colored  enamels,  and  a  solid  gold  fish,  3  in. 
wide,  7  in.  long,  and  J  in.  thick,  so  perfectly  wrought  that 
almost  every  scale  is  distinct.  Inlaid  on  the  gold  lacquer  of 
the  scabbard  are  mother-of-pearl  howd,  the  peacock  blues  of 
whose  tail-feathers  gleam  with  opalescent  sheen  in  the  lan- 
tern's light.  —  Passing  round  to  the  right  aisle  we  there  in- 
spect the  huge  wall-panel  depicting  Fudo  with  his  mace  and 
aureole  of  flame;  at  the  extreme  end  is  a  companion  picture, 
with  slight  variations,  to  the  one  at  the  end  of  the  opposite 
aisle.  At  the  right  is  a  charming  complementary  piece  to  the 
Buddhist  Heaven,  also  with  slight  variations.  The  other 
panels  here  are  similar  in  their  religious  import  to  those  of  the 
other  passageway.  The  capitals  of  the  supporting  pillars  and 
the  diapered  cross-beams  of  the  room  are  marvels  of  decorative 
art.  We  now  bend  low  and  reverently  pass  beneath  an  uprolled 
sudare  into  the  sacrosanct  Go  Nai  Naijin,  politically  one  of 
the  most  revered  spots  in  Japan,  and  to  the  artist  one  of  the 
most  enchanting  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  disheartening; 
for  in  this  restricted  space  (about  20  by  20  ft.)  is  concentrated 
the  highest  achievements  of  Japanese  Buddhist  art  of  the  17th 
cent.  The  eagerness  of  the  art-lover  to  understand  and  assim- 
ilate it  all,  and  to  grasp  and  hold  its  subtly  fugitive  sentiment, 
becomes  almost  painful.  For  the  wish  brings  with  it  the  over- 
whelming conviction  of  its  own  futility,  since  the  long-dead 
artists  left  no  clue  as  to  how,  or  why,  they  accomplished  these 
marvels  of  gold-lacquer,  diaper-work,  intricate  arabesques, 
masterful  paintings,  damascening,  and  the  myriad  minor 
subtleties  which  add  so  much  charm  and  grace  to  the  whole. 
Generation  after  generation  have  looked  upon  them  again  and 
again  and  have  gone  away  to  be  haunted  by  them.  It  is  doubt- 
ful if  Aladdin's  magic  lamp  could  disclose  more  bewildering 
beauties  than  does  the  modest  paper  lantern  which  the 
traveler  brings  into  this  darkened  retreat.  Occupying  most 
of  the  space  in  the  room  is  a  gorgeous  gold-lacquered  shrine 
(10  ft.  high,  25  across  the  front,  and  8  on  the  side)  of  a  form 
called  Takamikura  —  similar  to  the  throne  constructed  for  the 
Emperor  for  the  coronation  ceremony.  Two  fierce  gold- 
lacquered  and  painted  Dogs  of  Fo  guard  it.  It  was  made  out- 
side, brought  hither  and  assembled,  and  it  is  of  such  exquisite 
workmanship  that  few  others  in  this  land  of  art  surpass  it. 
Within  its  ultra-sacred  depths  are  sculptured  wood  images  of 
Ieyasu,  Hideyoshi,  and  Yoritomo,  barred  from  public  view  by  a 
quaint  metal  lock  made  by  a  celebrated  swordsmith,  and 
called  funajo  from  its  resemblance  to  a  boat.  To  the  casual  eye 
the  structure  is  almost  a  counterpart  in  shape  of  the  finer 
mausolea,  but  the  art-work  is  much  daintier,  more  refined  and 


The  Go  Nai  Naijin. 


NIKKO 


14.  Route.  277 


more  beautiful,  a  little  masterpiece  admirably  wrought.  The 
corner  posts  are  of  selected  keyaki,  of  wonderful  grain  and 
natural  color,  sculptured  like  those  in  the  outer  room  except- 
ing that  these  carry  rich  overlays  and  carved  insets  of  various 
colored  woods  held  in  position  by  the  extreme  nicety  of  their 
construction.  The  slim  upright  panels  between  them  and  the 
doors  are  adorned  with  ascending  and  descending  dragons 
whose  flaming  scales  and  graceful  sinuosities  expressed  in  fault- 
less gold-lacquer,  are  raised  several  millimeters  above  the  gold 
background.  The  doors  are  finished  like  jewels  in  a  rich  and 
costly  setting.  At  the  intersections  of  the  finely  lacquered 
bars  are  damascened  rosettes  superimposed  sometimes  with  as 
many  as  five  layers  of  metal,  one  above  the  other,  but  wrought 
with  such  art  and  disposed  with  such  grace  that  they  resemble 
lace  drapery  rather  than  metal.  Around  the  base  of  the  col- 
umns, in  rich  gold  on  a  sloe-black  ground,  is  a  continuous  key- 
pattern  string  course  —  very  simple  and  elegant.  The  doors 
swing  on  pivots  let  into  swelling  sockets  sheathed  with 
embossed  metal  overlaid  with  delicate  tracery.  Above  the 
narrow  architrave,  in  niches  formed  by  the  elaborately  painted 
compound  brackets,  beneath  the  massive  but  gracefully  curved 
roof,  are  sculptured  polychrome  hawks  in  high  relief.  Protrud- 
ing from  the  salient  angles,  as  if  ready  to  fulminate  intruders 
with  their  basilisk  eyes,  are  open-mouthed  Dogs  of  Fo,  mina- 
tory dragons,  and  other  beasts.  The  multiplicity  of  miniature 
roof-beams  which  radiate  outward  are  sheathed  in  metal  and 
covered  with  decorations,  while  between  and  around  them  run 
endless  traceries  that  lead  from  and  to  hidden  sources  which 
the  eye  cannot  detect.  On  narrow  panels  carved  in  the  natural 
wood  are  sculptured  disks  tacked  on  with  gold-headed  nails  — 
perhaps  the  only  ones  used  in  the  construction.  The  double 
side  doors  are  as  elaborate  as  the  central  ones,  with  panels 
displaying  arabesques,  bamboos,  and  such  an  infinity  of  gold- 
lacquer  enrichment  that  a  detailed  description  of  it  would  only 
weary  the  reader. 

The  coffered  ceiling  of  the  room  is  of  unexampled  splendor. 
Below  it  runs  a  maze  of  compound  brackets  painted  a  brilliant 
black  and  penciled  with  fine  gold  lines.  The  series  of  round 
nickel  mirrors  which  adorn  the  architrave,  the  gold  gohei  and 
the  gilded  branches  (in  vases)  of  the  sacred  sakaki  (presented 
by  the  late  Mikado),  remind  one  that  the  shrine  is  Shinto. 
despite  its  Buddhistic  opulence.    The  entire  left  panel  isi 
covered  with  an  exquisite  painting  of  a  seated  Buddha  sur- 
rounded by  his  disciples,  crests,  ecclesiastical  symbols,  etc., 
extraordinarily  rich  in  color-tones  and  with  an  intricate  lattice- 1 
work  of  lustrous  gold  covering  the  background.  Against  the  * 
opposite  wall  is  a  beguiling  companion  painting  showing  Shaka  j 
and  his  disciples.  While  examining  the  marvelous  coloring  of  - 
this  antique  gem  note  the  depth  of  the  rich  cobalt,  a  medium  | 


278   Route  14. 


NIKKO        The  Go  Nai  Naijin. 


which  was  imported  from  China  at  the  time  such  pictures  were 
painted,  "and  which  was  then  so  costly  that  it  was  more  precious 
than  pure  gold.  Two  and  a  half  centuries  of  Stygian  gloom, 
broken  only  by  the  fitful  and  fugitive  lantern  flashes  which 
inquiring  travelers  have  directed  at  this  flawless  masterpiece, 
coupled  with  the  almost  unthinkable  vigilance  required  to 
preserve  it  in  a  wooden  building  exposed  to  a  damp  climate, 
have  kept  this  priceless  relic  of  an  ancient  art  as  fresh  and 
glowing  as  if  it  were  finished  but  yesterday ;  with  its  companion 
pieces  it  is  attributed  to  Hokkyo  Ryotaku.  If  there  be  a  trace 
of  foreign  art  in  these  pictures,  it  shows  only  in  the  dress  of  the 
figures,  for  the  technic  is  wholly  Japanese,  and  of  an  order 
which  ranks  high. 

At  the  end  of  the  narrow  passage  is  another  large  and  sym- 
metrically balanced  composition  with  numerous  figures  dis- 
played in  a  perfect  riot  of  gorgeous  colors;  standing  on  the 
heads  of  each  of  these,  or  half-concealed  in  their  clothing,  are 
7  of  the  12  signs  of  the  zodiac.  By  pushing  open  the  narrow 
door  here,  at  the  right,  one  gets  a  beguiling  glimpse  of  the 
back  of  the  inner  shrine  and  its  protecting  wall  —  both  of  rich, 
luminous  gold.  The  panel  on  the  right  of  the  opposite  aisle 
depicts  a  Thousand-handed  Kwannon  overlooking  a  long 
procession  of  figures  below,  with  the  Thunder  God  at  the  left 
and  the  Wind  God  at  the  right.  That  at  the  end  shows  the 
immortal  Buddha  and  two  of  his  closest  disciples,  while  on  the 
figures  below  are  the  5  zodiacal  signs  lacking  in  the  picture 
across  the  room.  The  general  effect  of  this  is  barbaric  but  fine. 
The  panel  let  into  the  side  of  the  shrine  is  similar  in  detail  to 
its  companion  across  the  way;  the  figures  and  the  Buddhist 
symbols  are  beautifully  drawn.  The  two  panels  measure  46  by 
60  in.  and  are  of  finely  seasoned  hinoki. 

On  emerging  from  the  honden,  pass  round  the  outside  of  the 
building  and  inspect  the  maze  of  rich  gilding,  carvings, 
sculptured  heads  of  mythological  animals  and  the  like  which 
combine  to  impart  such  a  wonderful  richness  to  it.  Beneath  the 
wide  porch,  at  the  foot  of  the  brackets,  are  handsome  carved 
and  painted  groups  of  waves  and  chrysanthemums.  The 
structure  at  the  rear  —  which  enshrines  the  Holy  of  Holies  — 
rests  upon  a  massive  gray  granite  plinth  formed  of  monolithic 
stones  chiseled  to  represent  upper  and  nether  ones,  and  from 
this  rise  in  graceful  curves  group  after  group  of  compound 
brackets  finished  in  a  fine  and  expensive  black  lacquer  known 
as  ro-iro1  which  requires  from  6  to  10  hand-polished  coats 
before  it  acquires  the  brilliant  surface  which  is  its  distinguish- 
ing feature.  Flowers,  birds,  Dogs  of  Fo,  hammered  brass, 
painted  panels,  and  many  refinements  of  Oriental  art  have 
been  employed  in  the  outer  surface  decoration  of  this  precious 
reliquary,  and  most  of  the  colors  of  the  spectrum  have  been 
drawn  upon  to  complete  it.  At  the  side  and  rear  are  some  big 


Tomb  of  Ieyasu. 


NIKKO  14.  Route.  279 


gilded  panels  of  Korean  lions  which  originally  were  painted  by 
Kand  Tanyu,  but  which,  during  repeated  re-decorations,  have 
lost  their  original  lines  and  therewith  their  artistic  interest. 
The  carved  and  gilded  doors  are  worth  looking  at,  as  well  as 
the  steps  at  the  rear,  which  are  sheathed  in  polished  brass  and 
embossed  with  crests.  The  maze  of  decorations  of  the  porch 
here  extends  to  the  smallest  interstices  of  the  roof-beams.  From 
this  point  one  gets  a  near  view  of  the  encircling  fence  (522  ft. 
long  and  6  ft.  high  exclusive  of  the  stone  wall),  with  its  painted 
panels  and  metal-sheathed  coping  tipped  with  gold  foil  and 
edged  with  Tokugawa  crests.  The  tall  tree  in  the  yard  at  the 
left  is  supposed  to  act  as  a  lightning  conductor;  those  within 
the  fenced  inclosure  are  (at  the  left)  a  hinoki,  and  (at  the  right) 
a  koya-maki,  or  umbrella  pine,  and  were  planted  by  the  reigning 
Emperor. 

The. Tomb  of  Ieyasu  stands  oh  a  small  terrace  high  up  on  the 
hillside  behind  the  main  shrine.  Turn  to  the  right  after  passing 
beneath  the  Yomei-mon,  proceed  between  the  Kagura-den  and 
the  Goma-do  and  cross  the  richly  decorated,  red-lacquered 
corridor  (which  is  11  ft.  wide  and  forms  a  quadrangle  720  ft. 
long)  to  the  gateway  beyond.  Above  the  entrance  to  this  is 
the  locally  celebrated  Sleeping  Cat  (Nemuri  no  Neko),  & 
sculptured  grimalkin  interesting  only  because  it  is  attributed 
to  Hidari  Jingord.  From  this  gate  5  steps  lead  to  another  one 
called  Sakashita-mon,  carved  and  attractively  decorated  in 
white-and-gold.  Beyond  this  is  a  succession  of  easy  steps  (200 
in  all)  and  landings  —  25  steps  to  the  1st;  10  to  the  2d  (which 
is  201  ft.  long) ;  38  to  the  3d;  58  to  the  4th;  52  to  the  5th';  and 
12  to  the  6th.  From  the  long  stone  terrace  splendid  views  of 
the  fine  forest  trees  are  available;  some  of  them  are  seen  to 
have  their  lofty,  wide-spreading  arms  covered  on  the  upper 
side  with  a  dainty  drapery  of  graceful  ferns  and  flowers,  which, 
apparently  too  delicate  to  sustain  the  fierce  struggle  for  exist- 
ence amidst  the  ranker  and  more  vigorous  plants  on  the  ground 
below,  are  upheld  by  the  stately  trees  and  thus  form  a  sort  of 
Babylonian  hanging-garden,  hundreds  of  feet  above  the  sodden 
ground  and  nearer  to  the  vivifying  sunshine.  Nourished  by 
the  constant  moisture,  magnificent  rhododendrons  grow  on  the 
hill-slopes,  and  behind  these  are  other  colonnades  of  great 
cryptomerias  between  whose  trunks  one  gets  enchanting  views 
of  the  bronze  and  gold  roofs  of  the  temples  below  —  the  gilded 
crests  of  the  ridge-poles  of  which  wink  sleepily  in  the  face  of 
the  searching  sunbeams.  From  here  one  gets  also  a  compre- 
hensive view  of  the  fine  gabled  end  of  the  main  shrine.  The 
sfone  walls  along  the  stairs  are  green  with  moss  and  hepaticce, 
and  the  soft,  mellow  radiance  which  filters  through  the  lofty 
trees  is  lovely.  Save  for  the  whimpering  of  a  mt.  stream  rushing 
downward  to  the  sea,  a  tranquil  silence  reigns  in  the  thick  for- 
est,  and  the  piny  odor  of  balsam  boughs  soothes  the  senses. 


280   Route  H.  NIKKO  \       Iemitsu  Mausoleum. 


The  sign  on  the  bronze  torii  at  the  top  of  the  steps  is  a  fac- 
simile of  the  original  one  inscribed  by  the  Emperor  Gomino-o 
(1612-29).  At  the  right  of  the  steps  is  the  first  (so  it  is  said) 
wholly  copper  godown  ever  built  in  Japan.  The  Mortuary 
Shrine,  which  faces  the  tomb  on  the  terrace  above,  is  also 
copper-sheathed.  The  small  interior  is  decorated  sumptuously 
and  has  a  tessellated  ceiling  with  16  rows  of  9  panels  each  and 
56  two-inch  squares,  each  with  a  tiny  chrysanthemum  crest 
painted  in  5  colors.  The  whole  surface  carries  8064  of  these 
polychromatic  flowers,  every  one  of  which  has  a  line  of  gold 
foil  around  it.  The  diaper- work  of  the  architrave  is  intricate, 
the  panels  above  it  being  covered  with  gold  leaf  and  phcenixes 
painted  in  pleasing  tones.  —  Passing  to  the  rear  we  come  to 
the  massive  copper  gate  of  the  august  tomb,  here  guarded  by 
Korean  lions  of  fiercely  aggressive  mien.  Tokugawa  crests  in 
gold,  cranes,  peonies,  and  the  hiystical  Wheel  of  the  Law  are 
chiseled  artistically  against  the  rich  brown  metal,  which  is 
cast  in  a  solid  piece  and  is  darker  than  the  tomb  proper.  The 
phcenixes  sculptured  on  the  inner  wings  are  worth  looking  at. 
/  The  pagoda-shaped  tomb  (of  a  light  brown  color  said  to  have 
been  obtained  by  an  admixture  of  bronze  and  gold)  occupies  a 
sequestered  site  overlooking  the  mausoleum,  and  is  8  ft.  high 
and  4  ft.  in  diameter.  It  replaces  an  original  one  of  granite 
(destroyed  by  an  earthquake)  which  was  so  massive  that  the 
j  united  strength  of  6000  coolies  was  needed  to  drag  it  to  its 
\  position.  Giant  trees  rise  solemnly  behind  the  inclosure,  to 
i^which  the  mournful  tones  of  the  great  Sambutsu-dd  bell  float 
up  in  unadulterated  sweetness.  A  simple  stone  balustrade 
surrounds  the  funerary  plot,  which  is  backed  by  a  cyclopean 
stone  wall.  Facing  the  tomb  are  the  customary  (brass)  reli- 
gious symbols  —  an  incense-burner,  a  candelabrum  in  the 
form  of  a  tall  stork,  twin  vases  with  lotus-flowers,  and  the 
protecting  lions.  The  shogun  who  lies  buried  here  is  often 
referred  to  as  Gongen  Sama,  from  T osho-dai-gongen,  his 
posthumous  title.  [Gongen  is  a  name  given  in  Ryobu-Shinto  to 
certain  of  the  Shinto  gods,  who,  according  to  the  Buddhists, 
were  the  temporary  manifestations  of  Buddha.] 
'  The  Iemitsu  Mausoleum  and  its  auxiliary  shrines  stand  on 
terraces  cut  from  the  hillside  at  the  end  of  a  noble  avenue 
(28  ft.  wide  and  |  M.  long)  of  towering  cryptomerias  leading 
away  to  the  left  of  the  stone  torii  which  faces  the  Ieyasu  group. 
The  immensely  tall  trees  arch  gracefully  above  and  mingle 
their  branches  over  the  avenue  (5  min.  walk)  in  such  a  way  as 
to  make  of  it  a  green  and  fragrant  tunnel  on  the  pebble-strewn 
floor  of  which  the  filtered  sunbeams  sleep  quietly.  The  temples 
and  their  respective  tombs  are  charmingly  situated  in  the 
heart  of  dense  groves,  musical  with  the  sound  of  rushing  water, 
but  otherwise  more  peaceful  and  sequestered  than  those  of 
Iemitsu's  august  grandfather.  The  locality  is  beautiful  with 


Futa-ara  Jinja. 


NIKKO  14.  Route.  281 


wild  flowers  in  spring,  and  with  superb  maples  in  autumn.  The 
traveler  who  has  already  paid  the  entrance  fee  to  the  ley  am 
shrines  preserves  his  ticket  and  gives  it  up  here  at  the  ticket- 
office  at  the  left  of  the  big  gate.  A  pleasant  way  of  reaching  the 
mausoleum  from  Nikko  town  or  the  Kanaya  Hotel,  is  by  fol- 
lowing the  path  which  leads  across  the  park.  Another  by-road 
leads  from  the  Ieyasu  shrine  past  the  far  side  of  the  Pagoda, 
and  brings  one  to 

The  Futa-ara  Jinja,  a  Shinto  shrine  on  a  slight  terrace 
crowned  with  splendid  trees,  and  dedicated  to  Onamuchi  no 
Mikoto  (God  of  Peace)  a  descendant,  in  the  5th  generation, 
from  the  God  Susano-o.  The  outer  structure  is  in  the  severe 
Shinto  style,  but  the  one  at  the  rear,  with  which  it  is  connected 
by  a  short  passage,  is  a  brilliant  reminder  of  the  halcyon  days 
prior  to  the  disestablishment  of  Buddhism,  and  when  this 
creed  worked  hand  in  hand  with  Shinto  for  the  uplifting  of  the 
Japanese.  In  the  vestibule  of  the  former  is  a  bizarre  painting, 
done  in  clashing  colors,  showing  a  kite  alighting  upon  a  Japan- 
ese warship;  —  the  work  of  a  naval  officer,  who>  before  leaving 
his  native  town  of  Nikko  for  the  Japan-China  War,  prayed 
at  this  shrine  for  success.  The  exterior  and  interior  decorations 
of  the  second  building  are  inferior  to  those  of  the  Iemitsu  and 
Ieyasu  shrines:  the  paintings  on  the  inner  side  of  the  heavily 
gilded  doors  represent  Sadaijin  and  Udaijin  —  the  sanctum 
guardians.  The  bonze  who  conducts  one  about  the  shrine 
usually  serves  sake  in  shallow  saucers,  for  which  one  is  sup- 
posed to  pay  a  few  sen.  The  few  relics  which  were  formerly 
kept  here  have  been  transferred  to  the  Hongu  Shrine.  In  the 
yard  at  the  left  of  the  honden  is  a  mutilated  bronze  lantern, 
referred  to  as  Bakemono-Toro,  which  (according  to  the 
legend)  anciently  possessed  the  ability  to  run  around  the 
countryside  after  nightfall  and  terrorize  the  good  people  by  its 
unseemly  actions.  A  valiant  wight  who  encountered  it  one 
night  dealt  it  several  shrewd  slashes  across  the  head  with  his 
sword  and  completely  cured  it  of  its  impious  conduct;  the 
gashes  remain  to  confound  the  credulous  who  come  to  see  it. 
The  gilt  crest  so  much  in  evidence  on  the  shrine  represents  the 
Life  Principle.  The  road  which  leads  up  beneath  the  trees  at 
the  right  of  the  shrine  goes  to  the  Gyoja-do,  mentioned  herein- 
after. Facing  the  Futa-ara  Shrine,  at  the  foot  of  the  road 
below  (left),  is  a  round  building  called  the  Memorial  House, 
containing  a  panorama  (admission,  20  sen),  etc.  Among  other 
things  on  the  ground  floor  are  framed  pictures  illustrating 
processions;  war-scenes,  etc.,  during  the  Tokugawa  shogunal 
era;  also  the  dragons  which  formed  the  bridge  for  Shodo 
Shonin.  On  the  upper  floor  an  immense  canvas,  aided  by  set 
figures,  portrays  scenes  in  the  celebrated  battle  of  Sekigahara. 
Farther  along  the  road  toward  the  mausoleum,  at  the  left 
are 


282    Route  11*. 


NIKKO 


Futatsu-dd. 


The  Futatsu-do  ('Two  halls'),  low,  beautifully  red-lacquered 
connecting  structures  known  also  as  Yoritomo-dd,  because  one 
of  this  celebrity's  bones  is  said  to  be  enshrined  here.  Observe 
the  droll  demonlets  in  whimsical  attitudes  astride  the  posts 
just  beneath  the  eaves  at  the  corners/  The  lovely  green- 
bronze  dragon-fountain  which  stands  on  an  irregular  stone 
base  in  the  recessed  court  or  bay  was  (along  with  the  stone 
lantern)  presented  to  Prince  Kitaskirakawa' 's  tomb  (farther  up 
the  hill)  by  the  municipality  of  Utsunomiya.  The  position  of 
the  twin  temples,  at  the  base  of  the  perpendicular  green  hills 
surmounted  by  giant  trees,  is  singularly  attractive.  Shoes, 
which  are  left  at  the  door  of  the  first  building,  are  usually  taken 
by  the  servant  to  the  exit  of  the  adjoining  one,  as  travelers 
generally  inspect  the  two  by  passing  along  the  corridor  from 
the  first  to  the  second.  The  immense  overhanging  eaves,  the 
finely  proportioned  portico  with  its  massive  uprights  and  its 
black  metal  ornaments,  and  the  general  decorative  scheme  of 
the  structures,  leave  a  pleasing  impression.  The  first  temple  is 
dedicated  to  Amida,  whose  richly  gilded  statue  is  seen  within, 
accompanied  by  many  others  of  the  Buddhist  pantheon.  Con- 
spicuous among  these  is  Bishamonten,  J ikaku-Daishi,  Daikoku, 
12  polychromatic  figures  representing  the  signs  of  the  zodiac, 
and  many  big  and  little  divinities  and  devils,  some  enshrined, 
others  with  mandorlas,  and  still  others  as  the  central  figures  of 
small  altars.  The  interior  is  over-decorated  in  vivid  colors, 
and  the  roof  is  supported  by  immense  red  keyaki  columns. 
Enshrined  in  the  adjoining  building  is  Fugen  bosatsu  (on  an 
elephant)  with  11  statuesque  female  attendants  clad  in  gor- 
geous draperies  painted  to  imitate  flowered  brocades,  and  each 
with  a  halo  befitting  her  virtue.  Two  gilded  tigers  guard  this 
chaste  and  somewhat  tasteless  group.  The  tombs  on  the  hill- 
side may  be  reached  by  passing  beneath  the  arch  in  the  passage- 
way connecting  the  two  buildings. 

The  Nio-mon  of  the  Iemitsu  Temple  is  a  colossal  structure 
(re-polished  in  1910)  of  brilliant  Indian-red  lacquer,  24  ft.  wide, 
similar  in  design  to  that  of  the  Ieyasu  shrine,  but  a  shade  richer 
and  more  imposing.  The  huge,  muscular  Nid  in  the  covered  log- 
gias at  the  sides  are  attributed  to  the  tireless  Unkei.  Big  shi- 
s/w-heads  project  from  the  salient  angles,  and  the  bright  ham- 
mered-brass  ornaments  add  to  the  dazzling  effect.  The  great 
doors,  swung  on  pivots  let  into  soffits  above  and  below,  are 
gorgeously  decorated  in  red,  black,  and  gold,  and  are  grandiose 
in  effect.  Just  within  the  gate,  at  the  right,  is  a  splendid  old 
cherry  tree  so  beautiful  in  the  spring  that  to  appreciate  it  one 
must  see  it;  the  tree  at  the  left  is  a  Bodaiju,  a  species  of 
banyan,  the  wood  of  which  is  used  by  the  priests  for  rosary 
beads.  The  storehouse  at  the  left  of  this  once  held  the  treasures 
of  the  temple,  but  these  are  now  kept  in  the  museum  near  the 
Sambutsu-dd.  Farther  along,  at  the  right,  is  a  handsome  gran- 


The  Gates.  fNIKKO  14.  Route.  283 


ite  water-basin  (8  ft.  3  in.  long,  4  ft.  wide,  and  3  ft.  5  in.  high), 
similar  in  design  to  that  on  the  1st  terrace  of  the  Ieyasu  shrine; 
the  faded  dragon  on  the  ceiling  above  it  is  by  Kand  Yasunobu. 
The  canopy  is  decorated  elaborately  and  is  supported  by  12 
granite  uprights.  Note  the  elevated  stone  aqueduct  which 
leads  back  to  the  bronze  dragon  from  whose  mouth  streams 
the  water  which  supplies  the  tank.  Instead  of  proceeding 
along  the  central  flagged  path,  which  leads  to  the  Ryukd-in, 
where  the  priests  reside,  we  ascend  the  steps  at  the  left  to 

\/the  Niten-mon,  a  strikingly  rich  and  harmonious  gateway 
of  lustrous  red  lacquer,  blazing  with  gilded  crests,  metal-work, 
leaping  Dogs  of  Fo,  carved  and  tinted  mythological  animals, 
and  highly  decorated  compound  brackets.  The  fierce  figure  in 
the  cage  at  the  left  is  Komoku,  and  that  at  the  right  Jikoku, 
both  beneficent  devils  (2  of  the  Gods  of  the  Four  Directions) 
who  belie  their  scowling  aspect  and  keep  friendly  guard  over 
the  temples  above.  In  the  cages  behind  are  equally  repulsive 
figures  of  the  red-haired  Thunder  God  (p.  ccvii),  with  his  string 
of  thundering  drums  above  his  head,  and  the  Wind  God,  who  is 
painted  green,  and  who  carries  his  hurricanes  in  a  big,  sausage- 
like bag  swung  over  his  shoulders ;  both  of  these  figures  formerly 
stood  in  similar  positions  at  the  Ydmei-mon.  In  addition  to 
the  Tokugawa  crests,  many  Rimbb  crests  adorn  the  gate  — 
decoratively  and  architecturally  one  of  the  finest  in  Nikko. 
The  36  stone  steps  which  lead  hence  to  a  wide  landing  (pretty 
views)  are  succeeded  by  37  more,  reaching  to  a  terrace  where 
there  are  many  bronze  lanterns  and  an  ornate  bell-  and  drum- 
tpwer.  Nineteen  steps  conduct  one  hence  to  the 

V  Yasha-mon,  or  Demon  Gate  (25  ft.  wide  and  15  ft.  deep), 
guarded  by  four  offensive  ruffians,  with  saber-like  canine 
teeth,  who  scowl  from  their  respective  loggias.  The  structure 
differs  from  others  in  Nikko  in  that  the  supporting  columns, 
of  red  lacquer  and  geometrical  designs,  are  clustered  and 
fluted.  The  customary  baku  heads  and  Dogs  of  Fo  are  the 
salient  features.  The  panels  in  the  sides  of  the  loggias  are 
sculptured  with  excellent  foliated  peonies.  The  long  corridors 
that  stretch  to  the  right  and  left  are  funereal;  the  handsome 
lanterns  were  gifts  of  various  daimyds. 

The  Kara-mon,  or  Chinese  Gate,  stands  at  the  top  of  a 
flight  of  10  steps  and  is  flanked  by  long  wings,  or  corridors 
roofed  with  copper-bronze,  edged  with  gilded  crests,  and  deco- 
rated in  white  and  black  with  a  profusion  of  polished  brass 
enrichments  disposed  at  intervals.  Painted  birds  sculptured 
in  a  spirited  manner  form  the  themes  of  the  long  panels.  From 
the  gate  (where  shoes  must  be  left)  a  narrow  corridor  extends 
to  the  main  door,  which  is  enveloped  in  a  blaze  of  gold  accentu- 
ated by  a  maze  of  crests,  ornaments,  wood-carvings,  and  swing- 
ing metal  lanterns. 


284   Route  14.  NIKKO  The  Honden. 

The  Honden  (52  ft.  long  by  21  ft.  deep)  occupies  a  terrace 
slightly  above  the  gate  and  faces  N.E.  from  a  strikingly  pic- 
turesque location.  Cyclopean  moss-covered  walls  inclose  it  on 
3  sides,  while  behind  it  rise  tier  after  tier  of  majestically  solemn 
cryptomerias  and  pine  trees.  The  grassy  slopes  flame  with 
azaleas,  rhododendrons,  and  other  flowers,  and  maples,  in 
season.  The  gold  enrichments  of  the  handsome  roofs  gleam 
enticingly  from  their  green  environment.  —  The  indescribably 
rich  and  dazzling  Interior  conveys  the  impression  of  a  room 
encased  in  solid  burnished  gold.  The  superb  coffered  ceiling 
carries  140  large  recessed  panels,  each  with  a  gold  dragon 
wriggling  over  a  fine  blue  ground  with  delicate-colored  tracery 
at  the  corners.  Soft  rush  mats  cover  the  black-lacquered  floor. 
The  most  conspicuous  object  is  the  abbot's  seat,  surrounded  by 
sumptuous  gold-lacquered  furniture  used  by  Buddhists,  and 
placed  beneath  a  luminous  and  gorgeous  metal  baldachin.  The 
traveler  will  note  that  the  priests  here  wear  Buddhist  cere- 
monial robes  (koromo)  in  contradistinction  to  those  of  the 
Shinto  cult  at  the  Ieyasu  shrine.  These  sacerdotal  garments 
(made,  it  is  said,  of  mokuran,  or  magnolia  fiber)  are  often  of  a 
beautiful  shade  of  brown,  and  are  sometimes  so  nearly  the  color 
of  the  oval,  finely  patrician  faces,  and  the  shaven  and  polished 
polls  of  the  wearers,  that  the  ensemble  produces  a  striking 
symphony  in  creamy  old  ivory.  —  The  6  large  gold  panels  let 
into  the  walls  of  the  room,  exhibiting  exaggerated  Dogs  of  Fo, 
are  ascribed  to  Kano  Tanyu  and  Kano  Morinobu.  The  quaint- 
bronze  lanterns  (perhaps  Korean)  with  a  semi-transparent 
substance  in  the  doors  which  resembles  laminated  horn,  but 
which  the  bonzes  say  is  tortoise-shell,  are  worth  looking  at. 
The  tall  bronze  vases  (gifts  from  the  feudal  lord  of  Kii 
Province),  with  gilt  sprigs  of  willow  and  cherry  rising  from 
them,  are  curious,  in  that  the  polished  lacquer  planes  which 
rise  flush  with  the  lips  are  so  brilliant  that  their  surfaces  reflect 
the  twigs  and  impart  the  impression  that  they  are  growing  in 
water.  The  bronze  storks  were  gifts  from  the  lord  of  Owari, 
and  the  two  bronze  vases  with  metal  lotus  sprays  from  the 
lord  of  Mito.  —  The  cross-beams  carry  pleasing  decorations  of 
conventional,  multi-colored  butterflies,  and  the  panels  of  the 
architrave  show  phcenixes  sculptured  with  fine  skill.  The 
upper  series  of  panels,  also  with  carved  phcenixes  and  other 
birds,  are  very  effective.  Many  rich  hangings  adorn  the  room, 
which  is  a  maze  of  beautiful  diaper-work,  crests,  and  intricate 
tracery.  The  narrow  passage  which  connects  it  with  the  Holy 
of  Holies  at  the  back  is  adorned  like  the  outer  room,  besides 
containing  a  number  of  handsome  sutra-boxes  and  a  fine 
coffered  ceiling  with  phcenixes  on  the  sunken  panels.  The 
three  strikingly  attractive  bronze  incense-burners,  in  the  form 
of  subjected  demons,  who  seem  uneasy  at  the  simplicity  of 
their  task,  are  worth  a  close  inspection. 


The  Holy  of  Holies. 


NIKKO 


14.  Route.  285 


The  Holy  of  Holies  (or  Naijin),  which  unfortunately  is 
not  shown  to  the  general  public,  is  decorated  with  great  richness 
and  stands  at  the  end  of  the  passage  connecting  it  with  the 
Go  Heiden.  If  the  visitor  to  Nikko  brings  a  special  letter  to  the 
abbot  permitting  him  to  inspect  this  sacred  and  secluded  spot, 
he  should  pass  from  the  Go  Heiden  to  the  encircling  porch 
(rather  than  traverse  the  interior  passage)  in  order  to  glimpse 
the  amazingly  rich  exterior  ornamentation.  The  structure  will 
be  seen  to  rest  upon  a  massive  gray  granite  plinth,  well  up  off 
the  ground,  to  be  two  stories  high,  and  to  exhibit  such  an 
extraordinarily  sumptuous  lot  of  gilded  ornaments,  sculptures, 
paintings,  diaper-work,  and  apparently  endless  arabesques 
executed  with  infinite  pains,  as  almost  to  overwhelm  the 
observer  by  their  multiplicity  and  opulence.  In  detail  this 
decoration  is  somewhat  similar  to  that  of  the  Ieyasu  shrine, 
but  as  the  structure  was  erected  after  that  one,  the  experience 
gained  enabled  the  artists  to  give  added  splendor  and  lavish- 
ness  to  it  and  to  make  it  even  more  striking  than  its  highly 
ostentatious  prototype.  The  interior  is  in  the  form  of  a  square 
about  30  by  30  ft.,  with  a  narrow  ambulatory  around  3  sides 
of  a  slightly  raised  dais  marked  off  by  a  wide  black-lacquered 
sill  or  marginal  board  inclosing  a  space  24  ft.  wide.  From  this 
lustrous  margin  rise  8  charmingly  symmetrical  keyaki  pillars 
16  in.  in  diameter,  very  tall,  and  so  heavily  coated  with  gold 
foil  that  they  resemble  solid  gold.  When  the  mellow  beams  of 
the  sun  slant  through  the  latticed  windows  and  strike  dazzling 
sheets  of  yellow  flame  from  them,  the  effect  is  lovely.  Let  into 
the  surrounding  walls  are  many  similar  pilasters,  while  at  the 
right  and  left  of  the  sacrosanct  shrine  (at  the  rear  of  the  dais) 
are  two  pillars  even  more  massive,  with  capitals  draped  with 
fold  after  fold  of  sumptuously  painted  arabesques,  and  enriched 
with  Greek  key-patterns,  crests,  and  such  a  wealth  of  magnifi- 
cent tracery  as  almost  to  overwhelm  the  senses  with  their 
barbaric  splendor.  Unlike  many  of  the  other  Nikko  shrines  the 
ceiling  here  is  high,  and  is  decorated  to  its  farthermost  point. 
The  effect  of  this,  coupled  with  the  gold  pillars  and  the  equally 
gorgeous  walls,  —  which  also  blaze  with  gold,  —  can  scarcely 
be  imagined.  Above  the  first  group  of  cross-beams,  likewise 
so  covered  with  arabesques  that  they  seem  draped  with  gold 
brocade,  stretches  a  series  of  sculptured  multi-colored  panels 
about  15  in.  high  and  8  to  10  ft.  long,  cut  from  single  pieces  of 
wood.  The  decorative  motives  are  beautiful  flying  tennin 
bearing  musical  instruments  or  Buddhist  symbols.  The  con- 
summate skill  shown  by  the  artist  in  the  treatment  of  the 
floating  draperies,  and  the  general  harmonious  effect,  cause 
these  angels  of  the  Buddhist  Paradise  to  rank  among  the  finest 
wood-carvings  in  Nikko:  the  work  strongly  suggests  Hidari 
Jingorom  his  best  manner.  Above  these  graceful  forms,  inclosed 
between  other  narrower  but  equally  elaborate  beams,  are  lines 

1 


286   Route  t£  NIKKO  The  Holy  of  Holies. 

of  slim  panels  completely  covered  with  red  and  gold  decorations 
and  carrying  a  number  of  wood  disks,  of  carved  birds  and  the 
like,  about  12  in.  in  diameter,  fastened  to  them.  Still  higher, 
between  other  beams,  is  a  series  of  pierced  panels  displaying 
richly  carved  and  painted  phcenixes  in  high  relief;  then  come 
other  decorated  beams  resting  upon  the  capitals  of  the  sup- 
porting columns  —  certain  of  the  lower  beams  being  upheld 
by  brightly  painted  brackets  which  reach  out  like  arms  and 
clasp  them  in  a  tight  embrace.  All  have  hammered,  embossed, 
or  damascened  metal  fitments  at  the  ends  and  at  various 
intervening  points.  Gold  foil  is  the  groundwork  upon  which  the 
decorations  are  traced,  and  here  and  there  it  shines  out  be- 
tween the  lines  with  brilliant  effect.  Above  the  final  beams  — 
also  diapered  —  begin  series  of  compound  clustered  brackets, 
gaudily  painted  in  reds  and  blues,  whence  the  roof  slopes  and 
narrows  to  a  big  central  disk  from  which  a  bright-eyed 
wriggling  dragon,  in  sepia,  the  work  of  Kano  Tanyu,  looks 
down.  Many  slender  tie-beams,  flying  buttresses,  gold- 
covered  rafters  and  cross-pieces  are  features  of  this  glowing 
and  bewildering  superstructure  —  which  is  almost  as  rich  in 
detail  as  the  work  below  it. 

The  floor-mats  are  of  the  finest  texture  and  are  edged  with 
silk  brocade.  Along  the  luminous  golden  walls  are  many  rich 
hanging  emblems,  above  them  gold  panels  with  painted 
phcenixes.  At  the  ends  of  the  side  aisles  are  exquisite  gold- 
covered  panels  with  other  Buddhist  angels  whose  draperies 
show  a  profusion  of  the  costly  imported  cobalt.  Here  also  are 
doors  giving  exit  to  the  rear  balcony,  so  heavily  plated  with 
gold  as  to  resemble  solid  metal.  The  massive  brass  baldachin 
which  swings  above  the  abbot's  seat  is  unusually  ornate.  The 
interior  shows  four  groups  of  deeply  carved  tennin  riveted  to 
the  canopy  and  looking  like  fused  masses  of  solid  gold.  Most 
beautiful  of  all  the  objects  in  the  interior  of  the  mausoleum  is 
the  striking,  two-storied  inner  shrine,  of  the  costliest  gold- 
lacquer,  and  in  which  is  a  sculptured  and  sanctified  wood 
figure  of  Iemitsu.  It  is  temple-shaped  and  it  stands  upon  a 
superbly  lacquered  base  of  lustrous  Indian-red  lacquer  said  to 
be  the  finest  in  Nikko.  The  12  small  door-panels  carry  crests, 
gambolling  shishi,  and  peonies,  all  of  superimposed  lacquer 
(of  the  kind  called  makiye)  in  so  many  layers  that  they  stand 
several  millimeters  above  the  groundwork  and  can  almost  be 
said  to  represent  basso-relievo  work.  At  the  right  and  left  of 
these  doors  are  narrow  panels  with  ascending  and  descending 
dragons  in  a  similar  style  of  work.  The  gold  panels  at  the  right 
of  the  shrine  show  tigers,  howo  and  bamboo,  while  those  at  the 
left  have  shishi,  flowers  and  birds  —  the  latter  with  very  long 
tails.  The  figures  at  the  4  corners  are  the  Shi-Tenno;  the 
bronze  vases  in  front  contain  metal  sprigs  of  ground-pine, 
chrysanthemum,  bamboo,  plum,  and  Camellia  japonica.  At  the 


Tomb  of  Iemitsu. 


NIKKO  14.  Route.  287 


rear  of  the  room  is  a  narrow  passage  blazing  with  gold  foil.  In 
the  center  is  a  large  panel  (about  100  by  100  in.)  and  a  number 
of  smaller  ones  all  displaying  huge  peonies.  Formerly  there 
hung  before  the  central  panel  an  immense  kakemono  (by  Kano 
Tanyu)  showing  Shaka  and  his  disciples.  The  detached  build- 
ing seen  at  the  left  from  the  porch  in  the  rear  (itself  a  wonder 
of  carving  and  decorations)  is  where  the  sacred  food  for  the 
gods  is  prepared. 

Near  the  inner  shrine  are  numerous  boxes  in  which  some  of  the  most  pre- 
cious relics  of  the  shrine  are  kept;  among  them  are  36  rolls  of  the  Buddhist 
sutras,  each  about  12  in.  wide  and  30  ft.  long,  so  exquisitely  illuminated  on 
silk,  and  so  wonderfully  traced  in  gold  ink  on  a  dark  ground,  that  because  of 
their  peerless  beauty  alone  they  seem  doubly  sanctified.  The  ends  of  the  rolls 
are  adorned  with  brilliantly  polished  rock-crystals  set  in  a  lacework  of  yellow 
gold,  and  the  rolls  themselves,  each  swathed  in  a  piece  of  creamy  habutaye, 
repose  in  a  gold-lacquered  box  that  is  a  dream  of  dainty  beauty.  The  inner 
side  of  the  boxes  show  gold-lacquered  Rimbo  and  Tokugawa  crests;  the 
illuminations  at  the  ends  of  each  roll  portray  Shaka,  in  different  versions,  sur- 
rounded by  his  disciples.  Others  of  the  priceless  relics  of  the  dead  shogun 
are  swords  of  wonderful  temper  from  the  forges  of  the  early  craftsmen  who 
brought  this  art  in  Japan  to  the  highest  pitch  of  excellence  in  the  known 
world;  lacquered  boxes  and  jewel-caskets;  flawless  rock-crystals  in  whose 
mystical  depths  more  than  one  superstitious  ruler  mayhap  has  read  or  mis- 
read his  destiny;  dainty  belongings  of  the  winsome,  long-dead  consorts  of 
these  same  vanished  shoguns;  —  and  many  other  things  considered  as  too 
sacred  to  be  viewed  by  casual  eyes. 

V"  The  Tomb  of  Iemitsu  is  reached  by  passing  round  to  the 
right  of  the  mausoleum  and  ascending  the  long  flight  of  steps 
leading  up  the  hill.  The  gate  at  the  foot  is  called  Koka-mon, 
and  is  of  unique  shape,  with  rounded  shoulders  and  decorations 
in  white,  black,  red,  and  gold.  The  tennin  in  the  panel  of  the 
ceiling  is  by  some  pupil  of  the  Kano  school;  the  white  side 
panels  display  crimson-lipped  Korean  lions.  Twenty-five  steps 
lead  hence  to  the  1st  landing,  whence  one  gets  a  more  satis- 
factory glimpse  of  the  gate  below  than  is  possible  at  the  narrow 
entrance;  37  steps  lead  thence  to  the  next  landing,  thence  6 
more  to  a  small  Haiden,  where  pilgrims  worship  the  tomb  — 
which  is  visible  through  and  beyond  the  shrine.  The  gilded 
figures  are  (right)  Yakushi  and  (left)  Amida;  the  big  metal 
baldachin  almost  fills  the  small  room.  The  massive  bronze 
gates  to  the  tomb  inclosure  display  gilt  Sanscrit  characters 
which  even  the  priests  do  not  understand.  Many  ferns  grow 
on  the  hillside  amidst  the  giant  trees ;  good  views  of  the  temples 
below  are  obtainable  here.  Descending  to  the  lower  terrace 
we  pass  behind  the  drum-tower  and  follow  the  path  along  the 
crest  of  the  hill  to 

The  Temple  of  Jigen-Daishi,  a  celebrated  Buddhist  sage 
(died,  1643),  better  known  as  Tenkai,  whom  Hideyoshi 
appointed  abbot  of  the  Td-ei-ji  Temple  at  Uyeno  (Tokyo)  in 
1625,  and  who  thus  was  likewise  the  director  of  the  Nikko 
temples.  The  building  is  small  but  elaborate  and  displays 
many  pieces  of  black  furniture  beneath  the  baldachin;  the 


288   Route  14. 


NIKKO 


Excursions. 


Wheel  of  the  Law  is  the  most  prominent  crest  amid  the  intri- 
cate tracery  above  the  architrave,  and  the  general  aspect  of  the 
interior  recalls  certain  Egyptian  temples.  In  the  sunken  panels 
of  the  coffered  ceiling  are  peonies  and  16-petal  chrysanthe- 
mums. The  tomb  is  stupa-shaped  and  stands  behind  the  shrine 
in  the  midst  of  6  curious  old  life-size  statues  of  various  Buddhist 
gods.  Hard  by,  in  an  inclosure  reached  by  25  stone  steps,  are  a 
number  of  tombs  of  abbots  of  Nikko  who  were  of  the  Imperial 
blood.  —  At  the  left  of  this,  on  a  lower  level,  is  a  small  building 
with  some  relics  (saddles,  clothing,  and  other  personal  belong- 
ings) of  Prince  Kitashirakawa.  In  an  adjacent  building  is  a 
striking  sculptured  wood  figure  of  the  Prince,  mounted  upon 
the  charger  which  carried  him  through  the  Formosan  cam- 
paign of  1904-05.  The  statue  is  well  worth  looking  at,  as 
certain  bits  of  the  carving  —  particularly  the  figure  of  the 
man  —  are  excellent ;  the  whole  is  mounted  on  a  massive 
granite  pedestal.  The  Prince's  tomb  is  at  the  left  in  an  inclo- 
sure at  the  head  of  several  flights  of  steps,  and  is  faced  by  the 
usual  mortuary  shrine.  Note  the  angle  of  the  roof  of  the  build- 
ing at  the  rear  (similar  to  that  of  the  stable  on  the  1st  terrace 
of  the  Ieyasu  shrine),  which  housed  the  Prince's  horse  until 
he  died  of  old  age.  Many  pilgrims,  among  them  not  a  few 
priests,  daily  climb  to  this  spot  to  reverence  the  spirits  of  the 
departed  abbots  and  that  of  the  Prince,  who  is  now  deified. 

The  Hongu-Jinja,  a  Shinto  shrine  on  a  terrace  up  at  the 
right  from  the  far  side  of  the  sacred  Red  Bridge,  contains 
nothing  of  interest.  The  original  structure  is  said  to  have  been 
erected  by  Shodo-Shonin  in  808;  among  the  small  lot  of  treas- 
ures (to  see  which  3  sen  is  charged)  is  a  wood  sign  carved  by 
Kobo-Daishi;  an  immense  sword  with  an  8-ft.  blade,  and  two 
smaller  ones,  said  to  have  belonged  to  the  famous  Yoritomo 
and  to  have  been  forged  by  Rai  Kunitoshi;  a  prehistoric 
pottery  vessel  dug  from  the  top  of  Nantai-zan;  some  metal 
mirrors;  a  small  rock-crystal;  and  a  metal  sa/ce-pot  which 
tradition  says  was  found  jumping  around  the  mountain-side, 
from  which  circumstance  it  is  called  the  'Jumping  Pot! '  An 
older  shrine  stands  at  the  rear,  near  a  tawdry,  3-storied  pagoda, 
now  closed. 

Excursions.  The  environs  of  Nikko  are  unusually  pictur- 
esque and  many  walks  and  excursions  are  possible  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. The  adjacent  hills  are  ribbed  with  trails,  many  of 
which  lead  over  slopes  whence  superb  views  are  available,  and 
to  ferny  glens  idealized  by  sylvan  brooks,  lovely  waterfalls,  or 
quaint  shrines.  The  country  is  safe;  the  woods  are  sweet, 
undefiled,  and  glorified  by  hosts  of  lovely  wild  flowers,  and 
many  a  cool  sequestered  pool  at  the  foot  of  a  gentle  cascade 
invites  .the  solitary  pedestrian  to  a  plunge  such  as  the  wood- 
nymphs  might  envy.  To  many  of  the  places  one  can  easily 
find  one's  way  alone,  and  thus  be  spared  the  windy  chatter  of 


Kirifuri  Waterfall. 


NIKKO  14.  Route.  289 


a  wearisome  guide  (see  p.  xxvi).  In  cases  where  the  latter  is 
necessary,  the  traveler  may  like  to  remember  that  a  small 
village  lad  is  oftentimes  better,  cheaper,  and  less  tiresome  than 
older  and  more  covetous  persons.  Of  the  threescore  or  more 
waterfalls  which  are  said  to  exist  in  the  vicinity  of  Nikko,  none 
are  so  beautiful  or  so  artistically  satisfying  as  the  splendid 
Kegon,  the  superb  Dragon's  Head  Cascade,  and  the  ravishingly 
beautiful  Yu-no-taki,  all  passed  on  the  trip  to  Yumoto.  —  The 
fares  quoted  are  for  the  round  trip  unless  otherwise  noted. 

To  the  Kirifuri-no-taki  (3  M.),  thence  (2  M.  beyond)  to  the 
Makkura-daki.  The  first  part  of  the  excellent  road  to  the 
former  (one  of  the  prettiest  short  excursions  in  the  neighbor- 
hood) is  practicable  for  jinrikis  (¥1.  20;  chair,  ¥2.  40;  horse, 
¥1.  50),  but  2  men  are  necessary  owing  to  the  steepness  of  the 
hills.  If  both  falls  are  to  be  visited  (the  latter  is  not  worth  the 
trouble)  one  forenoon  should  be  devoted  to  them,  and  a  coolie 
(¥1)  should  be  taken  along  to  point  out  the  way,  as  the  indis- 
tinct trail  is  crossed  by  many  footpaths  and  leads  through  a 
rocky  gorge  and  across  a  runnel  subject  to  overflows.  The  trees 
which  at  one  time  enveloped  the  fall  and  darkened  it  (whence 
the  name)  have  been  cut  away..  To  Kirifuri,  1  hr.  by  jinriki; 
li  hrs.  on  foot;  guide  (60  sen)  unnecessary.  The  road  circles 
the  schoolhouse  beyond  the  Daiya-gawa,  crosses  the  wide, 
rock-strewn  bed  of  the  tributary  Inari-gawa,  and  mounts  the 
successive  flights  of  stone  steps  on  the  far  hillside.  At  the 
crest,  sitting  back  in  a  clean  yard  studded  with  lofty  trees,  is 
the  dainty  Ritsu-in,  a  Buddhist  temple  upward  of  a  thousand 
years  old  (one  of  the  most  aged  in  Nikko).  The  combination 
gate  and  belfry  is  modeled  on  the  lines  of  the  white  gate  at  the 
foot  of  the  steps  leading  to  Iemitsu's  tomb.  The  clear,  sweet, 
optimistic  tones  of  the  vesper  bell  which  so  often  ring  through 
Nikko  emanate  from  this  belfry,  and  the  millennium  which 
has  passed  since  they  first  echoed  over  the  hills  and  dales  has 
not  dimmed  their  mellowness  nor  tinged  them  with  melan- 
choly. The  fragrant  garden  —  an  ideal  monkish  retreat  — 
flames  with  azaleas,  wistaria,  and  other  flowers,  and  reminds 
one  of  an  oriole-frequented  garden  of  Louisiana.  A  short  cut 
to  Toyama  Hill  leads  through  it.  Many  of  the  native  pilgrims 
to  the  Nikko  shrines  sleep  in  the  great  raftered  rooms  of  the 
monastery,  which  provides  austere  accommodations  for  such. 
By  following  the  path  between  the  temple  inclosure  and  the 
grove  of  young  cryptomerias  at  the  right,  then  turning  right, 
one  soon  strikes  the  main  road.  A  prettier  way  is  to  turn 
abruptly  to  the  right  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  go  down  through 
the  little  plum  orchard.  At  the  far  end  the  path  slopes  abruptly, 
then  turns  sharply  up  at  the  left,  crosses  a  wooden  bridge  span- 
ning a  narrow  gorge,  and  zigzags  up  the  opposite  slope.  Beyond 
the  crest  a  wide  road  goes  off  at  the  left  to  a  charming  little  lake 
on  a  terrace,  below  a  clean  dwelling  surrounded  by  irises.  A 


290   Route  14. 


NIKKO  Takind  Temple. 


far-reaching  view  opens  out  from  the  summer-house  on  the 
terrace  overlooking  Nikko  and  the  river.  Rounding  the  hill 
the  main  road  dips  between  paddy-fields,  then  ascends  to  the 
(1§  M.)  waterfall.  Signs  at  intervals  warn  hunters  that  game 
must  neither  be  snared  nor  killed  in  the  Imperial  Preserves 
(which  extend  for  60  M.  hereabout  and  end  beyond  Chuzenji). 
Many  purple  thistles  flank  the  highway,  along  with  honey- 
suckle and  numerous  flowers  for  which  Nikko  is  celebrated. 
The  prospect  widens  as  the  trail  ascends,  and  lofty  green  mts. 
cut  the  sky-line  on  every  side.  The  view  from  the  tea-house 
overlooking  the  falls  is  wide  and  attractive.  Both  the  upper 
(ichi-no-taki)  and  lower  (ni-no-taki)  falls  are  seen  to  the  best 
advantage  just  after  a  heavy  rain,  when  a  huge  volume  of 
water  plunges  with  a  thunderous  crash  to  the  swirling  pool. 
The  mist  which  gives  it  its  name  is  not  always  in  evidence. 

The  bridle-path  to  the  Makkura-daki  leads  through  the  tea- 
house garden  and  round  the  falls  (right) .  The  country  is  open, 
with  wide  views,  but  the  multiplicity  of  paths  made  by 
charcoal-burners  are  confusing.  Only  an  occasional  hunter  or 
a  wood-chopper  is  seen  traversing  the  lonely  region.  The  trail 
soon  leads  to  the  edge  of  a  deep  gulch,  far  down  in  which,  at 
the  right,  is  a  cluster  of  small  houses  and  some  caverns  that 
have  been  converted  into  charcoal-kilns.  Two  streams  unite 
their  waters  here  and  flow  as  one  to  the  Kirifuri  Falls.  That 
at  the  right  comes  from  the  Makkura-daki,  but  the  bridle-path 
at  first  zigzags  down  into  the  ravine  and  follows  the  stream  at 
the  left.  From  this  point  the  execrable  trail  crosses  and 
re-crosses  the  stream  and  occasionally  merges  its  identity  with 
it.  By  following  the  dizzy  knife-ridge  trail  at  the  right  one 
soon  comes  to  the  falls  (50-60  ft.  high)  —  imposing  only  in  the 
rainy  season.  One  familiar  with  the  locality  can  find  a  cross- 
path  (1  hr.)  over  the  hills  between  Kirifuri  and  Nikko. 

A  comprehensive  excursion  to  which  one  forenoon  can  be 
pleasantly  devoted  (best  made  on  foot)  includes  the  Jakko 
Temple  and  Nana  Waterfall;  thence  back  over  the  hill  behind 
the  mausolea  to  Gyoja-do;  thence  to  the  Takino  Temple  and 
the  Vermicelli  Cascade,  whence  it  is  but  a  few  hundred  yards 
to  the  San-no-miya  and  the  grave  of  Shodo-Shonin.  The  round 
trip  is  about  7  M.;  the  path  presents  no  difficulties,  and  the 
wide  views  of  Nikko  and  the  surrounding  mts.  are  pretty.  The 
climbing  is  less  if  the  places  are  visited  in  the  order  named.  A 
cookie  to  point  out  the  way  should  not  cost  above  ¥1 ;  a  horse, 
¥3;  or  a  chair,  ¥4.  Impracticable  for  jinriki.  The  road  leads 
up  past  the  Nikko  Hotel,  along  the  right  wall  of  the  Imperial 
Villa,  and  parallels  the  car-track  to  the  Shaka-do  Shrine , 
where  5  retainers  of  the  shogun,  Iemitsu,  committed  harakiri 
when  their  lord  and  master  crossed  into  shadow-land.  In  the 
red  structure  in  the  corner  of  the  yard  is  a  pretty  miniature 
shrine.  A  swift  mt.  rivulet  courses  round  the  corner  on  the  top 


Vermicelli  Cascade.  NIKKO  14.  Route.  291 


of  the  terrace  wall,  and  a  sign-board  points  the  way  to  the  fall. 
The  main  road  dips  here,  then  crosses  a  bridge,  and  continues 
onward  toward  Futamiya.  As  we  turn  up  at  right  angles  to  the 
road,  2  streams  are  soon  observed  coursing  down  the  small 
gulch  at  the  left ;  the  path  to  Jakko  —  which  resembles  a  dry 
river-course  —  leads  up  between  them;  another  and  cooler 
footpath  winds  up  at  the  right  through  thick  underbrush  and 
overhanging  trees,  and  is  more  desirable  on  a  hot  day.  The 
woods  are  a  veritable  tangle  of  fragrant  honeysuckle  (which 
runs  riot  everywhere  and  binds  portions  of  the  undergrowth 
into  a  tousled  jungle),  columbine,  lovely  double  deutzia,  wild 
hydrangea,  spiraea,  Jack-in-the-pulpit,  and  a  host  of  sweet- 
smelling  flowers.  The  dingle  is  usually  alive  with  bird  trill- 
ings. Despite  the  many  intersecting  paths  one  cannot  go  far 
astray,  as  the  rounded  hills  are  just  at  the  right,  and  the  falls 
are  naturally  near  the  source  of  the  water.  At  a  point  (15  min.) 
where  a  bisecting,  gulch-like  path  strikes  across  the  main  one, 
turn  to  the  left,  cross  the  little  stream,  walk  back  2  min.  to  the 
left,  and  join  the  main  road  leading  up  at  the  right.  A  leisurely 
walk  of  \  hr.  brings  one  to  a  corduroy  bridge  thrown  across  the 
stream;  a  few  yards  farther  along  there  is  another  one  and 
some  stone  steps;  the  falls  are  soon  visible  high  up  on  the  cliff 
ahead.  A  stone  torii,  several  flights  of  ruinous  stone  steps 
almost  covered  with  minute  plant  life,  some  fine  trees,  and  a 
deserted  shrine  on  a  hill  now  come  into  view.  The  path  to  the 
falls  leads  down  at  the  left  to  a  cool,  romantic,  and  inviting 
spot.  The  waters  tumble  (about  80  ft.)  down  the  hillside  in  a 
succession  of  short  leaps,  and,  after  falling  into  the  pool,  race 
down  a  second  series  of  rocky  terraces  to  a  lower  level.  The 
vegetation  is  luxuriant,  the  adjacent  slopes  are  densely  wooded, 
and  the  views  are  pleasing.  [An  obscure  trail  bears  round  from 
behind  the  shrine  toward  the  left,  and  a  stiffish  walk  of  about 
1  hr.  will  bring  the  traveler  to  the  Urami  Fall,  mentioned 
hereinafter.] 

Returning  to  the. midway  intersecting  path  we  follow  this 
(left)  up  the  zigzag  horse-trail  to  the  bare  crest  of  the  hill, 
where  an  extensive  view  is  had  of  the  wide  valley  backed  by 
towering  mts.  At  the  right  is  a  shallow  ravine,  and  flanking  it 
is  a  thin  line  of  young  cryptomerias  which  continue  in  single 
file  for  some  distance  up  to,  and  around,  the  top  of  the  tree- 
choked  gorge.  From  this  point  the  views  over  Nikko  and  the 
stony  bed  of  the  Daiya-gawa  are  beguiling.  The  trail  now 
bears  round  toward  the  right;  on  the  crest  of  the  bulky  hill  at 
the  left  is  a  large  stone  (Sesshd-seki)wiih  an  inscription  warn- 
ing hunters  off  the  hills.  The  towering  O-manago  and  Nyohd- 
zan  (good  trail)  are  seen  at  the  right.  The  narrow  path  now 
descends  gradually  through  a  woodland.  At  the  right  and  left 
are  some  precipitous  slopes  clothed  with  groves  of  noble  trees. 
Toyama's  rounded  crest  is  now  in  view  ahead  (left)  and  from 


292   Route  14. 


NIKKO 


Somen-ga-taki. 


the  depth  of  the  great  gorge  comes  the  sound  of  plunging 
water.  The  trail  (left)  down  to  it  (at  Takino)  is  precipitous, 
and  a  better  one  descends  through  the  beautiful  primeval 
forest  at  the  right  —  the  barrier  at  the  rear  of  the  Nikko 
mausolea.  Many  of  the  huge  trees  are  twins  and  triplets;  others 
grow  in  fantastic  family  groups,  as  if  all  sprang  from  the  same 
parent  root.  Moss,  orchids,  lovely  ferns,  and  other  plants 
grow  on  the  higher  branches;  the  voice  of  the  cuckoo  is  heard, 
and  anon  the  booming  call  of  the  wild  pigeon  challenges  the 
resonant,  penetrating  notes  of  the  great  temple  bell  as  they 
ride  upon  the  wind.  A  downward  scramble  over  roots  and 
through  underbrush  soon  brings  one  to 

The  Gyoja-do,  a  tiny  shrine  containing  a  repulsive  figure 
of  En  no  Shokaku  accompanied  by  two  ugly  demons.  Swing- 
ing from  the  doors  are  many  rusted  metal  sandals  hung  there 
by  pilgrims  ambitious  to  acquire  the  sinewy  legs  and  the 
enduring  lungs  which  enabled  En  no  Shokaku  to  pursue  his 
obsession  of  mountain-climbing.  —  The  broad,  tree-shaded 
avenue  which  leads  down  at  the  right  goes  past  the  Futa-ara 
Shrine  to  the  Futatsu-do.  The  lower  one,  which  the  stone  steps 
leading  at  the  left  from  the  shrine  soon  join,  goes  to 

The  Takino  Temple  and  the  Vermicelli  Cascade  (Somen- 
ga-taki).  The  former  stands  on  a  terrace  at  the  right  of  the 
cascade  and  is  reached  by  a  succession  of  stone  steps.  The  only 
statue  worth  looking  at  in  the  interior  is  the  gilded  Kwannon. 
The  ugly,  squat  figure  at  the  right  is  Daikoku;  that  at  the  left  is 
Bishamonten.  Beyond  the  temple  is  a  group  of  neglected 
shrines,  stone  bridges,  torii,  and  the  like,  now  tottering  to  their 
fall.  The  stream  of  crystal  water  and  the  noble  trees  round- 
about are  all  that  make  the  spot  attractive.  The  cascade  is 
often  called  Shiraito,  or  'White  Thread  Cascade/  because  of  a 
fancied  resemblance  to  threads  —  or  to  vermicelli.  At  the  foot 
of  the  fall  sits  a  stone  idol  whose  poor  old  head  is  covered  with 
short  green  grass  that  makes  it  ludicrous.  —  Returning  we 
follow  the  main  flagged  walk  between  superb  cryptomerias 
and  many  neglected  tombs.  One  at  the  left  is  said  to  stand 
above  the  spot  where  a  favorite  horse  of  the  shogun,  Ieyasu,  is 
buried.  Farther  along  (left),  at  the  base  of  some  giant  trees,  is 
a  huge  boulder  called  the  'Hand-touched  Stone/  from  a  silly 
belief  that  it  was  sanctified  by  Shodo-Shonin.  The  neglected 
shrine  behind  the  stone  torii  (right)  was  once  sacred  to  Suga- 
wara  Michizane.  Behind  the  decaying  Kaisan-do,  with  some 
rubbishy  idols,  within  a  fenced  inclosure,  is  the  forgotten, 
stupa-shaped  tomb  of  Shodo-Shonin,  with  others  of  his  disciples 
in  the  inclosure  at  the  right.  Near  by,  in  a  shallow  cave  cut 
into  the  base  of  the  hill,  stand  a  number  of  Buddhist  images 
(Hotoke-iwa)  from  which  the  hill  derives  its  name.  Hard  by  at 
the  left  is  the  poor  San-no-miya,  with  an  outstanding  torii  on 
which  credulous  women  place  small,  wedge-shaped  blocks  of 


Gamman-ga-fuchi. 


NIKKO 


U.  Route.  293 


wood  inscribed  with  prayers  to  make  parturition  easier.  The 
abundance  of  water  which  courses  through  this  section  brings 
many  lovely  wild  flowers  into  brilliant  life.  In  early  summer 
great  blotches  of  coreopsis,  blue  and  white  hydrangeas,  spiraea, 
and  other  plants  gladden  the  eyes. 

Gamman-ga-fuchi,  a  shallow  pool  in  the  (1  M.)  Daiya-gawa 
overlooked  by  a  short  path,  at  the  edge  of  which  stand  a 
number  of  stone  Buddhas  (known  locally  as  the  Hundred 
Jizo),  lies  within  a  25-min.  walk  of  the  Kanaya  Hotel  (coolie, 
35  sen;  jinriki,  70  sen;  chair,  ¥1.40),  and  considerably  nearer 
to  the  Nikko  Hotel.  The  road  traverses  the  town  of  Iri-machi, 
at  the  foot  of  which  a  crude  wooden  bridge  stretches  across  the 
river;  the  power-house  of  the  Nikko  Electric  Light  Co.  is  seen 
just  beyond  —  below  the  big  steel  flumes.  At  the  far  end  of 
the  bridge,  turn  sharply  to  the  right  and  continue  on  between 
the  twin  lines  of  native  dwellings.  The  street  soon  merges  its 
identity  into  that  of  a  narrow  woods-path,  at  the  side  of  which 
are  some  dilapidated  stone  statues  and  mortuary  tablets.  It 
bends  to  the  right  farther  along,  and  leads  to  a  deserted  shrine 
ori  a  terrace  overlooking  the  river.  Just  beyond  is  a  single  line 
of  moss-  and  lichen-covered  stone  statues,  tombstones,  and 
tablets;  below,  at  the  right,  the  impetuous  river  raves  and 
dashes  in  swirling  eddies  over  rhyolite,  between  high  banks. 
The  statues  are  of  many  sizes ;  the  heads  of  some  are  new,  and 
contrast  oddly  with  the  older  trunks  to  which  they  are 
cemented;  some  are  covered  with  short  gray  moss  surprisingly 
like  wigs,  while  others  have  paper  prayers  pasted  on  them. 
Fatuous  vacancy  characterizes  their  expressionless  faces  rather 
than  the  Buddhistic  calm  and  the  great,  nirvana-like  peace 
which  some  writers  like  to  attribute  to  them.  —  Farther  along 
the  river  is  a  2d  line  of  (33)  stone  figures  and  some  unoccupied 
bases  from  which  other  statues  have  been  whisked  away  by  the 
river  at  flood-time.  The  site  must  have  been  a  favorite  one  in 
the  old  days,  for  on  the  jumbled  rocks  which  project  midway 
into  the  stream  are  other  bases  which  once  supported  idols 
that  have  now  disappeared.  Immediately  opposite  the  point, 
on  a  concave  rock  surmounted  by  a  tree,  is  a  half-obliterated 
ideograph,  thought  to  represent  the  Sanscrit  word  Hdmman 
(of  which  Gamman  is  said  to  be  a  corruption).  Albeit  a  man 
standing  in  a  moored  boat  or  working  at  the  end  of  a  rope 
could  easily  chisel  the  character  on  the  stone,  the  fervid  native 
imagination  has  attributed  it  to  a  miraculous  action  of  the 
renowned  Kobo-Daishi  (upon  whose  unfortunate  head  every- 
thing of  a  like  nature  and  of  doubtful  paternity  is  heaped), 
who  is  thought  to  have  accomplished  it  by  launching  his 
chisel  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream  against  the  rock! 

Retracing  our  steps  to  the  gash  in  the  hillside  between  the 
two  groups  of  statues,  and  ascending  a  few  yards,  we  come  to  a 
fine  and  deep  stream  of  water  which  hurries  out  of  a  dark 


294   Route  14. 


NIKKO 


Urami-ga-taki. 


tunnel  hard  by  and  races  down  the  sluice  to  the  flumes  above 
the  power-station.  At  the  right,  on  a  high  terrace  overlooking 
the  river,  is  a  quaint  old  Buddhist  graveyard  with  many  bizarre 
monuments  mottled  with  age  and  inscribed,  in  some  cases, 
with  Sanscrit  characters.  Continuing  along  through  this 
charming  and  sequestered  spot,  then  crossing  a  narrow  plank 
bridge,  we  follow  the  trail  in  its  upward  trend  and  obtain 
attractive  views  of  the  river  as  it  boils  and  tumbles  through  its 
rock-ribbed  bed  below.  Tall  mts.  rise  green  and  majestic  at 
the  left.  The  intake  of  the  Electric  Light  Co.'s  tunnel  is  here- 
about, and  the  swift  and  remarkably  clear  water  is  seen  to 
rush  in  through  a  big  wood  sluice-gate.  By  continuing  along 
the  path  for  about  20  min.  we  come  (left)  to  a  narrow  valley 
which  in  May  and  early  June  is  a  glory  of  brick-red  azaleas 
growing  on  huge  bushes  15-20  ft.  high,  and  lovely  pink-and- 
white  ones  on  sizeable  trees.  The  species  (called  Yashu,  from 
the  Chinese  name  of  the  province  in  which  Nikko  is  situated) 
is  said  to  be  found  of  such  size  nowhere  else  in  Japan.  Scat- 
tered among  the  trees  are  many  tall  lacquer  trees,  —  the 
residue  of  a  sort  of  plantation  started  here  sometime  ago."  — 
Returning  to  Iri-machi,  one  may  spend  a  few  minutes  advan- 
tageously by  inspecting  the  little  Joko-ji  Shrine  which  stands 
in  a  long  yard  containing  many  Buddhist  tombs,  bronze  bells, 
and  what-not,  about  midway  of  the  1st  street  which  turns  up 
at  the  left  from  the  bridge.  Scattered  among  some  grumpy- 
looking  figures  of  Jizo  are  several  chiseled  statues  of  a  seated 
Kwannon  which  attract  attention  by  their  nonchalant  atti- 
tudes —  the  right  knee  being  raised  to  support  the  elbow,  while 
the  cheek  rests  in  the  palm  of  the  upraised  hand;  a  position  at 
once  languid  and  pensive.  —  The  charming  little  temple  of 
Dainichi-dd,  and  the  celebrated  garden  which  enshrined  it, 
were  swept  from  their  site  on  the  river  opposite  the  stone 
Buddhas,  by  the  destructive  freshet  of  1902.  —  The  somnolent 
town  of  Iri-machi  attained  to  considerable  importance  during 
the  17th  cent.,  when  the  mausolea  were  being  constructed. 
Many  of  the  workmen  dwelt  here,  and  not  a  few  of  the  streets 
C Carpenter/  'Stone-Mason/  etc.)  exist  to  recall  the  period. 
—  The  Imperial  Villa  hard  by  is  not  open  to  the  public,  and  is 
occupied  during  the  summer  months  only.  The  Botanical 
Garden  (interesting  specimens  of  mt.  flora)  behind  it,  on  a 
spot  called  Hana-Ishi-Machi,  is  an  adjunct  of  the  Tokyo 
Imperial  University. 

Urami-ga-taki  (4  M.;  coolie,  60  sen;  horse,  ¥1.50;  jinriki, 
¥1.20;  chair,  ¥2.40)  and  the  Jikwan-no-taki  (7  M.;  coolie, 
¥1.20;  horse,  ¥3;  chair,  ¥4.80).  The  1st  waterfall  is  pretty 
and  is  within  a  leisurely  1£  hrs.  walk  of  the  Kanaya  Hotel. 
Jinrikis  can  go  f  of  the  way  over  a  good  wagon-road.  The  last 
portion  of  the  trail  leads  over  a  steepish  hill  and  down  into  a 
shallow  ravine.  A  guide  is  unnecessary,  but  a  coolie  should  be 


Jikwan-no-taki.  NIKKO  14-  Route.  295 


taken  along  if  the  2d  fall  (2  M.  beyond,  at  the  end  of  an  execra- 
bly hot,  ascending  horse-trail)  is  to  be  visited  (scarcely  worth 
a  special  effort,  as  its  one-time  beauty  was  spoiled  by  the  flood 
of  1902).  We  follow  (for  about  30  min.)  the  car-track  that 
leads  past  the  Nikko  Hotel  to  the  open  country  (to  the  first 
wide  road  sloping  upward  at  the  right).  The  zigzag  trail 
visible  on  the  hillside  at  the  far  right  goes  to  the  Takino  Temple. 
On  a  spring  morning  the  meadows  are  deliciously  fresh  and 
sweet  —  vocal  with  the  voices  of  meadow-larks  and  the 
answering  calls  of  cuckoos.  After  reaching  a  copious  rivulet 
that  plunges  through  a  gorge  at  the  left,  the  road  follows  the 
gap  (right)  until  it  assumes  the  form  of  a  canon.  The  wooden 
footbridge  stretched  above  a  series  of  falls  is  crossed  before  the 
Jikwan  trail  is  entered.  —  Urami  is  about  5  cho  (10  min.) 
beyond  the  little  tea-house  (light  refreshments)  high  on  the 
river  bank,  on  the  near  side  (right)  of  the  stream.  The  trail 
leads  in  front  of  the  house  and  zigzags  up  the  side  of  the  low 
cliff.  The  rickety  sapling  bridges  suspended  by  galvanized 
wire  look  risky,  but  are  safe.  The  path  is  gouged  from  the 
base  of  the  hill,  and  the  water  which  trickles  steadily  down  its 
face  brings  many  tiny  lilies  into  fragrant  life.  To  reach  the 
falls  one  must  descend  to  the  river,  cross  it,  and  climb  to  the 
tea-house  which,  as  usual,  straddles  the  path  where  the  best 
view  is  obtainable.  Passing  through  the  house  (small  fee 
expected  if  no  tea  is  bought),  one  proceeds  along  a  narrow 
terrace  and  stands  beneath  the  fall  (about  60  ft.  high)  —  which 
plunges  through  a  horseshoe  gap  before  precipitating  itself 
into  the  churning  pool  below. 

To  reach  the  Jikwan-no-taki  we  return  to  the  bridge,  cross 
the  stream,  continue  along  the  trail  for  a  few  yards,  then  turn 
up  the  well-defined  path  (right)  lying  between  and  beneath 
tall  forest  trees.  It  grows  more  perplexing  as  one  ascends,  and 
is  apt  to  be  bad  during  and  just  after  a  heavy  rain.  The  narrow, 
V-shaped  gully  into  which  it  soon  merges  is  rocky  and  stuffy. 
Exuberant  vegetation  rises  on  every  side.  After  \  hr.  the  trail 
forks,  a  half-blind  one  leading  to  the  right,  up  a  defile,  the 
main-traveled  one  to  the  left.  [By  following  this  upward 
through  alternating  woodland  and  over  solitary  upland 
meadows  covered  with  bamboo-grass,  one  comes  (about  \\  M.) 
to  a  narrow,  lonely  gorge  from  which  the  trail  goes  over  the 
high  ridge  and  leads  eventually  to  Nantai-zan.)  Bearing  to  the 
right,  we  soon  come  within  sound  of  the  surging  river.  A  good 
view  into  a  deep  gulch  is  had  at  a  point  where  the  trail  crosses 
a  rocky  river-bed.  Beyond  this  it  follows  another  V-shaped 
arroyo  with  many  woods-flies  and  other  abominations.  The 
last  stretch  is  the  best,  the  path  lying  between  a  deep  canon 
at  the  right  and  a  shallower  one  at  the  left.  The  tall  bamboo- 
grass  makes  ideal  runways  for  the  fine  copper  pheasants  which 
breed  here,  and  frequently  one  stirs  them  up  and  is  treated  to  a 


296   Route  15.       FROM  NIKKO  TO  YUMOTO 


flash  of  iridescent  glory  as  they  hurtle  down  the  valley  ringing 
with  their  harsh,  metallic  cries. 

In  early  summer  the  rounded  hill  is  gorgeous  with  wild 
fleur-de-lys,  creamy  lilies,  and  such  a  host  of  other  wild  flowers 
that  the  face  of  Nature  is  rosy  with  their  blooms.  The  song 
of  the  lark  echoes  again  and  again  across  the  immense  valley 
inclosed  by  stupendous  hills.  At  a  distance  the  slopes  of  these 
resemble  beautiful  trimmed  lawns,  with  here  and  there  a  bunch 
of  bushes  or  a  tree  so  sharply  defined  as  almost  to  convince  one 
that  they  were  planted  by  the  hand  of  man.  Barring  the  fierce- 
eyed  hawks  which  wheel  and  skirl  overhead,  the  solitude  is 
complete.  The  falls  are  soon  descried  far  ahead,  beyond  a 
deepish  valley;  they  are  much  more  imposing  when  one  stands 
quite  beneath  them,  but  they  are  now  but  a  simulacrum  of 
their  former  glory.  Twin  ridges  run  clear  across  the  valley 
where  the  water  comes  into  it,  and  over  them  it  tumbles  to  a 
rock-strewn  gulch.  In  the  dry  season,  the  falls  (which  are 
named  after  a  Buddhist  priest  who  brought  them  into  promi- 
nence) are  meager  and  insignificant. 

The  Ascent  of  Nyohd-zan  (8  M.)  represents  a  long,  hard 
day's  work  (about  6  hrs.  up  and  4  down),  while  the  view  from 
the  summit,  though  wider,  is  but  little  better  than  that 
obtainable  from  some  of  the  lesser  peaks;  it  is  inferior  to  the 
view  from  Nantai-zan.  The  way  leads  past  the  Gyoja-do,  from 
which  point  one  ascends  the  narrow  path  mentioned  at  p.  291. 
It  is  impracticable  for  horses  or  '  chairs/  which  usually  go  up 
the  zigzag  path  at  the  right  of  the  road  leading  to  the  Jakko 
Waterfall.  As  both  paths  are  apt  to  be  overgrown  by  the 
vigorous  bamboo-grass  which  clothes  all  the  hill-slopes  around 
Nikko,  a  local  guide  (¥1.80)  is  advisable.  Water  should  be 
included  with  the  luncheon,  as  there  is  a  scarcity  of  it  on  the 
mt.  A  curious  feature  of  the  summit  is  an  immense  crawling 
pine  tree  which  covers  a  wide  area  with  its  multitudinous  roots 
—  that  strike  into  the  ground  from  wherever  an  elbow  of  the 
great  tree  touches  it.  A  woman  unused  to  stiff  climbing 
would  find  the  trip  arduous. 

Toyama  Hill  (1§  M.),  which  stands  beyond  the  1 nari-gawa 
and  the  Ritsu-in  Temple,  can  be  climbed  in  about  1  hr.  and 
the  trip  (coolie,  45  sen)  presents  no  difficulties.  A  small  rest- 
house  stands  on  the  summit,  whence  the  view  is  but  a  trifle 
more  extensive  than  that  obtainable  from  the  hill  behind  the 
Kanaya  Hotel.  A  short  cut  to  Toyama  lies  through  the 
Ritsu-in  garden. 

15.  From  Nikko  to  Chuzenji  and  Yumoto. 

*Lake  Chuzenji,  8  M.  from  Nikko  and  2460  ft.  higher,  is  one 
of  the  loveliest  spots  in  the  Japanese  highlands,  and  should  not 
be  omitted. 


CHUZENJI  15.  Route.  297 


The  broad  highway  connecting  it  with  Nikko  is  unmistakable  and  is  prac- 
ticable for  jinrikis  (¥2;  round  trip,  ¥2.80),  horses  (¥2-3),  and  chairs  (¥4- 
5.60).  A  coolie  (¥1-1.40)  is  necessary  only  when  there  is  luggage  to  be  car- 
ried. A  walk  thither  on  a  bright  morning  is  thoroughly  charming;  the  mt. 
scenery  is  inspiring,  and  one  usually  meets  many  courteous  and  happy  folks 
trudging  between  the  two  places.    Although  June  with  its  myriad  wild 
flowers  is  beautiful,  the  season  customarily  begins  about  July  15  (at  which 
time  hotel  rooms  should  be  engaged  in  advance)  and  ends  in  mid-September. 
The  maple  display  in  Oct.  is  wonderful.  The  air  is  considerably  cooler  than  . 
at  Nikko.  Pedestrians  can  save  about  3  M,  on  the  outward  journey  by  tak-^ 
ing  the  tram-car  from  Nikko  to  its  terminus.  The  greater  part  of  the1-, 
walk  is  beneath  shade,  and  the  last  \  M.  is  over  a  fine  level  road  through  I 
a  stately  forest. 

Beyond  Futamiya,  where  a  settlement  clusters  about  the 
works  of  the  Nikko  Electric  Copper  Refining  Co.,  the  tram- 
cars  proceed  to  Iwa-no-hana,  near  the  river.  The  road  follows 
the  stream  with  a  trend  to  the  right.  The  power-station  of  the 
Ashio  Copper  Mines  Co.,  far  up  the  hillside  at  the  left,  beyond 
the  river,  marks  the  terminus  of  a  big  tunnel  leading  from  the 
Kegon  Waterfall  —  where  there  is  sufficient  of  an  intake  to 
develop  10,000  horse-power.  A  leisurely  20  min.  walk  brings 
one  to  Uma-gaeshi  (pron.  mahng-eye' -she)  or  'horse-turn- 
back '  (so  called  because  the  old  road  was  so  steep  that  horses 
could  not  go  beyond  this  point),  where  the  small  Tsutaya  Inn 
(¥2)  supplies  light  refreshments.  Beyond  this  point,  the  excel- 
lent road  (maintained  by  the  Gov't)  lies  through  a  wild  and 
rugged  canon  down  which  the  river  brawls  and  plunges  furi- 
ously. The  long  screes  which  scar  the  hillsides,  and  the  wide 
talus  heaps  below,  point  to  the  destructiveness  of  the  stream. 
From  the  Misawa  tea-house,  the  road  zigzags  sharply  upward 
to  (about  15  min.)  a  ridge  called  Kengamine,  with  twin  water- 
falls (Hannya,  and  Hodo).  Another  20  min.  brings  one  to  the 
Naka-no-chaya,  or  halfway  tea-house,  picturesquely  situated 
on  a  small  terrace  overlooking  a  stupendous  chasm  and  many 
miles  of  mt.  and  valley.  A  puny  little  waterfall  dribbles  down 
the  face  of  the  cliff  at  the  left.  The  local  'sight'  is  a  huge 
stone  beside  the  road,  called  jishaku-ishi  (lode-stone),  which 
evidently  is  not  magnetic,  as  it  fails  to  flutter  a  compass  held 
against  it.  The  deep,  somber  ravine  just  beyond  at  the  right, 
with  walls  of  ominous  purple,  is  suggestive  of  plutonian  regions. 
The  agile  and  sinewy  natives  utilize  many  of  the  short  cuts 
(shikamachi)  which  lead  off  from  the  main  road  and  rejoin  it 
higher  up.  A  2  hrs.  leisurely  ascent  from  Uma-gaeshi  brings 
one  to  the  edge  of  the  beautiful  woodland  plain  on  which 
Chuzenji  and  the  lake  repose.  Nantai-zan  rises  majestically 
at  the  right.  By  making  a  short  detour  to  the  left  and  climb- 
ing (5  min.)  the  ridge  on  which  the  New  Park  is  located,  one 
may  enjoy  a  marvelous  panorama  of  a  deep  canon  with  a 
silvery  river  wriggling  through  its  depths  and  a  mass  of  Cyclo- 
pean mts.  rising  grandly  beyond.  Near  the  point  (|  M.) 
where  the  side  path  regains  the  main  road,  the  latter  forks; 
that  at  the  right  leading  to  (15  min.)  Chuzenji,  the  left  going 
(2  min.)  to 


298    Route  15.  CHUZENJI  Lake  Chuzenji. 


The  *Kegon  Waterfall  ( Kegon-no-taki) ,  which  now  serves 
as  an  overflow  for  Lake  Chuzenji,  but  which  is  gradually  cut- 
ting its  way  down  through  the  doleritic  lava  strata  and  may 
some  day  drain  it  entirely.  The  view  of  the  Daiya-gawa  (here 
about  10  ft.  wide)  as  it  pours*  through  the  narrow  cleft, 
spreads  like  a  mass  of  snow  shot  with  green,  and  plunges  with 
a  thunderous  roar  250  ft.  to  the  wide  vortex  below,  Jsl  su- 
perb.  The  tremendous  impact  sends  up  clouds  of  spray 
which  catch  the  rays  of  the  sun  and  fill  the  noisy  canon 
with  spectacular  rainbows.  From  the  right  and  left,  numerous 
tiny  waterfalls  spurt  out  of  the  sheer  sides  of  the  cliff  and 
form  beautiful  pictures  as  the  wind-blown  water  gyrates  to 
the  bottom.  A  fine  view  is  obtainable  from  an  artificial  ter- 
race and  a  sort  of  mid-air  platform  suspended  among  the 
trees  down  at  the  left  of  the  tea-house.  A  still  better  one 
can  be  gained  by  scrambling  (15  min.)  to  a  point  almost  level 
with  the  pool,  where  the  vista  of  the  down-rushing  water  is 
awe-inspiring.  The  fall  passed  on  the  way  is  called  White 
Cloud  Fall  (shira-kumo) .  When  the  lake  is  low,  the  main  fall 
slackens  to  a  contemptible  trickle,  and  in  the  dead  of  winter 
it  is  often  represented  by  a  few  exaggerated  icicles  that  cling 
to  the  lip  of  the  precipice.  A  short  distance  down  the  canon 
is  the  intake  tunnel  mentioned  above.  —  Kegon  has  an  irresist- 
ible attraction  for  love-lorn  natives  possessed  of  the  suicide 
mania.  The  habit  of  penciling  erotic  odes  on  near-by  trees, 
then  jumping  into  the  resistless  current,  has  become  so  strong 
with  certain  high-strung  persons  that  a  police  guard  is  stationed 
here  to  prevent  the  exchange  of  a  fairly  stable  earth  for  an 
uncertain  eternity. 

The  Lakeside  Hotel  (English  spoken)  stands  near  the  Kegon 
Fall,  at  the  S.  end  of  the  lake,  amid  beautiful  surroundings. 
Nantai-zan  rises  in  solemn  grandeur  at  the  right;  fragrant 
forests  stretch  away  over  minor  hills  at  the  left;  the  pellucid 
waters  of  the  lake,  reflecting  the  surrounding  mts.  with  all 
their  glorious  coloring,  spread  away  from  the  foot  of  the  front 
lawn;  while  far  away  on  the  sky-line  is  discerned  the  Konsei 
Pass  with  its  attendant  giants.  The  summer  rates  at  the  hotel 
vary  from  ¥5  to  ¥15  a  day,  Amer.  pi.,  with  a  10%  reduction 
for  a  stay  of  a  week  or  more;  for  2  pers.  in  a  room,  from  ¥9  to 
¥18.  Winter  rates  considerably  less.  Boats  at  50  sen  the  hr., 
or  ¥2  a  day;  horses,  ¥3  a  day.  The  rates  at  the  several  native 
inns  on  the  lake  shore  range  from  ¥2  to  ¥3.50. 
f  Lake  Chuzenji,  or  Chuzenji-ko]  called  also  Setsu-ro-ko 
'  C Clear  snow-water  lake'),  4460  ft  above  the  Pacific  Ocean  and 
almost  equidistant  between  it  and  the  Sea  of  Japan,  is  said  to 
measure  2\  M.  from  N.  to  S.,  7J  E.  and  W.,  and  to  be  560  ft. 
deep  near  the  center.  This  very  considerable  depth  aided  by 
strong  winds  prevents  its  sweet  water  from  freezing.  Origin- 
ally it  contained  no  fish.  At  present  it  is  well  stocked  with 


Nantai-zan. 


CHUZENJI  15.  Route.  299 


salmon-trout  from  the  Hokkaido;  American  rainbow  trout;  a 
native  trout,  and  minor  fish.  A  license  (procurable  through 
the  hotel  manager;  ¥1  a  day)  is  necessary  before  they  can  be 
taken.  The  revenue  derived  is  applied  to  the  support  of  the 
fish  hatchery  near  the  N.  end  of  the  lake.  The  surroundings 
are  among  the  most  beautiful  and  perfect  in  Japan.  Forest- 
clad  hills  encircle  the  lake  and  rise  to  an  imposing  height.  In 
May  and  early  June,  when  a  wealth  of  pink,  white,  and  purple 
azaleas  decorate  the  environs;  when  the  giant  trees  are  fes- 
tooned with  lovely  wistaria  clusters  and  trailing  Lycopodium 
sieboldi;  or  in  Oct.,  when  the  subtle  alchemy  of  Nature  paints 
the  maples  and  other  deciduous  trees  with  the  gorgeous  tints  of 
the  sunset's  richest  afterglow,  the  scene  is  entrancing.  The 
most  beautiful  time,  however,  is  midsummer,  when  the  tran- 
quil pool  drowses  like  a  lapis-lazuli  mirror  in  a  faultless  green 
frame  and  reflects  every  soft  outline  of  the  billowly  clouds  that 
ride  lazily  above  it.  Then  it  recalls  nothing  so  much  as  a  gigan- 
tic porcelain  plaque  with  a  myriad  shy  beauties  visible  beneath 
its  translucent  glaze.  At  that  time  the  days  run  softly;  the 
hours  are  long  and  sweet  and  satisfying;  the  increasing  com- 
plexities of  life  are  removed  to  the  remote  limbo  reserved  for 
all  forms  of  strenuosity;  and  a  renewal  of  youth  becomes  a 
reality.  When  the  first  heavy  snows  of  winter  fall  the  environ- 
ing woods  are  beautiful  beyond  compare,  —  silent,  ghostly, 
and  inspiring,  —  but  usually  there  are  few  to  enjoy  them. 

Chuzenji  Village  (or  Chugilshi)  consists  of  a  single  long 
street  which  flanks  the  E.  shore  of  the  lake  as  far  as  the  Futa- 
ara  Shrine;  its  few  score  houses  and  shops  cater  chiefly  to  the 
wants  of  the  travelers  who  make  the  place  a  summer  rendez- 
vous. The  crystals,  iron  pyrites,  and  other  mineral  specimens 
on  sale  come  from  the  Ashio  Copper  Mine.  The  Futa-ara 
Shrine,  believed  to  have  been  founded  by  Shodo-Shonin  in  816, 
stands  behind  a  big  bronze  torii  at  the  N.  edge  of  the  village 
and  contains  nothing  of  interest.  Beyond  it  is  the  great  scar\ 
left  by  the  landslip  of  1902.  A  duplicate  of  the  Buddhist 
temple  which  was  swept  into  the  lake  at  that  time  can  be  seen 
on  the  other  side  of  the  lake,  beyond  the  hotel.  At  the  right 
of  the  shrine  is  a  closed  and  locked  gate  which  marks  the  foot 
of  the  road  to  the  summit  of  Nantai-zan. 

Nantai-zan  (8460  ft.;  2d  highest  monarch  of  the  Nikko 
Range),  known  variously  as  Chuzenji-san,  Futa-ara-san, 
Kurogami-yama,  Kita-Fuji,  and  Nikkd-san,  rises  steeply 
from  the  N.E.  side  of  the  lake  and  is  covered  with  timber  to  its 
rounded  peak  —  the  one-time  vent  of  an  active  volcano.  The 
Futa-ara  Shrine  at  the  summit  is  the  objective  point  of  several  X 
thousand  pious  pilgrims  who  climb  to  it  each  year. 

For  the  ordinary  tourist  the  mt.  is  opened  officially  May  15  and  closed 
Oct.  15.  For  pilgrims  it  is  the  scene  of  strenuous  penitential  exercises  be- 
tween the  15th  and  22d  of  August.  In  order  to  view  the  sunrise  from  the 


300   Route  15.  CHUZENJI  Ashio  Mines. 


summit  on  the  opening  day,  the  pilgrims  foregather  in  numbers  at  midnight 
of  the  15th,  at  which  time  the  gate  is  thrown  open.  The  scene  is  unusually 
picturesque;  each  penitent  is  clad  in  spotless  white  and  equipped  with  a 
pilgrim's  hat,  staff,  and  lantern.  As  the  long,  thin,  ghostly  line  toils  skyward 
in  the  pitchy  blackness,  rendered  even  blacker  by  the  great  massed  trees, 
the  trail  of  dancing  lights  resembles  a  huge  fiery  dragon  or  a  procession  of 
fairies.  The  ascent  occupies  about  5  hrs.  The  admission  fee  is  35  sen,  and 
when  this  is  paid  at  the  temple  office,  each  pilgrim  is  given  some  pressed  rice- 
cakes  and  a  paper  stamped  with  a  crest  and  an  admonition  from  the  gods. 
The  hotel  manager  will  arrange  for  a  guide  (80  sen  for  the  trip)  and  provide 
food  and  a  bottle  of  water  (unobtainable  at  the  top) .  By  leaving  the  hotel 
at  2.30  a.m.  a  good  climber  can  reach  the  summit  before  sunrise.  The  ascent 
is  toilsome  but  not  risky.  The  road  is  a  sort  of  inclined  corduroy,  of  saplings 
placed  horizontally  and  held  in  place  by  stakes  driven  deeply  into  the  ground. 
The  lastjSection  is'steepish,  but  the  tired  climber  is  helped  out  by  iron  chains. 
In  former  times,  women  were  not  allowed  to  make  the  ascent,  but  they  can 
do  so  now  for  3  days  after  Sept.  20.  The  scene  at  the  top,  as  the  line  of  tired 
but  happy  people  streams  upward  and  over  the  gigantic  crest  in  the  gray 
dawn,  trembling  with  emotion  at  having  attained  the  cloud-capped  goal  of 
their  religious  desires,  and  waiting  in  hushed  expectancy  for  the  marvelous 
panorama  that  soon  bursts  upon  them,  is  one  that  never  fades  from  the 
mind.  The  view  is  sublime.  Shirane-san  (loftiest  of  the  Nikko  Range)  rises 
grandly  at  the  W.,  surrounded  by  many  giant  peaks,  while  beyond  the  plain 
on  which  Tokyo  stands  is  the  matchless  cone  of  the  yet  more  sacred  Fuji. 
A  dozen  or  more  minor  peaks  shoot  up  in  pointed  grandeur  from  the  four 
points  of  the  compass,  and  when  the  first  sunbeams  gild  their  summits,  the 
effect  is  enchanting.  When  the  beams  drop  to  the  valley  of  the  Daiya-gawa 
and  bathe  the  sacred  groves  of  Nikko  in  their  mellow  splendor,  they  pick  out 
the  glittering  crests  along  the  temple  roofs,  and  erelong  scores  of  golden  helio- 
graphic  signals  seem  to  be  flashing  upward  to  the  mother  shrine  on  the  crest 
of  the  hallowed  mountain. 

About  10,000  pilgrims  make  the  Nikko-Chuzenji  circuit  each 
year,  climbing  first  the  bulky  Nyohd-zan,  then  Ko-manago, 
O-manago,  and  finally  Nantai-zan.  When  they  have  thus  made 
their  peace  with  the  gods,  and  flouted  the  devil,  they  proceed 
to  Yumoto  to  soak  in  the  sulphurous  waters  there,  and  talk  it 
over.  If  they  can  scale  any  of  the  sacred  peaks  in  that  circuit, 
they  consider  that  they  have  added  that  much  more  to  their 
accumulated  merit,  and  when  they  walk  jauntily  down  to 
Nikko,  they  radiate  happiness  at  every  step  and  feel  purified, 
sanctified,  and  at  peace  with  the  world.  —  Many  charming 
walks  are  possible  in  the  vicinity  of  Chuzenji.  A  list,  with 
■distances,  coolie  hire,  etc.,  will  be  found  posted  in  the  hotel 
lobby.  A  short  popular  excursion  (a  pleasant  day's  outing) 
is  to  the  Nishi-no-ko,  sl  small  lake  3  M.  from  the  W.  end  of 
Chuzenji.  A  boat  may  be  taken  to  Senju  (at  the  W.  end) 
whence  the  level  road  leads  through  the  woods. 

The  Ashio  Copper  Mines,  one  of  the  largest  and  most  pro- 
ductive groups  in  Japan,  are  accessible  from  Chuzenji  and  lie 
about  8  M.  S.,  at  the  end  of  a  trail  impracticable  for  vehicles. 
A  good  walker  can  compass  the  fatiguing  outward  trip  in  3-4 
hrs.  and  if  he  so  wishes  may  return  over  the  15  M.  stretch  to 
Futamiya  and  (3  M.)  Nikko.  The  trail-  leads  along  the  S. 
shore  of  the  lake  to  (15  min.)  Ase-ga-hama,  where  a  new  tem- 
ple, the  Tachiki-no-Kwannon,  overlooks  the  lake  and  commem- 
orates the  original  temple  destroyed  by  the  landslip  from  Nan- 


Dragon1  s-Head. 


YUMOTO 


Id.  Route.  301 


tai-zan.  From  the  summit  of  the  Asegata  Pass  the  eye  sweeps 
over  a  magnificent  stretch  of  forest-clad  mts.  and  verdure- 
choked  valleys.  The  entire  region  is  primeval  and  spectacular. 
The  highest  part  of  the  mine  (discovered  in  1610)  stands  4400 
ft.  above  sea-level,  the  office  being  in  a  valley  2000  ft.  below, 
at  the  upper  end  of  the  village.  About  7000  men  are  employed. 
The  copper  used  in  the  Nikko  and  Shiba  mausolea  is  said  to 
have  come  from  this  locality.  The  4  chief  mines  are  the 
Honzan,  Ariki,  Kotaki,  and  the  Tsudo.  The  ore  is  referred  to 
at  p.  cxlix.  A  permit  must  be  obtained  to  inspect  the  mines  — 
which  are  owned  and  operated  by  the  Furukawa  Mining  Co., 
Yaesu-cho,  Kojimachi-ku,  Tokyo. 

Yumoto  Village  and  Lake  with  hot  sulphur  springs  and 
baths,  7  M.  from  Chuzenji  and  640  ft.  higher,  constitute  a 
popular  excursion.  The  good  road  affords  delightful  scenery 
and  passes  two  of  the  finest  waterfalls  in  Japan.  A  leisurely 
walker  can  compass  the  outward  trip  in  3  hrs.  with  time  to 
spare.  Basha  (p.  xci)  leave  twice  daily  (2  hrs.;  return  in  § 
hr.  less)  from  a  point  near  the  hotel  (fare,  50  sen).  A  boat  can 
be  taken  from  the  hotel  to  (3  M. ;  1  hr. ;  60  sen)  Shobu-no-hama, 
and  the  remaining  4  M.  done  on  foot.  The  highroad  leads 
through  the  village  and  along  the  E.  shore  of  the  lake  (beguil- 
ing views).  For  a  mile  or  more  it  passes  beneath  a  veritable 
green  tunnel  of  splendid  birch,  maple,  and  chestnut  trees,  and 
is  flanked  by  semi-tropical  bungalows.  Wild  flowers  abound. 
A  leisurely  stroll  of  1  hr.  brings  one  to  Shobu-no-hama,  a  non- 
descript fishing-hamlet  at  the  edge  of  the  lake.  A  few  min. 
beyond  (left)  is  the  Trout  Hatchery,  prettily  situated  amidst 
tall  trees  and  near  a  rivulet  called  Jikoku-no-kawa  ('Hell 
River  ')•  The  5  pools  are  connected  by  sluices  down  which  the 
larger  fish  are  permitted  to  run  to  a  big  circular  pond  almost 
choked  with  rainbow,  and  other  species  of  trout.  Just  beyond 
this  tiny  settlement  and  the  relay  station  with  its  many  pack- 
animals,  is  the  lovely  Ryuzu-no-taki  ('  Dragon*  s-Head  Cas- 
cade ')  which  roars  and  rushes  down  hundreds  of  feet  of  rocky 
incline  and  forms  one  of  the  finest  scenic  gems  of  the  region. 
At  the  foot  of  the  steep  slope,  the  churning  waters  hurl  them- 
selves against  a  huge  boulder  which  divides  them  and  sends 
them  seething  onward  in  two  streams,  between  high  rocks. 
A  byway  diverges  from  the  main  road  and  continues  (|  M.) 
along  the  cascade  to  its  head,  before  rejoining  the  main  road. 
Midway  up,  the  stream  is  50-60  ft.  wide,  and  the  great  volume 
of  water,  leaping  down  the  sharp  slope  in  a  transport  of  passion, 
is  extraordinarily  impressive. 

The  well-traveled  road  now  winds  over  an  incline  called 
Jigoku-zaka,  and  Hell  River,  whence  it  derives  its  name, 
plunges  down  a  gorge  at  the  right.  A  lovely  wooded  stretch  is 
crossed  before  one  emerges  (about  If  hrs.  from  Chuzenji)  on  the 
old  battlefield  of  Senjo-ga-hara,  a  wide  meadow  crossed  by 


302   Route  15.  YUMOTO 


Yumoto  Lake. 


running  streams,  surrounded  by  green  mts.,  and  dotted  here 
and  there  with  blasted  trees.  The  sanguinary  battle  fought  on 
this  upland  plain  in  1389  between  the  partisans  of  the  Ashikaga 
shogun,  Yoshimitsu,  and-  the  troops  of  the  Mikado  of  the 
Southern  Dynasty,  was  followed  by  the  rout  of  the  army  at 
Kyoto  and  the  dissolution  of  the  schism  which  for  56  yrs.  had 
divided  the  country  into  two  hostile  camps.  A  good  view  is 
had,  at  the  right,  of  the  lordly  Nantai-zan,  which  here  is  seen 
to  be  much  less  symmetrical  than  when  viewed  from  Chuzenji. 
O-manago,  Ko-manago,  and  Tard-zan  form  a  part  of  the  valley- 
wall,  which  is  marked  at  the  far  left  by  the  adorable  Yu-no- 
taki,  from  this  distance  looking  like  a  thin  white  line  against 
the  green.  Overshadowing  it  at  the  left  is  the  somber  and 
treacherous  Shirane-san.  Near  the  center  of  the  meadow,  at 
the  foot  of  3  lofty  pines,  is  a  tiny  tea-house.  The  road  forks 
here,  the  trail  at  the  right  leading  (5  M.)  to  the  Nishizawa 
Gold  Mine:  that  at  the  left  continues  to  the  base  of  the  hill, 
then  bears  to  the  left  before  climbing  the  slope.  A  by-path 
soon  descends  (left)  to  a  (5  min.)  tiny  dell  where  the  Yu-no- 
taki  ('hot-water  fall ')  can  be  seen  in  all  its  splendor.  A  love- 
lier sight  could  scarcely  be  imagined.  From  a  point  200  or 
more  ft.  up  a  green  and  shaded  slope,  there  glissades  swiftly 
but  with  wonderful  grace  a  thin  chute  of  snowy  foam  50  or 
more  ft.  wide,  6  inches  thick,  and  resembling  crinkly  silk 
crape.  The  angle  is  about  50  degrees,  and  the  smooth  runway 
is  picked  out  here  and  there  with  trifling  irregularities  —  hum- 
mocks and  indentations  —  which  the  descending  water  finds 
and  converts  into  outspread  fans  and  other  alluring  figures. 
Clouds  of  cool  swirling  mist  fill  the  echoing  dell  and  impart  a 
delicious  freshness  to  it.  The  wild  beauty  of  the  sequestered 
spot  is  inexpressibly  charming.  The  water  is  the  overflow  of 
Lake  Yumoto  ('Source  of  the  Waters'),  and  after  passing  this 
point  it  goes  to  the  aforementioned  Dragon's-Head  Cascade. 
By  following  the  zigzag  path  flanking  the  side  of  the  flume,  we 
soon  come  to  a  silent  lake  of  bewitching  beauty. 

Yumoto  Lake  (or  Yu-no-umi),  which  stretches  from  the 
cataract  to  the  village  at  the  upper  end,  is  5100  ft.  above  the 
sea;  about  1  M.  long  by  \  m.  wide,  irregular  in  shape,  shallow, 
and  stocked  with  fat  salmon-trout  which  keep  as  far  away  as  is 
possible  from  the  pestiferous  steaming  sulphur  runnels  that 
trickle  into  the  water  below  the  village,  or  bubble  up  from  the 
lake-bed  there.  The  liveliest  imagination  could  scarcely  picture 
a  more  perfect  sheet  of  water.  Entirely  surrounded  by  green 
and  lofty  hills  that  hold  it  in  a  loving  embrace;  flanked  on  all 
sides  by  giant  trees,  some  of  them  lightning-splintered,  others 
fire-charred,  and  most  of  them  dark  and  somber,  and  which 
seem  never  to  tire  of  glimpsing  their  own  graceful  shapes  in  the 
blue-green  waters;  it  is  exactly  the  sort  of  lake  that  fits  a 
painted   birch-bark   canoe  with  a  silent,  swarthy,  softly- 


FROM  YUMOTO  TO  IKAO      16.  Route.  303 


paddling  Indian  in  one  end,  and  a  broad-antlered  dead  buck 
in  the  other,  moving  noiselessly  through  the  lengthening  shad- 
ows of  eventide  to  some  quiet  tepee  and  camp-fire  on  a  near-by 
shore.  The  polished  surface  of  the  tranquil  waters  reflects 
every  surrounding  object  like  a  magic  crystal,  and  the  broad 
road  which  winds  along  the  right  (E.)  shore,  beneath  giant 
trees,  seems  to  lead  not  to  Yumoto,  but  to  Elysium. 

The  Village  consists  of  a  small  hotel  {Nanma;  open  from 
April  1  to  Nov.  30;  ¥5  a  da}'  and  upward;  English  spoken), 
several  inns  (Kama-ya,  etc.,  ¥2.50),  and  bath-houses  that 
cluster  near  the  upper  end  of  the  lake  in  a  horseshoe  depression 
overshadowed  by  lofty  hills.  From  many  holes  in  these  hills, 
piping-hot  streams  of  stenchful,  sulphurous  water  bubble  and 
spurt,  and  indicate  the  presence  of  internal  fires.  The  waters 
are  said  to  be  efficacious  in  rheumatic  ailments,  and  many 
natives  repair  hither  in  season  to  bathe  in  them.  Several 
times  during  the  long,  restful  days  men  and  women  foregather 
at  the  slatted  bath-houses,  disrobe  to  the  last  stitch,  stew 
themselves  together  in  the  malodorous,  yellow-tinted  liquid; 
sit  on  the  edge  of  the  pools  to  dry,  and  exchange  gossip;  then 
parboil  again.  Bamboo  pipes  admit  the  steaming  water  into 
the  hotel  baths  (free)  side  by  side  with  other  pipes  that  bring 
ice-cold  water  from  the  same  hills.  A  license  (50  sen;  obtain- 
able through  the  hotel  manager)  is  necessary  before  one  can 
fish  in  the  lake.  The  neighborhood  affords  many  pretty 
walks;  a  list  of  the  most  popular  ones,  with  distances,  time 
required,  etc.,  is  posted  in  the  hotel  lobby.  Kirigome,  a  silent 
tarn  in  the  mt.  fastness,  1  hr.  to  the  N.  and  5600  ft.  above  the 
sea,  is  pretty.  From  a  near-by  ridge  (40  min.)  the  view  in- 
cludes the  Shiobara  Range  and  Bandai  San.  Hence  to  the 
Nishizawa  Gold  Mine  (follow  the  road  across  the  flat  behind 
Yumoto  and  cross  the  ridge  at  the  right)  is  about  1  hr.  Lake 
Suganuma,  a  popular  all-day  excursion,  can  be  included  in  the 
trip  to  Ikao.  The  display  of  maples  on  the  hills  behind  Yumoto 
is  gorgeous  in  late  Oct.  and  early  Nov.  On  a  fine  day  in  spring 
or  autumn  the  walk  hence,  through  Chuzenji  to  Nikko,  is 
delightful. 

1 6.  From  Yumoto  via  the  Konsei  Pass  to  Ikao. 

51  M.  Impracticable  for  jinriki  or  horse.  The  traveler  will 
do  well  to  start  in  the  early  morning,  when  fresh,  as  the  humid 
heat  of  the  forest  in  mid-morning  is  wearisome.  The  trail  up 
to  the  pass  (4  M.;  2|  hrs.  should  be  allowed)  is  tree-strewn, 
blind  in  places,  and  apt  to  be  washed  out,  and  as  it  is  easy  to 
lose,  a  guide  (the  only  stretch  where  one  is  necessary)  should 
be  employed.  It  is  practically  impassable  from  early  Nov.  to 
late  March,  and  should  not  be  attempted. 

While  some  travelers  engage  a  guide  (¥4  a  day  and  expenses)  at  Nikko 
for  the  entire  journey,  an  economically  disposed  and  self-reliant  pedestrian 


304   Route  16.      THE  KONSEI  PASS  Shirane-san. 


can  save  considerable  by  hiring  a  pack-coolie  (who  acts  as  guide)  at  Yumoto 
(¥1.50  is  ample)  and  sending  him  back  from  (11  M.  down-grade  from  the 
pass)  Higashi  Ogawa.  During  the  summer  months  certain  fish-peddlers 
(bright-eyed,  happy  boys)  come  over  the  pass  from  the  lakes  beyond,  and 
after  disposing  of  their  fish  in  Yumoto,  return  empty-handed.  They  are  usu- 
ally very  willing  to  earn  a  trifle  by  carrying  a  traveler's  pack,  and  they  will 
be  found  even  cheaper  than  a  regular  coolie.  A  jinriki  or  a  coolie  can  always 
be  had  from  Higashi  Ogawa  to  Numata,  whence  a  tramway  runs  to  Shibu- 
kawa  and  connects  with  that  to  Ikao.  Before  leaving  Yumoto,  question  the 
hotel  manager  about  the  state  of  the  roads. 

The  Konsei-toge  is  visible  at  the  N.W.  of  Yumoto.  At  the 
left  stands  a  craggy  peak  known  as  Mae-  (front)  Shirane,  over 
which  one  must  climb  to  make  the  ascent  (8800  ft. ;  5  hrs. ;  8  hrs. 
for  the  roughish  round  trip;  guide  necessary)  of  Shirane-san, 
the  recently  active  volcano  behind  and  beyond  it.  —  The  road 
leads  up  the  main  st.,  behind  the  hotel,  then  crosses  a  sedgy 
marsh  to  a  rising  slope  where  delicious  wild  strawberries 
(ichigo)  ripen  in  July.  It  soon  enters  a  forest  of  giant  pines, 
firs,  and  bamboos  which  arch  above  rock-strewn  gulches  and 
a  wild  tangle  of  huge  boulders  and  blasted  trees  that  have  been 
uprooted  and  whirled  down  the  mt.  side  during  the  annual 
floods.  Occasionally  the  trail  traverses  primeval  glades  fre- 
quented by  bears  in  winter.  The  trail  to  Mae-Shirane  branches 
off  at  the  left  before  the  foot  of  the  pass  (1  hr.  out  of  Yumoto) 
is  reached.  After  crossing  a  dry  river-bed  presenting  a  scene 
of  the  wildest  desolation,  the  trail  goes  up  stiffly;  the  last  mile 
is  the  most  difficult.  The  deserted  shrine  in  a  secluded  spot  in 
the  forest  at  the  right  of  the  trail  was  formerly  dedicated  to 
phallic  worship.  The  view  from  the  actual  saddle  (6770  ft.) 
is  inferior  to  the  splendid  panorama  (one  of  the  finest  in  N. 
Japan)  obtainable  from  a  higher  ledge  (10  min.  scramble) 
reached  by  a  half-hidden  trail  along  the  ridge  at  the  left.  Here 
a  magnificent  view  unfolds  itself.  A  glorious  retrospective 
vista  is  had  of  Yumoto  and  its  dimpling  lake;  the  battlefield  of 
Senjo-ga-hara;  Nantai-zan ;  Lake  Chuzenji,  and  many  stretches 
of  the  road  traveled  on  the  upward  trip.  At  the  W.,  thousands 
of  square  miles  of  tumbled  mountains  and  rich  valley-land 
stretch  to  a  blue  horizon;  while  below  lie  three  lovely  blue- 
green  lakes  (Suganuma,  5820  ft.;  Marunuma,  4790  ft.;  and 
Ojirinuma,  4785  ft.)  sheltered  in  the  bosom  of  the  quiet  hills, 
and  with  polished  surfaces  that  reflect  every  color  that  tints 
their  sides.  The  forest  solitude  is  broken  only  by  the  occasional 
scream  of  an  eagle,  or  the  shrill  skirl  of  some  defiant,  high- 
circling  hawk.  The  sky-piercing  cone  of  Shirane-san  shoots 
up  at  the  left,  while  at  many  points  on  the  wooded  slopes  great 
blotches  of  pinkish-white  color  detach  themselves  from  the 
surrounding  green  and  advertise  the  presence  of  the  gorgeous 
Rhododendron  maximum  (shakunage).  — Retracing  our  steps  to 
the  actual  pass,  we  begin  the  long  zigzag  descent  over  an  excel- 
lent road  to  (about  50  min.)  Suganuma,  or  Shimizu  (good  fish- 
ing). The  lakes  are  usually  left  at  the  right,  but  the  pedestrian 


FROM  TOKYO  TO  AOMORI      17.  Route.  305 


with  time  to  spare,  and  who  wishes  to  see  more  of  them,  can  fol- 
low the  trail  around  their  upper  borders.  The  region  is  lonely 
but  grand  (and  safe),  and  it  reminds  one  strongly  of  certain 
solitary  stretches  in  Maine  and  Upper  Canada.  Deer,  bear, 
and  minor  game  may  be  met  with  at  any  time.  The  night  can 
be  spent  at  Higashi  Ogawa  (2300  ft.),  but  before  agreeing  to 
lodge  in  a  room  at  the  Miyoshi-ya  Inn,  one  should  ask  the 
price  of  everything.  Beyond  this  point  the  valley  is  cultivated 
and  thickly  settled.  Near  (9  M.)  Okkai,  a  tributary  of  the 
Katashina-gawa  races  between  steep  porphyritic  walls  and 
forms  numerous  cascades.  From  the  top  of  the  Kuryu  Pass 
the  glorious  view  includes  Haruna-san,  Asama-yama,  and 
numerous  other  peaks.  Beyond  the  nondescript  town  of 
(5  M.)  Takahira  the  road  takes  on  a  dull  aspect,  and  as  jin- 
rikis  are  available,  one  may  wish  to  ride  the  remaining  5J  M. 
to  Numata  (Inn:  Marusugi,  ¥2.50),  on  an  upland  plain  over- 
looking the  valleys  of  the  Katashina  and  the  Tone  Rivers. 
The  tram-cars  (frequent  intervals)  which  run  hence  to  (11  M. 
Shibukawa)  traverse  the  valley  of  the  Tone-gawa.  Ikao  is 
mentioned  in  Rte.  7,  p.  85. 

17.  From  Tokyo  via  Mito,  Sendai,  Matsushima,  and 
Morioka  to  Aomori  (Yezo  Island). 
Joban,  and  Tohoku  Main  (North-Eastern)  Line  of  the  Imperial  Gov't  Rlys. 

To  Mito,  73  M.  Several  trains  daily,  in  3  hrs.;  fare,  ¥2.85,  1st  cl.,¥1.71, 
2d  cl.  To  Sendai,  226  M.  in  7  hrs.;  fare,  ¥6.75,  1st  cl.;  ¥4.05,  2d  cl.  To 
Matsushima,  240  M.  in  8  hrs.;  fare,  ¥7.03,  1st  cl.;  ¥4.22,  2d  cl.  To  Aomori, 
465  M.  in  18  hrs;  fare,  ¥11.10,  1st  cl.;  ¥6.66,  2d  cl.  For  reference  to  sleep- 
ing-car fare  and  extra-fare  express  trains  see  p.  lxxxii.  The  rly.  from  Mito  to 
Iwanuma  runs  (through  the  provinces  of  Hitachi  and  Iwaki)  along  the  shore 
of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  whence  its  name,  Nihonkaigan,  or  'Japan  seacoast,' 
Line.  At  Iwanuma,  in  Rikuzen  Province,  it  joins  the  Tohoku  Main  Line 
and  continues  N.  through  Rikuzen  and  the  extensive  and  rich  province  of 
Rikuchu  before  entering  Mutsu  and  proceeding  to  its  terminus  on  Mutsu 
Bay,  facing  the  Tsugaru  Strait  —  beyond  which  is  Yezo  Island.  Anciently 
the  region  ('of  the  Eastern  Mountains')  was  called  the  Tosando.  The 
views  along  the  coast  are  magnificent.  Matsushima,  with  its  singularly 
beautiful  islands,  is  ranked  as  one  of  the  'Three  Great  Sights'  of  Japan, 
and  few  travelers  will  wish  to  omit  it.  Good  bento  at  several  of  the  stations. 

Tokyo,  see  p.  109.  The  line  runs  out  through  the  tawdry 
suburbs  over  flat  but  rich  and  productive  lowland  where  hosts 
of  vegetables  and  not  a  few  snails  (maimai)  and  turtles  (kame) 
are  raised  for  the  metropolitan  markets.  The  prevalence  of 
slim  steel  chimneys  on  the  ugly  factory  buildings  is  due  to 
their  comparative  safety  during  earthquakes.  Beyond  the 
wide  and  lively  Sumida-gawa  the  land  is  so  valuable  that  every 
inch  is  cultivated  intensively;  the  fields  are  cut  into  round, 
square,  triangular,  and  ovaliform  plots,  divided  one  from  an- 
other by  miniature  mud  causeways  carefully  smoothed  on  the 
sides  and  just  wide  enough  at  the  crest  to  permit  the  passage 
of  the  farmers,  who  trot  to  and  fro  along  them,  cut  miniature 
weirs  in  them,  or  work  thigh-deep  in  the  sticky  black  mud  of 


306   Route  17. 


MITO 


the  lower  levels.  The  work  is  filthy  and  excessively  laborious, 
but  it  is  necessary  to  the  production  of  the  fields  of  waving 
rye,  wheat,  and  barley,  and  the  delicious  native  rice.  In  late 
spring  and  early  summer,  iris,  lotus,  and  other  gay  flowers  add 
charm.  The  region  is  splendidly  watered,  and  stately  junks 
with  tall,  white,  crinkly  cotton  sails  move  up  and  down  the 
wider  streams  and  form  beautiful  pictures  in  the  landscape. 
Soon  after  leaving  19  M.  Abiko  Jet.,  the  Tone  River  is  crossed 
on  a  steel  bridge  3103  ft.  long.  The  immense  hedges  12-15  ft. 
high,  which  almost  surround  certain  of  the  farmsteads,  are 
aimed  to  protect  them  from  high  winds.  At  39  M.  Tsuchiura, 
a  small  steamer  may  be  boarded  for  the  several  little  ports  on 
the  Kitaura  Lagoon.  The  river  on  the  near  side  of  the  town  is 
the  Sakura-gawa;  that  on  the  far  side,  the  Kawauchi-gawa. 
At  61  M.  Tomobe,  the  line  bears  to  the  left  and  runs  due  E.  to 
73  M.  Mito  (Mito  Hotel,  opposite  the  station,  ¥3;  Shibataya 
Inn,  ¥2.50),  capital  of  Hitachi  Province  and  of  Ibaraki  Pre- 
fecture, was  formerly  a  daimyd  stronghold  and  possesses  a 
ruinous  castle  built  by  the  Daijo  family  presumably  in  the 
14th  cent.  Edo  Michifusa  occupied  it  at  the  beginning  of  the 
15th  cent,  and  it  was  held  by  his  descendants  until  1590,  when 
it  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  Satake.  The  Tokugawa  shogun, 
Ieyasu,  installed  his  son  Nobuyoshi  therein  in  1600,  Yorinobu 
in  1603,  and  Yorifusa  in  1609.  The  latter  formed  the  branch 
of  the  powerful  Tokugawa  family  of  Mito,  one  of  the  three 
famous  families  from  which  a  shogun  could  be  chosen.  The 
old  3-storied  donjon  with  a  green  roof  is  an  interesting 
reminder  of  feudal  times;  as  are  also  the  magnificent  and 
patriarchal  cryptomerias  in  what  once  included  the  castle 
domain.  The  chief  attraction  of  the  clean  and  pretty  place  is 
the  Tokiwa  Koen,  or  Mito  Park,  at  the  W.  end  of  the  upper 
town.  Originally  a  private  garden  owned  by  Tokugawa 
Nariaki  (1800-60),  a  feudal  prince  of  Mito,  it  was  converted 
into  a  public  park  in  1873.  The  plum  blossoms  are  famed  for 
their  beauty,  and  in  March  they  attract  many  visitors  from 
Tokyo.  From  a  high  point  in  the  garden  one  commands  a 
splendid  view  over  the  lower  town,  the  shallow  Semba  Lake, 
(fine  lotus  blooms  in  Aug.)  and  the  environing  country.  The 
conspicuous  monument  was  inscribed  by  Nariaki,  who  played 
a  prominent  part  in  the  opening  of  Japan  to  foreigners. 

*  Nariaki '  (says  Mr.  Papinot)  '  was  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Imperial 
Restoration.  He  caused  his  samurai  to  study  military  art,  and  had  war 
instruments  made.  The  plausible  cause  of  these  preparations  was  the 
urgent  necessity  of  repulsing  the  foreigners,  whose  ships  were  then  frequently 
entering  Japanese  waters.  The  Bakufu,  fearing  some  disguised  designs,  be- 
came suspicious,  and  in  1844,  Nariaki  and  his  adviser  Fujita  Toko  were 
confined  to  Komagome  (Yedo).  They  were  liberated  only  when  Commodore 
Perry's  arrival  had  brought  the  anxiety  of  the  shogun' s  government  to  a  cli- 
max, and  Nariaki  was  entrusted  with  the  preparations  for  the  defense  of  the 
country  (1853).  He  then  ordered  the  forts  in  TokyS  Bay  to  be  erected,  estab- 
lished arsenals  in  Yedo,  Osaka,  etc.,  but  found  a  fierce  antagonist  on  ques- 


MITO 


17.  Route.  307 


tions  relating  to  foreigners,  in  the  person  of  Ii  Naosuke  Kamon  no  Kami, 
Minister  of  the  shogun.  This  statesman  believed  that  Japan  would  meet 
certain  failure  in  trying  to  oppose  the  powers,  and  therefore  favored  a  policy 
of  conciliation,  which  conviction  he  put  in  practice  by  signing  treaties  with 
the  United  States,  Holland,  etc.  These  two  men  thus  became  the  leaders  of 
two  opposite  parties:  Nariaki  working  at  the  Imperial  Restoration  and  the 
expulsion  of  foreigners;  Naosuke  attempting  to  save  the  government  of  the 
shogun  and  to  open  Japan  to  external  commerce.  To  attain  his  ends, 
Nariaki  proposed  his  son  Keiki  as  successor  to  the  shogun,  Iesada  (1858), 
but  at  this  time  Naosuke  was  the  most  influential  and  he  obtained  the  elec- 
tion of  Iemochi  of  the  Kii  branch,  and  Nariaki  was  again  condemned  to 
seclusion.  The  Emperor  Komei,  however,  had  secretly  written  to  Nariaki 
asking  him  to  bring  about  a  change  in  the  policy  of  the  shogun  and  to  expel 
the  barbarians.  This  mark  of  confidence  only  increased  the  hatred  of  the 
Mito  Clan  against  Naosuke,  who  was  assassinated  whilst  going  to  the 
Palace,  March,  1860.  Nariaki' s  triumph  was  short:  he  died  in  Sept.  of  the 
same  year.'  —  A  fine  bronze  monument  stands  in  Yokohama  to  the  memory 
of  Naosuke,  whose  castle  overlooks  Lake  Biwa. 

A  favorite  resort  of  the  Mito  folks  is  the  seaside  town  (7  M. 
rly.)  of  Oarai,  where  there  are  some  fantastic  rocks  over  which 
the  ocean  breakers  dash  impetuously  and  form  beautiful  pic- 
tures. The  coast  is  noted  for  its  charm.  A  branch  rly.  runs 
N.W.  to  12  M.  Ota,  where  some  of  the  early  Mito  daimyds  are 
buried.  A  specialty  of  Mito  is  good  paper,  and  a  sweetmeat 
called  mushiyokan  made  of  red  beans  (an)  mixed  with  flour, 
sweetened,  and  filtered  through  a  cloth. 

Northward  from  M ito  the  rly.  traverses  a  splendidly  wooded 
country  marked  by  fine  groves  of  feathery  bamboos  and  slim 
young  pine  trees.  Beguiling  sea  views  are  features  of  the  road 
beyond  85  M.  Omika,  where  the  coast  is  dotted  with  pictur- 
esque fishing-hamlets.  The  old  highroad  (good  for  motor-cars) 
which  follows  the  shore  is  flanked  on  both  sides  by  long  lines  of 
grotesque  pine  trees,  which  in  Japan  appear  to  love  the  prox- 
imity of  the  sea  and  the  sound  of  the  waves  as  does  Cocos 
nuczfera  of  the  lower  tropics.  Excellent  peaches,  pears,  and 
tobacco  are  raised  in  the  region.  A  number  of  tunnels  mark 
the  line  to  114  M.  Nakoso,  a  small  town  near  the  border  of 
Iwaki  Province,  celebrated  in  song  and  story  for  a  barrier 
which  anciently  separated  Kubota,  in  Iwaki,  from  Sekimoto,  in 
Hitachi.  All  travelers  were  halted  at  this  barrier  and  subjected 
to  a  searching  examination  before  being  allowed  to  pass.  125 
M.  Yumoto  has  hot  mineral  springs  and  is  2  M.  from  the  pro- 
lific Onoda  Coal  Mines.  —  The  hills  around  about  are  heavy 
with  coal,  and  many  of  the  neighboring  stations  have  chutes 
connected  directly  with  small  mines.  Vitrified  bricks  are  made 
in  the  vicinity. 

130  M.  Taira  (Inn:  Sumiyoshiya,  ¥2),  a  busy  little  town 
with  15,000  inhabs.,  is  the  E.  terminus  of  the  rly.  which 
diverges  left  and  runs  across  country  to  Koriyama  (p.  321). 
Anciently  it  was  an  important  castle  town,  and  perhaps 
derives  its  name  from  the  fact  that  the  castle  (erected  in  the 
14th  cent.)  was  long  held  by  t?he  Iwaki,  a  powerful  family 
which  descended  from  the  historic  Taira.  —  The  sea  views 


308   Route  17.  SENDAI 


beyond  are  charming,  and  are  nearly  always  supplemented  by 
groves  of  fantastic  pine  trees  standing  near  the  shore.  The 
pounding  of  the  surf  on  the  shingly  beaches  rises  above  the 
noise  of  the  train;  splendid  curling  breakers  rush  in  ceaselessly 
to  break  and  spread  like  sheets  of  glass  over  the  wide  sands. 
In  places,  wooded  promontories  come  down  to  dip  their  feet 
in  the  blue  waters,  and  in  the  small  ravines  which  gash  their 
sides  tidy  little  fishing-hamlets  snuggle  *  restfully.  In  the 
spring  and  summer  a  riot  of  red  and  yellow  lilies,  delicate  blue 
hydrangeas,  harebells,  and  many  other  lovely  wild  flowers 
deck  the  slopes.  The  ringing  call  of  the  cicada  is  incessant, 
and  a  tropical  charm  pervades  the  region. 

183  M.  Nakamura  (Inn:  Mogamiya,  ¥2)  produces  fine  fruits 
and  mulberries  and  is  the  metropolis  for  several  pretty  hamlets 
that  overlook  the  near-by  sea.  Prominent  among  these  is 
(2|  M.)  Haragama  (Inn:  Haragama  Hotel,  ¥2.50),  and  (4  M.) 
Matsukawa-ura,  on  a  big  lagoon  noted  for  its  charming  scenery. 
A  cape  called  Cormorant  Tail  is  specially  selected  by  the 
natives  for  its  beauty,  as  from  this  vantage-point  a  dozen 
exquisite  sea-scapes  studded  with  pine-clad  islets  are  visible. 
At  213  M.  Iwanuma  Jet.,  a  town  just  over  the  line  in  Rikuzen 
Province,  the  JobanLine  loses  its  identity  and  merges  with  the 
North-Eastern  Line.  Travelers  bound  for  points  on  the  Ou 
Line  must  return  S.  to  Fukushima  (p.  322).  There  are  several 
native  inns  opposite  the  station.  The  traveler  who  may  have 
planned  to  make  Sendai  his  point  of  departure  for  the  lovely 
Matsushima  will  do  better  to  proceed  direct  to  that  place, 
where  the  hotel  accommodations  are  more  satisfactory. 

226  M.  Sendai  (217  M.  over  the  main  line),  capital  of 
Rikuzen  Province  and  of  Miyagi  Prefecture,  one  of  the  most 
important  cities  (pop.  100,000;  220  ft.  above  the  sea)  in  N. 
Japan,  though  picturesque  in  some  of  its  features,  contains 
but  little  of  interest  to  foreign  travelers. 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix) .  There  is  a  restaurant  upstairs  in  the  rly.  station 
where  good  rice,  eggs,  fish,  fried  potatoes,  hot  boiled  milk,  etc.,  can  be  had  at 
reasonable  prices.  The  Mutsu  Hotel  (an  inn)  stands  at  the  right  of  the 
station;  ¥3.50  and  upward.  The  Sendai  Hotel  (not  recommended)  stands 
opposite;  room  and  meals  in  a  so-called  foreign  style  from  ¥6  and  upward 
(or  as  much  as  the  proprietor  thinks  his  unfortunate  guest  will  pay).  The 
traveler  is  advised  to  reach  a  definite  agreement  before  the  room  is  engaged; 
to  ask  the  price  of  everything  in  advance;  to  scrutinize  every  item  in  the 
bill;  take  nothing  for  granted,  and  to  expect  no  attention  from  the  servants. 
Foreigners  are  looked  upon  as  strange  animals  with  only  money  to  recom- 
mend them.  The  hotel  charge  for  bringing  2  or  3  hand-bags  from  the  (100 
yards)  station  is  30-50  sen;  the  cost  of  a  jinriki  for  the  same  service  is  5-10 
sen.  —  A  line  of  runners  from  the  different  inns  stands  just  outside  the 
station  and  touts  for  guests. 

The  busiest  quarter  of  the  city  stretches  away  to  the  left  of 
the  station  and  extends  to  the  turbulent  Hirose-gawa,  which 
flows  rapidly  past.  Beyond  this  is  the  castle  and  temples 
referred  to  below.  The  Permanent  Exhibit  (Hakubutsukwan), 
where  the  chief  products  of  Miyagi-ken  are  sold  at  fixed  prices, 


Tansu. 


SENDAI  17.  Route.  309 


stands  in  a  park  along  with  the  Prefectural  Office,  under  a  mile 
from  the  station,  near  a  pretty  spring  known  locally  as  the 
Nonaka-no-Shimizu.  One  of  the  specialties  of  the  city  is  the 
manufacture  of  numerous  small  articles  of  use  and  ornament, 
from  a  heavy  dark-brown  lignite  called  Jindai-boku  (lit., 
'mythological-age  wood  ')  found  in  quantities  in  the  vicinity; 
slabs  of  this  imperfectly  formed  coal  are  often  seen  stacked  in 
front  of  the  small  workshops  or  being  brought  in  on  the  backs 
of  horses.  The  chests  of  drawers  {tansu1)  seen  in  many  of  the 
shops  are  also  a  specialty;  some  are  known  to  the  trade  as 
Sendai  Cabinets;  prices  range  from  10  yen  (for  unseasoned  pine 
wood)  up  to  100  yen  for  good,  well-seasoned  keyaki  chests 
elaborately  ornamented  with  chased  or  inlaid  metal  enrich- 
ments. As  prices  are  flexible  the  average  traveler  will  usually 
do  better  to  buy  such  articles  of  reputable  curio-dealers  in 
Yokohama,  Tokyo,  or  Kyoto.  The  iron  ornaments,  sometimes 
8-10  in.  in  diameter,  rust  unless  protected  by  a  coating  of  oil. 
—  Features  of  the  Sendai  architecture  are  the  massive  roof 
ridges,  which  sometimes  carry  several  superimposed  layers  of 
heavy  tiles  accompanied  by  strikingly  elaborate  antefixes. 
There  is  a  Catholic  Church  in  Minami-machidori,  and 
several  foreign  missions  elsewhere  in  the  city.  Sendai  was 
almost  annihilated  by  the  great  earthquake  of  1835,  and  it 
suffered  grievously  during  the  war  for  the  Restoration.  The 
Penitentiary  is  one  of  the  largest  in  Japan. 

The  commanding  hill  on  which  the  Zuiho-den  (temple) 
stands  is  in  the  N.W.  quarter,  beyond  the  broad  and  swift 
Hirose-gawa  —  which  flows  between  high  banks  and  is  popular 
as  a  bathing-place.  Dense  groves  of  lofty  cryptomerias  rise  in 
serried,  gloomy  ranks  on  the  hillside,  and  impart  a  curiously 
mediaeval  aspect.  The  approach  (after  crossing  the  foot- 
bridge) is  around  at  the  right  through  a  handsome  avenue  of 
splendid  cryptomerias.  The  incline  leads  up  first  to  a  tall,  flat 
memorial  slab  commemorating  the  hundred  or  more  soldiers 
who  fell  in  the  Satsuma  Rebellion.  Then  it  turns  up  left  to  a 
flight  of  moss-grown,  shaded  steps  recalling  the  great  ave- 
nues to  the  Nikko  mausolea.  The  front  gate  to  the  temple 
(left)  is  locked  and  weather-boarded;  the  key  to  the  small,  low 
gate  at  the  right  is  kept  by  the  custodian  who  lives  in  the  house 
at  the  right  of  the  monument  erected  (on  the  same  terrace)  by 
Date  Masamune  in  memory  of  the  thousand  Sendai  men  who 
died  in  the  war  for  the  Restoration.  The  inclosed  gate 
(Onarimon)  has  intricately  carved  keyaki  uprights  covered 
with  black  lacquer;  the  tie-  and  cross-beams  are  of  a  handsome 

1  The  tansu  (or  dansu)  is  an  important  article  of  furniture  in  every 
Japanese  household.  Those  made  of  light  but  strong  Paulownia  wood  are 
considered  the  best.  In  the  very  expensive  ones  (sometimes  costing  thou- 
sands of  yen)  gold  replaces  the  iron  trimmings.  The  value  of  a  bride's  outfit 
is  often  gauged  by  the  number  of  tansu  (filled  with  fine  silk  or  linen)  pos- 
sessed by,  or  given  to,  her. 


310   Route  17.  SENDAI 


brown  wood  said  to  have  come  from  China,  minutely  carved 
and  backed  by  gilt  foil.  The  16-petal  chrysanthemum  crests 
are  retained  by  special  permission  of  the  Emperor.  The  maze 
of  polychromatic  sculptured  dragons,  flowers,  and  mythologi- 
cal animals  is  inferior  to  similar  work  at  Shiba  Park  and  Nikkd. 
The  shrine  at  the  left  contains  nothing  of  interest,  but  the 
green  bronze  bell  and  the  laver  just  within  the  entrance  are 
worth  looking  at.  At  the  top  of  the  steps  stands  the  Haiden, 
of  faded  black  lacquer  covered  with  tawdry  decorations.  The 
Karamon,  or  Chinese  Gate,  just  behind,  with  carvings  of 
dragons,  flowers,  tigers,  etc.,  is  sadly  neglected.  Still  farther 
behind  is  the  Oku-no-in,  with  some  polychromatic  sculptures 
in  wood  of  Dogs  of  Fo,  tennin,  phoenixes,  and  what-not.  The 
carved  panels  above  the  window  openings,  at  each  side  of  the 
door,  with  multi-colored  phcenixes  in  low  relief  surrounded  by 
foliated  flowers  and  wave  patterns,  are  good  examples  of  17th- 
cent.  work.  Though  attributed  to  Hidari  Jingoro,  they  are 
not  by  him.  Masamune1  s  distinguishing  Crest  is  seen  among 
the  carved  lotuses,  peonies,  and  chrysanthemums  of  the  lower 
panels.  Inside  the  building  (closed  to  all  who  do  not  bring  a 
special  permit  from  Tokyo)  is  an  elaborate  reliquary  enshrin- 
ing a  well-carved  figure  of  Masamune;  ranged  along  the  inner 
walls  are  some  excellently  preserved  painted  and  gilded  panels 
ascribed  to  Kano  Tanyu.  The  several  stone  monuments  in 
the  yard  stand  above  the  graves  of  Masamune1  s  retainers  who 
killed  themselves  when  their  lord  and  master  died. 

Leaving  the  main  temple  we  cross  the  terrace  and  follow  the 
path  uphill  at  the  right  of  the  custodian's  house,  to  two  other 
buildings,  both  called  Oku-no-in  and  both  dating  from  1650; 
the  carvings  on  the  facade  of  the  one  at  the  right  are  excellent. 
The  glittering  interior  is  conspicuous  for  an  elaborate  shrine 
with  a  seated  wood  image  of  Date  Tadamune,  son  of  Masamune 
and  a  special  favorfte  of  the  shogun,  Iemitsu.  The  structure  is 
a  maze  of  gilt,  lustrous  black  lacquer,  richly  colored  carvings 
and  diapering,  with  a  double  roof  upheld  by  a  complicated 
system  of  highly  decorated  compound  brackets,  equal  in  some 
ways  to  the  best  work  at  Nikko.  The  tombs  at  the  right  and 
left  in  the  yard  are  those  of  retainers  who  committed  harakiri 
when  Masamune  died.  —  The.  weather-beaten  edifice  at  the 
left  has  some  curious  griffins  at  the  four  corners  of  the  tiled 
roof ;  the  sculptures  of  the  exterior  have  been  almost  obliter- 
ated by  the  hand  of  time.  The  interior  has  some  gilt  mortuary 
tablets  of  long-dead  notables,  and  a  strikingly  spectacular 
shrine  of  gold-lacquer  and  metal.  The  carved  doors  are  gems 
in  their  way.  —  The  entire  hilltop  is  covered  with  old  Buddhist 
graveyards. 

Date  Masamune  (b.  1566;  d.  1636)  succeeded  his  father  in  the  daimiate 
when  he  was  18,  and  at  that  early  age  began  an  aggressive  campaign  against 
his  neighbors  in  an  effort  to  increase  his  domains.  By  1589  he  had  made 
himself  master  of  Aizu  and  established  his  residence  in  the  Wakamatsu 


Park  Hotel. 


MATSUSHIMA         17.  Route.  311 


castle;  but  Hideyoshi,  who  had  triumphed  over  the  Odawara  Hojo,  forced 
him  to  be  content  with  the  Yonezawa  fief.  He  sided  with  Hideyoshi  in  his 
Korean  policy,  and  in  1600  Tokugawa  Ieyasu  ordered  him  to  make  war  on 
the  powerful  Uesugi  family,  which  he  did  successfully  and  received  therefor 
the  12  districts  formerly  possessed  by  them,  with  a  castle  at  Sendai,  which 
then  became  his  residence.  He  was,  at  first,  favorable  to  the  introduction 
into  Japan  of  the  type  of  Christianity  brought  by  the  Portuguese,  and  when 
the  shogun,  Hidetada,  persecuted  the  converts  at  Tokyo  he  obtained  the 
release  of  Father  Luis  Sotelo  (a  Spanish  Franciscan  friar  who  came  to  Japan 
in  1606  and  was  burned  alive  in  1624)  and  commissioned  him  to  accompany 
an  embassy  he  was  sending  to  the  Pope  and  to  the  King  of  Spain.  This,  and 
other  overt  aids  to  the  Christians,  brought  upon  him  the  mild  displeasure  of 
the  shogun  and  caused  him  to  become  a  persecutor  of  them.  He  died  at  the 
age  of  70,  renowned  as  a  warrior,  a  diplomat,  a  protector  of  learning,  and 
as  a  rich  and  powerful  daimyd.  His  son,  Date  Tadamune,  succeeded  him  in 
the  daimiate  of  Sendai,  and  died  in  1658.- 

Northward  from  Sendai  the  train  crosses  a  wide  and  fertile 
plain  (one  of  the  finest  in  Japan),  level  as  a  floor  and  famous  for 
the  excellence  of  the  rice  grown  on  it.  At  231  M.  Iwakiri  Jet., 
a  branch  line  diverges  E.  to  4  M.  Shiogama.  Travelers  whose 
destination  is  Matsushima  can  reach  Shioga?na  to  better 
advantage  from  that  point,  and  make  it  the  object  of  a  pic- 
turesque trip  through  the  beautiful  bay. 

241  M.  Matsushima  Station  stands  2  M.  W.  of  the  town  N 
and  bay  of  the  same  name,  both  of  which  are  reached  easily 
over  a  good  road  in  \  hr.  (jinriki,  25  sen;  a  light  rly.  is  pro- 
jected). The  town  proper  overlooks  one  of  the  loveliest, 
stretches  of  sea  in  Japan  and  is  usually  ranked  first  in  the 
fThree  Great  Sights/  It  has  been  famed  for  its  beauty  since 
very  earT^times,  perhaps  the  8th  cent.,  when  the  Ainu  were 
driven  northward  and  the  region  was  colonized  by  southern 
settlers.  Few  places  are  more  charmingly  situated,  and  a  more 
restful  place  could  scarcely  be  imagined.  The  morning,  the 
twilight,  and,  above  all,  the  moonlit  views  of  the  graceful 
islets,  which  rise  like  beautiful  green  cameos  from  an  opales- 
cent sea,  would  take  the  nerve-strain  out  of  the  most  rebellious  J 
subjec^-^^s. 

The  f  Par k  Hotel  '(Tel.  address:  'Hotel,'  Matsushima),  a  handsome  new 
structurVsCoinbiniiig  Japanese  charm  with  foreign  comfort,  occupies  a 
beautiful  srf^lTverlooking  the  sea,  in  the  midst  of  a  pretty  landscape  garden. 
Fine  views  from  the  upper  floor.  Rates  from  ¥6  and  upward,  Am.  pi.,  accord- 
ing to  location  of  room.  Cheaper  in  the  Japanese  wing.  Baths  free.  The 
English-speaking  manager  will  help  the  traveler  plan  fishing-  and  hunting- 
trips,  cruises  through  the  islands  to  adjacent  points  on  the  coast,  etc. 
Apartments  can  be  engaged  through  the  Seiyoken  Hotel. (which  is  under  the 
same  management)  at  T5ky6. 

Matsu-shima  (Pine-island)  Bay  faces  the  Pacific  Ocean  in 
lat.  38°  22'  40"  N.,  and  in  long.  141°  5'  28"  E.,  is  8|  M.  from 
E.  to  W.  and  7|  from  N.  to  S.,  and  is  said  to  contain  808 
islands.  The  region  is  often  referred  to  as  the  '808  islands/ 
albeit  there  are  but  about  300.  Of  these  120  are  of  more  or  less 
importance,  and  about  80  are  visible  on  the  trip  from  Matsushima 
to  Shiogama.  Their  average  height  is  from  60  to  80  ft.,  the 
highest  being  about  300  ft.  All  are  of  friable  volcanic  tufa  that 


312   Route  17.  MATSUSHIMA 


The  Bay. 


once  formed  a  part  of  the  mainland;  the  constant  erosion  of 
wind  and  water  is  slowly  changing  the  shape  and  reduc- 
ing them,  as  if  Nature  were  dissatisfied  with  her  beautiful 
handiwork.  Many  of  the  islets  are  of  fantastic  shapes,  and  all 
bear  more  or  less  fanciful  names  — 1  Buddha's  Entry  into  Nir- 
vana ' ;  1  The  Twelve  Imperial  Consorts  ' ;  '  Never  Growing 
Old  Island/  etc.  Many  are  named  after  local  gods;  the  sun, 
moon,  animals,  and  what-not.  Some  are  inhabited;  others 
(notably  Hashi-kaki-jima)  have  tunnels  worn  through  them 
by  the  action  of  the  waves.  Some  are  bare,  but  many  are 
crowned  with  grotesque  pine  trees  which  stretch  their  gaunt 
arms  overhead  or  reach  them  down  along  their  precipitous 
sides.  When  the  wind  whips  and  sways  them,  they  look  almost 
human  as  they  thrash  about  as  if  appealing  for  help.  Like 
many  lovely  things  Matsushima  is  capricious,  and  is  subject 
to  moods.  The  Japanese  find  beauty  in  it  under  all  circum- 
stances; when  it  lies  soothed  and  hushed  under  golden  sunlight ; 
when  wrapped  in  mist,  or  drenched  in  rain;  or  when  the  moon- 
light idealizes  it  and  imparts  an  almost  superhuman  beauty 
to  it.  On  a  perfect  day  in  June,  when  white-sailed  junks  drift 
lazily  over  the  translucent  water  and  blend  their  ghostly  shad- 
ows in  the  depths  with  those  of  the  billowy  galleons  that  ride 
majestically  across  the  airy  sea  above,  the  bay  seems  touched 
by  the  magic  hand  of  some  transcendent  genius,  and  its  beauty 
is  one  that  lingers  long  in  the  mind.  On  the  evening  of  such  a 
day,  when  the  rose  and  gold  of  a  gorgeous  sunset  gilds  the  sum- 
mits of  the  scores  of  islands  and  brings  the  painted  pines  into 
sharp  relief  against  the  gray-blue  eastern  sky,  the  scene  is 
enchanting.  The  surface  of  the  inner  bay  is  free  of  islands,  and 
is  often  streaked  with  crinkly  currents  and  tide-rips  that 
reflect  a  different  tint  for  every  moment  of  the  day,  but  always 
harmonizing  with  the  cloudscapes  —  now  gray  and  tender  and 
wistful,  now  blue  and  winsome  and  radiant.  The  native  artists 
are  said  to  love  the  region  best  when  soft,  deep,  clinging  snows 
cover  all  the  islets,  and  envelop  the  tortured  arms  of  the  fan- 
tastic pines  in  thick  white  rolls  like  cotton  batting.  The  shal- 
low bay  is  sometimes  sown  with  reed  mazes  planted  by  the 
fishermen  to  entrap  the  fish  that  swim  in  from  the  ocean.  The 
hotel  launch  takes  guests  to  the  prettiest  spots,  as  well  as  to 
the  high  places  where  one  may  command  vistas  of  the  finest 
stretches.  The  prefect ural  government  of  Miyagi  is  spending 
¥350,000  to  improve  the  roads  and  beautify  the  locality,  and 
maple,  cherry,  and  pine  trees  are  being  planted  in  likely  places 
to  enhance  the  charm. 

A  popular  excursion  is  to  (30  M.)  Kinkazan  ('Golden 
Flower  Mt.'),  a  quasi-sacred  island  on  the  sea  side  of  the 
Matsushima  group,  off  the  extreme  S.  point  of  the  protecting 
Toshima  Peninsula.  This  trip  should  be  taken  in  the  hotel 
launch  in  preference  to  a  smaller  boat,  as  the  channel  which 


Kinkazan. 


MATSUSHIMA         17.  Route.  313 


separates  the  island  from  the  mainland  can  be  rough  and 
decidedly  uncomfortable.  Travelers  may  wish  to  bear  in  mind 
that  the  innkeeper  at  Aikawa,  the  fishing- village  whence  small 
boats  put  out  for  Kinkazan,  customarily  charges  foreigners 
¥5  a  day  for  the  same  accommodations  given  to  Japanese  for 
¥1.50;  also  that  the  boatmen  demand  50  sen  of  the  latter  and 
accept  10  sen  from  the  former.  Likewise  that  whosoever  sleeps 
on  the  island  must  lodge  in  the  temple,  and  that  although  ¥2 
is  ample  for  3  meals  and  a  bed,  the  covetous  priests  have  been 
known  to  demand  100  yen  of  foreigners.  When  accompanied 
by  some  one  from  the  hotel  such  extortions  are  not  attempted 
upon  the  stranger.  The  highest  point  of  the  island  is  1470  ft.; 
the  deer  are  considered  sacred.  The  regular  steamers  of  the 
Nippon  Yusan  Kaishd's  Kobe-Otaru  Coast  Line  touch  fre- 
quently at  Oginohama  (277  M.  from  Yokohama;  fare,  ¥6,  1st 
cl.),  N.  of  Aikawa,  and  the  company's  launch  lands  passengers 
at  (26  M.)  Shiogama.  There  is  a  wireless  telegraph  station  at 
the  lighthouse  at  the  S.  E.  end  of  Kinkazan,  whence  the  red 
and  white  light  which  flashes  alternately  every  10  seconds  is 
visible  19  M.  at  sea.  N.E.  of  Kinkazan  lies  the  great  Tuscarora 
Deep,  one  of  the  profoundest  sea-depressions  (5  M.  deep)  in 
the  world.  —  A  boatload  of  fishermen  who  were  swept  out  to 
sea  in  a  storm  off  Kinkazan  in  1912,  drifted  to  the  California 
coast,  near  San  Diego,  in  40  days,  and  added  weight  to  the 
belief  that  the  Japanese  visited  the  American  continent  many 
years  before  Columbus  dreamed  ^of  it.  (See  p.  cxlvi.) 

The  Temple  of  Zuiganji  at  Matsushima  stands  at  the  far  end 
of  a  finely  shaded  avenue  of  lofty  cryptomerias  and  is  dedicated 
to  Date  Masamune,  its  founder.  His  sculptured  figure  (with 
one  eye)  may  be  seen  in  the  reliquary.  At  the  back  of  a  grove 
of  pine  trees  near  the  entrance  to  the  building  are  some  curious 
caves  patterned  after  the  rock-caves  of  India,  and  called 
Yezo-ana  —  perhaps  from  the  belief  that  they  were  excavated 
by  the  Ainu  of  Yezo.  At  the  left  of  the  outer  temple  court  is 
another  cave  with  two  stone  slabs  and  figures  of  Kwannon 
incised  on  them.  The  old  iron  lantern  (left)  near  the  big  bronze 
Jizo  is  made  of  imported  iron,  and  is  remarkably  preserved  to 
have  been  exposed  to  the  salt  air  for  upward  of  two  centuries. 
The  most  conspicuous  features  of  the  interior  of  the  temple, 
once  magnificent  but  now  sadly  faded,  are  the  panels  of  the 
inner  doors  painted  to  resemble  shell-work.  Shells  and  other 
marine  products  are  the  specialties  of  the  numerous  little  shops 
near  the  steamer  landing.  Several  of  the  small  islands  near  the 
shore  are  linked  thereto  by  picturesque  bridges.  There  are  a 
number  of  pretty  walks  in  the  vicinity,  and  from  the  adjacent 
hills  one  can  get  splendid  panoramas  of  the  bay  and  its  multi- 
tude of  islands.  The  best  of  these  is  seen  from  Tomi-yama 
(3  M.  from  the  hotel;  jinriki  for  the  round  trip,  ¥1),  at  the  left 
of  the  town  as  we  face  the  sea.  The  last  part  of  the  climb  must 


314   Route  17.  SHIOGAMA 


be  made  on  foot.  The  Taikdji  Temple  on  the  summit  is  unin- 
teresting, but  the  view  from  it  is  delightful.  A  smaller  hill, 
Shin-Tomi-yama,  10  min.  walk  from  the  hotel,  also  affords 
wide  view.  The  best  of  the  near-by  excursions  is  to  the  pic- 
turesque and  some-time  popular  port  of  (5  M.) 

Shiogama.  The  hotel  management  will  plan  a  sailing  ex- 
cursion, and  this  will  prove  the  best  way  to  see  the  attractive 
shore  and  the  reaches  of  the  inner  bay.  With  a  gentle  breeze 
and  a  blue  sky  such  a  trip  down  the  bay  is  delightful.  Facing 
the  landing,  near  the  rly.  station  at  Shiogama,  are  several  inns 
{Shiogama;  Yebi,  and  others;  all  in  the  native  style;  ¥2.  50  and 
upward) .  An  inn  popular  with  the  better-class  natives  is  the 
Shogaro,  the  one-time  dwelling  of  a  daimyo,  on  a  hill  10  min. 
to  the  right  of  the  landing;  Japanese  beds  with  semi-foreign 
food,  from  ¥4  a  day. 

The  Shiogama-jinja,  a  Shinto  shrine  in  a  fine  situation  amid  towering 
cryptomerias  and  other  trees  (follow  the  main  st.  at  the  left  of  the  S.S. 
landing  to  a  big  torii),  stands  on  a  lofty  terrace  reached  by  199  steps  and  has 
some  good  bronzes  in  the  outer  court.  The  huge  laver  upheld  by  4  crouching 
demons  is  noteworthy.  The  unattractive  iron  lantern  in  the  2d  court  is  more 
than  a  hundred  years  old.  Its  unusually  ugly,  squat  counterpart,  on  a 
pedestal  at  the  right  of  the  temple  entrance,  is  a  curious  relic,  made  of  iron 
said  to  have  come  from  India  and  to  have  been  presented  to  the  shrine  in 
1187  by  Izumi  Saburo  (or  Fujiwara.  Tadahira,  3d  son  of  Hidehira).  The 
priests  are  emphatic  in  their  statement  that  the  relic  is  original.  Metallur- 
gists have  yet  to  explain  its  remarkable  preservation.  The  lantern  at  the 
left  is  a  copy  of  the  above.  The  quaint  old  cherry  tree  at  the  right,  the 
Shiogama-sakura,  is  said  to  be  400  yrs.  old.  The  stone  sun-dial  incised  with 
Roman  letters  dates  from  1783.  The  shrine  was  founded  by  Date  Masamune 
and  is  dedicated  to  the  ancient  deity  referred  to  below. 

Leaving  the  temple  grounds  by  the  path  at  the  right,  descending  a  series 
of  steps  and  turning  again  to  the  right,  we  pass  beneath  a  big  stone  torii, 
cross  the  main  street,  and  come  to  a  small  and  tawdry  structure  called  Kama- 
no-Yashiro,  or  Iron  Pot  Shrine.  Within  a  double  inclosure  at  the  left  (fee, 
1  sen)  are  4  rusted  iron  cauldrons  about  1  ft.  high,  5  ft.  in  diameter,  and  said 
to  be  the  original  vats  (kama,  or  gama)  in  which  (more  than  a  millennium 
ago)  the  first  salt  (shio,  or  shiwo)  was  evaporated  from  sea-water  —  a  state- 
ment which  many  travelers  will  perhaps  wish  to  take  with  a  grain  of  the 
original  article!  A  legend  relates  that  a  famous  deity  once  used  to  make  salt 
here  in  7  such  pans,  which  he  secured  from  the  Riugu-jd,  a  beautiful  castle 
at  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  Thieves  came  by  night,  and  endeavored  to  carry 
them  off  in  a  boat,  but  barking  dogs  gave  warning  to  the  god.  He  said  that 
as  the  pans  had  come  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  they  should  return  thither ; 
whereupon  he  raised  a  great  storm  that  overwhelmed  the  robbers  and  their 
loot.  The  entrance  tickets  are  usually  retained  by  pilgrims  as  evidence  that 
they  have  seen  the  wonderful  pans  that  remain. 

Northward  from  Matsushima  the  line  runs  far  from  the 
sea  over  a  pleasing  and  productive  country  marked  by  many 
fantastic  pine  trees;  soon  we  leave  Rikuzen  Province  and  enter 
the  wide  and  rich  Rikuchu,  anciently  one  of  the  greatest  fiefs 
in  Old  Japan.  282  M.  Ichinoseki  (Inn:  Ishibashi,  ¥2.  50),  in  a 
pretty  valley  drained  by  the  Iwai  River,  was  until  1671  the 
residence  of  Date  Munekatsu,  sl  son  of  Date  Masamune.  From 
1695  to  1868  it  was  the  chosen  retreat  of  the  powerful  Tamura 
family.  For  many  miles  the  rly.  follows  the  valley  of  the 
important  Kitakami  River,  which  rises  in  the  Nanashigure 


Yoshitsune.     CHUSONJI  MONASTERY    17.  Route.  315 


Mts.,  flows  past  Morioka,  Hanamaki,  and  Mizusawa,  —  serv- 
ing as  a  fluvial  highway  between  these  and  other  towns,  — 
then,  after  traversing  Rikuzen  Province,  empties  (after  a  run 
of  about  175  M.)  into  the  sea  at  Ishinomaki  (near  Matsushima). 
When  it  overflows  its  banks,  the  ambitious  fishermen  take 
great  scoop-nets  which  they  push  before  them  and  comb  the 
submerged  land  for  small  fish  and  eels.  Considerable  hemp 
(asa)  is  grown  in  the  region,  the  stout  fibers  being  made  into 
linen.  287  M.  Hiraizumi  is  recorded  in  history  as  the  place 
where  Fujiwara  Kiyohira  erected  (in  1094)  a  huge  castle  that 
was  occupied  by  his  descendants  until  1189,  when  they  were 
dispossessed  and  the  structure  razed.  A  relic  of  the  early  pros- 
perity of  the  place  is  the  widely  known  Chusonji  Monastery 
(1\  M.  from  the  station;  jinriki,  15  sen),  founded  in  850  by 
Jikaku-Daishi  and  made  prominent  by  Kiyohira  —  by  whom 
it  was  rebuilt  in  1105.  A  long  dynasty  of  princes  (who  now  lie 
buried  there)  aided  to  sustain  the  reputation  of  the  temple, 
whose  annexes  (many  of  which  were  burned  in  1334)  at  one 
time  numbered  40  and  were  presided  over  by  300  priests. 
Though  now  mere  shadows  of  former  greatness,  the  remaining 
buildings  —  the  Konjiki-do,  or  Golden  Temple,  the  Kyodo, 
etc.  —  are  revered  by  the  Japanese  for  their  enshrined  relics 
of  the  warrior  Yoshitsune  and  his  faithful  Benkei  who  died  near 
by.  Among  them  are  pictures  of  these  worthies;  Benkei1  s 
sword ;  some  excellently  carved  images  of  several  of  the  deities 
worshiped  by  the  Buddhists  of  the  Tendai  sect  (to  whom  the 
structures  belong);  and  some  handsome  and  well-preserved 
Buddhist  sutras.  The  one-time  splendid  decorations  of  the 
temples  have  succumbed  to  the  assaults  of  time  and  are  now 
devoid  of  beauty.  The  fine  cryptomeria  avenue  which  marks 
the  approach  to  the  main  shrine,  and  where  the  high  dignitaries 
of  ancient  times,  as  well  as  the  modern  traveler,  must  descend 
from  his  jinriki,  recalls  certain  of  the  superb  avenues  of  Nikko. 

A  short  distance  beyond  Hiraizumi  the  train  crosses  the 
Koromo  River,  celebrated  as  the  place  where  the  intrepid 
Yoshitsune  died  fighting.  The  larger  stream  at  the  right,  the 
Kitakami-gawa,  reminds  American  travelers  of  the  Arkansas; 
many  miles  of  the  valley  land  is  devoted  to  rice-growing.  Some 
of  the  farmsteads  are  rendered  picturesque  by  being  surrounded 
by  artificial  hedges  of  great  pine  trees.  The  nondescript  town 
of  298  M.  Mizusawa  was  for  many  years  the  seat  of  the  govern- 
ment (Chinjufu)  of  the  great  Mutsu  Province,  which  during 
the  early  days  embraced  all  of  N.E.  Japan.  The  fine  fruit 
orchards  in  the  region  hereabout  were  grown  from  American 
trees.  The  Waga  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Kitakami,  is  crossed 
just  before  reaching  309  M.  Kurosawajiri  —  a  shipping  point 
for  iron,  copper  ingots,  and  charcoal.  At  317  M.  Hanamaki,  a. 
basha  meets  trains  to  convey  passengers  to  (9  M.)  a  group  of 
hot  springs  (alum  water)  up  the  Toyosawa  Valley.  The  lofty 


316   Route  17,  MORIOKA 


ML  Iwate. 


mts.  visible  at  the  right  (E.)  are  Rokkakuushi  and  Hayachine; 
and  the  left,  Iwate-yama.  Three  rivers  are  seen  to  blend  their 
waters  just  before  we  arrive  at  Morioka,  and  the  rly.  crosses 
the  Shizukuishi-gawa  at  its  junction  with  the  Kitakami. 

339  M.  Morioka  (Inn:  Mutsu-kwan  and  several  others  near 
the  station;  all  from  ¥2.50  and  upward),  capital  of  Rikuchu 
Province  and  of  Iwate  Prefecture,  an  important  town  on  a 
tree-studded  plain  near  the  geographical  center  of  the  province, 
has  36,500  inhabs.,  a  School  of  Forestry,  a  number  of  weather- 
beaten  Buddhist  temples  (of  no  great  interest),  and  is  known 
for  its  fine  fruits  and  preserves.  Prominent  among  the  latter 
is  a  delicious  midzuame  flavored  with  grape  and  sold  in  boxes  at 
20  sen.  The  apples,  peaches,  pears,  quinces,  and  many  of  the 
fine  vegetables  are  of  trees  and  plants  of  American  origin. 
The  city  and  former  fief  of  its  daimyo  is  often  called  Nambu. 
After  having  defeated  Fujiwara  Yasuhira  in  1189,  the  mili- 
tant Yoritomo  divided  the  great  provinces  of  Mutsu  and  Dewa 
among  several  of  his  favorite  officers;  Nambu  Mitsuyoki  thus 
became  the  feudatory  of  5  districts;  in  1596  his  descendants 
built  the  castle  of  Morioka  wherein  their  successors  remained 
down  to  the  Restoration.  Morioka  is  often  made  the  starting- 
point  for  the  (18  M.)  Mt.  Iwate  (6,800  ft.)  or  Ganju-san  (at 
the  N.W.),  known  to  botanists  for  its  beautiful  Alpine  plants. 
The  graceful,  conical  peak  recalls  that  of  Fuji.  Guides  and 
outfits  procurable  from  the  innkeeper. 

Morioka  came  into  considerable  prominence  June  15,  1896,  when  the  coast 
of  the  province  of  which  it  is  the  metropolis  received  the  full  and  unexpected 
force  of  one  of  the  greatest  tidal  waves  of  modern  times.  According  to  a 
published  (verbatim)  report  (by  a  Japanese) :  'This  dreadful  event  happened 
at  half-past  eight  o'clock  in  the  pitch-dark  night,  as  soon  as  the  people 
heard  a  sound  like  a  railway  is  coming,  the  great  waves  as  a  hill  about  one 
hundred  foot  hiegh  boiling  and  rolling  down  with  rapid  course  and  retired  in 
a  few  minute  repeating  its  violence  for  several  times,  and  washed  away  all 
the  seashore  villages  with  the  peaples  and  the  houses  even  the  firms,  it  was 
so  furious  that  there  were  few  men  escaped  but  exception  of  those  in  a  vil- 
lage who  was  fortunately  out  of  the  houses.  Its  damage  extends  more  than 
four  hundred  miles  over  Miyagi  Iwate,  and  Aomori  Prefecture  counting  the 
drowned  nearly  thirty  thousand  peoples  and  more,  mostly  in  Iwate  Prefec- 
ture, it  is  reported  about  twenty  three  thousand,  so  fine  villages  has  suddenly 
changed  like  a  wild  wet  plain,  all  precious  jewels,  money,  and  clothes  were 
all  buried  under  the  mud  or  flowed  away  with  their  food.  The  peoples  who 
escaped  or  was  saved  from  this  danger  now  are  again  afflicting  of  great  lack- 
ing of  the  provisions  and  they  have  no  houses  to  shelter  them  from  the  rain 
and  no  clothes  to  wear.  Though  there  are  some  who  remainds  but  they  are 
too  young  to  work  or  too  old,  even  the  young  men  are  also  unable  to  work 
for  some  of  them  were  almost  severely  hurt  and  some  are  so  wearied  for  they 
were  in  water  for  a  long  while  with  out  any  food.  The  place  appears  like  a 
field  after  battle,  the  muddy  corpse  painfully  lays  here  and  there,  the 
wounded  mothers  are  searching  for  theirs  children's  corpse  with  tears,  and 
pall-looking  infants  are  crying  for  the  lose  of  their  parrants,  the  pleasant- 
looking  houses  suddenly  changed  to  the  sorrowful  houses,  indeed  like  a  hell 
at  present.' 

Northward  from  Morioka  the  rly.  crosses  a  superb  plain  on  a 
rising  gradient;  fine  hills  belted  with  somber  conifers  dot  the 
horizon.  The  excellent  auto  road  is  flanked  by  rows  of  stately 


MABECHI  RIVER       17.  Route.  317 


pine  trees;  white  birches  are  conspicuous  features.  The  plain 
soon  merges  into  rugged  hills  through  whose  silent  vales  swift 
rivers  run,  and  above  which  lofty  mts.  brood  solemnly.  Near 
352  M.  Koma,  the  squat  cone  of  Himegami-dake  rises  at  the 
right  and  recalls  the  fussy  Asama-yama  near  Karuizawa.  The 
Kitami-gawa  is  crossed  before  355  M.  Kawaguchi  is  reached, 
and  beyond  it  the  Yafuka-gawa.  The  valleys  hereabout  are 
beautifully  wooded,  and  considerable  tan-bark  is  shipped  from 
the  stations.  Nakayama  Tunnel,  bored  1593  ft.  through  the 
crest  of  the  Nakayama  Pass,  marks  the  dividing  line  between 
Rikuchu  and  the  northernmost  province  of  Mutsu,  as  well  as 
the  highest  point  on  the  line  between  Tokyo  and  Aomori.  The 
high  slopes  of  the  hillsides  hereabout  are  used  as  horse-breeding 
farms  (Australian  stallions)  by  the  War  Department.  The  line 
now  runs  downward  through  the  fine  valley  of  the  Mabechi 
River,  where  many  of  the  splendid  trees  (conifers  in  great 
variety,  cryptomerias,  Spanish  chestnuts,  birches,  lacquer- 
trees,  etc.)  for  which  Japan  is  known  grow  in  profusion.  In  the 
summer  the  dense  forests  are  festooned  with  climbing  wistaria, 
wild  grapes,  clematis,  spiraea,  hydrangea,  and  a  host  of  other 
flowers.  Many  tunnels  and  many  rivers  are  features  of  the 
line.  Some  of  the  hillsides  are  cultivated  with  such  precision 
that  the  plots  look  as  if  they  had  been  raked  with  an  immense 
comb. 

378  M.  Ichinohe  ('First  outpost')  was  anciently  the  site  of 
a  fortress  aimed  to  check  the  progress  southward  of  the  fighting 
Ainu.  Beyond  the  Torigoe  Tunnel  (3461  ft.  long)  we  get  wide 
and  beautiful  views  of  plains  and  mts.,  conspicuous  among  the 
latter  (right)  Sue-no-matsuyama  (lit.;  ' forever  pine  mt.'),  often 
referred  to  in  poetry  as  symbolical  of  eternal  affection.  On  the 
far  side  of  382  M.  Fukuoka,  the  line  traverses  a  lovely  region 
dotted  with  quaint  farmsteads,  pretty  orchards,  rounded  hills, 
and  productive  valleys.  Many  pollarded  mulberry  trees 
advertise  the  silk  industry,  while  the  numerous  bundles  of 
charcoal  awaiting  shipment  at  the  stations  explain  the  tiny 
huts  and  the  smoke  spirals  on  the  higher  mt.  slopes.  Tobacco 
is  raised  in  quantities.  394  M.  Sannohe  ('Third  outpost') 
was  from  1189  to  1597  the  residence  of  the  daimyos  of  the 
ancient  Narnbu  District,  before  they  moved  to  Morioka.  The 
lofty  peak  at  the  right  is  Naguidake  (2600  ft.).  Many  planta- 
tions of  hops  and  flax  are  seen  as  we  proceed  northward.  The 
country  soon  takes  on  a  more  rugged  aspect.  Of  the  several 
rivers  which  wind  through  it,  the  most  conspicuous  is  the  now 
sluggish  Mabechi-gawa.  From  406  M.  Shiriuchi  Jet.  the  Hachi- 
nohe  (' Eighth  outpost')  Line  leads  E.  to  5  M.  Hachinohe  (Inn: 
Wakamatsu  Hotel,  ¥2.50)  on  the  coast.  The  country  is  now  but 
a  hundred  or  more  ft.  above  the  sea  and  as  level  as  a  table;  rice 
is  the  great  staple.  At  the  far  edge  of  the  plain,  the  crumpled 
ridges  give  way  to  hillocks  whose  untilled  slopes  are  covered 


318   Route  17.  AOMORI 


with  naked_pine  trees.  Beyond  413  M.  Furumaki  the  train 
crosses  the  Oirase  River  which  drains  Lake  Towada,  a  pretty 
mt.  lake  (7  sq.  M.)  1500  ft.  above  sea-level,  on  the  border-line 
between  Mutsu  and  Ugo  Provinces.  The  splendidly  watered, 
rolling  country  which  the  line  now  crosses  reminds  Americans 
of  a  section  of  Iowa;  droves  of  fat  cattle  (an  unusual  sight  in 
Japan)  browse  on  the  meadows  and  form  pleasing  pictures  to 
foreign  eyes.  Herds  of  horses  add  life  to  the  land  near  426  M. 
Numasaki,  where  the  marshy  shore  of  the  wide  Ogara  Lagoon 
bends  in  from  the  sea,  and  suggest  the  vast  wealth  which 
might  be  gathered  from  the  thousands  of  square  miles  of  splen- 
did but  hitherto  unused  grazing-land  of  this  northern  region. 
The  prairie-like  country  continues  to  430  M.  Otsutomo,  where 
the  soil  is  rich,  black,  and  deep;  where  hosts  of  morning- 
glories  deck  the  unfenced  pastures,  and  where  big  locust  trees 
recall  the  sunny  southland  of  the  United  States. 

439  M.  Noheji,  a  port  of  little  consequence  at  the  S.E.  cor- 
ner of  Mutsu  Bay,  is  visible  just  over  the  rise  at  the  right, 
and  faces  a  strip  of  water  called  Noheji-wan.  Snow-sheds  and 
groves  of  somber  firs,  then  long  lines  of  other  evergreen  trees 
and  other  sheds,  dot  the  country  to  443  M.  Karibasawa,  a 
nondescript  station  in  an  idyllic  situation  whence  there  is  a 
beautiful  view  over  the  smiling  land  and  placid  water.  Long 
lines  of  whispering  pine  trees  flank  the  shore;  white-sailed 
junks  dot  the  bay;  the  winsome  blue  of  the  water  is  as  tender 
as  that  of  the  Ionian  Sea,  and  the  outlines  of  the  distant  hills 
as  soft  as  those  of  Sicily  or  Greece.  450  M.  Kominato  is  the 
station  for  several  tidy  little  hamlets  tucked  away  on  tiny 
bays  with  crescent  shores.  The  distant  hills  which  shelter  the 
bay  make  the  water  as  calm  as  that  of  a  pond,  and  few  views 
in  Japan  are  more  pleasing  than  those  which  now  break  in 
succession  as  the  train  follo_ws  the  contour  of  the  shore. 
Directly  across  the  bay,  near  Ominato,  is  a  naval  station  of  the 
War  Department,  and  pictures  taken  with  telephotographic 
lenses  are  inhibited.  456  M.  Asamushi  (Tookan  Hotel,  ¥2.50) 
has  hot  springs  and  is  a  favorite  suburban  resort  of  the  Aomori 
folks.  The  train  runs  on  a  sort  of  trestle  above  the  houses, 
many  of  which  have  clean  tin  roofs.  —  The  rly.  now  turns 
inland  (S.W.),  traverses  a  tunnel  cut  through  a  promontory 
leading  down  to  the  sea;  passes  Nonai  tunnel  and  station; 
crosses  the  Nonai  River;  runs  through  some  pretty  orchards 
and  the  suburban  town  of  Uramachi;  and  stops  at  the  north- 
ernmost terminus  of  the  railways  on  the  main  island  of  Japan, 
1170  M.  from  their  southernmost  terminus  at  Shimonoseki. 

465  M.  Aomori  (or  Awomori),  in  Ao?nori-ken,  Mutsu  Prov- 
ince, has  48,000  inhabs.  and  stands  at  the  southernmost  point 
of  Mutsu  Bay  (often  called  Aomori-wan),  in  lat.  40°  50/  N.and 
long.  140°  45/  E.  of  Greenwich.  The  scattered,  unpicturesque 
and  uninteresting  town  has  unusually  wide  streets  —  the  out- 


TOKYO  TO  THE  HOKKAIDO     18.  Route.  319 


come  of  many  destructive  fires  —  and  it  covers  a  wide  area. 
The  mottled  lacquer-ware  sold  in  the  shops  is  a  local  specialty 
and  is  known  as  Tsugaru-nuri. 

Arrival.  At  the  rly.  restaurant  upstairs  in  the  station,  plain  but  whole- 
some food  is  served  in  foreign  style  at  reasonable  prices.  The  Kagiya  Hotel, 
where  foreign  food  and  beds  are  to  be  had  from  ¥4.50  a  day  and  upward, 
stands  across  the  street  from  the  station.  Five  min.  to  the  left,  near  the 
dock  (jinriki,  10  sen),  is  the Nakajima  Inn;  rooms  only,  ¥1.50;  for  2  pers., 
¥2;  native  food,  50-75  sen  a  meal. 

The  Steamer  Dock,  whence  ships  for  (60  M.)  Hakodate  and  Muroran 
depart,  is  5  min.  beyond  the  station;  jinriki,  10  sen  (for  a  passenger,  or  as 
many  pieces  of  hand-luggage  as  can  be  stowed  into  it) ;  trunks,  25  sen.  The 
Rly.  Co.  checks  baggage  through  to  all  points  in  Yezo,  and  in  such  cases 
makes  no  charge  for  transfers.  —  Ships  of  the  marine  department  of  the 
Imperial  Gov't  Rlys.  ply  across  the  Tsugaru  Strait  to  Hakodate,  and  are 
clean,  comfortable,  and  safe.  The  usual  sailing  time  (consult  the  rly.  folder) 
is  11  a.m.,  and  Hakodate  is  reached  about  4  p.m.;  fare,  1st  cl.,¥3.20;  2d  el., 
¥2.10,  both  exclusive  of  meals,  which  cost:  breakfast,  75  sen;  tiffin,  ¥1; 
dinner,  ¥1.  Japanese  meals,  50  sen.  Dishes  a  la  carte  range  from  5  to  50  sen. 
A  special  stateroom  (1st  cl.)  for  2  pers.  costs  ¥3  in  addition  to  the  fare  (2d 
cl.,  ¥1.50;  sleeping-berth,  50  sen).  The  boats  (English  spoken)  are  rarely 
crowded;  mostof  the  Japanese  go  2d  cl.,  and  the  Saloon  and  Ladies'  Waiting- 
Rooms  (1st  cl.)  afford  ample  lying-down  space  for  those  who  do  not  wish  a 
stateroom  (desirable  on  the  night  trip) .  At  Hakodate  passengers  with  their 

luggage  are  taken  from  the  ship  to  the  landing  free.  The  Nippon  Yusen 

Kaisha  runs,  comfortable  boats  (English  spoken)  to  (110  M.)  Muroran. 
Aomori  is  left  usually  at  5  p.m.  and  Muroran  is  reached  in  the  early  morning. 
Fare,  1st  cl.,  ¥7  (which  includes  meals  and  a  private  cabin). 

Aomori  Bay  is  well  protected  by  the  mts.  which  almost  surround  it,  and 
the  deep  water  close  inshore  makes  the  harbor  one  of  the  best  in  Japan.  The 
rice-fields  seen  in  places  are  among  the  northernmost  of  Japan,  since  the 
short  summers  and  long  cold  winters  of  Yezo  make  rice-growing  difficult 
there.  It  marks  the  northern  limit  of  the  range  of  the  pheasants,  monkeys, 
and  black  bears.  The  latter  are  replaced  in  Yezo  by  the  true  grizzly,  a  fierce 
monster  which  the  courageous  Ainu  attack  and  slay  with  skill.  Fogs  prevail 
over  the  bay  in  May,  June,  and  July  ;  while  the  N.W.  winds  of  Jan.-March 
sometimes  blow  with  sufficient  force  to  make  the  channel  rough.  Deep  snows 
fall  in  Dec,  Jan.,  and  Feb. 

The  Tsugaru  Strait,  which  separates  the  main  island  of  Japan  from  Yezo, 
is  nearly  60  M.  long  from  E.  to  W.,  10  M.  wide  at  both  entrances  (the  nar- 
rowest parts),  and  about  30  M.  wide  within  them.  It  is  well  lighted  and 
there  are  no  difficulties  to  navigation.  A  strong  ocean  current  called  the 
Nakano-shiwo,  which  is  constantly  directed  from  the  Japan  Sea  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  runs  through  the  strait,  in  the  direction  of  its  axis,  and  some- 
times kicks  up  a  choppy  sea  that  reminds  one  of  the  English  Channel.  Its 
velocity  is  usually  about  3  knots,  being  greatest  in  mid-channel.  Drift-ice 
is  not  unfrequently  encountered  in  the  winter  months,  and  fogs  occasionally 
retard  traffic  in  summer. 

18.  From  Tokyo  via  Utsunomiya,  Fukushima,  Yamagata,  and 
Akita  to  Aomori  (Hokkaido). 

North-Eastern,  and  Ou  Lines,  Imperial  Government  Railways. 

To  Nikko  (via  Utsunomiya  Jet.)  is  referred  to  in  Rte.  13.  At  139  M. 
Koriyama,  connections  are  made  with  the  new  cross-country  line  to  Niigata, 
on  the  coast  of  the  Japan  Sea.  At  168  M.  Fukushima,  the  Ou  Line  di- 
verges to  the  W.,  but  the  main  line  continues  N.  to  206  M.  Iwanuma  Jet., 
where  it  is  joined  by  the  Joban  Line,  which  forms  the  subject  of  Rte.  17. 
Travelers  can  proceed  N.  to  Aomori  either  over  this  line  or  over  the  Ou  Line, 
but  those  destined  for  Sendai  or  Matsushima  must  not  change  at  Fukushima. 
Between  Tokyo  and  Aomori  the  rly.  goes  from  Musashi  Province  into  that 
of  Shimosa,  and  crosses  Shimotsuke,  Iwaki,  Iwashiro,  Uzen,  Ugo,  and  Mutsu 


320    Route  18.  SHIOBARA  Takahara-yama. 


before  reaching  the  top  of  the  main  island.  Many  splendid  mts.,  some  of 
them  volcanic,  flank  the  sustainedly  interesting_and  picturesque  line,  which 
for  some  distance  out  of  Tokyo  follows  the  old  Oshu-Kaidd,  once  the  favor- 
ite highway  of  daimyo  and  samurai  cavalcades.  A  few  of  the  former  87  post- 
stations  (Eki)  between  Yedo  and  Aomori  still  stand.  Beyond  Akita  splendid 
views  of  the  silent  Japan  Sea  are  had  from  the  train.  For  reference  to  sleep- 
ing-cars and  extra-fare  trains  see  p.  lxxxiii.  Aomori  is  the  port  of  departure 
for  the  Hokkaido  (Yezo).  See  the  preceding  page. 

Tokyo  (see  p.  109).  For  the  first  few  miles  after  leaving  the 
tawdry  metropolitan  suburbs  the  rly.  runs  N.W.  over  a  flat 
country  where  much  of  the  garden-truck  sold  in  the  city  mar- 
kets is  raised.  The  lowlands  are  subject  to  overflows  during 
the  summer  rains.  From  16  M.  Omiya  Jet.  the  trend  is  due  N. 
through  a  number  of  unimportant  towns  to  48  M.  Oyama  Jet., 
where  the  branch  line  from  Takasaki,  on  the  Karuizawa  sec- 
tion of  the  Shin-etsu  Line  (Rte.  6),  comes  in  at  the  left  and 
continues  eastward  to  31  M.  Tomobe  Jet.  Henceforward  the 
gradient  slopes  gently  upward  over  a  better  country,  with 
the  fine  Nikko  Mts.  in  view.  65  M.  Utsunomiya  (472  ft.),  the 
point  of  departure  for  Nikko,  is  mentioned  in  detail  in  Rte.  13. 
From  Utsunomiya,  the  train  proceeds  N.  over  a  steadily  rising 
country  intensively  cultivated  and  flecked  here  and  there  with 
beautiful  flowering  trees.  Tobacco  is  a  conspicuous  feature  in 
the  landscape,  and  many  broad  fields  are  given  over  to  the 
raising  of  the  broad-leaved  taro  plant  (Caladium  Colocasia; 
Jap.  imo  —  which  also  means  potato).  The  Negaiva,  Inari, 
Tenjin,  and  Kinu  Rivers  are  crossed  before  73  M.  Hoshakuji 
is  reached,  and  the  intervening  country  is  rendered  picturesque 
by  the  many  big  undershot  water-wheels  which  aid  the  farmers 
to  irrigate  their  fields.  The  rivers  often  prove  bad  servants, 
and  are  dreaded  in  the  rainy  season.  The  black,  loamy  soil  is 
favorable  to  the  exacting  requirements  of  ginseng  (which  in 
a  ferruginous  soil  takes  on  a  reddish  tinge  that  lessens  its  value), 
and  at  certain  seasons  the  land  is  dotted  with  mats  or  thatched 
roofs  raised  about  3  ft.  above  the  plants  (comp.  Korea)  to  pro- 
tect them  from  a  too  ardent  sun.  A  great  variety  of  fine  trees 
thrive  in  the  region,  which  is  sentineled  by  lofty  mt.  peaks. 

92  M.  Nishi-Nasuno  (Inn:  Yamatoya,  ¥2)  is  the  usual  point 
of  departure  for  the  locally  celebrated  (13  M.)  Shiobara 
Mineral  Springs  (jinriki  with  2  men,  ¥2.20;  basha  for  6  per- 
sons and  luggage,  ¥3.60).  The  region  is  known  for  its  beautiful 
maples  and  is  popular  with  Japanese.  The  most  frequented  of 
the  several  resorts  is  Furumachi  (Inn:  Fusen-rd,  etc.,  ¥2.50 
and  upward)  in  a  picturesque  setting,  amid  hot  springs,  fan- 
tastic rocks,  mts.  and  waterfalls.  About  5  M.  from  Furumachi 
is  Arayu,  whence  pilgrims  start  for  the  climb  up  (9  M.) 
Keicho-zan  (5880  ft.),  one  of  the  peaks  of  Takahara-yama,  in 
the  range  which  separates  Iwashiro  from  Shimotsuke  Province. 
The  ascent  occupies  a  long  tiresome  day  and  does  not  repay 
one  for  the  exertion.  —  A  good  view  of  the  Shiobara  Mts.  is 
had  from  95  M.  Higashi-Nasuno,  and  steam  can  be  seen  rising 


Bandai-san.  WAKAMATSU  18.  Route.  321 


from  Nasu-yama  (6300  ft.;  serious  eruption  in  1881)  at  the 
N.E.  end  of  the  short  ridge.  91  M.  Kuroiso  (Inn:  Tabakoya, 
¥2),  the  starting-point  for  the  (11  M.)  Nasu  Springs  (at  the 
base  of  the  active  volcano  of  Nasu;  guide,  ¥1.50;  ascent  in  3 
hrs.),  also  marks  the  commencement  of  a  roughish  country  of 
steep  gradients,  brawling  rivers,  wide  curves,  and  tumbled  hills 
—  the  latter  densely  wooded.  Beyond  109  M.  Toyohara,  the 
rly.  reaches  a  point  1423  ft.  above  the  sea,  the  highest  between 
Tokyo  and  Sendai.  The  train  now  enters  the  province  of 
Iwaki.  115  M.  Shirakawa  (Inn:  Yanagi-ya,  ¥2),  1269  ft. 
above  sea-level,  was  formerly  the  seat  of  a  petty  daimyo  whose 
ruinous  castle  still  overlooks  the  tidy  little  town.  The  Abu- 
kuma  River  runs  past  the  upper  end  of  the  place  and  irrigates 
the  broad  paddy-fields  in  the  environs.  Good  peaches  are 
grown  in  the  vicinity  of  Yubuki  Station,  near  which  the  Im- 
perial Household  maintains  one  of  its  several  game  preserves. 
The  good  pike  which  traverses  the  region  is  sometimes  flanked 
for  miles  by  fantastic  pine  trees  in  imitation  of  the  splendid 
cryptomeria  avenues  of  Nikko. 

139  M.  Koriyama  (Inn:  Kimura-ya,  ¥2),  known  for  its 
manufactures  of  fine  silken  stuffs,  is  the  point  of  departure  for 
the  Gan-etsu  Line,  which  runs  W.  through  beautiful  scenery  to 
Niigata  (Rte.  6,  p.  83). 

Several  trains  daily  in  about  6  hrs.  Fare  to  38  M.  Wakamatsu,  ¥1.60,  1st 
cl.;  96  sen,  2d;  to  112  M.  Niitsu  (Niigata) ,  ¥4.03,  1st.  cl.;  ¥2.42,  2d.  Many 
of  the  intervening  towns  are  unimportant;  9  M.  Atami  has  locally  cele- 
brated hot  springs.  Near  16  M.  Yamagata  the  Kozakayama  Tunnel  (1816 
ft.  long)  is  one  of  the  many  which  pierce  the  lofty  mts.  of  the  region.  The 
Inawashiro  Lake  (10  by  10  M.)  affords  good  salmon-trout  fishing.  22  M. 
Inawashiro  town  (Inn:  Ise-ya,  ¥2)  is  the  usual  starting-point  for  the  ascent 
(dangerous)  of  the  dreaded  Bandai-san,  a  vicious  volcano  with  an  evil 
reputation,  near  the  N.  end  of  the  lake,  6000  ft.  above  sea-level.  The  inn- 
keeper will  procure  a  guide  for  ¥3  for  the  round  trip  —  a  hard  day's  work. 
Like  Asama-yama,  Bandai-san  is  not  to  be  trusted.  The  terrific  and  totally 
unexpected  eruption  of  July  15,  1888  (which  emanated  from  the  adjacent 
peak  called  Ko  or  little  Bandai),  destroyed  4  villages,  killed  461  persons, 
and  devastated  27  sq.  M.  of  territory. 

Wakamatsu,  or  'Young  Pine  Tree'  (Inn:  Shimizu-ya,  ¥2),  the  chief 
town  (803  ft.)  of  the  Aizu  District  (Iwashiro  Province;  Fukushima-ken) , 
with  40,000  inhabs.,  was  formerly  called  Kurokawa,  and  possessed  a  castle 
built  by  the  Ashina  daimyds  —  from  whom  it  was  taken  by  Date  Masamune 
in  1589.  At  the  time  of  the  Restoration  the  powerful  Wakamatsu  Clan 
remained  faithful  to  the  shogun,  and  the  capture  (Nov.  6,  1868)  of  the  castle 
by  the  Imperial  army  closed  the  civil  war  in  Hondo.  Only  the  massive  walls 
of  the  structure  remain.  The  town  stands  near  the  E.  margin  of  a  wide 
plain  known  as  Aizu-taira,  7  M.  to  the  W.  of  Inawashiro  Lake.  Consider- 
able lacquer-ware  is  manufactured  for  export;  lacquer  trees  (  Urushi-no-ki; 
Rhus  yernicif era)  thrive  in  the  region,  and  their  product  (known  to  the  trade 
as  Aizu-urushi) ,  along  with  the  Aizu-rd,  or  vegetable- wax,-  is  in  demand 
throughout  the  Empire.  Higashi-yama,  a  pretty  watering-place  2  M.  to  the 
S.E.  (Inn:  Shintaki-rd,  ¥2),  in  a  densely  wooded  ravine  through  which 
plunges  a  mt.  torrent,  contains  several  insipid,  odorless  springs  (122°  to  131° 
F.)  which  burst  from  the  volcanic  soil  and  are  led  through  bamboo  conduits 
into  the  bath-houses.  At  Kongo,  a  small  town  4  M.  to  the  S.W.,  some  porce- 
lain is  made.  The  mts.  which  surround  the  Aizu  plain  are  lofty  and  majes- 
tic. —  Beyond  Wakamatsu  the  rly.  descends  through  a  charming  country 
~  +lh«»-nce  to  Niigata. 


322    Route  18.  FUKUSHIMA 


The  Taira  Line,  a  branch  rly.  forming  an  eastward  prolongation  of  the 
Gan-etsu  Line,  runs  from  Koriyama  through  the  picturesque  valley  of  the 
Natsui  River  to  52  M.  (fare,  ¥2.18,  1st  cl.;  ¥1.31,  2d  cl.)  Taira,  a  town  on 
the  coast  line  between  Tokyo  and  Iwanuma  (Rte.  17). 

Northward  from  Koriyama  the  main  line  bends  broadly  to 
the  left  and  traverses  a  hilly  district  where  sericulture  is  prac- 
ticed on  a  large  scale;  the  manufactured  silk  has  a  reputation 
for  quality.  154  M.  Nihonmatsu,  with  silk-mills,  is  one  of  the 
most  important  silk-producing  towns  in  the  region.  The 
ancient  and  now  ruinous  castle  was  built  in  the  16th  cent,  by 
Hatakeyama  Mitsuyasu,  but  his  descendants  were  dispossessed 
(in  1586)  by  the  militant  Date  Masamune.  Niwa  was  the  last 
of  the  daimyos  at  the  time  of  the  Restoration.  Onward  to  160 
M.  Matsukawa  the  rly.  threads  the  beautiful  valley  of  the 
Abukuma  River,  with  charming  views.  Hills  hide  these  until 
we  emerge  beyond  the  Hiraishi  Tunnel,  whence  a  splendid 
panorama  opens  out  far  below  at  the  left.  Wide  paddy-fields 
and  mulberry  plantations  irrigated  by  the  Sugawa  mark  the 
approach  to 

168  M.  Fukushima  Jet.  (pop.  43,000),  an  important  city  in 
the  prefecture  of  the  same  name,  in  a  pretty  valley  almost 
surrounded  by  perennially  green  hills.  The  small  Shinto  shrine 
behind  a  huge  granite  torii  in  the  N.E.  quarter  incloses  some 
sculptured  and  gaudily  decorated  wood  figures  of  Udaijin  and 
Sadaijin;  of  several  of  the  Gods  of  Good  Luck,  and  a  medley 
of  bric-a-brac  not  usually  displayed  in  such  places.  The  eagle 
on  the  portico  is  boldly  sculptured.  The  quaint  carvings  on 
certain  of  the  tile-roofed  dwellings  of  the  city  impart  a  temple- 
like look  to  them.  Foreign  influence  is  a  negligible  quantity 
here,  and  the  native  life  retains  many  of  its  ancient  features. 
North-bound  travelers  interested  in  the  scenery  of  the  Ou 
Line,  may  elect  to  break  the  journey  here  and  board  one  of  the 
early  morning  trains  for  (302  M.)  Aomori  —  a  long  day's  ride. 
The  Fukushima  Hotel,  with  foreign  beds,  and  plain  but  whole- 
some foreign-style  food,  is  a  3-min.  walk  from  the  station  (2 
min.  up  the  main  st.,  then  turn  left;  jinriki,  10  sen) ;  room,  ¥1 ; 
meals,  ¥1  each  (upper  rooms  best;  demand  a  mosquito-net). 
Several  native  inns  (the  Fuji-kwan;  Fukushima-kwan,  etc., 
¥2.50)  stand  near  the  station;  the  Fukuyo-kwan  is  about  \  M. 
distant,  near  the  P.O.  The  suburban  tramway  runs  to  a  num- 
ber of  towns  of  no  interest  to  foreigners.  Foreigners  are,  how- 
ever, usually  of  considerable  interest  to  the  yokels  of  the 
countryside,  who  chuckle  immoderately  and  not  unusually 
burst  openly  into  laughter  at  the  sight  of  one. 

The  Trains  of  the  Ou  Line  run  first  W.  then  N.  from 
Fukushima,  through  a  picturesque  region  which  deserves  to  be 
better  known  to  travelers.  Heavy  snows  sometimes  delay  the 
train  traffic  in  winter.  A  specialty  of  the  buffets  on  the 
through  trains  is  stewed  rice  and  eels  which  the  train-boy 


The  Uesugi.  YONEZAWA  18.  Route.  323 


serves  hot  for  30  sen.  Hot  milk,  fruit,  bread,  cakes,  beer,  hentb 
(p.  lxxxiv),  etc.,  are  sold  at  most  of  the  big  stations.  Before  fol- 
lowing the  excellent  highroad  which  for  many  miles  keeps  off 
and  on  in  sight  of  the  rly.  line,  automobilists  should  read  the  2d 
paragraph  at  p.  lxxxvi.  Beyond  4  M.  Niwazaka  (starting-point 
for  the  near-by  hot  sulphur  springs  of  Takayu;  and  for  Azuma- 
yama,  6360  ft.),  the  train  climbs  through  densely  wooded  hills 
pierced  by  several  tunnels;  the  most  conspicuous  of  these  (the 
16th)  is  Itaya,  5343  ft.  long,  with  the  far  end  (at  16  M.  Toge 
Station)  2151  ft.  above  sea-level.  Many  of  the  terraces  on 
which  the  rails  are  placed  have  necessitated  elaborate  and 
costly  granite  retaining  walls,  in  addition  to  scores  of  snow- 
sheds.  Not  a  few  of  the  stations  are  placed  at  the  end  of  short 
spur  tracks,  off  the  main  line. 

26  M.  Yonezawa  (Inns:  Akaneya,  ¥2,  and  several  others 
opposite  the  station),,  with  36,000  inhabs.,  was  anciently  an 
important  Tokugawa  fief  and  the  site  of  a  quaint  castle  erected 
in  1238  by  the  Nagai  family.  Successive  struggles  for  the 
possession  of  this  fortified  structure  resulted  in  its  ruination 
after  it  passed  out  of  the  hands  of  the  powerful  Uesugi  family.1 
The  town  overlooks  a  wide  plain  dotted  here  and  there  with 
hamlets  and  mulberry  plantations.  Many  of  the  descendants 
of  the  samurai  of  pre-Meiji  days  carry  on  a  considerable  trade 
in  silk  stuffs,  which  are  manufactured  in  the  region;  the  fabric 
known  as  Yonezawa-ori  is  particularly  in  demand.  —  The  rly. 
now  crosses  the  wide  valley  of  the  Yoshino-gawa,  and  its 
several  tributaries.  The  women  who  work  in  the  fields  wear 
trousers  and  blouses  and  are  with  difficulty  distinguished  from 
the  men.  — 36  M.  Akayu,  at  the  far  side  of  the  valley,  pos- 
sesses hot  sulphur  springs  where  rheumatic  people  foregather. 
The  country  through  which  the  rly.  now  leads  is  lovely;  pic- 
turesque hamlets  are  strung  along  the  splendidly  metaled 
highway  like  the  brown  beads  of  a  rosary,  and  they  form 
symphonies  in  sepia  against  a  green  field.   The  line  bends 

1  The  Uesugi  was  a  famous  daimyo  family  descended  from  Fujiwara 
Yoshikado  (9th  cent.)-  It  came  into  prominence  in  the  13th  generation 
(14th  cent.) ,  and  from  that  time  onward  history  is  replete  with  the  deeds  of 
some  of  its  illustrious  men.  Perhaps  the  most  celebrated  of  these  was 
Uesugi  Kenshin  (1530-78),  a  Buddhist  bonze  with  a  pronounced  military 
talent.  He  was  brilliant,  fearless,  and  grasping;  and,  beginning  by  deposing 
his  brother  and  assuming  the  administration  of  the  paternal  domains 
(Echigo  Province),  he  added  to  these  in  such  a  bold  and  skillful  way  that 
erelong  he  had  conquered  Etchti,  Noto,  the  island  of  Sado,  and  other  terri- 
torial bits ;  thus  threatening  the  supremacy  and  incurring  the  enmity  of  the 
great  Nobunaga  —  at  that  time  master  of  Japan.  Kenshin  did  not  hesitate 
to  cross  arms  with  his  powerful  foe,  and  had  he  not  fallen  ill  and  died  at  the 
early  age  of  48  the  history  of  Japan,  as  far  as  Oda  Nobunaga  was  concerned, 
might  have  suffered  a  decided  change.  Kenshin  left  no  direct  successor.  He 
occupies  a  high  place  in  the  regard  of  the  Japanese,  and  the  temple  of 
Uesugi  Kenshin,  at  Yonezawa,  is  dedicated  to  him.  The  immense  estates  of 
this  feudal  lord  were  divided  among  his  adopted  sons,  the  descendants  of 
whom  resided  at  Yonezawa  (or  Dewa)  till  the  Restoration.  Many  of  the 
present  families  of  Yonezawa  are  descendants  of  the  early  samurai,  and 
certain  old  customs  still  exist. 


324    Route  18. 


YAMAGATA 


broadly  to  the  right  to  avoid  the  steep  hills  which  come  down 
at  the  left,  and  soon  leaves  the  valley  behind  at  the  right. 
Shinto  shrines  are  as  conspicuous  by  their  presence  as  Bud- 
dhist temples  are  by  their  absence.  Many  of  the  dwellings  are 
seen  to  have  light-brown  walls  with  dark-brown,  thatched 
roofs  —  a  northern  differentiation  of  the  old  Yamato  style  of 
architecture. 

Beyond  47  M.  Kaminoyama  (688  ft.),  near  the  Mai  River, 
with  hot  mineral  springs,  the  smiling  campania  becomes  a 
delight  to  the  artistic  senses;  the  odd  heights  and  curious 
angles  of  the  picturesque  roofs;  the  level  fields  and  the  pretty 
hamlets  that  snuggle  in  sequestered  dingles  of  the  delimning 
hills;  the  attractive  streams  that  meander  languidly  across  the 
green  meadows,  dotted  here  and  there  with  shrines  and  pines, 
and  sentineled  always  by  sky-blue  mt.  peaks,  combine  to  pro- 
duce a  charming  picture.  The  highroads  look  as  good  as  those 
of  the  English  countryside,  and  one  longs  to  descend  from  the 
train  and  tramp  or  motor  over  their  inviting  surfaces. 

55  M.  Yamagata  (Inn:  Gotoya,  ¥2),  capital  of  Uzen  Province 
and  of  Yamagata  Prefecture,  with  43,000  inhabs.  and  8,000 
houses,  stands  on  the  lower  slope  of  the  green  hills  which  rise 
gracefully  behind  it,  and  is  an  important  shipping-point  for 
much  of  the  rich  produce  of  the  region.  Silk  filiature  mills  are 
conspicuous  features  of  the  place,  and  many  of  the  industrious 
inhabitants  can  be  seen  at  work  in  their  homes  sorting  cocoons 
or  reeling  the  silken  strands  from  them.  One  of  the  local 
specialties  is  a  slightly  acidulated  plum  jelly,  made  in  thin 
layers,  packed  between  corn-husks,  and  sold  (12-20  sen  a  box) 
at  the  rly.  station.  Anciently  Yamagata  was  known  as  Mogami, 
after  Shiba  Kaneyori,  who  received  the  Dewa  Province  in  fief 
from  Ashikaga  Takauji  in  1335,  and  whose  descendants  took 
the  place  and  held  it  until  they  were  dispossessed  in  1622.  The 
ruinous  old  castle  is  now  occupied  as  a  barrack.  A  popular 
resort  of  the  townspeople  is  the  village  of  Yama-dera  (6£  M. 
to  the  N.E.;  good  road),  so  called  for  the  cluster  of  decaying 
Buddhist  temples  there  said  to  have  been  founded  by  Jikaku- 
Daishi  in  861.  The  rice  grown  in  the  vicinity  of  Yamagata 
ranks  with  the  best  in  Japan. 

The  two  lofty  peaks  seen  at  the  left  as  the  train  proceeds  N. 
are  Gwassan  (6200  ft.)  and  (at  the  N.  of  it)  Chokai-zan  (7200 
ft.).  Both  are  prominent  features  in  the  landscape  as  the  train 
descends  gradually  over  a  rolling  country  to  93  M.  Shinjo 
(Inn:  Yaginuma,  ¥2),  440  ft.  above  the  sea,  and  the  point  of 
departure  for  a  branch  line  W.  to  48  M.  Sakata  (Inn :  Miura-ya, 
¥2),  a  small  port  on  the  Japan  Sea,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Mogami  River;  and  another  one  E.  to  80  M.  Kogoda,  a  station 
on  Route  17.  —  The  train  now  enters  a  more  mountainous 
region  and  runs  up  through  narrow  valleys  and  a  sparsely 
cultivated  country,  flecked  here  and  there  with  lacquer  trees, 


AKITA  18.- Route.  325 


glissading  waterfalls,  gorges,  and  tunnels.  From  the  Innai 
Tunnel,  1086  ft.  above  the  sea,  it  descends  through  other 
tunnels  to  122  M.  (and  679  ft.)  Innai  Station  (Inn:  Saito,  ¥2) 
in  Ugo  Province,  with  one-time  productive  silver  mines;  the 
lofty  mt.  at  the  far  left  is  Chokai-zan.  —  124  M.  Yokobori, 
a  poor  town,  is  remembered  by  the  Japanese  as  the  birth- 
place of  Ono  Komachi,  a  celebrated  poetess  (b.  834;  d.  900), 
whose  beauty  and  talent  in  youth,  and  poverty  and  wretched- 
ness in  old  age,  form  the  theme  of  many  native  writers.  Tier 
after  tier  of  lovely  green  hills  rise  in  serried  ranks  at  the  left  of 
the  somnolent  town,  which  overlooks  a  flower-decked  valley 
through  which  a  whimpering  rivulet  flows  and  chatters  unceas- 
ingly. The  region  is  a  vast,  lovely  garden  and  orchard  com- 
bined; the  mulberry  trees  suggest  the  delicate  gossamer  silk 
which  they  help  to  produce,  and  the  fields  of  waving  grain  the 
peace  and  plenty  of  a  contented  people.  Beyond  132  M. 
Yuzawa  the  land  flattens  out  like  a  Kansas  prairie,  and  is 
dotted  here  and  there  with  groves  of  plume-like  bamboos, 
pines,  maples,  and  fruit  trees.  The  workers  in  the  rice-fields 
wear  wide  pilgrim  hats  of  straw,  and  strips  of  matting  to  pro- 
tect them  from  the  rain.  When  they  walk  the  hats  flap  behind 
like  big  sunbonnets,  the  brown  mats  contrasting  sharply  with 
the  green  of  the  rice-plants  and  making  the  wearers  resemble 
big  brown  bugs  moving  hither  and  yon.  Every  plain  seems  to 
have  its  corresponding  river,  some  of  them  as  big  as  the 
Arkansas;  others  small  but  treacherous,  when  the  spring  rains 
are  abundant. 

186  M.  Akita  (Inn:  Kobayashi-kanzo;  Ishibashi  Hotel,  etc.; 
¥2.50),  the  capital  (pop. .  37,000)  of  Ugo  Province  and  of 
Akita-ken  (133  ft.  above  the  Japan  Sea  and  but  5  M.  from  it  — 
tramway  to  Tsuchizaki  Port),  stands  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Toshima-gawa  and  manufactures  silk  on  a  large  scale.  Fine 
peach,  pear,  and  apple  orchards  are  features  of  the  environs. 
Akita  has  been  a  garrison  town  since  a.d.  733,  when  a  fortress 
was  erected  here  as  a  defense  against  incursions  of  the  Ainu. 
A  long  dynasty  of  fighting  daimyos  dwelt  here  until  the  Resto- 
ration, at  which  time  the  now  ruinous  castle  was  held  by  Lord 
Satake.  The  name  Akita  was  formerly  confined  to  the  castle, 
the  surrounding  town  being  called  Kubota.  The  fine  old  castle 
garden  has  been  converted  into  a  lovely  retreat,  the  Senshii-en 
(N.E.  quarter  of  the  town),  known  for  its  splendid  cherry  trees. 
Certain  branches  of  the  native  commerce  know  Akita  for  a 
special  mat-grass  (Nardosmia  japonica)  produced  here  and 
called  Akita-buki. 

191  M.  Tsuchizaki,  the  port  of  Akita.  The  sea  is  visible  at 
the  left,  and  the  long  rows  of  fantastic  pine  trees  which  flank 
the  shore,  by  leaning  inward,  indicate  the  direction  of  the 
prevailing  winds.  Beyond  195  M.  Oiwake,  the  line  turns  inland 
and  flanks  the  shore  of  the  big  (17  M.  long,  7  M.  wide) 


326    Route  18. 


AKITA 


Hachird  Lagoon.  From  211  M.  Kado,  it  turns  inland  and 
traverses  a  rolling  country  dotted  with  many  pine  trees.  Only 
the  sturdiest  of  these  survive  the  wintry  blasts  which  cross 
from  Siberia  and  whip  the  coast  hereabout.  Long  lines  of 
snow-fences  point  to  the  severity  of  the  winters.  At  222  M. 
Hataori,  a  branch  line  diverges  (left)  to  3  M.  Noshiro  (Inn: 
Murai,  ¥2.50),  a  coast  port  at  the  mouth  of  the  Noshiro-gmva, 
and  a  shipping-point  for  copper  ores  from  the  adjacent  hills. 
—  The  rly.  now  curves  broadly  to  the  right  and  runs  S.E. 
to  232  M.  Futatsui,  where  it  turns  again  and  runs  N.E.  through 
a  mountainous  country  said  to  be  rich  in  copper.  At  251  M. 
Odate,  some  coarse  lacquer-ware  is  made.  Many  hills,  some 
stiff  grades,  and  a  series  of  tunnels  mark  the  line  to  279  M. 
Hirosaki  (Inn:  Saikichi,  ¥2.50),  a  garrison  town  of  38,000 
inhabs.  in  Mutsu  Province,  the  northernmost  on  the  main 
island  of  Japan.  The  mt.  which  rises  to  the  W.  of  the  town  is 
Iwaki-san.  or  the  Tsugaru-Fuji  (4650  ft.),  so  called  from  the 
Tsugaru  Strait  and  for  the  resemblance  of  the  peak  to  the 
matchless  Fuji-san,  of  Kai  Province.  Three  rivers,  a  tunnel, 
and  4  nondescript  stations  intervene  between  this  point  and 
302  M.  Aomori  (see  p.  318). 


D  Longitude     142"  East 


III.  YEZO,  THE  KURILES,  AND  SAGHALIEN. 


Route  Page 
Preliminary    Information  —  Descriptive     and  Historical 
sketch,  327;  Geology,  328;  River  System,  329;  Zoology, 
329;  The  Forests,  330;  Climate,  331;  The  Ainu,  332. 

19.  Hakodate  and  its  Environs     .......  345 

20.  From  Hakodate  via  Onuma,  Otaru,  Sapporo, 
Iwamizawa,  Oiwake,  Shiraoi  and  Noboribetsu 
toJMuroran  348 

Onuma  and  Komagatake,  349;  Otaru,351;  Sapporo,  351; 
Ainu  Settlement  of  Shiraoi,  353;  Noboribetsu,  354; 
Muroran,  356. 

21.  From  Hakodate  via  Iwamizawa,  Fukagawa, 
Asahigawa  and  Ikeda'to  Kushiro  

22.  The  Kurile  Islands  358 

23.  Saghalien  360 


Yezo,  or  Ezo,  for  political  reasons  called  Hokkaido  (comp. 
p.  cxliii),  4th  largest  (88  districts;  756  towns  and  villages  occu- 
pied by  277,254  families  of  4.10  units  each)  of  the  Japanese 
islands,  stands  beyond  the  topmost  point  of  Hondo  (from  which 
it  is  separated  by  the  Tsugaru  Strait),  between  lat.  41°  30  and 
45°  30'  N.  and  long.  139°  50'  and  146°  E.  of  Greenwich,  and 
is  bounded  on  the  N.  by  the  Sea  of  Okhotsk;  on  the  S.  and 
E.  by  the  Pacific  Ocean;  and  on  the  W.  by  the  Japan  Sea. 
It  is  approximately  294  M.  from  N.  to  S.,  and  394  M.  from  E. 
to  W.  From  the  earliest  times  it  has  been  occupied  by  the 
Ainu  (or  Ebisu),  perhaps  the  original  race  of  Japan,  and  by 
them  it  was  long  known  as  Watarishima,  or  Ferry  Island. 
It  came  into  the  foreground  of  history  when  Abe  no  Hirafu 
explored  (in  a.d.  662)  the  greater  part  of  it  and  established 
a  garrison  in  the  present  province  of  Shiribeshi.  But  little 
was  heard  of  it  prior  to  the  16th  cent.,  when  efforts  at  colon- 
ization were  made  by  Takeda  Nobuhiro,  one  of  whose  descen- 
dants, Matsumae  Yoshihiro,  had  his  authority  recognized  by 
Tokugaiva  Ieyasu  in  1604.  The  Matsumae  continued  to 
govern  the  S.W.  part  of  the  island  till  1868,  with  headquarters 
at  the  old  town  of  Matsumae,  now  Fukuyama. 

At  the  time  of  the  Imperial  Restoration  Enomoto  Takeaki 
formed  the  project  of  making  Yezo  an  independent  fief  of 
the  expiring  Tokugawa  dynasty,  and  taking  the  shogunal  fleet 
he  captured  Hakodate,  Matsumae,  and  other  towns,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  holding  the  Imperial  army  at  bay  for  several  months. 
He  was  forced  to  surrender  in  June,  1869,  and  in  the  same  year 
the  new  government  divided  the  island  into  9  provinces,  called 
it  Hokkaido,  placed  it  in  charge  of  Governor  Kuroda,  and 


328 


YEZO 


Geology. 


established  a  Colonial  Development  Office  (kaitakushi)  at 
Sapporo.  This  was,  however,  abolished  in  1881,  and  the 
island  was  divided  into  three  departments  (Hakodate-,  Sap- 
poro-, and  Nemuro-keri) ,  which  in  turn  were  suppressed  in 
1886  and  an  independent  administration  called  Hokkaido-cho 
was  inaugurated  with  Sapporo  as  the  capital.  Prior  to  this 
time,  American  geologists,  engineers,  agricultural  experts,  and 
others  were  imported,  and  commendable  efforts  were  made  to 
improve  the  island.  The  many  fine  fruits,  berries,  grains,  vege- 
tables, cattle,  horses,  etc.,  for  which  it  is  now  known  are  due 
to  that  wise  initiative.  (See  p.  351.)  The  first  of  the  excellent 
rlys.  (of  which  there  are  now  more  than  1000  M.)  were  con- 
structed by  American  engineers,  and  the  first  effort  to  de- 
velop the  immense  coal-fields  was  made  in  1874  by  Mr.  B.  S. 
Lyman,  an  American  geologist  in  the  employ  of  the  Imperial 
Gov't.  American  apples  are  now  shipped  from  Yezo  to  all 
arts  of  Japan  and  the  Siberian  coast.  There  are  flour-mills, 
reweries,  the  largest  paper-mills  in  the  Far  East,  many  fish- 
canning  establishments,  etc.  Sulphur  is  exported  in  large 
quantities.  Each  of  the  chief  cities  Iras  a  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, a  branch  of  the  Hokkaido  Colonization  Bank,  schools, 
etc.,  while  extensive  harbor- works  are  under  way  at  several 
of  the  ports. 

The  primeval  wildness  of  Yezo  appeals  strongly  to  nature- 
lovers,  and  every  year  brings  more  and  more  travelers  to  this 
remote  corner  of  the  world.  The  Japanese  officials  are  neither 
secretive  nor  exclusive;  the  Gov't  wants  to  colonize  the  island, 
and  its  beauties  lie  exposed  to  the  gaze  of  whosoever  would 
inspect  them.  Comfortable  rly.  trains  now  penetrate  to  many 
of  the  hitherto  inaccessible  interior  points,  and  coasting- 
steamers  circle  the  island  and  touch  at  the  chief  ports.  Many 
of  the  highways  are  not  practicable  for  jinrikis  (which  are 
little  used),  but  are  all  right  for  horses,  which  are  plentiful 
and  cheap.  The  traveler  is  advised  to  bring  his  own  saddle,  as 
the  native  article  is  uncomfortable.  Hunters  (comp.  p.  cii) 
should  also  bring  their  own  guns  and  ammunition,  as  such  are 
not  always  obtainable  locally.  Guides  and  interpreters  are 
found  in  all  the  large  towns,  and  hunting-permits  are  issued 
by  the  local  authorities.  A  special  letter  of  introduction  from 
the  Tokyo  Gov't  is  always  useful.  The  dense  forests  and 
swamps  are  drained  by  innumerable  short,  rapid  rivers,  which 
are  subject  to  violent  freshets  and  which  usually  harbor 
excellent  fish. 

Geologically  Yezo  differs  but  slightly  from  Japan  proper; 
the  mt.  system  may  be  regarded  as  a  continuation  of  those  of 
Saghalien  and  the  Kuriles.  The  mass  of  the  chain  running 
from  N.  to  S.  consists  of  granite  and  old  schists.  In  the  axis 
of  the  range  running  toward  the  S.W.,  volcanic  formations 
predominate,  with  trachytic  and  basaltic  rocks.  From  many 


River  System. 


YEZO 


329 


promontories  on  the  coast,  projecting  mt.  spurs  jut  into  the 
sea,  while  between  them  stretch  flat  shores  with  scores  of  sand- 
dunes.  On  the  coast  of  Hakodate  the  Pluto-Neptunian  rocks 
are  similar  to  the  formations  of  the  Bay  of  Sendai  and  other 
parts  of  the  main  island  coast,  while  in  other  places  the  tufa- 
conglomerates  and  organic  remains  are  not  lacking.  Coal  is 
mined  in  several  provinces,  and  the  chief  mineral  wealth  of  the 
island  is  in  its  coal-fields  —  which  are  estimated  to  contain 
150,000,000,000  tons!  The  seams  are  of  the  Carboniferous 
system,  while  those  of  Old  Japan  belong  to  recent  forma- 
tions. The  older  Tertiary,  the  Mesozoic  formations,  the  mag- 
nesian  limestone  and  red  sandstone  of  the  Permian  system  are 
but  slightly  developed.  Metamorphic  rocks,  —  the  oldest  of 
which  are  granulite  and  conglomerate  breccia,  followed  by 
aphanite,  syenite-granite,  and  diorite,  —  including  the  marine 
terrace  deposits,  and  eruptive  rocks  of  all  ages  are  found. 
Black  and  gray  clay-schists,  associated  with  green  stones  and 
in  other  places  frequently  disrupted  by  strikingly  white  por- 
phyry veins,  or  traversed  in  all  directions  by  quartz  veins  with 
iron  pyrites,  appear  in  many  places  and  in  great  thickness. 
Few  if  any  of  the  mts.  rise  higher  than  8000  ft.  There  are 
numerous  prominently  active  and  remarkable  volcanoes;  the 
formidable  dying  craters  of  Noboribetsu  are  described  in  Rte. 
20,  and  others  in  their  proper  places. 

The  River  System  centers  practically  at  Tokaehi-dake  (7000 
ft.),  on  the  border  of  Tokachi  and  I  shikari  Provinces,  whence 
the  great  rivers  of  the  island  radiate  to  the  sea.  The  I  shikari, 
the  largest  and  most  important,  flows  in  a  S.W.  direction,  and 
after  a  winding  course  of  275  M.  falls  in  to  Otaru  Bay,  near 
the  small  town  of  1  shikari.  The  Teshio,  after  traversing  the 
province  named  after  it,  ends  its  140  M.  course  near  the  45th 
parallel  in  the  Gulf  of  Tartary.  The  Tokachi,  which  rises  not 
far  from  the  basin  of  the  I  shikari,  flows  120  M.  S.W.  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  into  which  it  falls  near  Otsumq-maru.  The  less 
important  Tokoro-gawa flows  75  M.E.  through  Kitami  Province 
and  empties  into  the  Okhotsk  Sea. 

Zoologically  Yezo  differs  considerably  from  Hondo.  Wild 
creatures  are  represented  by  grizzty  bears,  deer,  wolves,  foxes, 
hares,  wild  ducks,  teal,  quail,  snipe,  woodcock,  etc.  The 
range  of  the  ape  and  the  pheasant  extends  only  to  the  Tsugaru 
Strait.  Stuffed  specimens  of  the  many  beautiful  birds  for 
which  the  island  is  known  can  be  seen  at  the  Sapporo  Museum 
(Rte.  20).  The  cold  waters  of  the  environing  seas  produce 
almost  everything  from  the  cachelot  to  the  sprat,  and  the 
bleaching  bones  of  the  former  can  often  be  seen  along  the 
coast.  The  fisheries  are  immensely  productive.  In  autumn, 
salmon  (Oncorhynchus  Perryi ;  Jap.  masu)  stream  from  the 
sea  into  the  rivers  and  afford  occupation  and  food  for  thou- 
sands of  men.  At  many  of  the  fishing-stations  (that  of  the 


330 


YEZO 


The  Forests. 


I  shikari  River,  near  Sapporo,  is  interesting)  the  fish  are  caught 
in  huge  seines  which  require  scores  of  men  to  handle;  20,000 
or  more  salmon  weighing  10  lbs.  or  more  each  are  often  caught 
in  a  single  day.  The  salting,  smoking,  canning,  and  shipping 
of  them  is  one  of  the  greatest  local  industries.  Great  shoals 
of  herring  frequent  the  E.  shore  in  March-April  and  Oct- 
Nov.,  and  the  oil  expressed  from  them  forms,  along  with  cuttle- 
fish and  beche-de-mer  (iriko),  important  exports  (to  China  and 
elsewhere).  Certain  of  the  many  varieties  of  edible  seaweed 
which  flourish  along  the  Japanese  coast  are  found  in  Yezo,  par- 
ticularly the  circumpolar  tangle  (Laminarioe)  and  seawracks 
(Fucus  species),  which  prefer  cold  water  and  a  heavy  surf. 
For  this  reason  sea-algae  add  considerably  to  the  value  of  the 
Yezo  exports. 

The  Forests  which  for  unnumbered  centuries  have  been  the 
primeval,  undisputed  hunting-ground  of  the  primitive  Ainu, 
—  shaggy,  uncultured  men  almost  as  hairy  as  Esau,  —  pos- 
sess a  distinctive  charm.  Gigantic  bears  and  tracking  wolves 
lurk  in  their  shadowy,  soundless  depths,  and  other  wild  beasts 
haunt  impenetrable  fastnesses  where  the  lumberman's  axe 
has  never  rung,  and  where  the  wealth  of  vegetation  is  equal 
in  luxuriance  and  entanglement  to  that  of  the  tropics.  There 
seems  no  limit  to  these  solemn  woods,  rent  here  and  there  with 
tremendous  gorges  down  which  roaring  rivers  tumble  in  cas- 
cades to  the  sea;  or  vexed  by  upstarting  mts.  swathed  in  gloom 
at  their  feet  and  belted  with  giant  trees  to  their  very  summits. 
They  stretch  to  the  topmost  point  of  the  island  and  appear 
to  grow  denser  and  more  forbidding  as  they  reach  into  the 
cold  and  silent  north,  away  from  civilization  and  into  solitude 
and  desolation.  Conspicuous  among  the  host  of  magnificent 
forest  trees  are  the  splendid  magnolias  (named  after  Pierre 
Magnol,  a  French  botanist  —  1638-1715),  or  Hd-no-ki,  ten 
or  more  species  of  which  flourish  in  the  foliaceous  mt.  forests 
of  Japan  from  Kyushu  to  Yezo.  The  smooth  grayish-white 
bark  and  straight  trunk  (sometimes  6  ft.  in  circumference  and 
75  ft.  high)  remind  one  of  the  beech,  while  the  superb  white 
flowers  (with  a  pineapple  perfume)  make  the  tree  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  objects  in  the  landscape.  Chestnuts,  walnuts, 
maples,  alders,  beeches,  lindens,  oaks,  birches,  elms,  Chinese 
sumach,  the  ash,  and  a  host  of  trees,  oftentimes  bound  to- 
gether by  white  flowering  trailers  of  the  Hydrangeaceoz,  add 
beauty  to  the  forest.  —  Fires  oftentimes  sweep  over  vast  sec- 
tions and  destroy  countless  thousands  of  acres  of  valuable  tim- 
ber. The  great  fire  of  May,  1911,  burned  2000  bouses,  killed  16 
persons,  and  for  a  time  threatened  the  whole  island  with 
destruction.  Wherever  the  soil  is  reclaimed  from  the  forest 
it  is  usually  of  unexampled  richness.  Rice,  the  great  staple 
of  S.  Japan,  thrives  illy  because  of  the  short  summer,  but 
wheat,  barley,  rye,  maize,  buckwheat,  etc.,  do  well.  The 


The  Climate. 


YEZO 


331 


excellent  butter  made  by  the  Trappist  Monks  at  the  M onastere 
de  Notre  Dame  du  Phare,  at  Ishibetsu  Mura,  and  the  equally 
fine  cheese  produced  by  the  nuns  of  Noire  Dame  des  Anges, 
at  Yunogawa,  are  in  demand  throughout  Japan. 

The  Climate  is  somewhat  like  that  of  New  England,  with 
long  cold  winters,  and  short  hot  summers.  The  winter  at 
Hakodate  and  the  S.  part  of  the  island,  where  the  thermometer 
rarely  drops  below  5°  F.,  and  where  it  often  remains  in  the 
neighborhood  of  20°,  is  much  milder  that  at  the  N.,  where  the 
cold  is  of  almost  Siberian  intensity.  The  snowfall  is  not  so 
heavy,  and  the  sunny  exposure  of  the  port  brings  many  mild 
winter  days.  The  mean  annual  temperature  is  about  10° 
below  that  of  Tokyo,  but  the  range  in  the  direction  of  cold  is 
much  greater.  The  minimum  might  be  put  at  20°,  the  maxi- 
mum at  88°.  The  prevailing  winter  winds  at  Hakodate  are 
from  the  N.W.  and  W.,  and  there  sometimes  rides  down  upon 
them  an  iciness  that  stings  the  flesh  and  nips  the  unprotected 
ear.  The  summer  nights  are  cool,  and  chilly  days  are  frequent 
in  July.  August  is  the  hottest  month,  but  the  thermometer 
rarely  rises  above  90°.  The  summer  wanes  early,  and  the  red- 
dening maples  promptly  usher  in  the  cool  weather.  North- 
ward of  Hakodate,  the  conditions  change  with  each  degree. 
The  records  of  the  meteorological  bureau  at  Sapporo  show 
148  frosty  nights  against  67  at  Tokyo.  While  the  maximum 
rainfall  (98  rainy  days)  occurs  in  Hakodate  in  July-Sept., 
Sapporo  has  a  distinct  autumn  rainy  season,  the  greatest  fall 
taking  place  in  Oct.-Nov.  Though  exempt  from  the  dreaded 
typhoons  of  S.  Japan,  Yezo  is  often  swept  by  heavy  gales  and 
drenched  under  torrential  rains  referred  to  as  '  typhoon 
rains.'  Extensive  irrigation  is  unnecessary.  Heavy  snows 
(4-6  ft.  deep)  lie  on  the  ground  during  6-7  months  of  the 
3Tear,  and  this  long  cold  season  limits  the  period  of  vegetation 
to  5  months.  The  W.  coast  (several  degrees  warmer  than  the 
E.  coast)  is  ice-bound  during  the  entire  winter.  The  ground 
freezes  several  feet  deep  and  does  not  thaw  until  late  May. 
The  last  vestige  of  snow  disappears  only  under  the  June  sun- 
shine. The  N.  and  E.  coasts  are  foggy  and  cold  even  in  sum- 
mer, and  the  gray,  gloomy  days  remind  one  of  the  Maine 
coast  in  winter. 

The  traveler  who  dislikes  cold  will  perhaps  find  Yezo  most 
attractive  between  May  15  and  Oct.  1.  Americans  living  N. 
of  Mason  and  Dixon1  s  line  will  find  the  crisp  winter  delightful. 
The  glorious  sunlight  that  glints  across  the  frost-gemmed 
fields  is  surcharged  with  ozone,  and  the  picture  of  the  tall 
conifers  almost  buried  beneath  soft,  clinging  snow  is  a  tonic 
to  the  mind.  A  horsefly  called  abu  makes  traveling  the  woods 
in  Aug.  uncomfortable.  Residents  say  June  and  July  afford 
.the  best  salmon-fishing,  and  that  early  autumn  is  the  best 
for  wild  ducks.  Experienced  hunters  seek  the  deer  and  wolves 


332 


YEZO 


The  Ainu. 


in  winter.  The  views  at  all  times  are  beguiling,  but  particularly 
in  the  spring  and  autumn  when  the  atmosphere  is  clearest. 
Then  '  there  is  light  without  heat,  leaves  and  streams  sparkle, 
and  there  is  nothing  of  the  half-smothered  sensation  which  is 
often  produced  by  the  choking  greenery  of  the  main  island.' 

The  Aino,  or  Ainos  (comp.  p.  cclxii),  who  call  themselves 
Ainu  ('  men') ;  who  are  referred  to  in  Japanese  history  as  Ebisu 
(' barbarians'),  and  often  by  foreigners  as  the  'hairy  Ainos,' 
and  'hairy  Kuriles';  the  degraded  lees  of  the  (perhaps)  abor- 
iginal race  of  Japan,  and  of  whom  but  about  18,000  remain, 
stand  in  more  or  less  the  same  relation  to  the  Japanese  Gov't 
that  the  Red  Indians  of  North  America  do  to  that  of  the  United 
States.  The  countless  thousands  that  once  roamed  over  the 
main  island  of  Japan,  with  their  blood  kindred,  the  Emishi 
(often  called  Ebisu,  and  Yezo),  were  ruthlessly  slaughtered 
and  gradually  driven  northward  to  their  present  cold  and 
cheerless  refuge  in  the  Kurile  Islands,  Saghalien,  and  Yezo, 
where  they  dwell  in  rude,  isolated  huts  or  tribal  communities 
usually  near  the  sea  and  generally  at  a  distance  from  the  hab- 
itations of  their  conquerors.  Their  clustered  huts  are  often 
found  inland  on  the  banks  of  the  larger  rivers,  which,  with  the 
sea,  supply  them  with  fish;  and  less  frequently  in  the  mts. 
In  some  instances,  notably  that  of  Shiraoi,  Horobelsu,  Mom- 
betsu,  Rebunge,  etc.,  there  are  mixed  Ainu  and  Japanese 
villages,  but  there  is  generally  a  dividing  line  between  them, 
as  the  Ainu  adhere  to  their  patriarchal  customs  and  adopt 
only  from  the  Japanese  that  which  they  consider  essential 
to  their  welfare.  Besides,  Japanese  contiguity  does  not  always 
benefit  them.  The  Ainu  take  kindly  to  foreigners,  especially 
richly  bewhiskered  ones,  in  whom  the  simple  natives  see  at 
least  a  hirsute  relationship.  Travelers  are  received  courteously, 
and  there  is  usually  a  lack  of  obtrusiveness  in  any  form. 

Historical  Sketch.  The  ambiguous  oracles  of  the  Ainu 
say  their  progenitors  sprang  from  one  of  the  three  daughters 
of  a  certain  prince  of  one  of  the  kingdoms  of  Asia.  Having 
become  the  unwilling  object  of  the  incestuous  desire  of  her 
father,  the  girl  left  the  palace  at  night,  fled  to  the  seashore, 
and'  there  embarked  in  a  canoe  in  which  there  was  a  large  dog. 
The  pair  traveled  in  company  many  months,  finally  reaching 
an  unknown  place  in  the  East  where  the  young  princess  gave 
birth  to  a  boy  and  a  girl  whose  bodies  were  covered  with 
hair.  These  are  considered  the  legendary  ancestors  of  the 
Ainu  race.  Some  believe  the  episode  gave  rise  to  the  name 
Aino,  which  is  thought  to  be  a  corruption  of  Ai-no-ko  ('  off- 
spring of  the  middle/  or  a  1  breed  between  man  and  beast.'). 
Others  say  Ainu  is  derived  from  the  Japanese  inu,  a  dog,  — 
a  contemptuous  epithet  often  applied  to  them.  The  descend- 
ants of  the  first  curious  pair  married ;  some  among  themselves ; 
others  with  rat.  bears;  the  fruit  of  each  union  being  'nimble 


Ainu  History. 


YEZO 


333 


hunters  and  men  of  extraordinary  valor,  who,  after  a  long 
life,  spent  in  the  vicinity  of  their  birth,  departed  to  the  Far 
North,  where  they  still  live  on  the  high  and  inaccessible 
tablelands  above  the  mts.  Being  immortal,  they  direct 
by  their  magical  influence  the  actions  and  the  destiny  of 
the  present  Ainu.1 

It  is  believed  by  some  that  the  Ainu  and  the  Emishi  were 
the  people  who  Jimmu  Tenno  encountered  when  he  crossed 
from  Kyushu  to  the  Main  Island  in  660  B.C.  Evidences  of 
this  aboriginal  race  are  to  be  found  in  the  relics  of  the  Stone 
Age  in  various  parts  of  Japan.  '  Flint,  arrow-  and  spear- heads, 
hammers,  chisels,  scrapers,  kitchen-refuse,  and  various  other 
trophies  are  excavated  from  time  to  time,  and  may  now  be 
found  in  the  museums.  Though  covered  with  the  soil  of  cen- 
turies, the  exhumed  articles  seem  as  though  freshly  brought 
from  9,n  Ainu  hut.  In  scores  of  instances  the  very  peculiar 
ideas,  customs,  and  superstitions  of  both  Japanese  and  Ainu 
are  the  same,  or  but  slightly  modified.'  That  the  two  races  were 
antagonistic  is  shown  by  the  barrows,  or  Ainu  Mounds, 
which  the  traveler  may  see  in  N.  Japan,  and  which  contain 
heaps  upon  heaps  of  the  bones  of  the  unfortunates  slaughtered 
by  the  Japanese  more  than  a  millennium  ago.  For  centuries 
after  the  Japanese  established  themselves  in  Yamato  the  abor- 
iginals maintained  a  determined  resistance  against  the  south- 
ern invaders,  and  in  720  a.d.  they  made  it  necessary  to  call 
out  the  militia  of  nine  provinces  before  they  were  checked 
in  an  assault  on  the  Nipponese  stronghold  and  driven  back 
N.  of  Sendai.  For  years  they  were  to  the  Japanese  what  the 
North  American  Indian  tribes  were  to  the  settlers  of  Virginia 
and  New  England.  In  776  some  of  the  Ainu  chieftains  on 
the  N.  frontier  opened  the  strife  with  such  determination 
that  the  old  Taga  Fort,  built  near  Sendai  as  an  outpost  against 
them,  was  taken  with  all  its  munitions  of  war  and  supplies. 
They  massacred  the  commandant  and  most  of  the  garrison, 
and  spread  terror  through  the  country  as  far  S.  as  Tokyo. 
They  often  beat  the  Japanese  on  land  and  sea,  and  it  was  not 
until  the  9th  cent,  that  the  age-long  contest  was  brought  to  a 
close.  About  855  a  civil  war  broke  out  among  them,  and  this 
so  weakened  them  that  when  they  again  rose,  in  878,  they  were 
comparatively  easily  dealt  with.  From  the  9th  cent,  onward 
the  Ainu  were  settled  in  villages  on  the  footing  of  ordinary 
Japanese  subjects.  It  is  thought  that  the  prisoners  who  were 
transported  to  several  places  in  the  S.  of  the  islands  were  the 
progenitors  of  the  Eta,  who  formed  a  large  part  of  the  pariah 
class  of  feudal  Japan.  Dealing  in  skins  of  animals  and  in 
leather  until  after  it  was  tanned  was  anciently  considered 
unclean,  and  tanning  was  a  monopoly  of  the  Eta.  So  also  was 
the  work  in  connection  with  the  common  execution-grounds, 
and  other  degrading  tasks. 


334 


YEZO  Ainu  Characteristics. 


Characteristics.  The  Ainu  are  uncivilized,  shiftless,  igno- 
rant, filthy,  healthy,  amiable,  gentle,  submissive,  and  hospit- 
able. Instead  of  being  the  morose,  sad-visaged  aboriginals 
that  some  writers  picture  them,  they  are,  on  the  contrary,  gen- 
erally good-natured,  though  reserved  and  taciturn;  trust- 
worthy, courteous  in  their  rude  way,  and  with  winning  man- 
ners that  one  does  not  usually  associate  with  savages.  They 
live  chiefly  by  fishing  and  the  chase,  and  their  general  manner 
of  life  has  not  materially  changed  during  ages.  In  stature  they 
are  short  (the  men  average  5  ft.  5  in.  in  height,  the  women  5  ft.) 
like  the  Japanese  but  chunky  and  much  stronger,  with  more 
muscle,  greater  breadth  of  shoulders,  a  better  developed  chest 
and  torso,  with  short  arms  and  legs  and  large  hands  and  feet. 
The  complexion  of  the  men  is  darker  than  the  light  olive  of  the 
Nipponese,  with  a  coppery,  brownish  tint  suggestive  of  the 
North  American  Indian.  That  of  the  women  is  a  shade  lighter. 
The  average  woman  is  unusually  well  developed,  with  luxuri- 
ant black  hair,  superb  teeth,  sparkling  eyes,  and  a  light,  lithe, 
springy  walk.  The  features  of  both  are  a  singular  blend  of 
Mongol  and  European,  with  a  Negroid  suggestion  emphasized 
by  the  short  and  straight  nose,  flattish  and  well  rounded  at  the 
nostrils,  the  (sometimes)  thickish  lips,  and  the  wide  but  well- 
formed  mouth  filled  with  small,  white,  regular  teeth.  The  neck 
is  short,  the  brow  high,  broad,  and  massive;  while  the  large, 
quite  deeply  set,  beautiful  and  expressive  liquid  brownish- 
black  eyes,  though  not  placed  obliquely,  leave  nevertheless  a 
suggestion  of  Tartar  ancestry.  The  eyes  are  far  and  away  the 
finest  features;  singularly  soft  and  kindly,  with  long,  abundant 
silky  lashes.  Their  voices  are  soft,  low,  and  surprisingly  musi- 
cal, and  when  they  speak  and  smile  at  the  same  time  the  timid, 
gentle  eyes  beam  winsomely,  and  the  expression  is  as  sweet  as 
that  of  a  gracious  woman.  The  voices  of  the  men  are  devoid  of 
gruff  ness  until  their  owners  are  displeased;  then  they  utter  a 
short,  shrill  screech  which  betrays  the  savage. 

Their  most  striking  peculiarity  is  the  abundant  sloe-black 
hair  which  falls  in  soft,  thick,  sometimes  wavy,  masses  to  the 
shoulders,  where  it  is  clipped.  In  the  case  of  the  older  men,  this 
unusual  mass  of  hair  on  the  head  is  supplemented  by  astonish- 
ingly thick  beards  and  mustaches,  the  former  sometimes  12-14 
in.  long  and  imparting  a  venerable  and  patriarchal  appearance. 
Many  of  the  men  have  practically  no  hair  on  the  breast,  and 
but  little  on  the  arms  and  legs ;  others  show  a  noticeable  growth 
on  the  torso,  arms,  and  limbs,  and  this  sometimes  stands  out 
short  and  bristly.  As  a  general  rule  the  majority  of  the  Ainu 
are  no  more  hairy  than  Russian  Jews  or  certain  husky,  brawny 
Scotch  gillies,  and  in  many  communities  of  the  world  they 
would  pass  unnoted.  The  hairiness  of  the  race  as  a  distinctive 
feature  is  brought  into  exaggerated  prominence  by  their 
proximity  to  the  smooth-skinned  Japanese,  and  is  often  en- 


Tribal  Customs. 


YEZO 


335 


larged  upon  by  impressionistic  writers.  There  are,  however, 
noteworthy  exceptions  to  the  general  rule,  and  these  astonish 
and  puzzle  the  observer.  For  some  unexplained  reason  many 
of  the  Ainu  who  inhabit  the  tribal  communities  scattered  along 
the  shore  of  Volcano  Bay  are  darker  than  those  of  Shiraoi, 
Piratori,  and  other  villages,  and  considerably  more  hairy. 
Here  men  may  occasionally  be  seen  completely  but  thinly 
covered  with  soft,  silky  hair  an  inch  or  more  long,  but  they 
are  the  exception  and  not  the  rule.  When  very  old  and  very 
shrunken  they  bear  an  amazing  likeness  to  animals,  and  inspire 
one  with  an  aversion  difficult  to  dominate.  Many  of  the  young 
men  apparently  dislike  the  notoriety  arising  from  their  hirsute 
decoration,  and  they  carry  smoothly  shaven  faces;  in  such 
cases  the  strongly  marked  blue-black  beard  beneath  their  sun- 
tanned cheeks,  coupled  with  their  piercing  eyes  and  swarthy 
complexion,  imparts  a  sort  of  dashing  appearance,  like  that  of 
a  Spanish  corsair.  Many  of  the  women  bear  a  striking  resem- 
blance to  Spanish  gypsies,  particularly  when  they  adorn  their 
ears  with  the  big  silver  hoops  of  which  they  are  so  fond,  and 
put  about  their  necks  the  large  strings  of  turquoise-like  beads 
(usually  a  wedding-gift)  with  hammered  silver  pendants.  'A 
curious  intensity  about  their  eyes,  coupled  with  the  profusion 
of  black  hair  and  singularly  vigorous  physique,  give  the  men 
a  formidably  savage  appearance,  but  the  smile,  full  of  sweet- 
ness and  light,  in  which  both  eyes  and  mouth  bear  part,  makes 
one  at  times  forget  that  they  are  savages.  The  venerable  look 
of  some  of  the  old  men  harmonizes  with  the  singular  dignity 
and  courtesy  of  their  manners,  but  as  one  looks  at  the  grand 
heads,  and  reflects  that  the  Ainu  have  never  shown  any  capac- 
ity, and  are  merely  adult  children,  they  seem  to  suggest  water 
on  the  brain  rather  than  intellect.  The  European  expression 
of  their  faces  is  truthful,  straightforward,  and  manly,  but  both 
it  and  the  tone  of  voice  are  strongly  tinged  with  pathos.  They 
doubtless  stand  high  among  uncivilized  tribes,  but  they  are  as 
completely  irreclaimable  as  the  wildest  of  nomad  tribes,  and 
contact  with  civilization,  where  it  exists,. only  debases  them. 
Several  young  Ainu  were  once  sent  to  Tokyo,  and  educated 
and  trained  in  various  ways,  but  as  soon  as  they  returned  to 
Yezo  they  relapsed  into  savagery,  retaining  nothing  but  a 
knowledge  of  Japanese.  They  are  charming  in  many  ways,  but 
make  one  sad,  too,  by  their  stupidity,  apathy,  and  hopeless- 
ness.' 

Tattooing,  a  tribal  custom  which  dates  beyond  the  memory 
of  the  present-day  Ainu,  and  which  formerly  was  a  part  of 
their  religion,  is  one  of  the  most  striking  characteristics  of  the 
women;  it  is  begun  (the  Melanasian  method  is  practiced;  see 
p.  clxxii)  when  the  child  is  about  5  yrs.  old,  and  is  supposed 
to  enhance  its  beauty.  The  lip  is  vut  with  a  sharp  knife,  soot 
which  collects  on  the  mat  above  the  fire  is  rubbed  into  the 


336 


YEZO  Tribal  Customs. 


wound,  which  is  later  washed  with  a  decoction  of  the  bark  of  a 
certain  tree,  to  fix  the  pattern,  and  to  give  it  the  blue  look 
desired.  As  the  child  grows  the  pattern  is  extended,  so  that 
when  she  is  ready  to  be  married  (at  about  17  yrs.)  she  usually 
has  a  large,  bow-shaped  mustache  with  tapering,  slightly 
turned-up  ends,  on  the  upper  lip,  and  a  tiny  triangle  with  the 
point  downward,  on  the  lower  lip.  Other  fancy  patterns  — 
bands,  circles,  a  sort  of  lattice-work,  and  what-not  —  are 
tattooed  on  the  arms  and  hands  from  the  elbow  down  to  the 
knuckles,  and  the  heavy  eyebrows  are  connected  by  a  line  of 
tattooing.  In  the  case  of  the  younger  and  more  comely  women, 
the  mustachios  are  strikingly  effective,  ostensibly  converting 
them  —  with  all  their  feminine  charms  —  into  dashingly 
attractive  young  men.  Certain  of  the  children  are  not  tat- 
tooed —  in  obedience  to  prohibitive  orders  from  the  Japanese 
Gov't.  The  deep  blue  embellishment  is  apt  to  impart  an 
unpleasant  look  to  the  old  crones,  making  their  shriveled 
mouths  look  disproportionately  wide  and  witch-like,  —  almost 
stretching  from  ear  to  ear.  But  this  even  is  not  so  irretrievably 
hideous  as  the  Japanese  custom  of  blackening  the  teeth  — • 
which  is  a  post-nuptial  act,  while  the  tattooing  of  the  Ainu 
girls  is  done  before  marriage. 

The  Ainu  have  no  mode  of  computing  time,  and  do  not  know 
their  own  ages.  'To  them  the  past  is  dead,  yet  like  other  con- 
quered and  despised  races,  they  cling  to  the  idea  that  in  some 
far-off  age  they  were  a  great  nation.  With  them  the  art  of  war 
seems  to  have  been  lost  long  ago.  Their  habits,  though  by  no 
means  destitute  of  decency  and  propriety,  are  not  cleanly. 
The  women  bathe  their  hands  once  a  day,  but  any  other  wash- 
ing is  unknown  or  not  practiced.  They  never  wash  their 
clothes,  and  wear  the  same  day  and  night/  Their  houses  swarm 
with  fleas,  and  are  sometimes  permeated  by  an  ancient  fish 
smell  very  trying  to  foreign  nostrils.  As  if  in  defiance  of  the 
microbe  theory  they  are  a  healthy  race,  with  but  few  chronic- 
ally ailing  people.  1  Though  the  children  are  often  afflicted  by 
cutaneous  diseases,  these  wear  off  when  they  are  10  or  12  yrs. 
old,  and  they  generally  live  to  grow  up;  they  are  not  carried  off 
by  the  infantile  diseases  which  plague  civilized  communities.' 
The  children  themselves  are  grave,  gentle,  obedient,  often- 
times pretty  and  attractive.  When  young,  they  sometimes 
give  promise  of  an  intelligence  which  generally  fails  to  material- 
ize inlater  years.  They  are  weaned  when  3-4  yrs.  old;  boys  are 
preferred  to  girls,  but  infanticide  is  not  practiced.  —  Parents 
seem  fond  of  their  children,  who  in  turn  are  affectionate.  They 
do  not  receive  names  till  they  are  4  or  5  yrs.  old.  A  childless 
wife  may  be  divorced;  if  she  is  not,  a  second  wife  is  usually 
taken  by  the  husband.  They  are  said  to  make  faithful  and 
laborious  helpmates,  and  to  assist  in  hunting  and  fishing, 
besides  their  other  work.  They  carry  their  babies  pick-a-back, 


Ainu  Women. 


YEZO 


337 


as  do  the  Japanese  mothers,  excepting  that  the  child  is  sup- 
ported by  a  broad  band  which  passes  round  the  woman's 
forehead. 

Polygamy  is  practiced  by  the  chiefs  in  some  communities, 
each  of  which  is  usually  presided  over  by  some  patriarch 
elected  by  the  people.  Girls  marry  when  they  are  about  17; 
boys  at  21.  When  a  man  wishes  to  marry  he  asks  the  chief's 
permission.  If  the  father  of  the  girl  consents,  the  happy  youth 
makes  him  a  present  of  a  Japanese  curio  —  which  concludes 
the  betrothal.  Marriage  immediately  follows,  and  is  celebrated 
by  carousals  and  much  drinking  of  sake.  The  bride  receives 
as  her  dowry  an  ornamented  kimono  and  some  ear-rings.  If  a 
man  tires  of  his  wife,  he  can  divorce  her  with  the  consent  of  the 
chief.  Conjugal  fidelity  is  a  virtue  among  the  women,  who  are 
chaste.  Five  is  the  usual  number  of  an  Ainu  family:  aged 
parents  receive  filial  reverence,  kindness,  and  support  from 
their  children.  Present-day  marriages  between  Japanese  and 
Ainu  are  said  to  be  sterile;  a  fact  attributed  to  the  difference  in 
physical  constitution  occasioned  by  many  consecutive  genera- 
tions of  savage  life.  The  people  are  courteous  to  each  other  and 
to  strangers.  'The  common  salutation  consists  in  extending 
the  hands  and  waving  them  inwards,  once  or  oftener,  and  strok- 
ing the  beard;  a  formal  salute  is  made  by  raising  the  hands  with 
an  inward  curve  to  the  level  of  the  head  two  or  three  times, 
lowering  them,  and  rubbing  them  together;  the  ceremony 
concluding  with  stroking  the  beard  several  times.  The  women 
have  "  no  manners!  "  '  The  indoor  occupation  of  the  men  is  to 
carve  wood  articles  —  knife-sheaths,  spoons,  canes,  and  what- 
not. They  are  fond  of  smoking. 

The  Ainu  Women  work  hard,  but  their  lot  is  not  as  bad  as 
it  might  be.  'They  rise  early,  sew,  split  the  bark  of  which  their 
own  and  their  husband's  clothes  are  made;  they  draw  water, 
chop  wood,  cultivate  the  soil  (in  which  the  men  lend  a  hand), 
grind  millet  and  take  care  of  the  children.  They  eat  of  the 
same  food,  and  at  the  same  time  as  the  men,  laugh  and  talk 
before  them,  and  receive  equal  support  and  respect  in  old  age. 
They  all  understand  the  making  of  bark-cloth  (from  the  linden 
tree)  and  the  weaving  of  mats,  which  they  sell  (along  with 
bear-skins)  or  trade  for  sake  and  other  necessaries.  The  men 
bring  in  the  bark  in  strips,  5  ft.  long,  having  removed  the  outer 
coating.  This  inner  bark  is  easily  separated  into  several  thin 
layers,  which  are  split  into  very  narrow  strips  by  the  older 
women,  very  neatly  knotted,  and  wound  into  balls,  weighing 
about  a  pound  each.  No  preparation  of  either  the  bark  or  the 
thread  is  required  to  fit  it  for  weaving,  but  some  of  the  women 
steep  it  in  a  decoction  of  a  bark  which  produces  a  brown  dye 
and  deepens  the  buff  tint.  The  simple  loom  consists  of  a  stout 
hook  fixed  in  the  floor,  to  which  the  threads  of  the  far  end  of 
the  web  are  secured,  a  cord  fastening  the  near  end  to  the  waist 


338 


YEZO 


Ainu  Women. 


of  the  worker,  who  supplies,  by  dexterous  rigidity,  the  neces- 
sary tension;  a  frame  like  a  comb  resting  on  the  ankles, 
through  which  the  threads  pass,  a  hollow  roll  for  keeping  the 
upper  and  under  threads  separate,  a  spatula-shaped  shuttle  of 
engraved  wood,  and  a  roller  on  which  the  cloth  is  rolled  as  it 
is  made.  The  length  of  the  web  is  15  ft.,  and  the  width  of  the 
cloth  15  in.  It  is  woven  with  great  regularity,  and  the  knots  in 
the  thread  are  Carefully  kept  on  the  under  side.  It  is  a  very 
slow  and  fatiguing  process,  and  a  woman  cannot  do  much  more 
than  a  foot  a  day.  The  weaver  sits  on  the  floor  with  the  whole 
arrangement  attached  to  her  waist,  and  the  loom,  if  such  it 
may  be  called,  on  her  ankles.  It  takes  long  practice  before  she 
can  supply  the  necessary  tension  by  spinal  rigidity.  As  the 
work  proceeds  she  drags  herself  almost  imperceptibly  nearer 
the  hook.  In  some  of  the  houses  two  or  three  women  bring  in 
their  webs  in  the  morning,  fix  their  hooks,  and  weave  all  day, 
while  others,  who  have  not  equal  advantages,  put  their  hooks 
in  the  ground  and  weave  in  the  sunshine.'  The  entire  loom  can 
be  easily  fashioned  with  an  ordinary  knife.  The  Japanese  buy 
the  cloth  for  its  practically  indestructible  quality.  The  Ainu 
Clothing  is  much  like  -that  of  the  Japanese  in  form.  In  the 
winter  the  men  wear  skin  coats  and  hoods,  and  a  sort  of  rude 
moccasin.  Under  this  a  skin  or  bark-cloth  waistcoast  may  or 
may  not  be  worn;  the  coats  reach  a  little  below  the  knee,  fold 
over  from  right  to  left,  and  are  confined  at  the  waist  by  a  nar- 
row, cloth  girdle,  to  which  is  sometimes  attached  a  rude 
dagger-like  knife,  with  a  crudely  carved  wood  handle  and 
sheath.  The  coat  worn  by  the  women  reaches  halfway  between 
the  knees  and  ankles,  and  is  quite  loose  and  without  a  girdle. 
In  summer,  serviceable  and  attractive  kimonos  of  the  fine  buff- 
colored  fabric  mentioned  above  are  worn.  Tightly  fitting 
leggins,  either  of  skin  or  of  bark-cloth,  and  sometimes  straw 
sandals,  are  worn  by  both  sexes.  The  primitive  Ainu  woman 
keeps  her  person  scrupulously  and  completely  covered;  those 
who  have  come  under  Japanese  influence  are  negligent  in  the 
matter.  Clothes  for  festive  occasions  are  handsomely  deco- 
rated with  various  pleasing  geometrical  patterns  showing 
white  or  red  on  a  blue  ground.  The  women  love  brilliant 
crimsons  and  every  shade  of  red,  and  employ  them  whenever 
possible.  When  in  the  forests  and  away  from  their  habitations, 
the  men  often  go  stark  naked,  clad  only  in  their  long  beards 
#nd  the  hirsute  leggins  with  which  Nature  has  endowed  some 
of  them! 

A  few  shaggy,  half-wild,  unshod  horses,  and  some  hunting- 
dogs  with  thick  yellow  pelts  and  dispositions  mild  like  those 
of  their  masters,  constitute  the  Ainu  wealth  in  domestic  ani- 
mals. The  men  are  expert  fishermen  and  their  boats  are  sim- 
ilar in  model  to  those  of  the  Japanese,  excepting  that  they  are 
narrower,  more  slender,  and  pointed  at  the  prow;  which  is 


Bear  Hunting. 


YEZO 


339 


upturned,  sometimes  gaudily  painted,  and  resembles  the  boats 
of  the  early  Norsemen.  In  addition  to  the  Japanese  ro,  or 
sculling  oar,  they  also  use  kai,  or  slender  side  oars.  Their  river 
canoes  are  usually  dug  out  of  logs,  sometimes  of  the  wood  of 
the  fine  native  elm  (nire),  but  more  often  from  the  splendid 
trunks  of  the  beautiful  Calopanax  ricinifolia.  Some  again  con- 
sist of  two  halves  laced  together  with  very  strong  bark-fiber 
along  their  entire  length,  and  with  high  sides  also  laced  on. 
This  fiber-rope  is  excellently  made,  and  is  twisted  in  all  sizes 
from  small  but  astonishingly  stout  twine  to  anchor  hawsers. 
Two  men  will  fashion  a  canoe  from  a  rough  log  in  5-6  days. 
These  canoes  may  often  be  seen  ascending  the  Yezo  rivers,  up 
which  the  superb  salmon  goes  to  spawn  in  the  fresh  water  near 
their  source.  The  men  spear  them  with  crude,  barbed  instru- 
ments, or  catch  them  in  hand-nets.  One  man  usually  stands 
at  the  stern  to  propel  the  boat,  while  another  stands  at  the  bow, 
harpoon  in  hand.  Torches  are  used  to  attract  the  fish  at  night, 
and  the  oftentimes  stark-naked  Ainu,  hairy,  and  with  flowing 
beard  and  matted  hair,  standing,  his  spear  poised,  under  the 
glare  of  the  sputtering  pine  torch,  is  a  sight  one  does  not  soon 
forget.  The  men  spit  the  fish  with  amazing  accuracy. 

The  Ainu  eat  (with  fingers  and  chop-sticks)  fresh,  salt,  and 
dried  fish,  seaweed,  slugs,  wild  roots,  berries,  the  various  vege- 
tables (usually  made  into  a  stew)  which  they  raise  in  the  little 
garden  about  their  huts;  bear-meat,  venison,  and  a  special 
soup  made  of  a  putty-like  clay,  which  is  boiled  with  the  bulb 
of  an  edible  lily.  The  men  spend  the  autumn,  winter,  and 
spring  in  hunting  deer  and  bear,  the  meat  of  which  they  sub- 
sist upon;  the  skins  are  traded  for  sake,  etc.,  and  are  given  in 
payment  of  taxes.  They  are  valiant  hunters,  and  will  tackle 
the  ferocious  brown  Yezo  bear  when  armed  only  with  a  knife 
or  a  bow  and  poisoned  arrows.  The  killing  of  a  big  bear  is 
regarded  as  a  great  feat  both  from  a  religious  and  a  material 
viewpoint,  for  they  worship  the  bear,  but  eat  him  when  cir- 
cumstances favor.  'Gentle  and  peaceable  as  they  are,  they 
have  a  great  admiration  for  fierceness  and  courage;  and  the 
bear,  which  is  the  strongest,  fiercest,  and  most  courageous 
animal  known  to  them,  has  probably  in  all  ages  inspired  their 
veneration.  Some  of  their  rude  chants  are  in  praise  of  the  bear, 
and  their  highest  eulogy  on  a  man  is  to  compare  him  to  a  bear. 
In  some  Ainu  villages,  especially  near  the  chief's  house,  there 
are  several  tall  poles  with  the  fleshless  skull  of  a  bear  on  the  top 
of  each,  and  in  most  of  the  interior  settlements  there  is  also  a 
large  cage,  made  gridiron  fashion,  of  stout  timbers,  and  raised 
two  or  three  feet  above  the  ground.  Such  cages  sometimes  con- 
tain well-grown  bears,  captured  when  quite  young,  in  the  early 
spring.  After  the  capture,  the  bear  cub  is  introduced  into  a 
dwelling-house,  generally  that  of  the  chief,  or  sub-chief,  where 
it  is  suckled  by  a  woman,  and  played  with  by  the  children,  till 


340 


YEZO 


Bear  Hunting. 


it  grows  too  big  and  rough  for  domestic  ways.  Then  it  is  placed 
in  a  strong  cage,  in  which  it  is  fed  and  cared  for,  till  the  autumn 
of  the  following  year,  when,  being  strong  and  well-grown,  the 
Festival  of  the  Bear  is  celebrated.  The  customs  of  this  festival 
vary  considerably,  and  the  manner  of  the  bear's  death  differs 
among  the  mountain  and  coast  Ainu,  but  everywhere  there  is  a 
general  gathering  of  the  people,  and  it  is  the  occasion  of  a  great 
feast,  accompanied  with  much  sake  and  a  curious  dance,  in 
which  men  alone  take  part.  Yells  and  shouts  are  used  to  excite 
the  bear,  and  when  he  becomes  much  agitated  a  chief  shoots 
him  with  an  arrow,  inflicting  a  slight  wound  which  maddens 
him,  on  which  the  bars  of  the  cage  are  raised,  and  he  springs 
forth,  very  furious.  At  this  stage,  the  Ainu  run  upon  him  with 
various  weapons,  each  one  striving  to  inflict  a  wound,  as  it 
brings  good  luck  to  draw  blood.  As  soon  as  he  falls  down 
exhausted,  his  head  is  cut  off,  and  the  weapons  with  which  he 
has  been  wounded  are  offered  to  it,  and  he  is  asked  to  avenge 
himself  upon  them.  Afterwards  the  carcass,  amidst  a  frenzied 
uproar,  is  distributed  among  the  people,  and  with  feasting  and 
riot,  the  head,  placed  upon  a  pole,  is  worshiped,  and  the  festi- 
val closes  with  general  intoxication. ' 

Although  Gov't  has  prohibited  the  use  of  poisoned  arrows 
in  bear-hunting,  it  is  believed  that  they  are  still  used  surrepti- 
tiously. When  hunting  a  bear,  the  Ainu  goes  to  his  den  single- 
handed,  and  if  he  cannot  induce  Bruin  to  come  forth  and  settle 
the  matter  in  the  proper  way,  he  crawls  in  after  him  —  a 
dangerous  proceeding!  As  the  bear  rises  to  strike  him,  the  in- 
trepid hunter  dodges  under  his  forepaw,  stabs  him  if  possible, 
then  rushes  round  and  attacks  him  from  the  rear.  This  some- 
times prompts  the  bear  to  rush  out  into  the  open  and  seek 
safety  in  flight,  but  as  it  emerges  from  its  den,  a  companion 
on  the  outside  shoots  a  poisoned  arrow  into  him,  and  in  a  few 
moments  the  animal  expires.  The  flesh  around  the  wound  is 
immediately  cut  away,  and  the  poison  does  not  affect  the  rest 
of  the  meat.  Another  method  of  killing  the  bear  is  by  means 
of  a  large  bow,  fixed  across  the  path  in  such  a  way  that  when 
the  bear  walks  over  a  cord  which  is  attached  to  it,  he  is  simul- 
taneously transfixed.  Gov't  has  also  prohibited  the  use  of 
these  arrow-traps,  which  are  a  constant  menace  to  foresters 
and  others.  The  Ainu  bows  are  crude,  about  3  ft.  long,  made  of 
stout  saplings  with  the  bark  on,  and  there  is  no  attempt  to 
shape  or  render  them  elastic.  The  peculiar  arrows  are  fashioned 
in  three  pieces,  the  point  consisting  of  a  sharpened  piece  of 
bone  with  a  cavity  on  one  side  to  hold  the  poison.  'This  point 
or  head  is  very  slightly  fastened  by  a  lashing  of  bark  to  a  fusi- 
form piece  of  bone  about  4  in.  long,  which  is  in  turn  lashed  to  a 
shaft  about  14  in.  long,  the  other  end  of  which  is  sometimes 
equipped  with  a  triple  feather.  The  poison  is  placed  in  the 
elongated  cavity  in  the  head  in  a  very  soft  state,  and  hardens 


Ainu  Dwellings. 


YEZO 


341 


afterwards.  In  some  of  the  arrow-heads  half  a  teaspoonful  of 
the  paste  is  inserted.  From  the  nature  of  the  very  slight  lash- 
ings which  attach  the  arrow-head  to  the  shaft,  it  remains  fixed 
in  the  slight  wound  that  it  makes,  while  the  shaft  falls  off.'  — 
The  poison  is  made  by  macerating  the  root  of  the  Aconitum 
japonicum,  an  Asiatic  species  of  wolf's-bane,  the  blue  flowers 
of  which  are  prominent  features  in  the  Yezo  landscape.  After 
the  root  has  been  pounded  to  a  pulp  it  is  mixed  with  a  reddish 
earth  and  then  with  animal  fat,  and  becomes  a  stiff,  dark, 
reddish-brown  paste.  It  is  sometimes  buried  before  it  is  used; 
ten  grains  are  sufficiently  virulent  to  kill  a  big  bear  in  ten 
minutes.  The  Ainu  claim  to  know  no  antidote  for  it,  and  if  a 
man  is  wounded  with  one  of  the  arrows  the  part  must  be  excised 
immediately,  else  death  will  follow. 

Ainu  Dwellings  are  usually  distinguishable  by  their 
thatched  roofs,  which  are  covered  with  several  superimposed 
layers  of  straw  that  produce  a  series  of  ridges,  or  receding  ter- 
races, the  smallest  cap  being  at  the  top.  They  are  usually  of  a 
mongrel  character  when  the  Ainu  village  happens  to  be  near 
that  of  the  Japanese,  but  quite  distinctive  in  the  remote  dis- 
tricts. Custom  does  not  permit  of  either  variety  or  innova- 
tions, while  poverty  dictates  the  interior  furnishings.  Certain 
of  the  houses  at  Shiraoi  have  raised  wood  floors,  highly  pol- 
ished, like  those  of  a  comfortable  Japanese  house;  others  being 
purely  of  mud.  'The  usual  appearance  is  that  of  a  small  house 
built  on  at  the  end  of  a  larger  one.  The  small  house  is  the 
vestibule  or  ante-room,  and  is  entered  by  a  low  doorway 
screened  by  a  heavy  mat  of  reeds.  It  contains  the  large  wooden 
mortar  and  pestle  with  two  ends,  used  for  pounding  millet,  a 
wooden  receptacle  for  millet,,  nets  or  hunting-gear,  and  some 
bundles  of  reeds  for  repairing  roof  or  walls.  This  room  never 
contains  a  window.  From  it  the  large  room  is  entered  by  a 
doorway,  over  which  a  heavy  reed  mat,  bound  with  hide, 
invariably  hangs.  This  room  may  be  40  ft.  long  by  25  ft. 
broad,  or  even  40  ft.  sq.;  the  smaller  one  usually  measures  20 
by  15  ft. ;  the  separating  partition  is  usually  of  mud  and  wattle. 
On  entering,  one  is  impressed  by  the  height  and  steepness  of  the 
roof,  altogether  out  of  proportion  to  the  height  of  the  walls/ 
The  dark  hollow  space  of  the  roof  is  often  filled  with  milling 
smoke  seeking  an  outlet,  and  the  superstructure  is  usually 
heavily  coated  with  soot.  When  this  falls  to  the  wood  floor  it  is 
ground  in  and  polished  by  the  constant  sliding  over  it  of  the  oc- 
cupants, with  the  result  that  sometimes  a  floor  may  shine  like 
an  ebony  piano  top.  'The  frame  of  the  house  is  of  posts,  4  ft. 
10  in.  high,  placed  4  ft.  apart,  and  sloping  slightly  inwards. 
The  height  of  the  walls  is  apparently  regulated  by  that  of  the 
reeds,  of  which  only  one  length  is  used,  and  which  never  exceed 
4  ft.  10  in.  The  posts  are  scooped  at  the  top,  and  heavy  poles, 
resting  on  the  scoops,  are  laid  along  them  to  form  the  top  of  the 


342 


YEZO 


Ainu  Dwellings, 


wall.  The  posts  are  again  connected  twice  by  slighter  poles 
tied  on  horizontally.  The  wall  is  double;  the  outer  part  being 
formed  of  reeds  tied  very  neatly  to  the  framework  in  small, 
regular  bundles,  the  inner  layer  or  wall  being  made  of  reeds 
attached  singly.  From  the  top  of  the  pole,  which  is  secured  to 
the  top  of  the  posts,  the  framework  of  the  roof  rises  to  a  height 
of  22  ft.,  made,  like  the  rest,  of  poles  tied  to  a  heavy  and 
roughly  hewn  beam.  At  one  end  under  the  ridge-beam  there 
is  a  large  triangular  aperture  for  the  exit  of  smoke.  Two  very 
stout,  roughly  hewn  beams  cross  the  width  of  the  house,  rest- 
ing on  the  posts  of  the  wall,  and  on  props  let  into  the  floor,  and 
a  number  of  poles  are  laid  at  the  same  height,  by  means  of 
which  a  secondary  roof  formed  of  mats  can  be  at  once  extem- 
porized, but  this  is  only  used  for  guests.  These  poles  answer 
the  same  purpose  as  shelves.  Very  great  care  is  bestowed  upon 
the  outside  of  the  roof,  which  is  neat  and  sometimes  pretty, 
and  has  the  appearance  of  a  series  of  frills,  being  thatched  in 
ridges.  The  ridge-pole  is  very  thickly  covered,  and  the  thatch 
both  there  and  at  the  corners  is  elaborately  laced  with  a  pat- 
tern in  strong  peeled  twigs.  The  poles,  which,  for  much  of  the 
room,  run  from  wall  to  wall,  compel  one  to  stoop,  to  avoid 
fracturing  one's  skull,  and  bringing  down  spears,  bows  and 
arrows,  arrow-traps,  and  other  primitive  property.  The  roof 
and  rafters  are  black  and  shiny  from  wood  smoke.  Immediately 
under  them,  at  one  end  and  one  side,  are  small*  square  win- 
dows, which  are  closed  at  night  by  wooden  shutters,  which 
during  the  day  hang  by  ropes.  Nothing  is  a  greater  insult  to  an 
Ainu  than  to  look  in  at  his  window. 

1  On  the  left  of  the  doorway  is  invariably  a  fixed  wooden 
platform,  18  in.  high,  and  covered  with  a  single  mat,  which  is 
the  sleeping-place.  The  pillows  are  small  stiff  bolsters,  cov- 
ered with  ornamental  matting.  If  the  family  be  large  there  are 
several  of  these  sleeping  platforms.  A  pole  runs  horizontally 
at  a  fitting  distance  above  the  outside  edge  of  each,  over  which 
mats  are  thrown  to  conceal  the  sleepers  from  the  rest  of  the 
room.  The  inside  half  of  these  mats  is  plain,  but  the  outside, 
which  is  seen  from  the  room,  has  a  diamond  pattern  woven 
into  it  in  dull  reds  and  browns.  The  whole  floor  is  covered 
with  a  very  coarse  reed-mat,  with  interstices  half  an  inch  wide. 
The  fireplace,  which  is  6  ft.  long,  is  oblong.  Above  it,  on  a  very 
black  and  elaborate  framework,  hangs  a  very  black  and  shiny 
mat,  whose  superfluous  soot  forms  the  basis  of  the  stain  used 
in  tattooing,  and  whose  apparent  purpose  is  to  prevent  smoke 
ascending,  and  to  diffuse  it  equally  throughout  the  room. 
From  this  framework  pends  the  great  cooking-pot,  which  plays 
a  most  important  part  in  Ainu  economy. 

'Household  gods  form  an  essential  part  of  the  furnishing 
of  every  house.  Usually,  at  the  left  of  the  entrance,  there 
are  ten  white  wands,  with  shavings  pending  from  the  upper 


Ainu  Religion. 


YEZO 


343 


end,  stuck  in  the  wall;  another  projects  from  the  window 
which  faces  the  sunrise,  and  the  great  god,  a  white  post,  2  ft. 
high,  with  spirals  of  shavings  depending  from  the  top,  is  always 
planted  in  the  floor,  near  the  wall,  on  the  left  side,  opposite 
the  fire,  between  the  platform  bed  of  the  householder  and  the 
low,  broad  shelf  placed  invariably  on  the  same  side.  Except 
in  the  poorest  houses,  where  the  people  cannot  afford  to  lay 
down  a  mat  for  a  guest,  they  cover  the  coarse  mat  with  fine 
ones  on  each  side  of  the  fire.  These  mats  and  the  bark-cloth 
are  really  their  only  manufactures.  They  are  made  of  fine 
reeds,  with  a  pattern  in  dull  reds  or  browns,  and  are  14  ft. 
long  by  3  ft.  6  in.  wide.  It  takes  a  woman  8  days  to  make  one. 
In  every  house  there  are  one  or  two  movable  platforms  6  ft. 
by  4  and  14  in.  high,  which  are  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
fireplace,  and  on  which  guests  sit  and  sleep  on  a  bearskin  or 
a  fine  mat.  In  many  houses  there  are  broad  seats  a  few  inches 
high,  on  which  the  elder  men  sit  cross-legged,  as  their  custom 
is,  not  squatting  Japanese  fashion  on  the  heels.  A  water-tub 
always  rests  on  a  stand  by  the  door,  and  the  dried  fish  and 
venison  or  bear  for  daily  use  hang  from  the  rafters,  as  well  as 
a  few  skins.  Besides  these  things  there  are  a  few  absolute 
necessities,  —  lacquer  or  wooden  bowls  for  food  and  sake, 
a  chopping-board  and  rude  chopping-knife,  a  cleft  stick  for 
burning  strips  of  birch-bark,  a  triply-cleft  stick  for  supporting 
the  potsherd  in  which,  on  rare  occasions,  they  burn  a  wick 
with  oil;  the  component  parts  of  their  rude  loom,  the  bark 
of  which  they  make  their  clothes,  and  the  reeds  of  which  they 
make  their  mats.  A  penetrating,  carrion-like  odor'  of  fish- 
oil  not  unfrequently  hangs  around  an  Ainu  coast  settlement 
and  is  apt  to  make  the  foreigner  who  cannot  accustom  him- 
self to  it,  uncomfortable.  The  pots  in  which  the  oil  is  tried  out 
are  generally  to  be  found  between  the  houses  and  the  beach. 
Here,  or  at  the  side  of  the  dwelling-houses,  one  will  also  note 
the  storehouses  —  large,  square  boxes  at  the  top  of  four  high 
poles  —  in  which  meat,  etc.,  is  stored  out  of  reach  of  the 
dogs. 

'  There  cannot  be  anything  more  vague  and  destitute  of 
cohesion  than  Ainu  religious  notions.  With  the  exception  of 
the  hill  shrines  of  Japanese  construction  dedictated  to  Yoshit- 
sune  (whom  the  Ainu  believe  lived  among  them  for  many 
years,  taught  their  fathers  the  arts  of  civilization,  with  letters 
and  numbers,  and  gave  them  righteous  laws,  for  which  reason 
he  is  worshiped  among  them  under  a  name  which  signifies 
Master  of  the  Law)  they  have  no  temples,  and  they  have 
neither  priests,  sacrifices,  nor  worship.  Apparently,  through 
all  traditional  time,  their  cultus  has  been  the  rudest  and  most 
primitive  form  of  nature- worship,  the  attaching  of  a  vague 
sacredness  to  trees,  rivers,  rocks,  and  mountains,  and  of 
vague  notions  of  power  for  good  or  evil  to  the  sea,  the  forest, 


344 


YEZO  Ainu  Amusements. 


the  fire,  and  the  sun  and  moon.  The  outward  symbols  of  their 
religion,  corresponding  most  likely  with  the  Shinto  gohei, 
are  wands  and  posts  of  peeled  wood,  whittled  nearly  to  the  tip, 
from  which  the  pendent  shavings  fall  down  in  white  curls. 
These  are  not  only  set  up  in  their  houses,  sometimes  to  the 
number  of  twenty,  but  on  precipices,  banks  of  rivers  and 
streams,  and  mountain  passes,  and  such  wands  are  thrown 
into  the  rivers  as  the  boatmen  descend  rapids  and  dangerous 
places.  They  have  no  definite  idea  concerning  a  future  state, 
and  such  notions  as  they  have  are  few  and  confused.  Some 
think  that  the  spirits  of  their  friends  go  into  wolves  and  snakes ; 
others,  that  they  wander  about  the  forests;  and  they  are 
much  afraid  of  ghosts.  A  few  think  that  they  go  to  a  good 
or  a  bad  place  according  to  their  deeds.  They  appear  to  have 
certain  rude  ideas  of  metempsychosis,  as  is  evidenced  by  their 
prayer  to  the  bear  and  certain  rude  traditions,  but  whether 
these  are  indigenous,  or  have  arisen  by  contact  with  Bud- 
dhism at  a  later  period,  it  is  impossible  to  say.'  They  have  a 
decided  regard  for  the  truth,  and  they  are  mentioned  as 
punctiliously  honest,  and  truthful  to  a  surprising  degree.  — 
The  chief  act  of  Ainu  worship  is  to  drink  sake.  This  is  sup- 
posed to  please  the  gods,  and  the  drunker  an  Ainu  gets  the 
better  the  gods  are  pleased.  This  gives  rise  to  their  most 
serious  and  deadly  vice;  the  aim  is  to  be  stupidly  drunk  as 
often  and  as  long  as  possible.  They  ferment  an  intoxicating 
liquor  from  the  root  of  a  tree  and  also  from  their  own  millet 
and  Japanese  rice,  but  the  Japanese  sake  is  the  one  thing  that 
they  care  about.  '  They  spend  all  their  gains  upon  it,  and  drink 
it  in  enormous  quantities.  It  represents  to  them  all  the  good 
of  which  they  know,  or  can  conceive.  Men  and  women  alike 
indulge  in  this  vice.  The  Ainu  have  few  amusements,  except 
certain  feasts.  Their  dance  is  slow  and  mournful,  and  their 
songs  are  chants  or  recitative.  They  have  a  musical  instru- 
ment, something  like  a  guitar,  with  3,  5,  or  6  strings,  which 
are  made  from  sinews  of  whales  cast  up  on  the  shore.  Another 
one,  believed  to  be  peculiar  to  themselves,  consists  of  a  thin 
piece  of  wood,  about  5  in.  long  by  2J  in.  broad,  with  a  pointed 
wooden  tongue,  about  2  lines  in  breadth  and  16  in  length, 
fixed  in  the  middle  and  grooved  on  3  sides.  The  wood  is  held 
before  the  mouth,  and  the  tongue  is  set  in  motion  by  the  vibra- 
tion of  the  breath  in  singing.  Its  sound,  though  less  penetrating, 
is  as  discordant  as  that  of  a  Jew's  harp,  which  it  somewhat  re- 
sembles. They  are  unwilling  to  part  with  them,  as  they  say 
it  is  very  seldom  that  they  can  find  a  piece  of  wood  which  will 
bear  the  fine  splitting  necessary  for  the  tongue/ 

The  people  have  a  dread  of  death.  'When  it  comes,  which 
it  usually  does  from  bronchitis  in  old  age,  the  corpse  is  dressed 
in  its  best  clothing,  and  laid  upon  a  shelf  for  from  one  to 
three  days.  In  the  case  of  a  woman  her  ornaments  are  buried 


HAKODATE  19.  Route.  345 


with  her,  and  in  that  of  a  man  his  knife  and  safce-stick,  and, 
if  he  were  a  smoker,  his  smoking-apparatus.  The  corpse  is 
sewn  up  with  these  things  in  a  mat,  and,  being  slung  on  poles, 
is  carried  to  a  solitary  grave,  where  it  is  laid  in  a  recumbent 
position.  Nothing  will  induce  an  Ainu  to  go  near  a  grave. 
A  vague  dread  is  forever  associated  with  the  departed,  and 
no  dream  of  Paradise  ever  lights  for  the  Ainu  the'"  Stygian 
shades."  Living,  they  have  no  history,  and  perishing  they 
leave  no  monument. '  They  possess  no  alphabet  and  no  writ- 
ten language.  Their  traditions  are  oral.  They  say  their  an- 
cestors had  books  which  the  Japanese  took  from  them,  which 
is  unlikely.  It  is  said  they  can  count  up  to  one  thousand.  The 
dialect  is  rude  and  limited,  and  is  thought  to  belong  to 
the  Altaic  family  of  languages.  The  Japanese  learn  it  quickly. 
A  few  of  the  Ainu  speak  #  clipped  Japanese,  but  their  knowl- 
edge of  other  languages  is  nil.  The  names  of  many  places 
on  the  Yezo  map  are  Ainu,  and  the  traveler  will  note  that 
many  of  the  words  end  in  bets,  betsu,  or  pets  or  petsu,  'river'; 
as :  Nobori-betsu,  Mountain  river.  Man  in  the  dialect  is  Ainu 
(also  okkai);  wife  is  matchi;  boy,  cuspo;  good-by,  saramba; 
village,  kotan;  bear,  hokuyak;  beard,  ticksha;  eye,  shki;  male, 
binne;  female,  matni;  and  so  on.  —  A  museum  containing 
Ainu  relics  stands  in  Sapporo,  and  there  is  also  a  collection 
in  the  Imperial  Museum  in  Uyeno,  at  Tokyo.  —  Rev.  J. 
Batchelor,  an  erudite  missionary  who  has  dwelt  long  among 
the  Ainu,  is  perhaps  the  greatest  authority  on  them.  Of 
the  360  or  more  books  that  have  been  written  (in  various 
languages)  about  the  Ainu,  the  student  will  perhaps  find 
all  he  may  wish  in:  The  Ainu  of  Japan;  Ainu  Folk- Lore; 
Sea-girt  Yezo;  The  Koropok-Guru,  or  Pit  Dwellers  of  N. 
Japan;  A  Grammar  of  the  Ainu  Language;  An  Ainu- English- 
Japanese  Dictionary;  and  numerous  monographs  on  the 
Ainu,  all  by  the  authority  mentioned  above. 

19.  Hakodate  and  its  Environs. 

Arrival  at  Hakodate.  The  steamships  of  the  Imperial  Japanese  Gov't 
Rlys.  inward  bound  from  Aomori  (p.  318)  proceed  up  Hakodate  Bay  to  the 
harbor  at  the  S.E.  end  (comp.  the  accompanying  plan),  where  they  go  along- 
side the  pier  and  land  passengers.  The  rly.  station  near  by  is  about  2  M. 
(20  min.)  from  that  part  (S.W.)  of  the  port  (PI.  B,  3)  where  the  chief  inns, 
banks,  shops,  consulates,  etc.,  are  located,  and  for  the  convenience  of  for- 
eigners, a  steam  tug  belonging  to  the  line  usually  meets  incoming  ships  and 
takes  passengers  (from  the  end  of  the  pier)  to  a  landing  (10  min.)  at  the 
right.  Other  ships  usually  anchor  about  \  M.  offshore,  in  5-6  fathoms  of 
water.  Sampans  from  20  sen  up,  according  to  the  amount  of  luggage. 
Travelers  may  save  a  squabble  by  coming  to  a  clear  understanding  as  to 
price  before  hiring  boats  (or  anything  else  in  Yezo),  as  people  of  almost 
every  class  have  an  exaggerated  idea  of  the  value  of  their  services  or 
merchandise.  The  customs  officers  inspect  only  those  ships  arriving  direct 
from  foreign  ports.  Passengers  proceeding  from  the  pier  to  the  rly.  station 
(|  M.)  will  find  red-capped  porters  and  hand-carts  to  take  their  luggage; 
prices  are  double  those  customary  in  Japan  proper. 

Inns  (comp.  p.  xxxiv).  Kito;  Kakucho;  Katsuta  Hotel,  etc.,  all  under  native 


346    Route  19.  HAKODATE 


management.  The  latter  (not  recommended)  has  a  few  poor,  dark  rooms 
without  conveniences,  but  equipped  with  foreign  beds  for  which  ¥2-3  per 
person  per  night  is  demanded.  Food  is  extra,  and  such  unusual  things  as 
towels,  butter  (bad),  and  bread  (poor)  are  charged  for  heavily.  Prices  are 
apt  to  be  quoted  in  a  vague  way,  and  travelers  should  reach  a  clear  under- 
standing with  the  innkeeper  before  engaging  rooms,  and  should  be  sure  the 
understanding  is  mutual.  They  should  also  be  on  their  guard  against  extor- 
tionate prices.  The  native  food  at  the  other  inns  (¥4-5  per  day  inclusive) 
is  usually  better  than  the  alleged  'foreign'  stuff  at  the  Katsuta  Hotel. 

Jinrikis  (p.  lxxxviii)  compete  with  the  cheap  and  convenient  tramways, 
and  dogs  help  the  laziest  of  the  runners  to  pull  their  vehicles  through  the 
streets.  Prices  are  rising  steadily;  per  mile,  20  sen;  per  hr.,  40  sen  (25% 
extra  for  a  vehicle  seating  2  pers.,  and  40%  extra  in  bad  weather).  A  full 
luggage-cart  from  the  station  to  the  hotel,  50  sen. 

Banks  (comp.  p.  xxiii)  where  Letters  of  Credit,  Drafts,  etc.,  can  be  cashed, 
or  money  exchanged:  Nippon  Ginko,  59,  Toyo-kawa-cho  (PI.  C,  3). — 
Hokkaido  Takushoku  Ginko  (Hokkaido  Colonization  Bank,  Ltd.),  22, 
Funaba-cho. 

Consuls  (consult  the  Japan  Directory  for  addresses)  are  accredited  from 
Great  Britain,  the  United  States,  Austria-Htmgary,  Germany,  Norway,  and 
Russia. 

Shops  (comp.  p.  cxii).  At  the  Matsushita  Kumatsuchi  Shoten,  63,  Suyehiro- 
chd  (PI.  B,  3),  one  can  sometimes  get  good  grizzly-bear  skins  (prices  flexible), 
and  Siberian  furs.  The  curio-shops  are  uninteresting,  as  the  Ainu  make 
nothing  the  traveler  wants.  Japanese  products  can  be  bought  to  better 
advantage  in  Tokyo,  Yokohama,  or  Kyoto. 

Steamships:  The  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha,  19,  Funaba-cho  (PL  C,  3),  run 
comfortable  boats  to  most  of  the  island  ports,  and  to  Saghalien.  For  sail- 
ing dates,  cost  of  passage,  etc.,  consult  the  company's  booklets. 

Hakodate  (hah-ko-dah'-tay),  a  new,  flourishing  frontier- 
like city  with  21,000  houses  and  91,000  inhabs.,  stands  near 
the  southernmost  point  of  Yezo  Island,  in  the  province  of 
Oshima,  facing  the  Tsugaru  Strait,  in  E.  long.  140°  44'  and 
N.  lat.  41°  47'  —  practically  that  of  Chicago  or  Rome.  It 
extends  for  nearly  4  M.  along  the  curving  shore  of  Hakodate 
Bay  and  possesses  post-  and  telegraph-offices,  a  number  of 
schools,  a  big  prison,  a  marine  museum,  several  foreign 
churches,  a  meteorological  station,  and  enough  energy  to 
convert  it  eventually  into  a  much  larger  and  more  populous 
port.  It  is  the  financial  center  of  the  E.  section  of  the  Hok- 
kaido, and  its  imports  and  exports  run  into  large  figures. 
The  native  business  quarter  clusters  near  the  rly.  station 
(PI.  D,  2)  and  is  uninteresting.  Not  far  from  it  is  a  small 
but  pretty  Public  Garden  overlooking  the  sea,  while  stretch- 
ing to  the  right  is  the  attractive  foreign  settlement  backed 
by  a  range  of  lofty  fortified  hills  (forts  closed  to  visitors) 
referred  to  collectively  as  the  Peak,  and  as  Hakodate  Head. 
The  general  situation  reminds  one  of  Hongkong  or  Cape 
Town;  the  resemblance  to  the  latter  being  accentuated  by  the 
host  of  wild  flowers  which  grow  in  the  vicinity.  A  succession 
of  wide,  fairly  clean  (wind-swept)  streets  lead  up  from  the 
bay  to  the  pine  groves  on  the  slopes  of  these  hills,  and  are 
crossed  at  right  angles  by  higher  and  more  attractive  thor- 
oughfares flanked  by  substantial  dwellings  like  those  of 
Shanghai.  The  views  from  some  of  these  vantage-points  are 
superb,  and  embrace  the  city  and  bay,  the  Japanese  town  on 


The  Bay. 


HAKODATE  19.  Route.  347 


the  X.  side  of  the  sand-pit,  and  the  lofty  mts.  of  the  interior. 
The  groves  which  gird  the  hills  serve  as  a  sort  of  Brooklyn 
for  many  rascally  crows  that  help  the  street-cleaning  depart- 
ment and  are  as  much  in  evidence  (and  just  as  vociferous) 
as  those  of  certain  towns  of  British  India.  Here  they  fore- 
gather at  eventide,  and  before  they  settle  themselves  for  the 
night  their  ill-humored  wrangling  scandalizes  the  neighbor- 
hood. Wandering  Ainu  are  seen  occasionally  in  Hakodate, 
usually  in  the  vicinity  of  the  docks.  The  water-front  presents 
an  architectural  hodge-podge  which  represents  Japanese, 
French,  German,  American,  Russian,  English,  and  Chinese 
ideas  of  comfort  adapted  to  a  winter  climate  considerably 
colder  than  that  of  Japan  proper.  Corrugated  tin  roofs, 
iron  stovepipes  encased  in  square  stone  collars  and  projecting 
through  windows  to  the  street,  and  snow-sleds  hanging  against 
the  houses  underneath  the  eaves  are  things  one  does  not  see 
in  Honshu.  Most  of  the  streets  lack  sidewalks,  and  when 
they  are  not  deep  in  mud  or  dust,  they  are  usually  covered 
with  snow  or  ice.  Signs  placed  at  intervals  throughout  the 
city  warn  strangers  that  it  lies  within  the  strategic  zone  and 
that  the  War  Department  will  be  rude  to  all  and  sundry  wTho 
photograph,  sketch,  survey,  or  record  impressions  of  land  or 
sea  within  a  radius  of  3500  ken  (about  4  M.).  The  local  au- 
thorities evidently  believe  in  signs,  for  they  have  placed 
them  at  many  points  and  have  loaded  them  with  'Don'ts' 
intended  for  the  commonalty.  Those  in  the  park  are  worth 
looking  at.  The  newness  and  mayhap  the  cosmopolitan  char- 
acter of  the  Hokkaido  has  not  improved  Hakodate's  Fourth 
Estate,  which  appears  to  lack  the  culture  and  gentleness  of 
true  Japanese. 

The  Public  Garden  (PI.  C,  4)  contains  the  Court-House 
(Saibansho),  the  Public  Library  (Toshokwan),  and  a  small 
Fisheries  Museum  (open  from  8  to  4 ;  2  sen) .  The  Shinto  shrines 
which  stand  at  intervals  along  the  shoulder  of  the  ridge  behind 
the  port  are  interesting  only  for  the  fine  views  obtainable 
from  their  elevated  situation.  The  drinking-water  (not 
recommended)  is  brought  (7  M.)  from  the  Akagawa;  the 
waterworks  were  installed  in  1889.  —  The  suburbs  offer  but 
little  of  interest  to  the  stranger;  a  locally  popular  resort, 
Yuno-kawa  Hot  Springs  (Homei  Hotel,  ¥5),  4|  M.  E.  of  the 
town  (tram-cars  every  J  hr.,  10  sen),  is  near  the  old  Gory 6- 
kaku  Fort  (a  relic  of  Tokugawa  times).  Between  it  and  the 
city  is  the  penitentiary  and  a  race-track.  The  Lakes,  to 
which  many  go  in  summer,  are  mentioned  in  Rte.  24. 

Hakodate  Bay  (5  by  4  M.),  the  best  in  Yezo  (with  12-15 
fathoms  of  water),  is  entered  at  the  W.  between  Kakodate 
Head  and  Katoshi-zaki.  When  several  score  ships  of  different 
nations  anchor  below  the  high  peninsula  which  protects 
them  from  the  strong  winds  at  the  E.,  the  effect  is  pleasingly 


348    Route  20.       HAKODATE  TO  MURORAN 


suggestive  of  Alaska  or  the  Far  North.  Dense  masses  of  fog 
often  lie  over  the  bay  between  May  and  October,  and  biting 
winds  howl  across  it  from  early  fall  to  late  spring.  During 
this  period  snow  often  lies  4  ft.  deep  in  the  Hakodate  streets 
and  many  sleighs  are  brought  into  service.  There  is  a  wire- 
less station  at  Hakodate  Head,  and  a  submarine  cable  (which 
crosses  Tsugaru  Strait)  at  the  bottom  of  the  bay  {wan). 
The  harbor-works  under  construction  will  cost  12  million  yen. 
The  shore-front  is  often  fringed  with  a  forest  of  masts  rising 
from  sea-going  junks  of  many  classes  —  the  carriers  of  the 
thousands  of  tons  of  salmon  which  enter  and  leave  the  port 
each  year. 

According  to  the  consular  reports  500  or  more  sailing-vessels  and  steam- 
ers leave  Hakodate  every  summer  for  Kamchatka,  Saghalien,  and  other 
points  in  the  North  Seas,  and  return  with  catches  valued  at  approximately 
20  million  yen.  After  extracting  the  roe  and  shipping  it  to  Russia  as  true 
caviar,  the  Russian  merchants  sell  the  rejected  fish  at  almost  any  price.  The 
value  of  those  thus  treated  reaches  3  million  yen  a  year. 

20.  From  Hakodate  via  Onuma,  Otaru,  Sapporo,  Iwamizawa, 

Oiwake,  Shiraoi  and  Noboribetsu  to  Muroran. 
Hakodate  and  Muroran  Lines  of  the  Imperial  Japanese  Government  Railways. 

This  practically  circular  route  will  enable  the  hurried  traveler 
to  get  a  cursory  view  of  Sapporo,  the  capital  city;  the  interior 
of  the  island;  an  Ainu  Village;  and  Muroran,  and  it  includes 
a  short  steamer  trip  across  the  beautiful  Volcano  Bay.  Those 
whose  time  is  unlimited  are  recommended  to  supplement  it 
with  the  trip  to  Kushiro  (described  hereinafter)  and  that 
to  Wakkanai,  on  Soya  Strait,  at  the  extreme  northernmost  point 
of  the  island.  All  are  off  the  regular  beaten  tracks  of  travel, 
and  all  are  replete  with  interest.  Picturesque,  romantically 
beautiful  Japan  is  seen  here  in  another  form;  stern,  gray,  cold, 
and  rugged;  primeval  men  in  a  primeval  wilderness.  The  re- 
gion bears  more  or  less  the  same  relation  to  Japan  proper 
that  Canada  does  to  Florida;  with  its  semi-Arctic  fauna  and 
flora,  magnificent  scenery,  and  invigorating  climate;  but 
rendered  doubly  interesting  by  the  mysterious,  pre-historic 
Ainu. 

Several  trains  leave  Hakodate  daily  for  179  M.  Sapporo,  and  way- 
stations;  time,  about  10  hrs.;  fare,  ¥5.70,  1st  cl.;  ¥  3.42,  2d  cl.  The  best 
plan  is  to  board  an  early  train,  about  6  a.m.,  as  this  reaches  Sapporo  in  the 
afternoon,  and  gives  one  the  advantage  of  a  daylight  ride  all  the  way.  Best 
views  from  the  left  side  of  the  train.  The  bento  (p.  lxxxiv)  sold  at  several  of 
the  large  stations  (20  sen)  is  superior  to  that  in  many  other  places  in  Japan 
proper  —  good  salted  salmon  forming  a  chief  ingredient.*  Delicious  solidi- 
fied jams,  or  marmalade,  made  of  apples  {ringoyo),  strawberries  {ichigo- 
yokan),  and  the  like,  are  sold  (15-25  sen)  in  tasteful  wooden  boxes  at  certain 
of  the  stations;  and  with  the  excellent  rice  and  hot  milk  they  make  satisfac- 
tory snacks  by  the  wayside.  Hot  tea  and  bento  are  usually  sold  in  the 
buffets  on  the  trains.  The  cars  for  Sapporo  may  be  marked  Asahigawa.  The 
hotel  at  Sapporo  is  the  best  on  the  island,  and  one  can  pass  the  night  very 
comfortably  and  continue  the  journey  either  the  following  morning  or  the 
one  after  it.  A  day  can  be  spent  to  advantage  in  Sapporo  —  a  handsome 
town  with  pleasing  features. 


ONUMA  LAKE        20.  Route,  349 


From  Hakodate  to  Muroran  (291  M.  beyond  Sapporo)  is  470  M.  Trains 
make  the  journey  in  about  12  hrs.  (from  Sapporo);  fare  from  the  latter 
place,  ¥8.03,  1st  cl.;  ¥4.82,  2d  el.  By  boarding  an  early  morning  train  one 
can  reach  the  Ainu  village  of  Shiraoi  early  in  the  afternoon,  inspect  it 
between  trains,  and  proceed  to  Noboribetsu,  which  can  be  reached  early  in 
the  evening.  An  hour  or  two  the  next  a.m.  will  suffice  for  this,  and  by  return- 
ing to  the  rly.  and  proceeding  to  Muroran,  one  may  devote  a  little  time  there 
before  boarding  the  steamer  for  Hakodate  (or  Aomori). 

Hakodate  (see  above).  After  the  tawdry  suburbs  are  passed 
the  train  crosses  a  rolling  country  of  bad  roads,  and  maize 
plots  larger  than  one  sees  in  S.  Japan.  Shaggy  ponies  laden 
with  creels  of  vegetables  for  the  city  markets  amble  along 
the  muddy  highways;  the  wretched  huts  of  the  natives  seem 
peculiarly  unfitted  to  withstand  the  rigors  of  a  severe  winter. 
In  spring,  a  host  of  wild  flowers  deck  the  hills,  which  are  en- 
livened here  and  there  by  great  color  blotches  made  by  the 
yellow  coreopsis.  The  uninteresting  station  of  Nanae  is 
near  the  site  of  one  of  the  earliest  Gov't  Experimental  Farms 
established  on  the  island.  The  peasants  one  sees  working  in 
the  fields  look  like  animated  bundles  of  rags  —  each  man  serv- 
ing as  his  own  scarecrow.  From  11  M.  Kongo  the  line 
ascends  over  a  stiffish  grade  into  wooded  hills,  whence  one 
commands  wide  vistas  over  fields  brilliant  with  purple  iris 
and  other  flowers.  Lovely  features  of  the  landscape  are  the 
beautiful  green  bushes  of  the  elderberry  (Niwatoko)  laden 
with  crimson  berries  that  form  striking  contrasts  with  the 
glossy  leaves.  —  Beyond  the  Togeshita  Tunnel  (2614  ft.  long) 
two  shallow  lakes,  the  favorite  resorts  of  the  Hakodate  people, 
come  into_view. 

16  M.  Onuma  (Inn:  Taiseikwan,  ¥4),  and  17  M.  Onuma- 
kden.  Onuma  Lake  (boats  to  hire)  is  contiguous  to  Junsai- 
numa,  which  derives  its  name  from  the  pretty  waxen  lilies  or 
water-buckler  (Brasenia  peltata)  that  idealize  its  surface  and 
are  gathered  for  their  edible  roots.  The  near-by  volcano 
of  Komagatake  (or  Oshima  Fuji,  3800  ft.)  is  usually  ascended 
from  this  point  (guide,  ¥3  for  the  round  trip).  The  trail 
leads  over  scoria ;  the  boiling  pools  in  the  crater  (last  eruption 
in  1856)  are  inferior  to  those  of  Noboribetsu,  and  the  views  are 
but  a  trifle  wider  than  those  more  easily  obtained  from  the 
highest  hill  behind  Hakodate.  The  ravines  of  the  lower  slopes 
are  choked  with  wild  flowers,  prominent  among  them  white 
hydrangeas. 

The  crest  of  the  ridge  is  reached  at  Komagatake  Station 
(570  ft.),  whence  the  train  descends  over  the  Hime-gawa  to 
a  tangled  valley,  then  skirts  the  shore  of  Volcano  Bay.  30 
M.  Mori  (Inn:  Yamaka,  ¥3),  an  unkempt,  evil-smelling 
fishing-village,  is  sometimes  made  the  port  of  embarkation 
for  24  M.  Muroran  (in  3  hrs.;  fare,  ¥2.10,  Japanese  food) 
on  the  opposite  shore.  The  small  steamers  usually  leave 
twice  daily,  from  the  pier  at  the  right  of  the  rly.  station.  The 
Torisaki-gawa,  which  flows  by  the  town  on  the  N.,  is  a  busy 


350    Rte.  20.  SHIRIBESHI-YAMA 


fluvial  route  down  which  logs  come  from  the  interior.  Scores 
of  mats  covered  with  putrifying  fish  adorn  the  sea  beach,  and 
the  smell  hangs  heavily  over  the  vicinity.  For  some  miles 
the  rly.  follows  the  contour  of  the  shore,  passing  forlorn  ham- 
lets whose  roofs  are  held  down  by  hundreds  of  cobbles;  the 
people  have  no  passion  for  pulchritude,  and  the  cleansing 
qualities  of  the  broad  ocean  that  stretches  away  at  their  feet 
are  apparently  unknown.  Many  of  the  fishing-boats  are 
painted  in  gaudy  colors ;  have  long,  upturned  stems  like  Malay 
proas  or  those  of  the  Vikings ;  and  are  hauled  up  on  the  beach 
by  primitive  capstans  worked  by  half  a  score  villagers. 

Beyond  38  M.  Ishikura  the  rly.  turns  inland  and  crosses 
an  upland  plain  sown  to  potatoes  and  maize,  only  to  return 
later  to  the  shore.  The  bright  blue  ocean  dimples  in  the  sun- 
shine, and  the  half-wild  horses  that  graze  on  the  silent  land 
add  a  primeval  note  to  it.  Beyond  70  M.  Oshiyamambe  the 
line  crosses  territory  as  wild,  as  wooded,  and  as  lonely  as 
Kentucky  must  have  been  when  Daniel  Boone  first  saw  it. 
Long  snow-sheds  alternate  with  tunnels  and  tangled  jungles, 
in  which  small  clearings  have  been  made  and  where  rough 
settlers  may  sometimes  be  seen  washing  river-sand  in  search 
of  gold.  Magnificent  trees,  wild  flowers,  and  wild  grapes  are 
everywhere.  Fine  streams  rush  beneath  the  lofty  forest  trees, 
and  one  sees  an  occasional  fisherman  thigh-deep  in  them,  or 
perched  on  a  mid-stream  boulder  whipping  for  the  fine  trout 
with  which  the  Yezo  rivers  abound.  Beyond  117  M.  Hirafu, 
in  Shiribeshi  Province,  the  fine  Shiribeshi-yama  (8000  ft.), 
often  called  the  Yezo,  and  the  Hokkaido  Fuji,  comes  into 
the  range  of  vision  (right)  and  marks  the  highest  point  in 
Yezo.  In  the  deep  ravines  on  its  sides  the  snow  lingers  till 
late  in  July.  After  threading  a  tunnel  and  crossing  the  Shiri- 
betsu-gawa,  the  line  ascends  over  a  gentle  slope  to  Kutsuchian 
(Inn:  Kanda,  ¥4),  a  new  town  on  a  plain  reclaimed  from  the 
forest.  The  imposing  mt.  is  now  seen  to  good  advantage  at 
the  right,  the  eye  sweeping  up  from  the  base  to  the  (8  M.,  5  hrs. 
on  foot)  summit.  Climbers  usually  make  the  ascent  (July 
and  Aug.  are  the  best  months)  from  here,  and  the  innkeeper 
provides  a  guide  for  ¥2.50.  The  triple  craters,  now  quiescent, 
are  of  no  interest,  and  the  view  is  circumscribed.  —  The  unin- 
teresting Yamada  Hot  Springs  are  5  M.  distant.  The  Guchi- 
yasu  Tunnel  (3330  ft.  long)  intervenes  between  this  point 
and  127  M.  Kozawa,  whence  the  ocean  is  but  7  M.  (tram-car) 
distant.  The  train  now  ascends  over  a  stiff  grade  through  a 
region  of  seared  and  mutilated  forest  trees  —  relics  of  the  great 
fire  of  May,  1911.  The  1 naho Tunnel  (5841  ft.)  pierces  the  pass 
of  the  same  name,  in  a  region  where  silver  and  coal  are  mined. 
Beyond  is  a  long  narrow  valley  with  hills  rising  abruptly  on 
both  sides,  noted  for  wild  flowers  in  July,  and  for  maples  in 
Oct.  After  passing  140  M.  Shikaribetsu,  the  train  traverses 


OTARU  — SAPPORO     20.  Route.  351 


one  of  the  finest  fruit-growing  regions  of  the  Hokkaido; 
here  thrive  apples  (considered  the  best  in  Japan),  peaches, 
pears,  cherries,  and  other  fruits,  along  with  vegetables  and 
grain.  When  the  peaches  begin  to  form  they  are  inclosed 
separately  in  paper  bags  to  protect  them  from  insects,  and 
the  trees  then  present  the  appearance  of  being  done  up  in 
curl-papers.  A  fairly  good  highroad  traverses  the  valley,  past 
Niki  and  Yoichi  stations,  beyond  which  the  hills  recede  to  a 
distant  horizon  and  the  valley  flattens  out  into  a  wide  culti- 
vated plain.  The  rly.  curves  broadly  to  the  right  here,  and  the 
Japan  Sea  comes  into  view  at  the  left;  the  villagers  live  by 
fishing  for  herrings. 

159  M.  Otaru  (Inn:  Etchu-ya,  Kito,  etc.,  ¥4),  the  port  and 
capital  of  Shiribeshi  Province,  with  80,000  inhabs.,  is  one  of  the 
most  important  shipping-points  in  the  Hokkaido;  nearly  200 
vessels  enter  and  leave  the  harbor  each  year,  taking  with  them 
coal  from  the  Ishikari  Valley,  dried  herrings,  rly.  ties,  and 
many  island  products.  Five  thousand  tons  of  peas  are  shipped 
each  year  to  Great  Britain.  —  Steamships  of  the  Nippon 
Yusen  Kaisha  maintain  regular  communications  with 
Hakodate  (207  M. ;  fare,  ¥6),  and  the  ports  between  Otaru  and 
(196  M.;  fare,  ¥6)  Wakkanai.  Also  with  (1169  M.;  fare;,  ¥24) 
Kobe,  via  Yokohama.  The  heavy  snowfalls  of  the  region  are 
severest  in  Feb.  From  Nov.  to  March  the  sea  is  apt  to  be 
rough,  and  westerly  and  northerly  winds  blow  fiercely.  Calm 
seas  prevail  during  April-Oct.  Though  second  in  importance 
to  Hakodate  as  a  port  city,  Otaru  contains  nothing  to  interest 
foreigners.  —  Beyond  the  city  the  rly.  (sometimes  called  the 
Temiya  Line)  runs  along  a  ledge  reclaimed  from  the  high  bluff 
at  the  right  and  protected  from  the  boisterous  sea  (splendid 
views)  by  a  costly  stone  revetment;  as  a  rule,  through  trains 
do  not  stop  at  the  suburban  stations  of  Aseari,  and  Hariusu  — 
both  near  the  sea-wall. 

At  167  M.  Zenibako,  noted  for  its  salmon  fisheries,  the  train 
enters  Ishikari  Province  and  runs  inland  over  a  beautiful  wide 
plain.  The  big  horse-breeding  farm  at  the  left  just  before 
Sapporo  is  reached  is  called  the  Makomanai;  it  bears  a  strong 
likeness  to  a  Kentucky  establishment,  with  its  attractive 
stables,  fine  meadows  studded  with  haycocks,  and  animated  by 
blanketed  horses  being  led  about  by  jockeys  and  grooms.  A 
good  highway  leads  hence  to  the  capital. 

179  M.  Sapporo  (or  Satsuporo),  capital  of  Yezo  Island,  with 
71,000  inhabs.,  stands  on  a  broad,  hill-encircled  plain  watered 
by  the  Ishikari  River,  in  Ishikari  Province,  in  lat.  43°  04'  N., 
and  in  long.  141°  21'  E.  It  dates  from  1869,  is  the  most  attrac- 
tive city  in  N.  Japan,  and  represents  the  first  efforts  of  the 
Japanese  Gov't  to  colonize  the  Hokkaido. 

When  the  Bureau  of  Colonization  was  established,  and  Count  Kuroda 
became  the  Governor  of  the  Hokkaido,  he  engaged  40  American  experts  to 


352    Route  20.     THE  HOKKAIDO  MUSEUM 

come  out  and  bring  with  them  ample  supplies  of  harvesting  machinery  and 
other  mechanical  appliances,  seeds,  trees,  etc.  On  their  arrival  he  set  to 
work  improving  the  island,  and  incidentally  the  future  capital.  For  this  a 
beautiful  level  plain  with  a  sufficient  slope  to  insure  drainage  was  selected, 
and  avenues  160  ft.  wide  running  N.  and  S.,  and  intersecting  streets  from 
100  to  120  ft.  wide  were  laid  out  and  flanked  by  sidewalks  and  shade  trees. 
This  work  was  done  before  a  single  house  was  built.  The  effect  secured  is 
pleasing,  and  no  city  in  Japan  is  airier,  sweeter,  or  more  attractive.  It  is 
kept  scrupulously  clean,  and  the  numerous  fine  granite  and  brick  edifices 
in  Occidental  style  impart  an  air  of  solidity  that  is  heightened  by  spacious 
and  handsome  parks  adorned  with  statuary.  A  garrison  is  located  at  Sap- 
poro, where  Gov't  maintains  the  Hokkaido  Agricultural  Experiment  Station 
(Noji  Shikenjo),  and  the  Agricultural  College  of  the  Imperial  University 
(Tohoku  Teikoku  Daigaku),  opened  in  1876  and  modeled  after  the  Massa- 
chusetts (U.S.A.)  Agricultural  College.  The  fruit  trees  from  America  now 
produce  bountifully,  and  the  region  is  celebrated  not  only  for  its  fine  fruit 
but  also  for  delicious  preserves.  The  Sapporo  Beer  brewed  by  the  Dai 
Nippon  Brewery  Co.,  Ltd.,  is  likewise  known  for  its  excellence.  The  hills 
behind  the  city  are  criss-crossed  with  trails  that  lead  to  many  picturesque 
spots. 

Arrival.  The  finest  quarter  of  the  city  is  near  the  rly.  station,  and  the 
chief  points  can  be  reached  on  foot  in  a  few  min.  No  cabs.  Jinriki,  35  sen  an 
hr.  The  best  of  the  several  hotels  is  the  Yamagata-ya  (5  min.  walk;  jinriki, 
10  sen,  from  the  station).  Rooms  only,  from  ¥2,  according  to  location  (the 
best  are  in  the  foreign  wing);  meals  (foreign  food),  ¥1  each  (salmon  — 
masu,  a  specialty).  Japanese  food  and  accommodations  in  this  and  in  the 
Hohei-kwan  (inn),  from  ¥2.50  a  day  inclusive. 

The  best  shops  are  on  the  main  st.,  Nishi  O-dori,  which  runs  S.  from  the 
station  entrance.  On  the  same  thoroughfare  is  the  fine  granite  home  of  the 
Hokkaido  Colonization  Bank  (Takushoku  Ginko);  near  by  is  the  equally 
imposing  Post-Office,  facing  a  pretty  park  with  a  bronze  statue  of  General 
Nagayama.  The  bronze  statue  in  the  park  3  squares  W.  of  this  is  of  Count 
Kuroda,  one-time  chief  of  the  Colonization  Bureau.  At  the  extreme  W.  end 
of  the  city  stands  Maruyama  Park,  with  a  Shinto  shrine  called  the  Sapporo 
Jinja.  A  joyous  festival  is  celebrated  June  1.5 — 16  each  year.  The  hand- 
somest of  the  parks  (2  blocks  back  of  the  Yamagata-ya  Hotel)  is  laid  out  on 
the  lines  of  a  botanical  garden,  contains  numerous  indigenous  trees  care- 
fully labeled,  and  adjoins  a  smaller  botanical  garden.  Within  the  first  is 

The  Hokkaido  Museum  (Hakubutsukwan),  open  Wed.,  Sat.,  and  Sun- 
days, from  8  to  5;  admission,  2  sen.  There  is  a  small  collection  of  stuffed 
animals  and  birds  from  Yezo  and  Saghalien;  bird,  fish,  and  animal  traps, 
prehistoric  pottery,  mineral  specimens,  and  Ainu  relics  and  belongings 
(clothing,  domestic  utensils,  models  of  boats,  and  what-not),  significant  of 
the  low  order  of  intelligence  of  these  unfortunate  people.  The  big  Yezo 
(stuffed)  bears  and  eagles  are  worth  looking  at. 

From  Sapporo  the  train  runs  E.  through  the  suburbs  and 
affords  good  views  of  the  wide  streets  of  the  capital;  the  big 
structures  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  tracks  are  the  brewery 
and  malt-house  of  the  Dai  Nippon  Brewery  Co.  Sawmills, 
flour-mills,  hemp-  and  flax-factories,  preserving- works,  etc., 
impart  a  busy  air  to  the  outskirts.  Beyond  the  suburban  town 
of  Naebo  the  country  is  highly  cultivated.  Prominent  fea- 
tures in  the  landscape  are  the  wide  fields  of  hops  (Humulus 
japonicus;  Jap.,  mugura)  of  a  species  differing  slightly  from  the 
common  hop  ( H.  lupulus)  of  America,  and  in  steady  demand 
by  the  brewers  of  the  country.  The  farmers  support  the  vines 
on  poles  arranged  like  those  of  a  wigwam.  The  rly.  soon  curves 
broadly  to  the  right  and  traverses  a  lovely  plain,  prairie-like 
in  its  extent,  drained  by  shallow  tributaries  of  the  Yaburi 
River,  and  delimned  on  a  far  horizon  by  lofty  blue  hills.  The 


AINU  SETTLEMENT  OF  SHIRAOI   20.  Rte.  353 


double  brick-kilns  by  the  wayside  are  worth  a  passing  glance 
because  of  their  odd  shape.  Near  185  M.  Atsubetsu,  the  high- 
road which  started  so  bravely  from  Sapporo  loses  its  metro- 
politan character  and  degenerates  into  a  rutty  nonentity  out 
of  keeping  with  the  magnificent  character  of  the  country  — 
which  resembles  a  rich  section  of  Illinois  or  Kansas.  —  192  M. 
Ebetsu,  on  the  banks  of  the  Yubari-gawa,  contains  a  big  paper- 
mill  (seishi-jo)  of  the  Fuji  Paper  Co. ;  the  river,  which  here  joins 
forces  with  the  I  shikari,  furnishes  part  of  the  power.  The  pulp 
is  obtained  from  the  practically  limitless  forests  of  the  island. 

At  204  M.  Iwamizawa  the  rly.  goes  in  a  S.E.  direction  to 
228  M.  Oiwake,  where  it  turns  again  and  runs  S.W.  toward 
Volcano  Bay.  A  branch  rly.  runs  N.E.  to  27  M.  Yubari,  with 
the  widely  known  Yubari  Collieries.  There  are  extensive  coal- 
pockets  and  coke-ovens  at  Oiwake,  and  the  few  American  cows 
one  sees  in  the  adjacent  fields  are  perhaps  the  prototypes  of 
vast  herds  that  will  some  day  roam  this  splendid  country.  The 
conspicuous  features  of  the  small  towns  along  the  line  are  the 
immense  piles  of  logs  that  await  shipment  southward.  Here 
and  there  a  corduroy  road  stretches  across  the  marshy  lowland ; 
the  tangled  wilderness  is  gay  with  flowers  and  growing  things, 
and  is  perchance  the  home  of  the  great  brown  bears  which  the 
Ainu  hunt  bravely  and  successfully.  The  houses  one  sees  are 
a  combination  of  frame  and  thatch  —  a  concession  to  the 
fierce  blizzards  which  plague  the  region  during  many  months 
of  the  year.  The  district  is  newer,  cruder,  and  less  tidy  than 
that  about  Sapporo.  Many  seared  and  naked  trees  rise  from 
small  patches  of  reclaimed  land,  and  between  them  are  raised 
potatoes  and  maize,  the  latter  as  food  for  the  half-wild  ponies 
of  the  island.  The  trails  through  the  forests  which  extend  for 
many  miles  in  the  interior  are  made  by  Ainu  hunters. 

256  M.  Shiraoi,  a  poor  village,  stands  contiguous  to  one  of 
the  largest  Ainu  Settlements  in  this  part  of  the  country. 

The  traveler  pressed  for  time  can  leave  the  train  here,  visit  the  Ainu 
Village  (called  Kotdri),  and  later  board  a  train  and  reach  Noboribetsu  or 
Muroran  early  in  the  evening.  Hand-luggage  can  be  checked  at  the  station ; 
2  sen  each  piece.  The  station-agent  will  find  a  boy  to  accompany  one  (25 
sen  ample)  as  guide ;  a  station-boy  is  better,  as  his  official  position  makes  him 
welcome  with  the  Ainu  and  enables  one  to  inspect  the  interiors  of  the 
houses  by  invitation  rather  than  by  intrusion.  The  people  are  gentle,  sub- 
missive, courteous,  and  harmless.  They  show  less  curiosity  than  the  visitor; 
forbid  the  children  to  molest  or  follow  him;  respond  amiably  to  salutations, 
and  welcome  rather  than  repulse  foreigners.  If  the  traveler  will  provide 
himself  beforehand  with  some  candies,  foreign  knick-knacks,  a  bit  of  flashy, 
oroide  jewelry  for  the  poor  women  drudges  of  the  households,  or  anything 
that  pleases  children,  their  gratitude  will  be  so  genuine  that  he  will  feel 
repaid  for  the  forethought.  The  womenkind  will  then  bring  out  their 
wedding  finery  and  deck  themselves  with  it,  —  great  strings  of  blue  beads, 
hammered  silver  or  metal  ornaments,  and  the  like,  —  and  other  heirlooms, 
or  tribal  treasures,  will  be  displayed  for  inspection.  Usually  every  charm 
known  to  these  poor  untutored  folks  is  employed  to  please  those  who  show 
an  interest  in  them.  By  proceeding  from  the  station  to  the  main  st.  of  the 
Japanese  town,  turning  right  and  walking  to  the  2d  rly.  crossing,  one  will 
come  to  the  terminus  (left)  of  the  main  st.  of  Kotdn.  This  runs  right  through 


354    Route  20.  NOBORIBETSU 


the  frowsy  settlement  to  the  sea,  where  a  splendid  surf  sometimas  breaks 
upon  the  beach.  Flanking  this  dirt  lane  are  the  wretchedly  poor  huts  (60  or 
more)  of  the  (approx.  200)  people,  each  surrounded  by  a  little  garden  in 
which  men,  women,  and  children  delve  diligently.  Side  lanes  cross  the  main 
one  at  right  angles,  and  are  in  turn  flanked  by  other  houses.  The  interiors 
vary  with  the  habits  or  poverty  of  the  owners.  Some  are  as  well  furnished 
and  comfortable  as  the  poorest  Japanese  shack;  others  are  mere  styes  where 
the  blear-eyed  inmates  dwell  amid  vermin  and  destitution.  The  town 
straggles  along  the  beach  for  \  M.;  the  deep  cauldrons  sunk  in  the  sand  are 
used  for  boiling  fish  for  oil  and  manure.  If  the  traveler  has  time  to  spare  he 
should  walk  along  the  beach  and  inspect  the  curious  Ainu  boats  drawn  up 
there  —  long,  narrow  craft,  rowed  from  the  side  by  slender  oars.  On  a  foggy 
day  the  sea  is  of  a  beauty  indescribable;  gray  as  a  gull's  breast,  and  some- 
times broken  into  great  waves  which  sweep  in  from  the  California  coast 
4000  M.  away  vainly  to  thunder  their  message  of  civilization  at  the  very 
doors  of  the  unheeding  Ainu. 

From  the  platform  of  the  Shiraoi  Station  one  may,  on  a 
clear  day,  get  a  fine  view  of  the  (6  M.  N.W.)  Tarumae  Volcano 
(3300  ft.),  which  after  many  years  of  inactivity  suddenly  blew 
off  its  head  in  1874,  and  besides  burning. the  splendid  forest 
which  draped  its  sides,  deposited  ashes  over  towns  50  M.  away. 
The  Ainu  still  hunt  bears  in  the  lower  foothills.  —  Scattered 
Ainu  huts  are  seen  along  the  shore  as  the  train  runs  by  the 
sea,  and  are  usually  distinguishable  from  those  of  the  Japanese 
by  the  superimposed  caps  of  straw  which  form  ridges  that 
gradually  decrease  in  size  as  they  near  the  apex.  Before  reach- 
ing 270  M.  Shikifu,  we  cross  the  Uyoro-gawa,  which,  before 
emptying  its  water  in  the  adjacent  sea,  turns  and  follows  the 
shore  for  some  distance,  almost  within  arm's  reach  of  it,  yet 
separated  from  it  by  a  narrow  sand-spit.  It  illustrates  a  curi- 
ous habit  of  many  of  the  Yezo  rivers,  which  follow  this  linger- 
ing procedure  before  making  the  merger.  The  Fushicobetsu 
Tunnel,  2000  ft.  long,  is  threaded  before  the  train  reaches 

275  M.  Noboribetsu,  point  of  departure  for  Noboribetsu 
Onsen,  the  small  cluster  of  houses  at  the  Hot  Springs  4£  M.  in 
the  hills  (1J  hr.)  at  the  W. 

If  there  be  many  passengers  on  the  train  the  traveler  will  do  well  to  have 
the  station-agent  at  Shiraoi  telephone  to  the  office  of  the  basha  (see  p.  xci) 
at  Noboribetsu  (opposite  the  station)  and  have  the  special  basha  (¥1.40 
including  luggage)  reserved  (comfortable  seating  capacity  for  2  pers.;  4  on 
a  pinch).  The  fare  in  the  regular  basha  (uncomfortable  when  crowded)  is 
40  sen.  The  road  leads  through  the  main  st.  and  over  the  hill  —  turning  left 
beyond  the  crest.  In  the  rainy  season  it  is  execrable  —  even  for  walkers. 
The  last  mile  is  through  a  wild  and  picturesque  region,  with  a  deep  gorge 
and  a  shallow  river  at  the  left,  and  high  hills  at  the  right.  The  hamlet 
occupies  a  narrow  plateau  at  the  head  of  the  ravine,  and  at  times  is  almost 
enveloped  in  the  sulphurous  steam  which  rises  from  the  hot  water.  Tower- 
ing hills  inclose  it  on  all  sides.  The  basha  usually  stops  in  front  of  the 
Takimoto  Inn,  where  a  clean  room  and  Japanese  food  is  provided  for  an 
inclusive  charge  of  ¥2  a  day.  The  sulphurous  fumes  are  disliked  by  mos- 
quitoes and  other  light  militia  of  the  air,  and  they  are  conspicuous  by  their 
absence.  By  planning  to  inspect  the  springs,  etc.,  on  the  following  a.m., 
one  can  board  the  noon  basha,  reach  Muroran  early  in  the  afternoon,  and 
take  a  night  boat  from  there. 

A  10  min.  walk  up  the  gorge  behind  the  inn  (the  proprietor 
acts  as  guide;  fees  unnecessary)  brings  one,  without  dizzy 


NOBORIBETSU        20.  Route.  355 


climbing  or  perilous  scrambling,  to  one  of  the  most  interesting 
spots  in  Yezo;  aptly  termed  Jikoku-dani,  or  'Valley  of  Hell.' 
Here,  in  the  highly  inflamed,  corroded,  and  disintegrating 
crater  of  a  moribund  volcano,  in  a  place  dreadful  yet  fascinat- 
ing, near  the  base  of  high  walls  that  have  been  burned  and 
tortured  into-  almost  every  color  of  the  prismatic  spectrum, 
and  now  covered  by  a  thin,  irregular  crust  as  treacherous  as  it 
is  hot,  are  the  dynamic,  retiring  fires  of  a  volcano  that  has  seen 
better  days.  Through  this  rotten  crust,  where  infinite  caution 
is  required  in  picking  one's  way,  and  where  the  stranger  should 
never  venture  without  a  guide,  burst  scalding  mud,  super- 
heated steam,  furiously  boiling  water,  and  sulphurous  gases 
that  seem  to  have  spurted  straight  from  the  white-hot  heart  of 
hell  itself.  The  ground  is  pierced  with  holes  from  the  size  of 
a  lead-pencil  to  boiling  cauldrons  40  ft.  in  diameter,  and  from 
each  of  these  there  jerks  or  puffs,  or  belches  or  hisses  —  often- 
times accompanied  by  terrifying  groans,  sighs,  or  shrieks  — 
sickening  emanations  and  solfataric  gases  that  wound  the 
sense  of  smell,  or  burn  an  exposed  hand  with  diabolical  malig- 
nity. The  gorge  is  usually  filled  with  the  steam  that  rushes 
from  hundreds  of  vertical  and  horizontal  vents ;  in  some  places 
with  a  thin,  spiteful  wail,  in  others  with  the  stunning  noise  of  a 
hundred  locomotives  blowing  off  steam  in  unison.  In  a  small 
ravine  threaded  by  an  angry  rivulet  of  pestiferous  blistering 
sulphur  water,  is  a  place  where  the  crust  gives  way  when  one 
ventures  on  to  it,  and  spitting  steam  flies  out  to  scald  the 
invader.  The  stones  are  crackled  with  the  terrific  heat  beneath 
them,  and  a  cane  poked  into  the  earth  finds  no  resistance,  but 
when  withdrawn  is  charred  and  smoking.  Some  of  the  streams 
which  rush  desperately  away  from  this  fuming  '  Hell's 
Kitchen'  are  dirty  gray  in  color;  others  are  clear  (and  poison- 
ous); while  still  others  rest  long  enough  in  wayside  pools  to 
deposit  exquisite  acicular  crystals  of  sulphur  which  perish  at  a 
touch  and  disappear  as  an  impalpable  powder.  Other  streams 
of  innocent-looking  but  white-hot  water  flow*over  jade-green 
beds  that  sparkle  like  jewels  and  are  extraordinarily  beautiful 
when  the  sun's  rays  strike  them.  In  some  places  one  must 
keep  moving  to  save  one's  shoes  from  burning;  in  another 
place,  near  the  center,  is  a  deepish  pool,  perhaps  25  ft.  from  the 
lip,  and  60  ft.  across,  called  the  Tetsu-no-yu  ('hot  iron  spring') 
where  viscous  mud  and  iron  of  a  bluish-gray  color  boil'ancl 
blobber  viciously  and  ceaselessly.  Every  foot  of  the  gorge 
shows  the  traces  of  volcanism.  By  climbing  to  a  small,  near-by 
ridge  one  emerges  on  a  terrace  whence  far  below  one  sees  a 
second  crater,  called  Oyunuma,  with  a  lake  of  boiling  mud,  and 
walls  streaked  with  red  and  yellow,  and  drab  and  green.  Other 
jets  of  steam  dart  out  of  the  mt.  sicfe,  and  hot  water  bubbles 
from  a  score  of  roaring  vents.  The  sizable  snakes  (hibi)  which 
infest  the  place  hereabout  love  the  warmth  and  are  harmless. 


356    Rte.  20.      MURORAN  AND  VOLCANO  BAY 


—  Water  pours  down  from  this  spot  to  the  bath-houses  in  the 
hamlet,  where  promiscuous  bathing  is  practiced.  The  hills  are 
honeycombed  with  solfataras  and  blow-holes,  some  of  which 
exhale  hot  air,  others  cold.  There  are  a  number  of  pretty  walks 
in  the  neighborhood,  but  when  one  gets  out  of  range  of  the 
sulphuretted  hydrogen,  woods-flies  become  troublesome  and 
interfere  with  one's  pleasure.  The  maple  displays  of  Nov.  vie 
in  beauty  with  the  cherry  blooms  of  April. 

Some  bold  headlands  are  seen  at  the  left  of  the  train  beyond 
Noboribetsu  Station,  and  a  fine  surf  rushes  in  from  the  broad 
Pacific  to  die  on  the  shingly  beach.  An  occasional  Ainu  hut 
stands  in  lonely  isolation  near  the  shore.  280  M.  Horobetsu, 
a  bleak  town  overlooking  the  sea,  has  only  its  views  to  recom- 
mend it.  The  group  of  factories  at  the  right  of  287  Wanishi 
constitute  the  Anglo- Japanese  Steel  Works ;  great  piles  of  coal, 
long  docks,  and  a  half-dozen  or  more  big  buildings  surmounted 
by  lofty  steel  chimneys  give  an  air  of  suppressed  energy  to  the 
place. 

291  M.  Muroran,  a  picturesque  town  (pop.  21,000)  in  Iburi 
Province,  occupies  a  pretty  site  at  the  foot  of  a  green  ridge 
from  the  crest  of  which  a  superb  view  is  obtainable.  Fishing  is 
the  chief  industry  of  the  tidy  little  port,  and  the  specialties  are 
mackerel,  halibut,  sprats,  herrings,  and  an  auriculate  shell  of 
the  Pectinidm  (Jap.  hotategai),  which  is  made  into  buttons. 
The  rly.  station  is  within  2  min.  walk  of  the  steamer  landing 
(right).  At  the  left  of  the  exit  is  a  restaurant  where  foreign 
food  can  be  had.  The  Maru-ichi  Inn  (¥2.50  to  5  a  day)  stands 
at  the  left  of  the  station,  facing  the  dock;  the  Maruhon  (same 
rates)  is  a  few  hundred  yards  farther  along  the  street.  Between 
them  is  the  office  of  the  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha,  whose  com- 
fortable ships  ply  daily  to  Aomori  (see  Rte.  17)  and  Hakodate. 
Trunks  from  the  rly.  station  to  the  dock,  25  sen.  The  com- 
pany's launch  puts  passengers  on  board  free  of  charge. 

The  Bay,  an.  indentation  in  the  N.E.  side  of  the  larger 
Volcano  Bay  (23  M.  in  diameter,  55  fathoms  deep),  never 
freezes,  and  is  filled  with  excellent  fish.  The  picturesque  island 
which  rises  120  ft.  above  the  surface  and  is  surmounted  by  a 
lighthouse  and  girt  by  a  reef  is  Daikoku-jima.  The  bold  pro- 
montories seen  at  the  left  as  the  ship  passes  out  are  very 
striking;  the  winds  and  waves  have  wrought  them  into  many 
fantastic  shapes,  and  a  myriad  sea-birds  nest  in  them.  The 
volcano  visible  at  the  N.N.W.  is  Usu-dake.  That  at  the  W. 
is  Komagatake.  The  active  volcano  (1950  ft.)  at  the  extreme 
E.  point  of  the  peninsula  bounding  the  S.  edge  of  Volcano  Bay 
(so-named  by  Captain  Broughton,  who  visited  it  in  1796)  is 
Esan.  On  dark  nights  the  sky  often  glows  with  the  reflection 
of  its  interior  fires.  Esanzaki  Point  is  rounded  on  the  voyage 
to  Hakodate  or  Aomori. 


HAKODATE  TO  KUSHIRO      21.  Rte.  357 


21.  From  Hakodate  via  Iwamizawa,  Fukagawa,  Asahigawa 
and  Ikeda  to  Kushiro. 

Hakodate  Main  Line,  and  Kushiro  Line  of  the  Imperial  Japanese  Govern- 
ment Railways. 

To  Iwamizawa  204  M.;  several  trains  daily  in  about  13  hrs.  Fare,  ¥6.30, 
1st  cL;  ¥3.78,  2d  cl.  —  To  Kushiro,  457  M.  in  about  28  hrs.;  fare,  ¥10.95, 
1st  cl.;  ¥6.57,  2d  cl.  Neither  line  has  touristic  value  equal  to  that  of  Rte. 
20,  but  they  are  of  particular  interest  to  those  concerned  with  the  tribal 
life  of  the  Ainu  as  well  as  with  virgin  country  but  recently  penetrated  by 
the  rly. 

From  the  Port  of  Hakodate  to  Iwamizawa  Junction  is 
described  in  detail  in  Rte.  20.  The  busy  town  is  the  end  of 
a  rly.  division,  with  round-houses,  car-shops,  etc.,  and  several 
new  inns  near  the  station;  rates  from  ¥3-4  a  day.  From  here 
the  rly.  runs  due  N.  through  a  wild,  beautiful,  and  practically 
primitive  country  200  or  more  ft.  above  the  sea-level,  to  245 
M.  (from  Hakodate)  Fukagawa  (a  place  similar  in  many 
respects  to  Iwamizawa),  where  the  Rumoi  Line  turns  N.W. 
and  traverses  an  equally  undeveloped  region  to  31  M.  Rumoi, 
a  growing  port  on  the  Japan  Sea,  and  in  touch  with  Otaru  by 
small  coasting  steamers.  From  Fukugawa  the  main  line  runs 
E.  for  20  M.  to  265  M.  Asahigawa  (2  inns  opposite  the  station; 
¥4),  475  ft.  above  the  sea,  and  the  point  of  departure  for  the 
important  Teshio  Line,  now  under  construction  (consult  the 
rly.  time-card),  and  which  is  slowly  penetrating  the  frigid 
wilds  of  Teshio  Province  (northernmost  of  the  island  group). 
167  M.  Wakkanai,  on  the  Soya  Strait,  is  its  ultimate  destina- 
tion. The  constantly  shifting  rail-head,  and  the  steady 
improvements  which  the  region  is  undergoing,  renders  sus- 
tainedly  accurate  information  difficult.  Fierce  forest  fires 
sometimes  scourge  the  region  and  alter  the  face  of  it. 

At  Asahigawa  (Inn:  Miura-ya,  ¥4),  a  clean,  thriving  town 
near  the  center  of  the  island,  and  which  less  than  two  decades 
ago  was  an  unpeopled  wilderness,  the  main  line  turns  S.  and 
traverses  a  more  developed  and  progressive  country;  moun- 
tainous in  part,  well  watered,  and  covered  with  magnificent 
forests  almost  tropical  in  their  density.  Ainu  villages  are  met 
with  occasionally  in  the  remote  fastnesses  (usually  not  far 
from  the  coast),  but  they  are  as  a  rule  too  difficult  of  access  to 
repay  the  effort  made  to  reach  them.  At  327  M.  Ikutora,  the 
train  crosses  the  Ikutorashibetsu  River  at  an  elevation  of  1288 
ft.,  then  climbs  higher  to  Karikatsu  (1856  ft.),  where  it  enters 
the  sharply  slanting  Karikatsu  Tunnel  (3009  ft.  long),  before 
it  descends  to  the  shorter  Shinnai  Tunnel.  The  big  mts.  at 
the  far  left  are  Tokachi-san,  and  Ishikari-san. 

From  392  M.  Ikeda,  the  Abashiri  Line  diverges  to  the  N. 
and  runs  through  a  district  where  most  of  the  peppermint 
grown  on  the  island  is  raised.  Passing  Mt.  Meakan,  and  87  M. 
Nokkeushi  Jet.,  the  line  proceeds  to  120  M.  Abashiri,  a  grow- 


358    Rte.  22.      THE  KURILE  ISLANDS 


ing  port  at  the  E.  end  of  the  island,  on  the  Okhotsk  Sea.  At 
Jkeda  the  main  line  continues  S.E.  over  a  practically  level 
country  to  409  M.  Urahoro,  whence  the  train  ascends  (404  ft.) 
to  the  Atsunai  Tunnel  (1035  ft.  long),  then  descends  to  the 
Atsunai  River,  which  it  crosses  9  times  in  as  many  miles  before 
reaching  Fthe  port  of  the  same  name  on  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
From  this  point  the  rly.  follows  the  contour  of  the  coast, 
threading  3  tunnels  and  crossing  6  rivers  before  it  reaches  its 
present  terminus. 

457  M.  Kushiro  (Inn:  Kanekichi,  ¥4),  a  thriving  port  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Kushiro  River,  in  Kushiro  Province,  204  M. 
from  Hakodate  by  sea  (frequent  ships  of  the  Nippon  Yusen 
Kaisha),  is  perhaps  destined  to  become  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant seaports  on  the  island.  Considerable  sulphur  is  ex- 
ported, the  product  coming  down  the  river  from  Shipetcha, 
where  it  is  refined  after  being  brought  from  the  famous  Sul- 
phur Mt.  (Iwo-san)  near  Atosanobori.  Transpacific  ships  often 
stop  here  for  the  excellent  coal  from  the  near-by  fields.  The 
thousands  of  oak  and  maple  logs  which  come  down  the  river 
on  the  spring  freshets  are  shipped  to  Europe.  The  Tokichi 
Valley,  in  the  hinterland,  is  noted  for  its  beans.  The  ruinous 
old  fort  near  (2  M.)  Mojiriya  is  believed  to  have  been  used  by 
the  Ainu  a  thousand  years  ago.  Archaeologists  have  un- 
earthed numerous  relics  of  the  Stone  Age  in  the  neighborhood. 
—  A  number  of  Ainu  villages  dot  the  intervening  country 
between  Kushiro  and  Nemuro  (Inn :  Yamagata-ya,  ¥4)  —  a 
picturesque  port  on  the  E.  coast,  in  Nemuro  Province,  known 
for  its  extensive  crab-canning  establishments. 

22.  The  Kurile  Islands. 

The  Kurile  Islands,  dr  Kuriles,  so  named  by  the  Russians 
for  the  smoking  volcanoes  thereon,  are  called  Chishima,  or 
Thousand  Islands,  by  the  Japanese,  to  whom  they  were  ceded 
by  Russia  in  1875,  in  part  exchange  for  a  section  of  Saghalien. 
They  are  18  in  number  and  comprise  a  lofty,  sparsely  inhabited 
volcanic  chain  extending  in  a  S.W.  direction  between  the  S. 
extreme  of  Kamchatka  and  the  N.E.  part  of  Yezo,  and  between 
the  43d  and  51st  degrees  of  N.  lat.  Tomari,  the  chief  town  of 
Kunashiri-shima  (the  southernmost  of  the  group)  is  almost 
within  view  of  Nemuro,  across  the  Nemuro  Strait  (50  M. 
long;  9-20  M.  wide),  and  is  a  regular  port  of  call  for  the  steam- 
ships of  the  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha' 's  Hakodate-Kuriles  ser- 
vice. Few  of  the  Japanese  possessions  are  less  known  to  for- 
eign tourists,  and  few  are  more  deserving  of  being  known, 
since  certain  of  the  islands  are  the  paradise  of  the  fisherman, 
the  hunter,  the  volcanist,  the  botanist,  and  the  lover  of  the 
awe-inspiring  and  unusual  in  nature.  The  environing  seas  and 
the  splendid  island  rivers  teem  with  fine  fish  —  chiefly  salmon 


YETOROFU  22.  Route.  359 


and  salmon- trout.  Huge  grizzly  bears  —  perchance  the  fore- 
bears of  the  magnificent  fighters  of  the  American  Northwest 
—  gorge  themselves  on  these  salmon  and  roam  the  great  for- 
ests practically  unhunted  by  man;  while  the  active  volcanoes 
are  spouting  fountains  of  fiery  beauty,  finer  than  anything  in 
Japan  proper,  and  of  a  spectacular  splendor  quite  indescrib- 
able. From  Sept.  to  Nov.  is  the  best  season  in  which  to 
visit  the  Kuriles,  as  the  weather  is  then  bright,  clear,  and  with 
slow  westerly  winds.  The  spring  is  cold  and  boisterous,  and 
with  but  little  fog,  but  this  prevails  almost  constantly  through- 
out the  summer  months,  with  but  few  bright  intervals.  June 
has  been  known  to  have  16  days  of  fog,  July  26,  and  Aug.  20. 
From  Dec.  to  Feb.  is  cold,  with  N.W.  winds.  There  are,  how- 
ever, many  fine  days,  and  during  the  coldest  nights  the  mer- 
cury rarely  falls  below  zero  Fahr.  Snow  falls  between  Nov. 
and  May,  with  an  occasional  fall  in  June.  The  climate  is 
decidedly  moist,  with  considerable  rain.  The  Ainu  who  live  on 
some  of  the  islands  in  a  state  of  almost  incredible  filth  and 
poverty,  protect  themselves  from  the  weather  by  holes  dug  in 
the  earth  and  roofed  over.  When  the  salmon  run  up  the  rivers 
in  the  fall  to  spawn  in  the  upper  reaches,  and  the  bears  come 
down  to  the  streams  to  flirt  them  out  with  their  paws  and  fatten 
themselves  for  their  long  winter  sleep,  hundreds  of  salmon 
fishers  come  over  from  Yezo  along  with  a  few  sportsmen  from 
Japan  proper,  and  for  a  few  weeks  there  is  considerable  activ- 
ity, and  bear-skins  are  a  drug  in  the  market.  Prospective 
hunters  can  always  get  detailed  information  regarding  hunting 
and  fishing  from  the  Hakodate  agent  (English  spoken)  of  the 
Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  S.S.  Line. 

When  the  ships  of  the  above  company  drop  anchor  off 
the  small  port  of  Chinomiji  in  Kunashiri  Island  (known 
for  its  crab-canneries),  all  hands  fall  to  fishing  for  crabs, 
which  abound  in  such  numbers  that  when  the  nets  are  hauled 
up  almost  as  many  of  the  spiny  crustaceans  hang  outside  as 
inside,  as  if  anxious  to  be  canned.  The  most  conspicuous 
feature  of  the  island  (N.E.  section)  is  Chachadake,  a  magni- 
ficent volcano  (6051  ft.  high),  a  truncated  cone  in  shape,  with 
a  second  peak  rising  out  of  its  crater.  The  culminating  peak 
of  the  mt.  mass  which  occupies  the  middle  of  the  island  is 
Shimanobori  (2933  ft.).  Groves  of  timber  and  isolated  trees 
grow  on  the  lower  spurs  of  the  range,  with  thick  bamboo 
grass.  The  coast  is  rocky,  but  the  waters  abound  with  herring, 
salmon,  and  sardines.  Bears  are  numerous. 

Yetorofu,  110  M.  long  and  from  2  to  20  M.  wide,  the 
largest  (pop.  about  1500)  and  richest  of  the  Kurile  group,  is 
separated  from  Kunashiri  by  the  Tannemoi  Strait  (12  M. 
wide;  50-80  fathoms  deep),  and  is  formed  of  8  groups  of  mts. 
3000  to  5000  ft.  high,  connected  by  low  and  comparatively 
flat  valleys.  As  many  as  5  volcanoes  are  sometimes  active  at 


360    Route  22.       URUPPU  —  ALAID 


one  time.  All  the  principal  settlements  and  fishing-stations 
are  on  the  Okhotsk  Sea  side  (N.W.),  as  this  is  the  most  free 
from  fog  in  summer.  Whales  are  often  seen  on  the  Pacific 
side.  Rubetsu  is  the  capital. 

Urupptt  Island,  which  is  divided  into  4  mt.  groups  each 
nearly  4000  ft.  high,  has  several  fine  rivers  which  empty  into  the 
Okhotsk  Sea.  The  run  of  salmon  here  is  of  peculiar  interest. 
Many  fishermen  come  hither  in  the  autumn  season  and 
establish  themselves  temporarily  to  take  and  dispose  of  the 
huge  catch.  At  the  village  of  Nobetsu  the  men  use  long  nets 
in  which  they  not  unfrequently  secure  2000  fish  at  a  time.  Usu- 
ally in  the  afternoon,  between  4  o'clock  and  sunset,  when  the 
fish  are  running  strongly,  the  bay  is  invaded  by  schools  of 
Orca  whales,  or  killers,  which  feed  voraciously  upon  the 
luckless  salmon  and  provide  a  singular  spectacle  of  carnage  and 
destruction.  During  the  summer  the  island  is  a  vast  flower- 
garden,  and  immense  wild  roses  grow  in  profusion.  The  small 
lakes  are  well  stocked  with  a  species  of  salmon-trout  called 
ltd,  of  which  the  Japanese  are  very  fond.  The  scenery  on  the 
Okhotsk  side  of  the  island  reminds  one  of  the  Scottish  High- 
lands. Large  ice-fields  drift  across  this  sea  in  Feb.  and  the 
coast  is  sometimes  ice-bound  until  May.  Uruppu  is  the  N. 
limit  in  the  Kuriles  of  the  growth  of  bamboo  grass;  the  W. 
side  of  the  islands  is  generally  high  and  perpendicular,  with 
no  beach;  ships  can  approach  to  within  40-50  ft.  of  the  shore. 
The  old  Russian- American  Factory  which  once  had  its  office 
at  Port  Tavano,  on  the  E.  side,  is  now  closed  and  deserted. 

The  Chishima  Strait,  which  separates  Kamchatka  from 
Shumshu,  the  northernmost  island  of  the  Kurile  group,  is 
about  4  M.  wide.  The  island  differs  from  the  others  in  that 
it  has  no  mts.,  its  surface  consisting  of  undulating  hills  with 
swampy  valleys  and  a  growth  of  scrub  pine,  alder,  and  grasses. 
Fish  are  abundant  everywhere  off  the  coast,  and  the  lakes 
and  streams  teem  with  unhunted  waterfowl.  These  are  fea- 
tures of  many  of  the  islets,  and  the  sea-birds  comprise  fulmars, 
auks,  puffins,  guillemots,  gulls,  shags,  sandpipers,  and  doterel. 
The  land-birds  include  ptarmigan,  snipe,  plover,  swans,  geese, 
ducks,  and  divers  (particularly  where  there  is  much  fresh 
water).  Ravens,  falcons,  wagtails,  and  wrens  are  common. 
Harlequin  ducks  frequent  certain  of  the  islands  in  great  num- 
bers in  summer.  Sea-lions  and  leopard-seals  are  numerous, 
and  fur-seals  are  found  near  the  Shrednoi  and  Mushir  rocks. 
On  some  of  the  islands  foxes,  wolves,  and  land-otters  are  found, 
along  with  a  species  of  lemming. 

Alaid  (Araido-shima) ,  W.  of  Shumshu,  the  loftiest  of  the 
Kuriles  (7640  ft.),  is  an  extinct  volcano,  with  slopes  sweeping 
downward  in  a  graceful  curve,  and  ending  in  low  cliffs;  a 
deserted  village  stands  on  the  S.E.  side  where  an  old  lava 


Karafuto. 


SAGHALIEN  23.  Route.  361 


stream  has  formed  a  small  point.  Paramushiru  (or  Para- 
moshiri-jima)  at  the  S.  of  Shumshu  is  mountainous  throughout, 
with  4  splendid  volcanoes,  the  most  prominent  of  which, 
Mosotofuji,  or  Fuss  Peak,  rises  from  a  peninsula  at  the  S.W. 
side  of  the  island,  in  a  magnificent  solitary  cone  6900  ft.  high, 
and  terminates  seaward  in  steep  cliffs.  About  10  M.  to  the 
N.  stands  the  lordly  Chikuratski  (or  Chikuramine),  6400  ft. 
In  the  S.  part  of  the  island  there  are  numerous  peaks  over 
6000  ft.  high.  Nearly  all  the  remaining  islands  are  marked 
by  series  of  volcanic  peaks  which  are  glowing  beacons  to  marin- 
ers on  the  high  seas  adjacent. 

23.  Saghalien. 

Saghalien,  the  Tarakai  of  the  natives,  and  the  Karafuto 
(an  Ainu  name)  of  the  Japanese  (who  own  the  lower  half  of 
the  island  from  lat.  46°  to  50°),  extends  nearly  N.  and  S. 
abreast  the  coast  of  Tartary  for  520  M.,  and  has  a  width 
varying  from  15  to  100  M.  Its  N.  part  forms  the  E.  side  of 
Amur  Gulf,  and  farther  S.  the  E.  shore  of  the  Strait  of  Tar- 
tary, while  its  S.  extremes,  Cape  Siretoku  and  Kondd-zaki, 
are  separated  from  Yezo  Island  by  La  Perouse  (or  Soya) 
Strait  (22  M.  across  and  with  an  average  depth  of  20-40 
fathoms). 

Travelers  from  Yezq_  usually  land  in  Saghalien  at  Sakaemachi,  1  M.  from 
the  former  capital  of  Otomari  (the  some-time  Russian  penal  settlement  of 
Korsakovsk) ,  at  the  head  of  Aniwa  (or  Higashifushimi)  Bay,  overlooking  a 
smaller  bay  called  by  the  Russians  Lososei,  and  by  the  Japanese  Chitose- 
wan.  Aniwa  Bay,  45  M.  long  and  53  M.  broad,  extends  along  the  southern- 
most part  of  Saghalien,  between  Kondd-zaki  and  Jizd-zaki,  the  former  a 
peninsula  extending  into  La  Perouse  Strait.  From  Sakaemachi  trains  of  the 
Karafuto  Railway  Line  (3  ft.  6  in.  gauge;  operated  by  the  Karafuto-cho, 
the  vernacular  name  of  the  local  gov't)  run  N.  to  57  M.  Sakaehama  on  the 
E.  coast  (daily  trains  in  about  4  hrs.;  2d  cl.  fare,  ¥3;  3d  cl.f  ¥1.62  —  no  1st 
cl.),  passing  through  24  M.  Toyohara,  the  present  capital  (formerly  Vladi- 
miroyka)  where  the  administrative  buildings  are.  Communications  with  the 
E.  side  of  Saghalien  is  kept  up  during  much  of  the  year  by  dog-sledges, 
which  the  Ainu  are  expert  in  driving. 

Trustworthy  early  records  regarding  Saghalien  are  lacking ; 
it  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Japanese  early  in  the  18th 
cent.,  and  in  1785  the  Tokugawa  Gov't  ordered  Hidemochi 
Matsumoto  to  organize  an  expedition  thither  and  report  on 
the  island.  That  it  was  masterless  is  shown  by  the  fact  that 
later  the  feudal  lord  of  Matsumae,  at  Yezo,  was  entrusted 
with  the  administration  of  it  and  it  was  acknowledged  a 
Japanese  possession.  Still  later,  when  the  Muscovites  began 
to  cast  covetous  eyes  upon  it,  the  ruling  barons  of  Sendai, 
Aizu,  Shonai,  and  Morioka  were  instructed  to  send  colonists 
thither,  who  were  later  placed  under  the  direct  control  of  the 
high  commissioners  at  Hakodate.  Soon  after  Russia  put  a  sign 
on  the  land  affirming  that  the  N.  half  belonged  to  her,  the 
controversy  over  it  reached  an  acute  stage,  and  in  1852  a 


362    Route  23.  SAGHALIEN 


Forests. 


Russian  commissioner  was  sent  to  Japan  to  help  mark  the 
border-line.  In  1859,  Muravieff  came  for  the  same  purpose, 
but  as  no  definite  agreement  could  be  reached,  Japan  sent 
(in  1862)  a  special  envoy  to  the  Russian  capital,  but  the  settle- 
ment hung  fire.  The  treaty  concluded  between  Russia  and 
the  Tokugawa  shogunate  in  1867  was  unsatisfactory  to  Japan, 
since  she  held  the  shadow  and  Russia  the  substance.  By  the 
terms  of  the  Portsmouth  Treaty,  however,  the  S.  part 
(about  20,000  sq.  M.)  of  Karafuto  below  the  50°  was  restored 
(1905)  to  Japan.  The  island  (pop.  80,000)  has  long  been  cele- 
brated for  its  fisheries.  Whales  are  found  off  the  E.  and  S. 
coasts;  salmon  and  herrings  abound,  and  in  the  deep  bay  of 
Aniwa  on  the  S.,  into  which  two  large  streams  fall,  the  Japan- 
ese have  established  an  extensive  salmon-fishery;  the  largest 
is  at  the  head  of  Patience  Bay.  The  fishing  season  commences 
in  April  and  closes  in  Aug.  Of  the  27,000  of  the  Japanese 
population,  four  tenths  are  engaged  in  agriculture,  the  re- 
mainder in  fishing. 

The  forest-belted  mts.  of  the  island  are  disposed  in  parallel 
ridges,  running  with  the  meridian,  separated  by  marshy  val- 
leys and  forming  the  prolongation  of  similar  ridges  of  granite 
and  metamorphic  schists  in  the  Hokkaido.  Here,  as  there, 
strata  of  the  Upper  Cretaceous  age,  *  inclosing  coal-seams, 
reveal  themselves  against  them,  on  the  W.,  while  on  the  E. 
side  strata  of  the  Tertiary  formation  predominate.  A  marked 
difference  in  the  geology  of  Saghalien,  compared  with  that  of 
Yezo,  consists  in  the  scarcity  of  eruptive  rocks  in  the  former 
—  which  are  limited  to  places  on  the  W.  coast.  In  this  con- 
nection it  is  noteworthy  that  the  zone  of  volcanism  which 
follows  the  W.  coast  of  the  Japanese  archipelago,  ends  in 
the  upper  Hokkaido,  while  a  branch  diverges  over  the  Kuriles 
to  Kamchatka.  The  W.  mt.  chain  skirts  the  coast  from  N.  to 
S.  and  has  a  mean  elevation  of  nearly  3000  ft.;  its  summit, 
in  the  center  of  the  range,  attains  a  height  of  nearly  4900  ft.; 
and  Mt.  Lopatinski  (Bernezet  Peak),  in  about  lat.  47°  38'  N., 
is  3890  ft.  high.  The  passes  in  this  range  are  in  some  places 
less  than  600  ft.  high.  Eastward  of  the  main  range  there  are 
parallel  ranges  with  a  mean  elevation  of  about  650  ft.,  with 
gently  rounded  crests.  Mount  Tiara,  in  about  lat.  50°  10'  N., 
is  an  imposing  peak  about  1950  ft.  highland  the  only  mt. 
of  much  elevation  in  the  E.  ranges.  These  mts.  never  reach 
the  perpetual  snow-line,  but  several  rise  above  the  limit  of 
vegetation. 

The  virgin  Forests  are  of  an  extent  unequaled  in  any  other 
part  of  the  Japanese  Empire.  The  most  valuable  of  the  trees 
are  the  several  varieties  of  pines,  the  larch,  white  birch,  willow, 
etc.  Many  chemical  substances  are  obtained  from  them  — 
resin,  wood-alcohol,  turpentine,  etc.  The  forests  are  situated 
mainly  on  the  high  plains  or  in  valleys  with  a  slight  inclination 


Climate. 


SAGHALIEN  23.  Route.  363 


toward  the  sea;  numerous  small  streams  float  the  felled  logs 
to  tide- water.  Coal  is  the  chief  product  of  the  mines;  next 
to  it  comes  placer-gold,  copper,  and  iron.  Oil  is  found  in 
paying  quantities.  The  coal-fields  (under  the  control  of  the 
Saghalien  Administrative  Office)  are  numerous,  with  thick, 
regular  seams.  The  N.  fields  lie  along  the  E.  slope  of  the 
mt.  axis  of  the  island  and  stretch  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Poronai  River  to  the  Russian  frontier.  Wash-gold  is  found  in 
abundance  in  the  beds  of  the  rivers  which  flow  from  the 
Taraika,  Susuya,  and  Shiretoko  ranges.  Iron  pyrites  is  found 
in  great  quantities  on  the  Notoro  Peninsula.  It  is  believed 
that  silver  and  amber  exist.  Rice  is  not  cultivated  because  of 
the  short  summers,  but  the  other  vegetable  products  are  those 
of  countries  with  a  climate  like  that  of  Canada.  The  bear, 
wild  reindeer,  and  sable  are  hunted,  and  the  magnificent 
Manchurian  tiger  often  visits  the  N.  extremity  of  the  island, 
crossing  over  when  the  Strait  of  Tartary  is  icebound.  Cattle 
and  horses  have  been  introduced  from  Russia  and  Japan. 

The  Saghalien  Climate  is  characterized  by  extreme  humid- 
ity, fogs,  rains,  and  snow.  Spring,  summer,  and  autumn 
occupy  2  months  each  and  the  winter  6  months.  At  Kusunai, 
on  the  W.  coast,  the  foggy  and  rainy  days  average  253  in  the 
year,  and  this  locality  is  considered  to  be  in  a  favorable 
position  for  fine  weather;  the  number  of  foggy  and  rainy  days 
on  the  E.  coast  is  considerably  in  excess  of  those  on  the  W. 
coast.  The  rainy  season  is  from  mid-Aug.  to  mid-Oct.,  when 
destructive  floods  occur  at  times.  By  the  end  of  Oct.  the 
streams  and  the  coast  are  beset  by  ice  and  the  whole  island 
is  covered  by  snow  3  ft.  deep,  which  remains  until  the  follow- 
ing April.  The  leaves  begin  to  come  out  at  the  end  of  April, 
and  the  following  5  months  are  warm  or  hot ;  in  the  height  of 
summer  it  is  light  from  4  a.m.  till  9  p.m.  The  principal  river 
is  the  Poronai,  which  rises  in  about  lat.  50°  30'  N.,  winds 
through  a  broad  plain  at  the  foot  of  the  W.  range,  and  enters 
the  sea  in  the  middle  of  Patience  (or  Shichiro)  Bay,  on  the 
E.  side  of  the  island.  The  Tuimi  River  rises  near  the  source 
of  the  Poronai,  runs  N.,  and  discharges  its  waters  into  the 
Sea  of  Okhotsk.  Each  is  navigable  by  a  small  boat  for  about 
100  M.  The  winter  winds  which  blow  down  the  valley  of  the 
Poronai  River  are  bitterly  cold,  and  the  temperature  of 
Patience  Bay  in  Jan.  is  said  to  be  quite  20°  colder  than  in  the 
same  latitude  on  the  W.  coast.  The  ice  along  the  shores  of 
this  bay  will  bear  sleighs  as  late  as  April.  The  great  cold  of 
the  E.  coast  is  caused  in  a  measure  by  the  ice  which  comes 
in  from  the  Okhotsk  Sea  and  packs  up  along  it.  Broken  masses 
sometimes  remain  heaped  round  the  E.  headlands  until  July. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  Russian  end  of  the  island  consist 
almost  entirely  of  immigrants:  Russian  (many  of  them  re- 
leased exiles),  Giryaks  (Tartars),  Ainu  (from  Yezo),  and  Oroks. 


364    Route  23.  SAGHALIEN 


The  chief  occupation  of  the  people  is  fishing  and  hunting,  the 
articles  of  export  being  otter,  fox,  sable,  bear,  deer,  and  seal 
skins.  Robben  (Tuyulenya,  or  Seal)  Island,  11£  miles  S.W. 
of  Cape  Patience,  has  a  seal-rookery  on  the  E.  side.  The 
Russian  Fur  Company's  station  is  near  the  S.W.  end.  The 
island  is  the  resort  of  thousands  of  puffin  and  other  sea-birds 
which  breed  here.  Sea-lions  congregate  in  considerable  num- 
bers on  Opasnost  Rock,  near  Kondo-zaki.^  The  noise  of  their 
bellowing  and  barking  can  be  heard  some  distance  at  sea,  and  in 
foggy  weather  it  warns  the  seamen  of  the  island's  proximity. 

The  hunter  inured  to  low  temperatures  (the  thermometer 
sometimes  registers  24°  F.  below  zero  on  the  W.  coast)  will  find 
game  numerous.  Bears  and  fine  and  valuable  foxes  are  unusu- 
ally plentiful,  as  are  also  grouse  and  hares.  In  this  remote  and 
rarely  visited  corner  of  the  world  whales,  seals,  salmon,  and  a 
host  of  marine  creatures  can  be  caught  with  little  difficulty. 

Yachtsmen  who  seek  the  most  primitive  places  will  some- 
times find  deserted  huts  that  serve  for  temporary  headquarters 
on  the  shore  of  the  Gulf  of  Tartary  —  across  which  hunters 
sometimes  come  from  the  opposite  ports  of  Siberia.  It  should 
be  remembered  that  the  half-savage  Giryaks  (or  Ghiliaks)  of 
Saghalien  do  not  readily  distinguish  between  their  own  and 
others'  property  —  perchance  due  to  the  myopia  with  which 
many  of  them  are  afflicted. 

The  residence  of  the  governor-general  of  Russian  Saghalien 
is  at  Alexandrovski,  N.E.  of  Cape  Jonquieres.  But  little  Eng- 
lish is  spoken  in  this  region,  and  strangers  are  sometimes  re- 
garded with  suspicion.  Most  of  the  Japanese  settlers  have 
retired  to  Karafuto  in  order  to  be  under  Japanese  jurisdiction. 


IV.   WESTERN  JAPAN. 


Route  Page 

24.  From  Yokohama  via  Kozu,  Gotemba  (Fuji-san, 
Shoji),  and  Shizuoka  to  Nagoya  (Kyoto,  Osaka, 
and  Kobe)  367 

Gotemba,  369;  Leper  Hospital,  369;  Numazu,  370;  Bay  of 
Enoura,  371;  Mio-no-Matsubara,  372;  Shizuoka,  372; 
Temples  of  Kunozan,  373. 

Nagoya,  375;  Practical  Information,  376;  Japanese  Spaniels, 
377;  The  Castle,  377;  Aichi-ken  Commercial  Museum, 
381;  Higashi  Hongwanji,  381;  Kakuo-den,  383;  The  Pot- 
teries of  Seto,  383. 

25.  From  Nagoya  via  Shiojiri  (Matsumoto,  Shinonoi, 
Niigata)  and  Kofu  to  Tokyo  384 

Komagatake,  387;  Ontake,  388;  Shiojiri,  389;  Lake  Suwa, 
390;  Tenryu  River,  391;  Kofu,  392;  Takeda  Harunobu, 
392;  The  Fujikawa  Rapids,  393. 

26.  From  (Yokohama)  Nagoya  to  Kyoto  (Osaka  and 
Kobe)   395 

Gifu,  396;  Cormorant  Fishing,  396;  The  Japanese  Persim- 
mon, 397;  The  Long  Bridge  of  Seta,  399;  Kyoto,  400. 

27.  Kyoto  and  its  Environs  400 

Topography  of  Kyoto,  405;  History,  410. 

Central  and  Southeastern  Quarters  413 

Awata  Palace,  413;  Chion-in,  416;  Maruyama  Park,  Gion 
no  Yashiro,  421;  Gion  Festival,  422;  Higashi  Otani,  422; 
Kodaiji,  423;  Yasaka  Pagoda,  425;  Kiyomizu-dera,425; 
Nishi  Otani,  428;  Daibutsu,  429;  Big  Bell,  430;  Hokaku- 
jinja,430;  Amida-ga-mine,  430;  Ear  Mound,  430;  Im- 
perial Art  Museum,  430;  Chishaku-in,  433;  Myoho-in, 
434;  Sanju-san-gen-d6,434; T6fuku-ji,436;  Inari Shrine, 
437;  Sparrow-House,  439. 
Northeast  Quarter  440 

Kurodani,  440;  Shinnyo-do,  444;  Yoshida-jinja,  444;  Gin- 
kaku-ji,  444;  Honen-in,  447;  Anraku-ji,  447;  Nyakuo-ji, 
447;  Eikwan-do,  447;  Nanzen-ji,  448;  Ke-age,  450. 
Central  and  Southwest  Quarters   450 

Mikado's  Palace,  450;  Nijo  Castle,  456;  Higashi  Hong- 
wanji, 463;  Nishi  Hongwanji,  466;  Icho  Tree,  471;  Toji, 
474;  Katsura  Summer  Palace,  475. 
North-Central  and  East  Quarters  477 

Shogun-Zuka,  477;  Zoological  Garden,  478;  Heian  Jingu, 
478;  Commercial  Museum,  478;  Imperial  University, 
479;   Doshisha  University,  479;  Shimo-Gamo,  479; 
Kami-Gamo,  479;  Shugaku-in,  480. 
Northwest  Quarter  481 

Kitano  Tenjin,  481;  Kinkaku-ji,  483;  Daitoku-ji,  486; 
Kenkun-Jinsha,  488;  Toji-in,  489;  Omuro  Gosho,  491; 
Takaosan,  491;  Miyoshin-ji,  492;  Kyoto  Nursery,  496; 
Saga-no-Shaka-do,  496;  Arashi-yama,  497;  Rapids  of 
the  Hozu-gawa,  498;  Singing  Frogs,  498. 
Excursions  from  Kyoto :  —  Over  Hiei-zan  to  Lake  Biwa, 

499;  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Hiei-zan  Monasteries,  501; 

Karasaki  Pine  Tree,  504;  The  Miidera,  504;  Lake  Biwa 

Canal,  505;  Lake  Biwa,  506;   Daigo-ji,  507;  Yawata 

Hachiman  Shrine,  509. 


366 


WESTERN  JAPAN 


Route  Page 

28.  From  Kyoto  to  the  Koya-san  Monasteries  .  .511 

29.  From  Kyoto  to  Amanohashidate '  533 

30.  From  Kyoto  via  Yonago  (Sakai  and  the  Oki 
Islands),  Matsue,  and  Izumo-Imaichi  to  Kizuki 
(Shrines  of  Izumo)  539 

Daisen,  Mt.  541;  The  Oki  Islands,  541;  Matsue,  542;  The 
Great  Shrine,  543. 

31.  From  Wadayama  to  Himeji  544 

32.  From  Maibara  via  Tsuruga,  Fukui,  Kanazawa  and 
Tsubata  (Noto  Peninsula)  to  Naoetsu    ....  545 

Tsuruga,  546;  Hakusan,  547;  Kanazawa,  548;  Nanao,  548; 
Naoetsu,  549. 

33.  From  Kyoto  via  Fushimi,  Momo-yama  and  Uji 

to  Nara   549 

Momo-yama  and  Meiji  Tenno,  550;  Uji,  551;  Battle  of  the 
Fireflies,  552. 

34.  Nara  and  its  Environs  554 


Nara  Park,  556;  San-gwatsu-do,  559;  Ni-gwatsu-do,  559; 
Big  Bell,  560;  The  Daibutsu,  560;  Shoso-in,  562; 
K6fuku-ji,  569;  Nanen-do,  569;  Tokon-do,  570;  The 
Pagoda,  570;  Nara  Museum,  571;  Excursion  to  the 
Hokkei-ji,  Toshodai-ji,  Saidai-ji,  the  Yakushi-ji,  the 
Goldfish  Hatchery,  and  Horyu-ji,  578;  Shotoku-taishi, 
587.  —  To  the  Temples  of  Miwa  and  Hase,  and  the 
Mausoleum  of  Jimmu  Tenno,  591;  To-no-mine,  596; 
Yoshino-yama,  597. 

35.  From  Nara  to  Yamada  and  the  Shrines  of  Ise  .  598 

From  Kameyama  to  Nagoya,  599;  Yamada,  600;  The 
Shrines  of  Ise,  601;  Museum  of  Ancient  Things,  603; 
Agricultural  Hall,  604;  The  Ise  Ondo,  604;  Toba  and 
Futami,  605;  Pearl  Fisheries,  606. 

36.  From  (Yokohama  and  Nagoya)  Kyoto  to  Osaka 
and  Kobe  606 

Osaka,  607;  Nishi  Hongwanji,  611;  Higashi  Hongwanji,  612; 
The  Castle,  612;  The  Mint,  614;  Tenno-ji,  614;  Bronze 
Bell,  615;  Excursion  to  Sumiyoshi,  Sakai,  and  Waka- 
yama,  616. 

37.  Kobe  and  Neighborhood   .  618 

Nanko  Jinja,  625;  Bronze  Daibutsu,  625;  The  Shink5ji, 
625;  Suwayama  Park,  626;  Excursion  to  the  Nunobiki 
Waterfall,  626.  To  the  Mava-sanTemple,  627.  To  Rokko- 
san,  628.  To  Arima,  628.  To  The  Takaradzuka  Tansan 
Mineral  Springs,  and  Mino  Park,  629.  To  Suma,  Shioya, 
and  Maiko,  631.  Awaji  Island  and  Naruto  Whirlpool f  632. 

38.  From  Kobe  via  Himeji,  Okayama  (Shikoku  Island), 
Hiroshima  and  Miyajima  to  Shimonoseki  .    .    .  632 

Okayama,  634;  Kotohira  and  the  Kompira  Shrine,  636; 
Shikoku  Island,  637;  Hiroshima,  640;  Miyajima,  .  641; 
Iwakuni  and  the  Brocade  Bridge,  642;  Shimonoseki,  644. 


YOKOHAMA  TO  NAGOYA  Rte.  367 


24.  From  Yokohama  via  Kozu,  Gotemba  (Fuji-san,  Shoji) 
and  Shizuoka  to  Nagoya  (Kyoto,  Osaka,  and  Kobe).  £ 

Tokaido  Main  Line  of  the  Imperial  Government  Railways.  ** 

To  Nagoya,  215  M.  Express  trains  in  7  hrs.;  fare,  ¥6.53,  1st.  cl.;  ¥3.92,\  | 
2d.  To  Kyoto,  310  M.  in  10  hrs.; ¥8.38,  1st  cl.;  ¥5.03,  2d.  To  Kobe,  358  M. 
in  about  12  hrs.,  ¥9.23,  1st  cl.;  ¥5.54,  2d  cl.  For  extra  fares  on  fast  trains 
(dining-cars)  and  sleeping-berths,  see  p.  lxxxii.  Food  (bento:  tea,  hot  milk, 
etc.)  is  sold  at  the  chief  stations.  Between  Yokohama  and  Kobe  (routes  24, 
26,  and  36)  the  rly.  traverses  25  tunnels,  crosses  76  rivers  (on  substantial 
bridges)^  and  the  provinces  of  Sagami,  Suruga,  Totomi,  Mikawa,  Owari, 
Mino,  Omi,  and  Yamashiro  before  entering  Settsu.  At  times  the  train 
skirts  portions  of  the  lovely  coast  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  affords  adorable 
views  (best  from  the  left  side  of  car)  of  the  sea  and  of  Fuji-san  (right  side 
of  car).  It  crosses  and  re-crosses  the  old  Tokaido,  which  at  present  is  much 
used  by  automobilists.  The  highest  point  of  the  line  is  at  Gotemba  (1598  ft.), 
near  the  base  of  Fuji.  The  trip  should  be  made  in  daylight,  particularly  in  %0 
the  spring  when  many  of  the  quaint  stations  flame  with  flowers. 

Yokohama  (see  p.  10).  The  rly.  bears  round  to  the  left, 
circles  the  port,,  and  runs  toward  the  W.  through  a  succession 
of  flat  valleys  cut  up  into  rice-fields  that  are  a  mass  of  sticky 
mud  in  early  spring,  a  carpet  of  vivid  green  in  summer, 
and  half-submerged,  repulsive  plots  in  winter.  The  thickly 
wooded  green  hills  protect  the  region  from  the  chill  N.  winds, 
and  late  in  the  fall  and  very  early  in  the  spring  the  straw- 
thatched  native  houses  are  embowered  in  flowers  and  have 
purple  sweet-flags  growing  in  bands  2  ft.  wide  along  their 
ridge-poles.  The  big  push-carts  on  the  flanking  highway  are 
usually  filled  with  sturdy  onions,  edible  lilies,  or  daikons  for 
the  Yokohama  markets.  Beyond  Hodogaya  the  grade  slopes 
upward  through  the  Shimidzuyado  Tunnel  (701  ft.  long) 
to  a  valley  hemmed  in  by  graceful  pine  groves,  bamboo, 
maple,  cherry,  and  other  trees.  Hereabout  the  peasant  women 
wear  skin-tight  trousers  when  working  in  the  slime  of  the 
paddy-fields,  and  squads  of  them  may  be  seen  knee-deep  in 
the  malodorous  muck  from  whose  sticky  black  mass  grows  the 
excellent  native  rice.  The  line  soon  crosses  the  broad  auto- 
mobile road  which  links  Yokohama  to  Kamakura,  Dzushi, 
Yokosuka,  and  Misaki.  Beyond  Totsuka,  where  the  fertile 
Seki  Valley  is  entered,  the  auto  road  strikes  off  left  in  order 
to  be  nearer  to  the  sea,  and  the  rly.  continues  on  through 
hills  marked  by  numerous  cuts  and  admirable  retaining  walls 
of  speckled  granite.  Albeit  the  land  hereabout  has  been  in- 
tensively cultivated  for  more  than  a  thousand  years,  —  per- 
chance with  little  or  no  rest,  —  the  constant  addition  of  fer- 
tilizers has  made  it  amazingly  rich  and  productive. 

10  M.  Of  una  Jet.,  is  the  point  of  departure  for  Kamakura 
and  the  places  described  in  Rte.  2,  p.  28.  The  near-by  Caves 
of  Taya-no-ana,  with  some  crude  carvings  on  the  soft  walls, 
are  of  no  interest.  An  electric  car-line  (station  at  the  left  of 
the  rly.)  runs  S.  from  12  M.  Fujisawa  to  (2  M.)  Katase, 
the  nearest  point  on  the  mainland  to  Enoshima  (p.  34). 


,  368  „  Route  24.  KOZU  Sagami  Bay. 

The  Buddhist  Temple  {Yugyd-ji,  of  the  Zen  sect),  h  M. 
from  the  Fujisawa  Station,  is  of  less  interest  to  foreigners  than 
to  Japanese,  some  of  whom  believe  that  the  abbots  have 
special  powers  of  healing.  Kugenuma  (Inn:  Taikd-kwan), 
a  bathing-resort  (for  natives)  1J  M.  to  the  S.W.  of  the  sta- 
tion, is  prettily  situated.  On  the  lowlands  between  the  pine- 
clad  hills  hereabout  many  luscious  (American  variety)  peaches 
are  grown  for  the  Yokohama  and  Tokyo  markets.  The  Hale  one 
Mts.j  with  Fuji  as  the  culminating  point,  are  soon  descried 
at  the  right.  There  are  extensive  Golf  Links  at  (17  M.) 
Chigasaki,  a  seaside  resort,  and  goooT^sea-bathing.  The 
Baniu  River,  which  flows  out  of  Lake  Yamanaka,  on  the 
N.E.  side  of  Fuji-san,  is  now  crossed  on  a  bridge  2126  ft.  long 
which  cost  77,700  yen.  28  M.  Hiratsuka,  amid  pine  groves, 
is  the  starting-out  place  for  the  (9  M.  N.)  locally  celebrated 
Afuri-jinsha,  a,  Shinto  shrine  on  O-yama  (4400  ft.),  near  some 
pretty  cascades.  The  country  hereabout  is  hilly,  pine-clad, 
and  with  a  good  auto  road  across  it;  the  sea  is  visible  at  the 
left. 

22  M.  Oiso  (Inn:  Toryo-kwan,  ¥2.50),  a  popular  bathing- 
resort  with  many  picturesque  Japanese  villas  overlooking  the 
sea,  has  some  unusually  big  pine  trees;  the  views  of  the  dis- 
tant Fuji  are  entrancing.  Orange  grovefare  features  of  the 
country,  which  produces  an  unusual  number  of  lovely  flow- 
ering trees  interspersed  here  and  there  with  the  berberida- 
cous  Nandina  domestica.  Beyond  Ninomiya  the  land  takes 
on  a  sub-tropical  aspect  which  is  heightened  by  many  palm- 
ettoes,  bamboos,  and  wide  fields  of  maize  and  broom-corn. 

29  M.  Kozu  (or  Kodzu;  Inn:  Kozu-kwan,  ¥2.50),  a  pictur- 
esque town  overlooking  the  beautiful  Sagami  Bay  (fine  beach), 
is  the  getting-off  place  for  Miyanoshita  and  Atami.  The  tram- 
cars  which  leave  from  the  shed  at  the  left  of  the  station  (hard 
by  the  inn)  go  to  Odawara,  Yumoto,  and  other  near-by  places 
Rte.  5,  p.  55).  From  this  station  the  rly.  ascends  through  the 
Sakawa  Valley  to  the  foothills  of  the  Hakone  Range;  Fuji 
rises  grandly  at  the  left,  above  Futago-yama,  My ojingdiake^ 
TCami-yama,  Kintoki-zan,  and  minor  peaks.  The  lesser  hills 
are  green  to  their  summits,  and  the  intervening  valleys  are 
carefully  cultivated.  The  several  small  rivers  which  cross  the 
country  hereabout  and  beyond  (35  M.)  Matsuda  are  seen  to 
have  required  extensive  and  costly  riparian  work  and  Cyclo- 
pean stone  walls  to  keep  them  within  bounds  during  the  rainy 
season.  The  rly.  climbs  steadily  through  a  labyrinth  of  hills, 
flecked  with  wild  flowers,  to  39  M.  Yamakita,  sl  mt.  village 
near  the  brawling  Sakawa  Riverf  A  product  of  this  stream,  in 
the  shape  of  a  small  silvery  trout  seasoned  with  vinegar,  cooked 
with  rice,  and  called  sushi,  is  sold  at  this  and  other  stations 
(16  sen),  and  though  unsavory  and  unpalatable  to  foreigners, 
it  is  much  liked  by  the  Japanese?)  The  stiffish  up-grade  now 


Leyer  Hospital.  GOTEMBA  24.  Route.  369 


leads  through  several  tunnels  of  the  Hakone  Mts.  and  across 
a  number  of  rivers  and  picturesque  gorges  spanned  by  spider- 
like suspension  bridges  and  idealized  by  plunging  waterfalls. 
Beautiful  glimpses  of  Fuji,  thrusting  its  glistening  cone  up  f 
through  cottony  clouds  that  look  like  ghostly  wreaths  or  snow  J 
exhalations,  are  observed  from  the  right  side  of  the  train.  From  t 
this  distance  the  sacred  mt.  looks  strangely  white  and  spectral  I 
against  the  cobalt  sky,  and  it  shimmers  with  a  blinding  white  I 
beauty  unlike  the  impression  it  usually  conveys.   Many  of  the  | 
streams  which  slither  down  from  its  frosty  heights  are  made 
to  turn  big  overshot  water-wheels  that  help  the  farmer  at  his 
tasks  and  hull  his  rice.  Greater  power  has  been  secured  from 
them  by  the  influential  Fuji  Cotton  Spinning  Mills  Co.,  whose 
series  of  factories  and  the  clustering  homes  of  hundreds  of 
their  operatives  are  seen  from  Oyama  Station.  In  its  efforts  to 
reach  the  plain  600  ft.  higher,  the  train  now  follows  the  sinuous 
course  of  the  river  —  crossing  and  re-crossing  it  until  it  emerges 
on  the  extensive  highland  dominated  by  Fuji's  gigantic  shadow, 
and  by  the  huge  lateral  ridges  which  lead  from  it  to  the  right 
and  left. 

52  M.  Gotemba  (1589  ft.),  a^ starting-point  for  the  ascent  of 
Fuji-san  (comp.  p.  45) ;  sometime  the  seat  of  a  hunting-lodge 
erected  by  the  shogun,  Minamoto  Yoritomo  (whence  the  name: 
Goten,  a  palace;  and  ba,  site  or  spot),  anciently  was  much  in 
favor  with  the  Kamakura  Regents,  who  foregathered  here  to 
make  up  the  hunting-parties  (a  popular  motive  with  artistic 
decorators  and  often  referred  to  in  Japanese  history)  called 
Fuji  no  maki-gari.  From  the  platform  of  the  nondescript  sta-  S 
tion,  the  traveler  gets  an  uninterrupted  view  of  the  splendid  ( 
mt.  from  its  wide,  swelling  base,  to  its  serrated  summit.  It  is  ( 
seen  to  the  best  advantage  in  early  spring  or  late  autumn  when  1 
a  snowy  mantle  resembling  spotless  ermine  extends  from  the 
cusped  crest  far  over  its  shoulders  and  down  its  sides.  Isolated 
patches  of  this  snow  remain  in  the  deep  ravines  (invisible  from 
the  rly.)  until  midsummer,  and  when  the  last  have  disappeared 
the  aspect  of  the  mt.  is  much  like  Vesuvius  when  seen  from 
Naples.  At  this  time,  too,  the  station  is  usually  thronged  with 
staffed  pilgrims  bound  for,  or  away  from,  the  sacred  peak.  — 
The  line  now  enters  Suruga  Province  and  continues  along  a 
splendidly  rolling  country  delimned  at  the  left  by  the  Hakone 
Range.  With  a  good  field-glass,  one  can  pick  out  the  Otome- 
toge,  beyond  which  lies  Lake  Hakone.  ^ome  6  M.  to  the  S.  of 
the  rly.,  in  a  beautiful  sequestered  valley  at  the  base  of  the 
Hakone  Range,  embowered  in  fine  old  cherry  trees,  is  the 
Leper  Hospital  (founded  in  1888  by  Fere  Testevinde,  a  noble 
French  Catholic  missionary),  known  as  the  Leproserie  de 
Gotemba.  Clustering  near  the  chapel  erected  by  the  self- 
denying  priests  who  built  it,  and  who  spend  their  lives  caring 
for  the  hundred  or  more  unfortunate  leper  inmates  of  the  place, 


370    Route  U-  MISHIMA 


Numazu. 


is  a  little  settlement  to  which  all  suffering  bodies  are  welcome. 
—  The  common  Japanese  name  for  the  quite  prevalent 
leprosy  (caused  by  the  Lepra  bacillus)  is  Raibyd  (or  kattai). 
The  euphemistic  name  is  Tenkeibyo  ('  Heaven-sent  disease  ). 
A  similar  hospital  (both  peculiarly  deserving  charities)  is  lo- 
cated at  Kumamoto,  in  Kyushu. 

The  slope  is  now  perceptibly  downward;  the  streams  flow  S. 
and  W.,  and  the  roughish  plain  across  which  the  train  dashes 
at  top  speed  has  a  rugged  beauty  in  pleasing  contrast  to  the 
customary  soft  island  scenery.  The  land  seems  to  tip  toward 
the  S.  as  if  courting  the  sunshine,  and  it  affords  a  magnificent 
panorama  over  a  vast  area.  Fuji  dominates  it  like  some  huge 
hoary-headed  sentinel,  and  the  long  lava-flows  which  seam  it 
are  the  records  of  the  sacred  mt.  when  it  was  a  puling  infant. 
In  the  lower  reaches  of  the  wide  valley  plums,  peaches,  early 
cherries,  magnolias,  and  beautiful  Camellias  japonicas  may 
often  be  seen  commingling  their  fragrance  and  charm  in  early 
March.  The  streams  which  pour  down  from ,£uj;i]s  flanks  irri- 
gate the  orchards  and  gardens,  turn  many  a  mossy  water- 
wheel,  and  give  life  to  the  flax-fields.  —  About  a  mile  N.  from 
55  M.  Sano  (Sano  Hotel,  ¥4  a  day,  Am.  pi.;  English  spoken) 
is  a  cluster  of  6  waterfalls  called  Sano  Bakuen;  and  1  M.  be- 
yond them  a  picturesque  spot  called  Keiga-shima,  with  some 
curious  rocks.  The  highest  of  the  falls  (Fujimi)  is  44  ft.;  the 
pool  into  which  they  tumble  collectively  with  a  thundering 
roar,  contains  trout.  Good  pheasant  shooting  in  season.  The 
Agricultural  Experimental  Farm  is  near  the  rly.  station. 

59  M.  Mishima  Jet.  is  the  point  of  departure  for  seyeral 
small  towns  on  the  Izu  Peninsula.  Chief  among  them  is  Ohito 
(12  M. ;  several  trains  daily  ;  fare,  66  sen,  1st  cl.),  whence  a  good 
road  leads  S.E.  to  (3  M.;  jinriki  and  basha)  the  Shuzenji  Hot 
Springs  (Shuzenji  Hotel,  ¥4  a  day,  Am.  pi.) — a  popular 
resort  (for  Japanese).  The  springs  contain  sulphur  and  car- 
bonate of  soda.  Eight  miles  distant  (S.E.)  are  the  Yugashima 
Hot  Springs.  The  volcanic  mts.  which  stretch  across  the  nar- 
row peninsula  from  E.  to  W.  are  known  by  the  generic  term 
Amagi-san  —  which  in  reality  is  the  name  of  the  culminating 
point  (4760  ft.).  \$himoda,  a  small  port  farther  along,  facing 
the  lower  end  of  Sagami  Bay,  is  said  to  be  the  first  port  stopped 
at  by  Commodore  Perry  in  1854^  The  best-known  town  is 
Atami,  on  the  N.E.  coast,  13  M.  E.  of  Mishima,  and  described 
at  p.  64.  —  The  rly.  now  turns  W.  and  soon  reaches  66  M. 
Numazu  (Inn:  Sugimoto-ya,  ¥2.50),  a  monotonous  town  with 
the  remains  of  a  daimyd's  castle  built  by  Takeda  Katsuyori  in 
1579.  Of  the  3000  houses  comprising  the  town,  2500  were 
destroyed  by  a  fire  in  March,  1913.  The  seashore  town  (3  M.; 
tramway)  of  Ushibuse  (Inn:  Mishima-kwan,  ¥2.50)  is  popular 
with  Japanese.  Near  by  is  the  prettily  situated  Shizuura 
(Inn:  Hoyd-kwan,  ¥2.50),  with  a  lovely  stretch  of  beach  cele- 


Enoura  Bay. 


IWABUCHI  21>.  Route.  371 


brated  in  song  and  story,  and  a  villa  occupied  by  the  Empress 
and  Emperor  during  several  weeks  of  the  short  winter.  The 
peaches  grown  in  the  neighborhood  are  excellent,  and  the 
views  of  Fuji-san  adorable.  The  Bay  of  Enoura  is  one  of 
tne  mpst  cnarming  in  the  entire  region. 

West  of  Numazu  the  rly.  curves  to  the  right  and  passes 
through  miles  of  peach  orchards  upon  which  the  snowy  Fuii 
looks  down  in  frigid  silence.  Pears,  edible  lilies,  and  tea  are 
raised,  and  considerable  rope  is  made  at  the  open-air  rope- 
walks  one  sees  from  the  train.  70  M.  Hara.  76  M.  Suzukawa, 
one  of  the  startingrpoints  for  Lake  Shdji  (p.  43),  and  for  the 
ascent  of  Fuji  via  Omiya.  The  skirts  of  the  sacred  mt.,  which 
from  here  resembles  a  colossal  bump  rising  from  the  plain, 
stretch  almost  to  this  point,  and  along  the  graduated  slope  the 
eye  travels  quite  up  to  the  rim  of  the  cone  —  which  on  its  S. 
side  exhibits  much  less  snow  than  at  the  N.  The  picturesque 
ridge  which  overlooks  Suruga  Bay  at  this  point  is  clothed  with 
fantastic  pine  trees ;  the  beach  which  lies  below  and  stretches 
to  the  Fuji  River,  is  known  as  Tagonoura,  and  is  very  lovely  — 
with  the  Japanesy  charm  that  appeals  to  the  native  poet. 

79 _M.  Fuji  Station  is  20|  M.  from  the  summit  of  the  mt.  by 
the  Omiyaguchi  route;  the  Sengen  Shrine,  dedicated  to  the 
goddess  of  the  volcano,  is  5 J  M.  to  the  N.  The  light  rly.  which 
bears  off  to  the  right  goes  (via  5  M.  Omiya)  to  15  M.  Kamiide 
(p.  45),  whence  it  is  to  be  extended  (as  the  Fuji-Minqbu  Rly.) 
to  (49  M.)  Kofu  (p.  392).  A  lateral  line  goes  from  Omiya  to 
(3  M.)  Suzukawa.  The  shallow  but  turbulent  Fuji  River  (one 
of  the  largest  on  the  line)  is  now  crossed  on  a  9-span  steel 
bridge  (cost  283,000  yen)  1867  ft.  long.  Trackers  haul  boats 
upstream  against  the  strong  current,  and  many  logs  descend 
the  rapids  to  be  sawn  into  lumber  at  Iwabuchi.  The  great 
width  of  the  river  at  this  point,  where  it  enters  the  sea,  illus- 
trates the  vast  extent  of  land  the  Japanese  could  reclaim  if  their 
rivers  were  kept  within  bounds.  In  flood-time,  the  current  of 
this  dashing  stream  has  a  velocity  of  27  ft.  per  second,  and  its 
annual  pranks  cost  many  lives  and  vast  sums  of  money.  The 
sea  and  the  point  of  land  known  as  Mio-no-Matsubara  are  now 
visible  at  the  left. 

82  M.  Iwabuchi  (Inn:  Tani-ya,  ¥2.50,  at  the  station),  the 
terminus  for  travelers  descending  the  rapids  of  the  Fuji-kawa, 
is  also  the  starting-point  (by  river)  for  Minobu  (p.  393).  From 
the  right  of  the  train  as  it  proceeds  W.  one  sees  the  peerless 
and  almost  superhumanly  beautiful  Fuji  as  it  rises  like  a  serene 
apotheosis  toward  the  winsome  blue  sty.  Coupled  with  the 
wonderful  sea  flanked  by  a  fringe  of  graceful  pines  it  forms  a 
picture  of  infinite  charm.  Many  of  the  farmsteads  hereabout 
are  embowered  in  orchards  with  fields  of  waving  sugar-cane 
stretching  away  from  them.  Beyond  85  M.  Kambara,  the 
Yui-gawa  is  crossed  and  the  roar  of  the  near-by  sea  drowns  the 


372   Route  24. 


SHIZUOKA  Mio-no-Matsubara. 


clatter  of  the  train.  High  hills  flank  the  rly.  on  the  right,  and 
blue  mts.  wall  the  distant  horizon.  From  a  terrace  along  which 
the  train  runs  its  daring  course,  one  looks  down  upon  a  sea 
that  is  a  miracle  of  beauty,  and  upon  splendid  breakers  that 
pound  and  break  like  glass  upon  the  shore.  Quaint  brown 
fishing-hamlets  stud  the  beach,  and  from  them  put'  forth 
many  quaint  junks  manned  (and  womaned)  by  semi-nude 
brown  folks  who  get  their  living  from  the  sounding  sea.  For 
miles  the  rly.  follows  the  profile  of  the  hills,  flanking  the  good 
automobile  road  below  and  watched  by  the  ever-jealous 
Fuji. 

88  M.  Okitsu  (Inn:  Tokai  Hotel,  semi-foreign,  ¥4  a  day, 
|  Am.  pi.),  a  picturesque  town  near  a  lovely  beach.  The  600  or 
more  cherry  trees  planted  about  General  U.  S.  Grant's  Tomb 
\(New  York  City)  came  from  here,  and  were  shipped  in  1912. 
The  bronze  statue  at  the  right  of  the  station  commemorates 
Marquis  Inoue.  The  aforetime  brilliant  Seikenji  (a  temple  of 
the  Zen  sect)  is  now  faded  and  neglected,  but  the  views  there- 
from are  charming.  —  Stuffy  little  boats  leave  Okitsu  at  inter- 
vals during  each  day  for  the  sandy  peninsula  (2J  M.;  fare,  60 
sen)  of  Mio-no-Matsubara,  a  spot  tenderly  enshrined  in  the 
native  mind  for  a  quaint  legend  in  which  a  poor  fisherman,  a 
beautiful  dancing  fairy,  and  a  robe  of  feathers  play  conspicu- 
ous parts. 

92  M.  Ejiri  (Inn:  Fukuzumi-ya,  ¥2.50)  is  about  1  M.  (light 
rly.)  from  Port  Shimizu,  on  Suruga  Bay,  whence  much  of  the 
Shizuoka  tea  (p.  cix)  is  exported.  The  chief  product  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  is  green  tea;  the  hillsides  are  covered  with 
the  low,  knob-like  bushes,  which  at  times  sweep  down  and 
compete  in  the  lowlands  with  the  rice  grown  there.  During] 
the  picking  season  the  fields  are  gay  with  the  brightly  colored 
costumes  of  the  women  who  snip  off  the  young  leaves.  The! 
Tomoye-gawa  is  crossed  before  reaching  / 

99  M.  Shizuoka  (Inn:  Daitokwan  Hotel,  2  min.  from  sta- 
tion, English  spoken,  ¥5  a  day,  Am.  pi.),  chief  city  of  Shizuoka- 
ken,  Suruga  Province,  with  54,000  inhabs.  Prior  to  the 
Restoration,  the  historic  town  —  sometime  the  residence  of 
the  governing  daimyos  of  Suruga  —  went  by  the  names 
Sumpu,  Funai,  and  Fuchu.  The  imperial  army  marched 
through  it  on  its  way  to  Yedo  in  1868,  and  after  the  (late) 
Mikado  was  restored  to  his  throne  Keikei  ( Hitotsubashi 
Yoshinobu),  the  last  of  the  shoguns,  went  into  retirement  here. 
Here  the  great  Tokugawa  Ieyasu  dwelt  before  he  founded 
Yedo,  and  hither  he  came  to  spend  his  last  days  in  peace. 
Shizuoka  means  4  Hill  of  Peace/  and  this  illusive  quantity 
was  apparently  maintained  by  the  numerous  Hatamoto  or 
immediate  vassals  of  the  shogunal  household.  The  military 
greatness  which  was  once  a  feature  of  the  place  has  departed; 
the  descendants  of  the  sometime  swashbuckling  samurai 


Bamboo-Work.  KUNOZAN  21*.  Route.  373 


employ  their  energies  in  making  lacquered  articles  and  bam- 
boo-work. A  specialty  is  the  delicate  bamboo  plaiting  some- 
times used  to  cover  the  very  thin  eggshell  porcelain  teacups 
made  in  the  province  of  Mino.  The  basket-work  is  celebrated 
locally;  the  best  tea,  much  of  which  is  exported  to  America, 
comes  from  the  near-By  village  of  Ashikubo.  Literatists  know 
Shizuoka  for  the  many  old  treasures  of  Japanese  literature 
which  the  discerning  Ieyasu  caused  to  be  printed  here.  A 
number  of  relics  of  the  man  are  preserved  in  the  Rinzai-ji,  a 
Buddhist  temple  (Zen  sect)  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  near  a 
pretty  landscape  garden.  The  great  shogun  is  said  to  have 
learned  to  write  here,  and  to  the  temple  treasury  he  gave,  in 
his  old  age,  some  pieces  of  lacquered  ware  and  other  things. 
His  old  castle  is  now  in  a  ruinous  state.  His  wife  is  buried  in 
the  Hodai-ji.  The  old  Sengen  Temple,  in  a  garden  in  the  N. 
suburbs,  at  the  foot  of  Shizuhata-yama,  is  dedicated  to  the 
(Shinto)  goddess  of  Mt.  Fuji.  A  gaudy  procession  in  honor  of 
this  divinity  is  held  in  the  city  from  April  1  to  5. 

From  an  ecclesiological  viewpoint  the  eld  Temples  of 
Kunozan  are  more  interesting  than  any  of  the  city  fanes.  They 
occupy  a  magnificent  position  on  the  summit  of  Kuno  Mt. 
6|  M.  E.  of  Shizuoka  (1  hr.  by  jinriki;  single  fare,  45  sen; 
return,  75;  30%  more  in  bad  weather),  overlooking  the  sea, 
and  900  ft.  above  it.  Here,  in  1582,  Ieyasu  razed  a  castle  which 
had  been  erected  by  Takeda  Shingen  in  1568,  and  built  a  tem- 
ple which  was  to  serve  as  his  tomb  in  1616.  The  body  was 
removed  to  the  fine  Nikko  mausoleum  a  year  later,  but  the 
temples  remain.  They  are  much  after  the  style  of  the  Nikko 
structures,  with  great  vermilion  gateways  and  florid  polychro- 
matic interior  decorations  enriched  by  numerous  wood-carv- 
ings. More  than  a  thousand  steps  have  been  cut  out  of  the 
rocky  hill,  and  as  one  laboriously  climbs  the  zigzags  the  views 
in  retrospect  are  delightful.  Splendid  trees  adorn  the  gradu- 
ated terraces ;  a  fee  of  20  sen  is  charged  to  see  the  main  temple 
—  which  will  hardly  repay  the  hurried  traveler  for  the  time 
spent  in  visiting  it.  Similar,  and  more  extensive,  views  can 
be  had  at  Maya-san,  near  Kobe. 

Soon  after  leaving  Shizuoka  the  wide  Abe  River  is  crossed  on 
a  steel  bridge  1829  ft.  long;  the  Kunozan  Promontory,  the  calm 
waters  of  Suruga  Bay,  and  the  lovely,  hazy  shore  of  thelzu 
Peninsula  beyond  are  seen  at  the  left.  The  Sekibe  Tunnel, 
2864  ft.  long;  the  1 sonohama  Tunnel  (3179  ft.);  the  Hanazawa 
and  the  Seto  Rivers,  and  several  unimportant  stations  are 
passed  before  Shimada  is  reached.  Just  beyond  it  the  line 
crosses  the  wide  Oigawa  on  a  16-span  steel  bridge  (3332  ft.  long) 
which  cost  ¥409,216.  Though  insignificant  in  the  dry  season, 
the  river  often  becomes  a  raging  and  destructive  torrent  in 
summer.  It  rises  in  Shirane-san  (Kai  Province),  is  there 
called  the  Tashiro-gawa,  and  it  forms  the  dividing-line  be- 


374    Route  24.  HAMAMATSU 


tween  Suruga  and  Tdtomi  Provinces  before*  ending  its  112  M. 
course  at  Suruga  Bay.  Anciently  the  native  boats  were  too 
frail  to  stem  the  surging  current,  and  travelers  on  the  old 

^  Tokaido  at  this  point  were  carried  across  the  stream  on  small 
platforms  or  barrows  called  rendai.  (The  habit  of  the  naked 
coolies  of  stopping  in  midstream  and  haggling  with  their 

^   apprehensive  fares  formed  one  of  the  favorite  themes  of  the  old 

\    color-print  makers\ 

The  line  now  slopes  sharply  upward  and  is  marked  by 
extensive  earthworks;  at  the  top  of  the  hill  (407  ft.)  the 
Makinohara  Tunnel  (3273  ft.  long;  cost  213,617  yen)  is 
traversed  and  the  train  descends  (into  Totomi  Province) 
through  tea  and  tobacco  plantations.  Three  rivers  are  crossed 
before  131  M.  Kakegawa  (Inn:  Fujiya,  ¥3  a  day)  is  reached. 
Lovers  of  old  Shinto  shrines  usually  descend  here  for  the  locally 
renowned  temples  of  Akiha,  on  the  summit  of  Mt.  Akiha,  24 
M.  to  the  N.W.  Nondescript  stations,  wide  rice-fields,  and  tea 
and  tobacco  plantations  mark  the  line  to  the  Tenryu  River 
(comp.  p.  391),  which  is  crossed  on  a  19-span  bridge  (3967  ft.; 
one  of  the  longest  in  Japan;  cost  507,000  yen).  150  M.  Hama- 
matsu,  or '  Coast  Fir '  (Inn :  Ogome-ya;  Hana-ya,  near  station, 
¥  2.50),  with  33,000  inhabs.,  the  chief  town  of  Tdtomi  Province 
(Shizuoka  Prefecture), was  formerly  called  Hikuma,  and  in 
the  16th  cent,  was  an  important  daimyo  stronghold  under 
Tokugawa  Ieyasu.  The  ruins  of  the  old  castle  built  by  him  in 
1571  lie  about  1  M.  from  the  station.  The  suburbs  contain 
many  lotus-ponds  that  are  a  flaming  glory  in  Aug.  Consider- 
able drawn-linen  work  is  produced  in  the  region  roundabout. 
Wide  rice-plains  stretch  beyond  to  158  M.  Maisaka,  where 
there  is  a  big  lagoon  called  Hamana  Lake,  or  Hamana  Ko 
(5  M.  from  E.  to  W.  and  7  from  N.  to  S.).  The  great  breakers 
which  curl  in  from  the  sea  at  the  left  are  beautiful  and  they 
perchance  gave  the  place  its  name.  Japanese  know  it  by 
its  ancient  title  of  T  d-tsu-awa-umi  (of  which  Tdtomi,  the 
name  of  the  province,  is  a  contraction),  or c  The  remote  foamy 
sea,'  in  contradistinction  to  Chika-tsu-awa-umi,  or  'The  near 
foamy  sea"  —  anciently  the  name  of  the  present  Lake  Biwa. 
The  small  and  locally  popular  island  is  Benten-jima.  The  rly. 
crosses  the  lagoon  on  a  long  causeway.  —  The  bronze  statue 
surmounting  a  (100  ft.)  hill  i  M.  to  the  right  of  (170  M.) 
Futagawa  Station,  and  approached  by  a  fine  road  flanked  with 
splendid  trees,  is  called  the  Iwaya  no  Kwannon,  and  dates 
from  1765;  the  views  from  the  rock  are  extensive. 

169  M.  Toyohashi  (Inn :  Senzai-rd,  ¥3),  a  garrison  town  (pop. 
44,000)  in  Mikawa  Province  (Aichi  Prefecture),  was  formerly 
called  Yoshida  —  a  name  by  which  many  persons  know  it  still. 
A  castle  was  erected  here  in  the  15th  cent.,  and  was  stormed 
and  taken  by  Ieyasu  in  1564.  A  long  dynasty  of  daimyds  held 
it  under  the  Tokugawa  regime.  —  The  branch  rly.  which  runs 


Practical  Notes.         (     NAGOYA    /  Route.  375 

hence  to  17  M.  NagashinfrtUtttfffes  at  stations  of  no  importance 
to  foreigners.  At  5  M.  Toyokawa,  there  is  a  locally  celebrated 
Shinto  shrine.  At  10  M.  Tojo,  the  60-foot  waterfall  called 
Ushinotaki  is  worth  looking  at  if  one  happens  to  be  in  the 
neighborhood.  A  great  battle  was  fought  near  Nagashino  in 
the  16th  cent,  and  the  soil  is  heavy  with  the  bones  of  the  slain 
warriors.  The  (4  M.)  Buddhist  temple  of  Horaiji,  on  Mt. 
Horai,  calls  for  no  particular  mention. 

Many  charming,  pine-clad  islands  come  into  the  range  of 
vision  after  the  train  passes  the  seaside  town  of  175  M.  Goyu. 
Beyond  181 M.  Kamagori  green  hills  wall  in  the  plain,  and  lines 
of  fantastic  and  decrepit  old  pine  trees  flank  the  picturesque 
shore.  The  shadowy  mts.  of  Iga  and  Ise,  and  the  diminutive 
province  of  Shima  (with  its  pearl-divers,  p.  cxx),  wheel  into 
the  range  of  vision  beyond  186  M.  Koda,  where  the  tea  plan- 
tations of  the  hills  have  capitulated  to  lowland  fields  of  rice. 
191  M.  Okazaki  (Inn:  Kagiya,  ¥2.50),  the  chief  town  (pop. 
25,000)  of  Mikawa  Province,  is  celebrated  as  the  birthplace 
(1542)  of  Ieyasu,  founder  and  greatest  of  the  shoguns  of  the 
Tokugawa  line.  The  remains  of  the  Okazaki  Castle  (2 J  M. 
from  the  station),  in  which  he  was  born,  are  still  to  be  seen. 
The  tram-cars,  which  leave  from  the  right  side  of  the  station, 
go  to  several  suburban  towns.  The  rly.  now  curves  broadly 
to  the  left,  then  crosses  the  wide  Yahagi-gawa,  which  rises 
near  the  frontier  of  Mino  and  Shinano,  traverses  Mikawa,  and 
falls  into  the  Gulf  of  Owari.  It  is  celebrated  in  history  as  the 
Washizuka-gawa,  and  on  its  shores  Nitta  Yoshisada  defeated 
Ashikaga  Tadayoshi  in  1335.  —  The  branch  line  which 
diverges  S.  from  204  M.  Obu  goes  to  (10  M.)  Taketoyo,  a 
small  port  on  the  E.  shore  of  Ise  Bay.  The  many  factory 
chimneys  of  215  M.  Atsuta  (a  suburb  of  Nagoya,  2  M.  by  tram- 
car)  now  come  into  view.  The  Atsuta-daijingu,  supposed  to 
have  been  founded  here  in  a.d.  686,  and  reconstructed  (in 
1893)  in  the  pure  Shinto  style,  after  the  manner  of  the  noted 
Ise  Shrines  at  Yamada  (Rte.  35) ,  is  said  to  contain  the  precious 
sword  ( Kusa-nagi  no  Tsurugi)  which,  with  the  mythological 
mirror  and  jewel,  comprise  the  Imperial  Regalia  that  Susano- 
o-no-Mikoto  found  in  the  tail  of  the  Yamato  no  orochi,  or  8-\. 
headed  serpent.  The  spot  is  of  less  interest  to  foreigners  tham 
the  great  festival  held  here  ig  May  of  each  year,  with  the  aim  X 
of  estimating  the  forthcoming  crop  of  cereals.  —  After  passing 
the  big  gov't  arsenal  (right),  the  train  enters  the  extensive 
suburbs  of  218  M.  Nagoya  (see  below).  For  a  continuation  of 
the  journey  to  Kyoto  see  Rte.  26,  p.  395. 

■Natrovg  (nahng-oh'-yah),  6th  largest  and  one  of  the  most^ 
prosperous  manufacturing  cities  (see  the  accompanying  plan) 
of  the  Empire;  a  bright,  busy,  cheerful  place  on  the  N.  shore 
of  Atsuta  Bay  and  the  right  bank  of  the  Shonai  River;  capital 
of  Owari  Province,  with  430,000  inhabs.,  is  noted  for  its  pro- 


376    Route  2£.  NAGOYA  Practical  Notes. 


duction  of  cloisonne,  porcelain,  clocks,  fans,  embroidery,  lan- 
terns, and  lacquered  wares,  and  for  its  many  cotton-spinning, 
silk-weaving,  and  other  mills.  Several  rly.  lines  center  here, 
and  steamships  connect  the  city  with  other  Japanese  ports. 
Foreigners  know  it  chiefly  for  its  splendidly  preserved  castle 
(one  of  the  finest  in  Japan),  which  Tokugawa  Ieyasu  made  his 
daimyds  construct  when  he  gave  the  province  in  fief  to  his  (9th) 
son  Yoshinao  (in  1610).  The  place  came  into  history  early  in 
the  14th  cent.,  when  a  family  of  the  name  of  Nagoya  resided 
there.  Shiba  Yoshimune,  governor  of  the  province,  built  the 
first  castle  about  1525,  but  the  martial  Oda  Nobunaga  wrested 
it  from  him  in  1532.  After  this  was  razed  and  the  present  castle 
built  on  the  site,  the  place  became  the  seat  of  the  great  daimyds 
of  the  House  of  Owari,  the  family  of  which  ranked  as  one  of  the 
Three  August  Families  (Go  san-ke)  permitted  to  supply  a  suc-_ 
cessor  to  their  kinsman  the  shogun  in  default  of  an  heir  (f  It  is  j 
one  of  the  most  comfortable  places  E.  of  Kyoto  to  break  the 
journey  between  Yokohama  and  Kobe,  particularly  in  mid- 
April,,  when  the  city  is  in  an  unusually  joyous  mood.;  At  this 
time  the  annual  festival  (said  to  have  originated  withxhe  great 
Owari  Clan  during  the  Tokugawa  regime)  of  the  Toshogu 
Shrine  is  celebrated  with  great  pomp.  Portable  sacred  cars 
(mikoshi)  carried  by  stout  men,  escorted  by  robed  Shinto 
priests  on  horseback,  and  followed  by  scores  of  men  in  ancient 
armor  and  mediaeval  accouterments,  assisted  by  fantastically 
"  clad  youths  and  maidens,  parade  the  streets,  and  bridge  the 
*  gap  between  the  16th  and  the  20th  centuries.  Thousands  of 
lighted  lanterns  aid  in  the  illuminations  after  dusk  and  present 
a  bewildering  sight.  The  Nagoya  Dances,  performed  by 
geisha;  the  Azalea  Show  in  May,  and  the  Chrysanthemum 
Exhibit  in  Oct.-Nov.  attract  many  Japanese  and  some  for- 
eigners. The  city  was  rather  roughly  shaken  by  the  great 
Mino-Owari  earthquake  of  1891,  and  a  number  of  buildings 
were  demolished. 

The  Station  of  the  Tokaidd  Railway  is  at  the  W.  edge  of  the  city  (PI.  A,  2) 
where  trains  on  the  Kansai  Line  (to  Yamada-Ise,  see  Rte.  35)  arrive 
and  leave.  The  Chikusa  Station  (PI.  C,  2),  an  auxiliary  station  of  the  Chud 
or  Central  Line  (Rte.  25,  p.  384),  is  at  the  E.,  and  that  of  the  tram-line  to 
Seto  is  near  the  castle  gate  (PL  B,  2). 

Electric  Street-Cars  run  to  many  points  in  the  city  and  the  suburbs, 
and  give  a  cheap  and  rapid  service. 

Jinrikis  (comp.  p.  lxxxviii)  from  the  station  to  the  (10  min.)  Nagoya  Hotel, 
15  sen  (20  in  bad  weather  and  after  10  p.m.);  within  the  city,  30  sen  an  nr.; 
25%  higher  at  night  and  on  rainy  days. 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix).  Nagoya  Hotel,  80,  Tate  mitsugura-cho  (PL  B,  2); 
rates  from  ¥5  a  day  and  ifl5wSl d'r Ml'f* p  1 . ;  English  spoken.  Tram-cars  go 
within  50  yards  of  the  entrance. 

The  Shops  (comp.  p.  cxii)  are  less  attractive  than  those  of  Kyoto, 
Yokohama,  or  Tokyo,  and  English  is  not  always  spoken  in  them  —  except 
by  travelers.  —  Ito's  Department  Store,  in  Hirokoji  (diagonally  across  from 
the  Japan  Bank),  is  patterned  somewhat  after  similar  establishments  in 
America.  —  Cloisonne  (Shippo) :  T.  Kumeno,  Miwa-machi.  —  J.  Ando, 
Yaba-cho.  Porcelain:  Tashiroya,  50,  Nanamagari-cho.  —  Terazawa  &  Co., 
17,  Chikara-machi.  Curios  (see  p.  cxiii) :  Shogun  Shokai,  opposite  the  hotel 
—  Nakarin,  274,  Fukuro-machi. 


Spaniels. 


NAGOYA 


2b.  Route.  377 


The  Bank  of  Japan  ( Nippon  Gink 6)  has  a  branch  at  Sakae-machi,  Naka- 
ku; —  The  Mitsui  Ginko,  at  Temma-cho,  Nishi-ku.  —  The  Police  Station 
is  at  Nishi  Shin-machi;  the  Post-Office,  in  Sakae-machi  Sanchome. 

A  good  idea  of  the  products  of  Nagoya  and  their  selling  prices  can  be 
obtained  at  the  Commercial  Museum.  A  day  is  sufficient  for  the  inspection 
of  the  Castle  and  the  chief  sights  hereinafter  described.  Permits  to  see  the 
^cloisonne"  and  porcelain  factories  can  be  had  of  the  hotel  management.  The 
Potteries  of  Seto  are  similar  to  those  of  Kyoto,  and  are  of  interest  chiefly  to 
porcelainists.  There  are  several  Foreign  Missions  in  Nagoya,  and  dates  of 
church  services  and  other  information  relating  to  them  will  be  found  usually 
posted  in  the  hotel  lobby.  —  The  main  business  street  is  Hirokoji  (Broad- 
way), which  links  the  Tokaido  Rly.  Station  at  the  W.  with  the  Chikusa 
Station  at  the  E.  Electric  street-cars  run  its  entire  length.  The  Kinenhi,  or 
War  Monument  (near  the  Nippon  Ginko),  was  erected  in  1901  and  com- 
memorates the  soldiers  of  the  Third  Imperial  Army  Division  who  died  in 
-  the  Japan-China  War.  Chief  among  the  several  city  parks  is  Nakamura 
Park,  in  the  W.  suburb,  where  there  are  cherry  blossoms  in  April  and  scarlet 
maples  in  Nov.  A  popular  resort,  similar  to  Asakusa  in  T6ky5,  is  the  Osu 
Kwannon  Temple_ court,  near  the  center  of  the  city.  The  Koshoji  at  Yagoio, 
in  'the  E.  suburb,  is  likewise  popular;  the  grounds  are  said  to  have  been  laid 
out  originally  on  the  plan  of  Koya-san  (Rte.  28),  and  during  the  reign  of 
Tokugawa  Yoshinao,  pilgrimages  were  made  to  it  and  it  was  called  the 
Koya-san  of  Owari. 

The  Harbor,  at  the  S.  end  of  the  city,  about  4  M.  from  the  hotel  (tramway), 
has  two  breakwaters  each  over  a  mile  long,  and  an  inner  harbor  with  25  ft. 
of  water  at  low  tide;  the  extensive  docks,  etc.,  were  completed  in  1907  and 
cost  3  million  yen. 

The  Dog  Shows  held  from  time  to  time  (usually  in  the  Aichi-ken  Com- 
mercial Museum)  attract  certain  travelers.  Nagoya  dog-fanciers  make  a 
business  of  breeding  Japanese  Spaniels  (chin)  or  pugs,  which  are  produced 
by  careful  in-and-in  breeding,  dieting,  and  the  selection  of  the  smallest  of 
their  kind.  Good  specimens  are  by  no  means  common,  and  are  never  seen 
running  about  the  streets  unattended.  While  mongrels  which  later  develop 
long  legs  and  other  undesirable  features  may  be  had  at  the  bird-stores  for 
¥8-10,  dogs  of  good  pedigree  cost  from  ¥50  to  ¥200  each.  They  are  ex- 
tremely delicate,  and  a  change  of  food  and  climate  is  often  fatal.  Sea- 
captains  who  make  a  business  of  taking  them  to  foreign  countries  (where 
they  are  very  expensive)  often  lose  a  big  percentage  of  the  dogs  in  transit. 
Dried  bonito,  a  little  rice,  and  less  water,  usually  constitute  their  meager 
diet.  Worms  are  their  greatest  enemies.  The  first  dogs  of  the  kind  ever  seen 
in  America  were  (4)  presented  to  Commodore  Perry  (for  President  Fillmore) 
by  the  Mikado  in  1854.  Essentially  toys,  the  mature  pugs  are  good  only  as 
pets.  They  are  lovable,  gentle,  and  affectionate.  The  points  are:  Head: 
large,  broad,  slightly  rounded  skull;  neck  short  and  moderately  thick. 
Eyes:  large,  dark,  lustrous,  tearful,  rather  prominent  and  wide  apart. 
Muzzle:  strong,  wide,  short  from  top  to  nose;  jaws  upturned,  teeth  hidden; 
end  of  tongue  visible;  nose  short  with  wide  end,  and  open  nostrils.  Ears: 
small,  V-shaped,  well-feathered,  set  high  and  wide  apart,  carried  forward. 
Body:  compact,  squarely  built,  cobby,  the  body  and  legs  forming  a  square. 
Legs:  light  in  bone,  small,  slender,  and  well-feathered.  Feet:  small,  cat-foot 
in  form,  the  feather  increasing  the  length,  never  the  width.  The  tail  is  car- 
ried over  the  back  in  a  tight  curl,  and  it  is  profusely  feathered.  Coat  :  plenti- 
ful, long,  and  straight,  rather  silky,  free  from  wave  and  not  too  flat.  Color: 
distinctly  defined  black  and  white,  or  red  and  white,  Blenheim  markings 
preferred.  The  best  weights  range  from  about  4  to  8  pounds,  the  smaller  the 
better.  The  scale  of  points  runs  as  follows:  Head,  size,  and  shape  of  skull, 
10;  shortness  of  face  and  muzzle,  10;  eyes,  10;  ears,  10;  coat  and  markings, 
15;  legs  and  feet,  10;  tail,  10;  size  and  symmetry,  20;  width  of  muzzle,  5. 
Total,  100.  A  valuable  dog  should  always  be  accompanied  by  a  written  pedi- 
gree. A  very  homely  woman  is  often  referred  to  in  Japan  as  having  '  a  face 
like  a  sneezing  chin.' 

The  *Castle  (Tenshu  Kaku,  or  0  Shiro),  a  cyclopean, 
5-storied,  fortified  structure  in  the  N.  quarter  of  the  city  (PL 
B,l),  within  a  series  of  (dry)  moats  and  in  beautiful  grounds 


378    Route  24.  NAGOYA 


The  Castle. 


now  smaller  than  of  yore,  was  begun  in  1611  and  completed 
2  yrs.  later  under  the  superintendence  of  Kato  Kiyomasa. 
Ostensibly  a  voluntary  gift  from  a  score  or  more  feudal  barons 
to  their  Lord  Yoshinao,  it  was  in  reality  constructed  almost 
entirely  by  forced  labor,  which  Fukushima  of  Aki,  Kato 
Kiyomasa  of  Kumamoto,  and  Kuroda  of  Chikuzen  chiefly  had 
to  furnish.  The  crafty  ley asu[s  manifest  aim  was  so  to  impov- 
erish the  great  daimyos  that  they  would  be  unable  to  wage  a 
successful  war  against  him,  and  in  this  he  practically  suc- 
ceeded. The  huge,  magnificently  preserved  structure  is 
approximately  150  ft.  high,  with  immensely  solid  walls  15-18 
ft.  thick,  and  244  windows.  Hinoki  is  the  wood  most  employed. 
The  1st  and  2d  floors  measure  120  ft.  from  N.  to  S.  and  108 
from  E.  to  W.;  the  3d  is  90  by  72;  the  4th,  72  by  54;  the  5th, 
54  by  42;  151  steps  lead  from  the  ground  to  the  top  floor,  from 
the  windows  of  which  extensive  views  are  obtainable. 

A  special  permit,  easily  obtainable  through  one's  Minister  or  Ambassador 
at  Tokyo,  is  necessary  to  gain  admittance  to  the  castle.  Without  it  it  is 
useless  to  try  to  get  in,  for  fees  are  not  accepted  and  a  gate-keeper  (officer  in 
the  army)  must  be  passed  before  the  castellan  is  reached.  Furthermore,  as 
the  fortress  (which  in  reality  is  the  Nagoya  Detached  Palace  of  the  Imperial 
Household)  is  under  military  control,  ulterior  motives  might  be  suspected 
and  trouble  provoked.  The  permit  is  good  only  for  the  person  whose 
name  appears  on  it,  so  that  the  traveler  accompanied  by  a  lady  should 
have  her  name  appear  thereon,  else  she  will  be  refused  admittance.  When 
the  pass  is  issued  at  Tokyo  a  record  is  sent  to  the  castellan  and  is  entered 
in  his  book,  to  be  checked  when  the  permit  is  presented.  The  precaution 
is  perhaps  aimed  to  keep  out  undesirables  and  to  have  an  exact  record  of 
those  admitted.  The  custodian  is  not  permitted  to  deviate  from  the  rule, 
which  is  obeyed  with  military  punctiliousness.  The  hours  of  admission  are: 
Oct.  to  March,  9  a.m.  to  3  p.m.;  April  to  Sept.,  8  to  4.  Shoes  do  not  have 
to  be  removed;  smoking  is  rigorously  prohibited,  as  is  photographing, 
sketching,  or  the  making  of  notes.  An  interpreter  from  the  hotel  may  be 
useful. 

The  buildings  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  wide  Hommachi, 
where  it  terminates  at  the  castle  wall  (kabe),  are  the  legal  tri- 
bunals (kosoin).  The  spacious  esplanades  hereabout  are  used 
as  drill-grounds;  the  barracks  stand  near  by.  A  tramway  now 
runs  through  the  outer  moat  (hori),  and  the  inner  one  is  seen 
to  be  grass-grown.  The  white  watch-towers  at  the  corners  of 
the  huge  inclosing  walls  are  called  sumiyagura.  The  traveler 
passes  through  the  wide  gap  in  the  big  wall  and  proceeds  left 
to  the  Main  Gate.  The  handsome  metal-studded  gate  at  the 
right  is  opened  only  for  the  Emperor.  The  officer's  lodge, 
where  the  traveler's  permit  must  be  shown  first,  is  just  within. 
The  fir  tree  beyond  the  lodge  is  said  to  be  a  thousand  years 
old.  Continuing  up  at  the  right,  to  the  castellan's  office,  the 
visitor  signs  his  name  in  the  castle  register,  and  is  then  con- 
ducted (by  a  castle  guide,  no  fees)  across  an  inner  moat, 
through  a  small  gate,  to 

The  Castle  Apartments,  of  interest  chiefly  for  the  decora- 
tions by  Matahei  (p.  ccxxviii)  and  various  artists  of  the  Tosa  and 
Kand  schools  (p.  ccxxvii) .  Covers  for  shoes  are  provided  at  the 


The  Castle.  (nAGOY^)  21*.  Route.  379 

entrance.  The  1st  suite,  called  the  Toranoma,  or  tiger  rooms, 
contains  sliding  panels  with  decorations  of  tigers  and  bamboos 
by  Kand  Tanshin  (1653-1718),  and  Kand  Sanraku  (1559- 
1635).  The  locally  celebrated  '  sleeping  tiger'  (by  Sanraku) 
is  a  pudgy  beast  on  a  small  panel  near  the  floor  at  the  left  of 
the  entrance. —  When  viewed  from  different  angles  his  bulk 
seems  to  diminish  or  increase,  and  the  natives  regard  this  as 
a  marvel  of  skillful  painting.  The  beautiful  slab  of  wood  in  the 
tokonoma  of  the  2d  apartment  is  close-grained  keyaki.  The 
flower-panels  of  the  chigai-dana  (shelves)  are  well  done.  The 
big  central  fusuma  at  the  left  of  the  room  portrays  a  blind 
tiger  standing  by  its  cub.  The  omission  of  the  eyes  was  inten- 
tional, as  the  beast  is  thought  (by  easy  critics)  to  be  painted  so 
true  to  the  life  that  if  its  eyes  were  left  in,  so  it  could  see,  it 
would  leap  out  at  any  one  coming  within  reach  of  it !  —  The 
visitor  is  now  conducted  over  the  'nightingale  floors'  (p.  clxxx) 
of  an  adjoining  corridor  to  some  big  cedar  doors  adorned  on 
both  sides  with  tigers  amid  bamboos,  by  Sanraku.  In  the  next 
corridor  are  some  perky  tigers  by  Kand  Eitoku  (1543-90). 
The  two  smaller  doors  at  the  right  are  embellished  with  pines 
and  brightly  colored  leaves  by  Tosa  Mitsuoki  (1617-91).  The 
civet-cats  (jakd-neko)  on  the  reverse  of  the  big  doors  are  be- 
lieved to  look  straight  at  whosoever  regards  them  from  what- 
soever angle.  In  the  Jakdnoma,  or  Civet-Cat  Room,  some  of 
the  panels  are  decorated  (by  Mitsuoki)  with  these  animals; 
others  bear  peach-  and  apple-blossom  designs.  Daimyos  for- 
merly assembled  in  this  room  at  the  call  of  their  master  the 
shdgun. 

The  decorations  (pine  and  maple  trees,  apple  blossoms, 
pheasants,  etc.)  of  the  following  rooms  are  by  Mitsuoki  and 
Eitoku.  The  pierced  panels  with  their  admirable  carvings  are 
said  to  be  each  made  of  a  single  piece  of  wood.  The  Taimenjo 
(Reception  Hall)  contains  some  admirably  painted  sliding 
panels  by  the  inimitable  Domo  no  Matahei.  The  handsome 
black-lacquered  ceilings  are  of  a  checker-board  style  known  as 
gdtenjd.  The  landscape  views  on  the  huge  panel  at  the  back 
of  the  alcove  are  taken  from  Arashiyama  and  Atagoyama  at 
Kyoto.  The  redoubtable  Oda  Nobunaga  once  lived  in  this 
suite.  The  owl  and  oak-tree  decorations  of  the  cedar  doors  of 
the  corridor  are  by  Mitsuoki.  The  large  wall-panels  of  the 
adjoining  corridor,  with  graceful  willow  trees  and  white 
storks  on  a  gold  ground,  are  the  work  of  Tosa  Mitsunobu  (1434- 
1525),  one  of  the  most  celebrated  painters  of  the  Tosa  school. 
The  plain  sunken  squares  of  the  coffered  ceiling  here  are  of 
choice  cryptomeria  wood  from  Satsuma  Province.  The  cedar 
doors  showing  a  waterfall  beneath  arching  trees  (as  well  as  the 
opposite  ones  with  hedges)  are  by  Kand  Koi.  The  same 
painter  decorated  the  panels  of  the  Winter  Room,  which  we 
now  enter,  and  which  is  usually  set  aside  for  the  lodging  of 


380   Route  24.  NAGOYA 


The  Castle. 


titled  visitors.  The  snow-laden  trees  with  blue  magpies 
(onagadori),  and  the  immense  plum  tree  (about  40  ft.  long)  are 
excellently  done.  The  rooms  beyond  this  suite  (for  the  special 
use  of  the  Emperor  and  not  shown  to  visitors)  contain  some 
fusuma  decorated  with  birds  and  flowers  by  Kano  Tanyii, 
and  some  pierced  ramma  carved  by  Hidari  Jingord.  The  at- 
tractive little  garden  in  the  formal  Japanese  style  differs  but 
little  from  other  similar  landscape  gardens. 

Returning  to  the  entrance,  we  now  proceed  to  the  castle 
proper,  perched  high  on  its  symmetrical  and  massive  founda- 
tion. Kato  Kiy omasa' s  name  is  incised  in  the  3d  big  stone 
from  the  bottom  at  the  corner.  The  entrance  is  through  a 
small  castellated  structure  at  the  left,  thence  along  a  narrow 
inclosed  causeway  called  hashi  dai;  formerly  decorated  with 
armor  and  exposed  at  all  times  to  a  destructive  fire  from  the 
defenders  of  the  donjon.  The  darksome  interior  with  its  huge 
beams  and  forbidding  walls  is  more  like  a  dungeon  than  a 
castle.  The  vaulted  guard-room  is  entered  through  iron- 
studded  doors  opening  on  to  a  series  of  steps  that  lead  to  the 
upper  floor.  At  the  top  of  each  flight  of  ponderous  stairs  are 
heavy  sliding  horizontal  doors  that  bar  one's  upward  progress 
and  recall  stories  of  a  giant's  keep.  At  regular  intervals,  within, 
are  triangular  loopholes  for  cannon,  and  elongated  slits  down 
which  boiling  water  or  oil  could  be  poured  upon  the  heads  of 
assaulters.  At  each  of  the  four  corners  of  the  top  floor  are 
sliding  windows  with  seats  where  guards  kept  constant  watch 
out  over  the  environing  plain.  In  the  center  is  a  table  with 
scores  of  lines  radiating  in  all  directions,  like  sunbeams,  with 
the  names  of  towns,  roads,  and  passes  whence  enemies  might 
come.  The  views  out  over  the  countryside  are  magnificent, 
and  they  embrace  the  city,  the  mts.  of  Omi  Echizen,  Hidaf 
Totomi,  Ise,  and  Iga,  as  well  as  the  lordly  Fujiy  which  rises  like 
a  milky  opal  against  the  proud  bosom  of  the  sky._  The' 60  ft. 
well  within  the  castle  goes  by  the  usual  name  Ogon  sui,  or 
■  golden  water/  from  the  common  belief  that  gold  was  thrown 
into  it  to  keep  it  in  a  potable  condition. 

Mediaeval  in  construction,  the  fortress  is  equally  so  in  com- 
fort. A  gloomier  habitation  could  scarcely  be  imagined.  War, 
defense,  and  extreme  solidity  were  the  ideas  in  the  minds  of 
its  builders,  and  while  it  was  never  subjected  to  a  sustained 
assault,  the  formidable  Gifu  earthquake  of  Oct.,  1891,  suc- 
ceeded only  in  opening  an  insignificant  crack  in  its  massive 
sides.  The  superimposed,  copper-bronze  roofs,  and  their  many 
gables  covered  with  the  green  patina  of  age  are  strikingly  hand- 
some and  graceful.  A  line  of  gilded  Tokugawa  crests  adorns 
the  upper  ridge,  at  each  end  of  which,  twinkling  in  the  sunlight, 
stand  the  famous  gold  dolphins  {kin  no  shachi-hoko) ,  their  tails 
in  the  air,  and  protected  by  steel  wire  nets  (comp.  Castles, 
p.  clxxxiv).  A  good  field-glass  will  aid  the  traveler  to  a  better 


Museum.  NAGOYA  24.  Route.  381 

\  y 

view  of  them.  In  1873  the  one  on  the  X.  side  (8  ft.  5  in.  high) 
;  was  loaned  to  the  Vienna  Exposition,  and  while  it  was  being 
'  brought  back  to  Japan,  the  French  Mail  Steamer  Nil  was 
/  wrecked  off  the  Izu  coast  and  the  dolphin  remained  in  its 
/  native  element  from  Feb.,  1874,  to  July,  1875.  The  one  at  the 
S.  is  8  ft.  3  in.  high.  Their  exact  weight  and  value  (estimated 
at  ¥350,000)  are  unknown.  The  dolphins  on  the  smaller  castle 
are  of  copper-bronze. 

The  Aichi-ken  Commercial  Museum  ( Hakubutsukivan) ,  in  * 
Monzen-cho,  near  the  center  of  the  city  (PI.  B,  2),  —  a  pre- 
fectural  institution  aimed  to  promote  commerce  and  improve 
the  commercial  conditions  of  the  hen,  —  is  open  daily  (except 
Monday)  free  to  visitors,  from  9  to  4  in  winter  and  8  to  5  in 
summer.  In  the  well-appointed  rooms  of  the  fine  new  building 
constructed  specially  for  it  (cost,  370,000  yen),  one  may  inspect 
an  interesting  collection  of  the  varied  products  of  Xagoya 
and  vicinity  —  silks,  lacquered  wares,  porcelains,  cloisonne, 
etc.  The  wholesale  price  is  usually  marked  on  each  article, 
thus  giving  the  traveler  a  fairly  correct  idea  of  what  the  real 
values  are.  English  is  spoken  by  the  management,  which  wel- 
comes foreign  visitors  and  furnishes,  free,  information  relating 
to  manufactured  goods  and  their  makers.  Before  leaving  the 
grounds  one  should  see  jhe  pretty  garden,  with  its  locally 
celebrated  Sarumen  Chase  hi  or  TVlonkey-face  Room,'  built 
by  Oda  Xobunaga  (Toyotomi  Hideyoshi's  master  when  the 
latter  was  a  boy,  and  to  whom  he  owed  his  diplomatic  train- 
ing). Certain  knots  in  the  roughly  hewn  uprights  of  the  dimin- 
utive room  bore,  in  the  eyes  of  Xobunaga,  a  whimsical  like- 
ness to  the  notoriously  Simian-like  face  of  the  homely  lad, 
whence  the  name.  The  'Pine  Moon  Cottage  '  built  by  the 
12th  daimyb  of  Aichi  Prefecture,  is  also  interesting,  as  on  the 
ceiling  of  the  main  room  is  a  curious  painting  in  sepia  (by  some 
artist  of  the  Kano  school)  of  the  12  signs  of  the  zodiac.  In 
another  room  are  300  different  decorations  by  various  artists, 
all  collected  by  the  daimyo  in  question. 

Aichi  Ken,  the  department  of  which  Xagoya  is  the  chief 
city,  with  1,874,000  inhabs.,  is  known  for  its  manufactures  of 
musical  instruments,  straw  and  chip  braids;  fishing-nets,  rope; 
the  sweet  sake  called  mirin;  and  Arimatsu-shibori,  a  varie- 
gated cotton  cloth  exported  in  large  quantities  to  China  and 
Malaysia. 

The  Higashi  Hongwanji,  a  huge  Buddhist  temple  (of  the 
E.  branch  of  the  Shin-shu)  in  the  S.  quarter  of  the  city 
(PI.  B,  3),  occupies  the  site  of  an  earlier  fane  built  in  1573  on 
the  site  of  the  first  Xagoya  Castle.  The  present  structure 
dates  from  early  in  the  19th  cent.,  and  the  wide  inclosing  walls 
behind  a  small  moat  impart  the  aspect  rather  of  a  fortress  than 
of  a  temple.  Entering  through  the  E.  gate,  one  continues  be- 
neath some  fine  old  cherry  trees  that  idealize  the  inclosure 


382    Route  2£.  NAGOYA         Higashi  Hongwanji. 


with  their  pinkish- white  blossoms  in  early  April.  The  row  of 
low  buildings  at  the  left  are  lodging-houses  for  the  pilgrims, 
who  cook  their  rice  in  the  great  kitchen  of  the  apartment 
adjoining  the  temple.  The  Main  Gate  (sammon),  with  triple 
portals  and  great  swinging  doors  finished  in  natural  keyaki- 
wood,  though  badly  weather-beaten  and  defiled  by  the  many  • 
pigeons  that  nest  in  its  sculptured  niches,  is  still  an  attractive 
example  of  early  Buddhist  architecture.  The  usual  dragons, 
waves,  flowers,  arabesques,  and  what-not  form  the  motives  of 
the  maze  of  carvings,  while  some  of  the  numerous  sculptured, 
pierced  wood  panels,  have  superimposed  peonies  in  high  relief 
upon  them.  The  huge  upright  columns  are  set  in  elaborate 
bronze  sockets  that  rest  on  granite  bases.  Minor  bronze 
enrichments  almost  cover  the  structure,  which  admits  one  to 
a  large  yard  that  serves  as  the  playground  for  the  children 
of  the  neighborhood. 

The  immense  double-roofed  temple,  consecrated  to  Amida 
and  flanked  by  handsome  bronze  lanterns,  has  a  noteworthy 
portico  almost  covered  with  sometime  excellent  wood  carvings 
of  elephant-heads,  turtles,  and  the  like.  The  commanding 
antefixes  of  the  main  roof  resemble  triple  cannon  and  impart  a 
militant  air  to  the  structure.  The  extraordinarily  massive 
keyaki-wood  pillars  of  the  drafty  interior  (108  by  120  ft.)  are 
in  some  cases  3  ft.  in  diameter,  with  ponderous  cross-beams 
deeply  and  elaborately  carved  with  conventional  lions  and 
dragons.  All  the  brilliant  decoration  of  the  interior  is  centered 
in  the  naijin,  beyond  the  chancel  rail,  and  when  the  slanting 
rays  of  the  setting  sun  search  out  its  charms,  the  effect  is 
dazzlingly  rich.  The  superbly  carved  and  gilded  ramma  (three 
in  the  center  and  three  at  each  side)  of  the  architrave  are  un- 
usually excellent  examples  of  this  style  of  work.  The  central 
panels  each  carry  two  splendidly  sculptured  tennin  moving 
with  flowing  and  recurved  draperies  amidst  clouds,  with  smaller 
groups  of  phoenixes  and  peacocks  above,  the  motives  being 
extended  to  the  upper  and  lateral  panels.  The  richly  carved 
and  gilded  central  altar  (shumidan)  contains  a  supple  and 
graceful  image  of  Amida  that  looks  placidly  down  upon  the 
customary  altar  fitments.  The  reliquary  at  the  right  enshrines 
a  portrait  of  the  founder  of  the  sect.  The  kakemono  at  the  left 
portrays  Rennyo-Shonin  (or  Eto  Daishi),  reformer  of  the 
Shin-shu,  and  founder  (1415-99)  of  numerous  Hongwan  tem- 
ples. The  unusually  plain  ceiling  is  coffered. 

The  Taimenjo,  a  spacious  Assembly  Room  at  the  right  of 
the  main  temple  and  connected  thereto  by  a  short  corridor, 
has  a  coffered  ceiling  with  panels  decorated  in  blue,  and  some 
pierced  ramma  with  some  skillfully  disposed  groups  of  excel- 
lently sculptured  and  highly  decorated  tigers,  birds,  and 
flowers.  The  noteworthy  fusuma  here,  with  landscape  views  on 
a  gold  ground,  and  the  big  cedar  doors  decorated  with  irides- 


Kakud-den. 


NAGOYA  24.  Route.  383 


cent  peacocks,  are  by  some  unknown  artist.  It  is  worth  while 
continuing  through  this  room  to  the  great  kitchen  (daidokoro) 
with  its  ponderous,  rough-hewn  beams,  and  big  cauldrons 
where  visiting  pilgrims  boil  their  rice.  On  the  return,  the 
bonze  conducts  one  to  the  end  of  a  long  corridor  and  to  a  suite 
once  occupied  by  the  late  Emperor  and  overlooking  a  pretty 
landscape  garden.  The  tiny  chaseki  in  the  severe  cha-no-yu 
style  resembles  a  doll's  house  and  is  shown  only  to  special 
visitors.  The  adjoining  suite  contains  some  rather  indifferent 
fusuma  embellished  with  Chinese  figures. 

The  traveler  with  time  to  spare  and  a  taste  for  bizarre 
rather  than  meritorious  sculpture,  may  like  to  look  into  the 
Buddhist  temple  of  Kakuo-den,  at  Higashi-yama  (PI.  D,  2), 
in  the  E.  suburb.  The  collection  of  small  figures  here,  known 
as  the  Go-Hyaku  Rakan,  or  'Five  Hundred  Disciples  of 
Buddha/  was  formerly  housed  in  the  old  Dairy u-ji.  With  the 
exception  of  18  strongly  carved  figures  in  the  natural  wood, 
ascribed  to  Tametaka  (a  modern  artist),  all  are  about  2 \  ft. 
high,  are  painted  in  painfully  lurid  colors,  and  are  said  to  be 
upward  of  250  yrs.  old.  The  16  statuettes  called  Ju-roku  zenji, 
or  the  'Sixteen  Buddhist  Priests,'  are  considerably  older  than 
the  rest  and  are  attributed  to  some  unknown -sculptor  of  the 
12th  cent.  The  Gods  of  the  Four  Directions  were  given  to  the 
temple  by  the  3d  Tokugawa  shogun.  The  500  shabby,  unwashed 
figures  are  ranged  about  the  temple  on  several  tiers ;  the  variety 
of  features  and  expressions  is  remarkable.  The  Japanese  say 
that  'a  little  careful  searching  will  enable  any  man  to  find  the 
likeness  of  his  father.'  The  traveler  with  any  pride  of  race  will 
accept  this  dictum  with  mental  reserve,  for  a  coarser,  more 
degraded  lot  of  ugly  faces  could  scarcely  be  found  in  any  rogues' 
gallery.  All  Eastern  nationalities  appear  to  be  represented, 
and  there  are  not  two  faces  or  attitudes  alike.  Some  are  por- 
trayed laughing;  others  weeping;  some  leer  and  look  unutter- 
ably stupid;  one  figure  has  deeply  set  eyes,  an  aquiline  nose, 
and  thin  lips;  another  a  pug  nose,  squinting  eyes,  and  a  broad, 
grinning  mouth.  Some  ride  astride  animals  and  birds;  others 
have  halos,  one  eye,  a  hook  nose,  or  three  eyes.  Idiots  with 
drooping  heads  and  hanging  lower  lips  look  out  with  fishy  eyes, 
and  maniacs  glint  hatred  at  one,  from  cunning  eyes  that  make 
one  shiver.  Nearly  all  the  figures  look  the  worse  for  drink,  and 
the  admission  fee  of  10  sen  fixes  correctly  their  artistic  value. 
—  The  chief  treasure  of  the  temple  is  what  purports  to  be  one 
of  Buddha's  bones,  presented  in  1902  by  the  King  of  Siam  to 
the  Emperor  of  Japan. 

The  Potteries  of  Seto,  in  Seto  town,  Kasugai  district,  prov- 
ince of  Owari,  lie  about  12  M.  N.E.  of  Nagoya,  and  are  reached 
by  the  tram-cars  which  run  at  frequent  intervals  from  the, 
Honmachi  gomon  (or  Seto )  Station  near  the  castle.  The  trav-' 
eler  interested  in  Ceramics  may  inspect  the  process  of  manu- 


384   Rte.  25.      FROM  NAGOYA  TO  TOKYO 


facture  throughout,  but  if  he  be  pressed  for  time  he  may  see 
practically  the  same  work  in  certain  of  the  Kyoto  potteries. 
The  wares  now  made  at  Seto  (5000  men  employed)  are  known 
to  the  trade  as  Seto  mono,  a  name  that  has  gradually  come  to 
mean  earthenware  or  porcelain.  The  first  pottery  was  estab- 
lished by  Kato  Shirozaemon  (comp.  p.  cclii),  one  of  the  first 
masters  of  Japanese  Ceramic  art,  in  the  13th  cent.  The  district 
is  one  of  the  most  important  in  Japan,  with  a  School  of  Cer- 
amics and  a  Pottery  Museum,  the  latter  of  interest  to  por- 
celainists.  The  Seto  porcelain,  which  is  of  a  more  glassy 
nature  than  Arita  ware,  less  tough  and  more  easily  broken, 
covers  a  wide  range  and  includes  almost  every  variety  of  article 
for  household  use.  There  is  a  charming  variety  of  glazes,  and 
the  best  pieces,  usually  much  prized  by  the  natives,  are  bought 
for  the  home  markets.  Fine  Seto  mono  is  made  of  practically  the 
same  ingredients  (kaolin,  gray-white  feldspar  of  granite,  blue- 
white  quartz,  etc.)  as  the  Kiyomizu-yaki  (see  p.  cclvi),  and 
they  can  scarcely  be  distinguished  one  from  the  other. 

25.  From  Nagoya  via  Shiojiri  (Matsumoto,  Shinonoi, 

Niigata)  and  Kofu  to  Tokyo. 
Central  (Chuo)  Main  Line  of  the  Imperial  Government  Railways. 

To  Tokyo,  253  M.  Several  trains  daily  in  about  15  hrs.;  fare,  ¥7.28, 
1st  oL;  ¥4.37,  2d  cl.  Dining-cars  and  station  refreshment-rooms.  For  refer- 
ence to  sleeping-cars  see  p.  lxxxiii.  The  run  from  Nagoya  via  Shiojiri  (109  M.; 
fare,  ¥3.93,  1st  cl.;  ¥2.36,  2d)  to  Shinonoi  (150  M.;  fare,  ¥4.98,  1st  cl.; 
¥2.99,  2d)  —  where  connections  are  made  with  trains  of  the  Shin-etsu  Line 
for  Nagano,  and  Niigata,  at  the  N.,  and  Karuizawa  at  the  S.E.  —  is  made 
in  about  10  hrs.  The  rly.  parallels  the  historic  Nakasendo  ('Road  between 
the  mountains  ';  280  M.  from  Kyoto  to  Tokyo)  over  the  lofty  mt.  ranges  of 
Central  Japan,  and  traverses  a  little-known  region  celebrated  for  its  wild 
beauty.  The  charming  scenery  comprises  a  succession  of  stupendous  mts. 
(known  as  the  Japanese  Alps),  deep  gorges  down  which  dash  roaring,  foam- 
ing rivers,  dense  forests,  and  sequestered  valleys,  flecked  here  and  there  with 
primitive  villages  whose  simple  inhabitants  still  dream  the  dreams  of  Old 
Japan.  The  glimpses  of  rural  life  are  delightful.  From  Nagoya,  in  Owari 
Province,  the  rails  cross  Mino,  Shinano,  and  Kai,  before  entering  Sagami, 
then  Musashi,  on  Tokyo  Bay.  Fifteen  yrs.  were  required  to  build  the  road, 
which  presented  the  most  serious  engineering  difficulties  of  any  in  Japan. 
When  completed  it  was  found  to  have  cost  43,319,629  yen,  exclusive  of 
rolling-stock,  or  upward  of  171,000  yen  a  mile  (against  approx.  40,000  yen 
for  a  line  built  on  a  level  plain).  For  224  M.  it  traverses  a  rocky,  mountain- 
ous region  in  which  there  are  194  tunnels  and  350  bridges.  Sixty-five 
important  rivers  are  crossed  on  wide  bridges,  conspicuous  among  them  that 
over  the  Kiso-gawa.  Some  of  the  tunnels  are  built  on  a  tremendous  slant, 
and  are  marvels  of  engineering  skill;  the  Sasago,  15,275  ft.,  is  the  longest  in 
Japan.  The  Kobotoke,  8350  ft., -has  one  end  135  ft,  lower  than  the  other.  The 
Torii  Tunnel,  besides  being  5428  ft.  long,  represents  the  highest  point  (3189 
ft.  above  sea-level)  reached  by  any  rly.  in  the  Empire.  Several  of  the  minor 
tunnels  are  unusually  long  —  The  Uto,  5429  ft. ;  Ohikoge,  4489  ft. ;  Fuka- 
zawa,  3627  ft.;  Makigane,  2359  ft.,  etc.  The  rly.  is  of  great  strategic  as  well 
as  commercial  value,  forming  as  it  does  a  short  cut  between  the  big  trading 
ports  of  the  Inland  Sea  and  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  the  wealthy  prefectures 
of  Niigata,  Nagano,  and  Yamanashi  —  the  former  known  for  its  vast  pro- 
duction of  oil,  and  rice,  and  the  others  for  raw  silk  and  various  things. 

Nagoya  (see  p.  375).  The  rly.  half-circles  the  city,  crosses 
the  Horikawa  to  the  Chikusa  Station,  then  runs  northward 


Seto  Pottery. 


ENA-SAN  £5.  Route.  385 


over  an  ascending,  well-watered  country,  past  Ozone  and 
Kachigawa  to  15  M.  Kozoji  (264  ft.),  where  it  penetrates 
the  hills,  enters  Mino  Province,  and  follows  the  Tamano- 
gawa  upward  between  high  green  mts.  Fourteen  tunnels  are 
threaded  before  the  plain  (415  ft.),  on  which  M.  22  Tajimi 
stands,  is  reached.  The  region  roundabout  (often  referred  to 
collectively  as  Hokeizan)  is  known  for  its  many  potteries, 
scattered  over  a  radius  of  several  miles,  where  the  celebrated 
Seto  mono  or  Seto  yaki  is  made.  Specimens  of  this  fragile  ware 
are  sold  at  the  stations  hereabout,  in  the  form  of  dainty, 
cream-colored  tea-pots  (dobin)  decorated  with  black  ideo- 
graphs and  accompanied  by  handleless  cups,  hot  water,  and 
a  tiny  cambric  bag  of  native  tea  —  the  complete  equipment 
costing  4  sen.  Hard  by  the  station  (1  M.)  is  the  well-known 
Buddhist  temple  (said  to  have  been  founded  in  the  14th  cent.) 
of  Eihoji,  on  Hokeizan.  Japanese  are  fond  of  boating  on  the 
adjacent  Toki  River,  whose  banks  are  covered  with  lovely  wild 
azalias  in  early  May.  —  Beyond  a  series  of  tunnels  (chief 
among  them,  the  Makigane)  are  the  unimportant  stations  of 
Tokitsu  (picturesque  foot-bridge  at  the  right,  between  high 
bluffs) ;  Mizunami  (a  shipping-point  for  the  fine  gray  speckled 
granite  quarried  in  the  adjacent  hills)  ;  Kamado,  and  Oi  (985 
ft.).  From  50  M.  Nakatsu,  on  the  river  of  the  same  name, 
comes  much  of  the  firewood  used  in  Nagoya;  the  small  town 
stands  near  the  N.W.  base  of  Ena-san  (7466  ft.),  a  bulky  mt. 
on  the  border-line  between  Mino  .and  Shinano  Provinces. 
Climbers  customarily  make  the  easy  ascent  (one  day  up  and 
back;  guide,  ¥5)  from  here,  for  the  sake  of  the  magnificent 
views.  The  silk-mills  in  the  town  give  employment  to  the 
majority  of  the  population. 

The  scenery  now  becomes  wild  and  picturesque;  the  rly. 
runs  through  deep,  somber  valleys  between  lofty  hills;  into 
tunnels  cut  through  the  heart  of  towering  mts.,  and  over  titanic 
granite  culverts  spanning  confluents  of  the  Kiso  River.  This 
stream  (135  M.  long),  one  of  the  San-dai-kai,  or '  Three  Great 
Rivers/  of  Japan  (the  others  being  the  Tone  —  and  the 
Shinano-gawa) ,  dominates  the  land  like  a  tempestuous  spirit 
and  tears  down  through  the  gorges  like  a  wild  thing,  bear- 
ing on  its  tortured  bosom  (in  autumn  and  winter)  thousands 
of  peeled  logs  that  batter  the  canon  wall  and  the  rounded 
boulders  in  midstream  on  their  swirling  voyage  to  the  sea.  For 
many  miles,  the  rly.  keeps  in  sight  of  the  river,  as  if  mistrust- 
ing it;  now  rushing  beside  it  on  some  spider-like  bridge  sus- 
pended between  shoulders  of  the  solid  hills,  now  creeping  high 
above  it,  along  some  ticklish  terrace  just  wide  enough  for  the 
rails  and  for  the  splendid  old  Nakasendo,  which  winds  like 
a  broad  white  ribbon  over  the  mts.  Tucked  away  in  green 
gashes  in  the  hills  are  picturesque  dwellings,  their  feet  washed 
by  the  river,  their  roofs  covered  with  thin  shingles  held  down 


386    Route  25. 


AZUMI-BASHI 


The  Kiso-gawa. 


by  scores  of  cobblestones.  Groups  of  them  stand  far  up  the 
broad  slopes  as  they  do  in  Switzerland  and  the  Austrian  Tyrol, 
while  still  higher  are  the  isolated  huts  of  charcoal  burners, 
advertised  by  the  blue-black  smoke  curling  above  them.  Tus- 
socks of  sword-like  bamboo  grass  dot  the  slopes,  which  here 
and  there  sparkle  with  Alpine  flowers.  Interesting  features 
of  the  river  are  the  immense  piles  of  logs  which,  wedged  in  be- 
tween stones  and  rocky  walls,  form  booms  that  scores  of  agile 
men  with  long  poles  work  desperately  to  dislodge.  Some- 
times, too,  one  has  the  fugitive  chance  to  see  one  of  these 
booms  break  suddenly,  and  rush  violently  downstream  while 
the  men  scamper  to  safety  across  the  treacherous,  churning 
mass.  The  Japanese  lack  of  nerves  is  often  exemplified  here 
on  the  long,  dizzy,  slender  foot-bridges  of  piano  wire,  strung 
high  above  the  river,  with  shingles  as  cross-pieces,  but  which 
the  men  and  women  traverse  with  the  swaying  agility  of  tight- 
rope walkers.  From  hidden  timber-camps  on  the  higher  slopes 
of  the  mts.  wooden  troughs  or  chutes  lead  through  lateral 
gorges  to  the  river,  and  down  them  slide  endless  lines  of  bark- 
less  trees. 

Beyond  55  M.  Sakashita,  the  Azumi-bashi,  a  spider-like 
bridge  suspended  80  ft.  above  the  river,  is  seen  at  the  right. 
Between  high  granitic  hills  at  the  left  a  fine  view  is  had  of 
the  stream  as  it  sweeps  in  magnificently,  from  a  broad  bend. 
The  train  edges  along  a  meager  terrace  cut  bodily  from  the  mt. 
side,  far  above  the  old  pike.  Certain  of  the  slopes  which  here- 
about have  shown  signs  of  erosion,  have  been  sheathed  with 
broad  stone  revetments  that  would  do  credit  to  a  knight's 
castle.  Far  below  them  are  superb  retaining  walls  finished  like 
jeweler's  work  and  protected  from  the  ravenous  river  by 
gabions  in  the  form  of  long  cylindrical  baskets  (called  jakago, 
or  ' serpent-baskets')  of  wickerwork,  filled  with  cobblestones, 
tied  with  tough  withes,  and  laid  in  sinuous  rows  along  the 
bank  of  the  stream.  Beyond  61  M.  Midono  (1443  ft.),  a  poor 
town  in  Shinano  Province  (sometimes  made  the  starting-point 
for  the  Tenryu  River  rapids;  see  p.  391),  the  rly.  passes  through 
the  Hanamaki  Tunnel,  then  runs  along  the  top  of  a  huge  wall 
built  at  enormous  expense;  the  river  plunges  along  far  below, 
bearing  its  ever-present  bjurden  of  logs.  Upward  of  50,000 
trees  (pine  and  fir  forming  the  bulk  of  them)  are  said  to  be 
started  downstream  every  fall  and  winter,  and  the  numerous 
sawmills  visible  from  the  train  now  use  steam  as  an  aid  to  the 
rapid  deforestation  of  the  mts.  Vast  quantities  of  timber  of 
exceptional  size  and  quality  is  produced;  chiefly  the  beech, 
horse-chestnut,  maple,  walnut,  and  Spanish-chestnut  —  re- 
ferred to  frequently  as  the  'Five  Trees  of  Kiso.'  The  house- 
roofs  hereabout  have  wide,  projecting  eaves,  like  the  dwellings 
of  the  Swiss  peasants,  and  are  weighted  down  with  large 
stones  to  protect  them  against  the  high  winds.    Snug  up 


Komagatake.  KOMAGATAKE         25.  Route.  387 


beneath  these  eaves  hang  curious  farming  implements, 
vegetables,  and  the  miscellaneous  articles  usually  seen  in  a 
store-room.  The  birds  in  wicker  cages  are  thrush-like  ouzels 
(tsugumi),  which  are  used  as  decoys  for  others,  and  are  men- 
tioned at  p.  ciii. 

71  M.  Suhara.  Many  mt.  streams  plunge  down  the  slopes 
hereabout  and  some  are  made  to  turn  big  overshot  or  under- 
shot water-wheels  that  furnish  power  for  hulling  grain. 
Patches  of  pollarded  mulberry  trees  dpt  the  fields,  and  most  of 
the  house  lofts  are  given  over  to  the  rearing  of  silk-worms. 
During  the  short  winter,  the  snow  lies  deep  over  this  region, 
which  is  rugged  and  strangely  unlike  the  soft,  effeminate 
Japan  of  the  Inland  Sea.  At  the  left  of  the  line  is  a  locally 
celebrated  feature,  a  primitive  aerial  ferry,  Tsuri-goshi  (lit., 
'Suspended  chair'),  in  the  form  of  a  series  of  stout  piano- 
wires  swung  high  above  the  stream,  and  over  which,  by  means 
of  another  drag-wire,  cool-headed  travelers  draw  a  cage  like 
the  body  of  an  open  palanquin  (a  contrivance  in  which  only 
a  steeple-jack  would  care  to  travel).  The  small  waterfall  of 
Ono-no-taki  is  soon  seen  at  the  right,  sliding  gracefully  over 
a  stone  ledge  to  a  quiet  pool  below.  Near  by,  at  the  left,  is 
the  locally  famous  Bed  of  Awakening  (' Nezame-no-toko') 
amid  a  bit  of  river  scenery  which  some  writers  enthusiastically 
rank  with  the  finest  in  Japan. 

At  a  bend  in  the  river,  where  some  picturesque  rocks  confine  the  stream 
to  a  narrow  channel,  stands  an  old  Buddhist  temple,  the  Rinzen-ji,  while 
below  it  is  a  stone  platform  whence  one  commands  a  sweeping  view  of  a 
really  charming  bit  of  scenery  emphasized  by  the  furiously  swirling  river. 
According  to  one  tradition,  UrashimaTard,  the  fisher-boy  (see  p.  cclix),  awoke 
here  from  his  fantastic  dream,  and  the  credulous  country  folk  will,  provided 
they  can  get  a  listener,  point  out  the  very  spot  where  the  unfortunate  lover 
of  the  Sea  God's  daughter  opened  his  precious  casket.  They  will  strongly 
combat  the  more  reasonable  theory  that  the  1  awakening  '  implies  that  the 
casual  traveler  will  '  sit  up  and  take  notice  '  when  he  sees  the  beauty  of  the 
place. 

75  M.  Agematsu  (Inn:  Hakuchi,  ¥  2.50),  a  sequestered  town 
in  the  midst  of  a  labyrinth  of  hills  (many  pretty  excursions), 
has  numerous  sawmills  and  quaint  water-wheels  and  is  usually 
made  the  point  of  departure  for  the  (10  M.;  6-7  hrs.)  ascent 
of  Komagatake  (Foal  Mt. ;  a  name  applied  to  numerous  peaks 
in  Japan).  The  bulky  granitic  mass  (9500  ft.)  rises  grandly 
at  the  N.E.,  and  besides  forming  the  culminating  point  of  the 
Kiso  Range,  separates  the  Kiso  Valley  from  that  of  the 
neighboring  Tenryu  River. 

Guides  (necessary,  comp.  p.  xxvi)  can  be  found  in  the  village  (consult  the 
innkeeper)  for  ¥6  for  the  round  trip.  A  number  of  poor  rest-houses  provide 
shelter  by  the  wayside.  Travelers  bound  for  the  rapids  of  the  Tenryu-gawa 
sometimes  cross  the  summit  and  descend  to  the  villages  of  Ina  or  Akao, 
near  the  E.  base,  in  the  Inakaidd  District.  Forests  of  horse-chestnut,  beech, 
fir,  and  other  evergreen  and  deciduous  trees  belt  the  lower  slopes,  and  later 
merge  into  pine  groves.  Higher  up  one  finds  the  creeping-pines  which  are 
characteristic  features  of  the  tops  of  many  Japanese  mts.  The  bronze  image 
on  one  of  the  ridges  passed  in  the  ascent  commemorates  Shimmei  Reijin, 


388    Route  25.  KISO-FUKUSHIMA 


Ontake. 


the  first  pilgrim-mountaineer  to  climb  to  the  summit.  The  Shinto  shrine  at 
the  top  is  dedicated  to  the  Spirit  of  the  Mt.  The  highest  point,  Shakujo-ga- 
take,  is  so  called  from  its  fancied  resemblance  to  the  staff  or  crozier  carried  by 
wandering  Buddhists.  The  view  from  the  summit  is  grand;  embracing  a 
score  or  more  lofty  peaks,  some  of  them  smoking  volcanoes. 

Many  queer-looking  peasants  plod  along  the  broad  high- 
way beyond  Agematsu.  The  lofty,  bare,  sacrosanct  Ontake, 
astride  the  border-line  between  Shinano  and  Hida  Provinces, 
is  seen  at  the  far  left.  For  the  time  being,  the  scenery  loses 
much  of  its  grandiose  character.  —  82  M.  Kiso-Fukushima 
(2647  ft.),  end  of  a  rly.  district  and  the  most  important  town 
(pop.  5000)  in  the  district,  stretches  along  both  banks  of  the 
Kiso  River,  which  here  (a  few  miles  from  its  source  near  the 
Torii-toge)  is  a  shallow,  nondescript  stream  flowing  placidly 
between  bald  and  monotonous  hills.  The  bare  slopes  here- 
about advertise  the  evils  of  deforestation.  —  An  up-grade  and 
4  tunnels  are  features  of  the  line  to  the  poor  town  of  Yabuhara, 
where  wood  combs  (said  to  have  been  invented  by  the  wife  of 
Izanagi-no-Mikoto)  are  made.  Beyond  it,  the  immense 
stone  walls  built  by  the  rly.  to  protect  its  track  from  land- 
slips seem  to  cover  the  entire  country.  A  stiffish  uphill  pull 
brings  the  train  to  the  Torii-toge  and  tunnel  mentioned 
above.  The  conspicuous  pass  (toge)  —  the  watershed  of  the 
Kiso-gawa  (which  empties  into  Owari  Bay)  and  the  Shinano- 
gawa  (which  flows  into  the  Japan  Sea  near  '  Niigata)  —  de- 
rives its  name  from  the  huge  granite  torii  (p.  clxxxii)  which  is 
supposed  to  mark  the  'front  entrance'  to  the  holy  Mt. 
Ontake  —  whose  dark,  serrated  cone  rises  a  score  or  more 
miles  to  the  left. 

Ontake  ('August  Mt.'),  or  Mitake,  one  of  the  loftiest  (10,400  ft.)  and 
most  sacred  (2d  to  Fuji-san)  of  the  Japanese  peaks,  and  to  which  many 
thousands  of  pilgrims  go  each  year,  is  usually  approached  from  Kiso- 
Fukushima,  23  M.  from  the  summit,  at  the  S.E.  —  whence  it  can  be  reached 
in  10-12  hrs.  on  foot.  Guides  are  plentiful  (¥4),  as  about  every  person  in 
the  neighborhood  has  made  the  ascent.  Throughout  the  summer  months, 
an  almost  continuous  stream  of  ant-like  pilgrims  toil  up  the  mt.  side  to  pray 
before  the  picturesque  shrine  on  its  summit.  An  alternate  way  (often  used 
in  the  descent)  is  by  the  so-called  'back  entrance,'  via  Odaki  —  a  3  hrs.  walk 
from  Agematsu  through  lovely  scenery.  The  customary  trail  from  Kiso- 
Fukushima  is  through  the  (7  M.)  village  of  Kurosawa  (whence  a  road 
branches  off  to  Agematsu) .  The  Iwo-haiden  shrine  marks  the  actual  base  of 
the  mt.  Here  pilgrims  may  buy  staffs  and  have  their  garments  stamped  with 
the  seal  certifying  that  they  have  made  the  ascent  of  the  holy  peak.  There 
are  several  rest-houses  on  the  slope,  each  marking  the  successive  stages  to  the 
top.  Six  large  and  2  small  craters  are  features  of  the  summit,  one  contain- 
ing a  lake  in  which  pilgrims  soak  cloth  or  paper  to  take  home  with  them. 
The  shrine,  from  which  a  magnificent  panorama  is  obtainable,  is  surrounded 
by  stone  and  bronze  images,  ideographic  tablets,  and  what-not,  laboriously 
dragged  up  the  steep  incline. 

From  Torii-toge  —  the  highest  point  on  the  Kisokaido  — 
the  train  descends  through  several  tunnels  and  past  unim- 
portant stations  in  surroundings  which  recall  vistas  in  the 
Rocky  Mts.  of  the  U.S.A.  The  views  of  the  towering  mt. 
range  at  the  left  are  splendid.  A  broad  upland  plain  stretches 


Shimosuwa. 


SHIOJIRI  25.  Route.  389 


away  at  the  left  of  the  small  station  of  106  M.  Seba,  beyond 
which  is 

108  M.  Shiojiri  (2451  ft.  Inn:  Kawakami,  ¥2.50),  on  the 
great  watershed  between  the  N.  and  S.  half  of  Central  Japan, 
144  M.  from  Tokyo  at  the  E.,  and  42  from  Shinonoi  at  the  N. 

Tokyo  passengers  who  find  themselves  in  the  through  car  for  Shinonoi  or 
Nagano  must  change  here  into  a  Tokyo  car  or  train,  while  those  bound  for 
either  of  the  two  above-named  places  should  make  sure  that  they  are  in  the 
right  car.   The  bento  sold  on  the  station  platform  usually  contains  good  fish. 

The  train  of  the  Shinonoi  Line  to  Shinonoi  Jet.  (on  the  Shin-etsu  Line, 
Rte.  6,  p.  65)  makes  the  run  in  about  3  hrs.  and  traverses  a  mountainous 
country  dotted  with  upland  plains  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  the  great 
staple,  rice.  The  chief  town  on  the  line  is  (8  M.)  Matsumoto  (Inn:  Marumo, 
¥2.50),  an  important  commercial  center  on  a  broad  plain  (in  Shinano  Prov- 
ince) surrounded  by  magnificent  mts.  Its  early  history  is  associated  with 
the  exploits  of  the  redoubtable  Takeda  Shingen,  who  in  1549  besieged  the 
castle  (erected  in  1504  by  Shimadate  Sadanaga)  and  made  himself  master  of 
the  region.  Oda  Nobunaga  took  it  later,  and  during  the  Tokugawa  regime 
the  original  name,  Fukashi,  was  changed  to  Matsumoto.  Toda,  with  an 
annual  income  of  60,000  koku  of  rice,  ruled  as  daimyd  at  the  time  of  the 
Restoration.  Raw  silk  is  now  one  of  the  chief  products.  The  river  which 
flows  through  the  city  is  the  Sai-gawa,  a  tributary  of  the  Chikuma-gawa, 
which  later  becomes  the  broad  Shinano-gawa.  The  inclosed,  paddle-wheel 
boats  one  sees  anchored  in  mid-stream  are  primitive  rice-mills  which  get 
power  from  the  current.  The  Asama  Hot  Springs,  in  the  N.E.  suburbs,  have 
good  baths  and  are  popular  resorts. 

From  Shiojiri  the  Tokyo  line  diverges  to  the  right  (E.) 
and  follows  the  Nakasendo  on  an  up-grade  through  3  tun- 
nels; the  last,  the  Uto,  5429  ft.  long,  on  a  sharp  incline. 
Sweeping  views  at  the  left  as  we  emerge.  Beyond  Ono, 
with  its  silk-mills,  the  valley  narrows  and  becomes  very  pic- 
turesque. The  houses  of  the  peasantry  are  nearly  all  adapted 
to  silk-worm  culture  and  the  product  is  worked  up  at  the 
numerous  mills  at  Okay  a,  which  we  soon  pass.  Many  of  these 
filiature  mills  stand  on  the  banks  of  the  Tenryu-gawa,  from 
which  a  certain  amount  of  power  is  obtained  through  lines  of 
large  undershot  water-wheels  that  present  an  odd  sight  and 
look  like  the  discarded  paddle-wheels  of  old  steamboats. 
Upwards  of  500  girls  are  employed  in  the  mills,  which  are 
usually  two-  or  three-storied,  white,  with  slender  steel  chim- 
neys and  many  windows.  Among  the  choice  fruits  (which 
the  Japanese  usually  pick  green)  raised  in  the  neighborhood 
are  excellent  quinces  (marumero)  —  which  are  preserved 
and  made  into  jelly.  The  broad  lake  in  the  horseshoe-shaped 
pocket  of  the  hills  at  the  right  is  Suwa.  The  exquisite  mt. 
peak  vignetted  in  the  V-shaped  saddle  between  two  of  the 
hills  (one  of  the  most  charming  little  vistas  in  Japan)  is  the 
matchless  Fuji. 

126  M.  Shimosuwa  (Inn:  Kameya;  natural  hot  baths; 
¥3),  2616  ft.,  near  the  base  of  (5300  ft.)  Wada-toge,  on  the 
N.  shore  of  Lake  Suwa,  in  Shinano  Province,  was  formerly 
the  castle  town  of  the  Suwa  daimyos  and  was  called  Taka- 
shima.  After  Takeda  Shingen  vacated  the  castle  in  1553  it 


390    Route  25.  KAMISUWA 


Lake  Suwa. 


passed  to  other  hands,  to  be  burned  by  Nobunaga's  soldiery 
in  1582,  and  reconstructed  by  Hineno  Takayoshi  in  1590. 
Tokugawa  Ieyasu  reinstated  Suwa  Yoritada  in  his  family 
domain  in  1601,  and  thenceforward  his  descendants  occupied 
the  old  keep  until  the  Restoration.  Many  of  the  kinsmen  of 
the  aforetime  feudal  barons  are  now  engaged  in  sericulture, 
and  the  silk  produced  in  the  neighborhood  and  spun  in  the  local 
mills  ranks  with  the  finest  in  Japan.  Legend  intimately  asso- 
ciates the  town  with  Kami  (upper)  Suwa  at  the  opposite  end 
of  the  lake.  An  improbable  narrative  (translated  from  the 
Kojiki)  relates  that  the  forebears  of  the  Japanese  anciently 
made  their  winter  home  at  Shimosuwa,  and  their  summer 
residence  at  Kamisuwa;  erecting  a  spring  shrine  (Haru-no- 
miya)  at  the  latter  place,  and  an  autumn  shrine  (Aki-no- 
miya)  at  the  former.  Thenceforward  elaborate  festivals 
marked  the  days  on  which  the  august  deities  are  supposed 
to  have  shifted  their  abode.  Time  was  when  the  symbolical 
transfer  was  made  in  a  gayly  decorated  boat  which,  laden 
with  the  paraphernalia  of  the  twin  shrines,  was  conducted 
across  the  lake  amid  pomp  and  gorgeous  display.  Later  the 
upper  shrine  was  transferred  bodily  to  Shimosuwa.  One 
of  the  pair  now  stands  near  the  inn,  the  other  about  \  M.  away, 
and  both  at  the  respective  ends  of  a  triangle  each  of  whose 
sides  is  8  cho  long.  A  clumsy,  bulky  car  weighing  several  tons, 
constructed  of  massive  timbers  in  imitation  of  the  sacred 
ship  of  former  days,  and  drawn  at  a  snail's  pace  by  hundreds 
of  men  clad  in  queer  costumes,  starts  over  the  road  between 
the  shrines  Feb.  19  and  Aug.  1  of  each  year,  and  several  days 
of  jollity  are  usually  required  to  bring  it  safely  to  port.  The 
curious  mediaeval  procession,  a  bizarre  survival  of  feudal 
times,  attracts  thousands  of  country  folks,  and  the  inns  are 
always  crowded.  The  governor  presides,  and  there  is  general 
rejoicing.  —  The  region  roundabout  is  volcanic  and  there  are 
several  hot  mineral  springs  (sulphur,  alum,  etc.)  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, with  temperatures  ranging  from  113°  to  150°  F.  —  A 
few  min.  run  along  the  left  shore  of  the  lake  brings  the  train  to 

130  M.  Kamisuwa  (Inn:  Botan-ya,  Suwa  Hotel,  etc.,  ¥2.50 
and  upward)  on  the  S.E.  shore,  also  with  hot  springs  whose 
waters  are  piped  into  the  inns.  Sericulture  is  also  the  special 
occupation  of  most  of  the  people  here,  and  in  many  of  the 
nouses  one  sees  the  womenkind  sitting  before  pans  of  warm 
water  in  which  cocoons -are  immersed,  winding  the  sericeous 
product  of  the  worms  on  to  primitive  reels. 

Lake  Suwa,  or  Suwa-ko  (3£  M.  east  and  west;  2  M.  wide;  about  30  ft- 
deep,  and  2598  ft.  above  sea-level),  sometimes  called  Ga-ko,  or  Goose  Lake, 
one  of  the  best  known  skating-resorts  in  Japan,  often  freezes,  in  Jan. -Feb., 
1  to  2  ft.  thick,  and  hither  many  Tokyo  (9  hrs.  by  rail)  and  Yokohama 
people  repair  to  enjoy  the  short  season.  The  rly.  company  sells  round-trip 
tickets  from  Tokyo  at  reduced  rates  (usually  ¥5,  2d  cl.),  and  certain  of  the 
tourist  agencies  (T.  Minami  &  Sons,  3,  Rogetsucho,  Shiba  Tokyo;  Thos. 
Cook  cfe  Son,  Yokohama,  etc.)  plan  trips  (including  rooms  and  meals  at  the 


Tenryu  River.  KAMISUWA  25.  Route.  391 


inn)  for  an  inclusive  charge  of  about  ¥5  a  day.  The  best  skating  is  near 
Shimosuwa  —  out  of  reach  of  the  biting  winds  which  tear  over  the  saddle  of 
the  pass  (at  the  S.  end)  and  ruffle  the  water  so  that  it  does  not  freeze 
smoothly.  Here,  too,  hot  water  and  gases  often  spurt  up  from  the  lake-bed 
and  make  dangerous  air-holes.  When  warm  weather  prevents  the  ice  from 
forming,  skaters  repair  to  Yamanaka  Pond,  about  1£  M.  from  Shimosuwa. 
Suwa-ko  lies  in  a  beautiful  inclosed  valley  between  bulky  mts.  and  receives 
its  waters  from  Wada-toge,  Tateshima,  and  other  heights.  Carp  (and 
shrimps)  abound  and  the  natives  catch  them  in  winter  through  holes  in  the 
ice.  In  summer,  the  shallow  reaches  of  the  shore  are  flecked  with  pondweed 
and  other  water-plants.  Formerly  its  waters  covered  the  fine  rice-plain 
which  stretches  away  westward,  but  owing  to  the  deepening  of  its  natural 
outlet,  the  Tenryu  River,  it  is  gradually  diminishing. 

The  Tenryu  River,  which  rises  in  Lake  Suwa  and  flows  out  of  its  W.  side 
later  to  pour  its  waters  into  the  Totomi  Nada  near  Hamamatsu  (on  the 
Tokaido),  135  M.  distant  and  2598  ft.  below,  is  one  of  the  best-known  of  the 
Japanese  rivers  and  is  celebrated  for  its  fine  rapids.  Though  somewhat 
difficult  of  access,  the  stream  is  popular  with  persons  fond  of  rapid-shooting. 
The  usual  custom,  for  travelers  coming  to  Shimosuwa  from  Tokyo  or  Yoko- 
hama, is  to  proceed  on  foot  or  by  jinriki  (in  2  days,  with  2  men,  at  an  approx. 
cost  of  ¥10-15)  to  (47  M.)  Tokimata  (Inn:  Ume-no-ya,  ¥2.50),  where  the 
rapids  begin.  The  intervening  towns  are  22  M.  Ina  (Inn:  Tomiya),  and  28 
M.  Iida  (Inn:  Shogodd).  At  Tokimata  the  innkeeper  will  (if  advised  before- 
hand) arrange  for  a  boat. —  An  alternate  way,  the  best  for  travelers  ascending 
the  Nakasendo  from  Nagoya,  is  to  alight  at  Midono  Station  (Inn:  Ina-ya,  ¥2; 
see  p.  386)  and  do  the  25  M.  to  Tokimata  on  foot  (in  about  12  hrs.)  or  in  a 
jinriki  (2  men  necessary;  ¥9,  in  about  11  hrs.)  —  which  the  station-master 
will  have  ready  if  the  traveler  will  advise  him  in  advance.  The  road  is 
mountainous  (guide  necessary  if  the  trip  is  made  alone)  and  there  are  some 
stifnsh  climbs.  The  inclusive  cost  of  the  journey  from  Yokohama  and 
return,  for  3-4  pers.  (3  days'  steady  going)  is  approx.  ¥50  each.  The  cost 
of  a  boat  for  a  similar  party  for  the  90  M.  trip  (10-12  hrs.)  down  the  river  is 
¥50-60.  [A  fortnight  is  sometimes  required  to  haul  the  craft  back  upstream .] 
Four  boatmen  (sendo)  generally  accompany  each  craft  (fune),  but  when  the 
river  is  high  (dangerous)  they  often  refuse  to  go.  The  boats  (usually  45  ft. 
long,  3 1  wide,  and  2\  deep)  resemble  exaggerated  canoes  made  of  flexible 
cryptomeria  boards,  dovetailed  and  further  secured  with  wooden  pegs. 
Elasticity  rather  than  rigidity  is  aimed  at,  since  the  craft  often  scrapes  over 
the  river-bed  or  bumps  into  rocks.  Three  of  the  sendo  employ  oars  of  ever- 
green oak  9  ft.  long,  and  the  steersman  one  12-15  ft.  long.  The  traveler 
with  time  to  spare  may,  by  waiting  a  day  or  so  at  Tokimata  (good  trout- 
fishing  in  the  river),  get  passage  down  the  rapids  in  an  ordinary  passenger 
boat  (infrequent  service)  for  ¥4-5.  Where  a  special  boat  is  hired,  a  clear 
understanding  should  be  reached  with  the  boatman  before  embarking,  and 
the  exact  point  of  disembarkation  be  agreed  upon.  Otherwise  an  attempt 
may  be  made  to  put  one  ashore  at  a  point  where  the  rapids  end,  miles  from 
a  station,  where  rikishas  may  not  easily  be  obtained.  The  traveler  should 
insist  upon  being  landed  at  Kashima  (12  M.  from  Hamamatsu,  3  hrs.  by 
jinriki,  ¥2;  or  2  hrs.  by  basha  or  tramway,  50  sen),  or  at  Nakano  (4|  M. 
from  Hamamatsu,  ¥1  by  jinriki  in  1^  hrs.,  or  by  tramway).  —  A  start  from 
Tokimata  should  be  made  about  7-8  a.m.  so  that  a  short  halt  may  be  made 
at  Nishimoto  (11  a.m.)  for  luncheon,  and  Kashima  reached  about  6  p.m. 
Vaseline  or  some  similar  substance,  as  a  protection  for  the  face  against 
wind-  or  sun-burn,  will  be  found  useful;  likewise  goggles.  There  are  30  or 
more  rapids,  and  the  vertiginous  downward  course  is  through  magnificent 
scenery.  The  river  flows  first  through  Shinano,  then  crosses  Totomi 
Province.  About  3  M.  below  Tokimata  it  enters  a  rocky  canon,  then  for 
5-6  hrs.  it  races  seaward  over  a  long  series  of  rapids  between  scarped  ravines 
and  perpendicular  walls  that  rise  sometimes  a  thousand  or  more  feet  above 
it.  The  boatmen  are  skillful  and  accidents  to  foreigners  are  rare;  50  or  60 
natives  are  drowned  in  the  river  each  year.  The  last  portion  of  the  trip  is 
uninteresting,  with  a  sluggish  current. 

From  Kamisuwa  the  rly.  continues  across  the  valley  in  a 
S.E.  direction  to  135  M.  Chino,  a  poor  town  where  consider- 


392    Route  25. 


KOFU 


able  isinglass  is  made;  acres  of  the  small  wood  frames  contain- 
ing the  product  cover  the  ground  roundabout.  The  rly.  now 
climbs  into  the  hills  and  affords  magnificent  views  (right)  of 
Fuji-san.  the  Kai  Komagatake,  Hoozan,  and  other  bulky  mts. 
142  M.  Fujimi  (3224  ft.)  stands  on  the  elevated  watershed 
between  the  Fuji-kawa  and  the  Tenryu-gawa.  From  the  Hara- 
no-chaya,  or  1  Tea-house  of  the  Plain/  which  stands  here,  one 
gets  entrancing  views  of  Fuji  and  of  the  great  range  of  bulky 
giants  that  rise  in  pointed  grandeur  against  the  horizon.  The 
region  is  like  a  vast  park,  with  glorious  views  and  inspiriting 
mt.  air.  Four  tunnels  are  threaded  on  the  downward  glide  to 
148  M.  Kobuchizawa,  beyond  which  the  line  skirts  the  lower 
(S.)  flank  of  Yatsugatake;  passes  156  M.  Hinoharu,  and  tra- 
verses the  Anayama  Tunnel  (1591  ft.  long)  at  an  elevation  of 
1881  ft.,  to  163  M.  Nirasaki,  in  the  valley  of  the  Kamanashi- 
gawa  —  whose  wide  bed  glistens  with  the  white  granitic  parti- 
cles washed  down  from  the  rocky  giants  above.  Superb  views 
of  the  N.  side  of  Fuji-san  (the  opposite  of  those  from  Gotemba, 
on  the  Tokaido)  are  had  at  the  right. 

172  M.  Kofu  (1001  ft.),  the  present  capital  of  Yamanashi 
Prefecture  and  of  Kai  Province,  with  50,000  inhabs.,  was  for- 
merly called  Fuchu  (Chinese:  'Chief  town'),  and  during  the 
Kamakura  shogunate  was  the  residence  of  the  Ichijd  Daimyd. 
Inns:  Sadoko  Hotel;  Bosenkaku,  etc.,  native;  from  ¥3  and 
upward.  The  clean  and  attractive  city  stands  on  a  broad  and 
productive  plain  dotted  with  mulberry  plantations  and  vine- 
yards —  the  grapes  (budo)  enjoying  a  national  reputation  for 
excellence.  The  beautiful  rock-crystals  (p.  cxxii)  for  which 
Kai  Province  is  noted  are  found  in  the  near-by  mts.,  and  are 
sold  in  the  local  shops  (best  specimens  in  the  Tokyo  or  Yoko- 
hama curio-establishments).  Kofu  is  known  for  its  silken 
fabrics  and  for  its  excellent  dried  persimmons  (Kofu-kaki) 
which  come  into  the  market  in  Nov.  The  big  stone  monument 
at  the  rly.  station  commemorates  the  completion  of  the  Sasago 
Tunnel.  A  matsuri,  of  considerable  local  importance,  is  held 
yearly  on  April  15,  when  the  townspeople  pray  that  the 
Fuefuki-gawa  may  not  overflow  its  banks  and  inundate  the 
plain.  The  foothills  of  the  surrounding  mts.  afford  many 
delightful  excursions;  Mt.  Mitake,  at  the  N.,  once  had  magnifi- 
cent temples,  but  these  are  now  decayed  and  are  of  scant  inter- 
est. The  entire  country  roundabout  is  intimately  associated 
in  history  with  the  exploits  of  the  celebrated  Takeda  Shingen 
(1521-73)  who  made  Kofu  his  chief  stronghold. 

Takeda  Harunobu,  the  eldest  son  of  Nobutora,  who  afterwards  took  the 
name  of  Shingen,  stands  out  prominently  as  one  of  the  most  picturesque 
figures  of  his  time.  Dominating,  fierce,  and  of  piratical  instincts,  he  rebelled 
against  his  father  (who  built  the  castle  at  Kofu  in  1519  and  ruled  the  prov- 
ince therefrom),  and  after  deposing  and  imprisoning  him,  assumed  the 
government  of  Kai  Province  and  embarked  on  a  war  with  neighboring 
daimyds  which  endured  for  20  yrs.   Being  a  fighter  and  a  skillful  strate- 


THE  FUJI-KAWA  RAPIDS      25.  Rte.  393 

gist,  he  erelong  became  the  master  of  that  extensive  territory  embraced 
within  the  provinces  of  Shinano,  Kai,  Hida,  a  part  of  Kozuke,  and  Suruga. 
He  warred  against  the  powerful  Ieyasu,  aided  the  warrior-priests  of  Hiei- 
zan  in  their  frantic  but  ineffectual  efforts  to  rid  themselves  of  the  implac- 
able Oda  Nobunaga,  and  was  finally  killed  in  Mikawa  Province  while 
besieging  the  castle  of  Noda.  Apprehensive  lest  his  death  interfere  with 
the  realization  of  his  plans,  he  ordered  that  it  be  concealed  and  that  his 
body  be  placed  in  a  stone  coffin  and  sunk  to  the  bottom  of  Lake  Suwa. 
The  former  command  was  obeyed,  but  instead  of  being  buried  in  the  lake 
he  was  interred  in  the  Eirinji  Temple,  near  Kofu,  where  his  tomb  may 
still  be  seen.  The  Japanese  regard  him  as  a  splendid  type  of  the  impetuous 
feudatory  princes  of  the  Middle  Ages  —  those  turbulent  times  which  pre- 
ceded the  lasting  peace  established  by  the  great  Ieyasu  and  maintained  by 
his  long  line  of  Tokugawa  shoguns. 

Kdfu  is  sometimes  made  the  starting-point  for  the  descent 
of  the  Rapids  of  the  Fuji  River,  via  Minobu  to  Iwabuchi,  on 
the  Tokaido. 

The  Fuji-kawa,  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  Japanese  rivers,  is  formed 
by  the  union  of  the  Fuefuki-gawa  and  the  Kamanashi-gawa,  whose  waters 
flow  down  from  the  high  mts.  which  form  the  boundary  of  Kai  Province. 
After  draining  the  plain  on  which  Kofu  stands,  and  skirting  the  N.,  then  the 
W.,  base  of  Fuji-san,  it  discharges  into  Suruga  Bay,  75  M.  distant  and  1000 
ft.  below.  Travelers  who  intend  to  shoot  the  rapids  proceed  customarily  (by 
tramway,  in  2  hrs.;  fare,  30  sen)  to  (12  M.)  Kajikazawa  (Inn:  Yorozuya, 
¥2),  a  town  just  beyond  the  S.W.  limit  of  the  plain,  where  a  boat  with  4  men 
is  hired  (¥11-12)  for  the  (7-8  hrs.)  trip  to  (45  M.)  Iwabuchi.  Regular  mail- 
boats  (  Yubin-bune)  which  carry  passengers  (¥1.50)  leave  daily  and  may  be 
availed  of.  In  flood-time  all  boats  (kobune)  are  prohibited  from  starting  until 
the  waters  recede  to  a  certain  level.  Scores  of  boats  carry  merchandise  hence 
to  the  rly.  and  the  sea,  and  on  the  downward  journey  one  is  scarcely  ever 
out  of  sight  of  lithe  craft  speeding  down  the  rapids  or  being  laboriously 
hauled  up  by  chanting  boatmen.  At  certain  points  the  scenery  is  wild  and 
picturesque,  with  inspiring  views  of  Fuji  and  other  lofty  mts.  At  one  place 
a  locally  famous  Tsuri-bashi,  or  Suspension  Bridge,  is  passed  (left).  It  is  165 
ft.  long,  constructed  of  stout  piano-wire,  and  is  suspended  30  ft.  above  a 
swift  tributary  of  the  river  which  here  forms  an  islet  near  the  bank.  The 
cool-headed  peasants  navigate  it  speedily  and  with  unconcern,  but  foreigners 
find  the  passage  a  trying  one,  since  near  the  center  the  bridge  sways  in  a 
sickening  way. 

Leisurely  travelers  interested  in  Buddhist  temples  may  like  to  land  at 
Hakii  village  (midway  of  the  journey;  the  boatmen  will  stop  for  the  night 
for  ¥3-4  extra)  and  visit  (2  M.;  |  hr.  walk)  the  Kuonji,  founded  by  Nichiren 
(p.  cci)  in  1273.  The  dreary  town  of  Minobu  (Inn:  Matsuya,  ¥2)  stands  in 
a  valley  between  lofty  mts.  and  has  a  few  poor  shops  dedicated  to  the  sale  of 
rosaries  and  pseudo-relics  of  the  famous  bonze.  The  temple  is  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Hokke-shu  and  has  repeatedly  been  scourged  by  fire.  That  of 
1875  destroyed  all  the  old  buildings.  Some  of  the  newer  ones  erected  in 
1880  were  burned  in  1911.  Those  that  remain  are  decorated  in  exuberant 
colors  and  differ  so  little  from  other  fanes  of  the  Empire  that  they  are  scarcely 
worth  a  special  visit.  A  picturesque  and  representative  type  of  the  temples 
of  this  sect  is  mentioned  at  p.  108.  Nichiren' s  ashes  are  preserved  in  a  crys- 
tal reliquary  (shown  for  a  small  fee),  and  on  the  chief  festival  in  May,  they 
are  revered  by  the  many  pilgrims  who  foregather  here. 

Beyond  Kofu  the  rly.  dips  into  a  small  valley  dotted  with 
vineyards,  then  ascends  past  Isawa  and  Kusakabe  Stations  to 
183  M.  Enzan,  beyond  which  the  4th  tunnel  is  Ohikage,  4489 
ft.  long;  the  5th,  Fukazawa,  3627  ft.  long;  the  6th,  Yokobuki, 
1403  ft.,  and  7th,  Tsukuse,  1135  ft.  —  Beyond  192  M.  Haji- 
kano  the  train  crosses  the  Nitsukaiva  and  enters  the  famous 
Sasago  Tunnel,  which  is  nearly  3  M.  long,  2153  ft.  above  the 


394    Route  25.  KOGANAI 


The  Tamagawa. 


sea,  and  pierces  the  heart  of  Sasago  Mt.  (3500  ft.),  at  the  junc- 
tion of  Kai,  Sagami,  and  Musashi  Provinces  —  which  latter 
we  soon  enter.  196  M.  Sasago.  The  train  now  descends  into 
the  valley  of  the  Sasago  River,  past  several  villages  where  silk- 
worms are  reared. 

202  M.  Otsuki.  A  tramway  runs  hence  through  the  valley 
of  the  Katsura-gawa  to  (12  M.)  Yoshida  (about  2  hrs.;  48  sen), 
at  the  N.  foot  of  Fuji-san,  and  the  point  of  departure  for  Shoji; 
lite.  3,  p.  40.  The  scenery  is  now  attractive.  The  train  crosses 
several  narrow  ravines,  at  the  left  of  one  of  which  is  seen  the 
locally  celebrated  Saru-hashi,  or  Monkey  Bridge  (112  ft.  long, 
and  150  ft.  above  the  river),  a  spider-like  affair  which  only  an 
educated  monkey  would  be  willing  to  cross  without  inward 
trepidation.  A  series  of  long  tunnels  and  several  rivers  mark 
the  line  hence  to  211  M.  Uenohara.  216  M.  Yose  is  the  usual 
starting-point  for  the  descent  of  the  rapids  of  the  Katsura- 
gawa.  The  6th  tunnel  beyond  is  the  Kobotoke,  8350  ft.  long, 
and  981  ft.  above  the  sea.  From  this  point  the  line  descends 
sharply  to  222  M.  Asakawa,  sl  favorite  place  with  Tokyo 
holiday-makers,  who  go  hence  Q  hr.  by  jinriki,  20  sen)  to 
Takao-zan,  a  lofty  hill  (1600  ft.)  where  there  is  a  Buddhist 
temple  (1  hr.  walk  from  the  foot)  in  a  fine  grove  of  cryptome- 
rias  and  maple  trees.  During  the  annual  festival  in  April,  the 
place  is  usually  crowded.  The  old  highway,  visible  at  times 
from  the  train,  is  the  Koshu-kaido,  which  links  Tokyo  with 
Koshu  {Kai)  Province,  and  over  which,  in  feudal  times,  many 
a  picturesque  daimyb  procession  wound  its  way. 

225  M.  Hachioji  Jet.  (460  ft.),  28  M.  from  Tokyo,  is  an 
important  silk-manufacturing  center.  A  branch  rly.  runs 
hence  in  a  S.E.  direction  to  26  M.  Higashi- Kanagawa, 
across  the  bay  from  Yokohama.  230  M.  Hino,  near  the  Tama^ 
gawa,  is  a  popular  resort  of  Tokyo  people;  cormorant-fishing 
(see  p.  396)  is  practiced  here  between  May  and  Sept.  A  cov-j 
ered  boat  (yane-bune)  can  be  hired  for  ¥2-3;  the  fishermen 
wade  out  into  the  stream,  and  the  small  trout  (ayu)  which  the 
cormorants  catch  may  be  cooked  in  a  near-by  inn.  From  231 
M.  Tachikawa  Jet.  a  branch  rly.  runs  to  (and  beyond)  11  M. 
Ome,  where  considerable  cotton  is  manufactured.  From  235 
M.  Kokubunji  Jet.  sl  rly.  branches  N.  to  18  M.  Kawagoe,  a 
sometime  important  town  with  a  daimyo's  castle  built  in  1457 
by  Ota  Mochisuke.  —  239  M.  Sakai,  is  also  a  favorite  resort  of 
Tokyo  merry-makers,  who  congregate  at  (1  M.)  Koganai, 
where  a  fine  avenue  of  cherry  trees  extends  for  nearly  3  M. 
along  the  Tamagawa-jdsui  (the  upper  stream  of  the  Tama- 
gawa, whence  Tokyo  gets  a  part  of  its  water-supply)  and  pre- 
sents a  charming  sight  in  early  April.  In  1735  the  shogun, 
Yoshimune,  had  10,000  cherry  trees  brought  hither  from 
Yoshino,  in  Yamato,  and  from  the  flowery  banks  of  the 
Sakura-gawa  (Cherry  River)  in  Hitachi,  and  planted  here; 


FROM  NAGOYA  TO  KYOTO   26.  Rte.  395 


multitudes  of  people  come  to  see  them  in  season  and  to  stroll 
beneath  the  lovely  pink-and-white  canopy. 

241  M.  Kichijdji  is  near  a  lakelet  called  I-no-kashira,  whence, 
in  olden  times,  the  Yedo  Castle  drew  its  water-supply ;  ley  am 
is  said  to  have  visited  the  place  in  1600  and  to  have  found  the 
water  so  excellent  for  making  tea  that  he  ever  afterward  used 
if  for  that  purpose.  Picnickers  come  here  in  April  to  see  the 
cherry  blooms,  and  in  May  the  azaleas.  At  Horinouchi,  1  M. 
to  the  S.  of  245  M.  Nakano,  there  is  an  old  Buddhist  temple 
(the  Mydhdji,  of  the  Nichiren  sect)  with  some  good  sculp- 
tures and  an  e_ffigy  of  Nichiren  said  to  have  been  carved  in 
1261.  247  M.  Oknho  has  azalea  gardens  which  are  worth  seeing 
in  the  seasorfT  248  M.  Shinjuku  is  also  a  station  on  the  Tokyo 
Belt  Line.  (252  M.  Tokyo.  (See  p.  109.) 

26.  From  (Yokohama)  Nagoya  to  Kyoto  (Osaka  and  Kobe). 
Tokaido  Main  Line  of  the  Imperial  Government  Railways. 

Yokohama-Kobe  Rte.  (24)  continued  from  p.  375.  From 
Nagoya  the  train  runs  N.W.  over  a  broad  rice-plain  in  the 
province  of  Owari.  The  rly.  leading  S.W.  runs  ultimately 
along  the  shore  of  Ise  Bay  to  Yamada-Ise  and  is  referred  to 
in  Rte.  35.  In  the  immediate  environs  of  the  city  are  many  fine 
lotus-ponds  which  produce  lovely  flowers  in  Aug.  and  edible 
roots  later.  The  splendid  old  castle  is  seen  to  fine  advantage  1 
at  the  right.  The  land  is  excellently  watered  and  very  prolific; 
certain  of  the  streams  are  choked  with  blue  water-lilies  (Cas- 
talia  scutifolia),  and  in  late  autumn,  after  the  rice  is  harvested, 
the  submerged  fields  are  almost  covered  with  the  familiar 
starwort,  the  minute  Salvinia,  and  its  ally  the  Ozalla  pinnata. 
The  barley,  wheat,  and  rape  which  are  sown  in  rows  at  the  end 
of  Oct.,  often  cover  the  unsubmerged  portions  with  a  lovely 
green  in  winter,  and  when  the  rape  begins  to  show  its  first 
blooms  (in  early  April)  the  region  takes  on  a  beautiful  golden- 
yellow  tinge.  —  The  Bisai  Rly.  Line,  which  diverges  left  from 
227  M.  Ichinomiya,  goes  to  (16  M.,  fare,  64  sen)  Yatomi  on  the 
Kansai  Rly.  —  The  many  pollarded  mulberry  trees  one  sees 
hereabout  advertise  the  fact  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  mt. 
valleys  of  the  province  support  themselves  by  rearing  ^jikr. 
wjorjrjs.  Considerable  broom-corn  and  bamboo  are  also  raised, 
arid  some  pottery  is  made  in  the  neighborhood.  Beyond  234  M. 
Kisogawa  the  line  crosses  the  broad  Kiso  River  on  an  1874  ft. 
bridge  that  cost  302,000  yen.  The  boats  that  glance  up  and 
down  its  blue  surface  look  very  pretty  with  their  white, 
crinkly  sails  —  some  shaped  like  dragon-wings,  others  with 
black  ideographs  in  the  center  or  a  black  triangle  at  one  corner. 
The  oddly  shaped  craft  moored  in  midstream  are  not  house- 
boats, as  one  might  deduce,  but  are  primitive  rice-mills  oper- 
ated automatically  by  power  obtained  from  the  current 


396    Route  26.  GIFU  Cormorant  Fishing. 

through  the  crude  paddle-wheels  at  the  side.  The  smooth  pike 
(excellent  for  motor-cars)  visible  from  the  train  is  the  old  Na- 
kasendo.  Many  a  glinting  bicycle  glides  along  it,  and  one  notes 
that  most  of  them  are  of  English  manufacture  —  the  American] 
article  (once  imported  in  quantities)  having  worn  out  itsj 
welcome  by  repeated  cheapening  of  quality.  <^ 
235  M.  Gifu  (Inn:  Tsunokuni-ya;  Tamai-ya,  both  near  the 
station;  ¥3),  the  chief  city  of  Mino  Province  (capital  of  Gif li- 
ken), with  42,000  inhabs.,  produces  quantities  of  paper  lanterns, 
fans,  and  parasols;  a  silk-crape  made  of  an  admixture  of  silk 
from  domestic  and  wild  silk- worms;  and  a  remarkably  tough 
paper  called  Mino-gami  (Mino  paper),  —  much  used  for  sliding- 
doors,  etc.  Foreigners  usually  associate  Gifu  with  the  great 
earthquake  of  1891,  and  with  Cormorant  Fishing. 

r  Cormorant  Fishing  (  UJcai)  has  been  practiced  in  China  from  time  imme- 
morial and  was  introduced  hence  to  Japan  perhaps  in  the  8th  cent.  Mature 
birds  (Phalacrocorax  carbo;  Jap.  U)  are  usually  about  3  ft.  long  and  5  ft.  in 
extent,  with  a  heavy  body,  long,  sinuous  neck,  a  stout,  'hooked  bill  about  as 
long  as  the  head,  a  naked  gular  pouch,  stout,  strong  wings,  and  14  stiff  tail- 
feathers  denuded  to  the  bases.  The  plumage  is  a  dark  gray  verging  into 
black.  The  birds  are  dextrous  divers  and  fishers  and  are  trained  and 
employed  in  catching  fish  in  various  parts  of  Japan.  Their  unclean  habits 
produce  evil  consequences  and  an  odor  particularly  offensive  to  sensitive 
noses.  After  the  shy  birds  are  caught  (in  winter,  on  the  coasts  of  the  neigh- 
boring Owari  Gulf,  with  decoys  and  bird-lime),  they  are  easily  trained  and 
they  soon  develop  surprising  intelligence.  They  lay  eggs  (which  are  often 
hatched  under  barnyard  hens)  when  3  yrs.  old  and  work  well  until  they  are 
15  or  20.  A  single  master-boatman  (JJsho)  can  easily  oversee  a  gang  of  12 
birds  (the  customary  number  employed),  and  although  hundreds  may  be 
out  upon  the  water  each  knows  its  own  master.  Each  seems  also  to  know  its 
number  and  rank,  particularly  the  latter  —  for  which  it  will  wrangle 
shrewdly  and  which  it  maintains  with  a  comic  dignity.  Ichi,  or  No.  1,  the 
dean  of  the  corps,  is  the  last  to  be  put  into  the  water,  the  first  to  be  taken 
out,  the  first  to  be  fed  and  coddled,  and  the  petted  member  to  whom  the 
most  fish  is  customarily  given.  The  others  stand  beside  him  on  the  gunwale 
of  the  boat,  according  to  their  rank,  experience,  and  ability.  Whatsoever 
bird  gets  into  the  wrong  place  is  promptly  and  unceremoniously  pecked  out, 
and  roundly  scolded  by  the  birds  en  masse.  Each  wears  a  ring  around  its 
neck  to  prevent  its  swallowing  large  fish.  Round  the  body  is  a  cord  attached 
to  a  short  strip  of  stout  bamboo  by  which  it  is  lowered  into,  or  taken  from, 
the  water.  A  thin  fiber  rein,  about  12  ft.  long  and  not  easily  tangled,  com- 
pletes the  harness  by  which  the  awkward  but  efficient  bird  is  guided  and 
kept  in  hand.  The  fishing-boats  are  picturesque.  Each  carries  a  large  iron 
basket  filled  with  blazing  pitch-pine,  hung  out  on  an  iron  rod  from  the  bow, 
to  light  the  work  and  attract  the  fish  (ayu,  a  species  of  trout)  —  which  gather 
about  it  as  moths  about  a  lamp.  Pleasure-boats  (yusen)  can  be  hired  from 
¥1.50  to  ¥7,  according  to  the  number  in  the  party  and  the  size  of  the  boat. 
Trips  are  often  arranged  from,  and  by  the  management  of,  the  Nagoya 
Hotel.  Fishing  (to  fish  with  cormorants  is  U  no  mane  wo  suru  karasu)  takes 
place  on  the  Nagara  River  (a  stream  where  cormorants  fish  is  usually  called 
U-gawa),  near  Gifu,  every  night  (except  on  moonlit  nights  or  when  the 
river  is  too  high)  between  6  and  12  o'clock,  from  mid-May  to  mid-Oct. 
The  fishing  begins  about  3  M.  above  the  town  (which  marks  the  lower  end  of 
the  course)  and  the  boats  drift  down  to  it.  A  well-trained  bird  will  catch 
from  100  to  200  fish  in  an  hr.;  when  its  pouch  contains  6  or  8  fish  it  is  drawn 
aboard,  relieved  of  them,  and  sent  back  for  more. 

'When  the  fishing-ground  is  reached'  (writes  Major-General  Palmer, 
R.  E.)*  the  master  lowers  his  12  birds  one  by  one  into  the  stream  and  gathers 
their  reins  in  his  left  hand,  manipulating  the  latter  thereafter  with  his  right 
as  occasion  requires.  The  kako  (sailor)  starts  in  with  his  volleys  of  noise  (to 


The  Persimmon.  GIFU  26.  Route.  397 

keep  the  birds  up  to  their  work),  and  forthwith  the  cormorants  set  to  in  the 
heartiest  and  j oiliest  way,  diving  and  ducking  with  wonderful  swiftness  as 
the  astonished  fish  come  flocking  toward  the  blaze  of  light.  The  master  is 
now  the  busiest  of  men.  He  must  handle  his  12  strings  so  deftly  that,  let  the 
birds  dash  hither  and  thither  as  they  will,  there  shall  be  no  impediment  or 
fouling.  He  must  have  his  eyes  everywhere  and  his  hands  following  his  eyes. 
Specially  must  he  watch  for  the  moment  when  any  of  his  flock  is  gorged,  — 
a  fact  generally  made  known  by  the  bird  itself,  which  then  swims  about  in  a 
foolish,  helpless  way,  with  its  head  and  swollen  neck  erect.  Thereupon  the 
master,  shortening  in  on  that  bird,  lifts  it  aboard,  forces  its  bill  open  with 
his  left  hand,  which  still  holds  the  rest  of  the  lines,  squeezes  out  the  fish 
with^his  right,  and  starts  the  creature  off  on  a  fresh  foray,  —  all  this  with 
such  admirable  dexterity  and  quickness  that  the  eleven  birds  still  bustling 
about  have  scarce  time  to  get  things  into  a  tangle,  —  and  in  another  moment 
the  whole  team  is  again  perfectly  in  hand.  All  this  while  we  have  been 
drifting  down,  with  the  boats  about  us,  to  the  lower  end  of  the  course,  and 
are  again  abreast  of  Gifu,  where  the  whole  squadron  is  beached.  As  each 
cormorant  is|now  taken  out  of  the  water,  the  master  can  tell  by  its  weight 
whether  it  has  secured  enough  supper  while  engaged  in  the  hunt;  failing 
which,  he  makes  the  deficiency  good  by  feeding  it  with  the  inferior  fish  of 
the:catch.  At  flength  all  are  ranged  in  their  due  order,  facing  outwards,  on 
the  gunwale  of  each  boat.  And  the  sight  of  that  array  of  great  ungainly 
sea-birds  —  shaking  themselves,  flapping  their  wings,  gawing,  making  their 
toilets,  clearing  their  throats,  looking  about  them  with  a  stare  of  stupid 
solemnity,  and  now  and  then  indulging  in  old-maidish  tiffs  with  their  neigh- 
bors —  is  quite  the  strangest  of  its  class  I  have  ever  seen,  except  perhaps  the 
wonderful  penguinry  of  the  Falkland  Islands,  whereat  a  certain  French 
philosopher  is  said  to  have  even  wept.  Finally  the  cormorants  are  sent  off 
to  bed  in  their  individual  baskets.'  —  Live  specimens  are  exhibited  in  the 
Kyoto  Zoological  Garden. 

Lovers  of  the  delicious  Japanese  persimmon1  will  find  the 
dried  product  produced  near  Gifu  (and  shipped  hence  all  over 
Japan)  of  exceptional  flavor.  Few,  indeed,  are  the  homes  in 
Gifu  Prefecture  that  do  not  possess  one  or  more  whirring  little 
silk-reels,  and  many  youngsters  of  the  town  itself  spend  their 
spare  time  decorating  the  paper  lanterns  which  are  shipped 
hence  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  The  traveler  who  by  chance  is 
forced  to  remain  in  Gifu  for  any  length  of  time,  can  spend  some 
of  this  to  advantage  visiting  the  beautiful  (20  M.  to  the  S.W.) 

1  The  Japanese  Persimmon  (kaki)  ranges  in  size  from  a  plum  to  a  big 
apple,  and  foreigners  often  become  as  inordinately  fond  of  it  as  they  do 
sometimes  of  the  evil-smelling,  equatorial  Durian.  Some  specimens  of  the 
kaki  are  nearly  spherical,  others  are  oblong,  others  heart-shaped.  In  color 
of  the  outer  skin  they  range  from  light  orange-yellow  to  deep  orange-red. 
Some  are  eaten  in  a  soft,  doughy  condition  (like  the  well-frosted  persim- 
mon [Algonkian  putchamin]  of  the  S.  of  the  United  States),  while  others  are 
gathered  when  still  hard,  to  ripen  afterward.  Though  the  former  appeal  more 
strongly  to  the  American  taste,  the  latter  are  more  highly  esteemed  by  the 
Japanese,  who  call  them  tarugaki  because  they  are  converted  from  astringent 
into  sweet  fruit  by  being  ripened  in  an  old  sake  tub.  When  over-ripe  and 
dried  in  the  sun,  pressed  flat,  and  then  put  away  in  boxes,  the  sweet  kaki 
assumes  the  status  of  a  dried  fig  and  is  used  like  it.  The  white  powder  which 
covers  the  dried  fruit  is  natural  sugar  that  has  exuded  from  it.  —  The 
Persimmon  Tree  (Diospyros  Kaki)  is  one  of  the  most  important,  beautiful, 
and  widely  distributed  trees  of  Japan.  It  is  a  stately  product,  something 
like  a  pear  tree,  with  handsome  bright  green  leaves  almost  as  large  as  those 
of  the  magnolia.  These  come  in  May,  to  be  followed  by  the  blossoms  in 
June,  and  the  fruit  in  Sept.  and  Oct.  The  wood  is  somewhat  similar  to 
Indian  ebony,  and  is  used  largely  in  joiner-work,  for  veneer,  and  in  the 
making  of  boxes,  cabinets,  etc. 


398    Route  26.      YORO  WATERFALL  Maibara. 


Yoro  Waterfall  (100  ft.  high)  near  the  village  of  the  same  name. 
The  Empress  Gensho  is  said  to  have  visited  the  spot  in  a.d. 
717  and  to  have  been  so  charmed  with  it  that  she  changed  the 
name  of  the  era  (717-24)  to  Yoro  —  a  Chinese  word  signi- 
fying 'one  who  supports  the  aged.'  Cherry  blossoms,  maples, 
hunting,  fishing,  and  fine  views  are  among  the  allurements, 
as  well  as  a  lake  (Shimo-ike,  3  M.  to  the  S.E.)  which  is  a 
breeding-ground  for  ducks  and  wild  geese.  These  assemble 
here  in  such  numbers  that  the  natives  capture  them  in  nets. 
The  shallow  reaches  of  the  water  are  sometimes  completely 
covered  with  the  lovely  lavender  blossoms  of  the  Pontederia. 

From  Gifu  the  rly.  turns  due  W.  and  traverses  a  region  as 
level  as  a  Kansas  prairie;  the  blue  mts.  which  cut  the  sky-line 
at  the  left  divide  Mino  Province  from  Ise  and  Omi.  The  fine 
Nagara-gawa  Bridge  (1515  ft.  long),  which  we  now  cross, 
replaced  the  one  crumpled  and  wrecked  by  the  great  earth- 
quake of  1891;  at  the  first  shock  the  three  central  spans  were 
tumbled  into  the  river,  the  massive  concrete  and  stone  sup- 
\  ports  snapping  like  pipe-stems  under  them.  243  M.  Ogaki,  is 
the  usual  starting-point  for  the  Yoro  Waterfall  mentioned 
above.  The  old  castle  \  M.  left  of  the  rly.  was  built  in  1535  by 
order  of  the  12th  Ashikaga  shogun,  Yoshiharu.  The  long  range 
of  bulky  mts.  which  wall  in  the  horizon  at  the  right  as  we 
proceed  westward  are  referred  to  as  the  Japanese  Alps. 
The  line  now  slopes  upward  to  (501  ft.)  252  M.  Sekigahara 
(' Barrier  of  the  plain'),  celebrated  as  the  scene  of  a  titanic 
and  decisive  battle  (in  1600)  for  political  supremacy  be- 
tween the  forces  of  Ishida  Mitsunari  and  Tokugawa  Ieyasu. 
The  view  narrows  as  the  train  enters  „a  valley  clothed  with 
bamboo,  mulberry,  evergreen,  and  deciduous  trees. ,  Many 
of  the  house-roofs  are  held  down  by  heavy  stones,  and  the 
peasantry  follow  the  custom  of  stacking  straw  between  con- 
venient trees.  The  Imasu  Tunnel  (990  ft.)  is  traversed  before 
Kashiwabara  is  reached,  beyond  which  the  valley  broadens  and 
the  grade  descends  to  259  M.  Nagaoka,  a  shipping-point  for 
the  fine  gray  granite  quarried  in  the  neighborhood.  The  his- 
toric Hiei-zan  and  the  lofty  hills  that  almost  surround  Lake 
Biwa  are  now  seen  ahead. 

266  M.  Maibara  (Inn:  Izutzu-ya,  near  the  station,  ¥3  — 
small  refreshment  room  on  the  station  platform),  383  ft.  above 
the  sea,  in  Omi  Province,  is  the  starting-point  of  the  Hoku- 
roku  Line  to  Tsuruga,  Fukui,  Kanazawa,  Naoetsuy  and  the 
intermediate  places  described  in  Rte,  32.  Travelers  to  Japan 
from  Europe,  over  the  Trans-Siberian  Rly.  to  Vladivostok, 
join  the  Tokaidb  Rly.  here.  —  The  sedgy  reaches  of  the  upper 
shore  of  the  picturesque  ^ake  jhiva  soon  come  into  view  at 
the  right,  and  in  summer  are  idealized  by  many  pond-lilies; 
the  mts.  which  wall  in  the  distant  horizon  look  like  dim  blue 
wraiths.  The  rly.  runs  for  some  distance  along  the  shore,  then 


Bridge  of  Seta. 


HIKONE  26.  Route.  399 


turns  inland,  traverses  the  Bushiyama  Tunnel,  and  emerges 
on  the  lake  at 

270  M.  Hikone  (Inn:  Rakuraku-tei,  ¥3).  The  quaint  town 
(pop.  20,000)  is  of  interest  to  foreigners  chiefly  for  the  old 
castle  (permit  from  the  innkeeper;  small  fee  to  the  caretaker) 
which  stands  on  a  hill  (now  a  public  garden),  commands  an 
extensive  view,  and  was  the  one-time  home  of  the  patriotic 
Ii  Kamon-no  Kami  (seep.  22).  —  The  rly.  which  branches 
S.  from  Hikone  goes  to  27  M.  (fare  ¥1.26)  Kibukawa.  — 
From  295  M.  Kusatsu  a  short  rly.  runs  through  Kibukawa 
to  Tsuge,  sl  station  on  the  Nara-Nagoya-Ise  Line.  —  Soon 
after  leaving  Kusatsu  our  train  threads  two  tunnels,  crosses 
a  rich  alluvial  plain,  and  comes  within  sight  (left)  of  the  Long 
Bridge  of  Seta  (Seta  no  Kara-hashi) . 

This  somewhat  commonplace,  iron-studded,  wood  bridge  derives  its  name 
from  the  near-by  village  of  Seta.  The  longest  span  (called  O-hashi) ,  which 
reaches  from  the  shore  to  the  island  in  the  river,  is  575  ft. ;  the  other  ( Ko- 
bashi)  is  215  ft.  The  original  structure  dated  from  very  early  times  and  was 
the  scene  of  many  stirring  episodes.  In  the  great  struggle  for  supremacy  in 
a.d.  672,  the  Emperor  Temmu's  general,  Murakuni  Oyori,  defeated  Chison, 
the  partisan  of  Kobun,  here;  and  in  736  Kusakabe  burned  the  bridge  in  order 
to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  Oshikatsu,  who  was  defeated  and  slain.  Kiso  Yoshi- 
naga  was  beaten  here  in  a  hotly  contested  fight  in  1184,  and  here  the  indom- 
itable Oda  Nobunaga  pitched  his  camp  after  ordering  the  destruction  of  the 
Hiei-zan  Monasteries  in  1571.  After  the  traitor  Akechi  Mitsuhide  cowardly 
assassinated  Nobunaga  in  1582,  he  fled  hither,  but  the  castellan  of  Seta 
burned  the  bridge,  seized  all  the  boats,  and  prevented  his  escape.  —  The 
small  Shinto  shrine  on  the  river  bank  is  dedicated  to  Fujiwara  Hidesato,  a 
lOth-cent.  military  hero. 

_  300  M.  Otsu  is  an  extension  of  the  lake-shore  town  oiHama- 
Otsu,  mentioned  in  Rte.  27.  Travelers  bound  for  the  Miyako 
Hotel  at  Kyoto  can  take  a  short  cut  here  and  reach  it  quicker 
and  cheaper  than  by  continuing  on  to  the  (10  M.  in  30  min.; 
fare,  45  sen)  Kyoto  Station,  whence  the  jinriki  fare  (irt  35 
min.)_is  40  sen.  Tram-cars  of  the  Kei-shin  electric  line  leave 
the  Otsu  Station  at  frequent  intervals  and  go  to  the  Ke-a-ge 
(2  min.  walk  from  the  hotel)  in  about  30  min.;  fare,  25  sen, 
1st  cl.  The  rly.  is  roundabout;  the  tram- way  goes  directly 
over  the  hills  (good  views).  Checks  for  heavy  luggage  can 
be  delivered  to  the  hotel  manager,  who  will  attend  to  them. 

The  train  now  enters  the  Osakayama  Tunnel,  emerges  in 
the  historic  Yamashiro  Province,  and  descends  between  hills 
clothed  with  thick  growths  of  pine  and  bamboo,  and  heavy 
with  the  bones  of  long  dead  emperors  and  other  imperial  per- 
sonages. 306  M.  Yamashina  is  the  point  of  departure  for 
the  historic  old  temple  of  Daigo-ji  (Rte.  27).  The  slopes  round- 
about are  covered  with  the  knob-like  bushes  of  Camellia 
theifera.  Many  picturesque  palmettoes  (Cham&rops  humilis) 
bear  witness  to  the  benignity  of  the  winter  climate.  The  old 
Tokaido  still  flanks  the  rly.  and  hereabout  is  much  used  by 
cyclists.  At  309  M.  Inari,  with  its  big  shrine  sacred  to  the  rice- 
goddess,  the  traveler  is  again  in  touch  with  Kyoto  by  electric 


400    Route  27. 


Practical  Notes. 


cars.  The  train  hurries  through  the  downward  sloping  suburbs 
to  the  Kamo-gawa  Bridge  (396  ft.),  then  draws  in  to  the  (311 
M.)  Kyoto  Station  (good  restaurant  upstairs,  English 
spoken),  with  its  motley  throng  of  priests  and  pilgrims  from 
almost  every  corner  of  the  Empire.  For  a  continuation  of  the 
journey  to  Osaka  and  Kobe,  see  Rte.  36. 


Railway  Stations.  The  Kyoto  Station  (also  called  Shichijo  Station,  from 
its  proximity  to  that  street)  at  the  S.  edge  of  the  city  (see  the  accompanying 
plan,  C,  5)  is  the  point  of  departure  for  trains  to  Nara  and  all  those  of  the 
Tokaido.  Tram-cars  go  past  the  entrance;  the  eastbound  cars  pass  the  (15 
min.)  Kyoto  Hotel  (fare,  5  sen)  and  proceed  to  Hiromichi,  whence  the 
Miyako  Hotel  (25  min.  from  the  station;  fare,  7  sen;  jinriki  in  35  min.,  40 
sen)  is  5  min.  walk  to  the  right.  The  latter  hotel  operates  the  restaurant 
upstairs  in  the  station  (breakfast,  75  sen;  tiffin,  ¥1.25;  dinner,  ¥1.25). 
There  are  a  number  of  Japanese  hotels  and  restaurants  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood,  and  a  dearth  of  foreign  ones.  Runners  (no  omnibuses)  meet 
trains.  —  The  Nijo  Station  (so-called  from  its  proximity  to  Nijo  Castle, 
PI.  B,  3),  the  usual  starting-point  for  trains  on  the  Sonobe  Rly.,  is  at  the 
West-Central  edge  of  the  city  (jinriki-stand  and  tram-cars),  15  and  25  min. 
respectively  from  the  Kyoto  and  Miyako,  Hotels.  —  Luggage-checks  had 
better  be  given  to  the  hotel  manager  or  the  runner.  Customary  charge  for 
a  trunk  to  the  hotel,  50  sen.  The  hotel  provides  carts,  on  which  3-4  trunks 
and  as  many  hand-bags  can  be  loaded,  for  60  sen,  and  ¥1.20.  The  Rly.  Co. 
delivers  baggage  within  the  hotel  radius  at  5  sen  a  package. 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix).  *.\Ihy<iko  Hotel  (Tel.  add.:  'Miyako,  Kyoto'), 
a  celebrated  and  popular  hostelry,  (English  spoken)  in  an  attractive  garden 
on  the  slope  of  Higashi-yama  in  the  N.  E. quarter  of  the  city  (PI.  E,  3),  high 
above  the  city  and  out  of  reach  of  the  disastrous  fires  which  sometimes 
sweep  the  business  section,  has  the  advantage  of  pure  air,  wide  views, 
proximity  to  the  chief  temples,  a  charming  situation,  and  many  home  com- 
forts (steam  heat;  open  fireplaces,  glassed-in  reading-  and  dining-rooms, 
foreign  newspapers  and  magazines,  etc.).  Good  food.  Rates  from  ¥6  to ¥10 
a  day,  Am.  pi.,  according  to  location  of  room.  Baths  and  coal  free.  Guests 
sight-seeing  in  the  S.  quarter  of  the  city  can  tiffin  at  the  station  restaurant 
or  at  the  Daibutsu  Hotel,  without  extra  charge.  —  The  Miyako  Tours 
Bureau,  operated  in  connection  with  the  hotel,  cashes  letters  of  credit;  stores 
and  forwards  luggage  and  curios;  conducts  a  local  express  service;  secures 
accommodations  on  rlys.  and  in  theaters,  and  buys  tickets  therefor;  charters 
yachts;  hires  servants,  and  provides  guides  and  interpreters  at  moderate 
rates.  The  traveler  pressed  for  time  will  find  a  local  guide  (¥4  a  day)  useful. 
An  English-speaking  coolie  will  serve  for  the  trip  over  Hiei-zan,  but  for  that 
to  Koya-san  the  traveler  should  try  to  secure  the  services  of  Mr.  R.  Fujino, 
of  the  Miyako  Hotel,  who  knows  Koya-san  well,  and  besides  being  an  intel- 
ligent and  helpful  companion,  is  also  a  sturdy  and  tireless  walker.  — ■ 
Laundry  in  the  hotel  at  5  sen  a  piece.  —  Kyoto  Hotel,  Kawara-machi  (PI. 
D,  3) ;  ¥6  and  upward.  English  spoken.  —  Daibutsu  Hotel,  near  the 
Shichijo  Station  (PI.  D,  5),  English  spoken.  Popular  with  commercial  men. 
Rooms  only,  ¥1.50  a  day;  with  board,  from  ¥3.50  and  upward. 

Banks  (comp.  p.  xxiii).  Nippon  Ginko,  Sanjo  Higashi-no-toin.  —  Mitsui 
Gink  6,  Shijo-dori. 

Churches.  Numerous  foreign  missions  are  represented.  For  information 
relating  to  them,  and  for  time  of  services,  etc.,  in  St.  Mary's,  the  Methodist, 
Baptist,  Evangelical  Protestant,  Congregational,  Presbyterian,  United  Bre- 
thren, and  other  churches,  consult  the  hotel  manager,  or  the  bulletins  posted 
in  the  hotel  lobby.  Religious  Books  at  the  Christian  Bookstore,  Sanjo  Goko- 
machi. 

General  Information.  Special  permits  (obtainable  through  one's  Minister 
or  Ambassador  at  Tokyo  —  several  days  usually  required)  are  necessary 
to  secure  admittance  to  the  Mikado's  Palace,  or  Gosho;  Nijo  Castle; 
Katsura  no  Rikyu,  and  the  Shugaku-in.  On  arrival  at  Kyoto  the  permit 


27.  Kyoto  and  its  Environs. 


General  Information.        KYOTO  27.  Route.  401 

should  be  handed  to  the  hotel  manager,  who  in  turn  delivers  it  to  the  Palace 
Intendant  (at  the  Tonomo^ryo  —  or  Palace  Office  —  a  branch  of  the 
Imperial  Household  Department,  near  the  Palace)  for  his  inspection.  On 
receipt  of  confirmative  advices  from  the  officials  at  Tokyo  the  Intendant 
(provided  the  Imperial  Family  is  not  occupying  any  of  the  buildings)  will 
issue  a  local  pass  to  accompany  the  original.  In  certain  cases,  this  can  be 
amplified  or  extended,  but  gentlemen  accompanied  by  ladies  should  be 
careful  to  see  that  the  name  of  each  is  specified  in  the  original  permit,  else 
they  may  be  refused  admittance.  The  rules  are  strict  and  passes  are  sup- 
posed to  admit  only  the  person  (accompanied  by  a  guide  or  interpreter) 
whose  name  appears  thereon.  The  privilege  is  accorded  only  to  foreign 
visitors  and  to  Japanese  of  high  rank ;  proletarians  rarely  or  never  see  the 
inside  of  the  Palace  or  Nijo  Castle.  The  exclusiveness  of  the  Japanese  Sov- 
ereign, the  sanctity  with  which  the  natives  regard  his  exalted  person  and  all 
his  belongings,  and  the  inflexible  punctiliousness  of  the  Court  etiquette 
are  but  imperfectly  understood  by  many  foreigners.  To  whatever  height 
his  sense  of  humor  may  have  been  developed,  the  Japanese  is  intolerant  of 
levity  when  this  is  associated  with  the  Imperial  Family  —  a  fact  which 
tactful  travelers  will  remember.  The  Palace  and  Nij5  are  open  between 
April  and  Sept.  from  8  a.m.  to  4  p.m.;  and  between  Oct.  and  March  from 
9  to  3.  Admission  cards  must  be  shown  to  the  guard  at  the  outer  gate,  and 
after  writing  their  names  in  the  Imperial  Register,  travelers  must  follow  the 
directions  of  the  guides  allotted  to  them.  Fees  are  not  accepted  and  should 
not  be  proffered.  Cameras  are  excluded,  and  photographing  or  the  making 
of  sketches  or  drawings  is  strictly  forbidden.  Hats,  outer  wraps,  umbrellas, 
and  canes  must  be  left  at  the  inner  threshold,  where  socks  or  slippers  for 
one's  shoes  or  stockinged  feet  are  usually  provided.  Relic-mongers  with  '  im- 
pulses '  should  stay  outside,  as  detection  is  almost  certain  —  with  unhappy 
consequences. 

The  wide  overhang  of  certain  of  the  temple-roofs  has  a  tendency  to 
darken  the  interiors,  which  can  be  seen  always  to  the  best  advantage  on  a 
sunny  day  between  10  and  3.  It  is  needful  to  remember  that  temples,  pal- 
aces, etc.,  close  at  4  p.m.,  and  that  preparations  for  this  event  begin  about 
3.30.  Travelers  who  linger  beyond  closing  time  vex  the  bonzes  in  charge. 
If  certain  of  the  temples  can  be  visited  in  Nov.  when  the  maples  have  just 
donned  their  autumnal  dress,  there  will  be  added  to  them  a  charm  which  no 
other  season  duplicates.  The  admittance  fee  charged  in  certain  temples  is 
usually  smaller  than  the  average  tip  would  be,  and  the  visitor  is  relieved  of 
the  necessity  of  thinking  of  the  latter.  Though  not  obligatory,  tips  are 
customary  in  places  where  no  fees  are  charged.  The  temples  are  supported 
by  pilgrims  and  parishioners,  and  visitors  from  abroad  are  usually  classed 
with  the  former.  The  locations  of  kakemonos  are  subject  to  constant  change, 
and  at  certain  times  the  best  are  withdrawn  for  temporary  exhibition  in  the 
museums  of  the  Empire.  The  amateur  can  usually  complete  his  inspection 
of  native  ecclesiastical  art  by  first  seeing  the  palaces  and  temples,  then  the 
museums.  Pictures  of  great  value  are  often  protected  from  climatic  changes 
by  being  stored  in  moisture-proof  godowns.  To  see  them,  one  has  to  give 
notice  several  days  in  advance  and  often  pay  a  substantial  fee  (¥5  or 
more),  since  two  or  three  trustees  must  be  present  at  the  withdrawal,  and 
their  time  or  traveling  expenses  are  considered.  Delays  must  be  expected. 

Nature  collaborates  with  art  in  Kyoto  on  a  scale  almost  as  grandiose  as 
in  Nikko.  Certain  of  the  temples  stand  on  terraces  amid  groves  of  noble 
trees  or  gardens  that  are  a  delight  to  the  senses.  Nowhere  more  than  in 
Kyoto  is  care  devoted  to  the  artistic  environment  of  the  most  celebrated 
Buddhist  fanes;  the  landscape  gardens,  the  stone  bridges,  lavers,  lanterns, 
and  what-not  are  usually  placed  with  scrupulous  attention  to  their  proper 
relation  to  the  main  structure,  and  because  of  this  they  please  the  artistic 
souls  of  the  natives  more  than  do  those  of  other  places.  Wide  avenues 
flanked  by  stone  and  bronze  lanterns,  and  lofty  torii  overshadowed  by  giant 
trees,  form  triumphal  approaches  to  many  temples,  and  the  surroundings 
alone  often  repay  the  traveler  for  a  visit  to  them.  While  the  Nishi  and  the 
Higashi  Hongwanji  are  in  the  populous  heart  of  the  city,  certain  of  the  old, 
but  equally  satisfying,  monasterial  retreats  are  in  the  suburbs,  and  the 
tourist  with  time  to  spare  should  see  one  or  more  of  them.  The  Mydshin-ji 
and  the  Ginkaku-ji  are  perhaps  the  most  representative.   It  is  a  mistake  to 


402    Route  27.  \  KYOTO  Shops. 

plan  to  see  Kyoto  in  one  or  two  days.  It  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  spots 
in  the  Empire,  and  however  long  one  remains  there,  one  usually  wishes  to 
extend  the  time.  For  the  convenience  of  the  hurried  traveler  the  chief 
4  sights  '  have  been  grouped  so  that  as  much  as  possible  can  be  crowded  into 
a  day.  The  excursion  over  Hiei-zan  to  Lake  Biwa;  and  the  fascinating  trip 
via  Nara  to  Kdya-san  should  not  be  omitted. 

Means  of  Transportation.  Kyoto  is  a  city  of  distances,  which  can't  be 
evaded.  Economically  disposed  travelers  can  save  time  and  money  by  using 
the  tram-cars  in  preference  to  the  slow  and  expensive 

Jinrikis  (p.  lxxxviii)  which  ply  for  hire,  and  which  are  to  be  found  at 
stands  in  various  parts  of  the  city.  Fares  are  approximately  the  same  as  in 
Tokyo,  with  a  steady  upward  tendency.  The  rubber-tired  vehicles  are  a 
bit  more  expensive  than  the  others;  the  rates  for  the  former,  as  posted  in 
the  Miyako  Hotel,  are:  Per  hr.,  50  sen  (at  night,  60);  2  hrs.,  70;  3  hrs.  (or  \ 
day),  90;  all  day  in  the  city,  ¥1.50;  to  the  Kyoto  or  Nijd  Station,  40  sen- 
Special  rates  apply  to  country  trips,  where  2  men  are  usually  necessary. 
Where  there  are  3  or  4  in  a  party,  it  is  cheaper  and  more  satisfactory  to 
employ  one  of  the  hotel  carriages:  Landau  per  day  in  the  city,  ¥10;  ^  day, 
¥7.  Victoria,  ¥8  and  ¥6  respectively. 

The  Electric  Tram-Cars  (densha)  which  traverse  the  metropolis  in  all 
directions,  and  which  were  the  first  of  their  kind  installed  in  Japan,  are  clean, 
comfortable,  speedy,  and  cheap.  Foreigners  who  know  their  way  about  the 
city  generally  use  them.  Fares  vary  according  to  distance,  and  range  from 
2  sen  upward.  There_is  an  interurban  to  Otsu,  and  the  Keihan-denki-tetsudd 
(runs  in  1|  hrs.)  to  Osaka  (41  sen),  thence  (in  1  hr.  more,  21  sen)  to  Kobe. 

Shops  (comp.  p.  cxii).  The  Kyoto  shops  are  known  for  their  multiplicity, 
attractiveness,  and  for  the  diversity  of  their  wares.  In  the  business  section, 
which  may  truthfully  be  said  to  embrace  practically  the  entire  city,  most 
of  the  houses  have  some  sort  of  a  shop  on  the  street  floor.  The  fact  that 
many  of  these  resemble  dwellings  more  than  mercantile  establishments, 
and  adhere  to  the  Buddhist  principle  of  a  modest  exterior  with  a  rich  and 
glowing  interior,  does  not  detract  from  their  charm.  Certain  representative 
firms  have  established  a  precedent  (rapidly  being  followed)  by  erecting 
structures  that  vie  in  size  and  commodiousness  with  the  best  Tokyo  and 
Yokohama  shops,  and  by  adopting  European  and  Western  ways  that  save 
travelers  time  and  inconvenience.  They  differ  somewhat  from  the  sea- 
port shops,  in  that  the  stocks  displayed  are  chiefly  of  local  production  — 
the  near-by  port  of  Kobe  being  the  mart  for  imported  goods.  As  headquar- 
ters whence  many  of  the  shopkeepers  throughout  the  Empire  draw  their 
inspiration,  and  their  supplies  of  silks,  embroideries,  brocades,  velvets, 
porcelains,  bronzes,  damascene  wares,  curios,  and  what-not,  Kyoto  is 
peculiarly  satisfying  to  the  lover  of  beautiful  things.  A  great  variety  of 
Chinese  curios  and  furniture  can  usually  be  found  here.  The  best  ivories, 
silver  objects,  fine  cloisonne,  and  carved  native  furniture,  are  generally 
manufactured  in  the  workshops  of  Yokohama  and  Tokyd.  While  the  special- 
ties for  which  Kyoto  is  famed  are  to  be  found  in  almost  every  byway  of  the 
metropolis,  travelers  will  find  it  more  satisfactory  and  convenient  to  make 
purchases  of  reputable  dealers,  in  whose  shops  prices  are  fixed,  English  is 
spoken,  the  quality  of  the  goods  is  guaranteed,  and  comprehensive  stocks 
are  carried.  In  such  places,  orders  can  be  left  with  the  assurance  that  they 
will  receive  proper  attention,  or  recompense  be  made.  The  following  brief 
list  has  been  compiled  with  special  reference  to  the  character  of  the  dealer 
and  the  quality  of  his  goods.  The  tourist  with  the  time  to  spare  will  be 
amply  repaid  for  an  inspection  of  the  processes  of  manufacture  of  certain  of 
Kyoto's  most  celebrated  products.  Some  of  the  workshops  are  ranked 
among  the  city's  most  interesting  '  sights.'  At  the  silk-weaving  mills  of 
Iida  &  Co.,  and  *S.  Nishimura,  the  finest  silk  brocades  produced  in  the  East 
are  woven  (highly  interesting  process).  The  intricate  and  beautiful  gold 
damascene-work,  in  the  making,  can  be  seen  at  the  workshop  of  S.  Komai; 
inlaid  gold  bronze,  etc.,  at  Kuroda's;  attractive  Kinkozan  Satsuma  at  the 
Kinkozan  Pottery;  gold-lacquer  at  Hayashi's,  etc.  English  is  spoken; 
visitors  are  welcome;  and  no  one  is  expected  to  fee  or  obliged  to  buy. 

Silks  and  Embroideries  (in  bewildering  variety),  S.  Iida  &  Co.  CTaka- 
shimaya  '),  Karasumaru  Takatsuji  (PI.  C,  4).  —  S.  Nishimura,  Sanjo  Kara- 
sumaru  (PL  C,  3).  ~  ~~* 


JF  -nam 


a. 


Festivals. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  403 


Curios  and  Art  Objects:  —  Yamanaka,  opposite  the  Awata  Palace 
(PL  E,  3).  —  S.  Hayashi,  39,  Furumonzen  (PI.  D-E,  4)  —  both  with  superb 
collections  of  ancient  and  modern  work. 

Bronzes  (plain;  and  mixed  with  gold  and  silver): —  K.  I.  Kuroda,  19, 
Teramachi,  Shijo  Minami  (PL  D,  4). 

Damascene-ware:  —  S.  Komai,  Shinmonzen  (PL  E,  4).  Gold-  and 
Silversmiths.  •"""*  L '*' 

Gold-Lacquer:  —  S.  Hayashi,  39,  Furumonzen  (PL  D-E,  4).  Fine-Art 
Curios. 

Porcelain  and  Pottery:  — S.  Kinkozan  (Satsuma-  or  Awata-ware) ,  near 
the  Awata  Palace  (PL  E,  3).  -jerTtd^  Tozari  '(porcelain,  Shirakawa-bashi. — 
Seifu  Yohei  (Kiyomizu-yaki) ,  Gojo-zaka.  —  Rakukichi  (Raku-yaki),  Nijo 
Abura-no-koji.  There  are  a  host  of  small  shops  in  the  city  where  one  may 
pick  up  attractive  bits  of  porcelain,  etc. 

Cloisonne:  —  Namikawa,  San  jo  Kitaura,  Shirakawa-bashi.  —  Dolls 
and  Fans:  —  Na?Htkawa',  Otabicho.  —  Bamboo  Articles:  — Ishii  Shoten, 
Gion-machi.  —  Lacquer-ware  in  general,  Nishimura,  Teramachi  Aya-no- 
koji.  —  Imported  articles  of  various  kinds  are  usually  displayed  in  the  shops 
on  Shijo  Otabichd.  A  host  of  unlisted  things  are  included  in  the  permanent 
displays  at  the  Commercial  Museum. 

Festivals  (matsuri).  Kyoto  is  a  city  of  festivals,  most  of  which  are  highly 
picturesque  and  attractive.  Some  are  associated  with  seasonal  flower  dis- 
plays of  rare  beauty,  while  others  are  marked  by  gorgeous  pageantry  and 
mediaeval  features  which  the  traveler  should  try  not  to  miss.  The  ceremon- 
ials of  the  Miyako  Odori,  the  Aoi  fete,  and  the  Gion  Matsuri,  are  peculiar 
to  the  city,  where  the  people  make  great  preparations  months  in  advance 
and  enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  occasions  with  unbridled  enthusiasm.  The 
Bon  Festival  is  the  local  expression  of  a  national  commemorative  celebra- 
tion, but  it  embodies  creations  not  seen  elsewhere.  —  When  assisting  at 
these  unique  occasions  the  liberal-minded  tourist  will  make  due  allowances 
for  the  differences  of  custom,  inheritance,  temperament,  and  locality;  and 
will  be  mindful  that  he  is  in  quaint  Japan,  not  Europe  or  the  West.  He  will 
also  perchance  wish  to  remember  that  the  features  which  strike  him  as  gro- 
tesque and  mayhap  incompatible  with  the  mental  and  material  progress  of  a 
remarkable  race,  are  merely  20th  century  expressions  of  ancient  and  historic 
spectacles  dating  from  a  time  when  the  people  were  not  as  advanced  as  they 
are  now.  During  the  festive  days  a  variety  of  interesting  entertainments  are 
organized  (details  in  the  hotels),  and  the  city  streets  are  profusely  and 
quaintly  decorated.  Thousands  of  happy  pilgrims  (usually  clean)  come  into 
the  capital  on  these  occasions  and  add  materially  to  the  animation  and 
picturesqueness  of  its  thoroughfares.  The  management  of  the  Miyako  Hotel 
erects  temporary  stands  along  the  route  of  the  processions  for  the  conveni- 
ence of  foreign  guests.  The  most  prominent  festivals  are  listed  below;  others 
are  celebrated  at  various  times  and  places. 

January:  New  Year  Festivities  from  the  1st  to  the  7th.  Comp.  Tokyo. 

February:  Snow-scenes  on  Higashi-yama,  and  Arashi-yama.  About  the 
middle  of  the  month,  and  thence  into  the  first  week  in 

March,  the  plum  blossoms  are  at  their  best.  Conspicuous  among  the 
many  places  where  they  can  be  seen  to  advantage  are:  The  Mikado's  Palace 
Garden  (PL  D,  2) ;  Kitano  Tenjin  (PL  B,  1) ;  Kiyomizu-dera  (PL  E,  5) ;  Momo- 
yama  (Environs  PL  C,  3),  and Nagaoka  (E.  PL  A-B,  3).  Late  in  March  the 
peach  blossoms  begin  to  blow.  The  Festival  of  Dolls  for  girls  ( Hina-asobi) 
is  celebrated  in  this  month,  and  a  myriad  fine  dolls  for  which  Kyoto  is  cele- 
brated are  displayed  in  the  shop-windows. 

April  is  cherry-blossom  month,  and  the  most  beautiful  season  of  the 
year.  Magnificent  displays  at  Maruyama  Park  (PL  E,  4) ;  Omuro  Gosho 
(PL  A,  2);  Arashi-yama  (E.  PL  A,  2);  Chion-in  (PL  E,  4);  Kiyomizu-dera, 
and  at  various  other  points  (for  about  3  weeks)  in  the  city  and  suburbs. 
The  Miyako  Odori  ('  Capital  Dance')  in  which  richly  clad  maidens  partici- 
pate, is  performed  (admission,  ¥1)  every  night  during  the  month,  at  the 
Kaburenjo  Theater  (10  min.  from  the  Miyako  Hotel),  near  Gion-machi. 
Special  services  in  the  Chion-in  and  other  temples  commemorating  the 
Spring  Equinox.  On  the  21st  falls  the  curious  Tayu  Dochu  ('Journey  of 
first-class  courtezans') ,  a  (decorous)  procession  of  harlots  in  costumes  popu- 
lar in  bygone  centuries. 


404   Route  27.  KYOTO  Festivals. 

'May  is  celebrated  for  its  superb  Azaleas,  Peonies,  Wistaria,  Kerria 
japonica,  and  a  host  of  other  flowers  induced  by  the  April  showers:  All  can 
be  seen  individually  in  various  parts  of  the  city;  collectively  at  the  Awata 
Palace  Garden  (PI.  E,  3)  and  the  Kyoto  Nursery  (PI.  A,  3).  During  the 
Tango-sekku,  or  Festival  of  Armor  and  Flags  (for  boys,  May  5),  the  city  is 
brightly  decorated.  The  Kamo-gawa  Dance  is  performed  nightly  (at  the 
Pontocho  Theater)  from  the  1st  to  the  16th.  Festivals  at  the  Inari  Shrine 
(PL  D,  6)  on  movable  dates.  The  Aio  Festival,  on  the  15th,  attracts  many 
foreigners  by  its  gorgeous  procession  (from  the  Mikado's  Palace  to  the 
Shimo  Gamo,  thence  to  the  Kami  Gamo  Shrine;  E,  PI.  C,  2),  in  which 
imperial  oxen,  flunkeys  clad  in  wonderful  costumes,  and  many  old-time  cus- 
toms are  conspicuous  features.  There  is  also  horse-racing.  The  celebration 
is  said  to  have  originated  in  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Kimmei  (about  a.d. 
540),  and  was  intended  to  appease  the  gods  for  a  violent  and  destructive 
storm.  The  name  Aoi  is  derived  from  the  custom  of  wearing  the  mitsu-aoi, 
or  three  asarum-leaves  crest,  as  a  symbol  of  the  standing  of  those  who  take 
.-part  in  it. 

/     June  brings  the  fireflies  to  Uji  (E,  PI.  C,  4) ;  the  Lake  Biwa  Canal  (PI.  E, 

•  3),  and  Arashi-yama  (E,  PI.  A,  2).  Fine  irises  at  the  Heian  Jingu  (PI.  E,  3), 
\  and  other  places.  The  popular  trick-riding  matsuri  of  the  Inari  Shrine 

•  occurs  on  the  5th. 

ly^  July.  The  Gion  Festival  is  the  most  popular  of  the  summer  attrac- 
tions. The  lotus  flowers  of  July  and 

August  are_seen  to  the  best  advantage  at  the  Imperial  Palace  Garden, 
at  the  Nishi  Otani  (PI.  E,  5),  and  at  a  place  near  the  suburb  of  Fushimi 
called  Ogura-no-ike  (E.  PI.  C,  4)  where  there  is  a  lake  (ike)  about  2  M. 
square  so  densely  packed  with  the  lordly  flowers  that  a  boat  (80  sen)  can 
pass  between  them  only  with  difficulty.  At  this  season  of  great  heat  the 
pursy  population  of  the  city  repairs  at  eventide  to  a  point  near  the  Shijo 
Bridge  (PI.  D,  4)  where  the  pebbly  river-bed  has  been  converted  into  a  sort 
of  cool  fairyland.  Tables  where  cooling  beverages  are  sold  occupy  the  dry 
places  in  the  shallow  stream,  which  in  turn  are  finked  with  the  shore  by 
temporary  bamboo  bridges.  Denatured  music,  pantomimic  geisha,  a  host  of 
sizzling  goodies,  throaty-voiced  story-tellers,  and  what-not,  contribute  to 
the  high  jinks  performed  here  until  a  late  hour.  This  popular  diversion  is 
known  as  Shijo-suzumi,  or  1  Cooling  one's  self  at  Shijo.'  The  thousands  of 
lighted  lanterns  which  decorate  the  spot  add  to  its  picturesque  aspect. 
—  The  Bon-odori,  or  '  Dance  of  the  Festival  of  the  Dead,'  is  held  about  the 
middle  of  the  month,  when  ceremonious  dances  are  performed  in  many 
places.  Toward  the  termination  of  the  fete  many  villagers  climb  to  the  hills 
back  of  the  city,  and  on  huge  scars,  which  the  traveler  will  note,  build  great 
bonfires  of  wood  which  they  have  carried  up  and  on  which  they  have 
written  the  names  of  loved  ailing  ones — -  whose  illness  is  supposed  to  vanish 
with  the  disappearance  of  the  names  in  the  holy  fire.  Certain  of  these 
ideographic  scars  (said  to  have  originated  with  Kdbd-Daishi  in  an  effort  to 
assuage  the  spirits  for  an  epidemic  which  once  swept  over  the  land)  are 
made  in  Chinese  forms  and  are  upward  of  200-500  ft.  broad.  The  natives 
know  them  as  Dai  Monji,  and  as  Hidari  Dai-monji  (the  Chinese  characters 
for  'Great  Word  ').  Of  the  former  25  or  more,  there  now  remain  but  4  or  5; 
one  is  visible  beyond  the  Ginkaku-ji  (E,  PI.  C,  2),  another  over  the  Kinkaku- 
ji  (E,  PI.  B,  2.) 

September.  Festivals  of  the  Full  Moon,  in  various  temples.  Curious 
midnight  festival  at  Hachiman-gu  (E,  PI.  B,  4)  on  the  15th. 

October.  Chrysanthemum  displays  at  the  Kyoto  Nursery  (PI.  A,  3)  and 
other  places  in  the  city.  Mushroom-hunting  (kinoko-gari)  on  the  hills  round 
about.  Daimyo  Procession  (Jidai-gydretsu)  on  the  22d;  an  impressive 
annual  festival  (of  the  Heian-jingu),  in  which  65  sections  of  the  city  are 
represented,  and  hundreds  of  fantastically  accoutered  people  (archers, 
warriors,  court-envoys,  dignitaries,  mountaineers,  etc.)  take  part. 

November,  with  its  wonderful  display  of  crimsoning  maples,  is  one  of  the 
months  most  popular  with  foreigners.  The  rlys.  run  special  excursions  to 
near-by  places  (Takao,  E,  PI.  B,  1;  Arashi-yama,  E,  PI.  A,  2;  etc.).  Good 
displays  on  Higashi-yama,  from  the  Kinkaku-ji  at  the  N.  to  Kiyomizu- 
dera  at  the  S.;  at  the  Chion-in;  Tofuku-ji,  and  at  many  other  points.  The 
trees  are  usually  in.  their  prime  about  Nov.  10-15,  but  at  certain  places 
(notably  the  Shugaku-in)  they  retain  their  tints  until  mid-December. 


Topography.  (^KYOTOy  27.  Route.  405 

December  is  a  busy  month  with  the  shopkeepers,  and  the  '  December 
sales'  (toshi-no-ichi)  bring  out  throngs  of  people. 

Topography  of  Kyoto.  Kyoto,1  the  ancient  capital  of,  and 
at  present  the  4th  largest  city  in,  Japan,  with  443,000  inhabs. 
(less  than  100  foreigners)  and  82,000  houses,  stands  near  the 
head  of  the  wide  and  well-watered  Yamashiro  Plain,  in  lat. 
35°  V  7"  N.,  and  long.  135°  46' 7"  E.  of  Greenwich  (4°  2' 
W.  of  Tokyo),  162  ft.  above  the  sea,  in  the  Kyoto  Prefecture, 
near  the  geographical  center  of  Yamashiro  —  one  of  the  his- 
torical Five-Home  Provinces.  It  is  the  capital  of  Kyoto  fu, 
and  is  27  M.  N.E.  of  Osaka,  its  natural  seaport,  and  327  W. 
of  Tokyo  —  which  since  1868  has  been  its  political  mentor. 
Its  beautiful  situation  in  an  amphitheater  of  perennially  green 
mts.,  whose  gracefully  sweeping  skirts  are  flecked  with  medi- 
aeval pagodas  and  temples,  girt  in  turn  with  flower-embowered 
landscape  gardens ;  its  palaces,  museums,  parks,  and  uni- 
versities, and  its  multiplicity  of  fascinating  shops,  endow  it 
with  charms  which  have  a  potent  attraction  for  Occidental 
travelers.  For  more  than  a  thousand  years,  or  from  a.  d.  794 
to  1868,  it  was  the  political,  intellectual,  ecclesiastical,  and 
artistic  center  of  Japan,  and  although  its  political  supremacy 
was  wrested  from  it  at  the  time  of  the  Restoration,  when  the 
Imperial  Court  moved  to  Yedo,  it  is  still  supreme  in  the  fine 
arts;  in  the  variety  and  barbaric  splendor  of  its  Buddhist 
fanes  (of  which  there  are  878,  with  82  Shinto  shrines) ;  in  the 
beguilement  of  its  colorful  and  kaleidoscopic  streets  with 
their  surging  throngs;  and  in  its  historical  associations  —  for 
the  entire  region  round  about  is  classic  ground  where  for  nearly 
two  thousand  years  Japanese  history  has  run  its  variegated 
course.  From  the  summits  of  the  bulky  hills  which  rise  im- 
mediately to  the  north,  east,  and  west  of  the  city,  one  may 
command  magnificent  views  of  the  plain  and  the  more  distant 
mts.,  and  particularly  of  the  fine  old  monasteries  tucked 
away  in  incomparable  positions  in  the  umbrageous  folds  of 
the  valleys  which  gash  the  mt.  sides,  surrounded  by  ancient 
parks  and  splendid  trees.  Dreaming  amid  extensive,  sunny, 
flower-decked  gardens  and  orchards,  they  remind  one  of  cer- 
tain of  the  fine  old  conventual  estates  of  Southern  Spain  — 
peaceful  retreats  in  which  hosts  of  merry,  well-fed  brothers  of 
the  tonsure  lead  calm  monastic  lives. 

To  many  travelers,  Kyoto  is  by  far  the  most  picturesque 
and  satisfying  of  the  interior  cities  of  Nippon.  To  all  it  is  a 
wholly  charming  survival  of  feudal  times,  and  it  is  the  Mecca 

1  The  word  Kyoto  is  the  Chinese  equivalent  for  the  original  Miyako 
('Imperial  Capital'),  in  turn  a  contraction  of  Miya,  Imperial  Palace  (also 
a  Shinto  shrine),  and  Tokoro,  place  or  abode.  Before  the  Restoration,  Ke\t 
or  Keishi  ('Capital'),  was  applied  exclusively  to  it;  and  after  that  tran- 
scendental political  event,  it  was  frequently  referred  to  as  Saikyo,  or 
.Western  Capital,  to  differentiate  it  from  Tokei,  or  Eastern  Capital  (Yedo), 
—  whither  the  Emperor  had  gone  permanently  to  reside. 


406    Route  27.  KYOTO 


Descriptive. 


of  almost  every  traveler  to  the  opulent  East.  Enthusiastic 
writers  refer  to  it  lovingly  as  the  Rome  of  Japan,  the  City  of 
Temples,  of  Artists,  and  what-not.  Its  people  are  intensely, 
fanatically  Japanese;  and  they  are  as  proud  of  the  city  as  the 
Parisians  are  of  the  splendid  metropolis  by  the  Seine.  To  them 
it  is  all  that  is  beautiful  and  worthy.  To  remain  there  while 
they  live,  and  to  be  buried  in  one  of  the  temple  graveyards 
when  they  die,  is  the  ambition  of  most  of  the  people.  To  the 
absorbed  and  extraordinarily  skilled  artists  of  this  relic  of 
Imperial  dominance,  crushing  feudalism,  and  monkish  sway, 
the' inhabitants  of  bustling  Osaka  are  mere  puttering  moilers 
after  fugitive  and  illusory  wealth;  the  bumptious  Edokko  (or 
Tokyoites),  pleasurers  and  politicasters ;  and  others  of  the 
Empire  so  unfortunate  as  not  to  be  able  to  live  in  Kyoto, 
more  or  less  boorish  folk  out  of  touch  with  the  finer  ethics  of 
Old  Japan.  The  indefinable  but  insinuating  and  convincing 
charm  of  Kyoto  is  as  unmistakable  as  it  is  subtle.  Essentially" 
a  city  of  art,  Kyoto  loves  the  refined  pleasures  which  a  love 
of  art  awakens,  and  this  sentiment  often  finds  expression  in 
spectacular  processions  marked  by  such  wonderful  costumes 
and  gorgeousness  of  color  that  they  attract  visitors  from  all 
parts  of  the  globe.  In  the  motley  throngs  that  pulse  gayly, 
and  apparently  in  an  idle  way,  through  the  narrow  streets 
festooned  with  lanterns  and  blazing  with  Oriental  color,  there 
is  a  strong  medievalism,  for  many  of  the  people  still  adhere 
rigidly  to  the  fast- vanishing  customs  of  early  days.  This 
pleasing  flavor  of  antiquity  is  accentuated  by  the  temple-like 
appearance  of  many  of  the  houses  (which  aim  to  illustrate 
Buddhist  precepts  by  being  plainer  without  than  within), 
and  by  the  deep,  booming  notes  of  colossal  temple  bells  heard 
at  frequent  intervals  throughout  the  city.  The  temples  them- 
selves, many  of  them  miniature  art  museums,  represent  the 
architecture  of  almost  every  age,  and  in  this  they  are  of  un- 
failing interest  to  the  ecclesiologist. 

In  the  manufacture  of  art  metal-work,  ceramics,  fans,  dolls, 
silks,  and  other  stuffs,  Kyoto  holds  first  place  among  the  busy 
cities  of  Nippon.  Fashions  in  art  may  be  said  to  originate  here, 
for  the  amazing  energy  of  the  purposeful  people  expresses 
itself  in  constructive  ways  that  appeal  strongly  to  the  fancy 
of  others.  Here  the  best  traditions  of  Japanese  art  are  fos- 
tered, and  the  stranger  who  treads  the  winding  halls  of  the 
Imperial  palaces,  or  the  vast  aisles  of  certain  of  the  Buddhist 
fanes,  is  often  amazed  and  filled  with  a  quiet  joy  before  the 
marvelous  productions  of  artists  who  lived  and  loved  and 
wrought  here  before  the  Plantagenets  ruled  England  or  Colum- 
bus dreamed  of  re-discovering  America.  From  the  primitive 
old  potteries  which  for  centuries  have  produced  porcelains  to 
adorn  palaces  in  almost  every  land,  and  from  the  crude  but 
wonderful*  hand-looms  whence  have  come  silk  brocades  and' 


City  Divisions. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  407 


tapestries  equal  in  quality  and  beauty  to  any  that  Europe  has 
produced,  there  are  still  turned  out  beautiful  art-treasures 
which  scores  of  eager  tourists  bear  away  each  year  to  their 
Western  homes.  The  work,  rather  than  the  workshops, 
improves  with  the  years,  and  in  the  stuffy  cubby-holes  which 
differ  so  little  from  their  prototypes  of  the  Middle  Ages,  one 
watches  fabrics  grow  under  the  deft  touch  of  craftsmen  whose 
forebears  mayhap  worked  on  the  same  spot  more  than  half 
a  thousand  years  ago.  The  city  is  a  fascinating  mine  of  interest 
for  the  art-lover;  here  upward  of  107,000  men  and  women 
are  engaged  in  some  sort  of  industry,  annually  producing 
goods  worth  45  million  yen. 

The  city  proper  is  in  the  form  of  an  ellipse  with  several 
different  quarters,  and  is  divided  into  unequal  halves  by  the 
Kamo-gawa  ('Duck  River'),  which  enters  it  from  the  N.,  is 
joined  at  the  Demachi  Bridge  by  the  Takano-gawa  (' Falcon 
R.'),  and  flows  S.  to  its  junction  with  the  Yedo-gawa.  The 
Katsura  River,  a  prolongation  of  the  Hdzu-gawa,  flows  past 
it  on  the  W.,  and  between  this  and  the  Kamo-gawa  (parallel- 
ing the  latter),  is  the  narrow  and  shallow  but  swift  Takase- 
gawa,  much  used  by  small  boats.  Canals  intersect  them  and 
connect  with  the  Biwa  Canal  which  flows  in  at  the  N.E.  The 
area  of  approximately  18  sq.  M.  is  being  added  to  steadily, 
as  the  city  is  rapidly  expanding  toward  the  N.E.  For  admin- 
istrative purposes,  it  is  divided  into  two  large  districts,  Kami- 
kyo  ku,  or  that  section  lying  N.  of  Sanjo-dori;  and  Shimokyo  ku, 
to  the  S.  of  it.  The  East  Quarter,  or  Transpontine  Kyoto,  rises 
gradually  from  the  Kamo  River  to  the  beautifully  wooded 
slopes  of  a  range  of  uneven  hills  running  N.  and  S.  called 
Higashi  Yama  ('Eastern  Mountain'),  and  along  whose  crest, 
from  Shogun-zuka  (behind  the  Miyako  Hotel)  to  Kiyomizu- 
dera  (PI.  E,  5),  run  footpaths  which  remind  the  traveller  of  the 
Carlsbad  roads.  From  the  shaded  terraces  hereabout,  the 
views  over  the  city  and  valley  are  extraordinarily  fine.  Far- 
ther toward  the  N.E.,  at  the  extreme  limit  of  the  valley,  rises 
the  stately  and  historic  Hiei-zan,  and  beyond  it,  silhouetted 
against  the  sky-line,  the  mts.  of  Kurama,  Hirane,  and  Mikuni. 
Atago-yama  (3000  ft.)  and  the  graceful,  flower-garlanded 
Arashi-yama  rise  at  the  W.,  and  are  seen  to  fine  advantage 
when  the  sun  glides  behind  them.  The  historic  Momo-yama 
and  Fushimi  lie  toward  the  S.W.  Midway  between  the  Kamo- 
gawa  and  the  summit  of  Higashi-yama,  trending  S.  from  a  point 
near  the  Miyako  Hotel  to  Maruyama  Park  (PI.  E,  4),  is  the  wide, 
primitive,  beautifully  shaded,  and  attractive  avenue  known  to 
foreigners  as  Temple  Street,  up  from  which  are  some  of  the 
finest  of  the  city  temples.  Its  northernmost  point  lies  in  the 
district  called  Awata  (near  the  Awata  Palace),  the  seat  of  the 
earthenware  industry,  and  where  the  exquisite  Awata  Ware  is 
made.  Beyond  Maruyama  Park  the  avenue  loses  its  stately 


408   Route  27.  KYOTO 


The  Streets. 


character,  and  its  restricted  prolongation  is  dominated  by  the 
celebrated  Kiyomizu-zaka  (the  Tea-Pot  Lane  of  foreigners), 
which  leads  E.  to  the  Kiyomizu  Temple.  This  region  is  also 
famed  for  its  porcelain  (p.  ccliii),  and  attractive  specimens 
of  the  widely  known  Kyoto  Ware  are  for  sale  in  many  of  the 
shops.  The  Gojo  district,  farther  S.,  produces  pottery  of  vari- 
ous kinds,  and  the  region  beyond  it,  nearer  to  Fushimi,  is  noted 
for  its  manufacture  of  dolls  —  one  of  Kyoto's  many  specialties. 
Shimabara,  at  the  S.W.,  beyond  the  Nishi-  Hongwanji,  is  the 
courtezan  quarter. 

The  Metal  Industry  (gold-bronze,  damascene,  and  other 
wares)  is  concentrated  on  the  W.  side  of  the  Kamo  River,  in 
the  commercial  heart  of  the  city.  A  long  way  N.W.,  beyond 
Nijo  Castle,  in  the  Nishijin,  or  '  Western  Camp'  district 
(so-called  for  a  daimyo  named  Yomona,  who  encamped  here 
during  the  troublous  period  in  1467),  are  the  looms  on  which 
the  finest  of  all  the  fine  brocades  in  Japan  are  woven.  The 
weavers  (oriya)  are  known  as  Nishijin  oriya,  and  formerly 
were  under  Imperial  jurisdiction;  the  products  (Nishijin-ori) 
turned  out  of  the  small  and  large  factories  are  legion  and  are 
usually  very  beautiful.  The  silk- weaving  industry  (which 
originated  in  Arabia)  is  older  than  history,  and  is  believed  to 
have  been  practiced  in  Japan  before  the  Christian  era.  Korean 
and  Chinese  experts  gave  an  impetus  to  it  in  the  4th  cent.,  and 
it  became  firmly  established  in  Kyoto  in  a.d.  794.  The  finest 
of  the  hand  embroideries  are  done  by  men,  who  excel  as  needle- 
workers. 

The  Streets  are  characterized  by  cleanliness  and  regularity. 
Many  are  as  straight  as  arrows  and  cross  others  at  right  angles. 
Some  are  being  widened,  while  others  are  flanked  by  seemingly 
interminable  rows  of  little  houses  that  look  as  if  they  were  all 
hewn  out  of  the  same  forest  and  fashioned  by  the  same  hand. 
When  the  Emperor  Kwammu  laid  out  the  original  city,  he 
planned  it  after  the  Chinese  city  of  Si-ngan  (or  Chang-an  — 
'Continuous  Peace')  in  Shensi  Province,  making  it  in  the  form 
of  a  rectangle  of  5  kilometers  in  length  and  4J  in  breadth, 
surrounded  by  moats  and  palisades,  and  with  the  Imperial 
Palace  occupying  the  center  of  the  N.  part.  A  great  thorough- 
fare called  Shujaku-dji,  or  the  'Main  Road  of  the  Gentry' 
(the  busy  Sembon  St.  of  the  present  day),  ran  from  the  S.  gate 
of  the  castle  inclosure  (at  the  time  N.W.  of  the  present  site)  to 
the  S.  gate  of  the  city,  and  divided  this  into  halves — Choan,  or 
the  'Right  (or  W.)  Capital/  and  Rakuyo,  'Left  (or  E.)  Cap- 
ital.' Each  half  was  subdivided  into  jo  or  divisions  allotted 
to  persons  according  to  their  rank;  thus,  in  the  first  or 
Ichijo  —  the  one  nearest  the  palace  —  dwelt  upper-grade 
folks;  those  of  the  next  rank  lived  in  Nijo  (2d  st.);  third-class 
people  dwelt  mSanjo  (3d  st.);  and  so  on  through  Shijo,  Gojo, 
Rokujd,  and  Shichijo  (4th,  5th,  6th,  and  7th  sts.),  where  the 


Bridges. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  409 


fringe  of  society  lived  then,  and  the  rly.  station  stands  now. 
The  broadest  of  these  streets  (dori)  were  170  ft.  wide,  and 
these  were  paralleled  by  others  40  ft.  wide.  As  similar  sets  of 
streets  ran  N.  and  S.,  the  old  capital  was  divided  into  squares 
like  those  on  a  checker-board.  There  were  1216  of  these,  each 
called  a  cho,  and  each  400  ft.  square.  A  low  wall  and  a  double 
moat  girdled  the  city,  and  gates  stood  at  the  ends  of  the  main 
avenues.  The  busy  Maruta-machi  ('log-street')  now  flanks 
the  S.  side  of  the  Palace  grounds.  The  small  street  called 
Kyogoku,  which  extends  from  Sanjo  to  Shijo,  is  lined  with 
theaters  and  is  very  gay  in  the  evening.  The  Buddhist  temple 
near  the  upper  end,  at  the  right,  back  in  a  small  yard,  is  the 
Segan-jij  and  it  has  a  black  Amida  on  the  main  altar. 

Bridges  (bashi,  or  hashi)  cross  the  Kamo  River  in  corre- 
spondence with  certain  of  these  streets.  Many  of  them  are 
adorned  with  big  bronze  giboshu,  and  are  shrouded  in  historical 
memories.  Among  the  oldest  and  most  celebrated  is  the  Sanjo- 
no-Ohashi  ('Great  3d  Ave.  Bridge'),  a  stately  structure  corre- 
sponding in  a  way  to  the  nationally  famous  Nippon  Bridge 
at  Tokyo.  Distances  are  measured  from  it,  and  it  was  for 
many  years  the  starting-point  for  daimyo  and  other  processions 
bound  for  the  Shogunal  Court  at  Yedo.  The  river  which  flows 
broadly  beneath,  >and  which  completely  fills  its  vast  stony 
bed  only  during  the  rainy  season,  receives  the  waters  of  the 
Lake  Biwa  Canal  and  other  streams,  and  forms  numerous 
islets  on  which  dyed  stuffs  are  often  spread  to  dry  in  the  sun. 
The  unusually  clear^and  pure  water  possesses  the  curious  prop- 
erty of  'setting'  dyes,  and  at  nearly  all  seasons  one  may  see 
men  and  women  standing  knee-deep  in  the  stream  swishing 
to  and  fro  long  strips  of  cloth  freshly  dyed  or  being  made  ready 
for  bleaching  or  dyeing.  Market-gardeners  come  here  to  rinse 
their  huge  white  daikons  in  the  stream,  and  at  times  long 
streaks  of  coloring  matter  tinge  the  water  like  pennants. 
Many  houses  of  entertainment  flank  the  river,  which  in  Aug. 
is  thronged  by  persons  who  come  hither  for  coolness  and 
diversion. 

Unlike  many  Japanese  cities  Kyoto  possesses  pleasing 
Suburbs  which  afford  charming  walks  enriched  by  delightful 
views.  The  palace-dotted  environs  of  the  N.  quarter,  and 
the  beautiful  wooded  slopes  of  the  hills  at  the  E.,  are  the  most 
readily  accessible  on  foot.  Whichever  way  one  turns  there  are 
historic  or  flower-decked  spots.  In  addition  to  the  excellently 
kept  Imperial  landscape  gardens,  there  are  a  number  of  smaller 
ones  privately  maintained  and  well  worth  seeing.  Those  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Miyako  Hotel  can  usually  be  seen  through  the 
good  offices  of  Mr.  M.  Hamaguchi,  the  hotel  manager.  Some 
of  the  wealthier  temples  sit  in  gardens  that  in  point  of  beauty 
are  equal  to  many  of  the  finest  in  Japan.  A  quiet  stroll  through 
some  of  them  will  take  the  nerve  strain  out  of  the  most  per- 


410    Route  27.  KYOTO  History. 

plexed  individual,  the  while  deepening  the  impression  that 
Kyoto  is  essentially  a  city  of  relaxation.  It  is  a  city  of  great 
memories,  a  felicitous  blend  of  the  North  and  the  South,  of 
Moscow  and  Seville,  celebrated  alike  for  the  erudition  and 
gallantry  of  its  men,  and  for  the  beauty  and  charm  of  its 
women.  Few  of  the  big  cities  of  the  Empire  afford  the  traveler 
the  same  opportunities  of  studying  Japanese  life  and  customs 
in  their  best  aspect. 

History.  Prior  to  the  8th  cent.  Kyoto  was  an  insignificant  village  (called 
Uda) ,  with  only  its  splendid  site  to  recommend  it.  It  remained  unknown  to 
fame  until  the  (50th)  Emperor  Kwammu,  believing  that  the  monkish  hier- 
archy which  at  that  time  practically  ruled  Nara  (the  first  permanent  capital 
of  the  Japanese  Empire)  was  endangering  the  best  interests  of  the  State, 
moved  the  Imperial  residence  thither  —  first  to  Nagaoka  in  784,  thence 
(in  794)  to  Kyoto.  'Everything'  (says  Murdoch,  vol.  1,  p.  207)  'was  done 
in  strict  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the  science  of  geomancy;  the 
new  Temple  of  Enryaku-ji  on  Mount  Hiei-zan  on  the  N.E.,  —  the  quarter 
whence  ill  luck  and  evil  influences  came  — ■  was  to  serve  as  the  indispensable 
outpost  to  deal  with  malignant  demons.  The  site  was  found  to  be  under  the 
protecting  influence  of  the  four  genii  who  preside  over  the  cardinal  points, 
—  the  Azure  Dragon  on  the  East,  the  White  Tiger  on  the  West,  the  Red 
Bird  on  the  South,  and  the  Dark  Warrior  on  the  North.  A  clay  statue  8  ft. 
high,  with  casque  and  cuirass  of  iron,  and  bow  and  arrows  in  hand,  was 
erected  on  a  hillock  to  the  E.  of  the  city  (on  Shogun-zuka,  near  the  Miyako 
Hotel) ,  to  serve  as  a  special  tutelary  deity  —  a  Japanese  version  in  clay  of 
the  Pallas  Athene  on  the  Acropolis.  It  was  believed  that  when  changes  in 
the  Empire  were  impending  this  image  gave  timely  warning  by  bursting  into 
song  and  moving  itself.' 

Kwammu  named  his  new  capital  Heian-kyo  ('  capital  of  peace  and  tran- 
quillity'), and  his  castle  Heian-jd  ('  castle  of  peace').  The  cultured  classes 
differentiated  it  from  Nara  by  calling  it  Hokuto  ('  northern  capital,  or  con- 
stellation ').  Barring  a  brief  interval  in  1180,  when  Taira  Kiyomori  took 
his  Court  to  his  Palace  of  Fukuhara,  it  remained  the  capital  of  Japan  for 
875  years.  Seventy-seven  Emperors  held  their  courts  here  and  almost 
as  many  wars  marked  their  advent  and  disappearance.  During  the  long  in- 
terval it  underwent  many  changes,  but  its  general  plan  remains  on  the  lines 
of  its  earliest  projection.  At  first  its  growth  was  rapid.  The  gradual  advent 
of  a  social  state,  in  which  one  section  of  the  people  ministered  to  the  luxu- 
rious proclivities  of  the  other,  was  accompanied  by  the  rise  of  three  great 
families,  the  Minamoto,  the  Taira,  and  the  Fujiwara,  whose  feuds  devastated 
the  country  for  five  centuries.  As  the  active,  administrative  heart  of  the 
Empire,  Kyoto  was  for  centuries  the  chief  objective  point  of  every  swash- 
buckling, piratical  picaroon  who  essayed  to  overthrow  the  Imperial  or 
the  military  authority,  and  few  cities  of  the  East  have  suffered  more  heart- 
breaking trials  or  horrid  ordeals.  It  has  been  repeatedly  sacked  and  burned 
by  militant  monks  and  predatory  samurai,  would-be  shoguns  and  feudal 
usurpers,  and  razed  by  terrible  earthquakes,  scourged  by  epidemics,  and 
buffeted  and  wrecked  by  elemental  forces  or  internecine  strife.  Its  history 
is  substantially  that  of  Japan  from  the  8th  to  the  12th  century,  when  the 
redoubtable  Minamoto  Yoritomo  established  his  military  oligarchy  at 
Kamakura  and  ruled  the  land  from  that  shogunal  seat.  Time  and  again 
the  Emperor-loving  people  of  Kyoto  saw  the  fierce  Kwanto  horse-bowmen 
defiling  through  their  streets  in  all  the  stern  panoply  of  war,  in  seemingly 
interminable  troops  and  squadrons;  or  the  magnificent  trains  of  armored 
courtiers  from  the  military  stronghold  at  Kamakura,  where  pomp  and 
splendid  pageantry  replaced  the  poverty  and  misery  which  all  too  frequently 
overtook  the  old  Imperial  city.  During  the  violent  earthquake  and  storm 
of  Aug.,  797,  whole  rows  of  streets,  hundreds  of  temples,  and  thousands  of 
houses  fell  into  ruins,  and  the  city  was  almost  annihilated.  Tragedy  stalked 
abroad,  and  the  suffering  was  appalling.  Earthquakes  in  850,  857,  864,  and 
868  destroyed  portions  of  the  capital,  while  the  historical  fire,  which  broke 
out  while  a  typhoon  was  blowing  in  1177,  burned  the  Palace  and  one  third 
of  the  citizens'  houses,  along  with  several  thousand  of  the  population. 


History. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  411 


Two  months  before  the  removal  of  the  Court  in  1180,  '  there  was  a  very- 
wretched  state  of  things  caused  by  famine.  Misfortunes  succeeded  each 
other.  Either  there  was  drought  in  spring  and  summer,  or  there  were  storms 
and  floods  in  autumn  and  winter,  so  that  no  grain  came  to  maturity.  The 
spring  ploughing  was  in  vain,  and  the  labor  of  planting  out  the  rice  in  sum- 
mer came  to  naught.  There  was  no  bustle  of  reaping  in  autumn,  or  of 
ingathering  in  winter.  In  all  provinces  people  left  their  lands  and  sought 
other  parts,  or,  forgetting  their  homes,  went  to  live  among  the  hills.  All 
kinds  of  prayers  were  begun,  and  even  religious  practices  which  were  unusual 
in  ordinary  times  revived,  but  to  no  purpose  whatever.  The  capital,  depend- 
ent as  it  is  on  the  country  for  everything,  could  not  remain  unconcerned 
when  nothing  was  produced.  The  inhabitants  in  their  distress  offered  to 
sacrifice  their  valuables  of  all  kinds,  but  nobody  cared  to  look  at  them. 
Even  if  buyers  came  forward,  they.made  little  account  of  gold,  and  much  of 
grain.  Beggars  swarmed  by  the  roadside,  and  our  ears  were  filled  with  the 
sound  of  their  lamentations.  Amid  such  misery,  we  with  difficulty  reached 
the  close  of  the  first  year.  With  the  New  Year,  men's  hopes  revived.  But 
that  nothing  might  be  left  to  complete  our  misfortunes,  a  pestilence  broke 
out  and  continued  without  ceasing.  Everybody  was  dying  of  hunger,  and 
as  time  went  on,  our  state  became  as  desperate  as  that  of  the  fish 
in  the  small  pool  of  the  story.  At  last  even  respectable-looking  people 
wearing  hats,  and  not  unshod,  might  be  seen  begging  importunately  from 
door  to  door.  Sometimes  while  you  wondered  how  such  utterly  wretched 
creatures  could  walk  at  all,  they  fell  down  before  your  eyes.  By  garden 
walls  or  on  the  roadsides  countless  persons  died  of  famine,  and  as  their 
bodies  were  not  removed,  the  air  was  filled  with  evil  odours.  As  the  corpses 
changed,  there  were  many  sights  which  the  eye  could  not  endure  to  see.  It 
was  worse  on  the  river  banks,  where  there  was  not  even  room  for  horses  and 
vehicles  to  pass.  Porters  and  woodcutters  too  became  so  feeble  that  fire- 
wood got  scarcer  and  scarcer,  and  people  who  had  no  means  pulled  down 
their  houses,  and  sold  the  timber  in  the  market.  .  .  .  The  number  of  those 
who  died  in  central  Kyoto  during  the  fourth  and  fifth  months  alone  were 
42,300.'  (Chomei,  Hojoki.)  — The  series  of  great  earthquakes  of  1185  did 
immense  damage,  and  the  surface  of  the  ground  shook  and  quivered  for 
weeks.  At  another  time  more  than  80,000  persons  perished  of  plague  and 
famine  in  Kyoto  alone. 

Kyoto  was  a  sort  of  political  barometer  of  conditions 
throughout  the  Empire,  and  when  the  capital  was  at  its  high- 
est point  of  magnificence  and  splendor,  a  revolution  could 
always  be  predicted.  'Probably  its  zenith  of  glory  was  in  the 
days  of  Ashikaga  Yoshimitsu  (1368-74),  when  it  had  more 
than  500,000  inhabs.  He  undertook  the  building  of  temples 
and  palaces  on  a  scale  suggesting  that  the  resources  of  the 
nation  had  only  one  fitting  purpose,  the  embellishment  of  the 
capital.  A  pagoda  360  ft.  high,  and  a  "golden  pavilion''  were 
among  his  most  celebrated  constructions.  The  former  disap- 
peared altogether  in  the  "eleven  years'  war"  half  a  century 
later,  and  of  the  latter  only  a  portion  remains,  —  a  three- 
storied  pavilion,  the  ceiling  of  the  second  story  decorated  with 
paintings  by  a  celebrated  artist,  and  the  whole  interior  of  the 
third  story,  ceiling,  walls,  floor,  balcony-railing,  and  pro- 
jecting rafters,  covered  with  gilding  which  was  thickly  applied 
over  varnish  composed  of  lacquer  and  hone-powder.  Traces 
alone  of  the  gold  can  now  be  seen,  but  the  effect  when  the  edi- 
fice was  in  full  preservation  must  have  been  dazzling.  Yosh- 
imasa,  who  succeeded  to  the  shogunate  in  1449  and  is  remem- 
bered as  Japan's  foremost  dilettante,  erected  a  Silver  Pavilion 
in  imitation  of  his  predecessor's  foible,  but  never  carried  it  to 


412   Route  27.  KYOTO 


History. 


completion. '  Of  Kyoto  as  it  was  in  his  days,  at  the  middle  of 
the  15th  cent.,  before  long  years  of  war  reduced  it  once  more 
to  ruins,  a  faint  conception  can  be  formed  from  the  descrip- 
tion of  subsequent  writers.    Says  one:  — 

'The  finest  edifices  were  of  course  the  Imperial  Palaces.  Their  roofs 
seemed  to  pierce  the  sky  and  their  balconies  to  touch  the  clouds.  A  lofty- 
hall  revealed  itself  at  every  fifth  step  and  another  at  every  tenth.  No  poet 
or  man  of  letters  could  view  these  beauties  unmoved.  In  the  park,  weeping 
willows,  plum-trees,  peach-trees,  and  pines  were  cleverly  planted  so  as  to 
enhance  the  charm  of  the  artificial  hills.  Rocks  shaped  like  whales,  sleeping 
tigers,  dragons  or  phoenixes,  were  placed  around  the  lake,  where  Mandarin 
ducks  looked  at  their  own  images  in  the  clear  water.  Beautiful  women 
wearing  perfumed  garments  of  exquisite  colors  played  heavenly  music.  As 
for  the  Flower  Palace  of  the  Shogun,  it  cost  six  hundred  thousand  pieces  of 
gold  (about  5  million  American  dollars).  The  tiles  of  its  roof  were  like 
jewels  or  precious  metals.  It  defies  description.  In  the  Takakura  Palace 
resided  the  mother  of  the  shogun  and  his  wife.  A  single  door  cost  as  much 
as  20,000  pieces  of  gold  ($160,000).  In  the  eastern  part  of  the  city,  stood  the 
Karasu-maru  Palace,  built  by  Yoshimasa  during  his  youth.  It  was  scarcely 
less  magnificent.  Then  there  was  the  Fujiwara  Palace  of  the  Sanjo,  where 
the  mother  of  the  late  shogun  was  born.  All  the  resources  of  human  intellect 
had  been  employed  to  adorn  it.  At  Hino  and  Hirohashi  were  mansions  out 
of  which  the  mother  of  the  present  shogun  came.  They  were  full  of  jewels 
and  precious  objects  (as  were  many  of  the  other  27  palaces  of  the  noble 
families).  Even  men  that  made  medicine  and  fortune-telling  their  pro- 
fession, and  petty  officials  like  secretaries,  had  stately  residences.  There 
were  some  200  of  such  buildings,  constructed  entirely  of  white  pine  and 
having  four-post  gates  (gates  with  flank  entrances  for  persons  of  inferior 
rank).  Then  there  were  a  hundred  provincial  nobles,  great  and  small,  each 
of  whom  had  a  stately  residence,  so  that  there  were  altogether  from  6  to 
7000  houses  of  a  fine  type  in  the  capital.  The  great  temples  that  stood 
in  the  city  and  its  suburbs  were  legion.  The  Sho-kaku-ji,  which  Yoshimitsu 
built,  cost  a  hundred  times  as  much  as  13  pagodas  of  a  century  later.  Alas! 
The  city  of  flowers  which  was  expected  to  last  for  ten  thousand  years,  be- 
came a  scene  of  desolation;  the  home  of  the  fox  and  the  wolf.  Peace  suc- 
ceeds war,  rise  follows  fall  in  all  ages,  but  the  catastrophe  of  the  Onin  era 
(1467)  obliterated  the  ways  of  Emperor  and  Buddha  at  once.  All  the 
glories  of  Imperialism  and  all  the  grandeur  of  the  temples  were  destroyed 
forever.  Well  did  the  poet  write:  "The  capital  is  like  an  evening  lark.  It 
rises  with  song  and  descends  among  tears."  ' 

It  was  not  until  the  16th  cent,  that  Kyoto  regained  some  of 
its  old-time  magnificence.  St.  Francis  Xavier  visited  it  in 
1551,  when  it  was  at  its  lowest  ebb,  and  remembering  Marco 
Polo's  reference  to  its  golden  palaces,  he  left  it  sadly  disillu- 
sionized. Under  Nobunaga's  vigorous  rule,  order  and  pros- 
perity returned,  so  that  the  year  1585  finds  it  again  a  city  of 
palaces  and  wealth.  The  great  earthquake  of  1596  leveled 
it  to  the  ground,  wrecked  the  Daibutsu  and  Hideyoshi's 
magnificent  Peace  Palace  at  Fushimi,  and  practically  ruined 
it,  but  by  1612  the  Daibutsu  was  again  in  place  and  the  capital 
rose  once  more  to  prominence.  Engelbert  Kaempfer,  writing 
in  1690  says:  — 

4  Miako  is  the  great  magazine  of  all  Japanese  manufacturers  and  com- 
modities, and  the  chief  mercantile  town  in  the  Empire.  There  is  scarce  a 
house  in  this  large  capital  where  there  is  not  something  made  or  sold.  Here 
they  refine  copper,  coin  money,  print  books,  weave  the  richest  stuffs  with 
gold  and  silver  flowers.  The  best  and  scarcest  dyes,  the  most  artful  carv- 
ings, all  sorts  of  musical  instruments,  pictures,  japanned  cabinets,  all  sorts 
of  things  wrought  in  gold  and  other  metals,  particularly  in  steel  (as  the 


Awata  Palace. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  413 


best  tempered  blades  and  other  arms)  are  made  here  in  the  utmost  perfec- 
tion, as  are  also  the  richest  dresses.  And  after  the  best  fashion,  all  sorts  of 
toys,  puppets  moving  their  heads  of  themselves,  and  numberless  other 
things  too  many  to  be  here  mentioned.  In  short  there  is  nothing  can  be 
thought  of  but  what  may  be  found  atMiako,  and  nothing,  though  never  so 
neatly  wrought,  can  be  imported  from  abroad  but  what  some  artist  or 
other  in  this  capital  will  undertake  to  imitate  it.  Considering  this  it  is  no 
wonder  that  the  manufactures  of  Miako  are  become  so  famous  throughout 
the  Empire  as  to  be  easily  preferred  to  all  others,  though  perhaps  inferior  in 
some  particulars,  only  because  they  have  the  name  of  being  made  here. 
There  are  but  few  houses  in  all  the  chief  streets  where  there  is  not  some- 
thing to  be  sold,  and  for  my  part  I  could  not  help  wondering  whence  they 
can  have  customers  enough  for  such  an  immense  quantity  of  goods.' 

The  present  city  is  undergoing  reconstruction  and  is  being 
greatly  improved.  The  increasing  demand  abroad  for  manu- 
factured products  is  enriching  many,  and  the  spirit  of  progress 
and  money-making  has  so  touched  certain  sections,  that  they 
fairly  hum  with  industry.  The  standard  of  creature-comforts 
grows  higher  each  day,  and  many  edifices  of  brick  and  stone 
are  replacing  the  modest  houses  of  feudal  times. 

The  Central  and  Southeastern  Quarters. 

♦Awata  Palace.  *Chion-in.  Maruyama  Park.  Gion  no  Yashiro. 
Higashi  Otani.  Kodai-ji.  Yasaka  Pagoda.  *Kiyomizu-dera.  Nibhi 
Otani.  Daibutsu.  Big  Bell.  Hokaku-jinja.  Amida-ga-mine.  Ear 
Mound.  *Imperial  Art  Museum.  Chishaku-in.  Myoho-in.  San- 
ju-san-gen-do.  tufuku-ji.  inari  shrine.  sparrow-house. 

OThe  *  Awata  Palace  {Awata  no  Goten),  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses a  temple  with  the  customary  priestly  apartments  (5  sen 
fee),  faces  a  narrow,  picturesque  thoroughfare,  Awata  Goten 
Maye  (called  Temple  Avenue  by  foreigners),  10  min.  walk 
from  the  Miyako  Hotel,  in  the  Awata  District  (PI.  E,  3).  Though 
shorn  of  much  of  its  former  glory  it  still  retains  some  au- 
thentic art-treasures,  and  a  charming  landscape  garden  worth 
seeing.  The  present  Shishin-den  was  erected  in  1895  on  the 
site  of  a  structure  (burned  in  1893)  which  is  said  to  have  dated 
from  876  and  to  have  served  as  a  place  of  retirement  for  the 
Emperor  Seiwa  (859-76)  —  who  ascended  the  throne  when 
9  yrs.  old  and  is  the  first  recorded  child  Emperor  of  Japan. 
During  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Go-Toba  (1184-98)  the  Palace 
grounds  included  all  the  land  southward  to  Maruyama  Park. 
An  immense  camphor  tree  with  wide-spreading  branches  and 
exposed  roots  is  a  conspicuous  feature  near  the  entrance,  from 
which  the  bonze  conducts  one  to  a  small  room  containing  some 
old  cryptomeria  doors  (sugi-do)  embellished  with  tigers  and 
bamboos,  and  some  dim  old-gold  fusuma  with  landscapes  by 
Tosa  Mitsunobu.  The  square  central  screen  adorned  with 
crests  and  bamboos  by  Kano  Sanraku  was  brought  from  the 
Palace  built  by  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi  at  Momo-yama  in  1593. 
The  adjoining  room  has  a  screen  and  fusuma  painted  with 
landscapes  on  a  gold  ground  by  Kano  Eitoku,  and  the  one 
following  it,  a  big  gold  screen  with  a  matsuri  flower-cart  on 
one  side  and  a  sacred  horse  (by  Hokyo  Toshu)  on  the  other. 


414    Route  27. 


KYOTO 


Awata  Palace. 


In  the  suite  formerly  occupied  by  the  family  of  the  late  Em- 
peror are  some  more  sugi-do  by  Sumiyoshi  Gukei  (who  also 
painted  the  pine  trees  by  the  seashore,  in  the  Hamamatsu-no- 
ma),  showing  the  style  of  cart  used  in  the  Gion  Matsuri.  The 
kakemonos  (which  are  subject  to  removal)  depicting  episodes 
in  the  life  of  Kenshin-Daishi  are  by  Sumiyoshi  Koken. 

The  Sea-bird  Room  has  some  rather  good  old-gold  fusuma 
of  various  aquatic  birds  by  Shimada  Kazue-no-  Kami,  and  a 
number  of  musical  instruments  used  in  the  temple  festivals; 
the  two  small  bronze  hand-bells  are  reputed  to  have  been 
brought  from  China  by  Jikaku-Daishi  in  847.  The  roll  of 
manuscript  of  certain  doctrines  of  the  Hokke  sect  (of  Bud- 
dhists), written  by  Kdbo-Daishi  upward  of  a  thousand  years 
ago,  is  perhaps  authentic.  The  adjoining  room  —  which  con- 
tains the  mortuary  tablets  of  many  long-dead  Emperors ;  some 
screens  of  Chinese  subjects  by  Kand  Motonobu  (Ko-Hdgen); 
sl  shrine  with  a  figure  of  Amida  carved  by  Eshin  Sdzu,  and  a 
picture  (by  a  one-time  abbot  of  the  Nishi  Hongwanji)  of 
Kenshin-Daishi  when  he  was  90  yrs.  old  —  is  too  sacred  for 
the  traveler  to  enter,  and  must  be  viewed  from  the  threshold, 
since  the  sainted  bonze  was  baptized  on  this  spot  more  than 
700  yrs.  ago!  The  Chinese  scenes  on  the  fusuma  in  the  suc- 
ceeding room  are  by  Kand  Eitoku.  The  specimen  of  hand- 
writing is  of  the  Emperor  Shdmu,  who  constructed  the  Nara 
Daibutsu.  Here  and  at  the  end  of  the  corridor  are  more  cedar 
doors  adorned  with  Gion  Matsuri  carts.  The  adjacent  throne- 
room  (of  the  late  Mikado)  has  some  fusuma  by  Kand  Kyuseki, 
and  a  mascot  (a  gift  to  the  temple  from  the  late  Emperor's 
father)  in  the  form  of  Jurojin,  a  little  man  with  an  abnormally 
long  head  (one  of  the  7  gods  of  good  luck) .  Conspicuous  among 
the  relics  (chiefly  imperial  gifts)  displayed  in  one  of  the  suc- 
ceeding suites  is  an  image  of  Amida,  said  to  be  more  than  2000 
yrs.  old;  a  small  figure  of  Jizd  sculptured  by  Shdtoku-taishi  in 
586;  a  curious  statue  of  Bishamonten  ascribed  to  Jikaku- 
Daishi;  and  two  old  Korean  candles  presented  to  the  temple  in 
the  16th  cent,  by  Kato  Kiyomasa.  The  old  screens  by  Kand 
Yasunobu  are  beneath  notice.  In  one  of  the  corridors  here  is  a 
bizarre  old  panel-screen  showing  the  genealogical  tree  of  the 
great  fighting  clans  of  the  Fujiwara,  Taira,  and  Minamoto. 

The  long  and  narrow  water-basin  in  the  garden,  which  we 
pass  on  the  way  to  the  Ko-gosho,  where  the  Mikado  sometimes 
lodges  when  he  is  in  Kyoto,is  said  to  have  been  presented  to  the 
institution  by  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi.  The  somewhat  striking 
fusuma  in  the  first  room  of  the  suite,  depicting  pine  trees, 
waterfalls,  and  what-not,  are  by  Kand  Morinobu,  and  are 
well-preserved  specimens  of  the  style  of  work  popular  in  the 
17th  cent.  The  pretty  river  scenes  (dating  from  the  same 
period)  in  China,  are  by  Kand  Ddshun  and  are  interesting 
portrayals  of  the  methods,  long  practiced  in  China  and  Japan, 


Awata  Palace. 


KYOTO 


27.  Route.  415 


of  fishing  with  cormorants.  Kano  Tanyu  and  Kano  Eitoku 
did  some  of  the  decorative  work  here ;  the  monkey  and  pheas- 
ants on  the  cryptomeria  doors  being  in  Tanyu's  poorest  man- 
ner. This  versatile  man  (p.  ccxxviii),  who  so  often  lapsed  from 
artistic  virtue,  had  a  passion  for  painting  these  quadrumanous 
mammals,  and  the  four  large  fuswna  in  the  next  room  show  some 
of  his  more  normal  work.  This  is,  however,  decidedly  inferior 
by  contrast  with  the  two  large  folding  silk  screens  by  Cho 
Shaku  Ran,  a  well-known  artist  of  the  Ming  period;  they  are 
among  the  best  things  here  and  were  gifts  from  the  Emperor 
Reigen  (1663-86).  The  graceful  figures  in  the  groups  are 
drawn  with  consummate  skill  and  with  the  light,  sure  touch  of 
a  master  hand;  the  tones,  though  faded,  are  still  lovely;  and 
the  princely  forms  of  courtiers,  court  dames,  and  other  high 
dignitaries,  who  seem  to  float  suavely  and  graciously  through 
the  delightful  perspective,  linger  in  the  mind  as  one  passes  to 
other  suites  and  to  less  charming  compositions.  Kano  Tanyu 
is  seen  again,  this  time  in  one  of  his  best  moods,  in  the  room 
where  Ko-Hogen  Motonobu  has  some  Chinese  scenes,  and 
Kano  Eitoku  some  still  better  ones  (at  the  back).  The  panels 
by  Eitoku,  in  an  adjacent  room,  showing  the  primitive  pro- 
cesses of  silk-making,  from  the  unwinding  of  the  cocoons  to  the 
weaving  of  the  cloth,  are  interesting.  The  always  satisfying 
Kano  Doshun  has  four  noteworthy  panels  at  the  back,  symbol- 
izing a  celebrated  Chinese  poem  in  which  Oriental  fancy  pro- 
trays  dainty  wine-cups  filled  to  the  brims  and  placed  in  the 
center  of  upturned  leaves  that  float  languidly  downward  on 
the  bosom  of  a  placid  stream,  to  a  point  where  eager  and 
laughing  youths  await  impatiently  their  safe  arrival. 
(The  Garden,  which  indubitably  is  one  of  the  most  charm- 
ingly dainty  conceptions  in  the  old  capital,  was  laid  out  by 
two  of  the  most  celebrated  artists  of  the  times  (15th  cent.): 
the  S.  half  by  Maruyama  Soami,  the  tea-drinking  poet,  painter 
and  crony  of  the  shogun,  Yoshimasa,  and  who  planned  the 
"garden  of  the  Kinkakuji  for  that  harebrained  roysterer;  the 
N.  half,  where  cluster  the  azaleas  which  so  glorify  it  in  the 
spring,  by  the  no  less  renowned  Kobori  Enshu  (or  K.  Masa- 
kazu,  1579-1647),  one  of  Ieyasu's  favorites  who  won  fame  as 
an  artist,  a  poet,  a  designer  of  flowers  and  of  landscapes,  and 
who  founded  a  school  (called  Enshu-ryu)  to  teach  the  solemn 
punctilio  of  the  cha-no-yu  ceremony.  The  fact  that  a  long 
dynasty  of  emperors  and  their  beautiful  and  imperious  consorts 
have  paced  its  serpentine  paths  and  gazed  at  the  moon  from 
its  quaint  bridges  enhances  its  interest.  In  May  when  the* 
rosaceous  Kerria  japonica  (Jap.  yamabulci)  transforms  the 
spot  into  a  golden  bower  and  vies  with  the  azaleas  and  wis- 
taria in  beautifying  it;  or  in  early  Nov.,  when  a  score  of  ador- 
able little  maple  trees  flush  to  the  first  boisterous  caress  of  the 
north  wind  and  mark  the  hill-slopes  with  mantles  of  flame,  the 


416    Route  27.  KYOTO  CHon-in  Temple. 

garden  is  seen  at  its  best.  Then  the  quaint  little  pond  supposed 
to  be  shaped  like  a  dragon's  heart,  and  the  stone  bridge  typi- 
fying two  dragons  abreast;  the  camellias  and  their  cousins  the 
pink-and- white  sazankwas,  and  all  the  host  of  other  flowers  and 
distinctive  features  of  the  place  impart  to  it  a  new  aspect  and 
make  of  it  a  delightful  retreat  which  to  see  is  not  to  forget. 
There  are  a  number  of  mazy  walks  up  miniature  mountains 
and  through  tiny  bosky  dingles,  and  in  particular  a  little 
knoll  and  a  sequestered  resting-place  called 1  Sorrow-forget  ting- 
terrace/  admirably  well  named,  for  here  one  enjoys  a  vista 
over  the  N.  and  W.  portions  of  Kyoto  so  beguiling  in  its  com- 
pleteness that  it  gives  one  scant  time  to  think  of  anything  else. 
The  historic  Hiei-zan  starts  up  at  the  right,  while  Atago-yama 
and  his  satellites  stand  out  boldly  and  challengingly  at  the  left; 
scores  of  glistening  temple-roofs  and  not  a  few  pointed  pagodas 
thrust  their  great  bulk  upward  through  the  sacred  groves 
slashed  in  the  mt.  sides,  and  prove  that  Kyoto,  like  Rome,  is 
a  city  of  temples.  The  small  green  hump  straight  out  ahead, 
with  its  pinnacled  pagoda  amid  trees,  is  Kurodani-yama,  the 
spot  where  the  glorious  old  temple  of  the  same  name  dreams 
of  past  splendor  in  its  sequestered  grove.  The  smaller  hill  at 
the  left,  scattered  over  with  houses,  is  Yoshida-yama. 

At  the  back  of  the  yard  near  the  base  of  the  great  verdant 
ridge  which  rises  steeply  behind  it  is  a  small  structure  called 
the  tea-serving  room,  where  the  immortal  Nobunaga  (who 
rebuilt  a  portion  of  the  palace)  used  to  retire  from  the  cares 
of  State;  and  where  the  Empress  (from  1763  to  1770)  Go-Saku- 
ramachi,  who  used  to  call  it  her  palace,  lived  for  three  years. 
The  decorations  of  the  narrow  panels  which  form  the  inner 
walls  are  by  the  peerless  Maruyama  Okyo,  and  Shimada  Kazue- 
no- Kami.  Time  has  dealt  harshly  with  them,  but  their  his- 
torical associations  retrieve  their  faded  splendor.  There  is  a 
piece  of  queer  iron-stone  in  the  yard  hereabout,  which  belies 
its  stony  aspect,  and  gives  out  the  ring  of  true  metal  when 
struck.  —  Almost  facing  the  exit  is  Yamanaka's  exhibition  of 
bewilderingly  beautiful  Japanese,  Chinese,  and  Korean  art 
works;  and  farther  along  at  the  S.,  some  attractive  little  native 
shops,  among  them  one  where  water-worn  stones  for  the  deco- 
ration of  landscape  gardens  are  sold.  Still  farther  S.  (5  min.)  is 
the  Chion-in,  described  below. 
,!  I  The  Temple  of  Chion-in  (pron.  chee-wo-neen'),  a  splendid 
old  monasterial  institution,«at  present  the  principal  seat  of  the 
Chinzei  branch  of  the  powerful  Jodo  sect(  of  Buddhists),  occu- 
pies a  commanding  and  romantically  beautiful  site  on  a  suc- 
cession of  terraces  cut  from  the  green  and  rugged  slope  of 
Higashi-yama  (PI.  E,  4).  The  main  temple,  one  of  the  foremost 
in  Kyoto,  and  a  typical  bit  of  uncompromisingly  pure  old 
Buddhist  architecture,  faces  S.,  and  the  lofty  cryptomerias,  the 
splendidly  graceful  pines,  and  the  glorious  maples  which  dom- 


Chion-in  Temple.  KYOTO  27.  Route.  417 


inate  it  (an  unforgettable  sight  in  Nov.),  as  well  as  the  suc- 
cessive flights  of  stone  steps  which  lead  up  to  it,  foreshadow 
the  splendor  beyond  and  remind  one  of  the  superbly  situated 
mausolea  of  incomparable  Nikko.  The  immense  stone  walls 
which  hold  the  terraces  in  place,  and  the  charming  perspective 
through  the  leafy  bowers  accentuate  the  comparison,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  plain  but  stately  old  gateway 
below,  while  equally  imposing  in  its  way,  is  much  less  showy 
than  the  glittering  relics  of  the  opulent  Tokugawa  era.  This 
sammori,  a  huge  two-storied  weather-beaten  structure  80  ft. 
high  (one  of  the  largest  in  Kyoto),  rises  from  a  granite  plinth 
65  ft.  wide,  165  long,  and  23  steps  up  from  the  roadway.  Its 
immense  bulk,  which  is  added  to  by  the  flights  of  lateral  stairs 
that  lead  up  to  the  (uninteresting)  second  story,  is  not  without 
picturesqueness  —  particularly  when  the  crimsoning  maples 
are  in  their  prime.  Then  the  perspective  from  the  park-like 
stretch  without  is  one  of  the  most  beguiling  things  in  the  city, 
and  no  traveler  should  miss  it.  In  the  pretty  little  pond  at  the 
right  is  a  stone  shaft  surmounted  by  a  graceful  statue  of  Kwan- 
non.  The  49  stone  steps  which  lead  to  the  first  terrace  are  less 
commonly  used  than  the  easier  and  wider  ascent  over  the 
Woman's  Road  (onna-zaka)  at  the  right.  At  the  top  of  either 
flight,  the  traveler  finds  himself  on  a  broad  esplanade  from  the 
extreme  right  of  which  another  series  of  steps  lead  up  to  a  still 
loftier,  but  smaller  terrace,  where  the  great  bell  hangs  quietly 
in  its  massive  belfry. 

The  original  temple  was  founded  in  1211  by  Genku,  a 
learned  priest  (b.  1133;  d.  1212),  who  abandoned  the  observ- 
ances of  the  Tendai  sect  and  became  famous  by  professing 
that  spiritual  salvation  and  entrance  into  the  'pure  land' 
(jodo)  could  be  obtained  only  through  prayer;  to  this  end  he 
repeated  the  name  of  Amida  as  many  as  60,000  times  a  day. 
The  militant,  non-conforming  bonzes  (under  whom  he  had 
studied)  of  the  Enryaku-ji  (on  Hiei-zari)  succeeded  in  having 
him  exiled  to  Sanuki,  whither  he  returned  to  Kyoto  (in  1210) 
to  die  at  the  age  of  76.  Known  as  Honen  Shonin,  he  was  later 
canonized  under  the  posthumous  title  of  Enko-Daishi;  when 
his  temple  was  burned  in  1633  it  was  promptly  rebuilt  in  its 
present  form  by  the  order  of  the  Tokugawa  shogun,  Iemitsu, 
and  solemnly  dedicated  (in  1639)  to  his  memory.  A  great  cel- 
ebration was  enacted  here  in  1911,  at  which  time  the  struc- 
ture was  practically  renovated.  The  same  date  saw  the  com- 
pletion of 

The  Amida-do  (Buddha's  Hall),  which  stands  at  the  left 
of  the  main  temple  and  is  connected  thereto  by  a  covered  cor- 
ridor. It  is  a  huge  two-storied  structure  of  distinctively  gran- 
diose proportions,  with  a  fine  porch  almost  covered  with  crisp 
wood-carvings  of  flowers,  storks,  elephant  heads,  and  mytho- 
logical animals.  The  two  handsome  bronze  water-basins  in 


418    Route  27.  ('KYOTO  Chion-in  Temple. 

the  form  of  lotus  leaves  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  steps,  and 
the  bronze  incense-burner  under  the  portico,  are  all  worth 
noting.  A  superbly  gilded  figure  of  Amida  sitting  on  a  big 
lotus  bloom  beneath  a  veritable  shower  of  glittering  metal 
enrichments,  is  the  most  striking  feature  of  the  main  altar  in 
the  surprisingly  tidy  interior.  Supporting  this  reliquary  is  an 
elaborate  red-  and  black-lacquered  stand  of  admirable  work- 
manship. Pending  from  the  ceiling  are  numerous  sexagonal 
metal  doban,  with  a  clawing,  crimson-throated  dragon  at  each 
of  the  angles;  the  special  one  iiengai)  above  the  archbishop's 
seat  being  very  elaborate.  Rows  of  attractively  lacquered 
sz^ra-stands,  enriched  with  yellow  metal  and  provided  with 
gold-fleeked,  crystal-knobbed  rolls  of  the  Buddhist  scriptures 
adorned  with  Tokugawa  crests,  are  ranged  round  three  sides 
of  the  altar,  where,  at  nearly  all  hours  of  the  day,  a  priest  sits 
and  methodically  taps  a  little  drum,  perchance  to  drown  the 
voices  of  devotees  who  bow  their  heads  to  the  very  floor  and 
implore  the  1  Enlightened  One'  to  hearken  to  their  plaint  of 
Namu  Amida. 

The  Main  Temple  (167  ft.  long,  138  deep,  and  95  ft.  high) 
displays  a  few  mediocre  wood-carvings  along  the  cross-beams 
of  the  vast  portico,  while  in  the  yard  facing  it  are  some  large 
and  beautiful  bronze  lotus-bloom  fountains  over  whose  dim- 
pled edges  limpid  water  plashes  unceasingly  into  stone  troughs 
below.  The  great  tile  antefixes  at  the  angles  of  the  roof,  in  the 
form  of  horned  demons  of  frightful  mien,  are  supplemented  at 
eacji  corner  of  the  porch  by  dainty  Buddhas,  which  look  as  if 
they  enjoyed  their  exalted  positions.  Bronze  wind-bells  pend 
from  the  corners,  and  the  white  beam-ends  of  the  compound 
brackets  form  a  striking  contrast  with  the  natural  color  of  the 
wood.  A  feature  of  this  porch,  with  which  every  Japanese  is 
familiar  and  which  the  sharp  eye  of  the  traveler  may  detect, 
is  a  small  wire  screen  high  up  under  the  eaves  at  the  right  of  the 
entrance,  covering  what  looks  to  the  naked  eye  like  a  hose- 
nozzle.  To  the  credulous  natives  it  is  a  miraculous  object 
known  far  and  wide  as  the  Wasure-gasa,  or  'forgotten  um- 
brella.' According  to  the  temple  records  (which  none  disbe- 
lieve), while  the  abbot  was  one  day  performing  an  important 
dedication  ceremony  before  the  final  touches  had  been  given 
to  the  roof,  rain  began  to  fall,  whereupon  a  fox  god  appeared 
and  held  an  umbrella  over  his  reverend  head  till  the  function 
was  completed!  When  the  abbot  looked  for  his  protector  he 
had  disappeared,  but  the  umbrella  remained  as  proof  that  a 
miracle  had  been  performed.  The  anachronistic  proletariat, 
oblivious  of  the  fact  that  Hidari  Jingord,  the  great  sculptor, 
died  in  1634,  five  yrs.  before  the  temple  was  completed,  relate 
that  he  left  the  umbrella  there  when  he  finished  it,  and  they 
therefore  call  it  Hidari  Jingord  no  wasure-gasa.  An  imprint 
of  it,  along  with  the  character  for  Kacho  (the  name  of  the  hill 


Chion-in  Temple.  KYOTO  27.  Route.  419 


on  which  the  temple  stands),  appears  on  all  the  compressed 
rice-cakes  which  the  priests  dispense  to  pilgrims  and  others. 
Before  entering  the  temple,  it  is  worth  while  noting  the  mas- 
sive carvings  beneath  the  great  ridge-pole,  in  the  angle  formed 
by  the  sloping  roof. 

The  spacious  Interior  happily  is  devoid  of  trumpery  and 
strained  elaboration,  and  in  consequence  is  singularly  satisfy- 
ing—  as  elegant  in  its  decorations  as  the  exterior  is  austere. 
All  the  rich  ornamentation  is  centered  at  the  main  altar,  where 
stands  the  splendidly  gilded,  temple-shaped  shrine.  A  picture 
of  Honen  Shonin  occupies  the  place  of  honor  in  the  reliquary, 
and  facing  it,  beneath  a  swinging  metal  baldachin,  is  a  sump- 
tuous cathedra,  for  the  archbishop.  Very  striking  is  the  effect 
produced  by  the  real  (dwarfed)  pine  trees  which  grow  from 
vases  placed  at  the  corners  of  the  altar  dais,  and  by  the  gilded 
metal  lotuses  20  ft.  or  more  high.  The  superb  keyaki-wood  pil- 
lars, heavily  sheathed  with  gold,  which  support  the  superstruc- 
ture, are  upward  of  30  in.  in  diameter  and  are  magnificent 
examples  of  the  great  girth  attained  by  some  of  these  forest 
giants.  In  lieu  of  capitals,  they  carry  rich  polychome  decora- 
tions, and  in  the  case  of  the  outer  ones  this  enrichment  —  of 
gold  foil  laid  on  so  heavily  that  it  resembles  drapery  —  flows 
upward  to  the  compound  brackets  supporting  the  immense 
tie-beams.  A  number  of  the  regal  fitments  were  presented  by 
enthusiastic  devotees  when  the  700th  anniversary  of  the 
founding  of  the  temple  was  celebrated  (in  1911)  with  great 
splendor.  Outside  the  chancel  rail  is  a  line  of  the  peculiar 
sleigh-bell  type  of  gong,  used  in  many  of  the  Japanese  temples, 
and  which  the  priests  pound  lustily  while  chanting  the  Bud- 
dhist formula.  At  the  end  of  a  covered  passage  leading  hence 
is  the  Shuei-dd,  a  large  plain  room  where  scores  of  shaven- 
pated  young  acolytes  in  flowing  robes  and  with  downcast  eyes 
may  be  seen  at  times  kneeling  on  padded  mats  beside  lac- 
quered sutra-boxes,  intoning  the  sacred  scriptures  to  the  sound 
of  tapping  drums,  amidst  the  curling  smoke  of  incense.  The 
main  altar  enthrones  a  gilded  figure  (by  Eshin  Sozu)  of  Amida- 
butsu,  who  is  especially  reverenced  by  the  Jodo-shu;  on  his 
left  is  an  image  of  Seishi-bosatsu,  and  on  his  right  a  Kwannon- 
bosatsu,  both  members  of  his  retinue.  The  side  altar  contains 
another  Amida  and  (left)  a  Monju-bosatsu  in  priestly  robes. 
The  black-and-gold  mortuary  tablets  are  of  emperors  and 
other  notables. 

The  most  prized  treasures  of  the  temple  are  in  the  O-Hojo 
and  Ko-Hojo  of  the  Goten,  sl  structure  at  the  right  of  the 
Shuei-dd,  erected  by  the  Tokugawa  shogun,  Iemitsu,  and 
decorated  by  some  of  the  most  celebrated  17th-cent.  artists  of 
the  Kano  school.  To  the  patriotic  Japanese  and  certain  en- 
thusiastic foreign  writers,  some  of  these  wan  reflections  of  early 
art  possess  recessive  beauties  which  the  casual  eye  finds  diffi- 


420   Route  27.  KYOTO  Chion-in  Temple. 

culty  in  perceiving.  The^IiHing  fusuma  on  which  a  majority 
of  the  pictures  are  painted  are  woefully  dingy,  and  sometimes 
sadly  defaced,  the  one-time  brilliant  gold  backgrounds  showing 
dully  across  the  centuries,  with  figures  and  landscapes  that 
have  faded  almost  to  the  vanishing  point.  The  bonze  conducts 
the  visitor  along  a  wide  corridor  with  (p.  clxxx)  'nightingale' 
floors  (of  which  there  are  said  to  be  upward  of  1800  ft.  in  the 
temple)  to  a  spacious  apartment  used  for  ceremonious  recep- 
tions ;  at  times  more  fusuma  are  introduced  and  it  is  converted 
into  a  number  of  smaller  rooms  each  named  for  the  decorative 
motives  on  the  panels.  The  large  faded  screen  at  the  left  of  the 
threshold,  depicting  two  playful  Korean  lions  on  a  field  of 
gold,  are  by  Kand  Tanyu.  Equally  unattractive  is  a  very  old 
folding  screen  showing  an  Imperial  procession  at  Nara  in  the 
8th  cent.  —  the  work  of  the  renowned  Domo  no  Matahei 
(p.  ccxxiv).  The  Plum  Room  has  sliding  screens  of  blossoming 
plum  trees  by  Kand  Sadanobu,  and  the  Stork  Room,  others 
with  graceful  white  storks  in  various  attitudes,  by  Kand 
Naonobu  —  whose  work  also  shows  in  the  Pine-Tree  Room. 
The  three  following  rooms,  en  suite,  —  greatly  reverenced  be- 
cause the  late  Mikado,  whose  throne  is  seen  in  one  of  them, 
once  occupied  them,  —  are  embellished  with  poor  conven- 
tional drawings  by  Nobumasa  and  Naonobu.  In  the  succeed- 
ing suite  are  some  panels  with  strangely  unattractive  snow- 
scenes  by  Kand  Eitoku;  some  landscapes  also  by  him;  some 
birds  and  flowers  of  no  merit,  and  a  set  of  the  Sixteen  Rakan,  by 
Nobumasa.  An  Imperial  Prince  is  said  to  have  become  a  priest 
and  had  his  head  shaved  in  the  room  where  there  are  pictures 
of  bamboo  and  plum  trees.  The  pink  and  white  chrysanthe- 
mums in  the  succeeding  room  are  by  Nobumasa,  to  whom  is 
also  ascribed  the  excellent  panel  showing  a  white  heron  (i-naori- 
no-sagi)  in  the  act  of  taking  wing.  A  specimen  of  his  work, 
upon  which  the  natives  look  with  awe,  is  shown  in  one  of  the 
contiguous  rooms  —  the  ghostly  outlines  of  a  tiny  sparrow 
(nuke-suzume)  which  was  painted  so  true  to  the  life  that 
it  flew  away  and  left  only  its  shadow!  An  equally  grave  accu- 
sation —  one  in  which  the  priests  believe  unreservedly  —  is 
made  regarding  one  of  his  doors  in  the  corridor;  here  he  painted 
a  pine  tree  with  such  fidelity  to  nature  that  resin  exuded  from 
its  trunk!  Hard  by,  on  another  panel  by  him,  is  an  angular 
and  shadowy  grimalkin  which  real  cats  consider  so  uncanny 
that  they  put  up  their  backs  and  spit  at  it  when  they  see  it! 
The  Willow-Tree  Room  has  uninteresting  decorations  by 
Sadanobu.  —  At  the  base  of  the  Kachd  Hill,  visible  from  the 
side  door  of  the  temple,  is  a  pretty  landscape  garden  laid  out 
by  Kobori  Enshu. 

The  Revolving  Library  (kyozd)  at  the  E.  (right)  of  the 
honden,  contains  perhaps  a  complete  set  of  the  Buddhist  scrip- 
tures; the  three  seated  figures  facing  the  entrance  are  Fu- 


Maruyama  Park. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  421 


Daishi  and  his  sons  Fuken  and  Fujo.  The  stone  steps  near 
here  lead  up  to  a  higher  terrace  on  which  is  the  Seishi-dd  (with 
a  statue  of  Seishi-bosatsu) ,  the  oldest  building  of  the  Chion-in 
group.  In  the  yard  is  a  deep-toned  bell,  and  behind  the 
shrine  is  a  spot  regarded  by  the  priests  as  the  most  charming 
in  the  temple  inclosure;  a  break  occurs  in  the  trees,  and 
through  the  gap  one  gets  a  winsome  view  of  the  broad  plain 
and  the  city  spread  languorously  athwart  it,  while  beyond 
the  bulky  mts.  —  the  highest  of  which  is  Atago-san  —  girdle 
it  like  a  wall.  On  a  still  higher  terrace  cut  from  a  rocky  ledge 
and  idealized  by  some  lovely  maples,  is  one  of  the  Tombs  of 
Honen  Shonin.  The  structure  is  richly  embellished  and  is  the 
scene  of  considerable  pomp  between  the  19th  and  24th  of 
April,  when  the  anniversary  of  the  great  priest  is  celebrated.  — 
The  Big  Bell  (tsurigane),  2d  largest  in  Japan  (comp.  Osaka) 
and  one  of  the  great  bells  of  the  world,  weighs  74  tons,  is 
about  10  ft.  10  in.  high,  9  ft.  in  diameter,  11  in.  thick  at  the 
lip,  and  was  cast  in  1633.  The  immensely  strong  old  bell- 
tower  was  completed  just  before  the  bell  was  cast,  but  it  was 
^^Ffcfy  restored  in  1911. 

Maruyama  Park  (PL  E,  4),  a  pretty,  tree-embowered  spot 
on  the  slope  of  Higashi-yama  between  the  Chion-in  and  the 
Kodai-ji,  is  a  favorite  resort  of  Kyoto  people  and  is  celebrated 
locally  for  its  cherry  and  maple  trees.  The  splendid  (200  yrs. 
old)  cherry  tree  near  the  entrance,  tottering  with  age  and 
propped  up  with  crutches,  is  called  the  Gion-no-yo-zakura, 
or  *  Night-blooming  Cherry/  from  the  local  custom  of  decorat- 
ing it  with  a  host  of  lanterns  during  the  cherry-blossom  season 
—  at  which  time  crowds  of  people  come  to  see  it.  Near  the 
lower  end  (W.)  of  the  Park  stands  the  Gion  no  Yashiro  (often 
referred  to  as  the  Yasaka-jinja),  a  popular  (and  very  holy) 
Ryobu-Shinto  shrine  said  to  have  been  founded  in  656.  Its 
origin  is  a  subject  of  much  controversy;  the  rites  of  the  original 
native  religion  in  their  pristine  purity  were  perhaps  celebrated 
here  a  millennium  ago,  when  the  shrine  was  dedicated  to 
Susano-o  no  Mikoto.  With  the  amalgamation  of  Buddhism 
it  lost  its  primitive  intention,  and  took  the  name  of  an  adjacent 
Buddhist  temple  called  Gion-ji.  At  one  period  of  its  existence 
it  was  a  dependency  of  the  Buddhist  temple  of  Kofuku-ji, 
and  later  of  the  Enryaku-ji.  With  the  disestablishment  of 
Buddhism  it  again  became  Shinto.  It  is  an  attractive  old 
structure  (erected  in  1654  on  the  site  of  a  much  earlier  one) 
with  a  beautiful  hinoki  roof  stained  by  time  to  a  fine  moss- 
green  above,  and  a  rich  wine-red  below;  architects  will  note 
the  neat  way  in  which  the  thin  strips  forming  the  lower  part 
of  the  nether  roof  (at  least  10  in.  thick)  are  placed.  A  row  of 
quaint  iron  lanterns  girdle  the  shrine  and  hang  from  the  eaves. 
The  ornate  brass  lanterns  of  the  front  porch  and  the  sacred 
horses  in  the  yard  are  relics  of  earlier  days.  The  sake-tubs 


422    Route  27. 


KYOTO 


Higashi  Otani. 


flanking  the  portico  impart  the  appearance  of  a  wine-cellar. 
The  huge  vermilion  gateway  adorned  with  gilded  crests  is  a 
striking  object  amidst  the  green  trees.  The  edifice  between 
it  and  the  shrine  contains  pictures  of  the  36  most  celebrated 
poets  (san-ju-roku-kasen)  who  lived  before  the  11th  cent.  — ■ 
each  in  his,  or  her,  favorite  attitude.  Both  the  shrine  and  the 
gateway  are  seen  to  the  best  advantage  when  approached 
through  the  great  gray  granite  torii  (one  of  the  largest  in 
Japan)  which  stands  before  the  S.E.  entrance.  On  the  night 
of  the  1st  and  15th  of  each  month  the  adjacent  grounds  are 
converted  into  a  flower-market.  The  nationally  celebrated 
Gion  Festival ,  which  lasts  for  a  week  from  July  17,  attracts 
thousands  of  people  and  is  one  of  the  most  popular  of  its  kind 
in  Japan.  The  week  bears  somewhat  the  same  relation  to 
Kyoto  that  the  Semana  Santa  does  to  Seville,  and  it  is  marked 
by  impressive  pageantry  which  most  travelers  will  not  wish 
to  miss. 

The  Gion  Festival,  one  of  the  three  great  annual  processions,  is  said  to 
have  come  into  prominence  during  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Seiwa,  at  a 
time  when  the  country  was  scourged  by  a  pestilence  which  raged  with 
particular  fury  in  Kyoto.  To  eliminate  it,  the  Imperial  astrologers 
assembled  a  multitude  of  people  to  participate  in  a  'driving  away'  cere- 
mony. Each  carried  a  long  curved  halberd  (naginata,  or  naginata-hoko)  of 
a  type  fashioned  by  Kokaji  Munechika  (a  famous  swordsmith)  in  gratitude 
for  the  life  of  his  daughter  —  who  had  been  attacked  by  the  plague.  Dupli- 
cates of  these  primitive  instruments,  along  with  many  other  curious  objects 
symbolic  of  the  occasion,  are  carried  in  the  solemn  procession,  which  is  often 
a  mile  or  more  long  and  includes  gorgeously  decorated  cars,  floats  drawn 
by  oxen,  drums,  and  a  boat  (fune-hoko)  supposed  to  be  an  exact  model  of  the 
one  used  by  the  Empress  Jingo  in  her  invasion  of  Korea.  Many  youths  take 
part  in  the  musical  entertainment,  and  at  night  the  festival  district  is 
illuminated  by  thousands  of  lanterns.  The  hotel  management  reserves  seats 
for  guests  in  the  several  grand  stands  erected  along  the  route. 

At  midnight  on  the  last  day  of  the  year,  when  Christians 
hold  their  watchnight  services,  Japanese  repair  in  numbers  to 
the  revered  Gion  Shrine  for  coals  from  the  holy  fire  which  they 
take  home  with  them  to  cook  the  rice-cakes  (mochi)  popular 
on  New  Year's  Day.  —  The  Geisha  Training  School  is  near 
the  Gion-machi  —  a  gay  street  where  the  Cherry  Dance  is  held 
in  April.  —  The  wide,  gently  sloping,  stone-flagged  avenue 
(|  M.  long)  which  stretches  away  at  the  right  of  the  torii  facing 
the  Gion  Shrine,  and  which  is  flanked  by  stone  lanterns  and 
overhung  by  graceful  pine  trees,  leads  to  the  entrance  of 

The  Higashi  Otani  (PL  E,  4),  a  greatly  revered  burying- 
place  of  the  abbots  of  the  Higashi  Hongwanji.  Some  of  the 
bones  of  Shinran  Shonin  are  said  to  be  interred  here.  The 
elaborately  carved  gateway  at  the  top  of  the  avenue  is  en- 
riched with  many  bronze  fitments.  Beyond  it  the  stone  steps 
trend  to  the  right,  then  sweep  to  a  higher  level  where  a  number 
of  quaint  buildings  are  grouped  in  a  yard  with  some  handsome 
bronze  lanterns  and  a  noteworthy  bronze  lotus-flower  fountain 
surmounted  by  a  squirming  dragon.  —  The  sometime  rich 


Kodai-ji  Temple.  KYOTO  27.  Route.  423 


and  flashily  ornamented  Main  Temple,  on  a  sequestered  ter- 
race amid  lovely  trees  and  a  restful  environment,  is  now  sadly 
dimmed  by  age;  the  beam-ends  are  all  sheathed  in  heavily 
chased  brass,  and  the  old  wood  sculptures,  like  those  of  many 
other  temples,  are  protected  by  wire  screens  from  the  defile- 
ment of  the  numerous  pigeons  which  make  the  place  their 
home.  The  restricted  interior  still  gleams  with  a  golden  after- 
glow of  its  once  exalted  estate;  even  the  many  compound 
brackets  are  covered  with  the  precious  gold  foil,  as  are  the 
deeply  carved,  pierced  panels  forming  the  frieze  above  the 
altar.  The  two  end  panels  carry  finely  sculptured  lotus  flow- 
ers in  shimmering  gold,  and  the  three  central  ones  symbolical 
Wheels  of  the  Law  in  triplicate.  A  proud  little  figure  of  Amida, 
darkened  by  age  but  still  stately  amid  a  shower  of  glittering 
tinsel,  stands  on  the  main  altar,  as  a  record  of  the  excellent 
work  of  Kwaikei,  an  llth-cent.  sculptor,  and  pupil  of  Jokdku. 
At  the  right  and  left  are  other  shrines,  one  with  a  revered 
picture  of  Shinran  Shonin.  The  fusuma  of  the  inner  sanctum 
show  various  designs  of  birds  and  flowers  painted  by  artists 
whose  very  names  are  forgotten.  On  a  terrace  reached  by  42 
stone  steps  is 

The  Tomb  of  Shinran  Shonin;  a  simple  affair  of  plain  gray 
granite  surmounted  by  a  shapeless  stone  called  tora-ishi,  or 
tiger-stone,  for  its  fancied  resemblance  to  a  tiger.  One's  inter- 
est in  it  is  of  shorter  life  than  in  the  scupltured  wood  gateway 
(attributed  to  Hidari  Jingoro)  which  gives  ingress  to  the.in- 
closure.  Above  the  twin  doors  are  boldly  carved  phoenixes 
and  dragons.  Other  conventional  carvings  appear  on  the  sev- 
eral panels,  conspicuous  among  them,  one  (right)  displaying 
a  sculptured  lioness  peering  over  a  precipice  at  her  cub  below, 
whither  she  has  cuffed  it  in  order  to  harden  it;  and  another 
(left)  with  two  carp  trying  to  leap  upward  over  a  waterfall  — 
symbolic,  to  the  Japanese  (with  whom  both  are  favorite  sub- 
jects), of  fixity  of  purpose  and  a#determination  to  succeed  in 
life.  On  certain  occasions  —  usually  the  offering  of  rice-cakes 
and  other  food  to  Shonin's  spirit  —  one  may  witness  a  pretty 
spectacle  here.  Scores  of  devotees  assemble  in  the  open  build- 
ing opposite  the  entrance  to  the  tomb  inclosure  and  there, 
attended  by  priests  in  gorgeous  robes,  who  intone  a  solemn 
ritual  before  opening  the  gates,  they  kneel,  with  heads  bowed, 
in  silent  reverence.  —  The  exit  at  the  end  of  the  lowest  terrace 
leads  to  a  big  graveyard  behind.  The  traveler  who  elects  to  fol- 
low this  well-traveled  path  down  the  slope,  soon  emerges  near 

The  Kodai-ji  (PI.  E,  4),  a  temple  (admittance,  5  sen)  belong- 
ing to  the  Rinzai  branch  of  the  Zen  sect  (of  Buddhists), 
founded  in  838  and  rebuilt  in  1601  by  the  widow  ( Kita  Mando- 
koro)  of  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi.  It  was  burned  again  in  1885, 
from  which  period  the  present  structure  dates.  Although 
greatly  revered  by  the  natives  because  of  the  relics  of  the  great 


424   Route  27.  I  KYOTO  Kodai-ji  Temple. 

Taiko  enshrined  therein,  foreigners  are  apt  to  find  the  rooms 
with  their  faded  old  screens  and  gaudily  weak  decorations  dull 
and  uninteresting.  Few  of  them  merit  description.  The 
screens  by  Kand  Koi,  Hasegawa  Tdhaku,  and  Domo '  no 
Matahei  awaken  only  a  languid  interest.  Certain  of  the  relics 
are  more  satisfactory.  The  lacquered  lunch-box  carried  by 
Hideyoshi  in  his  military  campaigns  has  many  tiny  compart- 
ments, and  is  a  companion  piece  to  the  medicine-chest,  marked 
by  his  crest.  The  bronze  hand-bell  (of  Indian  origin)  was  used 
by  him  in  camp  as  a  reveille,  and  its  historic  interest  is  un- 
doubted, for  with  it  the  militant  general  has  perchance  called 
many  thousands  of  his  devoted  followers  from  slumber,  later 
to  see  them  plunged  into  the  deep  sleep  of  eternity.  The  curi- 
ously shaped  stone  on  a  tray  was  brought  to  Hideyoshi  from 
Korea  and  was  used  by  him  as  a  decoration  for  a  miniature 
landscape  garden.  His  madreperl  writing-box  is  perhaps 
authentic.  Hard  by  it  is  the  frame  on  which  his  widow  is  re- 
puted to  have  hung  her  bridal  robes.  The  si^ra-rolls  embody- 
ing the  doctrines  of  the  Hokke  sect,  though  said  to  be  in  the 
handwriting  of  Kdbd-Daishi,  are  only  copies  (gilt  characters 
on  a  black  ground). 

The  garden,  behind  which  rises  a  thickly  wooded  hill,  is 
pretty  and  is  said  to  have  been  designed  by  Kobori  Enshu. 
Spanning  the  lotus-pond  is  an  arched  corridor,  midway  of  which 
is  a  small  platform  (alleged  to  have  been  a  part  of  Hideyo- 
yoshi's  palace  at  Fushimi)  where  the  Taiko  used  to  sit  and 
gaze  at  the  moon.  The  little  pond  at  the  left,  because  turtle- 
shaped,  is  called  Kame-no-ike;  and  the  one  at  the  right, 
shaped  like  a  stork,  Tsuru-no-ike,  whence  the  name  of  the 
pair:  Tsuru-Kame-no-ike.  The  Kaisan-dd,  or  Founder's  Hall, 
to  which  the  bonze  now  conducts  one,  is  very  old  and  hideously 
lurid,  with  decorations  embodying  all  the  colors  of  a  crazy- 
quilt  or  a  chrysanthemum  show.  The  ceiling  of  the  outer  room 
is  thought  to  be  a  part  of  the'ancient  war- junk  built  to  convey 
Hideyoshi  to  Korea;  and  that  of  the  inner  one  (with  four 
nondescript  panels  by  Kand  Motonobu),  part  of  his  wife's 
palanquin.  The  involved  dragon  on  the  smallest  ceiling  is 
by  Kand  Eitoku.  The  ugly  old  rusted  iron  incense-burner, 
standing  near,  was  unskillfully  fashioned  after  a  repulsive 
octopus,  and  tradition  has  it  that  it  was  brought  from  Korea 
by  Hideyoshi's  barbaric  general,  Katd  Kiyomasa  (known  to 
foreigners  as  a  relentless  enemy  of  Christianity,  and  to  Jap- 
anese as  Kisho-kwanj  or  Devil  General,  because  of  his  per- 
sonal bravery  and  military  victories),  who  is  worshiped  in 
certain  temples  of  the  Nichiren  sect  as  Seishd-ko-Seisho  (the 
Chinese  equivalent  of  the  Japanese  Kiyomasa).  The  figure 
on  the  altar  is  that  of  the  abbot  who  baptized  the  Taiko1  s  wife. 

The  visitor  is  now  led  along  the  covered  ■  Corridor  of  the 
Recumbent  Dragon/  spanning  a  pond  called  Gwaryd-no-ike, 


Yasaka  Pagoda.        (  KYOTO 


27.  Route.  425 


thence  up  a  flight  of  stone  steps  interspersed  with  short  tiled 
landings.  Looking  upward  from  below  the  quick  eye  notes 
that  stones  only  are  seen,  and  down  from  above,  that  the  stair 
looks  as  if  made  solely  of  tiles.  At  the  top  is  the  Mortuary 
Chapel  (0  Tamaya)  with  a  small  shrine  containing  a  bosatsu 
to  which  Hideyoshi  used  to  pray;  his  sculptured  and  seated 
image  when  he  was  62  (the  year  of  his  death)  is  seen  at  the 
right;  and  at  the  left  one  of  his  wife  (when  she  was  42)  in  the 
garb  of  a  nun.  Formerly  36  small  panels  of  the  36  most  cele- 
brated poets  who  lived  before  the  11th  cent.  —  the  work  of 
the  famous  Tosa  Mitsunobu  —  adorned  the  upper  part  of  this 
room,  but  they  were  stolen  in  Dec,  1911.  The  steps  which 
lead  up  to  the  reliquary,  and  which  depict  (in  gold  tracery) 
rafts  and  cherry  blossoms  floating  down  a  stream,  are  said 
to  rank  among  the  earliest  specimens  of  lacquer  made  in  Japan. 
—  Higher  up  at  the  right  of  the  0  Tamaya  is  a  little  house, 
constructed  by  one  of  Hideyoshi1  s  teachers,  containing  a  dainty 
little  cha-no-ma  (tea-room)  wherein  elaborate  cha-no-yu 
parties  were  held  formerly. — The  small  red,  two-storied  pagoda, 
which  one  passes  on  emerging  from  the  temple  inclosure,  com- 
memorates the  soldiers  who  died  in  the  Japan-Russia  War. 
The  stone  monument  girdled  by  an  iron  fence  at  the  left  stands 
to  the  memory  of  those  who  fell  in  the  Japan-China  War.  The 
original  Kodai-ji  stood  here,  and  the  circular  stones  half  em- 
bedded in  the  earth  formed  part  of  the  foundation.  —  The 
noonday  gun  is  fired  from  the  Kodai-ji  compound.  —  The 
small  shops  which  face  the  roadway  hereabout  specialize  in 
the  cheap  pottery  called  Kodai-ji-yaki.  —  A  few  minutes' 
walk  to  the  S.  brings  one  to 

\J  The  Yasaka  Pagoda  (PI.  E,  4),  a  tawdry,  5-storied  structure 
*  dating  from  1618  and  occupying  the  site  of  one  erected  in  1440 
and  said  to  have  been  the  first  of  its  kind  in  Japan.  Formerly 
it  served  as  a  watch-tower  whence  the  movements  of  troops 
were  observed.  A  wide  panorama  is  possible  from  the  upper 
story,  for  whosoever  is  willing  to  climb  to  it  through  the  cob- 
webs and  dust.  It  has  been  so  mauled  by  the  hand  of  time  that 
the  four  Nyorai,  to  whom  it  is  dedicated,  are  not  worth  looking 
at.  Of  much  greater  interest  is  the  near-by  temple  described 
below...  .*£J*        1  "s. 

The  *Kiyomizu-dera  (PL,  E,  5)  a  nationally  celebrated  and 
greatly  venerated  Buddhist  temple  on  the  slope  of  Kiyomizu 
Hill  (or  Otowa-yama) ,  in  the  S.E.  quarter  of  the  city,  besides 
being  one  of  the  most  popular  of  the  metropolitan  fanes  (and 
in  point  of  picturesqueness  a  unique  ecclesiological  gem), 
ranks  as  one  of  the  25  places  sacred  to  Honen  Shonin,  and  is 

•  16th  on  the  list  of  the  San-ju-san  sho,  or  Thirty-tree  Temples 
(p.  ccvi)  sacred  to  the  Goddess  Kwannon.  While  the  views 
from  its  exalted  situation  are  beguiling  at  all  times,  the  traveler 
should  try  to  visit  it  in  Nov.  when  the  maples  are  in  their 


426    Route  27.  KYOTO     Kiyomizu-dera  Temple. 


prime,  as  they  greatly  enhance  its  mediaeval  charm.  Accord- 
ing to  the  temple  records  the  institution  was  founded  in  a.d. 
880  by  the  bonze  Enchin,  who,  returning  from  China  in  858, 
brought  with  him  the  most  advanced  doctrines  of  the  Jimon 
branch  of  the  Tendai  sect,  which  he  proceeded  to  teach  here. 
The  institution  has  ever  been  noted  for  its  eclecticism,  for, 
in  addition  to  the  above,  the  tenets  of  both  the  Hosso  and  the 
Shingon  sects  are  taught,  along  with  a  thin  veneer  of  certain 
of  the  more  modern  philosophical  systems  that  have  filtered 
in  from  India,  China,  and  the  West.  The  narrow  and  winding 
Kiyomizu-zaka  that  leads  eastward  from  the  Kamogawa  to 
it  (6ften  referred  to  by  foreigners  as  'Tea-pot  Lane'),  is 
flanked  by  a  score  or  more  small  shops  dedicated  to  the  sale 
of  various  kickshaws  and  to  a  host  of  little  porcelain  and  pot- 
tery objects  classed  as  Kiyomizu-yaki  (see  p.  cclvi).  Pilgrims 
buy  these  as  mementoes  of  the  place,  and  the  bargain-hunting 
tourist  will  often  find  pretty  little  souvenirs  among  the  multi- 
plicity of  things  exposed  for  sale.  The  brightly  colored  earthen- 
ware dolls  and  tea-pots,  the  blue-and-white  Kyoto-ware,  and 
the  Kiyomizu  faience  are  specialties  of  the  place  and  are  made 
in  the  neighborhood.  —  At  the  top  of  the  incline,  beyond  the 
great  single-storied  vermilion  gateway,  the  temple  buildings 
are  seen  to  cluster  on  terraces  of  varying  heights,  near  the 
brink  of  a  deep  ravine  filled  in  places  with  rank  vegetation  and 
marked  here  and  there  by  sequestered  paths  and  pretty  tea- 
houses. To  defend  the  facade  of  the  temple  against  the  abrupt 
slope,  a  complicated  system  of  massive  piles  and  scaffolding 
has  been  employed  as  props,  with  numerous  great  tree-trunks 
that  serve  to  keep  it  level.  Though  dating  from  early  in  the 
17th  cent,  the  structure  is  still  immensely  solid  and  is  in  singu- 
lar harmony  with  its  environment.  From  the  colossal  balcony 
which  seems  to  overhang  the  gorge  the  traveler  enjoys  one  of 
the  finest  prospects  imaginable.  The  rare  beauty  of  the  exten- 
sive view  so  affects  sentimental  natures  possessed  of  a  suicidal 
mania,  that  anciently  the  terrace  was  the  favorite  resort  of 
those  anxious  to  exchange  a  mutable  and  fugitive  mundane 
existence  for  the  changeless  serenity  of  death.  In  the  late 
autumn,  the  great  rift  in  the  scarred  side  of  Higashi-yama 
fairly  blazes  with  reddening  maples,  and  this  wonderful  wave 
of  color  is  augmented  artificially  by  violently  crimson  blankets 
which  the  proprietors  of  the  many  small  refreshment  stands 
spread  out  on  their  rest-platforms. 

The  approach  to  the  temple  proper  is  part  and  parcel  of  its 
bizarre  attributes.  Two  big  bronze  Korean  lions,  of  a  pattern 
different  from  those  one  usually  sees  in  front  of  shrines,  guard 
the  entrance  to  the  compound,  while  two  immense  and  fierce- 
looking  Nio  stand  in  their  respective  loggias  beneath  the  gate- 
way. Passing  between  these  cages  and  through  the  gateway, 
we  come  (left)  to  a  picturesque  old  campanile  that  houses  a 


Kiyomizu-dera  Temple.      KYOTO  27.  Route.  427 


bronze  bell  cast  in  1630.  Successive  flights  of  stone  steps  lead 
to  a  higher  level  where  a  wheezy  old  three-storied  pagoda 
stands  mourning  for  its  past  grandeur.  There  are  several  non- 
descript buildings  here,  one  with  an  altar  containing  a  seated 
figure  of  Amida  with  his  faithful  Monju  and  Fugen,  and  a 
varied  assortment  of  old  relics,  too  much  like  junk  to  be  worth 
the  time  spent  in  looking  at  them.  The  terrace  is  flanked  by  a 
stone  balustrade;  a  small  gate  at  the  left,  near  which  is  a  fine 
bronze  dragon  that  spouts  water  into  a  stone  trough,  admits 
one  to  a  dilapidated  colonnade  which  terminates  at 

The  Main  Temple  (53  ft.  high,  88  deep,  and  190  long). 
The  dingy  and  oppressively  overcrowded  hall  is  divided 
into  three  lateral  compartments,  the  two  inner  ones  called 
the  Naijin,  and  Nai-naijin  (Holy  of  Holies).  Through  the 
screens  which  bar  the  latter  from  the  profaning  touch  of 
the  uitlander,  one  sees  three  tawdry  shrines  covered  with  the 
dust  of  years,  and  presided  over  by  scowling  Gods  of  the 
Four  Directions,  aided  by  a  whole  rogues'  gallery  of  ruffian 
deities.  These  fierce-looking  but  inoffensive  gentry  form  the 
retinue  of  an  Eleven-faced,  Thousand-handed  Kwannon  con- 
cealed in  the  central  reliquary  and  shown  once  only  in  33  yrs. 
Much  gayer  and  brighter  than  her  darksome  retreat,  and 
equally  untidy,  is  the  demonized  outer  room,  littered  up  with 
temple  furniture  and  adorned  with  faded  pictures  of  war 
scenes  on  land  and  sea,  famous  personages  and  no  less  famous 
horses.  The  wide,  sunlit  platform  called  butai  ('stage')  is 
usually  the  most  thronged,  and  here  the  traveler  will  wish 
to  remain  to  drink  in  the  charm  of  the  fine  view  across  the 
gorge  to  the  city  spread  out  on  the  plain  below.  The  distant 
mountains  are  those  of  Kawachi  Province.  Should  the  visitor 
inspect  the  temple  on  Aug.  17,  he  may  witness  on  this  plat- 
form a  lively  festival  and  classical  concert  called  Rokusai 
Nembutsu,  during  which  considerable  dubious  music  is  pro- 
duced by  persons  dressed  in  antique  costumes. 

By  continuing  along  the  platform  to  the  head  of  the  gorge 
one  passes,  at  the  left,  an  uninteresting  11-storied  stone  pagoda, 
and  a  near-by  shrine  called  Jishu-jinja,  or '  shrine  of  the  origi- 
nal owners  of  the  soil/  i.e.,  the  primitive  Shinto  gods.  The 
first  structure  of  the  tier  beyond  is  the  tasteless  Shaka-do,  fol- 
lowed by  the  Amida-do  with  a  big  gilt  image  of  this  divinity 
and  hundreds  of  tiny  ones  perched  on  the  mandorla  behind. 
The  interior  is  profusely  decorated,  the  most  conspicuous 
object  being  a  black  dragon  on  the  gilded  central  panel  of  the 
coffered  ceiling.  The  seated  wood  image  at  the  right  of  the 
entrance  is  the  unfortunate Binzuru  (p.  ccviii)  who  has  been  so 
persistently  rubbed  by  credulous  persons  with  bodily  ailments 
that  it  has  been  necessary  to  glue  a  new  face  on  to  the  poor 
old  head.  Even  this  new  front  has  a  badly  flattened  nose, 
and  a  repulsive,  leprous  expression.  Between  the  Amida-do 


428    Route  27. 


KYOTO        Nishi  Otani  Temple. 


and  the  adjacent  Oku-no-in  is  a  dilapidated  shed  beneath  which 
are  hundreds  of  monkey-like,  saddening  little  stone  images  of 
the  benevolent  Jizo  (p.  cciv) ;  women  with  sick  babies  pray 
fervently  to  them,  and  mothers  of  children  supposed  to  be 
cured  by  his  miraculous  intervention  give  baby-bibs  and 
what-not  in  token  of  their  gratitude.  Not  a  few  of  these  caps 
and  bibs  have  slipped  out  of  place,  and  the  former,  worn  over 
one  eye,  impart  a  whimsical  look  to  the  idols. 

From  the  platform  in  front  of  the  uninteresting  Oku-no-in 
one  looks  far  down  the  gorge  to  a  magnificent  pageant  of 
earth  and  sky.  A  comprehensive  view  is  also  possible  here 
of  the  splendid  old  roof  of  the  main  temple  with  its  graceful 
curves  and  harmonious  coloring.  Time  and  the  elements  have 
stained  the  closely  packed  shingles  (of  hinoki  bark  in  the 
Shinto  style)  to  a  soft  velvety  purple  shading  to  dregs-of- 
wine,  and  these  tones  melt  into  their  surroundings  as  if  rubbed 
there  by  some  titanic  hand.  The  two  porticoes  and  the  maze 
of  underpinning  are  also  seen  to  advantage  here,  though  a  bet- 
ter study  can  be  made  of  them  from  the  sloping  walk  to  the 
little  pool  under  the  brow  of  the  hill.  Admirers  of  the  human 
form  may  also  study  this  in  its  perfect  nudity  on  the  praying- 
stones  under  the  triple  streams  of  water  which  leap  out  of 
the  hillside  and  plash  to  the  shallow  basin.  Men  japanned  in 
the  buff  sometimes  stand  here  for  30  min.  or  more,  with  the 
cold  water  pouring  over  their  uncovered  noddles,  supplicating 
the  deity  to  safeguard  some  loved  one,  or  to  favor  some  pet 
scheme  in  which  they  are  involved.  The  stream  is  called 
Otowa-no-taki,  and  is  supposed  to  be  surcharged  with  miracu- 
lous powers.  —  Many  stands  for  the  sale  of  insipid  tea  and 
tasteless  cakes  are  scattered  through  the  ravine.  The  natives, 
who  sit  on  the  tiny  platforms  and  imbibe  the  national  bever- 
age, or  saunter  through  the  avenues  of  crimsoned  maples, 
make  a  scene  at  once  typical  and  picturesque.  —  By  contin- 
uing along  the  narrow  path  which  slopes  sharply  downward 
toward  the  W.  and  traverses  an  extensive  graveyard,  one  will 
soon  pass  the  side  entrance  to 

The  Nishi  (East)  Otani  (PI.  E,  5),  a  somewhat  nondescript 
temple  scarcely  worth  devoting  much  time  to.  It  shares  the 
distinction  of  possessing  a  bit  of  the  widely  distributed  re- 
mains of  the  immortal  Shinran  Shonin.  His  tomb  has  been 
adroitly  commercialized,  and  a  believer,  on  the  eve  of  dissolu- 
tion, may,  upon  payment  of  a  suitable  fee,  arrange  to  have  his 
bones  laid  beside  those  of  the  saint,  or  his  ashes  mixed  with 
them.  The  main  entrance  to  the  grounds  is  from  the  thorough- 
fare flanking  them  on  the  W.  The  pretty  lotus-pond  here  is*\ 
spanned  by  an  arched  stone  bridge  called  megane-bashi,  from 
its  fanciful  resemblance  to  Chinese  goggles.  On  a  bright/ 
moonlit  night,  when  the  semicircular  openings  are  reflected 
in  the  water,  they  seem  to  form  complete  circles,  with  a  bi- 


The  Daibutsu.  KYOTO  27.  Route.  429 


zarre  effect.  —  The  main  gate,  an  elaborate  structure  blazing 
with  yellow  metal  enrichments,  is  one  of  the  best  proportioned 
and  most  striking  in  Kyoto.  The  sculptured  Paulownia  im- 
perialis  affixed  to  the  slatted  panels  of  the  huge,  iron-embossed 
doors,  and  the  five  white  lines  on  the  encircling  wall,  attest 
the  Imperial  favor.  The  great  uprights  are  set  in  handsome 
chased  bronze  sockets,  and  many  metal  adornments  add  to 
the  appearance  of  the  sunken  panels  of  the  coffered  ceiling. 
The  double-sized  carved  wood  panel  over  the  center  beam, 
showing  cranes  in  the  act  of  rising  from  the  water,  is  excellently 
done.  The  bizarre  edifice  inside  the  gate  at  the  left  (the 
Taiko-dd),  with  a  superstructure  displaying  boldly  chiseled 
chrysanthemums  in  low  relief,  is  a  sort  of  prison  (it  looks  more 
like  a  daintily  sculptured  boudoir)  where  fractious  priests  are 
incarcerated  and  made  to  do  penance  by  beating  a  drum 
(taiko).  The  lower  floor  is  used  as  an  office. 

At  the  right  of  the  main  temple,  which  stands  just  beyond 
the  gateway,  is  a  bronze  lotus-and-dragon  fountain  of  good 
design;  the  two  tall  bronze  lanterns  near  by  are  also  worth 
looking  at.  The  numerous  brass  embellishments  of  the  temple, 
and  the  brass  sockets  in  which  the  beam-ends  are  sheathed, 
impart  a  lively  look  to  it.  The  interior  is  chaste  though  rich; 
the  most  striking  objects  are  five  excellently  carved  and  gilded 
wood  panels,  in  open-work  design,  showing  foliated  lotus  in 
high  relief.  They  serve  as  a  frieze  to  the  opulent  altar,  a  maze 
of  gold  foil  and  polychrome  decorations  amidst  which  is  an 
old  gold  statue  of  Amida.  The  kakemonos  against  the  gleam- 
ing yellow  background  of  the  sanctum  commemorate  various 
notables.  —  At  the  rear  of  the  temple,  at  the  top  of  a  spacious 
gravelled  yard,  is  another  fane,  with  an  equally  rich  interior. 
Shinran  Shonin's  tomb  at  the  rear  is  not  shown. 

The  Daibutsu,  or  Great  Buddha  (PL  E,  5),  a  gilded  mon- 
strosity not  worth  looking  at,  occupies  a  tawdry  shed  N.  of  the 
Imperial  Museum,  near  the  Daibutsumae  Station  of  the  Osaka 
electric  trolley  (S.E.  of  the  Gojo  Bridge),  on  the  site  of  the 
original  bronze  Buddha  erected  by  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi  in 
1588,  and  wrecked  by  a  great  earthquake  in  1596.  It  is  made 
of  lumber  covered  with  gold  foil  and  lurid  paint,  and  is  in  the 
form  of  a  colossal  head  and  shoulders  58  ft.  high  with  an  ugly 
face  30  ft.  long.  History  records  that  the  ambitious  Taiko 
planned  to  erect  a  daibutsu  that  would  exceed  in  grandeur  the 
justly  celebrated  one  at  Kamakura,  but  a  malevolent  fate 
thwarted  the  enterprise.  After  the  destruction  of  the  original 
image,  a  second  huge  figure  was  completed  up  to  the  neck,  but 
as  the  hundred  or  more  artisans  were  at  work  casting  the  head 
(in  Jan.,  1603)  the  scaffolding  accidentally  took  fire  and  was 
destroyed,  along  with  the  splendid  temple  which  inclosed  it. 
Efforts  were  made  in  1608  to  repair  the  figure,  and  in  1612 
the  work  was  completed  only  to  be  later  destroyed  again. 


430    Route  27.  KYOTO 


Art  Museum. 


The  present  ungainly  error  dates  from  1801;  the  admission 
fee  of  5  sen  admits  one  also  to  the  little,  museum  at  the  rear 
where  one  finds  assembled  a  few  worthless  relics,  among  them 
a  black  statuette  of  Fudd  which  Hideyoshi  is  said  to  have 
carried  about  with  him  as  a  mascot.  The  180  hanging  pictures 
ef  Kwannon  are  without  merit. 

The  Big  Bell  (weight,  63  tons;  9  ft.  in  diameter,  14  ft.  high, 
9  in.  thick  at  the  lip)  in  the  same  yard_is  the  prototype  (and 
about  \  the  size)  of  the  big  bell  of  Osaka  and  was  cast  in 
1614  by  the  order  of  Hideyoshi.  Its  splendidly  deep  and  so- 
norous voice  can  be  heard  all  over  the  neighborhood.  —  The 
Hokoji  Temple  at  the  right  contains  a  striking  gilt  figure  of 
Amida  with  a  fine  mandorla  embellished  with  figurines.  The 
small  Hbkoku  shrine  (or  Toyokuni-jinsha)  in  the  yard  at  the  left 
is  dedicated  to  Hideyoshi,  who  is  worshiped  as  a  divinity.  The 
Armstrong  machine-gun  and  the  larger  one  near  it  are  relics  of 
the  China-Japan  War.  High  up  the  hill  behind  the  shrine,  at 
the  top  of  an  almost  interminable  flight  of  steps,  on  a  spot 
called  Amida-ga-mine,  is  Hideyoshi' s  grave,  surmounted  by  a 
granite  monument  (27  ft.  high)  erected  in  1898.  Opposite  the 
front  entrance  to  the  shrine  inclosure,  is  a  low  mound  sur- 
mounted by  a  six-piece  granite  monument  shaped  like  a 
sotoba.  Within  this  Ear  Mound  (mimi-zuka),  or  Nose  Mound 
(hana-zuka)  repose  (so  it  is  said)  the  forty  or  more  thousand 
pickled  ears  and  noses  of  Koreans  and  Chinese  slaughtered  in 
Korea,  during  Hideyoshi' 's  campaign  of  1592-98. 

The  *  Kyoto  Imperial  Art  Museum  (Hakubutsu-kwari),  open 
daily  from  8  to  5  in  summer  and  from  9  to  4  in  winter  (ticket- 
office,  at  the  rear,  closes  £  hr.  earlier;  admission,  3  sen;  no 
additional  fees  necessary) ;  with  nearly  a  score  of  rooms  in  an 
attractive  new  building  (opened  in  1897  and  maintained  by 
the  Imperial  Household  Department)  well  back  from  the  street 
(PL  D,  5)  amid  spacious  grounds,  houses  a  collection  of  an- 
tiques, rather  than  modern  art  works,  and  though  less  extensive 
than  the  superb  museum  at  Tokyo  (to  which  it  ranks  2d)  itjs 
well  worth  a  visit.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  other  Japanese  museum 
(excepting  perhaps  that  of  Nara)  contains  so  uniquely  valuable 
and  important  a  collection  of  authentic  sculptured  wood  statu- 
ary of  the  fruitful  8th  and  12th  centuries.  These  now  price- 
less relics  of  an  early  art  which  the  Japanese  carried  to  such 
a  noteworthy  degree  of  excellence  are  of  sustained  interest 
to  admirers  of  this  special  craft,  as  well  as  to  lovers  of  the  curi- 
ous in  history.  The  museum  is  divided  into  three  general 
departments:  History,  Fine  Arts,  and  Art  Industry.  As  many 
of  the  exhibits  (most  of  which  are  helpfully  classified  in  Eng- 
lish and  Japanese)  are  loaned  temporarily  by  temples  or  indi- 
viduals, and  as  those  owned  by  the  nation  and  classed  as 
national  treasures  are  transferred  from  time  to  time  to  other 
museums  or  reliquaries  so  that  the  greater  number  may  enjoy 


Art  Museum. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  431 


them,  no  attempt  will  be  made  here  to  classify  them  in  their 
existing  order  of  location,  nor  yet  to  overcome  the  manifest 
difficulty  of  singling 'out  a  long  list  of  objects  which  may  or 
may  not  prove  of  great  value  or  interest  to  the  average  stranger. 
Amateurs  desiring  photographs  of  present  and  past  exhibits 
may  be  interested  in  the  collotype  pictures  sold  by  the  manage- 
ment at  5  sen  each. 

In  the  yard  flanking  the  main  path  are  a  number  of  minor 
relics,  among  them  three  huge  bronze  figures  (from  China) 
of  the  Chinese  gods  Ten-kwan,  Chi-Kwan,  and  Sui-Kwan 
(and  ten  other  gilded  bronze  images  of  similar  origin  and  im- 
port). In  the  Middle  Room  will  be  found  a  wonderful  array 
of  admirable  wood  sculptures  dating  from  the  Nara  epoch 
(708-81);  others  of  the  Fujiwara  epoch  (888-1155),  and  some 
excellent  work  of  the  early  Tokugawa  period  —  which  lasted 
from  1612  to  1867.  Some  of  the  best  of  the  earliest  work  — 
an  epitome  as  well  as  a  highly  interesting  record  of  those 
long  dead  days  —  is  attributed  (no  doubt  unwarrantedly) 
to  Kobo-Daishi  (p.  cxxvi);  other  pieces,  dating  from  the  11th 
cent.,  to  Eshin  Sozu;  and  not  a  few  of  the  13th-cent.  sculptures 
to  the  renowned  Jokei.  Especially  interesting  to  the  amateur 
who  has  steeped  himself  in  the  history  of  this  fascinating  art 
are  certain  of  the  productions  to  be  found  in  an  adjoining 
room,  where  there  are  some  special  values  handed  down  to 
posterity  by  the  inimitable  Unkei  working  in  his  best  mood. 
Here  one  is  often  amazed  at  the  rare  excellence  attained  in  this 
subtle  handicraft  during  the  period  in  which  this  master  lived. 
Some  of  the  figures,  15  or  more  feet  high,  are  of  an  astounding 
vigor  and  crispness,  and  are  worthy  to  rank  with  contemporary 
art  in  any  land.  His  giant  Jikoku-ten,  owned  by  the  Tofuku-ji, 
and  its  companion  Kwomoku-ten,  are  extraordinarily  well 
executed,  and  they  rank,  in  point  of  worth,  with  the  equally 
large  and  expressive  figures  of  Kongd-Rikishi.  Unkei  has  a 
number  of  masterpieces  here,  sprinkled  among  which  are  seve- 
ral copies  of  his  originals,  cunningly  fashioned  by  the  modern 
sculptors  of  the  Nara  workshop  mentioned  under  Nara. 
It  is  very  likely  that  he  never  touched  many  of  the  pieces 
ascribed  to  him  here  and  in  other  places  throughout  the  Em- 
pire, for  to  this  practical,  skillful,  and  diligent  ^Esthete  more 
sculptures  are  attributed  in  Japan  alone  than  he  could  have 
carved  in  ten  ordinary  lifetimes.  Commonplace  wood-carv- 
ings are  ignorantly  saddled  upon  him  with  the  same  careless- 
ness that  shady  jokes  are  ascribed  to  the  immortal  Abraham 
Lincoln,  and  almost  every  bedeviled  little  one-horse  temple  in 
Japan  has  some  piece  of  junk  forged  with  his  name. 

Admirers  of  Unkei  and  his  masterly  work  will  return  time 
and  time  again  to  a  certain  big  glass  case  here  containing 
a  marvelously  executed  image  of  the  sculptor  himself,  carved 
by  his  own  hands.  The  skirted  figure  is  seated  and  shows  from 


432    Route  27. 


_ 

KYOTO  Art  Museum. 


the  waist  up;  the  drapery  is  vermiculated  and  blackened  with 
the  smoke  and  incense  of  near  a  thousand  years.  The  old 
head  is  as  bald  as  an  egg,  with  a  ridge  along  the  top,  and  in  his 
wrinkled  hands  he  holds  not  a  chisel  but  a  rosary.  Even  the 
glass  eyes  fail  to  mar  the  naturalness  of  his  homely  face  or  to 
destroy  its  good-natured  expression.  The  figure  at  his  left  is 
one  which  Tankei  (a  13th-cent.  sculptor)  carved  of  himself; 
the  Seisd-Monju  bosatsu  at  the  rear  is  ascribed  to  Kobo- 
Daishi,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  carved  shortly  before 
his  death.  Back  of  this  case  is  a  smaller  one  containing  a 
squatting  figure  of  the  priest  Saigyo,  carved  by  himself  in 
1198;  and  at  the  left  a  rather  striking  image  of  Minamoto- 
no-Y  orimasa,  in  priestly  robes.  The  great  Taira  chieftain 
Kiyomori  is  also  preserved  here  in  apparently  imperishable 
wood,  and  hard  by  is  a  collection  of  colored  masks  which  run 
the  gamut  of  human  emotions  in  their  bizarre  facial  expres- 
sions. Many  of  the  other  statues  are  of  unquestioned  anti- 
quity, and  nearly  all  of  them  are  lively  illustrations  of  a  fine 
art  for  which  the  Japanese  have  a  true  passion.  The  image  of 
Rai-Jin,  the  Thunder-God,  owned  by  the  Kennin-ji  and 
carved  by  Tawaraya  Sotatsu  (17th  cent.),  is  a  terrifying  com- 
position; quite  in  contrast  to  the  huge  Amida-  Nyorai  (in  the 
middle  room),  whose  fine  calm  face  is  a  picture  of  detached 
composure.  The  latter  is  the  work  of  Eshin-Sozu,  and  dates 
from  the  11th  cent. 

The  Imperial  Treasures  comprise  some  wonderful  bits 
of  old  gold-lacquer,  bronzes,  swords,  embroideries,  kakemonos, 
some  caligraphic  relics  of  celebrated  men,  and  a  collection  of 
exquisite  ceramics,  certain  of  them  so  old  and  dating  from  a 
period  so  remote  that  the  influence  of  mayhap  the  first  Korean 
potters  who  came  to  Japan  in  the  7th  cent,  are  discernible 
on  them.  There  is  an  almost  interminable  array  of  old  armor 
and  weapons,  along  with  a  model  of  a  metal-  and  bamboo- 
sheathed  sailing-craft  built  in  1855,  historical  documents  re- 
ferring to  the  assault  on  the  British  Minister  at  Kyoto  in 
1867,  a  number  of  odd  relics  from  Turkestan,  a  host  of  old 
Chinese  and  native  embroideries,  a  collection  of  musical  instru- 
ments, one  of  coins  with  some  Confederate  bills,  a  number  of 
great  festival  drums,  some  palanquins,  inlaid  madreperl 
work,  and  so  on.  The  elaborate  palanquin  used  in  the  funeral 
procession  of  the  Emperor  Mutsuhito  is  modern.  Of  interest  to 
the  Japanologist,  but  even  more  to  the  Japanese,  is  the  collec- 
tion of  classical  kakemonos,  makemonos,  and  illuminated  screens 
and  manuscripts,  each  of  which  has  its  special  historical^  value 
from  the  native  point  of  view.  The  very  handsome  illuminated 
Buddhist  sutras  recall  similar  work  in  the  library  of  the  British 
Museum.  The  gorgeous  mandaras  are  worth  looking  at,  as  well 
as  the  wall-pictures  of  Shaka  and  the  Rakan.  Three  com- 
panion kakemonos  of  Shaka,  Monju,  and  Fugen  date  from  the 


Art  Museum. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  433 


Ashikaga  period  (1334-1573).  A  gray  monotone  kakemono 
(loaned  by  the  Ryoan-ji  of  Kyoto)  painted  in  1559  by  the  re- 
nowned Kano  Motonobu,  and  entitled  '  A  Religious  Discussion 
about  a  Waterpot/  is  quite  curious.  The  Ashikaga  work  is 
superbly  done  in  rich  brownish  green  and  gold;  the  middle 
panel  shows  the  divine  Shaka  radiating  a  halo  of  glorious  light- 
beams  from  a  heaven  of  sunshiny  luminosity,  with  Monju 
below  at  his  left,  also  in  gold,  seated  on  a  lion,  and  Fugen  also 
below,  at  his  right,  in  white,  seated  on  a  white  elephant  re- 
gally caparisoned.  The  twin  kakemonos  at  the  side  (owned 
by  the  Kaijusan-ji  of  Kyoto),  conspicuous  for  their  exquisite 
tones,  are  the  16  Rakan.  Shaka  and  his  faithful  adherents 
are  represented  again  in  another  wall-case,  in  a  startlingly  real- 
istic and  inspiring  way;  the  colors  of  this  conception  are  har- 
monious browns,  and  the  work  is  also  of  the  Ashikaga  period. 
The  three  kakemonos  are  owned  by  the  Sdken-in,  of  Kyoto,  and 
they  may  easily  be  classed  among  the  finest  in  the  museum.  In 
one  case  there  is  a  superb  Jizo  bosatsu  (the  property  of  the 
Shoho-ji  of  Kyoto),  so  admirably  done  as  to  recall  certain  of 
Rembrandt'' s  work.  Near  it  is  a  beautiful  and  graceful  composi- 
tion loaned  by  the  Kosho-ji,  showing  lotus  flowers  in  the  wind. 
In  the  same  case  with  this  is  a  kakemono  (by  Ganseki,  a  Chinese 
artist  of  the  Ming  period  —  1368  -1616,  and  owned  by  the 
Shoden-ji)  of  a  bizarre  tiger  licking  his  paw  —  considered  by 
the  Japanese  an  adorable  masterpiece.  Near  the  two  ugly 
screens  (by  Kano  Tsunenobu,  in  1713),  showing  water- 
buffalo,  is  a  strikingly  artistic  kakemono  of  Miroku  bosatsu, 
painted  by  the  Princess  Mitsuki  (about  1727),  and  loaned 
the  Rinkyu-ji,  of  Kyoto.  So  fascinating  is  much  of  this 
ancient  work  to  the  Japanese  that  eager  copyists  may  nearly 
always  be  seen  busily  tracing  off  the  scenes  —  perchance  later 
to  reproduce  them  and  unload  them  (as  originals)  at  a  big 
figure  on  trustful  antiquaries! 

There  is  little  worth  seeing  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
museum,  save,  perhaps,  the  San-ju-san-gen-do,  and  this  can 
easily  be  eliminated  if  the  traveler  is  pressed  for  time.  The 
Diabutsu  is  too  contemptible  to  waste  time  on  unless  this 
hangs  heavily  on  one's  hands.  At  the  S.E.  corner  of  the 
museum  grounds,  standing  far  back  in  its  own  yard,  is  the 
Chishaku-in,  a  small  Buddhist  temple  built  in  1601  of  the 
ruins  of  a  celebrated  fane  known  as  the  Negoro-ji,  in  Negoro 
village,  Kii  Province.  The  original  temple  was  founded  by 
the  bonze  Kakuhan  in  1130;  it  belonged  to  the  Shingi  branch 
of  the  Shingon  sect,  and  under  the  Ashikaga  shoguns,  it  became 
so  prosperous  that  at  one  time  it  had  as  many  as  2700  minor 
dependencies,  each  of  which  supported  a  small  army  of  sohei, 
or  mercenaries  maintained  by  the  priests  to  protect  their  re- 
spective domains  and  to  fight  rival  sects.  These  swash- 
bucklers caused  so  much  trouble  in  the  province  that  Toyotomi 


434    Route  27. 


KYOTO  San-jii-san-gen-dd. 


Hideyoshi  besieged,  and  practically  destroyed,  the  main  tem- 
ple (in  1585),  whereupon  the  defeated  bonzes  migrated  to 
Kyoto  with  what  remained  of  their  splendid  headquarters. 
The  present  building  belongs  to  the  Tendai  sect  and  contains 
a  number  of  trashy  relics  (admission,  5  sen)  of  little  interest 
to  foreigners.  The  dim  old  screens  visible  from  the  entrance 
are  indicative  of  what  lies  beyond.  The  one-time  pretty  garden 
has  been  so  neglected  that  it  is  no  longer  attractive.  —  Di- 
agonally opposite  the  rear  entrance  to  the  museum,  on  a  ter- 
race reached  by  a  short  flight  of  steps,  stands 

The  Myoho-in,  a  small  Buddhist  temple  dating  from  1158 
and  celebrated  formerly  for  a  gold  image  (presented  by  the 
King  of  Siam  in  1902,  but  which  has  now  disappeared)  of 
Shaka  with  diamond  eyes.  Anciently  of  considerable  import- 
ance the  institution  has  degenerated  into  a  sort  of  tawdry 
ecclesiastical  museum  adorned  with  strong  colors,  with  a  regu- 
lation box-office  (admission,  5  sen),  and  a  faded  old  lacquered 
palanquin  (used  by  the  Emperor  Kokaku,  who  died  in  1840) 
ingenuously  set  out  in  view  as  a  teaser.  Among  the  exhibits 
of  more  or  less  doubtful  paternity  are  a  number  of  relics  of 
Toyotomi  Hideyoshi.  Conspicuous  among  them  is  an  old 
Korean  hat,  amulet,  and  jar  brought  by  his  soldiers  on  their 
return  from  the  momentous  invasion  of  Korea  —  the  jar  no 
doubt  filled  with  pickled  Korean  ears  and  noses.  Curious 
among  the  sculptured  wood  images  is  that  of  the  erratic  priest 
Kuya  Shonin  (b.  903;  d.  972),  who  is  customarily  pictured 
with  a  staff  in  one  hand,  a  hammer  in  the  other,  a  bronze  gong 
at  his  girdle,  and  twin  wires  (on  which  six  tiny  Buddhas  sit) 
protruding  from  his  mouth.  He  resembles  a  wild-eyed,  dis- 
heveled fakir,  but  his  memory  is  revered  as  that  of  a  great  and 
miraculous  healer,  for  in  951,  when  a  great  epidemic  ravaged 
the  district,  Kuya  (or  Kbshb  as  he  is  sometimes  called)  carved 
a  large  statue  of  Kwannon  with  eleven  faces,  placed  it  on  a 
chair,  carried  it  about  the  city,  and  exhorted  the  scourge  to 
disappear  —  which  according  to  tradition  it  did!  Kuya  was 
something  of  a  utilitarian  as  well  as  a  religious  enthusiast, 
for  in  his  wanderings  and  teachings  of  the  doctrines  of  Buddha, 
he  built  bridges,  dug  wells,  opened  up  roads,  and  did  much 
work  of  a  similar  nature.  —  Few  of  the  weather-beaten  sculp- 
tured images,  screens,  or  ancestral  tablets,  are  worth  looking 
at;  the  old  panels  of  bamboos,  chrysanthemums,  and  other 
flowers  are  ascribed  to  Kano  Eitoku.  The  two  black-and- 
white  dragon-and-tiger  kakemonos  are  (perhaps)  by  Sesshu. 
Many  illuminated  sutras  and  smaller  objects  are  displayed  in 
the  wall-cases  or  hung  on  the  walls.  The  floors  of  the  corri- 
dors are  of  the  'nightingale'  type. — The  Hiyoshv-jinja,  a 
Shinto  shrine  at  the  end  of  the  walk  up  at  the  right  of  the 
Myoho-in,  is  uninteresting. 

The  San-ju-san-gen-do  (Thirty-three  Ken  Hall),  known 


San-ju-san-g  en-do . 


KYOTO 


27.  Route.  435 


formerly  as  the  Renge-o-in,  and  now  as  the  Temple  of  the 
33,333  images,  is  2  min.  walk  S.  of  the  Imperial  Museum 
(PI.  D,  5) ;  is  celebrated  for  its  Thousand  and  One  Statues  of 
the  Goddess  Kwannon,  and  derives  its  name  from  the  two  mas- 
sive interior  roof-beams  each  33  ken  long.  The  weather-beaten, 
barn-like  structure  (property  of  the  Tendai  sect  of  Buddhists) 
is  53  ft.  wide  by  nearly  400  ft.  long;  has  a  6-ft.  platform  run- 
ning quite  around  it,  and  is  divided  into  35  spaces  delimned 
by  36  upright  columns  sheathed  in  rusted  iron,  with  5  spaces 
at  each  end.  It  stands  on  a  slightly  elevated  terrace  in  the 
center  of  a  wide  open  space,  on  the  site  of  a  structure  founded 
in  1132  by  the  Emperor  Toba  —  whose  extravagances  helped 
to  precipitate  the  great  war  for  political  supremacy  between 
the  Taira  and  the  Minamoto  clans.  When  the  old  building 
burned  in  1249,  the  2002  images  it  is  said  to  have  contained, 
perished  with  it,  but  in  1266  the  Emperor  Kameyama  assem- 
bled 1001  new  figures  and  housed  them  in  the  present  building 
—  which  was  practically  reconstructed  by  the  4th  Tokugawa 
shogun,  Ietsuna,  in  1662.  The  numerous  pits  and  slits  in  the 
beams  of  the  back  platform  are  relics  of  a  time  when  the 
priests  in  charge  were  fond  of  archery  and  used  to  practice 
here  —  the  aim  being  to  shoot  an  arrow  from  one  end  of  the 
structure  to  the  other. 

The  visitor  pays  5  sen  at  the  ticket-office  at  the  main  door 
(E.,  center),  turns  to  the  right,  makes  the  complete  inner  cir- 
cuit, and  comes  out  by  the  same  door.  The  huge  central  figure 
in  the  vast  room  is  a  noteworthy  seated  image  (carved  by 
Kokei)  of  the  Senju  (' thousand  hands')  Kwannon  (8  ft.  high), 
backed  by  an  immense  pierced  and  gilded  mandorla,  studded 
with  figurines  of  the  same  divinity  and  forming  a  sort  of  glit- 
tering canopy.  A  number  of  smaller  heads  surmount  the  big 
one;  guardian  demons  stand  at  the  right  and  left;  numerous 
altar  fitments  cluster  in  front,  and  here  a  shaven-pated  priest 
sits  and  drones  the  sacred  ritual.  Up  and  down  the  inclosure, 
at  the  right  and  left  of  this  altar,  are  ten  tiers  with  50  figures 
each  of  the  same  Eleven-faced,  Thousand-handed  Kwannon, 
in  phalanxes  which  rise  one  behind  the  other.  They  form  a 
tawdry,  dusty,  senseless  throng,  do  these  slim  divinities  in 
gilded  armor,  each  5  ft.  high,  some  maimed  and  tottering,  and 
all  silent  relics  of  a  curious  past.  A  third  or  more  are  attributed 
to  Kokei  (father  to  the  greater  Unkei),  200  to  Unkei  himself 
(undoubtedly  a  gross  exaggeration),  and  the  remainder  to  less 
famous  sculptors.  All  are  surmounted  by  scores  of  tiny  ones, 
like  fruit  on  a  tree,  and  these,  counted  with  the  larger  ones, 
total  (it  is  said)  33,333.  Some  stand  with  hands  clasped  palm 
to  palm,  and  over  the  upright  thumbs  small  rosaries  have  been 
flung.  Others  hold  in  their  multitude  of  microscopic  hands 
Buddhist  symbols  —  the  Wheel  of  the  Law,  a  lotus  flower,  a 
diamond,  and  the  like.  Each  is  said  to  differ  slightly  from  its 


436    Route  27.  KYOTO  Tofuku-ji  Temple. 


neighbor,  and  each  is  so  old  and  decrepit,  with  so  many  hands 
and  arms  to  fall  off,  that  the  weazened  old  carpenter  who  sits 
on  his  little  work-bench  at  the  rear  of  the  gallery  is  kept  busy 
repairing  them.  Near  his  dusty  little  cubby-hole  are  a  few 
indifferent  statues  of  various  deities  ignorantly  ascribed  to 
Unkei,  and  a  sharp-eyed  priest  who  begs  sturdily  for  contri- 
butions toward  the  upkeep  of  the  establishment. 

The  T6fuku-ji,  a  Buddhist  temple  (PL  E,  6)  of  the  Zen 
sect,  in  the  S.E.  quarter  not  far  from  the  museum  (descend 
from  the  tram-carat  Tofuku-ji  Station),  on  the  site  of  a  temple 
erected  between  1246  and  1255  by  Kujo  Machiie  and  cele- 
brated then  as  the  most  beautiful  temple  in  Kyoto,  is  now  but 
a  faded  remnant  of  former  grandeur.  The  great  Daibutsu  (50 
ft.  high),  which  once  was  a  feature  of  it,  was  destroyed  by  the 
fire  which  burned  the  temple  and  most  of  its  outbuildings  in 
1881,  and  only  the  big  gateway  at  the  S.E.  side  and  the  few 
detached  edifices  clustering  near  it  remain  of  the  original 
structures.  Many  minor  gates  and  a  labyrinth  of  paths  mark 
the  extensive  grounds,  the  chief  charm  of  which  is  a  small 
ravine  choked  with  maples  that  are  a  flamboyant  glory  in  the 
late  autumn.  The  neighborhood  through  which  one  must  pass 
to  reach  the  temple  is  not  celebrated  for  the  pulchritude  of  its 
inhabitants,  who  seem  to  rely  upon  miracles  for  doing  the 
work  of  soap.  A  number  of  porcelain  factories  flank  the  river, 
in  the  shallow  bed  of  which  men  and  women  wash  newly  dyed 
cloths  which  they  later  spread  out  on  the  sand-spits  to  dry; 
or  sift  fine  sand  into  barrels  for  use  in  the  earthenware  manu- 
factories. 

Spanning  the  ravine  (through  which  a  laughing  brook 
meanders)  is  a  long  covered  portico  with  the  grandiloquent 
name  'Bridge  of  Heaven  '  (tsii-ten-kyd),  where  scores  of  Kyoto 
people  rally  in  the  fall  to  enjoy  the  reddening  maple  leaves. 
Picnickers  descend  to  the  small  platforms  below,  where  tea 
and  other  goodies  are  served  to  the  sound  of  tinkling  water  and 
thrummed  samisen.  A  specialty  of  the  spot  is  the  grafting 
of  maples  upon  other  trees  —  chiefly  those  whose  rich  tints 
enhance  the  momiji's  charm.  At  the  left  of  the  ravine  (which 
is  on  the  N.  side  of  the  inclosure)  is  a  branching  corridor  that 
leads  to  the  quaint  Kaisan-do,  a  unique  structure  with  an  ex- 
traordinary roof,  an  environing  garden  containing  a  lotus- 
pool  flanked  by  fantastic  pines,  and  a  stretch  of  smooth  sand 
on  whose  surface  geometrical  designs  are  drawn  with  a  sharp 
stick  —  a  practice  common  in  the  temple  gardens  in  Kyoto. 
The  new  temple  beyond  the  gorge  is  an  odd  blend  of  Buddhist 
and  Shinto  architecture,  with  a  shingled  porch  and  a  tiled 
roof.  In  the  adjacent  pretty  shrine  are  some  pleasing  kake- 
mono of  the  Five  Hundred  Rakan,  by  Cho  Densu,  or  Mincho 
(his  true  name),  who  lived  his  long  life  (1352-1431)  here  as 
a  monk.  His  masterpiece,  the  most  prized  possession  of  the 


Inari  Shrine. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  437 


temple,  is  an  immense  (24  by  48  ft.)  picture  (painted  in  1408) 
depicting  Buddha's  Entry  into  Nirvana  (Nehan-zd).  It  is 
shown  only  on  the  14th,  15th,  and  16th  of  March,  in  one  of 
the  wide  halls,  where  it  is  hoisted  against  the  wall  and  viewed 
by  the  hundreds  of  pilgrims  who  foregather  from  distant  parts 
to  see  it.  A  work  of  equal  merit,  which  the  traveler  who  in- 
gratiates himself  with  the  priest  in  charge  may  see,  is  an  im- 
mense painted  Kwannon  seated  on  a  rock  against  which  waves 
are  breaking,  in  the  midst  of  surging  clouds.  The  drawing 
shows  Densu  in  one  of  his  best  moods  (that  of  the  skillful  artist 
who  knows  himself  and  accomplishes  his  work  with  simplicity 
and  speed)*  and  the  white  body-color  contrasted  with  the 
background  gives  it  the  decorative  beauty  of  a  fine  tapestry. 
—  The  older  buildings  of  the  compound  —  which  reminds  one 
of  a  great  tree-dotted  campus  —  contain  neglected  images  of 
divinities  not  worth  looking  at. 

A  15  min.  walk  N.E.  of  the  temple  (take  the  road  at  the 
N.  or  S.  of  the  inclosure)  brings  one  to  the  dilapidated  Sen- 
yu-ji,  said  to  have  been  founded  by  Kobo-Daishi  in  the  9th 
cent.  It  became  the  burying-ground  of  the  Mikados  in  1242, 
and  many  mouldering  tombs  surround  it.  In  the  depleted 
reliquary  is  a  tooth  said  to  have  been  brought  from  China 
in  the  7th  cent,  by  the  famous  Fujiwara  Fuhito,  and  to  have 
formed  a  segment  of  Buddha's  masticatory  apparatus  when 
he  was  on  earth.  About  f  M.  S.  of  Tofuku-ji  stands  the  Inari 
Shrine  described  below. 

The  Shinto  Shrine  of  Inari  (Chinese:  ' rice-bearing'),  or 
Inari  no  Yashiro  (PL  D,  6),  one  of  the  most  important  and 
popular  of  the  Kyoto  shrines  (in  the  S.E.  suburb  4  M.  from  the 
Miyako  Hotel;  tram-car  in  1  hr. ;  fare,  10  sen;  or  by  rly.  from 
the  Kyoto  Station  in  6  min.),  is  the  prototype  of  hundreds  of 
similar  shrines  scattered  throughout  Japan.  It  stands  on  the 
slope  of  a  hill  (Inari-yama)  where  Uga  no  mitama,1  the  God- 
dess of  Cereals  (to  whom  it  is  dedicated),  first  appeared  to  the 
Japanese.  In  the  minds  of  many  covetous  and  credulous  folks, 
the  shrine  is  a  dispenser  of  wealth  (since  rice  has  at  all  times 
represented  wealth  in  Japan),  and  hither  repair  throngs  of 
impecunious  bumpkins  who  toss  coins  valued  at  of  one  sen 
into  the  capacious  contribution-box,  then  pray  lustily  for  the 
fattest  prize  in  the  goddess's  exchequer.  As  Inari  is  also  the 
tutelar  of  cutlers  and  swordsmiths  (having  once  assisted  the 
celebrated  Kokaji  to  forge  certain  of  his  famous  blades),  hither 
also  come  an  army  of  metalmen,  all  eager  to  invest  a  sen 
and  learn  the  secret  of  transmuting  pot-metal  into  hair-split- 
ting cutlery.    Pilgrims,  who  foregather  here  from  all  parts, 

1  The  Goddess  of  Cereals,  the  supposed  daughter  of  the  mythological 
Izanagi  and  Izanami,  is  known  by  many  names:  Toyo-uke-bime  no  mikoto; 
Ukemochi  no  kami;  Oketsu-hime,  etc.  The  sex  of  the  divinity  is  a  matter  of 
controversy,  some  identifying  her  with  the  primitive  god  who  first  planted 
rice  in  Nippon. 


438    Route  27. 


KYOTO 


Inari  Shrine. 


usually  carry  home  with  them  as  talismanic  aids  to  bounteous 
harvests,  one  or  more  of  the  earthenware  figurines  (called 
Fushimi  ningyd  —  lit.,  dolls,  or  puppets  made  at  Fushimi) 
in  the  form  of  soldiers,  foxes,  fowls,  and  what-not  (with  which 
all  the  tiny  shops  are  packed),  as  well  as  a  small  vermilion 
torii  —  distinguishing  symbols  of  the  shrine.  The  clapping 
of  hands,  the  jingling  of  holy  bells,  the  rasping  of  geta  on  the 
bare  stones,  and  the  loud-voiced  pleading  for  the  capital  prize 
are  incessant  and  almost  deafening.  Men  often  stroll  round 
the  compound  for  hours  on  end  with  ears  cocked  for  some 
wireless  hunch  from  a  benevolent  deity,  or  a  fragmentary 
bit  of  conversation  between  successful  business  men  that  will 
give  them  an  idea  of  how  to  get  rich.  At  midnight,  too,  they 
prowl  round  the  shrine  in  the  hope  that  a  1  still  small  voice  f 
may  whisper  the  coveted  word  which  will  serve  as  a  keystone 
to  their  financial  arch.  The  courtyard  is  the  haunt  of  toy- 
sellers,  mendicants,  fortune-tellers,  women  who  liberate  small 
birds  from  a  cage  for  5  sen,  or  who  sell  rice  as  offerings  to  the 
gods  and  which  the  pigeons  eat  as  soon  as  it  is  sprinkled  on  the 
altars.  On  a  bright  day  when  throngs  of  gayly  dressed  women 
and  children  pass  to  and  fro  through  the  inclosure  crowded 
with  snappy  upstart  images  of  foxes,  the  place  is  as  lively  as 
Donnybrook  Fair.  The  most  attractive  time  for  the  foreigner 
is  in  Nov.  when  the  maples  are  turning,  and  in  May  and  June 
when  the  local  festivals  are  in  full  blast.  Most  important 
among  these  is  the  Inari-matsuri  which  usually  falls  on  June 
5;  at  this  time  trick-riders  come  on  horseback  from  an  old 
temple  (Fuji-no-mori)  off  the  Nara  road;  the  sacred  cars  kept 
in  the  white  godown  are  drawn  out  and  placed  in  the  proces- 
sion, and  the  day  is  devoted  to  general  jollity  —  and  pocket- 
picking.  On  this  occasion  the  people  eat  Inari-zushi,  or  fried 
tofu  stuffed  with  boiled  rice,  since  tofu  is  the  favorite  food  of 
the  fox  popularly  believed  to  be  the  messenger  of  Inari  (and 
by  extension,  the  God  of  Rice). 

The  two  entrances  at  the  left  of  the  rly.  station  are  marked 
by  colossal  flamboyant  torii  that  are  like  lurid  shrieks  in  their 
green  environment.  Just  within  the  upper,  or  main,  entrance, 
are  two  well-carved  Korean  lions  on  pedestals,  then  a  wide 
flagged  walk  flanked  by  pines,  maples,  and  numerous  stone 
lanterns  near  a  spirited  bronze  horse.  Two  lifelike  stone  foxes 
guard  the  entrance  to  the  big,  glowing  gateway,  in  the  loggias 
of  which  the  customary  Udaijin  and  Sadaijin  replace  the 
Buddhist  Nio.  The  view  hence  is  animated  and  pretty;  the 
yard  is  crowded  with  sculptured  foxes  of  all  grades  and  sizes; 
with  stone  lantern  and  lofty  pine  trees.  Those  foxes  with  a 
rolled  book  in  their  mouths  and  a  stone  key  (the  book  which 
tells  one  how  to  succeed,  and  the  key  which  unlocks  the  treas- 
ure-godown)  receive  the  most  attention  from  the  prayerfully 
inclined.   The  highly  tinted  oratory  (between  the  gate  and 


Sparrow-House. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  439 


the  shrine  proper)  has  a  fine  old  roof  in  the  Shinto  style,  and 
36  pictures  of  famous  poets.  The  ex-voto  hall  near  by  also 
has  pictures  executed  by  persons  who  were  not  artists.  The 
pretty  roof  of  the  dancing-stage  at  the  right  has  its  beam-ends 
all  sheathed  in  metal  covered  with  gold  foil.  Inside  the  build- 
ing is  a  circular  mirror  and  a  drum. 

Many  smaller  shrines  stand  about  in  the  broad,  stone- 
flagged  courtyard,  each  seeming  to  compete  in  luridity  with 
the  central  one  —  which  occupies  the  site  of  the  original  shrine 
erected  in  711,  and  is  guarded  by  the  original  pair  of  foxes 
into  which  the  goddess  entered  when  she  came  to  earth!  Its 
rainbow  colors  clash  like  cymbals,  and  the  cluttering  mass  of 
bells  and  mirrors,  brass  and  bronze  fitments  are  tawdry  and 
inartistic.  The  high-colored  dogs  with  curled  manes  and  tails, 
guarding  the  shrine  from  the  outer  balcony,  are  the  customary 
ama-  and  koma-inu.  The  temple  office  (shamusho),  at  the  left, 
is  in  better  taste.  On  the  terraces  which  rise  behind  the  shrine 
are  other  brilliant  structures,  and  long  lines  of  vermilion  wood 
torii  with  black  legs  and  the  names  of  their  donors  inscribed 
thereon.  A  host  of  whining,  frowsy  beggars  flank  them  to  the 
point  where  they  converge  at  the  tiny  hillside  shrine  called 
Oku-no-in,  where  there  is  a  scrap-heap  for  the  deposition  of 
broken  torii  and  household  deities  that  have  served  their  pur- 
pose. The  path  at  the  left,  called  '  Circuit  of  the  Mountain 
Hollows  '  {Hora-meguri,  or  cave-going-round),  leads  up  and 
around  the  hillside  for  about  2  M.  and  is  supposed  to  be  flanked 
by  fox-burrows.  From  the  summits  of  the  hills  —  some  of 
which  are  sprinkled  with  Imperial  tombs  —  good  views  of  the 
surrounding  country  may  be  enjoyed.  An  excellent  mushroom 
called  matsutake  is  found  in  the  neighborhood.  The  lively 
street  in  front  of  the  shrine  inclosure  is  known  as  Inari-gozen- 
machi,  with  many  small  restaurants  and  shops. 

While  the  traveler  is  in  this  neighborhood  he  may  wish 
to  continue  along  the  Fushimi-kaidd  (cross  the  rly.  track  be- 
yond the  Inari  Station,  and  continue  up  the  highway  5  min.) 
to  the  (left)  Sparrow-House  (Suzume  no  Oyado),  a  simple 
dwelling  (no  distinguishing  marks)  regarded  by  the  towns- 
folk as  a  local  curiosity  (fees  not  obligatory).  For  some  un- 
known reason  this  house  has  been  selected  as  a  nesting-place 
for  the  sparrows  (suzume)  of  the  neighborhood,  and  under  the 
porch  of  the  open  court,  and  from  the  beams  and  rafters  of 
the  interior,  pend  scores  of  gourds,  willow  baskets,  metal 
lanterns,  and  what-not  in  which  the  birds  have  built  their 
nests  and  to  which  they  come  through  a  barred  window  in  the 
side  wall.  Tradition  has  it  that  at  some  period  in  the  dim  past, 
the  owner  of  the  house  (a  scrupulously  clean  place)  befriended 
the  forebears  of  the  present  birds,  from  which  time  (very  long 
ago)  they  took  up  their  abode  under  his  roof.  Here  they  are 
carefully  guarded  against  the  snakes  and  rats  which  seek 


440    Route  27. 


KYOTO  Kurodani  Temple. 


them,  and  to  this  haven  they  come  in  confusing  swarms  at 
eventide  —  to  depart  early  in  the  morning  to  seek  their  food 
j  in  the  city's  streets.  During  the  mating  season  the  house  is  in 
a  turmoil;  the  amorous  birds  bring  'friends'  with  them  and 
make  nests  in  every  nook  and  cranny  of  the  place;  not  over- 
looking the  cooking-utensils,  old  hats,  coat-pockets,  shoes,  and 
so  forth.  Children  love  the  place  and  they  bring  gourds,  etc., 
with  their  names  inscribed  upon  them,  and  are  delighted  to 
find  a  feathery  little  family  being  reared  in  them.  Visitors 
are  welcomed  by  the  courteous  old  lady  of  the  house,  who  ekes 
out  a  living  by  selling  pretty  post-cards  showing  the  nests.  — 
The  traveler  fond  of  Shinto  shrines  and  their  oftentimes  pic- 
turesque surroundings  will  be  well  repaid  if  he  decides  to 
continue  beyond  the  Inari  Shrine  to  the  far  handsomer  and 
more  spiritually  satisfying  Hachiman-gu  described  hereinafter. 

Northeast  Quarter. 

*  Kurodani.  Shinnyo-do.  Yoshida-jinja.  Ginkaku-ji.  Honen-in. 
Anraku-ji.  Nyakuo-ji.  Eikwan-do.  Nanzen-ji.  Ke-age. 

*Kurodani  ('Dark  Valley')  a  charmingly  situated  Buddhist 
temple  on  a  hill  in  the  N.E.  quarter  (PI.  E,  2),  20  min.  walk 
from  the  Miyako  Hotel,  was  founded  early  in  the  13th  cent, 
by  Honen  Shonin,  on  the  site  of  the  cabin  built  by  him  for 
his  long  meditation  upon  the  doctrine  of  the  Jodo-shu  as 
expounded  by  him  after  he  had  severed  his  connection  with 
the  Tendai  sect.  The  present  structure,  the  headquarters  of 
the  Seizan-ha  branch  of  the  Jodo  sect,  dates  from  about  1775 
and  owes  its  spick-and-span  appearance  to  the  various  reno- 
vations and  improvements  made  in  1911  when  Shonin' s  700th 
anniversary  was  celebrated  with  great  pomp  and  brilliancy. 
The  double  line  of  wooden  tablets  which  the  traveler  notes 
at  the  right  and  left  as  he  enters  the  temple  grounds  bear 
the  names  of  the  most  generous  contributors  to  these  improve- 
ments; some  of  the  standards  stuck  in  the  ground  at  the  left 
record  sums  ranging  from  50  to  700  yen.  The  outer  gate  is 
less  imposing  than  the  Main  Gate,  which  is  a  severely  simple 
but  unusually  sturdy  and  attractive  example  of  18th-cent. 
Buddhist  architecture.  The  custodian  (office  at  the  left  of  the 
stone  steps  leading  to  the  upper  terrace)  keeps  the  key  to  the 
superstructure,  which  is  reached  by  46  steep  wooden  steps. 
The  handsome  gilded  images  of  Shaka,  Monju,  and  Fugen  are 
cheapened  by  contact  with  the  16  luridly  decorated  Rakdn 
which  flank  them.  The  sinister  sepia  dragon  on  the  ceiling 
is  by  some  unknown  artist  of  the  Kano  school.  The  view 
from  the  encircling  balcony  is  magnificent  and  far-reaching  — • 
extending  over  the  entire  city  and  to  the  green  hills  which  hold 
it  quietly  in  a  loving  embrace. 

The  temple  environment,  one  of  great  natural  beauty,  is 
unusually  satisfying.  The  immense,  patriarchal  cryptomerias, 


KumagayaNaozane.  KYOTO  27.  Route.  441 


which  must  be  very  old,  tower  high  above  the  grotesque  pines, 
flaming  maples,  magnolias,  plums,  cherry,  and  other  flowering 
trees  that  overshadow  the  cool,  sequestered  paths.  Along 
these,  pensive  bonzes  and  humble  acolytes  with  downcast  look 
pace  tranquilly  to  the  rhythm  of  clicking  rosaries,  deep- 
voiced  bells,  tapping  drums,  and  chanted  litanies;  their  rich 
and  brilliant  silken  robes  of  rose,  plum,  dregs-of-wine,  cream- 
white,  and  iridescent  green  striking  a  curiously  tender  note, 
and  evoking  dreams  of  imperial  gardens,  of  princesses,  ladies- 
in-waiting,  and  memories  of  other  lands  and  times.  Nestling 
deeply  and  contentedly  in  its  ancient  and  sacred  groves,  the 
fine,  dignified  old  temple  seems  very  far  from  the  noise  and 
commotion  of  the  modern  city.  A  great  and  all-pervasive 
calm  seems  to  brood  above  it,  soothing  the  tired  nerves  like 
a  childhood  lullaby.  At  the  right  of  the  sammon  is  the  usual 
easy  ascent  for  the  women,  and  straight  ahead  are  the  21 
stone  steps  which  sweep  upward  to  the  terrace  on  which  the 
temple  stands.  Here,  at  the  left,  is  the  old  campanario  with 
its  melodious  bell,  and  farther  along,  almost  hidden  among 
the  trees,  are  two  big,  seated  bronze  figures  of  the  merciful 
Amida.  The  artistic  bronze  water-buckets  near  the  entrance 
receive  rain-water  from  the  temple-roof  and  serve  as  a  part 
of  its  fire  equipment.  Conspicuous  objects  on  this  esplanade 
are  3  curious  pine  trees,  two  of  them  locally  celebrated.  One, 
called  Ogi-no-matsu  ('pine  of  the  folding-fan'),  has  been 
trained  skillfully  to  grow  along  a  trellis,  in  the  shape  of  an 
open  fan;  the  other,  some  distance  to  the  right,  is  called 
Yoroi-kake-matsu  (' broken-armor  pine'),  from  the  tradition 
that  Kumagaya  Naozane  hung  his  sword  and  coat-of-mail 
upon  it  when  he  renounced  his  calling  and  as  a  monk  entered 
upon  a  lifelong  penance. 

History  makes  of  Naozane  a  12th-cent.  hero  of  the  Taira  Clan,  who  later 
joined  the  Minamoto  and  fought  against  his  erstwhile  friends.  At  the  celebrated 
battle  of  Suma-no-ura  (in  1184),  he  overtook  and  seized  an  enemy  in 
armor  and  prepared  to  dispatch  him.  As  the  etiquette  of  war  required  that 
in  such  cases  no  blood  should  be  spilled  unless  the  vanquished  proved  to  be 
of  equal  rank  and  ability  with  his  captor,  the  great  soldier  demanded  the 
stranger's  name.  This  was  refused,  and,  in  growing  anger,  Naozane  ruth- 
lessly tore  off  his  helmet  only  to  find  that  the  fair,  beardless  face  before  him 
was  that  of  a  beloved  comrade,  Taira  Atsumori,  son  and  heir  of  his  former 
master.  The  astonished  warrior  relaxed  his  hold,  and,  helping  the  youth 
to  his  feet,  the  while  swearing  that  his  sword  should  never  be  tarnished  by 
a  drop  of  his  blood,  bade  him  go  to  his  mother's  side.  Atsumori  refused,  and 
begged  Naozane,  for  the  honor  of  both,  to  kill  him  on  the  spot.  Visions  of 
his  own  dear  son  who  had  fallen  in  battle  earlier  in  the  day  flashed  across 
his  mind,  and  with  breaking  voice  he  again  begged  Atsumori  to  fly  for  his 
life.  Finding  his  entreaties  vain  and  hearing  the  steps  of  approaching 
comrades  he  exclaimed:  'If  thou  art  overtaken,  thou  mayest  fall  by  a  more 
ignoble  hand  than  mine.  O,  thou  Infinite  One,  receive  his  soul! '  Atsumori 
received  the  blow  without  flinching,  and  Kumagaya,  crushed  with  remorse, 
restored  the  severed  head  to  Atsumori' s  father,  and  at  the  end  of  the  war, 
retired  to  the  Kurodani  Temple,  took  the  name  of  Rensho,  humbly  placed 
himself  under  the  direction  of  the  famous  Genku,  and  died  in  1208.  The 
story  has  been  dramatized  under  the  title  'Atsumori.' 


442    Route  27. 


KYOTO  Kurodani  Temple. 


The  main  temple  has  a  beautiful  reliquary  of  metal  and 
gold-lacquer  containing  a  sculptured  wood  figure  of  Honen 
Shonin  carved  by  his  own  hand  in  1207.  The  lateral  shrines 
of  somber  black-lacquer  picked  out  with  yellow  gold  fitments 
are  marked  by  considerable  dignity  and  restraint,  and  they 
form  the  most  striking  objects  of  the  interior.  In  them  are 
mortuary  tablets  of  the  hallowed  dead,  among  them  devotees 
who  have  subscribed  appreciable  sums  for  the  improvement 
and  maintenance  of  the  temple.  The  great  metal  baldachin, 
richly  regilded  in  1911,  has  for  satellites  numerous  gorgeously 
decorated  and  gilded  doban,  or  long  sexagonal  metal  hangings 
adorned  with  a  host  of  minor  enrichments  in  the  form  of  bells 
and  other  ecclesiastical  symbols;  and  (hanging from  the  cross- 
beams) numerous  fan-shaped  metal  keman  —  an  embellish- 
ment often  placed  on  the  heads  of  idols.  At  the  rear  of  the 
main  altar,  which  is  done  in  brilliant  and  noisy  colors,  is  a 
painting  of  Seishi-bosatsu  called  happo  shomen  ('  eight-direc- 
tions front')  from  the  (supposed)  peculiarity  that  the  eyes 
appear  to  follow  the  observer  and  to  look  at  him  from  all 
angles.  The  bonzes  insist  that  the  work  is  that  of  the  cele- 
brated Kand  Hogen  (Masanobu),  founder  of  the  Kand  school 
of  painting  (p.  ccxxvii),  and  that  it  was  painted  shortly 
before  his  death.  The  spacious  corridors  which  surround  the 
priestly  apartments  are  laid  with  1  nightingale'  floors.  Among 
the  cherished  temple  treasures  are  many  sliding  screens, 
kakemono,  embroideries,  and  relics  of  Kumayaga;  some  are 
to  be  seen  in  the  above  apartments,  while  others  are  stored 
in  the  adjacent  godowns  and  are  shown  only  during  the  annual 
festivals  in  April  (about  the  18th)  and  Sept.  (20th).  ;  Photo- 
graphs of  the  best-known  objects  are  shown  to  those  inter- 
ested. A  beautiful  tapestry  (never  shown  during  the  rainy 
season),  in  the  form  of  a  lotus-thread  embroidery  representing 
the  Buddhist  Paradise,  is  said  to  date  from  the  8th  cent,  and 
to  be  the  work  of  a  celebrated  woman,  Chujo-hime  (b.  753; 
d.  781),  the  daughter  of  Fujiwara  Toyonari  (and,  if  legend  is 
to  be  credited,  an  incarnation  of  the  Goddess  Kwannori) .  It 
is  very  old  and  time-stained  and  is  perhaps,  in  sober  truth, 
either  a  copy  of  the  original  or  the  work  of  some  16th-  or  17th- 
cent.  craftsman. 

In  the  suite  which  looks  out  upon  the  lovely  little  landscape 
garden  (one  of  the  daintiest  and  most  gem-like  in  Kyoto,  and 
which  is  called  Yoroi-sute-no-ike,  because  Kumagaya  Naozane 
threw  his  armor  into  it)  are  some  nondescript  sliding  screens 
decorated  in  black  and  white  by  modern  artists;  the  big, 
unhandsome  one  which  displays  a  figure  of  Hotei,  with  the 
customary  vulgar  abdomen  is  the  most  striking  among  them. 
The  Willow  Room  (which  should  be  seen)  contains  some 
handsome  gold  panels  by  modern  artists.  The  adjoining 
Tiger  Room  (which  with  the  remainder  takes  its  name  from 


Amida-do. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  443 


the  subjects  portrayed  on  the  dividing  screens)  is  noteworthy 
for  several  masterpieces  by  Kubota  Beisen.  The  elongated 
tigers  that  stretch  over  several  panels  were  manifestly  painted 
from  an  inspiration  awakened  by  some  traveler's  tale  of 
what  a  foreign  tiger  ought  to  look  like.  The  screens  of  the 
next  room  are  mediocre,  with  mythological  phoenixes  and 
malformed,  playful  Dogs  of  Fo.  The  gilded  Amida  in  the 
reliquary  is  excellent.  Still  better  are  two  other  figurines  of 
the  same  divinity,  concealed  within  secret  shrines  regarded 
as  too  sacred  to  show  to  ordinary  folks.  The  gigantic  sepia 
dragon  on  an  old-gold  ground  in  the  adjacent  apartment,  as 
well  as  the  folding  screens  portraying  an  Imperial  procession 
in  olden  times,  are  ascribed  to  Tosa  Mitsuoki  (1617-91).  The 
chokushi-no-ma  (where  Imperial  messengers  were  formerly 
received)  contains  a  set  of  striking  screens  (by  Beisen)  let 
into  the  rear  wall  and  exhibiting  bamboos,  pine  and  plum 
trees  in  combination  with  gold-lacquer  and  metal  enrichments. 
The  kakemono  with  a  specimen  of  the  handwriting  of  Go- 
Kashiwabara  (Emperor  from  1501  to  1527)  is  said  to  be  gen- 
uine. The  quaint  carved  wood  image  (erroneously  ascribed  to 
Hidari  Jingoro)  is  of  Jurojin. 

In  the  small  room  shut  off  from  the  corridor  by  a  glass  door 
is  the  heavy  wood  rice-pestle  with  which  Kumagaya  Naozane  is 
said  to  have  pounded  rice  for  60  consecutive  days  before  being 
admitted  to  the  monastic  life;  a  picture  of  that  worthy  and 
some  minor  relics  are  also  preserved  here  —  among  them  the 
sword  he  hung  on  the  pine  tree  near  the  temple  entrance.  The 
attractively  enshrined  kakemono  in  the  adjoining  room  por- 
trays Honen  Shonin;  Monju  and  Fugen  are  shown  at  the  right 
and  left.  In  an  adjacent  room,  inclosed  in  a  lovely  reliquary, 
is  a  script  copy  (original  in  the  Imperial  Museum)  of  Shonin- s 
handwriting.  The  large  pictures  at  the  right  and  left  depict 
historical  episodes  in  his  life  and  in  those  of  his  disciples.  The 
minor  relics  of  the  great  bonze  —  musical  instruments,  pieces 
of  porcelain,  lacquered  objects,  etc.,  are  of  interest  chiefly  to 
Buddhists.  —  The  weather-beaten  Amida-do  at  the  right  of 
the  belfry  and  the  stairs  leading  up  to  the  terrace,  has  on  its 
main  altar  a  well-carved  gilt  figure  of  Amida  ascribed  to 
Eshin  Sozu.  The  sepia  dragon  on  the  ceiling  just  above  it  is 
by  Senyo  Denko,  a  bonze  who  at  one  time  served  in  the  temple. 
The  small  structure  at  the  right,  on  a  lower  terrace,  has  for 
the  central  figure  of  the  altar  a  Senju  Kwannon;  at  the  right 
is  a  smaller  Kwannon,  and  at  the  left  an  image  of  Kibidaijin 
(Makibi) .  Facing  this  building  is  the  Kyo-do  with  a  time- 
stained  image  of  Shaka  surrounded  by  a  number  of  seated 
figures;  many  paper  prayers  are  tied  to  the  wire  netting  of 
the  door. 

We  now  leave  the  compound  and  proceed  up  the  incline  at 
the  right  (of  the  big  gate),  pass  over  an  arched  stone  bridge 


444   Route  27.  KYOTO 


Ginkaku-ji. 


spanning  a  lotus-pool,  and  come  (right)  to  a  small  shrine 
dedicated  to  Naozane.  The  scores  of  small  and  lurid  exrvoto 
tablets  showing  angelic  children  having  their  heads  shaved, 
were  placed  there  by  the  simple  and  credulous  parents  of 
youngsters  who  stood  the  operation  without  squirming  only 
after  they  had  been  anointed  with  the  soporific  water  bought 
at  the  little  well  near  by!  From  this  point  hundreds  of  chiseled 
gravestones  spread  up  and  over  the  hill-slope;  among  them 
the  tombs  of  Naozane,  of  Honen  Shonin  (who  is  also  supposed 
to  be  buried  at  the  Chion-in  Temple)  and  other  celebrities  of 
the  Jodo  sect.  Continuing  up  successive  flights  of  stone  steps, 
between  long  lines  of  mouldering  tombs  before  many  of 
which  incense  smoulders  incessantly,  we  reach  a  tawdry  little 
three-storied  pagoda,  with  some  wheezy  old  wooden  figures 
in  the  lower  part.  The  path  which  leads  off  at  the  left,  be- 
tween the  lines  of  graves,  goes  to  (5  min.) 

The  Shinnyo-do,  a  massive  old  temple  of  the  Tendai  sect, 
surrounded  by  an  unusual  number  of  fine  trees.  Save  for  the 
gilded  statue  of  Amida  (attributed  to  Jikaku-Daishi)  on  the 
main  altar,  the  crowded  interior  contains  nothing  worth 
seeing.  The  approach  from  the  main  gate  up  through  the  green 
tunnel  formed  by  arching  trees  is  lovely  in  Nov.  when  the 
scores  of  maples  blush  to  the  first  rude  touch  of  winter.  The 
Shinto  shrine  at  the  top  of  the  ascending  slope  directly  in 
front  of  the  temple  gate  is  the  Yoshida-jinja. 

The  Ginkaku-ji,  or  so-called  '  Silver  Pavilion/  a  time-worn 
and  somewhat  tawdry  structure  in  a  sequestered  spot  in  the 
N.E.  outskirts  of  the  city  (PL  F,  2),  is,  despite  the  extrava- 
gant praise  bestowed  upon  it  by  certain  writers,  of  historical 
rather  than  present  interest,  and  is  worth  seeing  only  if  the 
traveler  has  the  time  at  his  disposal  and  has  not  seen  the 
superior  Kinkaku-ji  (p.  483).  The  walk  thither  (an  easy  50 
min.  from  the  Miyako  Hotel)  is  one  of  the  prettiest  in  the 
environs  provided  one  goes  round  by  the  Kurodani  and  the 
Shinnyo-do  temples  on  the  outward  trip,  crosses  the  flat  (good 
walking)  at  the  upper  end  of  the  valley,  and  returns  along  the 
shaded  hillside  road  which  flanks  the  gardens  of  the  Honen-in, 
Anraku-ji,  Nyakuo-ji  Eikwan-do,  and  the  Nanzen-ji  —  all 
of  which  can  be  included  in  the  tour.  A  host  of  reddening 
maples  glorify  this  stretch  of  highway  in  early  Nov.,  and  the 
tall  thickets  of  bamboo,  the  groves  of  pine,  cryptomeria,  and 
other  evergreen  trees  impart  an  ineradicable  charm.  Rick- 
shas are  in  waiting  at  the  hotel  for  the  constitutionally  tired 
or  for  the  persons  pressed  for  time,  and  2  men  can  make  the 
round  trip  (¥1.90)  in  about  2  hrs.  For  the  carriage  rate  see 
p.  402.  The  excursion  makes  a  delightful  forenoon  outing  on 
foot.  The  route  indicated  should  be  followed,  for  as  one 
crosses  the  lowland  beyond  the  Shinnyo-do,  the  bulky,  forest- 
clad  hills  loom  straight  ahead,  and  the  tints  of  the  maples 


Silver  Pavilion. 


KYOTO 


27.  Route.  445 


against  the  green  background,  broken  here  and  there  by 
splendid  old  temple  roofs,  show  grandly.  This  aspect  is 
missed  if  the  journey  be  taken  in  the  reverse  order  —  unless 
one  turns  continually  to  drink  in  the  beauty  of  the  scene. 

Immediately  after  the  Onin  war,  when  the  financial  position  of  the  sho- 
gunal  exchequer  was  as  desperate  as  the  poverty  of  the  wretched  people, 
the  thoughtless  and  incompetent  shogun,  Ashikaga  Yoshimasa,  abdicated 
(in  1474)  the  shogunate  in  favor  of  his  son  Yoshihisa  (then  9  yrs.  old),  and 
in  order  still  to  conduct  the  affairs  of  the  Empire  (and,  incidentally,  to  ape 
his  grandfather's  craze  for  extravagance)  he  built  for  himself  (in  1477)  a 
palace  on  the  slope  of  Higashi-yama  (whence  his  nickname,  4  Higashi- 
yama  Shogun').  Within  its  precincts  he  constructed  a  so-called  'Silver 
Pavilion  '  (ginkaku)  to  serve  as  a  companion  edifice  to  the  Golden  Pavilion 
(kinkaku)  which  his  forebear  Ashikaga  Yoshimitsu  had  built  (in  1395)  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  city.  The  most  celebrated  artists  of  the  time  worked  at 
the  ornamentation  of  the  apartments,  and  the  classical  garden  was  laid  out 
by  Soami,  a  painter,  poet,  professor  of  the  tea-ceremony,  and  a  prime  favor- 
ite of  Yoshimasa.  Here  the  latter  dwelt  until  his  death  (in  1490),  surrounded 
by  bonzes,  court  dames,  bepowdered  poetasters,  actors,  and  libertines,  who 
abetted  him  in  his  caprices  and  efforts  to  immortalize  himself  while  impoverish- 
ing the  nation  by  his  own  prodigality.  While  battles  were  being  fought  by  his 
exasperated  and  riotous  subjects,  this  arid  and  frivolous  pedant  gave  cha-no- 
yu  parties,  incense-comparing  parties,  and  poem-comparing  parties  ad  nau- 
seam, and  spent  his  time  in  sensuous  and  unlicensed  revelry.  He  died  before 
he  could  carry  out  his  intention  of  plating  the  pavilion  entirely  with  silver. 
Later  the  structure  was  converted  into  a  temple  (ji)  under  the  name  Jisho- 
ji,  but  it  is  better  known  as  the  Ginkaku-ji. 

The  admission  fee  of  20  sen  per  pers.  pays  for  the  bonzes 
(usually  two  —  one  perhaps  as  a  check  on  the  other)  who  con- 
duct the  visitor  through  the  premises  and  call  out  in  a  sing- 
song monotone  the  customary  stereotyped  phrases  before 
each  object.  Covers  for  shoes  are  provided  by  them.  No 
photographing  or  sketching  is  allowed  without  special  per- 
mission. The  first  room  into  which  the  traveler  is  shown 
is  inclosed  by  white  (paper)  fusuma  bearing  on  their  other- 
wise undenled  surfaces  black  palmettoes  and  crows  drawn 
without  grace  or  skill  by  Taniguchi  Buson — an  early  Chinese 
painter  (and  poet).  The  old  kakemono  with  100  monkeys  in  va- 
rious awkward  attitudes  is  curious  rather  than  attractive ;  as 
are  likewise  the  3  kakemono  of  Daruma  and  the  2  landscapes 
by  Kano  Tanyu.  The  gilded  and  seated  image  of  Shaka,  on 
the  altar  of  the  adjoining  room,  is  one  of  the  prettiest  objects 
in  the  place.  The  gold  crown,  and  the  smooth,  dead-gold 
surface  of  the  plate-shaped  mandorla,  with  its  blue  line  fol- 
lowing the  contour  of  the  head  and  shoulders  of  the  saintly 
symbol  of  immutable  eternity,  is  very  striking.  The  stiffly 
carved  figure  at  the  right  is  the  unattractive  Daruma;  that 
at  the  left  is  one  of  the  Rakan.  All  three  are  attributed  to 
Jocho  (the  llth-cent.  ancestor  of  a  long  line  of  famous  sculp- 
tors, the  most  celebrated  among  whom  is  the  master  Unkei)y 
but  the  two  side  figures  are  manifestly  by  a  hand  less  mas- 
terly. The  fusuma  in  this  and  the  next  room,  depicting 
crudely  drawn,  clumsy  Chinese  men  carrying  others  pick-a- 
back, lack  both  grace  and  refinement,  and  the  ascription  of 


446    Route  27.  KYOTO  Silver  Pavilion, 


them  to  Buson  is  indubitably  correct.  The  pink-breasted 
Kwannon  (perhaps  by  Kano  Sanraku)  is  charming,  the  wo- 
manly lines  being  half  concealed  by  soft  draperies.  —  The 
faded  old  sliding  screens  of  the  sometime  throne-room  are 
uninteresting;  the  old  iron,  porcelain,  lacquer,  and  madre- 
perl  articles  in  the  outer  room  belonged  to  Yoshimasa,  as 
did  also  the  attractive  lacquered  trays  covered  with  gold 
tracery  so  deftly  applied  that  it  resembles  fine  damascene- 
work.  Passing  through  several  small  apartments  with  unin- 
teresting fitments  we  come  to  the  Shrine  Room,  where  there 
is  a  seated,  sculptured  wood  effigy  of  Yoshimasa,  strikingly 
realistic  with  its  hard,  staring  ivory  eyes.  The  carved  Amida 
does  n't  amount  to  much;  nor  do  the  black-and-white fusuma 
displaying  land-  and  sea-scapes  by  Kubota  Beisen.  Just  out- 
side is  a  pond  with  many  big  brown  and  gold  carp  which 
respond  to  a  hand-clap,  and  protect  the  home  industry  by 
greedily  gobbling  down  the  bread  which  the  bonze  sells  at  4 
pieces  for  one  sen.  The  indifferent  fusuma  in  the  next  apart- 
ment are  also  by  Beisen. 

Further  along,  around  the  corner  of  the  corridor,  is  a  small 
but  historic  room  with  a  surface  area  of  but  4i  mats;  in  the 
center  of  the  floor  is  a  sunken  fire-box  and  in  this  an  old  iron 
tea-pot  for  boiling  water  for  tea.  This  quaint  cubby-hole, 
more  like  a  toy  room  than  the  sometime  habitat  of  a  power- 
ful sovereign,  is  as  bare  as  a  monk's  cell,  is  ascribed  to  Soami, 
and  is  believed  to  be  the  first  chaseki  constructed  in  Japan  in 
accordance  with  the  restrictions  of  the  rigid  code  governing 
the  cha-no-yu.  Beyond  is  another  formal  little  pond,  then  a 
pretty,  sunlit  room  overlooking  a  lotus-pool;  the  panel 
screens  displaying  marsh-grasses  swaying  in  the  wind  are  the 
work  of  the  versatile  Soami.  As  a  termination  to  the  inspec- 
tion of  the  suites  the  visitor  is  finally  conducted  to  a  poor  room 
hung  with  some  kakemono  (showing  the  omnipresent  Daruma) 
executed  in  a  hard  and  dry  manner,  where  tea  is  sometimes 
served  in  the  (supposed)  cha-no-yu  style.  —  Out  in  the  ably 
planned  garden  are  two  huge  piles  of  sand  stiffened  by  expo- 
sure to  the  elements;  one  is  shaped  like  a  big  dipper  or  a 
tobacco-pipe,  and  is  called  Gin  shadan  (lit.,  the  silver  front 
steps  of  a  Shinto  shrine),  where  the  erratic  Yoshimasa  used 
to  sit  and  hold  communion  with  his  friends;  the  smaller, 
conical  one,  about  6  ft.  high  and  10  or  more  ft.  in  diameter,  is 
the  Kogetsu-dai  (Chinese:  'Bright  Moon  Terrace')  where  he 
was  wont  to  soliloquize  and  gaze  at  the  moon.  The  winsome 
little  pond  with  its  background  of  hills  belted  with  lofty  trees 
and  idealized  in  season  by  the  white  and  pink  sazankwa  (mt. 
tea-flower)  which  overshadow  it,  is  charming,  and  means 
much  more  to  the  traveler  than  the  maudlin  vaporings  of  the 
effete  high-revelers  who  dubbed  the  whimpering  streamlet 
the  '  Moon- washing  Fountain,'  a  stone  in  the  water  the 


The  Eikwan-dd.  KYOTO  27.  Route.  447 


'  Stone  of  Ecstatic  Contemplation/  and  the  dowdy  little 
bridge,  the  '  Bridge  of  the  Pillar  of  the  Immortals ' ! 

The  Silver  Pavilion,  a  two-storied,  time-stained,  rickety 
and  vermiculated  frame  structure  which  to-day  shows  but 
faint  traces  (merely  a  fleck  here  and  there)  of  silver  about  it, 
overlooks  the  pond  from  the  S.  side.  An  awkward,  crudely 
made,  bronze  phoenix  with  outspread  wings  and  a  strong 
resemblance  to  a  turkey-bustard  stands  on  the  apex  of  the  roof 
as  if  ready  to  flop  down  after  garbage.  The  building  creaks 
ominously  as  one  steps  on  to  the  lower  floor,  where  visitors 
are  shown  a  group  of  a  thousand  tiny  images  of  Jizb.  In  the 
upper  room,  reached  by  steep  stairs,  is  a  shrine  made  from 
the  twisted,  weather-beaten  trunk  of  a  sandalwood  tree,  with 
a  not  unattractive  carved  and  gilded  image  of  Kivannon 
(falsely  attributed  to  Unkei)  crowned  and  backed  by  a  round 
mandorla.  Tea  in  a  cup  on  a  presentoir  in  the  cha-no-yu  style 
stands  before  it.  A  grove  of  tall  and  slim  bamboos  flanks 
the  pavilion  in  the  rear;  the  view  from  the  balcony,  over  the 
garden,  is  pretty.  —  The  return  road  from  the  Ginkaku-ji  is 
the  first  narrow  one  at  the  left  after  leaving  the  in  closure. 
A  10  min.  walk  along  this  brings  one  to  the  sometime  fine  old 

Honen-in  (PI.  F,  2),  delightfully  sequestered  in  a  bower  of 
lofty  trees  and  bamboos  on  a  hillside.  Its  clean  and  model 
garden,  the  sands  of  which  are  stamped  with  crests  and 
Buddhist  symbols,  ranks  high  with  Japanese  fond  of  archaic 
things,  and  it  is  quite  different,  in  minor  ways,  from  other 
temple-gardens  of  the  city.  The  wild  wood  which  slopes  back 
from  it  on  the  E.  feeds  a  number  of  tinkling  rills  that  leap 
down  through  the  deep  shadows  and  over  the  roots  of  the 
forest  giants  before  plunging  with  an  incessant  musical  note 
into  a  shallow  pool  at  one  corner  of  the  dingle.  At  times  the 
solemn  old  bronze  bell  in  the  gaunt  belfry  adds  its  querulous 
voice  to  the  monotone,  to  remind  one  of  its  happier  and  more 
prosperous  past.  —  A  further  15  min.  stroll  along  the  high- 
way brings  one  to  the  decaying  Anraku-ji,  also  on  the  hill- 
side and  in  a  tangled  garden  which  flames  with  azaleas  in  the 
spring.  Another  \  hr.  walk  and  we  come  to  the  equally  old 
(and  uninteresting)  Nyakuo-ji,  the  one-time  hereditary  seat 
of  the  Fujiwara  Uona  family,  and  locally  celebrated  for  its 
many  maples,  which  here  turn  crimson  earlier  than  those  in 
other  quarters.  Five  min.  beyond  it  is 

The  Eikwan-do  (PI.  F,  3),  a  Buddhist  temple  of  the  Seizan 
branch  of  the  Jodo  sect,  erected  in  855  by  the  bonze  Shinsho, 
and  rebuilt  on  a  larger  scale  in  983  by  the  bonze  Eikwan  — ■ 
whence  its  name.  The  new  temple,  on  a  lower  terrace  than 
that  occupied  by  the  old  one,  dates  from  1912;  the  approach 
to  both  is  unusually  picturesque.  A  little  lotus-pond,  over- 
hung by  weeping  willows,  nestles  in  a  depression  at  the  foot 
of  the  slope,  and  in  autumn  the  display  of  reddening  maples  is 


448   Route  27.  KYOTO 


Nanzen-ji. 


so  gorgeous  that  thousands  of  people  foregather  here  from  all 
parts  of  the  city  to  enjoy  the  sight  and  drink  tea  served  on  the 
platforms  ranged  along  the  edge  of  the  pond.  Pilgrims  and 
credulous  folks  also  come  hither  to  see  a  locally  celebrated 
carved  wood  image  of  Amida,  called  Mi-kaeri  no  Amida,  or 
'Amida  Looking  Sidewise/  about  which  a  silly  story  is  in 
circulation.  Tradition  has  it  that  the  profoundly  religious 
Eikwan  was  in  the  habit  of  walking  round  the  figure,  con- 
stantly repeating  the  Buddhistic  formula  of  Namu  Amida. 
One  day,  while  thus  employed,  he  heard  his  name  called,  and, 
looking  toward  the  statue,  he  saw  that  its  head  was  turned 
(toward  the  left)  and  that  it  was  gazing  at  him.  It  has  since 
retained  this  pose,  despite  the  fact  that  an  incredulous 
daimyd,  in  an  effort  to  draw  its  attention  in  another  direction, 
stuck  a  sword  in  its  breast  —  whereupon  it  bled  profusely! 
It  is  about  30  in.  high  and  is  as  crudely  and  stiffly  carved  as 
some  of  the  similar  miracle-working  images  of  Latin  America. 
The  inclosing  shrine  is  screened  from  the  public,  but  for  a 
small  fee  the  priest  in  charge  conducts  one  to  the  right  side  of 
the  altar,  mounts  a  platform,  lights  tapers,  and  in  a  loud 
voice  reads  the  alleged  history  of  the  figure;  then  slowly  and 
dramatically  he  rolls  up  a  curtain  until  the  image  is  seen 
looking  out  and  down  upon  the  beholder.  One  then  passes 
along  the  front  and  is  shown  the  blood-stains  produced  by 
the  daimyd' s  sword!  At  the  right  of  the  reliquary  (which 
is  painted  in  appalling  colors)  is  another  one  containing  a 
sculptured  wood  figure  of  Eikwan  —  in  whose  direction  the 
miraculous  Amida  gazes  steadily.  The  old  and  faded  mandara 
at  the  left  of  the  main  altar  portrays  the  numerous  shining 
temples  of  the  Buddhist  heaven.  The  old  campanario  stands 
up  at  the  right  of  the  temple,  near  the  graveyard.  —  A  further 
10  min.  along  the  main  road  toward  the  hotel  brings  the 
traveler  to  the  huge  temple  of 

Nanzen-ji  (PI.  F,  3),  the  central  seat  of  the  Rinzai  branch 
of  the  Zen  sect.  The  Emperor  Kameyama  erected  a  palace 
here  to  which  he  retired  after  his  abdication  in  1274,  and  this 
was  converted  into  a  temple  (by  the  bonze  Busshin-Zenji)  in 
1290.  The  original  structure  endured  until  Ieyasu's  time, 
when  it  was  burned.  This  shogun  caused  it  to  be  rebuilt  in 
1606,  but  the  structure  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1895;  the  pres- 
ent temple  dates  from  1907.  The  colossal  two-storied,  weather- 
beaten  gate  is  a  relic  of  the  17th  cent,  and  is  of  sinister  repute 
among  the  Japanese,  who  know  it  as  the  place  where  an  in- 
famous robber,  Ishikawa  Goemon,  was  captured  in  1632  and 
condemned  with  his  unfortunate  son  Ichiro  to  be  boiled  to 
death  in  a  cauldron  of  oil.  This  horrid  sentence  was  carried 
out  in  the  dry  bed  of  the  Kamo-gawa,  before  a  multitude  of 
spectators.  —  The  grounds  are  spacious  and  park-like,  and 
are  approached  along  an  avenue  of  noble  cryptomeria  trees. 


Nanzen-ji. 


KYOTO 


27.  Route.  449 


The  new  temple  is  a  clean,  handsome,  dignified  structure,  on 
a  broad  granite  plinth,  and  with  a  blackened  concrete  floor. 
Huge  keyaki  columns  finished  in  the  natural  wood  support  the 
massive  roof,  the  ceiling  of  which  is  almost  covered  with  a 
minatory  dragon  (by  Keinen)  painted  on  a  white  background. 
The  chief  altar  stands  high  at  the  back  of  the  main  hall,  on  a 
huge  raised  framework  of  black-  and  red-lacquered  wood. 
The  central  figure  is  Shaka,  who  is  flanked  by  his  faithful 
Monju  and  Fugen;  the  broad,  somber  background  against 
which  the  gilded  figures  show  serves  to  produce  a  striking 
contrast.  A  covered  passageway  connects  the  building  with 
the  old  apartments  (Hojo)  at  the  rear;  the  office  entrance  is  at 
the  right.  The  5  horizontal  lines  on  the  inclosing  wall  testify 
to  the  Imperial  patronage. 

Entering  through  the  office  (5  sen  fee)  the  visitor  is  con- 
ducted to  the  first  room,  which  contains  a  series  of  badly  faded 
fusuma  (by  Kand  Motonobu)  displaying  landscapes  and  geese. 
The  next  room  is  called  Jako-no-ma,  from  the  civet-cats 
painted  (along  with  cranes  and  landscapes)  on  the  fusuma. 
The  Chinese  scenes  in  the  next  room,  by  Kand  Eitoku,  are  not 
beautiful;  the  coffered  ceilings  of  all  these  rooms  carry  tiny 
sunken  panels.  The  adjacent  room  was  also  decorated  by 
Eitoku;  the  old  palanquin,  the  sometime  State  vehicle  of  the 
ill-fated  Emperor  Go-Daigo,  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
precious  of  the  temple  treasures.  The  Crane  Room  carries 
decorations  by  Motonobu,  and  the  fusuma  which  shows  a  crane 
standing  on  a  tree-trunk  is  in  his  best  manner.  The  three 
rooms  of  the  next  suite,  or  Sho  Hojo,  are  called  the  Tiger 
Rooms,  from  the  decorations  (by  Kand  Tanyu)  on  the  big 
fusuma  inclosing  them.  Great  tigers  i  fearfully  and  wonder- 
fully made '  stalk  all  over  the  screens,  some  of  them  almost 
as  big  as  horses,  with  bleary,  saucer-like  eyes.  One  in  particu- 
lar, shown  in  the  act  of  lapping  up  water  from  a  brook,  is 
considered  a  masterpiece  of  action  and  skill  in  drawing.  Trav- 
elers who  have  seen  real  tigers  will  form  their  own  opinions 
without  violating  any  of  the  accepted  canons  of  criticism. 
The  pair  of  old-gold  folding  screens  decorated  with  fans  are 
by  Kand  Eitoku,  and  there  are  others  of  the  same  kind  by  him 
in  another  room.  His  best  work  is  seen  in  an  adjacent  room 
which  was  once  the  chosen  retreat  of  the  Emperor  Go-Yomei 
(1587-1611).  The  big  panel  in  a  recess  at  the  left,  with  a 
landscape  and  a  waterfall  on  it,  is  decidedly  inferior  to  the 
extraordinarily  handsome  and  striking  gold  screen  represent- 
ing a  Chinese  palace  with  an  Imperial  garden  where  a  number 
of  graceful  Chinese  grandes  dames  are  strolling.  The  composi- 
tion is  unusually  felicitous;  the  fine,  supple  figures  are  drawn 
in  harmonious  colors,  the  pliant  folds  of  the  rich  draperies 
are  close  and  clinging,  and  the  aristocratic  faces  are  excellently 
modeled.  All  the  breadth  and  freshness  of  a  formal  Chinese 


450   Route  27. 


KYOTO 


Mikado's  Palace. 


garden  with  its  dwarf  trees  and  lotus-pools,  its  fantastic  rock- 
eries and  willow-pattern  bridges  smothered  in  flowers  and 
plashed  with  sunlight,  show  in  the  picture,  and  are  enhanced 
by  a  cloud  effect  which  recalls  certain  of  those  employed  by 
Murillo  as  a  background  for  his  madonnas.  Few  better  exam- 
ples of  Eitoku  in  his  best  manner  will  be  found  in  Kyoto,  and 
few  pictures  as  old  as  this  one  (painted  between  1543  and  1590) 
are  always  as  well  preserved. 

Certain  of  the  most  precious  of  the  temple  paintings  are 
kept  in  the  storeroom  and  are  brought  out  only  on  special 
occasions.  Prominent  among  them  are  some  good  kakemono, 
treated  in  harmonious  grays  and  pinks  by  Chinese  masters; 
and  a  superb  Kwannon  by  Mokkei;  the  fine  ecclesiastical  face 
of  this  is  drawn  with  a  high  degree  of  skill;  the  red  robe  is 
patterned  with  golden  disks,  and  the  effect  is  one  of  engaging 
harmony.  The  Death  of  Buddha  and  his  Entrance  into  Nir- 
vana (a  favorite  theme  of  Chinese  and  Japanese  artists) 
is  time-stained  but  still  pleasing,  and  is  ascribed  to  Choshikyo. 
A  magnificent  Shaka  flanked  by  Monju  and  Fugen,  the  work 
of  Cho  Densu,  is  well  worth  looking  at;  though  lacking  some- 
what in  softness,  the  central  figure  is  amazingly  virile,  and  the 
composition  is  marked  by  character  and  originality.  Among 
the  several  pictures  by  Kano  Tanyu  the  most  noteworthy  is 
a  striking  piece  of  portraiture  representing  a  kindly  old  priest 
with  a  fine,  genial  face  and  eyes  remarkably  instinct  with  life 
and  character.  He  is  clad  in  a  pale  yellow  robe  with  a  black 
border,  and  seated  in  a  Chinese  ironwood  chair,  with  his  Chi- 
nese shoes  on  a  stool  in  front  of  him.  Tanyu  also  painted 
the  three  portraits  of  the  Emperor  Kameyama  and  the  two 
abbots  who  founded  the  temple,  seated  in  great  armchairs, 
in  the  Chinese  manner.  The  most  satisfying  among  the  many 
kakemono  are  those  drawn  in  a  delicate  scale  of  silver  grays. 
A  graceful  Kwannon  by  Kano  Yasunobu  (18th  cent.)  may 
also  be  seen  here.  — The  temple  garden  is  a  small,  bare,  sanded 
space  laid  out  in  the  severe  cha-no-yu  style  and  ornamented 
with  a  few  scrawny  shrubs.  The  daybreak  and  sundown  bell 
is  rung  from  a  compound  in  this  temple  (and  alternately 
from  the  Kurodani).  —  Between  the  outer  entrance  to  the 
park  and  the  (15  min.)  Miyako  Hotel,  one  passes  the  Ke-age, 
where  the  Lake  Biwa  Canal  enters  the  city. 

Central  and  Southwest  Quarters. 
♦Mikado's  Palace.    *Nijo  Castle.   *Higashi  Hongwanji.  *Nishi 
C\      Hongwanji.  Toji.  Katsura  Summer  Palace. 

The  ^Mikado's  Palace  (Gosho),  a  group  of  modestly  fur- 
nished edifices  (PL  C-D,  2)  in  striking  contrast  to  the  splendid 
Nijo  Castle,  stands  near  the  center  of  a  wide  park-like  space  (1 
M.  long  by  i  M.  wide)  a  short  way  E.  of  the  original  palace 
built  by  the  Emperor  Kwammu  in  a.d.  794.  Successive  fires 


Mikado's  Palace. 


KYOTO 


27.  Route.  451 


have  long  since  burned  every  vestige  of  the  first  structures,  and 
time  and  circumstances  have  removed  the  detached  houses  of 
the  court  nobles  ( Kuge)  and  other  functionaries  which  at  one 
time  occupied  the  space  between  the  present  palace  group  and 
the  girdling  outer  walls.  Oda  Nobunaga  and  Toyotomi  Hide- 
yoshi  repaired  and  embellished  the  royal  residence  during  the 
16th  cent.,  and  after  the  devastating  conflagration  of  1788, 
Matsudaira  Sadanobu  (or  Matsudaira  Etchu  no  kami,  writer, 
and  one  of  the  great  ministers  of  the  Yedo  shogunate)  rebuilt  it 
on  the  model  of  the  present  one.  In  1854  this  suffered  the 
fate  of  its  predecessors,  and  the  modern  structure  rose  from 
its  ashes.  Four  iron-embossed  but  otherwise  plain  gates  admit 
to  the  palace  grounds,  which  are  inclosed  by  a  plastered  wall 
distinguished  by  upright  beams  and  five  horizontal  lines, 
known  as  Mi  Tsuiji  or  Suji-bei.  It  is  ornamental  rather  than 
defensive,  and  the  chrysanthemum  crests  on  the  antefixes 
of  the  coping  proclaim  its  royal  character.  For  permits  (no 
fees)  see  p.  400.  The  N.  gate  is  called  Sakuhei-mon. 

The  traveler  will  be  disappointed  if  he  looks  for  anything  princely  or 
palatial  in  this  sometime  home  of  the  late  Mikado  —  and  that  of  the 
present  one  when  he  visits  Kyoto.  Most  of  the  Emperors  of  Old  Japan 
observed  a  simple  and  almost  monastic  mode  of  life,  and  many  generations 
of  the  august  ancestors  of  the  reigning  sovereign  lived  here  in  a  simplicity 
which  oftentimes  bore  a  grim  likeness  to  penury.  The  choice  woods  used 
in  the  construction  of  the  palace  (flawless  hinoki  and  keyaki)  impart  a  cer- 
tain richness  and  an  austere  stateliness  which  somewhat  moderates  its 
manifest  sobriety,  but  there  is  a  total  absence  of  the  heavy,  overwhelming 
gorgeousness  and  glitter  that  characterizes  Nijo  Castle,  the  abode  of  the 
militant  shoguns.  It  is  a  significant  expression  of  the  old  Yamato  or  Shinto 
spirit,  which  enjoined  purity  of  life  as  well  as  of  heart.  The  old  smoky 
browned  roof  (called  Hiwadabuki  because  thatched  with  the  bark  of  the 
hinoki  tree),  in  the  pure  Shinto  style,  has  rows  of  tiles  along  the  ridges.  The 
general  ecclesiastical  aspect  of  the  structure  is  widely  at  variance  with  the 
accepted  Western  notion  of  a  palace.  The  fact  that  it  dates  back  no  farther 
than  the  middle  of  the  19th  cent.,  coupled  with  the  instinct.of  restraint,  the 
repression  of  all  fancy,  and  the  manifest  striving  for  the  attainment  of  a 
Spartan  simplicity,  accounts  for  the  absence  of  the  usual  portable  decora- 
tions by  the  earlier  masters  of  the  Kano  and  Tosa  schools  of  painting. 
Chinese  influence  (an  ancient  inheritance)  manifests  itself  in  the  (unusual) 
double  doors  swinging  from  hinges.  The  palace  interior  is  most  inviting 
in  the  summer,  when  the  wide,  wind-swept  halls  are  shaded  and  cool.  But 
on  a  gray  day  in  autumn,  when  the  north  wind  sighs  and  moans  through 
the  sepulchral  pines,  and  the  falling  leaves  shiver  and  flee  from  its  chill 
caress,  the  structure  takes  on  a  somber,  cheerless  air  that  is  doubly  accentu- 
ated by  these  same  cloister-like  labyrinthine  passageways,  and  long  chilly 
corridors.  The  real  luxury  of  the  palace  inclosure  is  manifested  in  the  ex- 
quisitely beautiful  garden  on  the  spot  where  the  old  gosho  stood;  the, 
traveler  will  miss  one  of  the  finest  things  in  Kyoto  if  he  fails  to  see  it.  A 
more  glorious  stretch  of  real  forest  and  'deep  tangled  wild-wood'  captured 
from  the  mt.  fastnesses,  transferred  to  the  heart  of  a  city,  and  confined 
there  within  four  walls,  does  not  exist  in  S.  Japan.  Its  serene  and  stately 
beauty  is  marked  by  a  feminine  charm  and  winsomeness  that  haunt  one. 
To  the  nature-lover  it  makes  up  many  times  over  for  the  lack  of  ornateness 
and  glitter  in  the  palace  itself. 

Entering  the  park  by  the  E.  gate,  we  follow  the  wall  to  its 
angle,  bear  to  the  right,  and  present  credentials  to  the  guard 
(an  officer  of  rank)  at  the  first  gateway.  The  visitor  is  asked 


452    Route  27.  KYOTO 


Omiya  Gosho. 


to  sign  his  name  in  the  Palace  Register  (morocco-bound  and 
stamped  with  a  golden  16-petal  kiku),  and  is  then  conducted 
across  the  wide  graveled  walk  to 

The  Omiya  Gosho  ('Emperor's  Imperial  Palace'),  where 
formerly  dwelt  those  emperors  who  retired  in  favor  of  a  suc- 
cessor. The  rooms  are  carpeted  and  shoes  need  not  be  removed. 
The  movable  partitions  and  cedar  doors  of  the  first  suite  are 
decorated  with  landscape  views,  pine  trees,  and  plum  blossoms, 
by  modern  artists  of  meager  attainments.  The  gold  screens 
which  inclose  the  living-rooms  of  the  ex-Empress  (who  was  a 
patron  of  husbandry)  depict  in  various  forms  the  progress  of 
growing  rice  from  the  time  of  planting  it  until  the  grain  is  har- 
vested. The  panels  of  flowers  and  birds,  done  in  a  masterful 
way  on  stippled  gold,  are  by  Kishi  Gantai.  The  Brussels 
carpets  suggest  the  interior  of  a  three-decker  tenement  rather 
than  a  palace.  The  cedar  door  at  the  end  of  the  first  corridor, 
showing  a  tiger  on  one  side  and  a  bear  in  a  snow-covered  forest 
on  the  other,  scarcely  deserves  its  exalted  position.  In  the 
corridor  at  right  angles  to  this  one  is  a  door  embellished  with 
a  winte*r  scene  and  Chinese  sages  on  one  side,  and  on  the  re- 
verse a  Chinese  student  poring  over  a  book  by  the  light  of  a 
group  of  glow-worms  which  he  has  caught  and  imprisoned 
in  a  translucent  bag!  The  screens  of  the  rooms  immediately 
succeeding  are  decorated  with  birds,  deer,  iris,  peonies,  and 
wistaria,  as  well  as  river-scenes,  seascapes,  and  a  fine  distant 
view  of  Arashiyama;  the  cedar  doors  exhibit  playful  Dogs  of 
Fo,  and  a  warrior  on  horseback.  The  uninteresting  rooms 
near  the  kitchen  are  as  plain  as  poverty  and  seem  little  re- 
moved from  it.  —  The  visitor  is  now  conducted  back  to  the 
entrance,  thence  along  the  side  wall  to  a  small  door  opening 
on  to 

The  Sento-Gosho  Garden,  a  regal  retreat  with  its  lofty  for- 
est giants,  its  beautiful  deep  lakes,  quaint  bridges,  sequestered 
walks,  and  dales  and  dingles  that  one  usually  associates  in  the 
mind  with  dryad  oracles  and  sylvan  deities.  No  wood  nymph 
ever  flitted  through  daintier  and  more  umbrageous  dells  and 
embowered  ravines  than  those  which  lead  away  from  the  pebbly 
beaches  that  follow  the  sinuous  shores  of  the  silent  lakes. 
The  garden  is  as  noble  in  size  as  the  scores  of  models  of  it  scat- 
tered throughout  Japan  are  artistic  in  their  diminutiveness. 
It  is  seen  at  its  best  in  the  spring  when  the  wistaria  bowers 
are  a  glory  of  grace  and  color,  and  in  Nov.  when  the  reddening 
maples  and  the  lofty  icho  trees  cover  the  winding  paths  with 
a  rustling  carpet  of  royal  crimson  and  golden  leaves.  Half  a 
hundred  varieties  of  rare  trees  and  a  host  of  beautiful,  semi- 
tropical  plants  and  flowers  flame  with  color  and  add  charm 
to  the  garden,  across  which  huge  trees,  of  an  age  much  greater 
than  the  present  palace,  send  their  half-exposed  roots  in  ser- 
pentine lengths.  —  Facing  the  gate  through  which  the  visitor 


Shishin-den. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  453 


passes  out  of  the  garden  is  a  wide  road  flanked  by  a  wall 
(right),  which  one  follows  to  its  angle,  then  turns  up  at  the 
right  to  the  Mi  Daidokoro  Go-mon,^  or  'Gate  of  the  August 
Kitchen.'  The  office  of  the  custodian  is  just  within,  at  the 
right.  Here  one  enters  one's  name  in  another  register  and  is 
provided  anew  with  a  guide  to  conduct  him  through 

The  Main  Palace.  The  antechamber,  the  sometime  wait- 
ing-room for  nobles,  is  inclosed  by  sliding  screens  displaying 
(modern)  sepia  drawings  (of  doubtful  merit)  of  cherry  trees 
by  Kara  Zaisho,  cranes  by  Kano  Eigaku,  and  frowsy,  loose- 
jointed  tigers  by  Kishi  Gantai.  One  proceeds  thence  over  the 
1  nightingale '  floors  of  a  breezy  hall ,  and  through  the  Denjo 
(a  dining-room  bare  as  a  monk's  cell,  where  courtiers  used 
to  dine)  to  the  Seiryd-den,  or '  Pure  Cool  Hall,'  so  named  for 
the  small  rill  which  tinkles  down  a  walled  sluiceway  near 
the  outer  steps.  The  visitor  is  expected  to  be  satisfied  with 
merely  a  peep  into  this  sacrosanct  room  —  a  part  of  the  suite 
forming  the  one-time  living-rooms  of  the  late  Emperor,  and 
latterly  used  only  for  special  festivals  and  receptions.  In  one 
corner  of  the  polished  black-wood  floor  is  a  cemented  space 
about  8  ft.  sq.,  upon  which,  in  rainy  weather,  fresh  earth  was 
strewn  so  that  the  Mikado  might  worship  the  spirits  of  his 
forebears  without  descending  to  earth  on  the  sanded  floor 
of  the  courtyard.  The  copper  disk  let  into  the  cement  covers 
a  sunken  opening  where  a  charcoal  fire  heats  the  room  in 
winter.  The  decorations  in  blues,  browns,  and  greens,  on 
the  sliding  screens,  are  by  Tosa  Mitsukiyo.  In  the  center  of  the 
raftered  apartments  (63  ft.  long  by  46  wide)  stands  the  mi 
chodai,  or  throne  of  the  Mikado,  in  the  form  of  a  species  of 
baldachin,  of  Chamcecy parts  (as  used  in  constructing  Shinto 
shrines)  inclosed  by  filmy  silken  curtains  and  guarded  by  two 
Korean  lions;  the  Chinese  chair  inlaid  with  madreperl,  used 
by  the  Emperor  at  receptions,  is  a  counterpart  of  the  one  in 
the  Shishin-den.  The  wide  court  on  which  the  room  fronts  is 
sanded  and  combed  as  with  a  harrow;  at  the  right  and  left 
of  the  steps  leading  down  to  it  are  two  fenced-in  clumps  of 
bamboos  (chiku)  called  respectively  Kan-chiku  and  Go-chiku, 
from  Kan  and  Go,  two  ancient  kingdoms  of  China. 

Passing  underneath  a  corner  section  of  the  attractive 
Shinto-style  roof  one  enters  the  Shishin-den  ('secret  purple 
hall,'  or  'purple  hall  of  the  N.  star  '),  a  vast  room  (44  by  120 
ft.)  similar  in  construction  to  the  Seiryd-den,  bare  save  for  the 
throne  in  the  center,  and  dedicated  to  the  Mikado  —  who  held 
special  audiences  here  or  officiated  at  important  functions. 
The  simple  throne-chair  is  finely  inlaid  with  nacre  and  em- 
bellished with  brass  ornaments;  the  chaste  and  dainty  white 
silk  figured  draperies  are  renewed  twice  each  year.  The  colored 
silk  ribbons  are  stamped  with  designs  of  sparrows  and  other 
small  birds.  The  squat  lacquered  stands  on  either  side  of  the 


454    Route  27. 


KYOTO  Minor  Palace. 


throne  are  for  the  sword  and  jewel  —  the  Imperial  insignia. 
Conspicuous  objects  at  the  back  of  the  hall  are  the  nine  large 
rectilinear  screens  (called  Seiken  Shoji,  or  '  Screens  of  the 
Sages ')  which  form  the  inclosure.  Eight  are  adorned  each  with 
four  large  figures  of  Chinese  sages  —  solemn-looking,  slant- 
eyed  worthies  clad  in  red,  white,  and  black  robes,  and  who 
form  a  long  procession  across  the  wide  room.  The  ideographic 
squares  at  the  top  of  the  panels  relate  the  history  of  the  sages 
(subjects  of  the  Tung  Dynasty),  and  the  central  panel  carries 
decorations  of  turtles,  wave-patterns  and  Dogs  of  Fo.  The 
originals  of  all  the  screens  (which  are  copies  by  some  deft 
pupil  of  the  Kano  school,  perhaps  Norinobu,  1692-1731)  are 
ascribed  to  the  master  Kose-no-Kanaoka,  who  (according  to 
the  legend)  once  painted  a  horse  for  the  Ninna-ji  so  true 
to  life  that  every  night  it  escaped  from  its  frame  and  gal- 
loped about  the  neighborhood  —  wherefore  its  eyes  had  to  be 
painted  out  so  it  could  not  see !  The  inner  sides  of  the  panels 
lack  delicacy  of  touch  and  are  covered  with  painted  birds  of 
brilliant  plumage. 

The  spacious  hall  with  its  huge  mediaeval  roof-beams  and 
highly  polished  floor,  its  memories  of  Imperial  presences  and 
its  silent  procession  of  wily  Celestials  trailing  stealthily  across 
it,  is  not  wholly  devoid  of  charm.  The  rows  of  rusted  iron 
hooks  that  pend  from  the  ceiling  hold  up  the  slatted  doors 
opening  on  to  the  sanded  court.  The  18  steps  leading  down 
to  this  are  called  Jil-hakai,  and  they  symbolize  the  different 
grades  into  which  government  officials  were  formerly  divided. 
Anciently  those  received  in  audience  by  the  Mikado  stood  on 
the  step  corresponding  to  their  grade ;  those  entitled  to  ascend 
to  the  hall  were  known  as  Den-jd-bito;  and  those  without  rank, 
forced  to  stand  at  the  tail  of  the  procession,  were  called  Ji-ge, 
because  they  had  to  stand  'down  on  the  earth.'  The  small 
cherry  tree  at  the  left  of  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  the  Sakon  no 
sakura  (lit.,  'Body-guard  of  the  Left'),  is  prominent  in  Jap- 
anese heraldry,  and  equally  so  is  the  wild-orange  tree  (heavy 
with  tiny  fruit  in  Nov.)  called  Ukon  no  Tachibana  ('Body- 
guard of  the  Right').  Both  are  planted  in  obedience  to  an 
ancient  custom.  The  gate  at  the  left  is  the  Sunflower  Gate; 
that  at  the  right,  the  Moon-flower  Gate;  and  the  main  one, 
with  three  doors,  the  Shomei-mon,  or  'Gate  of  Great  Bright- 
ness.' The  ideographs  in  the  newly  gilded  panel  above  the 
entrance  of  the  hall  spell  Shishin-den,  and  are  by  the  hand 
of  a  celebrated  calligraphist.  To  complete  the  inspection  of 
the  Palace  group  the  visitor  is  now  conducted  to 

The  Ko-Gosho  (Minor  Palace),  the  apartments  in  which 
date  from  1854  and  are  decorated  by  modern  artists.  The  in- 
ner sides  of  the  sliding  fusuma  display  conventional  seascapes, 
some  delicate  landscapes  in  the  Tosa  style,  processions,  views 
of  Fuji-san,  and  what-not.  The  outer  sides  have  various  scenes 


Minor  Palace. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  455 


representing  the  four  seasons,  the  first  showing  a  group  of 
daimyds  and  other  notables  making  New  Year  calls  upon  the 
Emperor.  The  decorations  command  attention  by  the  pre- 
ponderance of  an  intense  cobalt  blue  color,  which  takes  the 
form  of  broad  bands  of  unequal  lengths  representing  cloud 
effects.  Many  of  the  screens  are  adorned  with  heavy  silken 
cords,  while  the  corridor  doors,  embellished  with  polished 
metal  enrichments,  are  double  and  hinged  after  the  Chinese 
fashion.  The  rooms  are  shown  en  suite  and  the  visitor  looks 
through  two  thrown  into  one  to  a  third,  the  Audience  Cham- 
ber, in  which  a  low  dais  served  as  the  Imperial  Throne,  where 
the  Emperor  received  shoguns  and  daimyds.  Beyond  the  first 
suite  is  a  corridor  with  big  cedar  doors  finely  decorated  with 
plum  blossoms  and  Chinese  figures.  The  fusuma  are  compan- 
ion pieces  to  those  of  the  first  suite,  and  they  symbolize  spring, 
summer,  autumn,  and  winter  by  pictures  of  the  Palace  interior 
in  process  of  alteration  necessitated  by  the  changing  seasons. 

The  O  Gakumonjo  (August  Imperial  Study)  contains  sev- 
eral rooms,  the  finest  of  which  is  the  Gan-no-ma  ('Wild  Goose 
Room')  with  its  lovely  old-gold  fusuma  covered  with 
beautifully  painted  wild  geese  in  harmonious  colors  and  many 
attitudes  —  the  work  of  Renzan  Kishi.  The  second  suite  of 
three  small  rooms  called  respectively  Gedan  (for  persons  of 
lesser  rank),  Chudan  (for  those  of  higher  rank),  and  Jodan, 
or  the  innermost  room  (a  sort  of  tribune  where  the  Mikado  sat 
and  received  visitors),  are  charmingly  decorated  with  ani- 
mated scenes  from  Chinese  life  —  castles,  land- views,  sea- 
scapes, and  what-not  —  the  1st  by  Kara  Zaisho,  the  2d  by 
Tsuruzawa  Tanshin,  and  the  3d  by  Kano  Eigaku.  The  sim- 
ilarity and  progressive  continuity  of  the  work  suggests  that  it 
might  have  been  executed  by  one,  rather  than  three  different 
artists.  The  flower-car  painted  on  the  cedar  door  at  the  end 
of  the  corridor  is  attractive. 

The  Chrysanthemum  Room  (Kiku-no-ma)  carries  con- 
ventional decorations  by  Okamoto  Sukehiko.  The  Corchorus 
Room  (Yamabuki-no-ma)  displays  graceful  branches  of  yel- 
low yamabuki,  the  work  of  Maruyama  Okyo.  The  herons, 
water-grasses,  and  snow-scenes  on  certain  of  the  cedar  doors 
of  the  corridors  are  worth  looking  at.  One  door  is  ornamented 
with  a  turtle;  another  with  some  wild  geese  in  flight,  in  white, 
subdued  browns  and  gold ;  another  with  a  big  bear  in  a  forest 
buried  deep  in  snow;  and  still  another  with  a  superb  peacock 
whose  gorgeous,  outspread  tail  extends  over  the  adjacent 
panels.  The  scene  depicting  Chinese  boys  at  play  is  not  with- 
out merit.  The  visitor  is  turned  back  from  here,  as  the  eleven 
remaining  apartments  (called  Tsune  Goten)  are  occupied  by 
the  Mikado  when  he  visits  Kyoto  and  are  not  open  to  public 
scrutiny.  In  this  retired  place  many  generations  of  sovereigns 
have  lived  and  died;  not  a  few  of  them  knowing  practically 


456    Route  27. 


KYOTO 


Nijd  Castle. 


nothing  of  their  empire  and  its  people,  and  unknown  of  them. 
The  decorations  of  the  apartments  are  similar  to  those  we 
have  seen,  the  most  conspicuous  among  them,  from  an 
artistic  viewpoint,  being  the  three  fusuma  by  Raisho  Naka- 
shima,  exhibiting  scenes  from  the  Wakanoura  coast,  in  mono- 
chrome. —  The  Meteorological  Observatory  stands  in 
the  Palace  grounds,  and  at  the  W.  end  of  the  park  is  the  little 
Go-o-JiNJA^whjcli  figures  on  the  10-yen  banknote  issued  by 
the  Nippc^U^^. 

The  *xf ijo  Castlfe  ( Nijo-jo,  or  Nijo-no-shiro)  known  also 
as  the  $Nijd-no-riftyu,  or  'Detached  Palace  of  Nijd  1  (a  name 
given  tojt^wlfen  it  became  Imperial  property  after  the 
Restoration),  stands  in  the  West-Central  quarter  (PL  B-C,  3) 
hard  by  the  Nijd  Rly.  Station  (J  hr.  from  the  hotel;  jinriki, 
40  sen;  tramway,  7  sen).  §E££l2lP^,m^  (comp.  p.  400)  neces- 
sary^ It  is  incomparably  the^rihesTTelic  in  Kyoto  of  the 
'Tokugawa  shdgunal  epoch  and  it  ranks  as  one  of  the  most 
important  monuments  of  this  dynasty  in  Japan.  Fees  are  not 
accepted  and  should  not  be  proffered. 

Despite  the  appearance  of  solidity  imparted  by  the  massive,  fortress- 
like  wall  surmounted  by  white  turrets  at  the  angles;  and  suggested  also  by 
the  encircling  moat,  the  structure  within  is  not  a  castle  in  the  accepted 
sense,  but  is  a  frail,  temple-like,  tile-roofed  frame  building,  gray  with  age, 
but  happily  in  good  preservation,  with  an  interior  gleaming  with  golden 
ornament  —  a  queen's  boudoir  rather  than  a  warrior's  fortified  residence. 
Oda  Nobunaga  built  the  original  castle  in  1569  for  hi3  protege1  Ashikaga 
Yoshiaki  (15th  and  last  shogun  of  the  line,  who  later  tried  to  kill  his  bene- 
factor), as  a  sort  of  opulent  token  of  his  almost  unexampled  power,  and  as  i 
an  unmistakable  indication  that  the  might  and  wealth  of  Japan  were  repre- 
sented here  and  not  in  the  Gosho  —  where  the  Emperor  dwelt.  In  1600, 
Tokugawa  Ieyasu  renovated  it  and  converted  it  into  a  residence  for  the 
shogun  when  he  might  visit  Kyoto;  he  resided  here  in  1611;  the  shogun 
Hidetada  did  likewise  in  1617  and  1626;  and  the  shogun  Iemitsu  in  1634. 
Henceforward  for  2  centuries  no  shogun  came  to  Kyoto,  and  the  Palace 
remained  practically  deserted.  In  the  18th  cent,  a  destructive  fire  destroyed 
a  number  of  the  buildings,  prominent  among  them  the  Hom-maru,  or  Chief 
Keep.  In  1863  the  Tokugawa  shogun  Iemochi  repaired  hither  at  the  call  of 
the  Emperor  Komei,  and  received  orders  from  him  to  expel  the  foreign 
barbarians  (the  Americans  under  Commodore  Perry)  from  Japan.  Here, 
too,  on  a  fateful  day  late  in  1867,  the  last  of  the  shoguns,  Yoshinobu  (or 
Reiki),  handed  his  resignation  to  the  Emperor,  and  here  on  April  6,  1868, 
the  latter  (the  late  Mikado) ,  once  more  in  possession  of  his  ancient  herit- 
age and  ancestral  right,  met  the  Council  of  State  and  pledged  himself  to 
establish  a  deliberative  assembly  and  to  decide  measures  of  national  import 
by  a  majority  of  public  opinion!  Subsequently  the  Palace  was  used  as  the 
Kyoto  Prefectural  Office,  and  during  this  occupation  certain  iconoclastic 
officials  committed  acts  of  vandalism  which  wrought  destruction  to  many 
of  the  works  of  art  preserved  in  it.  Those  which  remain,  in  the  form  of 
decorations,  are  highly  instructive,  since  they  show  the  extraordinary  in- 
equality of  the  work  of  the  greatest  masters  of  the  17th  cent.,  as  well  as  the 
naive  taste  (or  lack  of  it)  displayed  by  the  splendor-loving  shoguns  of  that 
eventful  period.  They  are  also  typical  of  the  diametrically  opposed  tenden- 
cies of  the  Mikado  —  who  lived  the  simple  life  in  the  broadest  sense. 

The  critical  traveler  is  apt  to  regard  certain  of  the  decorations  as  over- 
wrought and  oppressive,  and  to  detect  an  admixture  of  coarseness  in  their 
barbaric  glitter.  The  motives  are  larger,  and  on  a  more  grandiose  scale 
than  one  usually  sees  in  Japan,  and  are  marked  by  a  rich  and  exuberant 
fancy  very  popular  in  the  17th  cent.  There  is  considerable  diversity  in  the 


East  Gateway. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  457 


decoration  of  the  different  apartments,  which  are  constantly  being  restored. 
Some  of  the  best  work  of  Hidari  Jingord  and  other  of  the  early  master 
craftsmen  may  be  seen  here,  and  the  traveler  with  the  time  at  his  dis- 
posal should  not  miss  it.  The  woods  used  in  the  construction  of  the  Palace 
are  hinoki  and  keyaki.  Tough  native  paper  overlaid  with  gold  foil,  and  regal 
silks  are  much  in  evidence,  while  kakemono  are  conspicuous  by  their  absence. 
Mural-  and  panel-painting  has  been  frequently  resorted  to,  and  no  structure 
in  Kyoto  contains  finer  work  in  metal.  Certain  of  the  bird  ornaments  are 
modeled  with  chalk,  then  painted  over  to  give  the  impression  of  thick  gold- 
lacquer.  The  floors  are  of  polished  wood  covered  with  the  special  kind  of 
soft  straw  mats  customarily  used  at  the  Imperial  Court.  The  gorgeous 
interior  with  its  exhaustless  legacy  of  beauty  is  very  suggestive  of  the  bril- 
liant life  of  earlier  days,  as  well  as  indicative  of  the  mutability  of  human 
affairs. 

The  splendidly  mediaeval  old  East  Gateway  (Higashi 
O-Temon)  near  the  S.E.  angle  of  the  girdling  wall,  and  through 
which  we  enter  the  castle  grounds  (a  finer  and  more  artistic 
structure  than  the  Kita  O-Temon  at  the  N.  end),  is  approached 
by  a  flat,  pebble-strewn  bridge  spanning  the  Hiri-kawa  —  a 
foul  stream  which  races  madly  along  as  if  anxious  to  hide  its 
soiled  waters  in  those  of  the  sea.  The  gate  itself  is  an  unusu- 
ally ponderous  relic,  iron-strapped  and  practically  covered 
with  huge  iron  bosses  employed  as  constructional  expedients 
to  conceal  the  big  bolt-heads.  The  massive  iron  hinges  and 
the  great  bolts  which  secure  the  gate  resemble  those  of  a 
giant's  keep.  The  upright  timbers  are  set  in  handsome  green 
bronze  sockets;  the  sloping  wall  of  un jointed  but  excellently 
matched  stones  is  less  cyclopean  than  those  of  the  Osaka, 
Nagoya,  or  Tokyo  castles,  and  is  surmounted  at  the  angles 
by  graceful  white  turrets,  or  yagura,  with  jaunty,  uptilted 
roofs,  and  overshadowed  by  a  line  of  fantastic  pine  trees 
whose  images  are  reflected  with  startling  clearness  in  the  still 
waters  of  the  moat  (O-hori).  A  symmetrical  line  of  greensward 
runs  along  the  crest  of  the  wall,  above  which  the  tip  of  the 
palace  roof  is  seen.  Unlike  other  Japanese  castles,  which 
usually  stand  on  high  places,  the  Nijo  occupies  a  restricted 
compound  even  with  the  city  floor  and  on  a  level  lower  than 
that  of  the  wall.  The  officer  stationed  at  the  postern  chal- 
lenges the  visitor,  who  must  show  his  pass.  If  this  is  in  order, 
he  is  conducted  to  the  office  just  within,  at  the  right,  where  he 
signs  his  name  in  the  Palace  Register  and  is  assigned  a  guide. 
The  old-gold  screen  in  the  office,  showing  a  fine  black  eagle  in 
a  whirl  of  energy  and  fury,  is  modern. 

The  visitor  is  first  conducted  round  the  corner  of  the  wall 
to  the  regal  Kara-mon  (called  also  Yotsu-ashi-mon,  from  the 
4  supporting  pillars),  a  gate  believed  to  have  come  from 
Hideyoshi's  palace  at  Momo-yama.  It  is  conspicuous  for  a 
maze  of  gilded  metal-work  and  polychrome  wood-carving, 
with  beam-ends  sheathed  in  brass  covered  with  intricate 
tracery  picked  out  in  black,  and  Imperial  16-petal  chrysan- 
themums. The  outer  panels  carry  sculptured  cranes,  flowers 
(chiefly  peonies),  and  butterflies  executed  in  a  spirited  man- 


458   Route  27.        \  KYOTO 


Nijd  Castle. 


ner;  the  inner  ones  depict  a  striped  tiger  emerging  from  a 
jungle  to  an  encounter  with  a  glaring-eyed  dragon;  and  a 
shishi  in  the  unusual  attitude  of  scratching  his  ear  with  his 
hind  paw.  The  gray  walls  with  vertical  beams  set  at  intervals 
in  the  plaster,  and  topped  by  a  narrow  tiled  coping,  are  excel- 
lent specimens  of  the  style  called  Suji-bei  (or  hei)  —  lit., 1  lin- 
eage wall ' ;  the  5  stripes  denoting  that  it  is  reserved  to  the 
special  use  of  the  Imperial  Family.  After  passing  through  the 
postern  at  the  right,  one  notes  that  the  inner  side  of  the  gate- 
way is  quite  as  elaborate  as  the  reverse,  with  a  multiplicity 
of  carved  and  multi-colored  phcenixes,  butterflies,  and  folia- 
ted peonies  surrounding  a  Chinese  figure  astride  a  dragon-like 
tortoise.  Its  splendid  character  is  enhanced  by  a  gracefully 
curved  roof  in  the  pure  Shinto  style  of  architecture.  Pea- 
cock-blues, bronze-greens,  and  white  are  the  predominating 
colors. 

The  Palace  Entrance  has  a  porte  cochere  called  0  Kuruma- 
yose  and  an  unusually  attractive  double  roof.  The  big  carved 
wood  panel  carrying  five  polychromatic  peacocks  in  high  re- 
lief, standing  or  flying  amid  foliage,  with  the  iridescent  sheen 
of  every  feather  glinting  in  the  sunlight,  is  almost  as  good  as 
the  best  work  of  Hidari  Jingoro.  Shoes  must  be  removed 
(foot  coverings  are  provided)  in  the  spacious  flagged  vesti- 
bule. The  decorative  richness  of  the  apartments  visible  be- 
yond this  is  marred  by  the  clashing  colors  of  the  (modern) 
coffered  ceiling  of  the  corridor  —  which  has  medallion-like 
sculptured  panels  set  into  a  wood  ventilating  grill,  and  floors 
of  polished  keyaki. 

The  Imperial  Suite,  called  Yanagi-no-ma  (Willow  Tree 
Rooms),  from  the  yanagi  with  which  it  is  embellished,  has 
some  exceptionally  wide  fusuma  adorned  with  willows 
(painter  unknown)  on  a  dead-gold  ground;  at  the  left  are 
numerous  friezes  carved  with  peonies.  The  16-petaled  chrys- 
anthemum crests  so  much  in  evidence  were  added  to  those  of 
the  Tokugawa  in  1885.  Each  of  the  sunken  panels  of  the  cof- 
fered ceiling  carries  5  flower  circles  painted  in  brilliant  colors, 
less  handsome  than  those  of  the  adjoining  room,  with  its  clus- 
ters of  grapevines  on  a  gold  ground.  The  pine  trees  here  give 
the  name  Wakamatsu-no-ma  ('young  pine  tree')  to  the  room. 
The  adjoining  apartment  calls  for  no  special  mention. 

The  three  Bamboo  and  Tiger  Rooms  (Takeni  Tora-no-ma), 
conspicuous  for  their  grandiose  effect  rather  than  for  artistic 
worth  or  beauty,  are  inclosed  by  a  number  of  huge  sliding 
panels  with  a  background  of  dead  gold;  against  this  an 
effective  bamboo  grove  is  painted,  through  the  slim  trees  of 
which  winds  a  succession  of  bizarre,  round-eyed  tigers  (tora) 
in  the  various  attitudes  of  repose,  vigilance,  combat,  and 
flight.  Between  the  first  (formerly  a  waiting-room  for  sam- 


Nijd  Castle. 


KYOTO 


27.  Route.  459 


urai)  and  second  rooms  are  large,  bedizened  cedar-wood  doors 
painted  with  tigers  in  a  bamboo  jungle  on  one  side,  and  some 
strange  goats  on  the  other.  On  one  of  the  doors  is  a  bizarre 
Korean  lion  execrably  done  by  Kano  Tanyu,  and  pointed  out 
with  pride  because  the  eyes  seem  to  regard  one  from  different 
angles.  The  adjoining  room,  the  Shikidai-no-ma,  where  the 
Council  of  State  formerly  assembled,  has  a  handsome  coffered 
ceiling  on  each  sunken  panel  of  which  are  two  gold  phoenixes 
with  outspread  wings.  The  painting  of  the  big  pine  tree  is  not 
a  masterpiece,  but  the  dainty  little  panels  displaying  wild 
geese  flying  against  a  gold  background  are  noteworthy.  In  the 
adjacent  corridor  are  other  cedar  doors  decorated  with  storks 
on  one  side  and  goats,  manifestly  painted  from  memory,  on 
the  reverse;  the  rich  coffered  ceiling  shows  conventional  de- 
signs on  a  dregs-of-wine  ground,  and  the  metal  clasps  of  the 
joinery  carry  embossed  Tokugawa  crests. 

The  O-hiroma,  a  suite  of  3  rooms,  the  3d  of  which  we  enter 
first,  contains  an  extraordinary  pierced  and  sculptured  ramma 
(above  the  sliding  wall  screens)  4  by  10  ft.,  clasped  with  rich, 
chiseled  metal  corner-pieces,  said  to  be  of  one  piece  of  wood, 
and  ascribed  to  Hidari  Jingoro;  on  one  side  are  splendid  pea- 
cocks surrounded  by  pine  twigs  and  foliage,  and  on  the 
reverse,  groups  of  gorgeous  full-blown  peonies  and  other 
flowers,  all  in  high  relief  and  marvels  of  grace  and  beauty. 
The  skill  with  which  the  artist  has  utilized  the  two  planes  for 
an  entirely  different  composition,  and  the  striking  attitudes  of 
the  birds  —  which  seem  almost  alive  and  ready  for  instant 
flight  —  make  the  object  one  of  the  most  masterly  in  the 
Palace,  and  accounts,  in  a  way,  for  the  reverence  which  Japan- 
ese attach  to  Jingoro' 's  memory.  This  panel  alone  will  preserve 
his  name  from  oblivion.  The  room  is  further  embellished  with 
a  number  of  flat,  oblong  kugikakushi  (employed  as  artistic 
expedients  to  hide  the  bolt  heads)  wrought  in  the  style  of  the 
folded  paper  (used  for  wrapping  up  gifts)  called  noshi  (long, 
thin  strip  of  dried  sea-ear  attached  to  a  present  or  served  upon 
a  table  on  ceremonious  occasions) .  The  surfaces  are  skillfully 
chased  with  phcenixes,  crests,  and  what-not.  On  one  of  the 
fusuma  is  a  virile  and  resplendent  peacock  standing  on  the 
mottled,  moss-flecked  trunk  of  a  pine  tree,  the  personification 
of  grace  and  elegance,  with  its  glorious  tail  blending  with  the 
spots  on  the  trunk,  and  its  iridescent  head,  neck,  and  breast 
shading  into  the  green  foliage  above.  The  ramma  between 
this  and  the  adjoining  room,  with  its  seductive  polychrome 
phcenixes  and  full-blown  peonies  in  high  relief,  all  splendidly 
executed  and  embellished  with  gold  and  color,  can  be  seen  to 
better  advantage  from  the  other  side. 

The  two  rooms,  called  the  Go  Taimenjo  (Audience  Hall), 
are  in  reality  one;  the  lower  or  outer  part  was  the  gedan, 
where  the  daimyos  or  the  commonalty  waited;  the  inner  or 


460    Route  27. 


KYOTO 


Nijd  Castle. 


upper  half  (on  a  slightly  higher  plane),  the  j odan,  where  the 
shogun  sat.  The  lovely  old-gold  panel  in  the  upper  left-hand 
corner  of  the  gedan,  showing  a  superb  peacock  flying  through 
space  (an  unusual  conception),  is  extraordinarily  charming. 
The  rich  panels  adorned  with  monstrous  pine  trees  drawn 
with  an  admirable  fidelity  to  nature  by  Kano  Tanyu,  shows 
that  artist  at  his  best.  They  should  be  viewed  from  the  lower 
end  of  the  suite.  That  section  which  almost  covers  the  recessed 
wall  of  the  tokonoma  (alcove)  at  the  upper  end  of  the  jodan, 
and  which  seems  to  stand  out  bodily  from  the  magnificent 
gold  background,  is  bewildering  in  its  effect.  This  has  been 
shrewdly  enhanced  by  the  placing,  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  of 
a  finely  sculptured  black  and  white  crane  painted  in  a  start- 
lingly  realistic  manner.  The  ceiling  of  the  jodan,  with  its 
graceful  central  upsweep,  is  a  symphony  of  red  and  white  and 
blue  and  gold.  The  Damascene  metal  clasps  recall  certain 
of  the  fine  Moslem  work  in  the  Omaiyade  Mosque  at  Damas- 
cus, and  'demonstrate  with  what  skill  the  art  of  the  enchaser 
can  be  combined  with  that  of  the  enameler.  At  the  right  of 
the  recess  is  the  customary,  but  in  this  instance  unusually 
graceful,  chigai  dana  (uneven  shelf)  enhanced  by  some  good 
chased  metal  enrichments.  At  its  right  is  the  quasi-secret 
apartment  called  the  mi  chodai,  where  the  samurai  guards  of 
the  shogun  formerly  stood  unseen  by  those  in  the  audience 
hall ;  the  birds  on  the  door  panels  are  the  kinkei  (golden  pheas- 
ant). The  huge  crimson  silk  cords  and  tassels,  the  black-lac- 
quered framework  embellished  with  massive  and  richly  chased 
metal  ornaments  showing  phoenixes,  fine  tracery,  and  Toku- 
gawa  crests,  besides  being  effective  and  opulent,  indicate  their 
Imperial  character.  The  gold  panels  of  the  interior,  with  fig- 
ures and  landscapes,  are  mediocre.  Before  leaving  the  toko- 
noma  note  the  splendid  floor-beam  of  the  alcove,  a  delight  to 
the  eye  of  an  architect.  It  is  a  beautiful  piece  of  oiled  and 
polished  keyaki,  6  in.  thick,  3  ft.  wide,  18  ft.  long,  and  prac- 
tically indestructible.  The  corridor  which  leads  from  the  O-hi- 
roma  flanks 

The  Landscape  Garden,  designed  by  Kobori  Enshu.  The 
cherry  trees  are  beguiling  in  April,  and  the  maples  in  Nov. 
The  pond,  which  formerly  received  water  from  the  Kamo- 
gawa,  is  now  filled  3  ft.  deep  with  fine  sand  —  a  style  known  as 
Kare-sansui.  The  fantastic  rocks  which  line  the  serpentine 
banks  are  as  curious  as  they  are  costly.  —  The  cedar  doors  at 
the  end  of  the  corridor  are  adorned  with  flowers,  leafage,  and 
bamboos  of  no  merit;  those  opening  on  the  Sotetsu-no-ma,  or 
Sago  Palm  Room,  are  ornamented  with  specimens  of  these 
palms.  Formerly  all  the  fusuma  were  so  decorated,  but  they 
have  perished  and  have  been  replaced  with  wide  panels 
covered  with  gleaming  gold  foil. 

The  Botan-no-ma,  or  Peony  Room,  has  partitions  deco- 


Nijd  Castle. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  461 


rated  with  full-blown  peonies  badly  done  by  Mr.  Kand 
Naonobu.  To  this  artist  (1607-50)  is  also  ascribed  a  famous 
wooden  door  located  at  the  end  of  the  corridor;  here  the 
visitor  is  solemnly  and  reverently  halted  before  the  crudely 
drawn  outline  of  a  rude  fishing-boat,  on  the  stern  of  which 
stands  a  dejected  white  heron  known  far  and  wide  as  Naonobu 
no  nure-sagi  {Naonobu' s  i  Wet  Heron').  So  many  writers 
who  have  passed  in  review  before  this  sorry  and  bedraggled 
bird  have  classed  it  as  a  'precious  work  of  art,'  and  a  ' price- 
less masterpiece/  that  the  traveler  deprived  of  an  artistic 
education,  and  devoid  of  that  special  intelligence  which 
enables  one  to  discern  non-existing  beauty,  stands  before  it 
confused  and  dumb.  According  to  the  Palace  records  the 
original  door  (of  which  the  present  daub  must  be  a  wretched 
copy)  pictured  the  heron  in  a  rainstorm.  When  the  Palace 
was  used  as  the  Kyoto  Prefectural  Office,  the  employees 
thought  so  little  of  Mr.  Naonobu's  supreme  effort  that  the 
door  was  used  as  a  bulletin-board  and  was  for  a  long  time 
covered  with  paste  and  announcements !  —  We  now  enter  the 
3d  room  of  the  Kuro-shoin :  the  pine  trees  of  the  upper  pan- 
els of  this  are  the  only  objects  worthy  of  attention.  The  2d 
room  opens  into  the  first  and  forms  the  customary  jodan  and 
gedan.  The  sometime  charming  fusuma  of  the  latter  are  deco- 
rated with  clouds  of  double  cherry  blossoms  (yaye-zakura) 
which  an  unskilled  artist  has  attempted  to  preserve  by  paint- 
ing new  petals  over  the  old  ones.  The  panels  adorned  with 
pheasants,  parrots,  and  other  birds  are  effective,  but  the  land- 
scapes in  the  upper  ones  are  better.  The  finely  coffered  ceiling 
of  the  jodan  displays  phoenixes  with  outspread  wings  whose 
points  touch  and  produce  a  sumptuous  effect  evidently  in- 
spired by  the  ceilings  of  the  Ming  Palaces  at  Pekin.  The 
doves  which  sit  contentedly  on  the  lichen-splashed  trunk  of 
the  great  pine  tree  in  the  alcove  of  the  toko,  show  Naonobu 
in  one  of  his  best  moods.  The  metal-work  on  the  panels  open- 
ing into  the  mi  chodai  ranks  among  the  best  in  the  Palace. 
It  is  indubitably  the  oldest,  for  the  knobs  covering  the  bolt 
heads  are  embellished  with  what  is  reputed  to  be  the  first 
cloisonne  made  in  Japan.  Some  of  the  fitments  are  so  deeply 
incised  (with  Tokugawa  crests  and  what-not),  and  are  marked 
by  such  grace  and  refinement  that  they  resemble  delicate 
jewelers'  work.  The  crimson  silk  cords  and  tassels  are  unques- 
tionably ancient,  but  the  pheasants  and  double  cherry  blos- 
soms on  the  panels  look  a  bit  too  fresh  to  have  been  painted 
300  yrs.  ago.  There  are  two  chigai-dana  here,  both  charming 
specimens  of  Japanese  craftsmanship  and  both  embellished 
with  dainty  metal  fastenings ;  those  at  the  right  are  cunningly 
chiseled  and  differ  from  the  old  blue  cloisonne  ones  at  the 
left,  which  carry  small  medallions  with  the  shogunal  crest. 
The  landscapes  on  the  upper  left  panels  are  worth  noting.  — 


462    Route  27.  KYOTO 


Nijd  Castle. 


On  the  way  to  the  next  suite  we  pass  a  pair  of  cedar  doors 
handsomely  adorned  with  luxuriant  white  hydrangeas;  and 
still  others  with  camellias  and  peonies,  all  by  Naonobu.  The 
long  narrow  passageway  leads  to 

The  Shiro-shoin;  the  gedan,  chudan,  and  jodan  of  which 
are  decorated  in  a  manner  quite  different  from  the  preceding 
rooms;  here  the  fusuma  are  badly  oxydized  and  subdued  to  a 
patina  of  wan  gold  embellished  with  landscapes  and  Chinese 
scenes  in  sepia;  spiritless  things  by  Kand  Koi.  The  painted 
ceiling  is  old  but  is  still  rich-looking.  One  notes  here  that  the 
Tokugawa  crest  of  the  metal-work  has  been  replaced  by  that 
of  the  16-petaled  chrysanthemum,  in  token  of  the  Imperial 
occupation  of  the  rooms  after  the  fall  of  the  shogunate.  The 
mi  chodai  is  small  and  dark.  Behind  the  chudan  (or  3d  room 
of  the  suite)  is  a  small  waiting-room  celebrated  for  another 
one  of  those  alleged  masterpieces  about  which  art  critics 
rave,  but  which  remain  a  puzzle  to  the  average  traveler;  the 
panels  are  covered  with  snow  scenes  effective  enough  in  them- 
selves, while  on  a  snow-laden  branch  of  a  tree  two  faded  little 
tree-sparrows  (called  Nemuri  suzume)  sit  fast  asleep.  The 
sentiment  is  tender,  and  the  picture  is  —  by  Kand  Naonobu. 
The  lover  of  bird  life  will  find  more  to  look  at  in  the  heron 
panel,  hard  by,  —  particularly  in  the  skillful  way  in  which 
one  of  the  three  birds  is  half  hidden  by  the  grass. 

As  a  termination  of  the  inspection  of  the  Palace  the  traveler 
is  now  conducted  back  to  the  entrance,  along  an  interior  cor- 
ridor flanking  the  rear  of  the  rooms  already  described;  some 
of  the  cedar  doors  are  elaborately  ornamented  with  paintings 
of  geese,  ducks,  and  other  birds.  The  Chrysanthemum  Room 
(kiku-no-ma)  has  a  number  of  panels  embellished  with  this 
Imperial  flower;  and  a  rich  coffered  ceiling.  The  Palm  Room 
is  recrossed  to  reach  the  Eagle  Room  (washi-no-ma) ,  which 
has  some  regal  pictures  of  eagles  and  pine  trees  —  excellent 
work  by  Kand  Tanyu.  The  ceiling  should  be  noticed,  as  it  is 
a  beautiful  combination  of  nature  and  art,  and  is  one  of  the 
loveliest  things  in  the  Palace.  Each  of  the  78  sunken  panels 
carries  a  gold  peacock  on  a  copper-green  ground;  each  bird 
forms  an  exquisite  picture  by  itself ;  and  each,  painted  in  an  at- 
titude slightly  different  from  the  others,  is  an  integral  part  in 
an  ensemble  of  extraordinary  richness.  The  Roju-no-ma,  or 
room  for  Ministers  of  State  (Goroju),  has  some  superb  wild- 
geese  panels  by  Naonobu,  and  opposite  them  some  cedar  doors 
painted  almost  as  skillfully.  The  motives  extend  to  the  ad- 
joining Gan-no-ma  (Goose  Room),  where  the  panels  are  all 
covered  with  gold  foil  and  figures  of  wild  geese  flying,  feeding, 
or  in  watchful  attitudes.  The  White  Heron  Room  (Sagi-no- 
ma)  is  resplendent  with  gold  panels  showing  white  herons  and 
trees.  — A  corridor  leads  behind  the  Bamboo  and  Tiger 
Rooms  to  the  Chokushi-no-ma,  or  Imperial  Messengers' 


Higashi  Hongwanji.  KYOTO 


27.  Route.  463 


Room,  a  vast  chamber  repaired  in  1912.  The  big  gold  panels 
depict  a  forest  of  hinoki  and  other  trees,  whose  great  branches 
spread  almost  round  the  room.  On  the  wall  of  the  recess  is  a 
splendid  maple  tree  whose  green  leaves  are  just  turning  to 
crimson  —  with  a  beguiling  effect.  The  maple  design  is 
repeated  on  the  sliding  panels  of  the  mi  chodai,  the  wood- 
work of  which  is  oiled  keyaki  instead  of  lacquer,  enriched  by 
some  very  attractive  metal-work.  The  finely  polished  wood 
base  of  the  alcove  consists  of  a  solid  piece  of  faultless  keyaki. 
—  The  traveler  leaves  the  Palace  inclosure  by  the  gate 
through  which  he  entered. 

The  *Higashi  Hongwanji  (PL  C,  5),  or  Eastern  Temple  of 
the  Hongwanji  or  Otani  branch  of  the  Monto  sect  of  Buddhists 
(p.  cxcix),  a  splendid  new  structure  230  ft.  long,  195  deep,  and 
126  high,  dates  from  f833,  cost  (perhaps)  7  million  yen,  and  is 
one  of  the  largest  temple  buildings  in  Japan.  Ninety-six  huge, 
time-defying  keyaki  pillars  support  the  great  upsweeping  tiled 
roof,  which  is  a  conspicuous  object  in  the  S.  quarter  of  the 
city,  where  it  stands  within  5  min.  walk  (E.)  of  the  Nishi 
Hongwanji,  of  which  it  is  a  sturdy  offshoot. 

When  the  forceful  and  vindictive  Oda  Nobunaga  was  busily  engaged  in 
routing  the  militant,  pederastic  priests  out  of  their  fortified  nests  in  and 
about  Kyoto,  Kennio  Kosa,  the  then  (11th)  head  of  the  Hongwanji 
Temple,  together  with  his  son  Koju,  incurred  his  displeasure  and  they  were 
obliged  to  flee  and  defend  themselves  in  a  strongly  fortified  monastery  at 
Osaka  ;  where  they  successf  ully  withstood  a  5  years'  siege  directed  against 
them  by  Sakuma  Nobumori,  at  that  time  —  1580  —  in  the  great  Shogun's 
service.  Because  of  his  failure  to  extirpate  Kosa,  Nobumori  was  disgraced 
and  exiled  to  Kdya-san,  where  he  died.  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi  (who  succeeded 
Nobunaga)  was  so  vexed  at  Kosa's  vainglorious  obstinacy  that  he  selected 
another  of  his  sons,  Kocho,  as  the  ruling  head  of  the  sect,  but  when  the 
invincible  Ieyasu  (who  succeeded  Hideyoshi)  came  into  unexampled  power 
as  the  first  Tokugawa  shogun,  he  recalled  Koju  and  erected  for  him  (in 
1602)  another  temple  a  short  distance  E.  of  the  main  one,  and  called  it  the 
Higashi,  or  East  Hongwanji.  The  division  of  the  great  and  powerful  sect 
dates  from  that  period;  the  East  became  the  new  branch,  and  the  West  thes 
old  trunk.  The  former  was  burned  four  times  between  1602  and  1874.  The  \ 
present  structure  was  begun  in  1879  and  was  completed  and  dedicated  in  j 
1895.  When  the  call  went  out  for  contributions  the  devotees  responded  with  J 
true  Japanese  enthusiasm.  Those  who  had  no  money  to  give  gave  stone^ 
and  lumber  (to  the  value  of  over  a  million  yen) ,  or  their  time ;  and  the  hum- 
blest peasant  made  some  personal  sacrifice  to  aid  the  great  cause.  The  ever 
devoted  and  self-sacrificing  women  sheared  off  their  raven  tresses  and  from 
them  were  made  29  immense  hawsers  (called  kezuna,  or  '  human-hair 
ropes')  with  which  the  ponderous  pillars  and  beams  were  hoisted  into 
place!  The  longest  of  these  unique  cables  is  said  to  have  measured  200  ft., 
and  to  have  been  16  in.  in  circumference.  Smaller  ones  (90  ft.  long  and  9 
in.  in  circumf.)  are  preserved  and  shown  as  faded  but  significant  symbols 
of  how  deeply  rooted  in  the  Japanese  heart  are  the  gentle  teachings  of 
Siddartha.  — The  temple  contains  but  few  genuinely  old  art  treasures,  as  its 
former  rich  possessions  have  been  destroyed  in  the  fires  which  seemingly 
have  scourged  it  with  sinister  persistence.  Its  chief  interest  lies  in  its 
splendid  and  satisfying  proportions.  The  #  main  temple,  Daishi-do,  or 
Founder's  Hall,  is  somewhat  unusual  in  that  it  has  a  double  roof — which  is 
said  to  cover  45,000  sq.  ft.  The  vast  auditory  contains  550  soft  rush  mats 
each  3  by  6  ft.,  and  the  great  chancel  extends  along  its  entire  length.  A 
noteworthy  and  pleasing  feature  is  the  comparative  absence  of  the  indeco- 


464   Route  27.  KYOTO         Higashi  Hongwanji. 


rous  tinsel  which  violates  the  sobriety  of  so  many  of  the  Japanese  temples. 
Unlike  that  of  the  Nishi  Hongwanji,  the  Amida-dd  (about  ?  the  size  of  the 
Hondo)  here  stands  at  the  left  of  the  main  temple  and  is  linked  thereto  by  a 
covered  corridor.  Both  structures  follow  the  accepted  model  of  the  fanes  of 
the  extensive  Hongwanji  sect,  and  are  extremely  good  architectural  ex- 
pressions of  modern  Buddhism,  as  well  as  of  the  conspicuous  skill  of  the 
native  craftsmen.  Some  of  the  modern  wood  sculptures  are  almost  the 
equals  of  the  best  achievements  of  Jingoro  and  other  early  masters. 

Travelers  bearing  special  permits  should  present  these  at  the  office 
abutting  on  the  abbot's  apartments  at  the  right,  where  a  special  guide  will 
be  assigned  them  and  permits  issued  for  an  inspection  of  the  villa  and 
garden  —  both  outside  the  temple  compound  and  customarily  not  shown. 
The  bonze  conducts  the  visitor  first  through  the  abbot's  suite,  —  chastely 
beautiful  rooms  adorned  with  modern  pictures  and  statues,  —  thence  to  the 
special  reception  room  set  apart  for  the  Emperor  or  other  Imperial  visitors. 
It  faces  the  Chokushimon,  referred  to  hereinafter,  and  is  decorated  in  exqui- 
site taste;  purely  Japanese,  extraordinarily  rich  but  refined,  and  char- 
acterized by  a  notable  propriety.  The  splendid  fusuma  are  hand-painted, 
embellished  with  Imperial  crimson  silk  tassels,  and  further  enriched  with 
hammered  metal-work  almost  covered  with  heavy  gold  foil.  The  wood 
employed  in  its  construction  is  the  quasi-religious  Chamcecyparis  obtusa,  of 
which  all  Shinto  shrines  are  built.  At  one  side  of  the  suite  is  a  delicately 
beautiful  and  charming  landscape  garden  in  the  formal  Japanese  style, 
redolent  of  flowers  and  filled  with  maples  which  seem  to  glow  more  deeply 
than  usual  at  being  the  objects  of  Imperial  criticism. 

Ordinarily  visitors  cross  the  stone  bridge  spanning  the  little 
moat  and  penetrate  the  vast  atrium  (inclosed  by  a  high  wall) 
through  the  central  or  Great  Gate,  a  noble,  two-storied  struc- 
ture finished  in  the  natural  (keyaki)  wood  and  enriched  by  a 
wealth  of  carvings  and  metal-work  covered  with  mediaeval 
tracery.  Twelve  immense  and  beautifully  grained  keyaki  pil- 
lars set  !n  splendidly  embossed  copper-bronze  sockets  rest- 
ing on  granite  bases,  and  each  2  ft.  or  more  in  diameter,  — 
mighty  beams  that  suggest  herculean  strength  and  solidity,  — 
support  the  bulky  superstructure,  which  is  a  maze  of  carved 
and  pierced  panels  and  white-eyed,  glowering  dragons  in  high 
relief.  The  sturdy  tie-beams  are  covered  with  arabesques  and 
conventional  designs,  carved  with  a  delicacy  unlooked  for  in 
so  gross  a  medium,  while  the  brass  enrichments  of  the  panels 
resemble  lace  or  similar  work.  Sculptured  groups  of  Chinese 
sages  sit  in  airy  security  along  the  beams;  only  the  newness 
of  which,  and  the  fresh  tinge  of  the  unweathered  wood,  en- 
abling the  casual  eye  to  distinguish  the  carvings  from  some  of 
the  best  work  of  the  old  school.  Huge  brass  lanterns  swing 
before  the  passageway,  which  is  defended  by  three  pairs  of 
great  doors,  each  strikingly  embellished  with  black  metal  fit- 
ments. The  grandiose  proportions  of  the  structure  are  en- 
hanced by  the  two  subsidiary  buildings  at  the  right  and  left, 
where  the  stairs  conducting  to  the  upper  story  (with  an  altar 
and  a  statue  of  Amida-butsu  and  his  disciples)  begin.  The 
inner  side  of  the  gate  is  a  replica  of  the  outer,  excepting  that 
the  involved  dragon  which  glares  down  from  its  wire  cage 
has  gilded  antennae,  and  blue  eyes  whose  expression  softens 
his  minatory  mien.  All  the  compound  brackets  are  picked 
out  in  white;  the  great  square  beams  which  bar  the  gates 


Higashi  Hongwanji.         KYOTO  27.  Route.  465 


are  those  of  a  giant's  keep.  The  brilliant  but  restless  little 
gate  (a  gift  to  the  temple  from  two  Nagoya  millionaires), 
a  few  hundred  ft.  at  the  right,  is  the  Chokushimon  (called 
also  Kiku-no-mon,  from  the  16-petal  chrysanthemums  on  the 
lower  panels),  and  is,  as  its  name  implies,  reserved  for  Im- 
perial use.  The  heavily  shingled  (hinoki  bark)  roof,  in  the 
pure  Shinto  style,  is  its  handsomest  feature.  This  is  repeated 
in  the  surpassingly  rich  and  attractive  gate  at  the  left,  fac- 
ing the  Amida-dd,  and  called  Amida-do-mon,  or  Gate  to  the 
Hall  of  Buddha.  It  is  almost  covered  with  brass  enrich- 
ments, conspicuous  among  which  (on  the  panels)  is  the  Im- 
perial kiku  crest  of  the  Emperor,  and  the  Paulownia  imperialis 
of  his  consort.  The  fine  peahen  over  the  middle  beam,  the 
lotus  flowers,  and  the  Buddhist  angels  are  all  excellently 
carved. 

The  colossal  proportions  of  the  temple  are  seen  to  good 
advantage  from  the  main  gateway,  a  curiously  mediaeval 
effect  being  imparted  by  the  bizarre  turtles  with  dragon  heads 
which  serve  as  antefixes  at  the  ends  of  the  porch  roof.  The 
several  big  bronze  lanterns,  and  the  handsome  water-basin  of 
lotus-leaf  design  in  the  yard,  are  worth  looking  at;  likewise 
the  immense  sculptured  Korean  lion,  high  up  under  the  ridge- 
pole of  the  temple,  covered  with  a  metal  network  to  protect  it 
from  the  pigeons.  The  belfry  looks  too  diminutive  to  be  an 
adjunct  of  the  big  fane.  Sculptured  groups  of  fat  and  jolly 
Chinese  sages  sit  astride  the  cross-beams  of  the  wide  porch 
with  its  polished  black-lacquer  floor,  the  beam  terminals  being 
formed  of  expertly  carved  elephant  heads  distinctively  East 
Indian  in  their  suggestiveness.  The  immense  central  beam, 
a  marvel  of  length  and  girth,  indicates  the  size  attained  by 
the  great  keyaki  trees  of  Japanese  forests.  The  mighty  beams 
of  the  exterior  carry  other  groups  of  excellent  sculptures  — - 
tigers,  unicorns,  Dogs  of  Fo,  dragons,  cranes,  and  what-not  — 
which  extend  quite  around  the  structure.  Bronze  wind-bells 
that  tinkle  in  the  slightest  breeze  pend  from  the  eaves,  and 
a  pale  light  sifts  into  the  interior  through  the  paper  shoji  serv- 
ing as  the  movable  outer  wall. 

The  Interior  (42  ft.  wide  by  66  deep),  is  divided  into  a 
wide  central  nave  flanked  by  four  lateral  ones  27  by  66  ft. 
Sixteen  immense  keyaki  pillars  and  numerous  pilasters  of  the 
same  wood  support  the  great  roof  with  its  coffered  ceiling. 
More  than  a  thousand  worshipers  a  day  are  said  to  pass 
through  this  vast  interior,  the  most  noteworthy  features  of 
which  are  the  finely  chiseled  and  gilded  panels  of  the  archi- 
trave, each  displaying  mythological  howd  and  angels  of  the 
Buddhist  heaven.  The  reliquary  is  a  shimmering  marvel  of 
gold-  and  black-lacquer,  enshrining  a  carved  wood  figure  of 
Kenshin-Daishi  said  to  have  been  made  by  his  own  hand. 
The  great  supporting  pillars  are  heavily  coated  with  black- 


466    Route  27.  KYOTO  Nishi  Hongwanji. 


lacquer  and  superimposed  gilded  metal  enrichments;  the  lotus 
wall-panels  in  gold  are  by  modern  artists,  as  are  also  the  groups 
of  well-carved  flowers,  waves,  and  other  designs  above  them. 
The  gilded  ramma  above  the  altar  —  4  carrying  phoenixes 
and  7  sculptured  angels  in  high  relief  —  are  extraordinarily 
rich  specimens  of  the  sculptor's  art. 

The  Amida-do  is  less  brilliant  than  the  hondo,  but  the  carved 
panels  of  phoenixes  are  worth  seeing.  A  pile  of  the  hair-ropes, 
referred  to  above,  may  be  seen  in  the  connecting  corridor. 
The  figure  on  the  altar  is  Amida-butsu.  —  Leaving  the  Amida- 
do  one  is  conducted  (5  min.  walk)  to  the  Kikokutei  (abbot's 
villa)  a  handsome  formal  Japanese  garden  E.  of  the  temple, 
where  the  abbot  takes  his  recreation.  Among  the  minor  at- 
tractions is  a  Moon  Lake,  some  picturesque  arched  bridges, 
and  a  meandering  brook,  some  summer  houses  with  cha-no-yu 
apartments,  a  miniature  tea  plantation,  and  many  plum, 
cherry,  pine,  and  maple  trees.  Overlooking  the  pond  where 
tame  fish  come  up  to  be  fed,  one  is  regaled  with  tea  in  a  room 
which  the  Emperor  has  graced  with  his  presence. 

The  *  Nishi  (West)  Hongwanji  (comp.  p.  cxcix)  a  widely 
celebrated  Buddhist  temple  (one  of  the  finest  in  Kyoto)  in 
the  S.W.  quarter  (PI.  C,  5),  10  min.  walk  from  the  Kyoto 
Station  (jinriki,  15  sen)  and  40  min.  (fare,  40  sen)  from  the 
Miyako  Hotel,  is  within  2  min.  walk  of  the  tramway  and  5  min. 
W.  of  its  rich  and  powerful  offshoot,  the  Higashi  Hongwanji 
described  above.  It  is  often  referred  to  by  art  critics  as  the 
most  perfect  existing  example  of  Buddhist  art  in  Japan,  and 
the  traveler  with  but  little  time  at  his  disposal  will  do  well 
to  forego  some  of  the  minor  temples  and  to  devote  more  time 
to  this  one.  It  is  a  superb  reliquary  of  Japanese  applied  art, 
and  in  the  way  of  varied  adornment  occupies  the  first  rank 
among  the  temples  of  the  Empire. 

While  the  main  temple  is  open  free  (fees  unnecessary)  to  visitors  at  all 
times,  the  Apartments  of  the  Abbot  (who  is  of  high  lineage) ,  wherein  are 
grouped  the  art  treasures  for  which  the  institution  is  renowned,  and  which 
most  travelers  to  Kyoto  will  wish  to  see,  are  shown  by  the  courtesy  of  the 
priests  —  certain  of  whom  speak  a  little  English.  If  ecclesiastical  ceremon- 
ies are  in  progress,  or  prominent  visitors  are  being  entertained  in  the  apart- 
ments, casual  visitors  may  have  to  wait  their  turn  or  postpone  visits.  Later 
appointments  can  be  made  by  telephone.  The  association  is  powerful  and 
respected,  and  the  priests  resent  being  commanded  to  conduct  travelers 
through  the  buildings  at  unpropitious  times.  The  temple-office  (and 
official  entrance  to  the  apartments)  is  at  the  extreme  S.W.  corner  of  the 
wide  inclosure  and  is  reached  through  a  narrow  walled-in  lane  leading  from 
the  S.E.  corner.  No  entrance  fee  is  exacted,  but  a  small  gratuity  (50  sen  or 
¥1  for  a  person  or  a  party  is  ample)  will  not  be  refused  by  the  attendant 
who  conducts  one  about.  Financial  difficulties  which  arose  in  1913  forced 
the  governors  of  the  vast  organization  to  auction  off  heirlooms  and  other 
treasures  to  the  value  of  several  hundred  thousand  yen.  But  as  these  were 
chiefly  autographs  of  notables,  articles  of  personal  use  of  shoguns  and 
emperors,  and  a  few  rare  screens  and  kakemonos  by  old-school  artists  about 
whom  the  average  traveler  is  not  always  concerned,  the  touristic  value  of 
the  establishment  may  be  said  to  continue  unimpaired.  Most  travelers 
elect  to  see  the  admirable  apartments  first,  then  inspect  the  main  temple 


Nishi  Hongwanji.        '    KYOTO  27.  Route.  467 


if  time  allows.  Several  of  the  greatest  artists  of  the  famous  Kano  school 
(p.  ccxxvii)  took  part  in  the  decoration  of  both  groups,  and  perhaps  no- 
where can  the  peculiar  style  and  the  artistic  impress  of  these  early  masters 
be  studied  to  greater  advantage.  While  at  the  superb  Nikko  and  Shiba  Mau- 
solea  the  finest  achievements  are  expressed  in  glyptic  ornamentation  and 
in  gold-lacquer  and  gold  foil  laid  on  pillars  and  walls,  here  the  painter's  art 
has  been  given  greater  prominence.  The  decorative  splendor  of  the  rooms 
culminates  on  sliding  panels  and  screens  enhanced  by  magnificent  gold 
backgrounds  so  wonderfully  subordinated  to  the  scenes  traced  upon  their 
surfaces  that  the  glittering  gold  always  seems  to  remain  light  and  discreet 
—  a  prodigy  which  a  celebrated  art  critic  (M.  Gaston  Migeon,  Conservator 
of  the  Louvre  Museum)  believes  'no  other  people  could  have  accomplished 
in  compositions  of  such  size.'  The  singular  charm  of  some  of  this  finest 
work  is  subtly  recessive  and  thus  characteristically  Japanese,  and  to  the 
casual  eye  it  is  not  always  apparent  at  the  first  glance;  but  a  careful  and 
detailed  study  of  the  motives  brings  out  their  suggestive  Oriental  charm 
and  reveals  beauty,  grace,  and  poetic  conception.  The  pierced  ramma  of 
the  apartments  are  among  the  finest  in  Japan.  Scarcely  less  interesting,  in 
a  way,  are  the  massive  sliding  doors  of  cedar  wood,  usually  made  of  one 
piece,  richly  painted,  and  embellished  with  metal  adornments.  They  are 
supposed  to  have  come  from  Hideyoshi's  famous  Peace  Palace,  and  the  best 
workmen  of  that  remote  era  devoted  their  talent  to  the  fashioning  of  them. 
The  fane  expresses  the  highest  taste  in  Buddhist  temple  construction. 

Approaching  the  temple  office  from  the  S.  one  passes,  at 
the  left,  the  Seminary  (a  rambling  white  building  back  in  a 
yard)  for  young  priests,  and  enters  the  sacred  inclosure  through 
the  plain  Daidokoro-mon,  or  Kitchen  Gate,  so  called  from  the 
proximity  of  the  temple  kitchen.  The  closed  gate  at  the  right 
is  the  Chokushi-mon,  used  formerly  by  Imperial  personages 
or  their  couriers.  The  Japanese  like  to  call  this  tottering 
relic  the  Hi-gurashi-no-mon,  or '  Sunrise  till  Dark  Gate,'  because 
they  think  an  entire  day  may  be  spent  profitably  in  the  study 
of  its  amazing  detail.  The  sometime  superb  wood-carvings 
of  Chinese  on  prancing  horses,  of  dragons,  mythological  ani- 
mals, flowers,  and  foliage,  are  (perhaps  unwarrantedly)  attri- 
buted to  Hidari  Jingord.  —  The  sacerdotal  apartments  are 
divided  into  small  groups  opening  into  one  another  or  con- 
nected by  polished  '  nightingale'  floors  (p.  clxxx)  which  emit 
plaintive  squeaks  at  every  footfall.  Nearly  all  the  rooms  bear 
the  names  of  the  principal  decorative  motive  employed  in 
them.  The  best  are  not,  as  one  might  think,  inhabited  by  the 
priests  or  the  abbot,  but  are  sumptuously  adorned  reception- 
rooms  convertible  into  sleeping-chambers,  which  were  used 
by  the  sovereign,  the  shogun,  or  other  notables. 

The  visitor  is  conducted  first  to  the  Sparrow  Room,  which 
(beside  the  temple  register)  contains  some  old-gold  screens 
and  wall-panels  decorated  with  sparrows,  chrysanthemums, 
and  bamboos  by  Maruyama  Ozui  (18th  cent.).  The  numerous 
sunken  panels  of  the  coffered  ceiling  marked  by  metal  enrich- 
ments at  the  joints  and  corners  carry  each  a  gilded  disk 
on  which  various  flowers  are  painted  in  a  pleasing  manner. 
The  well-preserved  old  sliding  cedar  doors  of  ample  dimen- 
sions in  the  near-by  corridor  are  painted  by  Yoshimura  Kd- 
kei,  and  on  one  side  show  eagles  and  on  the  other  a  cascade. 


468    Route  27.  KYOTO  Nishi  Hongwanji. 


Those  at  the  end  of  the  hallway,  displaying  a  monkey  on  the 
face  and  a  flower-cart  and  basket  of  flowers  on  the  reverse, 
are  about  260  yrs.  old  and  were  decorated  by  Kand  Ryokei. 
The  first  room  at  the  right,  the  Wild  Goose  Chamber,  has 
fine  but  somewhat  dimmed  gold  screens  with  brilliantly 
painted  and  skillfully  grouped  wild  geese  in  various  attitudes 
—  flying,  feeding,  nesting,  watching,  etc. ;  above  (at  the  left) 
is  a  superb  pierced  and  sculptured  ventilating  panel  (a  master- 
piece by  Ryokei,  who  also  painted  the  dainty  clematis  on  the 
handsome  coffered  ceiling)  showing  the  same  splendid  birds 
flying  through  gold-tipped,  drifting  clouds.  The  rising  moon 
in  the  adjoining  chamber  is  so  placed  that,  by  viewing  the 
ramma  from  a  certain  angle,  an  effect  of  geese  winging  their 
swift  flight  across  the  face  of  this  distant  orb  is  produced  — 
a  favorite  theme  with  native  artists.  The  vista  is  one  of  singu- 
lar charm  and  should  not  be  missed. 

The  Chrysanthemum  Room  has  screens  adorned  with  the 
imperial  kiku  and  other  Japanese  flowers  (painted  by  Kaihoku 
Yusetsu  about  1690),  and  a  group  of  fans  on  each  sunken  panel 
of  the  ceiling.  The  cedar  doors  at  the  end  of  the  short  passage- 
way are  embellished  with  civet-cats  and  sago  palms  on  one 
side,  and  horses  and  pine  trees  by  Kand  Hidenobu  (17th  cent.) 
on  the  reverse.  In  the  anteroom  of  the  following  suite  the 
upper  panels  are  painted  (by  Kand  Koi,  and  Yusetsu)  with 
somewhat  exaggerated  Chinese  fans.  On  the  face  of  the  cedar 
doors  are  full-blown  peonies  under  which  a  cat  sits  dozing; 
and  on  the  reverse,  some  willow  trees  and  snowy  herons  by 
Kand  Rydtaku  (17th  cent.). 

The  Pe^ac^ck  Room,  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  the 
group,  is  noteworthy  Tor  its  panels  adorned  with  superb  pea- 
fowls in  all  the  glory  of  outspread  tails  painted  with  extraordin- 
ary realism  and  harmony;  the  white  peahen  standing  beneath 
the  grand  old  double-blossom  cherry  tree  is  the  acme  of  grace 
and  beauty.  The  two  pierced  and  gilded  ramma  in  colors, 
with  foliated  peonies  and  mythological  phoenixes,  are  by 
Kand  Koi.  The  handsome  coffered  ceiling  is  decorated  in  con- 
ventional designs.  The  upper  panels  (by  Yusetsu)  of  the  ad- 
jacent corridor,  representing  an  autumnal  field  covered  with 
tall  grass  in  Musashi  Province,  remind  the  Japanese  that  in 
that  locality  the  moon  always  sets  behind  a  gray  moor.  — 
There  are  many  figures,  a  cart,  some  mt.  goats,  ducks,  and 
what-not  represented  on  the  screens  of  the  2d  room  of  the  pea- 
cock suite,  conspicuous  among  them  a  Chinese  Court  scene, 
with  many  notables  in  the  foreground.  A  superb  screen  shows 
three  graceful  white  cranes  standing  on  a  rock  rising  out  of 
the  water,  and  two  wild  ducks  flying  down  to  them.  The 
carved  wistaria  on  the  openwork  ramma  connecting  the  room 
with  the  adjoining  one  is  finely  and  delicately  chiseled,  and 
can  be  seen  to  better  advantage  from  the  other  side.  The  3d 


Nishi  Hongwanji. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  469 


room,  a  large  and  resplendent  one,  has  some  good  screens 
portraying  assemblies  at  the  Mongol  Court,  with  brilliant 
processions  of  courtiers,  court  dames,  and  the  like,  extending 
in  progressive  continuity  quite  round  it.  At  the  extreme  left, 
in  the  recess,  is  a  series  of  4  small  sliding  panels,  richly  adorned 
with  purple  silk  tassels  and  chased  metal  fastenings  with  lions, 
peonies,  and  similar  designs  intricately  interwoven  on  their 
surfaces.  The  larger  upper  panel  carries  a  dainty  landscape 
design  by  Kand  Koi;  the  others  show  the  gate  to,  and  the 
interior  of,  a  palace  of  an  early  Chinese  emperor.  The  suite 
is  often  called  the  Shiro-join  and  many  royal  personages  have 
been  lodged  here;  at  present  it  is  used  by  the  abbot  in  which 
to  receive  persons  of  distinction.  The  stones  of  the  small  court 
here  are  seen  to  be  arranged  with  a  curious  regularity;  the 
stage  facing  the  corridor  is  used  for  No  dances.  Proceeding 
along  the  corridor,  we  come  to  a  pair  of  cedar  doors  with  a  dog 
and  a  chair  on  one  side  and  drums  (by  Kand  Rydtaku)  on  the 
other,  then  enter  a  small  room  called 

The  Court  Dressing-Room  (shdzoku-no-ma) ;  all  the 
spirited  panels  were  painted  by  Yusetsu  and  depict  ancient 
hunting  scenes,  on  a  gold  background.  The  cedar  doors  are 
also  by  him;  the  basket  is  of  the  special  type  used  for  carry- 
ing burdens  on  the  shoulders;  the  painting  on  the  reverse 
describes  the  historic  struggle  between  Taira  Atsumori  and 
Kumagaya  Naozane  (p.  441.).  A  pretty  little  garden  with 
a  sotetsu  palm  in  the  center  is  visible  from  the  left  of  the  cor- 
ridor. It  is  ascribed  to  Asagiri  Shimanosuke  and  is  said  to  be 
a  copy  of  a  famous  Chinese  garden  in  the  Middle  Kingdom. 
Provisional  stages  were  anciently  erected  here,  and  the  classic 
No  dance  rehearsed  in  view  of  visiting  notables.  The  books 
and  scrolls  on  the  ceiling  and  the  wistaria  on  the  corridor  panels 
are  by  Yusetsu.  The  sliding  doors  at  the  end,  with  maple  trees, 
deer,  and  dragons,  are  attributed  to  Yoshimura  Ranshu 
(18th  cent.). 

The  Stork  Chamber  (kd-no-ma),  the  finest  and  largest  of 
the  apartments,  and  where  the  decorative  splendor  culminates, 
is  of  noble  proportions  and  exceptional  merit.  Double  lines 
of  severely  plain  keyaki  columns  divide  it  into  three  wide 
aisles,  at  the  top  of  the  central  one  of  which  is  a  dais,  on  which 
Toyotomi  Hideyoshi  used  to  sit  and  hold  his  famous  councils 
(from  which  circumstance  the  room  is  often  called  the  Coun- 
cil Room)  guarded  by  silent  samurai  crouching  in  the  stuffy 
closet  with  handsome  metal-clasped  doors,  at  the  left.  The  five 
sculptured  polychrome  ramma  of  cranes  and  reeds,  above  the 
dais,  rank  among  the  finest  of  Hidari  Jingord's  masterful  pro- 
ductions. The  painting  (about  10  by  20  ft.)  on  the  back  wall 
of  the  recess  or  tokonoma,  one  of  Kand  Tanyu}s  most  grandiose 
works  (executed  about  1650)  and  indubitably  one  of  the  best 
things  in  Kyoto,  shows  the  Chinese  Minister  of  State,  Choryil, 


470    Route  27.  KYOTO  Nishi  Hongwanji. 


presenting  the  four  sages  to  Keitei,  an  emperor  of  the  Han 
Dynasty.  The  terrace  overlooks  a  stately  park,  through  the 
groves  of  which  picturesque  mediaeval  figures,  in  quaint  cos- 
tumes and  full  of  subdued  action  and  Oriental  splendor,  pass 
to  and  fro.  In  few  of  his  pictures  has  Tanyu  shown  his  ad- 
mirable talent  to  finer  effect;  the  colors  harmonize  excellently 
well  with  the  tonic  value  of  the  background;  the  composition 
and  arrangement  are  characteristically  Sino-Japanese,  and  the 
whole  is  'developed  with  a  breadth  and  facility  which  recall 
Veronese.'  Other  scenes  of  similar  import,  also  by  Tanyu,  en- 
rich this  remarkable  room,  the  fine  coffered  ceiling  of  which 
(by  Rydkei)  has  161  sunken  panels,  each  adorned  with  a 
painted  phoenix  differing  slightly  from  its  neighbor.  The 
cranes  and  pine  and  plum  trees  on  the  sliding  panels  of  the 
two  sides  of  the  room  are  also  Rydkei' 's  work,  excepting  the  six 
new  ones  which  replaced  the  old  faded  ones  in  the  left  corner. 
Facing  the  entrance  is  another  dancing-stage  so  arranged  that 
on  the  occasion  of  some  unusually  splendid  gathering  the 
shoji  could  be  pushed  aside  and  the  performance  could  be  wit- 
nessed by  the  company  in  the  hall. 

Visitors  are  customarily  turned  back  here,  as  the  succeeding 
apartments  are  of  little  interest.  The  most  prominent  among 
them  is  the  Taikb  Kubi-jikken-no-ma,  or  room  where  Hide- 
yoshi  received  the  faithful  servitors  who  brought  in  the  heads 
of  slain  enemies  for  verification;  the  wave  patterns  on  the 
eliding  panels,  and  the  war-drums  on  the  ceiling  are  by  Kand 
Eitoku.  The  Tiger  Room  has  some  badly  faded  old  wood 
panels  (by  Eitoku)  adorned  with  tigers  that  stalk  stealthily 
through  bamboo  jungles.  The  pierced  ramma  in  the  Wave 
Room  (nami-no-ma)  showing  grapes  and  squirrels,  have  been 
too  hastily  attributed  to  Hidari  Jingord.  Note  that  the  out- 
lines of  the  waves  on  the  72  sunken  panels  of  the  ceiling  all 
differ.  There  are  two  other  tiger  rooms  and  a  number  of 
smaller  ones  of  no  interest.  —  Unless  the  visitor  asks  the  bonze 
to  accompany  him  on  through  the  main  temple,  he  will  prob- 
ably be  reconducted  hence  to  the  entrance  of  the  apartments 
and  expected  to  enter  the  temple  compound  through  the  E. 
gate. 

Whosoever  approaches  the  structure  from  this  direction 
finds  himself  facing  a  high  wall  marked  by  the  conventional 
five  thin  white  lines  as  tokens  of  royal  favor,  and  pierced  by 
two  sumptuous  gates,  each  connected  with  the  main  thorough- 
fare by  low  stone  bridges.  The  latter  span  a  narrow  and  un- 
commonly foul  stream  of  water  which  is  supposed  to  represent 
a  moat,  and,  by  imparting  to  the  bridges  the  appearance  of 
drawbridges,  to  give  the  temple  the  aspect  of  a  fortress. 
The  upper  or  N.  gate,  in  line  with  the  porch  of  the  Amida-dd, 
is  usually  closed  to  all  but  titled  visitors;  its  beautifully  shin- 
gled roof  of  hinoki  bark  laid  on  a  foot  or  more  thick  in  the 


Icho  Tree. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  471 


strict  Shinto  style,  and  its  mass  of  glittering  metal  enrichments 
arranged  after  the  most  approved  Buddhist  architectural 
taste  (symbolic  of  the  sometime  felicitous  union  of  the  two 
creeds),  coupled  with  the  pierced  and  sculptured  chrysanthe- 
mum panels  and  doors,  make  it  an  extraordinarily  rich-looking 
and  striking  object  in  the  landscape. 

The  Main  Gate  (left),  which  is  considerably  smaller  and 
less  ornate  than  that  of  the  Higashi  Hongwanji,  and  which  is 
not  in  keeping,  architecturally,  with  the  grandiose  temple  to 
which  it  gives  ingress,  is  embellished  by  a  few  small  groups 
of  carved  and  foliated  chrysanthemums  covered  with  a  wire 
network,  to  protect  them  from  the  many  pigeons  which  make 
their  home  within.  From  its  ample  portal  the  temple  roof 
only  is  visible,  as  the  compound  is  defended  by  a  short  inner 
wall  built  after  the  Chinese  idea  (as  a  protection  against  de- 
moniac spirits,  which  are  believed  to  be  unable  to  travel  in 
aught  but  straight  lines).  The  chief  objects  of  interest  in  the 
wide  gravelled  inclosure  are  two  strikingly  graceful  square 
bronze  lanterns,  placed  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  temple  steps. 
Two  others,  of  less  pleasing  design,  face  the  Amida-dd  (right), 
while  at  the  far  left,  in  a  granite  depression,  is  a  beautiful 
green-bronze  lotus-leaf  fountain  over  whose  dimpled  edges 
well  several  streams  of  crystal  water.  Note  the  facial  contor- 
tions of  the  squatting  demonlets  which  support  the  corners  of 
the  water-basins  at  the  foot  of  the  steps.  —  A  conspicuous  ob- 
ject in  the  compound  is  a  wide-spreading  Icho  tree,  which 
the  credulous  believe  protects  the  temple  by  discharging 
showers  of  water  when  a  fire  threatens  it. 

The  Icho  Tree  (Salisburia  adiantifolia;  Jap:  Gingko  or  Gingko  biloba), 
a  unique  coniferous  tree  of  the  Ginkgoacece,  known  also  as  the  'Maiden- 
hair Tree'  of  Japan,  called  Salisburia  after  R.  A.  Salisbury,  an  English 
botanist  of  the  18th  cent.,  resembles  somewhat  a  linden,  and  is  cultivated  in 
Japan  chiefly  for  ornamental  purposes.  It  is  the  only  living  genus  of  other- 
wise extinct  genera  which  flourished  in  Paleozoic  times,  and  is  perhaps  an 
importation  from  China,  where  it  is  grown  for  its  edible  fruit  (Jap.,  Ginnan; 
Chinese,  Pa-Kwa)  —  which  in  size,  shape,  and  color  resembles  large  mira- 
belles,  with  thin,  disagreeable  flesh,  and  seed-kernels  with  a  taste  like  that 
of  peach-seed  kernels.  The  tree  (known  in  China  as  the  yin-hing,  or  'silver 
apricot')  grows  rapidly  to  a  great  size  and  height;  the  wood  is  somewhat 
similar  to  that  of  the  maple,  of  a  bright  yellowish  color,  fine-grained,  easily 
polished,  and  as  easily  broken.  It  sheds  its  yellow  leaves  in  the  autumn 
along  with  the  crimson  ones  of  the  maples,  and  is  most  often  found  in 
temple  yards  and  burying-grounds.  The  Japanese  idea  of  its  fire-quenching 
qualities  is  perhaps  an  adaptation  of  the  phenomena  of  guttation  peculiar 
to  the  Tamia  caspi,  or  'rain  tree'  of  the  eastern  Peruvian  Andes.  The 
adherents  of  the  Nishi  Hongwanji  believe  in  its  efficacy  and  they  point 
with  triumph  to  the  fact  that  its  rival  temple,  the  Higashi  Hongwanji, 
has  been  burned  to  the  ground  four  times  since  it  was  established. 

The  plain  but  chaste  and  classic  exterior  of  the  fane  — 
which  is  constructed  of  rare  and  carefully  selected  woods  from 
the  sacred  forests  of  Kdya-san  —  is  redeemed  by  the  rich  and 
glowing  interior,  particularly  that  part  where  the  reliquary 
stands  and  where  most  of  the  ornamentation  is  centered. 


472    Route  27. 


KYOTO  Nishi  Hongwanji. 


The  vast  and  impressive  nave  (gejin)  of  the  hondo,  with  its 
four  lateral  aisles,  is  138  ft.  long  by  93  deep,  and  477  mats 
each  3  by  6  ft.  are  required  to  cover  it.  The  contrast  is 
striking  between  the  glitter  of  the  sanctuary  with  its  wonder- 
ful equipment  and  the  auditory  with  its  plain  keyaki  finish. 
Many  handsome  brass  lanterns  hang  from  the  ceiling  or  its 
supporting  pillars,  and  an  almost  constant  stream  of  worship- 
ers pass  in  and  out  beneath  them.  With  the  exception  of  the 
brass-studded  ones  at  each  end  of  the  porch,  the  doors  are 
nondescript  in  character.  Seated  along  the  cross-beams  above 
the  plain  wooden  chancel-rail  —  which  can  be  moved  inward 
or  outward  as  occasion  requires  —  are  various  groups  of  poly- 
chrome Chinese  figures  serving  both  as  ornaments  and  as  con- 
structional expedients.  Behind  this  rail  the  entire  rear  of  the 
vast  room  is  a  maze  of  dazzling  gold  foil  and  beautiful  vari- 
colored decorations,  manifold  in  design  but  chiefly  of  religious 
import.  The  huge  pillars  and  pilasters  are  heavily  armored 
with  dazzling  burnished  gold  and  when  the  morning  sunbeams 
draw  sheets  of  yellow  flame  from  their  resplendent  surfaces  the 
effect  is  one  of  ravishing  opulence.  In  the  absence  of  capitals, 
the  columns  merge  at  the  top  into  a  flowing  maze  of  richly 
painted  flowers,  arabesques,  diapering,  and  geometrical  de- 
signs, so  complicated  and  involved  that  the  eye  wearies  in 
tracing  them  out;  the  colors  are  harmonious  and  amazingly 
effective,  and  the  whole  resembles  rich  brocade  silk.  The  series 
of  lower  pierced  and  sculptured  ramma  carry  great  gilded  peon- 
ies, foliated  and  in  high  relief  —  a  bit  too  large  to  be  artisti- 
cally satisfying,  but  withal  very  showy  in  their  regal  environ- 
ment. Higher  up  is  a  second  series  of  black-  and  gold-lacquered 
panels,  and  still  above  them  a  maze  of  elaborately  decorated 
compound  brackets  whose  companion  groups  in  the  nave  proper 
are  of  plain  keyaki,  made  prominent  by  having  their  terminals 
picked  out  in  white.  At  the  extreme  left  of  the  nave  are  some 
superb  gold  panels  painted  with  mythological  hdwd  and  flow- 
ers —  designs  that  are  repeated  with  even  greater  beauty 
and  brilliancy  at  the  extreme  right.  Behind  the  latter  panels 
are  spacious  rooms  with  gilded  pillars  and  wall-screens  em- 
bellished with  lotus  flowers  and  leaves.  Below  them  are  gold- 
encased  sliding  screens  displaying  snow-laden  pine  trees,  while 
the  complemental  ones  at  the  left  carry  bamboos  and  cherry 
trees  also  bending  beneath  snowy  burdens. 

Almost  every  detail  of  the  wonderful  gold-lacquered  central 
shrine  bears  the  impress  of  a  perfect  art.  The  gold-lacquered 
table  upon  which  it  rests,  of  a  deep,  beautiful  black  and  a  rich 
Indian  red,  is  finished  with  an  exquisite  fidelity  to  refinement, 
a  quality  also  observable  in  the  superb  lacquered  altar-table 
which  stands  in  front  of  the  shrine  and  holds  up  to  it,  as  it 
were,  candles,  vases  of  flowers,  incense-burners,  and  the  usual 
Buddhist  accessories.   The  lacquered  sutra-hoxes  which  sit 


Nishi  Hongwanji.  KYOTO  27,  Route.  473 


on  the  highly  polished  black-lacquered  floor  are  as  dainty  as 
Indian  jewel-boxes.  Behind  the  shrine,  which  contains  a  much 
revered  wood  image  of  Shinran  Shonin,  carved  by  his  own 
hands,  and  at  the  right  and  left  of  it,  are  minor  altars  where 
pictures  of  Shonin  and  other  exalted  personages  are  wor- 
shiped. In  one  of  them  is  a  kakemono  of  Amida  the  all-merci- 
ful, effectively  painted  on  a  dark-blue  background  and  radiat- 
ing beams  of  golden  light.  The  two  Chinese  ideographs  in 
the  massive  gold  frame  adorned  with  a  16-petal  chrysanthe- 
mum crest  spell  the  name  Kenshin-Daishi. 

The  Amida-do,  or  Hall  sacred  to  Amida  Buddha,  stands 
at  the  right  (N.)  of  the  hondb  and  is  connected  therewith  by 
a  covered  passageway;  its  single  nave  (87  by  96  ft.)  is  even 
richer  and  more  glowing  than  that  of  the  hondo,  with  decora- 
tions of  a  similar  order,  but  with  more  gold  and  more  grace. 
Instead  of  the  black-lacquered  panels  above  those  displaying 
carved  gilded  lotuses,  here  we  have  polychrome  groups  of 
angels  of  the  Buddhist  heaven  exquisitely  sculptured  in  high 
relief  and  very  felicitously  subordinated  to  their  true  archi- 
tectural positions  above  the  richly  decorated  tie-beams;  the 
pierced  ramma  are  of  carved  and  gilded  tree  peonies.  The  reli- 
quary is  a  marvel  of  intricate  beauty,  with  a  statuette  of 
Amida,  .dusky  with  age,  standing  with  his  back  against  a  rich 
gold  screen.  The  black-lacquered  borders  bring  the  gold 
panels  and  doors  into  striking  relief.  The  large  and  beautiful 
rooms  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  altar  contain  various  kake- 
mono of  Honen  Shonin  and  other  Buddhist  priests  of  note. 
The  splendid  gold  sliding  screens  showing  phoenixes  and  pea- 
cocks on  a  blossoming  peach  tree  are  attributed  to  some  artist 
of  the  Kano  school  and  should  not  be  overlooked.  The  gro- 
tesque figurines  of  Chinese  sages  sitting  astride  dragons, 
cranes,  bizarre  horses,  and  in  other  ludicrous  attitudes  high 
amid  the  upper  cross-beams,  are  lurid,  and  fortunately  are 
often  unnoted. 

The  large  bare  adjoining  room  is  one  of  the  (uninteresting) 
apartments  of  the  bonzes.  —  Before  leaving  the  temple  in- 
closure,  one  should  cast  a  glance  at  the  large  carved  phoenix 
in  the  attitude  of  flying  out  of  its  nest  in  the  great  angle  formed 
by  the  ridge-pole  and  the  two  sides  of  the  roof  of  the  Amida- 
do  —  a  bold  and  crisp  design,  repeated  at  the  other  end  of  the 
structure.  The  companion  groups  on  the  hondo  display  Dogs 
of  Fo,  demons  and  flowers,  all  expertly  carved.  There  are  also 
some  passable  sculptured  dragons  under  the  wide  eaves  of  the 
porch  of  Amida) 's  shrine,  and  elephant  heads  at  the  ends. 
The  squat,  two-storied  structure  at  the  N.  limit  of  the  com- 
pound contains  some  chiseled  wood  figures  scarcely  worth 
seeing.  The  tall,  awkward  drum-tower,  between  the  corner 
of  the  fence  and  the  moat,  houses  a  deep-toned  drum  which 
is  struck  in  hourly  unison  with  the  temple  gong. 


474    Route  27. 


KYOTO 


The  Toji. 


The  Garden  (not  usually  shown)  contains  a  private  tea- 
house for  the  entertainment  of  distinguished  guests;  a  spring 
of  pure  water  with  a  stone  tablet  setting  forth  its  exceptional 
virtues,  a  pond,  a  number,  of  tombs  of  long-dead  Buddhist 
priests,  and  a  three-storied  structure  decorated  (1st  floor) 
by  Kand  Eitoku  (willow  trees),  Kand  Tanyu  (8  views  of 
Chinese  scenery),  and  Kand  Sanraku  (2d  story,  portraits  of  the 
36  celebrated  poets) .  On  the  3d  floor  are  pine  trees  ascribed 
to  Hideyoshi.  The  view  from  this  elevation  embraces  a  wide 
area.  —  The  scores  of  small  shops  which  flank  the  approaches 
to  the  temple  deal  almost  exclusively  in  rosaries,  reliquaries, 
gilded  saints  of  the  Buddhist  pantheon,  squares  of  tapestry 
for  antependiums,  and  temple  furniture  in  general. 

The  Toji,  a  dilapidated  but  much  venerated  old  Buddhist 
temple  in  the  S.  confines  of  the  city  (PI.  B,  6)  beyond  the  rly. 
station  (20  min.  walk  from  the  Nishi  Hongwanji),  in  a  some- 
what frowsy  neighborhood,  was  founded  as  a  monastery  in  the 
9th  cent,  by  K6bo-Daishi}  and  consequently  is  one  of  the  old- 
est in  Kyoto.  An  ancient  and  respectable  tradition  handed 
down  from  the  ages  relates  that  Mr.  Daishi  lived  here  when  he 
returned  from  his  pursuit  of  knowledge  in  China,  and  that  he 
held  the  abbotship  before  departing  to  found  the  widely  famous 
monastery  of  Kdya-san  (Rte.  28),  in  the  wild  and  picturesque 
mt.  tract  between  Kishu  and  Yamato.  The  existing  shrimp- 
pink  structures,  which  are  persistently  and  sadly  neglected 
and  which  contain  a  trashy  lot  of  junk  of  but  little  interest  to 
travelers,  date  from  the  17th  cent,  and  are  the  headquarters 
of  the  Shingon  sect,  whose  seminary  stands  just  outside  the  S. 
gate  of  the  Nishi  Hongwanji.  Time  was  when  the  institution 
possessed  some  rare  treasures  brought  from  China  by  its 
founder,  but  most  of  these  are  now  scattered.  The  old  edifice 
near  the  S.  gate  is  a  curious  17th-cent.  relic,  with  a  porch 
formed  by  an  uplifted  section  of  the  roof  and  resembling  an 
overhanging  lip.  A  few  big  sculptured  figures  stand  about  in 
the  silent,  dusty  halls,  as  mediocre  as  the  minor  objects  stored 
in  the  godowns.  The  massive  and  still  sturdy  pagoda  at  the 
S.E.  corner  of  the  compound,  though  ascribed  to  the  8th  cent., 
dates  perhaps  from  the  17th  cent.  It  long  possessed  a  certain 
local  fame  as  a  sort  of  leaning  tower,  from  its  propensity  to 
stand  out  of  the  perpendicular.  This  habit  vexed  the  priests, 
who  prayed  earnestly  that  it  might  be  restored  to  its  vertical 
position.  At  that  epoch  a  wide  pond  stood  near  by  at  the  N., 
and  a  hard-headed  landscape  artist  conceived  the  idea  that 
this  might  have  something  to  do  with  the  inequality  of  the 
pagoda's  foundation.  A  corresponding  pond  (the  present 
lotus-pond)  was  dug  on  the  N.  side  and  the  pagoda  was  in- 
vited over.  In  due  course  it  straightened  up,  and  the  practical 
artist  is  now  worshiped  as  a  miracle-worker.  The  five  great 
stories  are  upheld  by  immense  compound  brackets  on  a  wide 


Katsura  Palace. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  475 


granite  plinth.  Note  the  bizarre  demonlets  astride  the  beams 
under  the  eaves  of  the  lower  story,  and  the  good-looking  gilt 
statues  on  the  altar  within. 

The  Katsura  Summer  Palace  ( Katsura-no-rikyu) ,  sometime 
the  home  of  the  powerful  Katsura  family,  but  now  an  Imperial 
country-seat,  stands  (E.  PI.  B,  3)  about  3  M.  to  the  W.  of 
the  Kyoto  Rly.  Station,  on  the  W.  bank  of  the  swift  but  shallow 
Katsura  River..  The  dwelling  itself  is  of  scant  interest,  but 
the  artificial  garden  ranks  as  one  of  the  most  classical  in  the 
Empire. 

Starting  from  the  rly.  station,  pedestrians  may  reach  the  wide  and  wind- 
ing road  leading  westward  from  the  outskirts  by  proceeding  1  sq.  W.,  then 
two  to  the  right.  A  basha  leaves  from  a  point  near  by  about  every  hour 
(fare,  10  sen;  time,  £  hr.)  and  will  deposit  one  at  the  far  end  of  the  long 
Katsura-gawa  Bridge,  at  the  S.  side  of  the  Palace  inclosure,  2  min.  walk 
from  the  entrance.  Jinriki  from  the  (5  M.)  Miyako  Hotel,  ¥2.40  (for  the 
round  trip  with  two  men).  Discomfort  inevitably  attends  the  excursion; 
the  road  is  the  natural  S.W.  outlet  of  the  old  capital,  and  throughout  the 
entire  day  there  go  and  come  never-ending  processions  of  long,  slender, 
man-propelled  carts  laden  with  rows  of  big  wooden  buckets  filled  to  the 
brim  with  splashing  night-soil,  the  overpowering  stench  from  which  hangs 
in  a  pestiferous  cloud  over  the  countryside.  There  are  scores  of  them  and 
they  cannot  be  avoided,  as  the  river  is  unbridged  at  other  points.  Unless 
fancy  or  a  sense  of  duty  prevails,  the  visitor  can  spend  the  time  to  practi- 
cally as  good  advantage  by  visiting  the  Shugaku-in  mentioned  hereinafter. 
From  the  end  of  the  bridge  a  road  turns  up  sharply  at  the  right,  flanked  on 
one  side  by  the  river  and  on  the  other  by  a  dense  and  carefully  fenced  bam- 
boo grove  that  forms  a  part  of  the  Imperial  estate.  The  massive  ungarnished 
black  gate  is  a  short  distance  beyond,  and  the  custodian's  house  is  just 
within.  The  special  permit  (not  valid  after  4  p.m.)  which  the  visitor  must 
possess  (see  p.  400)  is  shown  here,  and  the  name  inscribed  in  the  Palace 
Register.  A  guide  then  conducts  one  to 

The  Apartments  contained  in  a  low,  rambling  structure 
standing  well  off  the  ground,  showing  the  marks  of  primitive- 
ness  and  age,  and  resembling  more  a  private  dwelling  than  an 
imperial  palace.  The  sliding  screens  which  serve  as  interior 
partitions  are  in  some  cases  new  and  plain ;  certain  of  the  older 
ones  carry  stiff  and  conventional  decorations  in  sepia  by  Kanb 
Tanyu,  to  whom  are  also  ascribed  some  of  the  grotesque  old 
cedar  doors  of  the  passageways,  adorned  with  rabbits  and 
other  animals.  Among  these  doors  is  one  with  a  gold-and- 
black  drum  surmounted  by  cockerel  attributed  to  Kanb 
Eitoku  —  perhaps  a  relic  of  Hideyoshi's  Peace  Palace  near 
Fushimi. 

The  Yuki-no-ma  (Snow  Room)  takes  its  name  from  the 
faded  old  panels  (painted  in  a  feeble  way  and  without  novelty 
by  Kanb  Yasunobu)  showing  snow-laden  trees,  pheasants, 
and  geese.  The  panels  exhibiting  old  Chinese  scenes,  by  Kanb 
Norinobu,  are  poor  specimens  of  a  clumsy  form  of  pictorial 
art  preserved  for  their  historic  associations  rather  than  for 
their  decorative  effect.  The  most  prized  possessions  are  some 
small  sliding  panels  in  one  of  the  chigai-dana,  with  tiny  birds 
painted  by  Kanb  Tanyu  in  the  style  naively  described  by 


476   Route  27.  KYOTO  Katsur a  Palace. 


fulsome  writers  as  'gems'  and ' masterpieces/  but  which  critical 
travelers  find  difficulty  in  appreciating.  The  carefully  wrought 
metal  hikite,  or  sunken  catches  of  certain  of  the  fusuma, 
including  those  nailed  to  the  upright  beams,  are  worth  looking 
at,  as  they  take  the  somewhat  unusual  form  of  bamboo  baskets 
filled  with  daffodils,  etc.  The  trimmings  of  some  of  the  shelves 
are  made  of  ancient  bits  of  cloisonne.  The  Mikado's  sleeping- 
room  —  a  darksome  apartment  —  is  laid  with  soft  mats 
edged  with  green  silk.  More  attractive  than  the  interior  is 
the  Tsuki-mi-dai,  or  'moon-gazing  platform'  on  the  E.  side, 
overlooking  the  charming  garden  —  a  delightful  antidote  to 
the  so-called  palace.  Kobori  Enshu  (1579-1647),  indubitably 
the  greatest  of  all  the  old  Japanese  landscape  gardeners, 
designed  this  masterful  plot  for  the  diversion  of  his  Imperial 
master,  and  in  concordance  with  a  well-known  Chinese  poem, 
wherein  the  platform  above  mentioned  represents  a  boat 
floating  capriciously  across  a  serpentine  lake  on  a  moonlit 
night.  The  serenity  and  contentment  suggested  by  such  a 
scene  form  the  theme  of  the  artist's  efforts,  and  the  many 
sequestered  nooks,  the  whimpering  streamlets  which  tinkle 
through  the  fragrant  undergrowth  and  then  slip  eagerly  but 
noiselessly  into  the  lily-  and  lotus-flecked  pond,  the  miniature 
mountains  and  dingles,  and  the  seductive  vistas  which  please 
the  eye  at  many  points,  are  all  in  harmonious  accord  with  his 
poetical  inspiration.  The  long,  flat  stone  bridges,  and  the 
arched  wood  ones,  which  span  the  bights  of  the  tiny  bays  or 
the  inflowing  brooks,  are  all  deftly  and  artistically  placed, 
as  are  the  moss-grown  stone  lanterns,  the  winding  paths  made 
of  flat  stepping-stones,  and  the  several  tsuridono,  or  summer- 
houses,  poised  above  the  water.  This  is  supplied  by  the  ad- 
jacent Katsura-gawa;  the  yellow  water-lilies  (kohone)  which 
sometimes  idealize  its  surface  are  the  Nuphar  japonicum, 
or  Nymphcea.  The  islets,  bridges,  shaded  walks,  and  the  many 
beautiful  bamboo,  cherry,  pine,  maple,  icho,  plum,  and  other 
trees  have  their  historical  significance,  some  having  been  pre- 
sented by  daimyds  and  other  exalted  personages.  The  several 
tea-houses  occupying  eminences  overlooking  the  pond,  and 
in  which  they  are  often  charmingly  silhouetted,  are  constructed 
in  the  severe  cha-no-yu  style.  The  visitor  may  perhaps  be 
interested  in  the  one  wherein,  to  reach  the  chaseki,  or  general 
meeting-room,  Imperial  visitors  had  to  crawl  on  all  fours 
through  a  sliding  door  not  above  2\  ft.  sq.,  then  close  this 
with  an  audible  click  to  apprise  the  host  of  their  presence. 
Hard  by  this  relic  of  a  singularly  puerile  observance  stands 
a  diminutive,  moss-grown  stone  lantern  overlooking  the  quiet 
pond,  called  the!  'firefly  cage,'  from  the  circumstance  that 
fireflies  were  confined  herein  to  heighten  the  charm  of  the 
crepuscular  view  from  the  opposite  shore.  Farther  along  is  the 
Katsura-no-miya  (shrine)  with  a  plain  but  pretty  interior. 


_ 

Shogun-Zuka.  KYOTO  27.  Route.  477 


The  tea-house  with  the  locally  celebrated  •  six- window  room' 
is  ascribed  to  Kobori  Enshu,  who  deemed  it  proper  to  leave  one 
of  the  tiny  bamboo  windows  unfinished  as  a  sop  to  the  gods  for 
having  excelled  them  in  the  construction  of  so  perfect  a  master- 
piece! The  guide  shows  a  tawdry  piece  of  velvet  here  (the 
first  imported  into  Japan)  that  is  supposed  to  have  come  from 
China  many  centuries  ago. 

The  irregular  regularity  of  the  garden  and  its  formal  purity 
of  style  impress  one  pleasantly;  the  contrast  between  the 
wild  and  rugged,  and  the  soft  and  gentle  in  the  restricted  but 
beguiling  landscape,  soothes  the  senses  of  the  modern  just  as 
it  must  have  calmed  the  Imperial  mind  in  the  past,  since  the 
Japanese  find  harmony  in  differentiation,  and  a  quiet  joy 
in  contrasts  sharp  enough  to  disturb  an  Occidental  mind. 

North-Central  and  East  Quarters. 

Shogun-Zuka.  *Zo6logical  Garden.  Heian  Jingu.  *Commercial 
Museum.  Imperial  University.  Doshisha  University.  Shimo-Gamo. 
Kami-Gamo.  *Shugaku-in. 

.  ■ 

Shogun-Zuka,  10  min.  walk  up  the  hill  (Kachd-zan)  be- 
hind the  Miyako  Hotel  is  worth  a  visit  for  the  splendid  view 
visible  from  the  summit.  In  a.d.  794  the  Emperor  Kwammu 
caused  to  be  buried  here  a  clay  statue  8  ft.  high,  clad  in  armor 
and  equipped  with  a  bow  and  arrows,  to  scare  away  any  evil 
spirits  that  might  be  prowling  round.  According  to  a  popu- 
lar belief  the  shogun,  Sakanoe  no  Tamuramaro  (d.  811),  is 
buried  here,  and  because  he  anciently  protected  the  city 
from  the  inroads  of  the  barbarous  Ainu,  it  is  believed  that 
when  danger  now  threatens  the  city  a  noise  comes  from  his 
tomb.  The  pine  trees  near  the  spot  were  planted  by  Admiral 
Togo  and  General  Kuroki.  The  slope  of  the  hills  hereabout  is 
thronged  with  mushroom-hunters  in  Oct.  Far  down  at  the 
right  one  sees  the  Kyoto  waterworks  and  a  number  of  reser- 
voirs (one  designed  for  the  special  use  of  the  Palace),  and 
beyond  them  the  long  incline  up  which  boats  travel  to*  the 
level  of  Lake  Biwa.  The  green  ridge  forms  the  watershed 
between  this  lake  and  the  Yamashiro  plain.  The  small 
temple  here  is  dedicated  to  Dainichi-Nyorai.  The  cool  woods 
road  which  leads  to  the  right  descends  to  the  Chion-in; 
that  at  the  left  follows  the  crest  of  the  ridge  (splendid  views) 
to  (45  min.)  Kiyomizu-dera.  From  the  sinuous  and  finely 
shaded  path  there  lead  down  at  intervals  pretty  byways  that 
flame  with  maples  in  Nov.  Crumbling  tombs  are  everywhere, 
and  many  neglected  shrines  decay  quietly  in  the  thick  pine 
and  bamboo  groves.  The  lower  slope  of  Higashi-yama  is 
crossed  and  recrossed  by  a  labyrinth  of  shaded  trails,  by 
whimpering  brooks,  and  by  thickets  that  shrill  incessantly  in 
summer  with  the  voice  of  the  mirthless  cicada.  Kiyomizu- 
dera  is  approached  from  the  rear,  over  an  arched  bridge. 


478    Route  27. 


KYOTO        Commercial  Museum. 


The  *Zo5logical  Garden  (Dobutsu-en),  near  the  Hiromichi 
Bridge  (PI.  E,  3),  was  a  gift  to  the  city  in  commemoration 
of  the  wedding  of  the  present  Mikado,  and  is  of  considerable 
interest  (open  from  9  to  4;  admission,  5  sen)  to  those  desirous 
of  studying  the  fauna  of  Japan  and  contiguous  countries  at 
close  range.  There  is  the  usual  assemblage  of  African  lions 
and  stock  animals,  with  several  fine  Korean  and  Japanese 
bears  (kuma),  sl  splendid  Manchurian  tiger  {tor  a),  indigenous 
monkeys  (saru),  wild  boars  (inoshishi),  foxes  (kitsune), 
seals  (ottosei),  etc.  The  big  eagle  (washi)  is  from  the  Hokkaido. 
Among  the  local  birds  are  pheasants  (kiji),  falcons  (taka), 
cormorants  (u)y  and  egrets  (shira-sagi) .  The  curious  honey- 
buzzard  (Pernis  apivorus)  is  from  Yamashiro  Province,  as  is 
also  the  crop-eared  owl  (Strix  Brachyotus).  The  splendid  lot 
of  sacred  cranes  (tsuru  —  Grus  Japonensis)  are  emblems  of 
long  life  and  are  usually  prominent  objects  in  the  applied 
arts.  During  the  quiet  hours  of  the  night  they  make  the  welkin 
ring  with  their  shrilling.  When  one  starts,  the  others  break  in, 
m/iifferent  keys,  and  produce  a  wild  and  pleasing  minstrelsy. 
sj  The  Heian  Jingu  (or  Taikyoku-den),  a  group  of  highly  pic- 
turesque structures  near  the  Zoo,  dates  from  1895  and  com- 
memorates the  11th  centenary  of  the  establishment  of  the 
Imperial  Capital  at  Kyoto.  The  main  structure  is  supposed 
to  be  a  reproduction  of  the  original  Taikyoku-den  —  an 
edifice  attached  to  the  ancient  palace  erected  by  the  Emperor 
Kwammu  (to  whom  the  present  shrine  is  dedicated)  in  the 
8th  cent.  The  green  tiled  roofs  (after  the  Chinese  fashion) 
with  their  gilded  finials  are  among  the  most  attractive  in  the 
city.  The  finials  in  question  are  significantly  like  certain  of 
the  architectural  expressions  employed  by  the  early  Mexica 
in  Anahuac.  A  fee  of  10  sen  is  charged  to  see  the  nondescript 
garden  at  the  rear.  The  historical  festival  associated  with  the 
shrine  is  mentioned  at  p.  404.  —  The  tall  metal  pillar  at  the 
back  of  the  garden  is  an  evil-averting  Sorinto.  ^-  The  edi 
fice  at  the  left,  in  a  park-like  space  with  some  cannon  brough 
home  from  the  Russian  War,  is  the  JJutokii~den^qr^^j^S\ 
^Military  Virtues  (founded  in  1896).  The  fierce  demonlets 
perched  on  the  corners  of  the  tiled  roof  and  the  scowling  ante- 
fixes  emphasize  the  militant  idea.  Judo  exercises  may  often 
be  witnessed  here. 

The  *Ky6to  Commercial  Museum  (Shohin  Chinretsu-kwan) , 
a  permanent  institution  (open  daily,  no  fees)  housed  in  a 
commodious  structure  (cost  182,000  yen)  near  the  Zoo  (PL  E, 
3),  in  Okazaki  Park,  was  opened  in  1909.  Its  trefoil  crest, 
symbolic  of  the  manufacturer,  the  merchant,  and  the  con- 
sumer, indicates  its  aim.  The  varied  and  beautiful  display 
of  products  manufactured  in  Kyoto  is,  worth  seeing. — The 
new  brick  structure  opposite  is  the  home  of  the  excellently 
equipped  Public  Library. 


Shimo-Gamo. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  479 


The  Imperial  University,  (Dai  Gakkd)  stands  in  a  district 
called  Yoshida  (PI.  E,  2),  was  founded  in  1897,  and  is  a  sister 
institution  to  that  at  Tokyo.  There  are  Colleges  of  Law,  Sci- 
ence, Engineering,  Medicine,  etc.,  and  a  growing  library. 

The  Doshisha  University,  founded  by  Dr.  Joseph  Hardy 
Neesima  in  1875,  is  N.  of  the  Imperial  Palace  (PI.  C-D,  2),  and 
has  for  its  main  object  the  advancement  of  Christianity,  litera- 
ture, and  science.  University  courses  were  opened  in  1912. 
Missionaries  of  the  American  Board  have  aided  greatly  in  its 
upbuilding,  as  have  also  many  generous  foreigners  and  Japanese. 

The  Shimo-Gamo  (or  Kamo),  a  Shinto  shrine  in  the  N.E. 
quarter  (E,  PI.  C,  2)  in  the  Kamo  District,  where  the  Kamo 
and  the  Takano  rivers  join,  is  one  of  the  oldest  religious 
foundations  in  the  city  and  is  said  to  date  from  a.d.  673  — 
nearly  a  century  before  Kwammu  moved  his  capital  from 
priest-ridden  Nara.  The  original  structure,  which  disap- 
peared long  ago,  was  built  by  the  order  of  the  Emperor  (from 
673  to  686)  Temmu  and  dedicated  to  Ekazuchi  no  Mikoto  and 
Tama  nori  Hime  —  parents  of  the  tutelar  of  the  Kami-Gamo 
Shrine  described  hereinafter.  It  ranks  as  one  of  the  22  chief 
shrines  of  the  Empire,  and  is  of  interest  to  foreigners  chiefly 
for  the  beautiful  park  wherein  it  stands.  The  approach  (cross 
the  Aoi  Bridge,  5  min.  walk  beyond  the  tram-car  terminus) 
is  through  a  long  avenue  of  splendid  cryptomerias  and  other 
trees  interspersed  with  superb  maples,  whose  autumnal  tints 
attract  nature-loving  Japanese  by  the  thousands.  It  is  a 
favorite  resort  of  the  Kyoto  people,  to  whom  it  is  known  as  the 
Tadasu-no-mori  (' Forest  of  Tadasu').  Several  huge  brilliant 
vermilion  torii  point  the  way  to  the  immense  gateway  of  the 
same  color,  and  form  striking  contrasts  with  the  deep  green 
of  the  lofty  trees.  The  shrine  and  most  of  the  auxiliary  struc- 
tures were  renovated  or  entirely  rebuilt  in  1911;  the  roofs  are 
thatched  in  the  pure  Shinto  style,  and  the  beam-ends  sheathed 
in  richly  chased  brass  sockets.  The  crest  everywhere  in  evi- 
dence is  the  aoi  (asarum) .  tylay  15  of  each  year  the  histori- 
cal Aoi  Festival  procession  repairs  to  this  shrine,  and  at  the 
termination  of  a  solemn  ceremony,  recrosses  the  bridge  and 
proceeds  up  the  broad  embankment  (dote)  which  flanks  the 
Kamo-gawa,  to  the  companion  shrine  mentioned  below. 

The  Kami-Gamo,  or  Upper  Kamo  Shrine  (E,  PI.  C,  2),  at 
the  N.E.  edge  of  the  Kamo  District,  about  1  M.  beyond  the 
Daitoku-ji,  is  dedicated  to  Wakase  Ekazuchi  no  Mikoto.  The 
grounds  are  handsomely  laid  out,  but  are  less  extensive  than 
those  of  the  Shimo-Gamo.  Two  crystal  brooks  rush  and  gurgle 
through  them,  and  the  old  moss-  and  lichen-splashed  trees  in 
the  inner  section  make  an  impressive  background  for  the 
flaring  red  torii  forming  the  gateway.  The  curved  bridge  with 
its  8  metal  giboshu  is  reserved  for  the  Imperial  messenger. 


480    Route  27.  &YOTO  J  Shugaku-in. 

The  Shugaku-in  (E,  PI.  C,  2),  a  group  of  fine  gardens  dotted 
over  with  a  number  of  small  summer-houses  occupying  an 
admirable  site  (in  the  N.E.  suburbs)  on  the  S.W.  slope  of  the 
Hiei-zan  foothills,  about  4  m.  from  the  hotel  (rikisha  with  2 
men,  ¥1.90  the  round  trip;  tram-car  in  25  min.  to  Shimo-gamo, 
6  sen,  thence  rikisha  in  35  min.,  40  sen,  or  on  foot  in  50  min. 
over  a  good  road),  dates  from  the  17th  cent,  when  the  Emperor 
Go-Mino-o  planned  them  for  the  enjoyment  of  his  leisure 
hours  during  a  50  years'  retirement.  The  main  garden  (special 
.permit  necessary  for  all,  comp.  p.  400)  is  superlatively  beauti- 
ful, and  beside  being  one  of  the  finest  in  Kyoto,  offers  a  strik- 
ing example  of  what  can  be  made  of  a  bare  hillside  with  a 
southern  exposure  in  a  generous  climate.  Within  its  vast 
circumference  there  is  almost  every  variety  of  aspect  — 
mountain,  plain,  valley,  distant  views,  sequestered  nooks, 
waterscapes,  etc.  Unless  one  is  a  tireless  walker,  and  can  plan 
to  be  at  the  entrance  of  the  garden  at  8  a.m.  in  summer  or  9 
in  winter  (opening  time;  closes  4  p.m.)  and  have  a  jinriki  in 
readiness  to  hurry  one  directly  over  to  Shir akawa  when  the 
inspection  (which  will  take  about  40  min.)  is  completed,  one 
had  best  not  include  the  Shugaku-in  in  a  walking  trip  (for 
which  one  should  start  fresh)  over  Hiei-zan,  since  the  gar- 
dens are  extensive,  and  there  is  considerable  up  and  down 
hill  tramping  to  be  done. 

After  crossing  the  bridge  beyond  the  tramway  terminus,  pedestrians  will 
bear  to  the  left,  continue  along  the  river  bank  opposite  Shimo-Gamo,  and 
pass  the  big  mill  of  the  Kanagafuchi  Cotton  Spinning  Co.;  30  min.  beyond 
the  bridge  the  road  forks,  and  15  min.  still  farther  beyond  the  right  branch 
forks  again.  By  turning  up  at  the  left  and  traversing  the  main  street  of 
Shugaku-in  village,  the  plain  entrance  to  the  garden  is  soon  descried.  Per- 
mits are  examined  at  the  custodian's  office  within  at  the  left,  and  a  local 
guide  (no  fees)  conducts  one  through  a  2d  gate,  then  up  Q  M.)  an  avenue 
flanked  by  dwarfed  pines  leading  to  the  first  summer-house. 

The  panorama  from  the  terrace  on  which  the  house  stands 
is  fine  and  far-reaching.  Down  the  long  stages  marking  the 
descent  to  the  valley  on  which  the  city  spreads  out  broadly, 
peasants  may  be  seen  busily  engaged  in  agriculture,  or  plod- 
ding along  the  white  highways.  Dense  groves  of  rare  trees 
clothe  the  sharp  hillslopes  behind,  while  at  the  foot,  restrained 
by  the  verdure-covered,  flower-decked  walls  of  a  sinuous  dike, 
and  fed  by  a  number  of  murmuring,  cascading  mt.  rills,  is  a 
lovely  pond  (Dragon  Lake)  overshadowed  by  great  willows 
which  dip  their  long  green  fingers  in  the  quiet  waves.  Near 
the  shore,  and  linked  thereto  by  a  picturesque  wood  and 
granite  bridge  (copied  from  a  famous  one  in  China  and  pre- 
sented to  the  Mikado  by  the  daimyd  of  Echigo)  is  an  adorable 
little  island,  tended  like  a  jewel  and  flecked  with  groups  of 
carefully  disposed  shrubs  and  flowers.  The  cherry  blooms  are 
ravishing  in  spring,  and  because  of  the  sheltered  character  of 
the  spot,  the  maple  leaves  often  retain  their  glowing  tints 


Kitano  Tenjin. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  481 


until  mid-December.  These  range  from  tender  yellows  to 
violent  reds,  and  the  artistic  environment  greatly  enhances 
their  charm.  A  serpentine  path  descends  from  the  tea-house 
(called  Kami  no  O-chaya,  a  name  frequently  applied  to  the 
garden),  behind  which  is  a  pretty  waterfall.  The  square  frail 
structure  beyond  the  arm  of  the  lake,  surmounted  by  the 
imperial  crests,  is  reserved  for  the  use  of  the  Emperor  and 
Empress;  the  beautiful  hedge  beyond  it,  of  pine  and  moun- 
tain tea-flower,  is  20  or  more  ft.  across  the  top. 

A  lateral  avenue  leads  past  a  low,  fantastic  pine  tree  trained 
after  the  fashion  of  the  Karasaki  Pine  (p.  504),  and  another 
pretty  lakelet,  to  the  Naka  no  O-chaya,  the  Empress's  some- 
time retreat.  The  most  interesting  objects  in  the  interior 
(shoes  must  be  removed)  are  two  old  sliding  cedar  doors  on 
which,  cleverly  painted  by  an  unknown  artist,  is  a  net  with 
two  realistic  rents,  inclosing  some  strikingly  lifelike  carp;  the 
same  design  is  repeated  on  the  reverse.  According  to  the 
tradition,  the  fish  were  painted  with  such  fidelity  to  nature 
that  until  the  nets  were  made  to  inclose  them,  they  used  to 
go  out  each  night  and  revel  with  their  friends  in  the  pool  near 
the  house !  Certain  of  the  small  silk  squares  pasted  on  the  old 
fusuma  are  excellently  done,  as  are  also  the  small  sliding 
panels  by  Yusen.  The  little  polychrome  metal  flower-carts 
employed  to  cover  the  bolt  heads  in  the  apartment  are  lacelike 
in  their  delicate  beauty.  The  faded  old  gold-stippled  fusuma 
in  the  adjoining  room  with  their  landscape  views  are  quaint 
memorials  of  bygone  days,  and  the  admirably  painted  cars 
on  the  cedar  doors  are  of  the  sort  used  in  the  Gion  matsuri.  A 
close  inspection  of  these  carts  shows  them  to  be  filled  with 
roysterers  and  flowers  —  first-class  work  by  Sumiyoshi  Gukei. 
—  The  Shimo  no  O-chaya  (Lower  August  Tea-House)  stands 
near  the  office  and  is  the  last  shown ;  the  traveler  will  not  spend 
much  time  over  the  indifferent  old  sepia  fusuma  of  Chinese 
figures  by  Ganku  —  founder  of  a  school  whose  adherents 
admired  this  style  of  work;  nor  yet  over  the  wan  old  junks  on 
their  faded  backgrounds.  There  is  another  pretty  little 
garden  hard  by,  with  water  rippling  through  it  and  some 
handsome  trees  and  flowers.  Conspicuous  among  the  shrubs 
are  the  big  Ardisia  crenulata  (manryo),  much  cultivated  in 
the  conservatories  of  less  favored  countries  for  their  fine  red 
berries;  and  the  equally  striking  Nandina  domestica  (nanten). 

Northwest  Quarter. 

Kitano  Tenjin.  *Kinkaku-ji.  Daitoku-ji.  Kenkun-Jinsha.  Toji-in. 
Omuro  Gosho.  Takao-san.  *Miyoshinoji.  Kyoto  Nursery.  Saga-no- 
Shaka-do.  Arashi-yama.#  Rapids  op  the  Hozu-gawa. 

The  Kitano  Tenjin  (often  called  Tenjin  Sama  and  Kitano- 
jinja),  a  picturesque  Ryobu-Shinto  (p.  ccxvi)  temple  (PI.  B,  1) 
in  the  N.W.  suburb  (about  3  M.  from  the  Miyako  Hotel; 


482    Route  27.  KYOTO 


Kitano  Tenjin. 


jinriki  with  2  men  in  1|  hrs.;  ¥1.50  round  trip;  tram-car  in 
35  min.,  8  sen),  is  one  of  the  gayest  and  most  popular  of  the 
local  fanes.  The  original  structure  is  said  to  date  from  a.d. 
836,  but  in  all  probability  this  was  razed  and  a  new  one  sub- 
stituted when  the  present  honden  was  constructed  by  Toyotomi 
Hideyori  in  1607.  Its  great  popularity  dates  from  959  when 
the  spirit  of  the  loyal  Sugawara  Michizane  (see  Dazaifu)  be- 
gan to  be  worshiped  under  the  title  of  Temmangu.  Toyotomi 
Hideyoshi  added  considerably  to  the  renown  of  the  shrine 
when  in  1588  he  gave  here  his  tea-festival,  the  Kitano  dai 
cha-no-yu.  When  the  monthly  (25th  day)  and  annual  (Oct.  4) 
festivals  (procession  of  religious  floats  —  zuiki  matsuri)  are 
held,  the  stranger  may  be  puzzled  to  decide  whether  the 
shrine  is  a  religious  resort  or  a  local  Coney  Island.  A  host 
of  restaurants,  stalls,  peep-shows,  and  catch-penny  devices  are 
rigged  up;  flags  and  streamers  adorn  the  scores  of  stone  lan- 
terns; colored  cravats,  bibs,  and  shoestrings  are  tied  round 
the  necks  of  the  marble  and  bronze  horses,  cows,  and  bulls 
(which  here  supplant  the  customary  Binzuru),  and  an  air  of 
feverish  joyousness  pervades  the  locality.  Then  the  ailing 
and  the  sinful,  believing  that  a  miracle  will  be  performed  in 
their  favor,  repair  hither  to  rub  the  bulls,  then  the  corre- 
sponding part  of  their  own  anatomy  requiring  medical  atten- 
tion; fill  up  on  peanuts,  melon-seeds,  calamitous  drinks,  and 
native  goodies;  clap  their  hands,  bow  their  heads,  and  make 
their  orisons  before  the  monuments,  the  trees,  and  even  the 
fence-posts;  run  a  hundred  times  round  the  square  formed 
by  the  oratory  and  the  building  abutting  on  it  from  the  rear; 
and  then,  having  thus  propitiated  the  spirits  and  laid  the 
corner-stone  for  the  realization  of  some  cherished  (and  per- 
chance rascally)  wish,  they  go  home  logy,  happy,  and  filled 
to  the  chin  with  irreconcilable  stuff  which  they  ought  never  to 
have  eaten. 

The  entrance  to  the  wide  inclosure  is  marked  by  a  huge 
granite  torii  —  one  of  several  succeeding  ones  to  be  passed 
under  before  the  shrine  is  reached.  The  bronze  horse  at  the 
left  is  manifestly  a  relic  of  the  bronze  age,  before  art  was  devel- 
oped. The  fine  new  gateway,  finished  in  the  natural  keyaki, 
embellished  with  16-petal  chrysanthemums,  with  its  beam- 
ends  sheathed  in  polished  brass  embossed  with  tracery  and  a 
tiny  raised  crest  of  the  Imperial  flower,  is  unusually  attrac- 
tive —  the  metal  against  the  velvety  brown  of  the  wood 
producing  a  very  harmonious  note.  The  customary  figures  of 
Udaijin  and  Sadaijin  sit  in  the  loggias  at  the  right  and  left, 
and  Ama-  and  Koma-inu  at  the  rear.  The  usual  granite  and 
bronze  lanterns,  as  well  as  the  lurid  pictures  and  carvings 
(many  of  them  bulls)  in  the  ex-voto  hall  at  the  left,  are  gifts 
from  devotees.  The  Inner  Gate  (Sankd-no-mon,  or  'Three 
Luminaries  ')  opens  into  a  small  square  formed  by  the  temple 


Kinkaku-ji.  KYOTO  27.  Route.  483 


at  the  back  and  colonnades  at  the  right  and  left.  The  sake" 
tubs  and  other  junk  beneath  these  are  material  gifts  from 
votaries.  The  maze  of  wood-carvings  which  once  adorned 
the  main  structure  are  now  badly  blurred;  those  beneath  the 
eaves  of  the  picturesque  and  complicated  roof  are  better  pre- 
served —  groups  of  polychromatic  birds,  tennin,  and  other 
symbols  forming  the  motives.  The  interior  is  a  jumble  of 
lanterns,  pictures  of  tigers,  and  other  offerings,  conspicuous 
among  them  scores  of  polished  mirrors  ranging  from  tiny 
ones  to  others  4  ft.  in  diameter.  The  numerous  small  detached 
buildings  in  the  compound  are  of  no  interest.  —  The  shrine 
in  the  pure  Shinto  style  of  architecture  behind  the  big  red 
torii,  down  the  road  (left)  from  the  rear  gate,  is  the  Hirano- 
jinja.  The  plum  trees  hereabout  are  beautiful  in  early  spring. 

The  *Kinkaku-ji,  or  Golden  Pavilion  (PI.  A,  1),  known  also 
as  the  Rokuon-ji,  is  in*  the  N.W.  outskirts  (4  M.  from  the 
hotel;  jinriki  with  2  men,  2  hrs.,  for  the  round  trip,  ¥1.90) 
within  a  15  min.  walk  (jinriki,  10  min.,  30  sen  round  trip)  of 
the  Kitano  Tenjin  (see  above).  Where  there  are  several  mem- 
bers in  a  party  it  may  be  found  cheaper  and  more  convenient 
to  employ  one  of  the  hotel  carriages.  The  broad  highway 
leads  from  the  left  of  the  rear  gate  to  the  Kitano  Tenjin, 
passes  the  red  torii  guarding  the  uninteresting  Hirano-jinja, 
then  turns  abruptly  to  the  right  and  serves  as  the  main  st. 
of  a  small  suburban  settlement.  A  walk  of  10  min.  (bearing 
to  the  left)  brings  one  to  the  big  grove  of  trees  in  which  the 
temple  and  pavilion  are  situated.  Springtime,  when  the  flow- 
ers are  in  bloom,  or  Nov.,  when  the  maples  are  turning,  are  the 
best  seasons,  albeit  the  Japanese  regard  the  pavilion  as  love- 
liest when  the  snow  covers  it.  One  half-hour  is  sufficient  for 
an  inspection  of  the  temple,  garden,  and  pavilion.  The  major 
portion  of  the  paintings  and  other  relics  preserved  in  the 
abbot's  apartment  are  not  worth  much. 

The  Golden  Pavilion  (kinkaku)  and  the  temple  (ji)  —  the  latter  the 
property  of  the  zen  sect  of  Buddhists  —  owe  their  origin  to  the  3d 
Ashikaga  shogun,  Yoshimitsu,  who,  upon  his  cession  (in  1395)  of  the  sho- 
gunate  to  his  son  Yoshimochi,  retired  to  a  small  estate  belonging  to  Saionji 
(a  court  noble)  and  there  built  for  himself  a  retreat  from  which  he  con- 
tinued, though  nominally  a  Buddhist  monk,  to  direct  the  affairs  of  State. 
After  his  death  in  1408  his  dwelling  was  coverted  into  a  temple  called 
Rokuon-ji;  of  this  group  of  edifices  the  only  remaining  one  is  the  pavilion. 
The  Hojo,  or  abbot's  residence,  was  erected  between  1673  and  1680.  The 
former,  which  stands  in  the  garden  apart  from  the  temple,  is  considered 
one  of  the  choicest  specimens  extant  of  the  architecture  of  the  early  Ashi- 
kaga period.  Though  it  lacks  great  dignity  and  impressiveness,  its  graceful 
diminutiveness  and  its  delicacy  of  design  —  particularly  when  compared 
with  the  ponderous  temples  which  rise  in  other  quarters  of  the  old  capital  — 
are  pleasing.  The  adorable  little  garden  in  which  the  pavilion  stands  is 
thought  by  some  to  rival  in  beauty  and  charm  the  fine  Imperial  summer 
gardens  of  Katsura,  and  the  Shugaku-in.  Both  the  structure  and  its 
delightful  environment  are  expressive  of  the  unquestioned  taste  of  the  great 
statesman  who  brought  them  into  being.  When  by  ceaseless  labor  and  tact 
he  h^cl  elevated  the  shogunate  to  a  hitherto  undreamed-of  plane  of  wealth 


484   Route  27.  KYOTO j 


Kinkaku-ji. 


and  power  (a  fabric  which  his  grandson  Yoshimasa  succeeded  in  demolish- 
ing) and  had  skillfully  secured  the  succession  to  the  Ashikaga,  he  retired 
hither  to  delight  in  the  society  of  poets,  painters,  and  the  learned  bonzes 
whom  he  had  always  favored  and  who  revered  him  as  their  indulgent 
master. 

The  temple-office  is  at  the  right  of  the  big  gate;  the  admis- 
sion-fee is  20  sen  and  the  ticket  must  be  given  up  at  the 
entrance  to  the  garden.  The  acolyte  conducts  the  visitor  first 
through  the  several  small  rooms  of  the  abbot's  apartments 
and  shows  him  a  number  of  mediocre  sliding  screens  and 
kakemono.  The  small  shrine  room  called  the  hondo  has  some 
fusuma  with  drawings  of  Chinese  sages  in  black  on  a  white 
ground,  ascribed  to  Kano  Tanyu.  At  each  side  of  the  altar 
are  prized  pictures  by  Cho  Densu,  depicting  the  great  religious 
teachers,  Buddha,  Confucius,  and  Lau-tsz*  (the  founder  of 
Taoism).  The  folding  screen  showing  heads  of  Chinese  boys 
is  not  as  good  as  the  kakemono  of  the  Rakan,  or  the  3  excel- 
lent ones  (by  some  unknown  Chinese  painter  of  the  Ming 
Dynasty)  with  Chinese  sages  playing  games  or  engaged  in 
literary  discussion.  Time-stained  doors  with  Chinese  figures 
shut  off  the  corridor,  at  the  end  of  which  we  overlook  a  dainty 
little  garden  with  a  celebrated  pine  tree  (about  200  yrs.  old) 
trained  in  the  form  of  a  native  junk  and  called  Rikushu-no- 
matsu.  In  the  adjoining  room  are  some  old  bronze  and  lacquer 
relics  that  once  belonged  to  Yoshimitsu;  some  sliding  screens 
of  winter  scenes  by  Tanyu,  and  some  poor  kakemono  showing 
cocks  and  hens  by  Ito  Jakuchu  (1715-1800)  which  discredit 
him.  All  the  panels  in  the  following  room  are  by  him,  and 
some  of  those  in  the  next  one  —  where  there  are  also  some  in 
black  and  white  by  Kano  Tsunenobu.  The  landscapes  are 
now  almost  indistinguishable,  and  the  painting  of  the  vapid 
Hotel  does  not  appeal  to  good  taste.  The  7  old  bronze  wind- 
bells  are  said  to  have  long  hung  from  the  eaves  of  Yoshimitsu' s 
dwelling.  The  most  noteworthy  object  here  is  a  folding  gold 
screen  (by  Soami)  displaying  graceful  white  chrysanthemums. 

We  now  enter  the  Sho-in,  or  drawing-room,  which  contains 
some  better  panels  of  cranes  by  Jakuchu;  the  elevated  dais 
was  for  the  use  of  the  Emperor  when  he  visited  the  place.  The 
priest  here  points  with  pride  to  a  series  of  small  sliding  cup- 
board screens  ornamented  with  a  badly  faded  dog,  cow,  fish, 
bird,  and  peony  by  Sumiyoshi  Hiromichi  (1599-1670).  In 
another  room  are  some  highly  prized  kakemono  by  Shubun. 
The  picture  of  a  sour-faced  monkey  hanging  by  one  arm  from 
a  branch  of  a  tree  is  said  to  have  belonged  to  Yoshimitsu. 
Those  at  the  right  are  ranked  by  the  priests  with  the  choicest 
relics  of  the  temple.  The  chrysanthemum-screen  (perhaps)  by 
Ogata  Korin  is  not  in  his  best  manner,  and  is  less  effective 
than  the  large  one  (by  an  unknown  artist)  showing  two  stately 
white  cranes  on  an  old-gold  ground.  Before  proceeding  to  the 
garden  the  visitor  is  sometimes  conducted  to  a  small  room 


Golden  Pavilion.  KYOTO  ,  27.  Route.  485 


where  choice  unsweetened,  powdered  tea,  made  thick,  and 
whipped  to  a  froth,  is  served  in  the  cha-no-yu  style.  —  Cross- 
ing the  court  to  an  opening  in  the  fence  one  enters  the  garden 
and  follows  the  path  that  winds  round  the  edge  of  the  tran- 
quil little  lake  encircled  by  fine  trees  and  sometimes  covered 
with  a  flowering  aquatic  plant  called  junsai  (water-shield  — 
Brasenia  peltata).  Many  of  the  surrounding  stones  bear 
fanciful  names  and  are  placarded;  almost  every  spot  in  the 
delightfully  poetic  and  sheltered  retreat  is  intimately  associ- 
ated with  the  memory  of  the  great  shogun  who  left  it  as  a 
reminder  of  his  refined  taste.  The  most  conspicuous  object  in 
the  garden  is  the 

Golden  Pavilion,  a  small,  three-storied,  summer-house 
about  30  by  40  ft.,  encircled  by  narrow  galleries,  with  the 
upper  story  considerably  smaller  than  the  lower.  The  piquant 
upward  tilt  of  the  roof  suggests,  a  Shinto  shrine.  The  edifice 
stands  on  the  N.  shore  of  the  islet-dotted  lakelet,  whose 
mirror-like  surface,  when  free  from  flowers,  reflects  in  a 
pleasing  way  the  rich  patina  of  the  gold  foil  restored  to  the 
upper  story  in  1906.  The  gleaming  sheets  of  this  metal  which 
once  covered  the  entire  structure  have  disappeared,  leaving 
only  scrappy  and  smudgy  traces  which  detract  from  the  charm. 
Surmounting  the  structure  is  an  awkward  bronze  phoenix, 
with  outspread  wings,  a  counterpart  of  the  one  preserved  in 
the  abbot's  apartments.  Bronze  wind-bells  pend  from  the  eaves 
and  tinkle  thinly  but  sweetly  to  the  touch  of  the  soft  breeze. 
The  five  stones  in  the  water  near  the  entrance  were  brought 
from  China.  In  the  lower  room  (shoes  must  be  removed  at  the 
entrance),  at  the  small  altar,  is  a  seated  figure  of  Amida 
carved  by  Jocho  and  presented  to  the  shrine  by  the  Emperor 
Go-Mino-o.  The  standing  figures  are  Seishi-bosatsu  and 
Kwannon,  the  latter  ascribed  to  the  overworked  Unkei.  All 
these,  as  well  as  the  seated  figure  of  Yoshimitsu,  in  the 
reliquary  at  the  left,  are  treasures  of  the  nation.  On  a  little 
balcony  which  juts  out  from  this  floor  the  shogun  used  to  sit 
and  watch  the  moonbeams  as  they  traced  argentine  shadows 
on  the  rippling  waters  of  the  lakelet,  and  perchance  dream  of 
the  instability  of  mundane  affairs.  The  big  gold  and  gray 
carp  come  in  answer  to  the  call  to  be  fed. 

A  short  flight  of  steepish  steps  leads  to  the  2d  floor,  where 
there  is  a  shrine  embedded  in  a  sort  of  rockery  with  a  tiny 
gilded  image  (attributed  to  Eshin,  942-1017)  of  Kwanzeon, 
flanked  by  large  sculptured  wood  statues  of  the  Shi-tenno 
(ascribed  to  Kobo-Daishi).  The  painting  of  tennin  and 
peonies  on  the  ceiling,  now  so  worn  as  to  be  scarcely  dis- 
tinguishable, is  the  work  of  Kano  Masanobu.  The  bare  room 
has  a  low  ceiling  said  to  be  of  a  single  strip  of  camphor-wood 
(doubtful  in  view  of  the  fact  that  it  is  20  ft.  sq.).  From  the 
balcony  of  the  upper  story  one  gets  a  beguiling  view  of  the 


486   Route  27. 


KYOTO 


Daitoku-ji. 


pond  and  the  beautiful  foliage  reflected  from  it.  The  lofty  hill 
visible  at  the  right  is  called  Kinukasa-yama  (' silk-hat  nit.') 
from  the  circumstance  that  a  certain  capricious  mikado  once 
ordered  it  covered  with  white  silk  so  that  in  summer  it  would 
resemble  snow.  —  In  a  small  house  in  the  garden  is  a  carved 
wood  model  of  the  kinkaku-ji;  hard  by  is  a  tiny  spring  where 
the  shogun  obtained  the  water  he  used  to  boil  for  his  tea- 
ceremonies  —  for  which  he  had  a  passion.  Farther  along, 
perched  on  an  artificial  craggy  slope,  is  a  quaint  little  tea- 
house (constructed  of  wood  of  the  Nandina  domestica)  where 
these  ceremonies  were  conducted.  The  diminutive  waterfall 
near  by  is  called  the  Dragon  Fall.  From  its  fanciful  resem- 
blance to  a  carp,  the  stone  below  it  is  called  Carp  Stone.  The 
visitor  is  dismissed  near  a  shrine  dedicated  to  Fudd.  Leaving 
the  garden  through  a  near-by  gate,  one  descends  a  flight  of 
stone  steps  to  the  road  below  the  main  entrance. 

The  Daitoku-ji  (PI.  B,  1),  the  seat  of  a  subdivision  of  the 
Rinzai  branch  of  the  Zen  sect,  stands  back  in  a  stately  old 
walled  park  in  the  N.W.  quarter,  and  was  founded  in  1323  by 
the  bonze  Daitd-Kokushi  (Myocho)  —  who  afterwards  became 
its  abbot.  Time  was  when  it  possessed  wealth  and  influence 
and  was  of  importance  in  the  religious  life  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  old  capital,  but  the  remorseless  years  have  shorn  it  of 
its  splendor  and  of  most  of  its  numerous  dependencies  (at  one 
time  upward  of  twenty) .  During  the  centuries  of  its  existence, 
some  celebrated  men  were  counted  among  its  bonzes:  Ikkyu 
in  the  15th,  Takuan  in  the  17th,  and  others.  Until  quite 
recently  it  possessed  considerable  property  in  mortmain,  and 
a  collection  of  art  treasures  which  made  it  a  pilgrimage  of  all 
lovers  of  the  various  unique  phases  of  early  Japanese  crafts- 
manship. Foreign  and  native  collectors  have,  however,  carried 
off  so  many  of  the  best  pieces  that  what  are  left  will  hardly 
repay  the  traveler  for  the  time  and  trouble  spent  in  seeing 
them.  They  are  kept  in  a  special  godown  opened  only  in  the 
presence  of  two  or  more  caretakers,  while  a  third  needy 
trustee  holds  the  key.  At  least  3  days'  notice  must  be  given 
by  those  who  wish  to  inspect  them,  and  the  expense  incurred 
(never  less  than  5  yen)  must  be  paid  by  the  applicant.  The 
choicest  treasures  consist  chiefly  of  relics  of  Oda  Nobunaga 
(whose  tomb  is  within  the  precincts) ;  calligraphic  records  of 
several  early  emperors;  a  lot  of  somewhat  trashy  kakemonos 
by  early  artists  of  the  Kano  school,  and  a  few  valuable  (to 
the  priests)  bits  of  Korean  and  Chinese  porcelain  as  uncomely 
as  they  are  old.  The  fusuma,  kakemono,  and  what-not  scat- 
tered through  the  various  priestly  apartments  and  adjacent 
buildings  within  the  wide  inclosure  (considerable  walking) 
make  but  a  weak  appeal  to  the  average  Occidental.  The  misty 
landscapes  by  Soame;  the  Chinese  scenes  by  Shubun;  the 
Kwannons  by  Kisokotei,  and  Godoshi,  as  well  as  the  several 


Daitoku-ji. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  487 


kakemono  by  Sumiyoshi  Gukei,  are  none  as  fine  or  as  well  pre- 
served as  the  series  of  12  pictures  of  the  Rakan  —  brilliant 
and  vigorous  examples  of  Chinese  art  of  the  early  Yuen 
Dynasty  —  which  the  late  Mr.  Fenellosa  bought  and  sent  to 
the  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts.  After  having  seen  the 
residue  of  the  time-worn  collection,  the  critical  traveler  is  not 
unwilling  to  credit  the  whispered  report  that  most  of  the 
really  fine  old  treasures  have  disappeared  and  that  spurious 
ones  have  replaced  them  —  a  common  procedure  in  Japan. 
One  of  the  choicest  gems  of  the  collection,  a  beautiful  Kanaoka 
Kwannon  of  exceptional  refinement,  painted  in  marvelous 
velvety  black  bordered  with  delicate  gold  tracery,  was 
acquired  by  a  French  artist  in  1900.  The  well-executed  sub- 
stitute, in  charming  rose  flecked  with  black  and  gold,  shows 
the  goddess  standing  on  a  lotus  all  swathed  in  diaphanous 
scarves,  while  a  boat  containing  a  man  and  a  child  buffets  the 
angry  flood  at  her  feet.  Though  ascribed  to  the  immortal 
Kanaoka,  it  shows  little  of  the  masterful  quality  of  his  work. 
—  Closely  identified  with  the  life  history  of  the  Daitoku-ji  is 
the  name  of  Rikyu,  Hideyoshi's  aristocratic  master  of  the 
tea-ceremonies.  He  designed  one  of  the  chaseki  of  the  apart- 
ments, the  others  being  by  Kobori  Enshu,  and  considered  as 
the  last  word  in  that  subtle  craft.  The  curious  old  sculptured 
wood  image  of  Rikyu,  carved  by  his  own  hand,  is  greatly 
prized  by  the  temple  authorities,  and  is  enshrined  in  a  reli- 
quary in  the  upper  story  of  the  big  sammon. 

The  Hojo,  which  directs  the  group  of  surrounding  temples, 
and  to  which  the  visitor  is  now  conducted,  is  nearly  300  yrs. 
old.  The  apartments  (with  i  nightingale'  floors)  contain 
some  sepia  fusuma  with  freely  sketched  landscapes  (by  Kano 
Tanyu)  showing  mt.  views  in  the  heart  of  China  (one  of  Godoshi's 
favorite  themes),  and  some  folding  screens  depicting  Chinese 
boys  at  play.  The  heavy  black-lacquer  equipment  of  the 
shrine  in  the  first  room  imparts  a  gloomy  look  to  it;  the 
handsome  embroidered  brocade  hangings  of  the  entrance 
to  the  recess,  almost  covered  with  white  wistaria  (shiro  fuji), 
formed  part  of  the  original  ceremonial  robes  of  Nobunaga. 
The  gilded  image  at  the  altar  is  of  Shaka  Nyorai.  The  small 
reliquary  at  the  right  contains  an  image  of  Daito- Kokushi, 
and  the  recessed  one  at  the  left  the  funeral  tablets  of  Nobun- 
aga and  Go  Daigo-tenno.  A  prized  possession  is  the  ugly  old 
polychrome  wood  and  iron  incense  koro  (of  Chinese  origin  and 
said  to  be  700  yrs.  old)  called  Devilfish  Incense-Burner  from 
its  fancied  resemblance  to  one  of  these  repulsive  creatures. 
The  two  old-gold  folding  screens  (by  Kano  Tanshin)  depict 
the  cherry  blooms  of  Yoshino  and  the  maples  of  Tatsuta.  In 
a  side  room  (which  the  visitor  should  see)  is  a  bizarre  kake- 
mono showing  a  Kwannon  against  a  black  background;  her 
drapery,  the  lotus  on  which  she  sits,  the  shadows  and  the 


488    Route  27. 


KYOTO  Kenkun-Jinsha. 


nimbus  are  all  made  up  of  minute  ideograph  characters  writ- 
ten in  gold,  setting  forth  the  text  of  the  Buddhist  Bible  — 
hence  the  name,  Kyomon  kinji  Kwannon.  The  (modern) 
work,  which  must  have  required  years  of  painstaking  toil, 
and  which  shows  the  caressing  touch  of  a  hand  at  once  tal- 
ented and  fired  with  religious  zeal,  is  a  marvel  of  microscopic 
perfection.  —  The  big  iron  rice-kettle  on  the  porch  formed 
a  part  of  Hideyoshi's  camp  equipment.  From  a  certain 
point  on  the  side  porch  an  attractive  view  (one  rendered 
locally  celebrated  by  Kobori  Enshu,  who  designed  the  gar- 
den) is  had  of  Hiei-zan,  which  here  bears  a  slight  resemblance 
to  Fuji-san.  The  fringe  of  pine  trees  along  the  edge  of  the 
Kamo-gawa,  in  the  near  foreground,  is  supposed  to  recall  the 
classical  shore  of  Mio-no-Matsubara.  The  pretty  front 
garden  with  its  always  freshly  raked  pile  of  sand  in  imitation 
of  the  sacred  Fuji,  was  also  designed  by  Enshu.  —  The 
Higurashi-no-mon  (gate)  at  the  other  side  is  a  national  treasure, 
and  came  from  Hideyoshi's  Momo-yama  Palace  (goten)] 
though  now  sadly  weather-beaten  and  stained,  it  still  shows 
the  vigorous  touches  of  Hidari  Jingord's  master  hand.  The 
pair  of  huge  peacocks  which  stand  on  the  central  beam  are 
admirable;  pine  trees,  the  mythological  kirin,  the  dragon,  and 
various  flowers  are  employed  in  the  motive. 

The  traveler  with  time  to  spare  will  wish  to  spend  some  of 
it  strolling  through  the  stately,  park-like  grounds  sprinkled 
with  grandiose  architectural  relics  and  crossed  by  avenues  of 
patriarchal  trees.  They  are  not  unlike  the  beautiful  cir- 
cumvallation  of  the  Miyoshin-ji  (described  hereinafter),  par- 
ticularly when  flaming  with  reddening  maples  or  the  clustered 
red  berries  of  the  prevalent  nanten.  The  temple  bonzes  often 
add  to  the  monasterial  aspect  of  the  place  by  wearing  resplen- 
dent old-fashioned  costumes  in  which  queer  shovel  hats  and 
brilliantly  embroidered  Chinese  shoes  are  conspicuous  fea- 
tures. As  they  pace  slowly  along  the  sequestered  walks  be- 
neath the  lofty  trees,  mumbling  their  prayers  and  clicking 
their  rosaries,  they  recall  certain  of  the  conventual  estates 
around  Seville.  —  From  every  salient  point  of  the  great 
temple  roofs,  now  sadly  mauled  by  the  elements,  there  look 
down  demon-tiles,  or  Onigawara.  The  furious  distorted  faces 
remind  one  strongly  of  certain  human  types,  as  they  evidently 
do  the  natives,  since  a  sour-visaged  person  is  frequently 
called  Onigawara!  —  Before  leaving  the  grounds  a  moment 
should  be  devoted  to  the  hoary,  barn-like,  impressively  silent 
Hodo,  with  a  sepia  dragon  on  the  ceiling  by  Kano  Tanyu. 
The  finely  gilded  Shaka  in  the  tile-floored  Butsu-den  is  also 
worth  looking  at.  The  polychrome  tennin  on  the  ceiling  are 
now  faded  beyond  recognition. 

The  Kenkun-Jinsha,  a  Shinto  shrine,  10  min.  walk  S.W. 
of  the  Daitoku-ji  (PI.  B,  1),  crowns  the  summit  of  a  rounded 


Toji-in  Monastery.  KYOTO 


27.  Route.  489 


hill  (fine  view)  called  Funaoka-yama  from  its  fancied  resem- 
blance to  a  fune,  or  boat.  The  new  granite  steps  date  from 
1912,  when  Kyoto  city  gave  1000  yen  and  the  Emperor  700, 
for  the  rehabilitation  of  the  decaying  fane.  The  spirit  of  Oda 
Nobunaga  is  worshiped  here,  and  his  crest  shares  the  place 
of  honor  beside  the  16-petal  chrysanthemum;  the  numerous 
pictures  in  the  ex-voto  hall  refer  to  his  epoch.  The  old  green 
machine-gun  in  the  yard  at  the  foot  of  the  short  ascent  was 
captured  from  the  Russians  during  the  late  war.  —  The  dis- 
trict which  one  traverses  to  reach  this  shrine,  or  the  Daitoku- 
ji;  is  the  Nishijin  quarter,  where  much  silk- weaving  is  done. 

The  T6ji-in  an  historic  Buddhist  temple  (PI.  A,  1)  about 
§  M.  S.W.  of  the  Kitano  Tenjin  (jinriki  in  10  min.,  15  sen), 
was  established  about  1360  by  Ashikaga  Takauji  and  is  known 
for  its  collection  (of  historic  rather  than  artistic  interest) 
of  sculptured  busts  of  all  the  Ashikaga  shoguns  except  Yoshi- 
kazu  (5th,  1423-25)  and  Yoshihide  (14th,  1564-68  —  mur- 
dered when  4  yrs.  old  by  his  guardian).  Some  of  the  images 
were  removed  to  the  dry  bed  of  the  Kamo-gawa  (where  the 
heads  of  criminals  were  formerly  exposed),  in  1863  (when 
iconoclasm  was  considered  meritorious  by  certain  pseudo- 
patriots),  and  others  substituted  by  carvers  of  meager  skill. 
Individual  character  is  strongly  depicted  in  a  few  of  the  faces, 
most  of  which  are  adorned  with  tiny  mustachios  and  small 
black  goatees.  Puffy-cheeked  gourmands,  hatchet-faced 
recluses,  and  square-jawed  dictators  predominate.  Flowers 
and  tea  are  placed  before  the  figures  every  day.  —  The  broad 
road  leads  left  from  the  granite  torii  at  the  entrance  to  Kitano 
Tenjin,  and  the  distance  can  be  covered  leisurely  on  foot  in 
15  min.;  the  last  half  is  across  country  past  garden  patches 
where  turnips  almost  as  big  as  watermelons  are  produced. 
The  temple  stands  in  a  pretty  bit  of  woodland  which  flames 
with  maples  in  early  Nov.  The  rounded  summit  of  Kinukasa- 
yama  starts  up  at  the  right;  the  big  gate  sits  quite  across  the 
end  of  the  path  and  is  unmistakable.  Tickets  (10  sen)  must 
be  bought  at  the  wicket  inside  at  the  left.  The  interior  of 
the  edifice  is  like  a  primitive  Anglo-Saxon  grange,  with  big 
hewn  beams  and  tree-trunks  set  into  white  plastered  walls  ; — 
after  the  Yamato  style.  The  rooms  containing  the  exhibits 
of  screens  and  minor  relics  are  skimpy,  and  their  faded  con- 
tents without  much  merit.  In  the  first  room  the  bonze  shows 
one  a  kakemono  of  Daruma  in  rosy  flesh  pink,  erroneously 
ascribed  to  Sesshu;  the  next  one  contains  a  fairly  good  land- 
scape in  rich  old  green  on  a  faded  gold  ground  by  Kano 
Sanraku.  In  this  and  the  following  rooms  are  also  a  helmet 
and  spear  which  belonged  to  Takauji;  some  aged  relics  of 
Yoshimitsu,  many  kakemonos  and  banners  inscribed  by  fa- 
mous men;  some  old  clocks,  bits  of  lacquer  and  bronze,  and 
a  few  sliding  screens  of  little  value. 


490    Route  27. 


KYOTO 


Tdji-in  Monastery. 


The  visitor  is  now  conducted  across  a  small  landscape 
garden  whose  withered  and  puckered  appearance  may  be  due 
to  the  astringent  juices  of  the  many  persimmon  trees  which 
grow  therein.  Soami  is  said  to  have  planned  it,  and  it  was  one 
of  Yoshimasa's  favorite  retreats,  whither  he  came  often  to 
hobnob  with  the  scholar  and  to  drink  tea  in  the  quaint  little 
rustic  house  which  overlooks  one  of  the  ponds.  Near  by  is 
the  moss-grown  tomb  of  Takauji.  Connected  with  the  main 
temple  by  a  corridor,  and  entered  from  the  side  facing  the 
garden,  is  a  tomb-like  room  with  a  cold  concrete  floor  (foot- 
covering  desirable)  where  the  collection  of  images  is  enshrined. 
The  big  dragon  on  the  ceiling  is  accredited  to  Sozan.  The  first 
figure  at  the  left  is  Yoshimasa,  the  8th  shogun,  and  following 
in  the  order  named,  are:  Yoshikatsu,  7th,  who  succeeded  his 
father  when  8  yrs.  old,  and  died  2  yrs.  later  from  a  fall  from 
his  horse; —  Yoshinori,  6th,  who  was  assassinated  in  1441 
at  a  feast  to  which  he  was  invited  by  his  friend  Akamatsu 
Mitsusuke!  —  Yoshimochi,  4th;  — •  Yoshimitsu  (with  a  sweep- 
ing beard),  3d,  after  Takauji,  the  most  remarkable  of  the 
Ashikaga  shoguns;  —  Yoshiakira,  2d;  —  and  Takauji, 
founder  of  the  dynasty.  At  the  end  of  the  room  is  a  shrine 
with  a  seated  figure  of  Shaka  accompanied  by  Anan  (a  rela- 
tive and  one  of  his  first  disciples);  and  (left)  Kasho  (also  a 
disciple),  who  is  remembered  because  he  is  said  to  have  swal- 
lowed the  sun  and  moon  —  after  which  his  body  became 
more  brilliant  than  gold!  His  black-and-white  checkered 
robe  displays  none  of  this  brilliancy.  Nor  do  any  of  the  images 
display  the  masterful  touches  of  the  great  Unkei  to  whom 
they  are  airily  attributed.  The  figure  with  black  wood  Chinese 
shoes  sitting  before  him,  on  the  opposite  dais,  is  the  renowned 
Tokugawa  Ieyasu;  his  neighbor  is  Yoshihisa,  9th  (Ashikaga) 
shogun;  the  next  Yoshitani,  10th;  —  Yoshizumi,  11th;  — 
Yoshiharu,  12th,  a  small,  dyspeptic  man  apparently  too 
anaemic  to  grow  a  beard,  and  looking  much  like  a  dwarf 
between  the  well-fed,  robust  giants  at  his  right  and  left;  — 
Yoshiteru,  13th,  who  commited  harakiri  (p.  clxx)  when  30  yrs. 
old  (in  1565);  —  Yoshiaka,  15th  and  last  of  the  line,  who  was 
succeeded  by  Oda  Nobunaga,  one  of  Japan's  greatest  rulers.1 

In  the  succeeding  rooms  are  various  belongings  of  the  Ashi- 
kaga. In  a  small  glass  globe  enshrined  in  a  pagoda-shaped 
reliquary  are  three  tiny  objects  about  the  size  of  bird-shot  — 

1  The  position  of  Shogun  was  not  conducive  to  longevity.  More  than  one 
was  assassinated  in  early  life,  and  great  trials  must  have  beset  the  others, 
for  the  average  length  of  life  of  the  15  was  38  yrs.  Yoshiaki  died  at  61,  a 
humiliated,  shaven-headed  bonze  who  was  forced  to  beg  an  asylum  from 
his  friends.  Yoshitane  died  in  exile  at  58.  Yoshimasa  succeeded  in  living 
to  the  age  of  65  by  becoming  a  bonze  and  passing  his  last  days  in  the 
quasi-seclusion  of  the  Ginkaku-ji.  His  face  carried  a  greenish  tinge  which  is 
said  to  have  been  imparted  by  the  great  quantities  of  green  tea  drunk  by 
him  at  his  favorite  cha-no-yu  ceremonies.  The  great  Takauji  died  of  cancer 
at  53.    Yoshimitsu  died  at  50,  and  the  remainder  at  ages  between  4  and  47. 


Omuro  Gosho. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  491 


one  green,  one  white,  and  one  brown;  the  credulous  believe 
they  are  Buddha's  bones.  Hard  by  is  a  folding  screen  and 
some  sliding  panels  (by  Sanraku)  showing  pictures  of  Chinese 
boys  at  play  and  depicting  episodes  in  the  lives  of  the  Twenty- 
four  Paragons  of  Filial  Piety.  The  three  rather  striking 
kakemono  of  aesthetic  priests  (early  votaries  of  the  temple) 
are  by  Kano  Tanyu.  An  autograph  letter  of  the  Taiko  Hide- 
yoshi  is  preserved  in  the  next  room,  along  with  many  other 
relics  of  him.  The  sliding  screens  in  the  shrine  room  carry 
Chinese  scenes  painted  by  Sanraku.  The  kakemono  of  the 
16  Rakan  is  by  an  unknown  (Chinese)  artist.  The  Jizo  in 
the  shrine  is  ascribed  to  Kobo-Daishi.  In  an  adjoining  room 
is  a  quaint  old  Map  of  the  Buddhist  World,  and  in  another 
one  a  banner  on  which  Buddha's  name  is  written  3000  times! 
The  dragon  kakemono  is  attributed  to  Kano  Motonobu  — 
which  should  be  accepted  with  reserve.  The  faded  old  tablet 
—  a  much  prized  relic  —  bearing  the  name  of  the  temple 
was  made  by  Yoshimitsu. 

The  Omuro  Gosho  (or  Ninna-ji),  a  sometime  palatial 
Buddhist  temple  (Shingon-shu)  on  a  high  terrace  in  a  splendid 
old  park  with  lofty  cryptomerias  and  pines  about  1  M.  S.W. 
of  the  Tdji-in  (PL  A,  2),  was  founded  in  866  by  the  Emperor 
Koko,  who  retired  thither  after  his  abdication  in  899,  shaved 
his  head  and  took  the  name  Kongoho.  The  road  from  the 
Tdji-in  leads  to  the  right,  and  on  reaching  the  inclosing 
wall  (5  white  lines)  bears  to  the  left  and  passes  the  E.  gate. 
Thousands  of  Kyotoites  assemble  here  in  early  spring  to 
witness  the  magnificent  display  of  cherry  blooms  (which 
differ  -slightly  from  the  ordinary  flowers),  and  they  repeat 
the  excursion  in  Nov.  when  the  turning  maples  exhibit  their 
fugitive  charms.  The  view  from  the  upper  terrace,  past  the 
main  gate  to  the  lowland  beyond,  is  superb.  The  present 
temple,  with  a  gloomy  interior  showing  traces  of  former 
beauty,  dates  from  the  17th  cent,  and  is  a  contemporary  of 
the  sturdy  old  pagoda.  The  doors  which  defend  the  chancel 
from  the  narrow  ambulatory  are  richly  adorned  with  black 
metal  fitments  covered  with  gilt  tracery.  A  strikingly  hand- 
some image  of  Shaka  covered  with  heavy  gold  foil  sits  on  the 
central  altar  and  is  backed  by  a  fine  mandorla  embellished  with 
numerous  smaller  medallion-shaped  ones  round  the  edge. 
The  various  sculptured  and  gilded  divinities  at  the  right  and 
left  form  Shaka's  silent  suite.  The  big  kakemono  of  Buddha 
and  his  disciples  is  well  painted.  A  bizarre  and  unusual  fea- 
ture of  the  interior  decoration  is  displayed  on  the  upright 
pillars  and  pilasters,  each  of  which  is  almost  covered  with 
small  painted  medallions  of  Shaka.  —  The  broad  highway 
which  runs  past  the  massive  gateway  with  its  two  gigan- 
tic Nio  leads  (right)  to  Takao-san  (E,  PL  B,  1)  celebrated 
for  its  annual  maple  display;  and  (left)  to  the  Miyoshin-jif 


492    Route  27.  KYOTO 


Miydshin-ji. 


described  below.  The  ferny  dingles  of  the  neighboring  hills 
are  favorite  resorts  of  the  Kyoto  folks,  and  their  beauty  is 
celebrated  that  the  railway  runs  special  excursions  during 
the  flower  seasons. 

The  *Miydshin-ji  (PL  A,  2),  a  fine  old  Buddhist  temple 
amid  an  agglomeration  of  weather-beaten  but  still  sturdy 
dependencies,  attractively  situated  in  a  75-acre  park  lying 
about  J  M.  E.  of  the  Omuro  Gosho,  and  a  2  min.  walk  up  from 
the  Hanazono  (' flower  garden7)  Station  (rly.  from  the  Nijo 
Sta.  at  Kyoto  in  10  min.),  was  originally  a  villa  which  belonged 
to  Kiyowara  Natsuno  (782-837)  and  which  afterward  (in 
1318)  became  the  favorite  retreat  (for  30  yrs.)  of  the  Emperor 
Hanazono.  He  presented  it  to  the  bonze  Egen  (Kwanzan- 
Kokushi),  who  converted  it  (in  1350)  into  a  temple  and  be- 
came its  first  superior.  The  original  buildings  were  burned 
during  the  Onin  war  (1467),  but  soon  thereafter  were  rebuilt 
and  adopted  as  the  headquarters  of  the  Rinzai  branch  of  the 
Zen  sect.  They  are  still  excellent  relics  of  a  period  when 
temples  were  constructed  of  the  largest  timbers  the  forests 
produced,  with  the  object  of  defying  time,  earthquakes,  and 
the  elements.  Certain  of  the  edifices  resemble  big  Swiss 
chalets  and  are  constructed  after  the  old  Yamato  type,  with 
huge  beams  that  show  attractively  against  whitewashed 
plaster.  The  centuries  have  stained  others  among  them  a 
rich  smoky  brown,  and  their  tremendously  heavy  roofs 
sheathed  with  gray,  lichen-spotted  tiles,  and  embellished 
with  huge  dragon-faced  antefixes,  blend  harmoniously  with 
the  somber  conifers,  fantastic  pine,  cherry,  and  maple  trees 
of  the  inclosure.  The  primitive  architecture,  as  it  has  been 
preserved,  represents  faithfully  and  interestingly  the  quasi- 
ecclesiastic,  semi-imperial  residences  which  were  characteristic 
of  Kyoto  and  its  environs  in  the  early  days.  With  their 
surroundings  they  are  thoroughly  charming.  The  houses  of 
the  priests  sit  back  in  sequestered,  walled  plots  crossed  by 
neatly  swept  flagged  walks  flanked  by  bronze  statuary,  and 
idealized  by  pretty  landscape  gardens  that  commemorate 
poems  or  war  episodes  of  the  dead  past.  Certain  of  the 
bonzes  cultivate  choice  fruits  and  flowers  that  impart  an  air 
of  repose  and  culture  to  their  enviable  retreats.  There  are 
upward  of  two  score  minor  temples,  priestly  dwellings  and 
apartments  within  the  great  park,  and  the  temple  organiza- 
tion is  said  to  have  3000  or  more  dependencies  scattered 
throughout  the  Empire.  The  sumptuous  decorations  which 
were  lavished  on  the  interiors  of  some  of  the  buildings,  and 
the  splendid  art  treasures  formerly  contained  in  them,  sug- 
gest wealth  and  refinement.  Unfortunately  the  art  collection 
is  now  incomplete,  but  the  objects  which  remain  point  to  the 
extreme  antiquity  of  the  establishment.  Chinese  pictures, 
etc.,  predominate,  and  as  many  of  them  date  from  the  11th 


Miydshin-ji.  KYOTO  27.  Route.  493 


cent,  and  thereabout,  it  is  thought  that  they  were  imported 
at  a  time  when  Japan  was  still  under  the  deadening  thralldom 
of  Chinese  educators. 

The  road  from  the  Omuro  Gosho  brings  one  to  the  back 
gate;  that  from  the  Hanazono  Station  to  the  front  or  main 
entrance.  No  admission  fee  is  charged;  tips  are  customary  and 
acceptable,  but  are  not  obligatory.  The  priestly  guide  con- 
ducts the  visitor  first  to  a  room  containing  numerous  relics ; 
the  two  strikingly  handsome  madreperl  Chinese  screens  were 
gifts  from  an  early  emperor;  the  pair  of  superb  kakemono 
showing  tigers  and  dragons  —  both  the  quintessence  of  energy 
and  fierceness  —  are  by  some  Chinese  artist  of  the  Ming 
Dynasty.  The  indifferent  picture  of  a  pop-eyed  Daruma  is 
ascribed  to  Kand  Masanobu.  The  screen  with  nacre  insets 
is  manifestly  Korean  and  is  an  excellent  specimen  of  very  old 
work.  Among  the  other  objects  are  two  big  panels  of  cranes, 
distinctively  well  executed,  and  ascribed  to  a  Chinese  em- 
peror; a  rich  dark  green  kakemono,  velvety  in  its  verdant  soft- 
ness, depicting  a  Chinese  landscape  with  mts.  in  the  back- 
ground and  a  picturesque  temple  in  a  romantic  glen,  also  by 
an  unknown  Chinese  painter;  a  kakemono  in  sepia,  showing 
a  Chinese  river  and  mt.  scene,  by  Toba  Sojo;  a  repulsive, 
bulbous-bellied  Hotel,  drawn  in  faded  ink,  by  Mokkei  (a  Chi- 
nese painter  of  the  11th  cent.);  two  unequal  tiger  and  dragon 
pictures  by  Kand  Tanyu;  and  numerous  pictures,  bronzes, 
lacquered  objects,  and  what-not,  of  greater  or  less  worth. 
Those  which  the  critic  is  apt  to  consider  too  conventional 
and  too  destitute  of  character  to  belong  in  the  collection 
are  perchance  retained  for  their  historic  associations. 

In  the  Ho  jo  (where  the  prior  dwells)  are  some  effective 
folding  screens  with  painted  Chinese  figures  on  a  gold  ground, 
by  Yuso  Kaihoku,  and  a  very  ordinary,  neutral-tinted  tiger 
and  dragon  screen  by  the  same  artist.  The  superior  old 
Chinese  madreperl  stand,  and  the  distinctively  handsome 
brown  silk  kakemono  showing  flower  groups  are  by  an  un- 
known Chinese  artist.  The  next  room  contains  a  number  of 
inferior  fusuma,  bearing  landscapes  and  river  scenes  in  dead 
white  and  black,  by  Kand  Tanyu,  but  by  no  means  in  his 
best  manner.  The  adjacent  shrine  room  has  a  handsome  black- 
and  gold-lacquered  reliquary  in  which  a  gleaming  Shaka  sits 
in  golden  dignity  between  his  faithful  Monju  and  Fugen,  and 
numerous  mortuary  tablets  of  dead  notables.  The  floors  are 
the  so-called  'nightingale'  or  singing  floors  referred  to  under 
Architecture  (p.  clxxx). 

The  Ceremonial  Hall,  with  its  cold  stone  floor  and  its 
wide,  empty  interior  frowned  down  upon  by  a  minatory  dragon 
too  hastily  attributed  to  Tanyu,  is  supported  by  48  huge  pil- 
lars and  pilasters,  some  of  the  former  2  ft.  or  more  in  diameter. 
The  immensely  tall  pine  tree  which  overshadows  one  corner 


494    Route  27. 


KYOTO  Miydshin-ji. 


of  the  structure  is  called  Sekko,  from  the  priest  who  is  said  to 
have  planted  it  upward  of  450  yrs.  ago.  The  corridor  leads 
to  the  Butsu-den,  with  a  ponderous  altar  of  keyaki  wood  in 
the  natural  finish  rising  from  a  black-lacquered  base;  above  it 
are  some  crisply  carved  Dogs  of  Fo,  and  dragons  with  bold, 
provocative  ivory  eyes.  The  central  figure,  seated  beneath  a 
shower  of  tinsel,  is  Shaka,  with  Kasho  at  the  right  and  Anan 
at  the  left.  Both  the  latter  have  variegated  robes  and  all  stand 
out  in  striking  fashion  from  the  plain  gold  background.  The 
floor  of  the  great  hall  is  made  of  black  tiles,  and  the  chill  of  the 
winter  (1881)  when  they  were  laid  seems  to  have  remained 
with  them.  The  figures  in  the  two  smaller  altars,  with  curious 
shovel  hats  and  bizarre  robes,  are  of  early  priests.  The  beau- 
tiful graining  of  the  supporting  keyaki  columns  is  noteworthy. 

The  Revolving  Library  ( Kyozo)  is  hard  by  the  Butsu-den; 
the  complete  Buddhist  scriptures  are  said  to  be  archived  in 
the  big  central  reliquary,  which  though  seemingly  immovable 
is  so  pivoted  that  it  can  be  revolved  by  a  strong  shove.  The 
guardian  demons  around  the  base  of  the  revolving  stand  are 
by  Chu-en.  Fu-Daishi  occupies  his  customary  seat,  and  his 
cumbersome  Chinese  shoes  sit  at  his  feet  awaiting  his  plea- 
sure; but  his  two  sons  are  absent.  —  A  short  walk  down  a 
flagged  way  between  lines  of  dwellings  formerly  occupied 
by  priests  stands  the  Kaisando  (Founder's  Hall)  said  to 
be  550  yrs.  old;  the  pilasters  all  rest  in  bronze  sockets,  and 
the  black  ceiling  imparts  a  dusky  and  mournful  look  to  the 
black  room.  The  image  on  the  dingy  altar  is  Musd-Kokushi, 
one  of  the  first  priests  of  the  establishment.  Hard  by  is  the 
Nehan-dd,  whose  chief  object  of  interest  is  a  thick,  upright 
bronze  slab  intricately  chiseled  (by  Yoshioka  Buzen)  with 
scores  of  tiny  people,  birds,  and  animals ;  all  loved  the  Buddha 
and  are  now  seen  sorrowing  as  he  lies  above,  being  prepared 
for  his  entombment.  The  Kyokuho-in,  which  is  also  near  by,  is 
not  generally  shown  unless  the  visitor  asks  to  see  it;  the  figure 
on  the  altar  at  the  back  of  the  main  room  is  of  the  Emperor 
Hanazono.  The  four  panels  which  serve  as  doors  to  the  shrine 
are  excellent  specimens  of  16th-cent.  Korean  madreperl 
inlay;  the  landscapes  and  houses  are  skillfully  and  carefully 
done.  The  gold  panels  at  the  right  and  left  of  the  passageway 
are  decorated  with  phoenixes  by  Kand  Yasunobu^  who  also 
painted  the  very  ordinary  white  and  black  fusuma  in  the  ad- 
joining rooms.  Another  room,  to  which  visitors  are  not 
admitted  unless  provided  with  special  letters  of  introduction, 
is  of  peculiar  interest  to  art-lovers  because  Motonobu,  one  of 
the  most  celebrated  painters  of  the  Kand  school  (p.ccxxvii), 
spent  several  seasons  here  studying  the  subtle  teachings  of  the 
Zen  sect,  and  painting  pictures  which  for  many  years  made 
the  Miydshin-ji  a  Mecca  for  admirers  of  the  great  master  s 
work.  His  sometime  studio  stands  back  in  a  yard  on  the  W. 


Miydshin-ji. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  495 


side  of  the  main  temple,  and  is  noteworthy  for  the  bronze 
statue  (in  the  yard)  of  Kwannon  wearing  an  East  Indian 
head-dress.  The  priest  in  charge  of  the  rooms  may  ask  the 
traveler  with  credentials  to  return  another  day,  as  the  best 
pictures  are  generally  stored  in  the  fireproof  godown.  When 
they  are  brought  out  for  inspection  they  are  hung  upon  hooks 
driven  into  a  cross-beam  high  up  from  the  floor,  then  folded 
away.  —  Of  the  49  excellent  jusuma,  forming  one  set  which 
Motonobu  painted  and  which  better  to  preserve  the  Emperor 
Reigen  (1663-86)  caused  to  be  mounted  as  kakemono;  and 
of  the  53  of  another  set  of  equal  value,  but  4  specimens  remain, 
the  rest  having  been  distributed  among  the  Nara,  Kyoto, 
and  Tokyo  museums.  They  show  two  aspects  of  the  genius 
of  this  Far  Eastern  master;  the  first  set,  of  panels  of  large 
dimensions,  displayed  landscapes  in  the  Chinese  style,  with 
persons  walking  in  them  'marked  b}'  that  somewhat  brusque 
and  angular  drawing  of  rocks  and  trees  which  distinguishes 
one  of  Motonobu' s  manners.  Some  of  the  landscapes  were 
continued  in  several  fusumas,  thus  forming  vast  compositions. 
They  were  executed  in  color,  with  very  light  yellows  and 
bistres;  one  a  pure  landscape  without  figures,  representing 
geese  going  to  drink.'  The  second  series  of  49  were  painted  in 
Motonobu' s  more  normal  manner;  more  Kanoesque,  in  black 
and  white,  and  in  the  genre  in  which  Motonobu' s  talent  attains 
its  finest  achievements,  but  with  a  noteworthy  suavity  and 
delicacy  of  touch.  The  4  white  of  his  beautiful  paper,  supple, 
rich,  and  generous,  afforded  him  an  ideal  background  for  his 
delicate  grays  and  deep  blacks  —  fit  media  for  the  evocation 
of  those  landscapes  in  which  a  haze  of  dreams  seems  always 
to  float!  It  is  impossible  to  forget  the  beautiful  snow-scene, 
the  mountain  background,  with  the  hurricane  sweeping  ob- 
liquely across  it,  stripping  the  willows  in  its  passage,  and  the 
gray,  dead  water,  a  mirror  which  reflects  the  desolate  face  of 
nature.'  (Migneon.) 

The  four  kakemono  which  the  bereft  priest  is  able  to  show 
the  stranger  are  the  most  precious  of  the  temple's  possessions. 
Each  is  about  4  by  6  ft.  painted  on  a  background  of  creamy 
white  wonderfully  preserved;  the  motives  are  mts.  and  wil- 
lows, cranes,  pheasants,  wild  ducks,  and  other  birds,  with 
ponds  and  marshes.  Every  delicate  line  breathes  the  art 
of  which  Motonobu  was  past  master.  The  fusuma  which  inclose 
the  room  carry  landscapes  in  great  variety — snow-scenes,  mts., 
and  rivers,  valleys  and  plains.  They  have  been  badly  handled 
and  stained,  and  the  faded  blacks  show  drearily  against  the 
dimmed  white  background.  In  the  shrine  at  the  back  of  the 
room  are  two  seated  wood  figures  extraordinarily  lifelike; 
the  abbot  Kokushi  sits  at  the  left,  and  his  teacher  at  the 
right.  At  the  extreme  left  is  a  small  sculptured  wood  image 
of  the  Emperor  Go-  Nara.  Motonobu' s  mortuary  tablet  is  here. 


496    Route  27. 


KYOTO  Saga-no-Shaka-do. 


The  Kyoto  Nursery  (Kyoto  no-en)  2  min.  walk  S.  of  the 

Hanazono  Station  (PI.  A,  2),  is  well  worth  visiting  (free,  no 
fees)  if  the  traveler  finds  himself  in  the  locality.  There  is  the 
usual  collection  of  lovely  flowers,  with  (in  season)  a  choice 
exhibit  of  chrysanthemums.  Among  the  varied  specimens  of 
this  flower  may  be  seen  unique  16-petal  ones  amazingly  like 
the  Imperial  crest,  grown  on  collarettes  and  tended  with  the 
care  one  might  give  to  a  baby.  Some  resemble  tousled  poodles; 
each  year  some  sort  of  a  novelty  is  produced  in  chrysanthemum 
culture.  Noteworthy  freaks  sell  for  3-5  yen;  others  range  in 
price  (shipment  possible  by  mail)  from  20  sen  upward.  In 
winter  a  charge  of  5  sen  is  made  to  see  the  orchids. 

The  Saga-no-Shaka-do,  a  Buddhist  temple  of  the  Jodo 
sect,  2 J  M.  west  of  the  Miydshin-ji  (E,  PI.  B,  2)  stands 
about  i  M.  N.W.  of  the  Saga  Station  (frequent  trains  in  about 
7  min.)  in  a  region  dotted  with  many  fine  groves  of  slim  bam- 
boos. Walkers  will  enjoy  the*  tramp  over  the  broad  (3  M.) 
highway  —  which  crosses  the  rly.  just  beyond  the  Hanazono 
Station,  then  a  lovely,  peaceful  suburban  district  sprinkled 
with  decaying  temples  in  deserted  groves.  The  electric  trolley 
from  Kyoto  to  Arashi-yama  traverses  the  section  and  one  is 
in  constant  touch  with  it.  By  following  the  rails  to  its  station 
at  Saga,  one  sees  the  rly.  station  just  at  the  right,  and  the 
temple  (12  min.)  at  the  far  left,  embowered  in  evergreen  trees. 
The  (52d)  Emperor  Saga  (810-23),  celebrated  as  one  of  the 
finest  scholars  of  the  age,  and  counted  as  one  of  the  famous 
Sampitsu  ('Three  Pens'),  built  himself  a  palace  here  after 
he  had  abdicated  in  favor  of  his  brother  Junna,  and  for  19 
yrs.  lived  in  retirement.  The  temple  is  said  to  have  been 
founded  at  that  time,  albeit  the  present  structure  dates  from 
the  latter  yrs.  of  the  18th  cent.  It  stands  in  a  fine  grove  of 
ancient  trees,  with  here  and  there  a  lotus-pond.  Two  gigantic, 
prayer-bespattered  Nio  guard  the  big  two-storied  gate.  At 
the  foot  of  the  temple  steps  are  handsome  bronze  water-basins 
in  lotus-leaf  designs  and  near  by  is  a  bronze  bell  in  an  old 
belfry.  If  the  traveler  can  so  plan  it,  the  trip  to  the  temple 
should  be  made  in  early  Nov.,  for  then  the  view  of  the  wooded 
slope  of  Arashi-yama,  which  overlooks  it  from  the  S.,  is  beau- 
tiful with  its  deep-green  foliage  lit  up  here  and  there  by  bril- 
liant blotches  of  reddening  maples.  The  Arashi-yama  gorge, 
too,  is  very  near  (tram  to  the  city,  15  sen).  ' 

Time  was  when  this  temple  and  the  still  more  ancient  one 
of  Ukumaza  (which  stands  a  short  way  to  the  E.  of  Saga 
and  is  said  to  date  from  628)  enjoyed  the  Imperial  favor  along 
with  that  of  the  people  of  the  entire  countryside,  but  their 
erstwhile  glory  has  departed,  and  the  latter  fane  is  tottering 
to  its  fall.  The  Saga-no-Shaka-do  is  the  best  preserved  of 
the  two,  and  still  enjoys  considerable  renown  for  a  fine  sculp- 
tured figure  of  Shakaf  of  sandalwood,  with  which  a  pretty 


Arashi-yama. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  497 


legend  is  associated.  According  to  the  temple  chronicles 
the  image  was  carved  in  India  by  a  well-known  sculptor, 
while  Shaka  was  absent  from  his  monastery.  So  great  was 
the  mourning  of  the  people  at  the  absence  of  their  lord  that 
the  image  shared  it,  and  so  overjoyed  was  it  when  Shaka 
returned  that  it  descended  the  steps  to  meet  him  and  the  twain 
walked  into  the  monastery  together!  A  spirited  painting, 
on  the  wall  behind  the  main  altar,  depicts  13  almost  life-size 
figures  of  sculptors  (with  strongly  marked  Chinese  figures  and 
characteristics)  engaged  in  measuring,  discussing,  and  chisel- 
ing the  figure  —  which  is  said  to  have  been  brought  hither 
from  China  about  a.d.  987.  An  impressive  ceremony  accom- 
panies its  unveiling:  the  priest  places  candles  and  incense 
before  the  reliquary,  kneels,  claps  two  pieces  of  wood  (higo- 
shige)  together  until  the  neighborhood  rings  with  the  sound, 
and  strikes  a  sonorous  gong,  the  while  chanting  in  a  loud, 
clear  voice  his  adoration  of  the  saint.  This  endures  for  a  full 
minute;  then  the  curtain  rises  slowly  and  reveals  gradually 
the  sacred  figure  in  all  its  graceful,  womanly  beauty.  The 
chant  and  the  accompanying  music  die  away  by  degrees 
as  the  curtain  closes  softly  over  it.  The  shrine  itself  is  temple- 
shaped  and  strikingly  handsome,  with  a  profusion  of  gold- 
lacquer  enrichments  and  many  compound  brackets  and  poly- 
chrome decorations.  At  the  right  and  left  are  large  images  of 
Monju  and  Fugen,  and  near  them  two  dainty  repositories. 
The  brocade  curtains  and  temple  hangings  generally  bear  the 
three  asarum  leaves  of  the  Tokugawa  crest.  The  carved  tennin, 
dragons,  the  mystical  Wheel  of  the  Law,  and  the  other  symbols 
which  adorn  the  interior  recall  those  of  the  Nikko  Mausolea. 
The  Gods  of  the  Four  Directions  which  guard  the  shrine 
are  (with  other  figures  in  the  small  repositories)  ascribed  to 
Kobo-Daishi. 

Arashi-yama,  a  high  hill  in  the  W.  outskirts  (E,  PI.  A,  2) 
near  the  Saga  Station,  is  one  of  the  most  popular  suburban 
resorts  (electric  tram-cars),  and  is  romantically  situated  near 
a  gorge  down  which  plunges  the  brawling  Hozu-gawa  (that 
later  flattens  out  on  the  plain  and  becomes  the  Katsura-gawa) . 
The  name,  '  Storm  Mountain/  was  given  it  because  the  native 
artists  delight  to  picture  it  beneath  showers  of  slanting  rain. 
The  vegetation  on  its  side  is  unusually  varied,  and  in  April 
when  the  cherry  blooms  are  out,  or  in  Nov.  when  the  maples 
are  in  their  prime,  thousands  foregather  here  to  witness  the 
lovely  sight.  Many  of  the  cherry  trees  are  very  old  and  are 
descendants  of  others  brought  hither  at  the  instance  of  the 
Emperor  Kameyama  (1260-74),  from  the  celebrated  Yoshino- 
yama  near  Nara,  the  source  of  supply  for  the  best  trees  in 
the  Empire.  Arashi-yama  bears  much  the  same  relation  to 
Kyoto  that  Mukojima  in  its  prime  did  to  Tokyo,  excepting 
that  the  floral  range  is  wider.  A  number  of  pretty  cascades 


498    Route  27. 


KYOTO 


Hdzu-gawa  Rapids. 


enliven  the  region,  and  there  are  ' Moon-gazing/  'Emperor- 
visiting/  and  other  bridges,  several  famous  restaurants,  and 
what-not.  Travelers  in  quest  of  mild  adventure  usually  visit 
the  place  in  connection  with  the  shooting  of 

The  Rapids  of  - the  Hozu-gawa.  The  narrow,  shallow  river 
(65  M.  long)  rises  in  the  adjoining  province  of  Tamba,  and 
after  meandering  in  a  purposeless  way  across  an  upland  plain 
begins  its  precipitous  dash  to  lower  levels  near  the  small 
town  of  Hdzu  —  whence  its  name.  The  usual  custom  is  to 
proceed  to  Kameoka  Station  on  the  Sonobe  Rly.  (11  M.  from 
Nijo  Station,  in  50  min.;  fare,  48  sen;  Rte.  29),  thence  walk 
(10  min.  at  the  right)  to  the  boat-landing  at  Hdzu.  Boats 
can  be  arranged  for  in  advance  by  telephone  (from  the  hotel) 
and  will  be  in  waiting.  Prices  vary,  but  the  upward  tendency 
is  maintained.  For  a  boat  that  will  seat  (chairs)  4-6  pers. 
¥8  is  ample.  The  downward  glide  to  (13  M.  Arashi-yama) 
is  made  in  1J  hrs.  with  a  fair  current.  When  the  water  rises 
above  a  certain  mark  the  boatmen  refuse  to  go.  The  best 
season  is  in  April,  after  the  spring  freshets,  when  the  cherry 
blossoms  are  out,  the  hills  begin  to  flame  with  the  azaleas  that 
glorify  them  in  May,  and  a  good  volume  of  tawny  water 
pounds  against  the  rocks.  —  The  boats  are  strong  and  flexible 
(30  ft.  long,  6  wide,  and  3  deep)  and  draw  about  4  in.  of  water. 
The  pliant  bottom  (a  rigid  one  would  be  crushed)  gives  as  it 
scrapes  over  the  rocky  bed  and  imparts  an  odd  sensation  of 
insecurity.  Four  athletic  men  work  the  sculls  and  yulo.  At  the 
Fudo  Cataract,  where  the  open  stretch  is  about  300  ft.  long 
and  25  wide,  the  boat  sweeps  forward  at  disconcerting  speed, 
sometimes  in  a  cloud  of  spray  and  accompanied  by  a  terrific 
roaring.  The  many  dangerous  passes  are  made  with  safety  and 
speed,  as  the  men  are  trustworthy.  It  takes  them  about 
5  hrs.  to  haul  the  boat  back  to  Hdzu,  and  unless  this  can  be 
done  in  the  afternoon  they  expect  an  extra  fee.  By  planning 
the  trip  for  the  forenoon,  one  can  inspect  the  Miyoshin-ji 
and  other  temples  in  its  immediate  neighborhood  in  the  after- 
noon, on  the  trip  back  to  Kyoto.  The  numerous  small  holes 
in  the  rocks  just  above  the  water-line  of  the  river  are  made  by 
the  ends  of  the  bamboo  poles  with  which  the  boatmen  keep 
the  craft  in  midstream.  A  petty  commerce  is  carried  on  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  river  in  the  water-worn  stones  (for  decorat- 
ing landscape  gardens)  found  in  the  river-bed. 

Arashi-yama  is  one  of  the  favorite  haunts  of  the  singular  so-called 
Singing  Frog  (Polypedates  buergeri,  Sclegel,  etc.  —  Jap.  Kajika,  or  'River 
Deer  ';  also  Kajika-gaeru) ,  a  small,  slender,  darkish  gray  or  brownish  frog 
with  obscure  dark  spots  above  (body-length  of  the  male,  45  mm.;  of  the 
female,  70  mm.),  much  prized  by  the  Japanese,  many  of  whom  will  pay 
hundreds  of  yen  for  a  specimen  with  a  clear,  bird-like  note.  They  are  usu- 
ally kept  in  small  cages  containing  a  diminutive  rockery  and  pool,  that 
stand  on  the  counters  or  show-cases  of  native  stores.  Flies,  spiders,  and  the 
like  constitute  their  food.  When  contented  they  often  utter  a  sweet  but 
piercing  short  whistle,  like  the  sound  made  on  a  silver  flute.  The  dark- 
green  frogs  sold  to  the  unwary  at  50  sen  are  of  the  common  variety. 


c 


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riff'  ^/K^aku-ji  ^euklf&jinsha.  Shu*aku-in  j/j 
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Shirakawa  ^1* 


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/  H^i-zan         \SMnio  Sakamoto 


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jjKarasaki 


Excursions. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  499 


Excursions  from  Kyoto. 

*Hiei-zan  and  Lake  Biwa  (Karasaki  Pine;  Miidera Temple).  *Daigoji. 
*Yawata  Hachiman  Shrine. 

Over  *Hiei-zanto  Lake  Biwa  (E,  PL  C-D,  2).  This  is  one 
of  the  best  excursions  in  the  immediate  neighborhood,  as  it 
embraces  numerous  attractive  features  —  a  splendid  pano- 
rama from  the  summit  of  the  mt.,  an  inspection  of  the  Enryaku- 
ji  Temples,  of  the  Karasaki  Pine  Tree,  a  ride  on  the  Lake, 
a  visit  to  the  Miidera  Temples,  and  a  return  via  the  under- 
ground canal,  or  overland  by  electric  car. 

A  day  should  be  devoted  to  the  trip  and  a  lunch  taken  from  the  hotel  — 
which  can  be  reached  easily  at  6  p.m.  if  a  7.30  a.m.  start  is  made.  Guide 
(¥4)  unnecessary,  as  an  English-speaking  coolie  (¥1.50,  from  the  hotel) 
will  serve  to  point  out  the  way  and  carry  the  luncheon  and  wraps.  The  road 
is  good,  easily  followed,  and  in  most  places  well  traveled.  The  shortest  way 
is  past  the  Kurodani  Temple  (PI.  E,  2)  thence  to  Shirakawa  village  (jinriki 
with  2  men  from  the  hotel,  ¥1.60),  where  one  turns  to  the  right  and  follows 
the  highway  into  the  hills.  The  trip  does  not  necessarily  imply  going  right 
over  the  (2750)  ft.  grassy,  basaltic  hump  of  Hiei-zan,  as  the  popular  road- 
way winds  up  through  a  gulch  on  the  near  (S.)  side,  about  1  M.  below 
Shimei-ga-take,  the  topmost  ridge.  The  shrewd  wind  which  often  blows 
across  the  summit  is  sometimes  uncomfortable;  after  Dec.  1,  it  is  apt  to  be 
decidedly  chilly.  As  the  stiffish  climb  induces  perspiration,  wraps  are  neces- 
sary to  prevent  taking  cold.  Japanese  regard  the  view  as_one  of  the  most 
varied  in  Japan,  since  Biwa,  the  largest  lake,  Kyoto  and  Osaka,  two  of  the 
largest  cities,  and  a  number  of  big  mt.  ranges  are  visible.  The  stone  image 
looking  out  over  Kyoto  is  Dengyo-Daishi.  The  name  Shimei-ga-take  means 
(in  Chinese)  4  Blue  Sky  Mountain '  (or  44-points-of-the-compass  place') 
in  poetical  allusion  to  the  light  which  pours  into  the  mind  from  all  sides 
when  the  Buddhistic  truths  are  clearly  understood.  Hiei-zan  is  derived 
from  Hi  (comparison),  ei  (deep  valley),  and  zan  (mt.)  and  is  'compared' 
to  the  sacred  mt.  (of  the  Buddhists)  in  China  called  Ei-zan. 

Shirakawa  Village  (so  named  from  the  small  river  run- 
ning through  it)  is  celebrated  locally  for  stone  lanterns  (for 
temple  grounds)  chiseled  from  the  excellent  gray-and-black 
flecked  granite  (Shirakawa-ishi)  quarried  from  the  schistous 
flanks  of  Hiei-zan.  Almost  every  male  inhabitant  is  a  stone- 
cutter, and  every  other  house  is  a  workshop  whence  the 
sound  of  chisel  and  hammer  ring  out  almost  ceaselessly.  At 
the  upper  end  (right)  of  the  village  street  the  brawling  river 
turns  a  number  of  big  undershot  or  overshot  water-wheels  and 
furnishes  power  for  an  equal  number  of  primitive  wire-factories. 
The  deep  ruts  in  the  road  are  caused  by  the  succession  of 
mediaeval  bullock-carts  one  meets,  laden  with  great  buckets 
of  powdered  stone  employed  as  a  glaze  in  the  making  of  toki, 
or  earthenware,  in  the  Kyoto  potteries.  Lines  of  picturesquely 
clad  women  with  great  bundles  of  fagots  on  their  heads  are 
often  met  descending  from  the  higher  slopes.  Pedestrians 
skirt  the  river  for  some  distance;  35  min.  beyond  Shirakawa 
a  path  leads  off  from  the  main  road  and  across  (left)  a  little 
brook,  then  beneath  a  torii  with  some  grouped  stone  images. 
Proceeding  up  this  winding  path  between  high  hills  one  comes 
(in  50  min.)  to  a  little  terrace  with  a  rest-house  and  a  deserted 


500   Route  27.  KYOTO 


Over  Hiei-zan 


shrine,  whence  a  magnificent  view  is  had  over  a  wide,  deep, 
silent  valley  to  a  distant  sky-line  of  rugged  mts.  Here  the 
road  bends  round  to  the  right.  Visible  beyond  a  deep  gorge 
into  which  plunges  a  noisy  brook  is  the  giant  bulk  of  Hiei- 
zan;  the  by-path  which  branches  up  at  the  left  20  min.  beyond 
this  point  leads  to  the  summit.  The  main  road  flanks  the  red 
shrine  (left)  and  passes  beneath  the  torii;  15  min.  beyond  this 
one  comes  to  a  fine  gray  granite  torii,  beyond  which  is  a  narrow 
ledge  called  Nanamagari  ('seven- turns')  because  at  this  point 
the  road  takes  on  a  decidedly  serpentine  character. 

The  panorama  spread  out  below  is  one  of  the  most  beguiling 
in  the  Empire;  the  eye  embraces  thousands  of  square  miles  of 
mt.  and  valley  land  sentineled  by  snow-crowned  volcanoes 
and  delimned  by  the  jagged  monarchs  of  many  ranges.  Near 
the  center,  1500  ft.  below,  lies  the  poetic  and  placid  Lake  of 
Omi,  beaded  with  a  half-score  microscopic  towns  and  furrowed 
by  tiny  threads  left  by  little  steamers  which  at  this  great  height 
look  like  toy  boats  afloat  in  an  azure  pool.  If  it  be  springtime, 
when  the  valley  swoons  beneath  waves  of  sempiternal  sun- 
shine, and  the  wide  and  rich  plains  which  flank  the  lake  flame 
with  a  glory  of  yellow  rape  or  lie  clad  in  soft  robes  of  many 
tints,  the  scene  is  one  of  indescribable  beauty.  At  this  season 
the  sky  which  broods  above  it  is  usually  a  winsome,  dimpling 
blue,  quite  Italian  in  its  charm  and  color.  Between  the  plain 
—  which  from  here  resembles  a  variegated  board  on  a  huge 
easel  tilted  up  on  one  edge  —  and  the  hills  which  hold  the  lake 
fast  locked  in  their  green  embrace,  deep  slashes  mark  the  mt. 
sides,  and  from  their  emerald  depths  rise  dense  groves  of  great 
pines  and  firs  and  cryptomerias  that  look  like  vast  plumes 
when  viewed  from  above.  Flecking  this  wide  expanse  of 
somber  green  are  magnificent  blotches  of  color  formed  by 
flowering  mountain-cherry,  wild  sazankwa,  perennially  crim- 
son maples,  a  veritable  tangle  of  honeysuckle,  and  the  host 
of  flowers  for  which  the  Japanese  hills  are  celebrated.  The 
view  is  stupendous;  the  effect  awe-inspiring,  with  a  charm 
that  will  scarcely  fade  from  the  mind.  From  the  extreme 
summit  of  Hiei-zan  the  vista  is  augmented  by  Kyoto,  Osaka, 
and  the  country  beyond,  including  the  sea,  all  of  which  are 
here  barred  out  by  the  ridge. 

Hence  onward  the  road  winds  to  the  left  along  the  shoulder 
of  the  hill,  now  up,  now  down,  and  always  over  a  terrace  cut 
from  the  green  slope.  From  the  edge  of  this  one  looks  down 
a  thousand  feet  into  impenetrable  forest  depths.  In  the  au- 
tumn scores  of  momiji  add  dashes  of  yellow,  scarlet,  and  rus- 
set to  the  all-pervading  green.  Later  the  half -bare  spots  are 
alive  with  blue-bloused  peasants  who  stick  like  mt.  goats  to 
the  steep  declivities  and  garner  their  winter  supply  of  brush- 
wood. An  inspiring  walk  of  \  hr.  brings  one  to  another  granite 
torii  marking  a  terrace  from  which  the  view  is  so  extensive 


to  Lake  Biwa. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  501 


that  it  fatigues  the  mind.  Here  the  road  descends  steeply 
(left)  through  a  fine  forest  of  somber  firs  to  (15  min.)  a  deep, 
silent,  majestic  gorge  and  a  quaint  and  romantically  situated 
shrine  to  Benten ;  the  image  seated  in  a  stonevault  protected 
by  a  wire  mesh  and  guarded  by  a  granite  torii  is  Fuku  no 
kami  san.  The  stone  lanterns  and  Benten' }s  bronze  biwa  (harp) 
are  pretty.  The  priest's  house  stands  at  the  right  of  the  road; 
herein  one  may  purchase  modest  refreshments,  and  while 
lingering  to  enjoy  the  weird  charm  of  the  sequestered  glen 
hearken  to  the  lonely  man's  chatter  and  learn  the  picturesque 
history  of  the  spot. 

The  lake  comes  into  view  just  beyond,  and  then  one  sees  at 
the  left,  on  a  walled  terrace  tottering  with  age,  the  old, 
weather-beaten  Fudo  Myo-o,  with  fine  views  and  an  uninterest- 
ing interior.  The  road  which  descends  past  the  foot  of  the 
wall  (and  the  priest's  house  below  at  the  right)  leads  to  (1  hr.) 
Sakamoto,  on  the  lake  shore.  Mounting  the  stone  steps  on  the 
near  side  (left)  of  the  temple,  we  soon  emerge  on  a  winding 
mt.  road  which  lays  its  silent,  deserted  length  beneath  won- 
derful old  trees  that  remind  one  of  Koya-san.  From  time  to 
time  the  path  leads  past  a  tiny  terrace  whence  a  vast  expanse 
of  land  and  lake  are  visible;  at  a  point  30  min.  beyond  the  Fudd 
Myo-o  a  lateral  path  comes  down  (left)  from  the  summit  of 
Hiei-zan.  Here  the  main  road  goes  off  at  the  right,  beneath 
an  avenue  of  lofty  trees  of  many  varieties,  and  past  a  group  of 
moss-grown  Buddhist  tombs  deserted  in  the  silent  forest  and 
forgotten  of  the  world.  A  walk  of  20  min.  brings  one  to  the 
huge  temples  whose  bronze-covered  roofs  are  discernible 
through  the  trees  beyond  the  deep  gorge  (through  which  the 
path  goes)  at  the  left.  In  the  tiny  settlement  which  clusters 
about  them  is  a  clean  tea-house  provided  with  a  table  where 
one  may  enjoy  one's  luncheon  under  shelter,  and  piece  it  out 
with  hot  tea  or  bottled  goods.  The  largest  of  the  temples, 

The  Kompon  Chudo,  on  a  terrace  down  at  the  right,  is  a 
time-stained  but  still  sturdy  reminder  of  a  period  when  hun- 
dreds of  similar  fanes  are  said  to  have  covered  the  sides  of 
Hiei-zan  and  to  have  been  so  powerful  as  to  constitute  a 
menace  to  the  civil  power  at  Kyoto. 

Historical  Sketch  of  the  Hiei-zan  Monasteries.  Five  yrs.  before  the 
Emperor  Kwammu  founded  Kyoto  (in  794),  the  bonze  Saicho  (b.  767;  d. 
822;  from  866  known  by  the  posthumous  title  of  Dengyo-Daishi)  erected 
a  small  temple  on  the  summit  of  Hiei-zan  (3  M.  N.E.  of  Kyoto)  and  called 
it  Enryaku-ji,  from  the  era  (of  Enryaku  —  782-806)  in  which  it  was 
founded.  He  had  but  just  returned  from  China  whither  he  had  gone  to  study 
the  doctrines  of  the  Tendai  sect,  which  he  now  proceeded  to  diffuse  from 
the  new  headquarters.  In  time  the  temple  became  a  great  monastery 
which  was  destined  to  bear  '  much  the  same  relation  to  most  of  the  later 
sects  established  in  Japan  that  the  Church  of  Rome  bears  to  the  various 
forms  of  Protestantism.  It  was  to  be  at  once  the  common  mother  and  the 
enemy  of  them  all.  Its  earliest  offshoot  was  the  temple  of  Onjo-ji,  more 
generally  known  as  Miidera,  picturesquely  situated  at  the  base  of  the  hills 
on  Biwa  strand,  beside  the  city  of  Otsu.  It  was  not  long  before  it  found 


502    Route  27.  KYOTO         Historical  Sketch  of 

itself  at  deadly  strife  with  the  parent  fane  — -  a  fine  commentary  upon  the 
sincerity  of  the  tonsured  exponents  of  the  religion  whose  central  idea  is  the 
impermanency  of  allthings  and  the  vanity  of  human  wishes.'  After  Kyoto 
was  founded  Saichd's  temple  became  of  great  importance  to  the  new  city, 
for  as  Buddhist  superstition  believes  all  evil  comes  from  the  N.E.,  the 
Ki-mon,  or  Devil's  Gate,  the  priests  were  ordered  to  watch  night  and  day; 
to  pray,  beat  the  drums,  ring  the  bells,  and  thus  keep  evil  far  away  from  the 
palace  and  the  capital.  All  this  they  did,  and  more,  for  according  to  the 
records  the  grounds  of  the  many  temples  were  adorned  and  beautified  with 
the  rarest  art  of  the  native  landscape  gardeners.  The  thousands  of  priests 
congregated  here  '  chanted  before  gorgeous  altars,  celebrated  their  splen- 
did ritual,  reveled  in  luxury  and  licentiousness,  drank  their  sake,  ate  the 
forbidden  viands,  and  dallied  with  their  concubines,  or  hatched  plots  to 
light  or  fan  the  flames  of  feudal  war,  so  as  to  make  the  quarrels  of  the  clans 
and  chiefs  redound  to  their  aggrandizement.  They  trusted  profoundly  to 
their  professedly  sacred  character  to  shield  them  from  all  danger.' 

In  the  golden  age  of  Buddhistic  monasticism  there  were  upon  Hiei-zan 
many  thousands  of  priests  and  monks,  who  often  exercised  great  influence 
upon  internal  complications.  They  possessed  great  wealth,  and  landed 
estates  which  extended  from  the  summit  of  the  mt.  to  the  present  Kiyo- 
mizu-dera.  The  ground  about  the  main  temple  was  as  classic  as  that  about 
Kdya-san.  The  powerful  priests  could  make  such  a  show  of  force  that  often 
when  they  went  to  Kyoto  to  make  insolent  requests  of  the  harassed  Em- 
peror he  sent  out  squads  of  soldiers  to  stop  their  approach  to  the  Palace. 
The  exasperated  Emperor  Shirakawa  was  wont  to  say  of  these  truculent 
terrors:  "There  are  three  things  which  I  cannot  bring  under  obedience;  the 
water  of  the  Kamo-gawa,  the  dice  of  the  sugoroku  game  (a  sort  of  back- 
gammon), and  the  bonzes  on  the  mt.'  His  predecessors  had,  by  protecting 
the  bonzes,  abetted  their  arrogance,  for  in  961  4  when  Ryogen  (afterwards 
Jie-Daishi),  the  abbot  of  Hiei-zan,  had  a  dispute  with  the  head  of  the  Gion 
Temple  in  Kyoto,  he  settled  it  by  sending  troops  to  drive  out  his  opponent. 
His  Eminence  then  proclaimed  that  it  had  become  apparent  that  in  that 
degenerate  age  the  Law  of  Buddha  had  fallen  into  such  contempt  that  it 
was  hopeless  to  think  of  defending  its  interests  by  ghostly  arms  alone. 
Accordingly  he  mustered  a  number  of  stout  fellows,  had  them  thoroughly 
instructed  in  the  handling  of  such  carnal  weapons  as  swords,  bows,  and 
spears,  and  established  them  as  a  permanent  force  in  the  service  of  the 
monastery.  The  example  was  speedily  followed  by  the  other  great  ecclesi- 
astical foundations;  and  thus  another  cardinal  source  of  unrest  was  added 
to  the  perplexities  of  the  Central  Gov't.  In  989  the  Gov't  sent  a  messenger 
with  a  rescript  appointing  a  certain  priest  to  the  abbacy  of  Hiei-zan.  The 
priests  seized  the  document,  tore  it  to  pieces,  and  drove  the  messenger  off 
with  contumely.  The  Gov't  did  nothing  and  the  bonzes  triumphed.  As 
time  went  on  they  waxed  still  more  turbulent  and  audacious.  In  1039, 
when  dissatisfied  with  the  Regent's  distribution  of  ecclesiastical  prefer- 
ment, they  came  down  and  besieged  Fujiwara  Yorimichi's  mansion.  The 
latter  appealed  to  Taira  Naokata,  who  promptly  raised  the  siege,  killed 
many  of  the  priests,  and  lodged  the  ringleader  in  prison.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  the  long  feud  between  the  clergy  and  the  military  —  and 
especially  with  the  house  of  Taira.1 

Oda  Nobunaga  was  the  first  to  strike  a  crippling  blow  at  the  degenerate 
priesthood.  He  had  difficulties  with  the  bonzes  before  1570,  but  it  was  in 
that  year  that  they  began  to  evince  a  determined  and  organized  hostility 
to  him.  Nobunaga  gathered  his  forces,  and  the  priests,  seeing  the  handwrit- 
ing on  the  wall,  made  their  monastery-fortress  as  impregnable  as  possible 
and  awaited  the  onslaught.  Some  of  Nobunaga' s  councilors  remonstrated 
against  his  avowed  intention  to  crush  the  Enryaku-ji,  and  rebelled  against 
the  sacrilege  of  destroying  one  of  the  most  celebrated  seats  of  learning  in 
Japan,  with  an  unbroken  history  of  nearly  700  yrs.  But  he  informed  them 
that  so  long  as  these  monasteries  existed  his  projects  would  be  continually 
thwarted,  as  they  were  a  prime  source  of  the  national  disorder  and  anarchy 
he  was  trying  so  hard  to  suppress.  4  If  I  do  not  take  them  away  now,  this 
great  trouble  will  be  everlasting.  Moreover,  these  priests  violate  their  vows: 
they  eat  fish  and  stinking  vegetables,  keep  concubines,  and  never  unroll  the 
sacred  books.  How  can  they  be  vigilant  against  evil,  or  maintain  the  right? 


Hiei-zan  Monasteries.       KYOTO  27.  Route.  503 


Surround  their  dens  and  burn  them,  and  suffer  none  within  them  to  live! ' 
In  September  he  advanced  with  a  strong  army  and  took  the  bonzes  by  sur- 
prise. 1  Seeing  that  they  were  lost  if  they  could  not  agree  with  the  adver- 
sary at  their  gates,  they  offered  Nobunaga  a  huge  ransom,  but  in  vain. 
Sakamoto,  on  the  lake  shore  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  was  at  once  fired,  and  the 
assailants  then  stormed  and  burnt  the  monasteries  on  the  lower  slopes  of 
Hiei-zan.  The  bonzes  made  a  vigorous  defense  of  some  of  the  strong  posi- 
tions on  the  rocks  and  in  the  defiles.  The  final  assault,  delivered  Sept.  29, 
1571,  ended  in  the  extermination  of  every  occupant  of  the  hundreds  of 
monasteries  that  had  studded  the  faces  of  the  mt.  and  its  13  valleys  a  week 
or  so  before.  How  many  priests  actually  perished  in  this  grim  massacre 
cannot  be  stated  with  accuracy;  at  the  lowest  computation  there  must  have 
been  thousands  of  them.'  (Murdoch.)  With  the  accession  of  the  Tokugawa 
shoguns  the  bonzes  were  permitted  to  reestablish  themselves  on  the  heights, 
but  the  glory  of  Enryaku-ji  never  returned. 

^  The  great  colonnade  of  the  Kompon  Chudo  is  now  but  a 
simulacrum  of  its  former  grandeur,  and  the  wide  inner  court, 
of  Alhambraic  dignity  and  suggestiveness,  is  sadly  neglected. 
The  new  tiled  roof  contrasts  oddly  with  the  weather-beaten 
carvings,  and  with  the  moss-grown  flags  and  vermiculated 
timbers. — The  Dai-Kodo,  another  bulky  reminder  of 
Buddhistic  supremacy  in  the  Middle  Ages  of  Japanese  his- 
tory, stands  on  a  higher  terrace  back  of  the  Chudo.  Its  mas- 
sive superimposed  roof  and  vast  proportions  are  strangely 
impressive,  and  they  call  to  mind  the  deserted  palaces  in  the 
dense  forests  of  Yucatan  and  the  Mexican  State  of  Chiapas. 
From  the  darksome,  oppressively  silent  and  melancholy 
interior  a  number  of  sculptured  and  gilded  divinities  gaze 
mournfully  out  to  the  green  glades  which  hem  the  terrace  in. 
The  large  panels  of  carved  polychrome  storks  and  other  birds 
in  high  relief  were  doubtless  beautiful  in  their  prime.  Even 
now  they  are  worth  looking  at,  as  are  also  certain  of  the  minor 
carvings  and  decorations.  The  colossal  bell  in  the  decaying 
campanario  near  the  entrance  to  the  wide  atrium  manifestly 
required  the  united  strength  of  an  army  to  drag  it  up  the  long 
steep  avenue  from  Sakamoto.  Despite  its  years  its  voice  is 
sweet,  and  when  its  mournful  notes  boom  and  echo  through 
the  solemn  forest,  as  if  searching  for  the  grandeur  which  once 
had  its  abode  here,  they  stir  the  blood  and  haunt  the  memory. 

A  wide,  steepish,  beautifully  shaded  road  in  considerable 
disrepair  leads  down  at  the  left  under  lofty  trees  to  (2|  M.; 
1  hr.)  Kami  (upper)  Sakamoto,  where  a  colossal  granite  torii 
marks  the  lower  entrance.  The  descent  beneath  the  great 
trees  through  which  the  wind  sighs  mournfully,  and  which 
have  looked  down  upon  so  many  thousands  of  zealous,  plod- 
ding pilgrims,  is  delightful.  Several  crumbling  and  deserted 
wayside  shrines  recall  the  golden  days  of  the  vanished  past. 
One  at  the  left  (10  min.  walk  from  the  temples)  has  a  curious 
old  green  bronze  slab  rising  in  Chinese  fashion  from  the  back 
of  an  alert  tortoise.  The  occasional  vistas  of  the  lake  and  of 
the  villages  on  the  lowlands  near  it  are  glorious.  The  last 
stretch  along  the  wide  and  now  fairly  level  avenue  is  flanked 


504   Route  27. 


KYOTO 


Karasdki  Pine  Tree. 


on  both  sides  by  superb  maple,  cherry,  and  pine  trees,  with  a 
view  past  these  to  the  great  torii  and  the  lake  beyond  that  is 
enchanting.  At  the  village  the  road  bends  abruptly  to  the 
right  and  leads  (30  min.)  to  a  straight  avenue  (left)  lined  with 
long  rows  of  pine  and  cherry  trees  —  the  latter  a  sight  worth 
seeing  in  April  (popular  festival  on  the  12th,  13th,  and  14th). 
A  leisurely  15  min.  stroll  brings  one  to  the  pier  (hatoba)  of 
Shimo  (lower)  Sakamoto  (2  M.  along  the  lake  shore  from  the 
upper  town).  The  traveler  may  now  follow  the  coast  road  on 
foot,  or  in  a  jinriki  or  a  tram-car,  to  (1§  M.  —  15  min.)  Kara- 
saki,  for  a  view  of  the  pine  tree  there,  or  he  can  see  this  from 
the  deck  of  the  steamer  (frequent  service)  when  it  stops  there 
(a  few  hundred  feet  from  the  tree)  on  its  way  to  Otsu.  In  this 
case  a  ticket  (8  sen)  should  be  bought  to  Miiderashita  (where 
one  disembarks).  The  view  of  the  green  mts.  at  the  right  as 
the  little  boat  glides  over  the  smooth  surface  of  the  lake  is 
very  pretty. 

The  Karasaki  Pine  Tree  ( Karasaki-no-matsu)  stands  on  a 
walled  esplanade  (in  Karasaki  village,  5  M.  N.  of  Otsu)  near 
the  steamer  landing.  Its  300  or  more  immense  horizontal 
boughs,  upheld  by  wood  crutches  or  stone  pillars,  curve  awk- 
wardly, and  at  the  top  (25  ft.  or  more  from  the  ground)  tin 
and  wood  copings  have  been  placed  as  a  protection  against 
the  weather.  These  arms,  some  of  which  measure  200-odd  ft. 
from  point  to  point,  reach  out  like  those  of  a  gigantic  and 
repulsive  spider  and  are  almost  bare  of  foliage.  This  weird 
and  unhandsome  specimen  of  a  thousand-year  old  tree  Jllus- 
trates  in  a  curious  way  the  Japanese  love  for  what  is  bizafFe" 
and  unsymmetrical.  They  delight  in  its  deformed  figure  and 
its  unnatural  and  disproportionately  long  branches.  That  this 
monstrous  growth,  which  has  none  of  the  nobility  of  the  great 
Taxodium  distichum  of  Santa  Maria  del  Tule  (in  Oaxaca, 
Mexico),  or  the  fine  Banyan  in  the  Botanical  Garden  at  Cal- 
cutta, should  be  considered  one  of  the  notable  sights  in  a 
country  filled  to  overflowing  with  exquisite  things  is  quite 
beyond  the  understanding  of  foreigners. 

From  Karasaki  a  25  min.  ride  on  the  boat  brings  one  to  the 
Miiderashita  landing  at  Hama-Otsu.  Inn:  Otsu  Hotel  (Hakkei- 
kwan),  native  style,  ¥3  a  day.  The  Miidera  Temple  (known 
also  as  Onjo-ji)  stands  in  a  fine  grove  on  the  hill-slope  10  min. 
walk  straight  up  from  the  landing.  The  original  structures, 
erected  in  858  by  the  bonze  Enchin,  were  destroyed  along 
with  their  immediate  successors  by  the  fighting  bonzes  of  the 
Enryaku-ji  on  Hiei-zan,  who  on  several  occasions  fought  the 
hired  sohei  of  the  Miidera  (the  present  seat  of  the  Jimon 
branch  of  the  Tendai-shu),  and  burned  their  property.  A  few 
of  the  present  edifices  (14th  on  the  list  of  temples  sacred 
to  Kwannon,  see  p..  ccvi)  date  from  about  1690.  Travelers 
customarily  visit  the  tottering  old  Shaka-dd  to  see  (1  sen) 


Lake  Biwa  Canal  KYOTO  27.  Route.  505 


Benkei's  Iron  Pot  (Benkei-no-shiru  habe),  a  very  old, 
rusted,  and  broken  contraption  (about  5  ft.  wide  and  3  deep) 
resembling  a  soap-boiler,  and  from  which  Yoshitsune's  devoted 
servitor  (and  popular  hero)  is  supposed  to  have  eaten  his 
bean-soup  —  which  may  well  be  doubted.  On  a  higher  ter- 
race, housed  in  a  small  shed  (2  sen)  is  Benkei's  Bell  (Benkei 
no  tsurigane),  a  badly  cracked  affair  which  the  erratic  Benkei 
is  said  to  have  taken  often  to  the  top  of  Hiei-zan  to  ring  dur- 
ing the  night!  The  priests  in  charge  of  the  two  doubtful  relics 
will  recount  a  lot  of  balderdash  to  whosoever  will  pause  to 
listen.  More  interesting  is  the  fine  old  Milder  a  Bell  (said  to 
have  been  cast  by  Hidesato,  a  lOth-cent.  hero),  about  which 
many  legends  cluster.  Its  strangely  sweet,  penetrating  notes 
form  one  of  the  Eight  (poetic)  Attractions  of  the  Lake  of  Omi, 
and  when  heard  on  a  still  summer  night  echoing  far  out  over 
the  water  they  make  a  vivid  impression  on  the  mind. 

One  has  the  choice  of  returning  to  Kyoto  by  a  car  of  the 
Kei-shin  Electric  Tramway  (in  30  min.  17  sen)  or  via  the  under- 
ground Lake  Biwa  Canal  (sosui)  which  passes  through  the  hill 
on  which  the  Miidera  stands.  Ticket-office  across  the  road 
from  the  canal,  5  min.  from  the  lake.  The  service  depends 
somewhat  upon  the  supply  of  passengers,  but  a  regular  boat 
usually  leaves  about  every  half-hour  (fare,  10  sen;  time  about 
1  hr.).  The  unknowing  are  apt  to  be  told  that  the  next 
departure  is  indefinite,  but  that  a  special  boat  (seating  about 
12  pers.)  can  be  hired  for  ¥3.50.  The  boats  are  long,  narrow, 
and  seatless,  with  matting  upon  which  one  squats  on  the  deck, 
beneath  a  low  roof.  A  seat  in  the  triangle  of  the  bow  insures 
one  a  better  view  of  the  canal  and  prevents  crowding.  The 
first  of  the  3  tunnels  (1J  M.;  25  min.)  is  entered  immediately 
and  is  followed  by  an  open  strip,  then  the  2d  tunnel  (330  ft.) 
and  (5  min.  later)  the  3d  (2800  ft.).  Dim  electric  lights  point 
the  way  through  the  dusky  depths  and  many  of  the  craft 
which  loom  out  of  the  blackness  ahead  are  lit  by  flaming 
torches.  Hands  should  not  be  allowed  to  rest  over  the  side, 
as  the  boats  often  scrape  together.  A  man  on  each  halloos 
a  constant  warning  to  approaching  boats.  Vertical  shafts  at 
intervals  admit  air  and  a  feeble  light.  The  landing  is  about 
10  min.  walk  above  the  Miyako  Hotel  (near  which  the  tram- 
cars  stop).  The  return  trip  on  the  boat  takes  about  2 i  hrs., 
as  it  must  be  pulled  up  (by  means  of  a  rope  along  the  side  of  the 
canal)  against  the  slight  tide. 

The  primary  object  of  the  canal,  which  cost  1,500,000  yen  and  was  con- 
structed in  the  5  yrs.  between  1885  and  1890,  was  to  connect  Lake  Biwa 
with  Kyoto  (and  incidentally  to  provide  electric  power  for  that  city) ,  thence 
by  means  of  the  Kamo  River,  with  Osaka  and  the  sea.  It  was  planned  by 
Saburo  Tanabe,  is  7\  M.  long,  has  a  gradient  of  about  1  in  20  and  a  drop  of 
about  11  ft.  —  until  it  reaches  the  edge  of  the  range  above  Kyoto  whence 
the  drop  is  118  ft.  At  the  latter  point  the  sharp  descent  is  overcome  by  a 
Ke-age  (a  'kick-Up')  1820  ft.  long,  over  which  the  boats  are  hauled  on 
steel  trucks  attached  to  a  wire  cable  running  in  grooved  wheels  and  actu- 


506   Route  27.  KYOTO  Lake  Biwa. 

ated  by  electric  power.  The  Kyoto  municipality  is  part  owner  of  the  canal, 
and  the  traffic  privilege  is  rented  out.  The  canal  which  parallels  the  main 
one  about  60  ft.  to  the  N.  supplies  additional  electrical  energy  for  the  light- 
ing of  the  city.  Their  open  banks  are  lined  by  cherry  and  maple  trees;  in 
June  they  are  the  favorite  resort  of  fireflies,  which  come  here  in  numbers 
almost  as  great  as  at  Uji. 

Lake  Biwa  (Biwa-ko),  so  named  for  its  fancied  resemblance 
to  a  biwa_  (a  native  4  stringed  lute) ;  known  also  as  the  Lake 
of  Omi  (Omi  no  Kosui)  because  of  its  location  in  the  heart  of 
Omi  Province,  is  the  largest  (36  M.  from  N.E.  to  S.W.;  12  M. 
wide,  and  approx.  300  ft.  at  its  deepest  point)  of  the  Japanese 
sweet-water  lakes,  and  the  most  interesting.  It  stands  in 
Shiga  Prefecture,  about  328  ft.  above  the  sea  and  is  supposed 
to  have  been  formed  (in  a  single  night)  by  a  depression  left  by 
the  great  earthquake  (b.c.  286)  that  caused  the  lordly  Fuji- 
san  to  rise  to  its  present  height.  The  long  ridge  of  Hiei- 
zan,  Hira-yama,  and  Ko-yama  (the  highest  summits  of  the 
water-shed  between  the  lake  and  the  Kamo-gawa)  flank  it  on 
the  W.  (and  form  the  E.  boundary  of  the  Yamashiro  Plain), 
while  toward  the  E.  Ibuki-yama  (4330  ft.)  —  regarded  by  the 
ancient  Japanese  as  the  Devil's  abode  —  rises  grandly.  The 
vast  plain  roundabout  contains  some  of  the  richest  soil  in 
Japan.  Numerous  towns  and  villages  flanked  by  well-culti- 
vated fields  extend  around  the  lake;  the  land  rising  gradu- 
ally in  many  places  into  wooded  mts.  which  reflect  their  ver- 
dure in  the  glassy  waters  and  recall  certain  of  the  lovely 
Swiss  lakes.  Ne&TKatata,  at  the  S.W.,  it  narrows  preceptibly, 
and  after  reaching  an  arm  beneath  the  Seta-no-Karahashi, 
pours  its  waters  into  the  Seta-gawa  (which  farther  down  is 
called  the  Uji-gawa,  and  later  the  Yodo-gawa).  In  addition  to 
this  outlet  are  the  twin  canals  cut  through  the  ridge  that  hold 
the  waters_back  from  Kyoto.  The  most  important  of  the  shore 
towns  is  Otsu,  capital  of  Omi  Province  and  Shiga  Prefecture, 
with  40,000  inhabs.  Hikone  with  its  white  castle  on  a  hill 
overlooking  the  water  stands  farther  to  the  N.E.  and  is  men- 
tioned at  p.  399.  Beyond  it  is  Nagahama,  on  the  E.  shore, 
noted  for  its  exports  of  the  fine  white  silk  crape  called  Hama- 
chirimen  (made  in  the  rural  districts  of  Sakata).  At  the  village 
of  Ze-ze,  Kobori  Masakuza  erected  a  furnace  in  1640  and  began 
the  manufacture  of  the  well-known  Ze-ze-yaki,  one  of  the 
most  popular  of  the  wares  of  Omi  Province.  From  Shigaraki, 
near  the  lake  shore,  clay  for  the  making  of  faience  is  shipped 
to  many  parts  of  the  Empire.  A  well-known  ware  called 
Seta-yaki  is  made  at  Seta.  Chikubu-shima,  an  island  not  far 
from  Nagahama,  has  a  temple  30th  in  the  list  of  places  sacred 
to  Kwannon,  and  is  a  breeding-place  for  cormorants  and  other 
fowl.  Small  coasting-boats  start  at  frequent  intervals  from 
Otsu  (and  Seta)  and  make  the  circuit  of  the  lake;  stopping  at 
the  chief  towns. 

Lake  Biwa  is  renowned  for  its  beautiful  scenery,  while  its 


Daigo-ji  Temple. 


KYOTO  27.  Route.  507 


classic  shores,  rich  in  history  and  legend,  form  the  themes  of 
many  writers.  The  famous  Eight  Views  (Omi  Hakkei,  in 
imitation  of  those  at  Siao-Siang)  are:  The  Evening  Snow  on 
Hira-yama;  The  Autumn  Moon  seen  from  Ishi-yama;  A 
Bright  Sky  with  a  Breeze  at  Awazu;  The  Sunset  Glow  at 
Seta;  The  Evening  Bell  at  Miidera;  Rain  by  Night  at  Kara- 
saki;  The  Boats  Sailing  back  from  Yabase;  and  The  Wild 
Geese  alighting  at  Katata.  Of  greater  practical  utility  are  the 
fish,  valued  at  2  million  yen,  that  are  taken  each  year  from  its 
waters.  Crude,  arrow-shaped  traps  made  of  bamboo  and 
reeds  are  used  in  the  shallows  along  the  shore.  Salmon-trout, 
eels,  and  the  large  gengoro-funa,  a  species  of  carp  with  a  na- 
tional reputation  for  size  and  flavor,  are  caught  in  quantities. 
The  fish  called  Higai  (for  which  the  Japanese  have  no  name, 
and  the  Chinese  ideograph  for  which  means  both  '  emperor ' 
and  'fish')  are  found  nowhere  else.  —  The  historic  town  of 
Ishi-yama  (E,  PI.  D,  3),  with  a  faded  temple  sacred  to 
Kwannon,  is  not  far  from  the  Seta  Bridge,  and  is  of  but  little 
interest.  The  room  where  the  Genji  Monogatari  is  thought  to 
have  been  composed  is  still  shown  to  visitors.  The  maple 
display  is  no  finer  than  that  of  other  places  near  Kyoto. 

*Daigo-ji,  or  the  Sambd-in  (lit.,  'The  three  precious  things, 
or  Buddhist  triad:  Buddhism,  Buddhist  rites,  and  the  priest- 
hood), a  monastery  (of  the  Shingon  sect)  about  4  M.  S.E.  of 
Inari  (E,  PI.  C,  3),  may  be  reached  by  train  from  the  Kyoto 
to  the  Yamanashi  Station,  thence  1  M.  on  foot  to  Daigo-ji 
village  (whence  the  temple  takes  its  name);  or  by  following 
the  woods-road  (good  walking,  in  about  1|  hrs.)  leading 
behind  the  Miyako  Hotel.  One  forenoon  is  ample  for  the  trip, 
which  in  the  spring  or  fall  is  one  of  the  most  delightful  in  the 
environs  of  the  old  capital.  On  alighting  at  Yamashina 
Station  follow  (right)  the  broad  highway  across  the  lowlands 
to  the  village,  which  is  traversed  its  entire  length.  High 
bamboo  groves  flank  the  excellent  pike  beyond  to  the  lovely 
hill-encircled  valley  in  which  the  temple  stands.  The  white 
wall  with  its  five  Imperial  stripes  borders  the  road  at  the  left, 
and  from  it  a  broad  and  well-swept  avenue  leads  up  to  the 
weather-beaten  gate  at  the  far  end.  The  two  great  unwashed 
Dewa  kings  in  the  loggias  are  grimy  with  the  dirt  of  centuries; 
the  old  belfry,  the  deserted  pagoda,  and  the  other  structures 
standing  neglected  beneath  the  lofty  trees  are  sad  and  silent 
reminders  of  vanished  glory.  Hideyoshi's  sometime  famous 
tea  pavilion  stands  far  up  the  hill  beyond  the  main  gate,  but 
access  to  it  is  barred  by  a  fence  across  the  path;  the  main 
temple  with  its  office  is  behind  the  walled  inclosure  midway 
of  the  avenue. 

Daigo-ji  was  founded  in  902  by  the  bonze  Shobo  (Rigen- 
Daishi).  The  original  structures,  having  been  partly  destroyed 
during  the  Onin  war,  were  rebuilt  by  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi  in  the 


508    Route  27.  KYOTO  Daigo-ji  Temple. 


16th  cent.,  from  which  period  the  inner  garden  dates.  Some 
of  the  roughly  hewn  beams  of  the  primitive  building  were 
preserved  and  used  in  the  present  one,  and  because  of  these 
and  of  certain  ancient  structural  features  (the  low-railed  bal- 
cony around  the  main  edifice,  the  style  of  the  priests'  apart- 
ments, and  so  on)  it  is  regarded  as  the  best  specimen  extant  of 
the  fine  old  Buddhist  fanes  of  early  times.  At  the  zenith  of  its 
power  and  fame  its  magnificent  art  treasures,  some  of  which 
now  repose  in  the  Kyoto  and  Tokyo  Museums,  were  richer 
than  those  of  any  of  the  Kyoto  temples.  Those  which  remain 
are  worth  inspection,  and  if  the  traveler  will  write  ahead  so 
that  the  priests  may  have  them  ready  for  displaying,  he  will 
save  time  and  be  well  paid  for  the  pilgrimage  hither.  Small 
fee  customary.  The  priests  are  very  proud  of  the  temple  and 
its  lineage.  From  the  time  that  Dosei  and  Seiun,  two  sons  of 
the  Emperor  Kameyama  (1260-74)  became  its  chief  bonzes, 
the  heads  of  the  institution  (one  of  the  13  in  the  Empire  hon- 
ored with  the  title  of  monzeki)  have  been  princes.  —  The 
situation  of  the  group  of  buildings,  in  the  midst  of  a  stately 
and  impressively  beautiful  old  park  on  the  lower  skirt  of  a 
range  of  noble  hills,  is  admirable.  The  traveler  who  visits  the 
spot  in  spring  when  the  patriarchal  cherry  trees  display  their 
wealth  of  blooms,  or  in  Nov.  when  the  gorgeous  maples  are 
crimson  with  rage  at  the  defiling  touch  of  winter,  will  be 
entranced  by  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  The  great  Hideyoshi 
used  to  grow  rapturous  and  sentimental  over  the  spectacle  of 
the  century-old  sakuras  blooming  as  exquisitely  as  they  did 
when  in  their  teens,  and  the  native  poets  delight  to  picture 
him  leaning  against  the  classically  correct  balustrade  over- 
looking the  fine  fish-pond,  and  striving  to  combine  poetry 
with  statemanship  while  viewing  the  crescent  moon  above  and 
the  floral  wonder  below. 

So  careful  are  the  priests  to  prevent  further  breaches  being 
made  in  their  remaining  treasures,  that  the  acolyte  who  con- 
ducts the  traveler  about  is  usually  dogged  by  one  or  more 
spying  bonzes.  As  one  traverses  the  '  nightingale'  floors  of 
the  outer  corridor  one  gets  beguiling  views  of  the  adorable 
little  garden  backed  by  lofty  trees.  But  for  the  fact  that  the 
artist  who  laid  it  out  transgressed  the  classical  rule  relating  to 
the  necessity  of  having  the  various  bridges  of  different  form, 
it  would  be  considered  the  most  perfect  of  its  kind  in  the 
Kyoto  neighborhood.  —  The  screens  in  the  first  suite,  show- 
ing landscapes  and  other  views,  are  by  Ishida  Yutei;  those 
which  follow,  by  Kand  Sanraku,  differ  but  little  from  the 
conventional  style  adopted  by  him.  The  curious  old  wood 
screen  and  the  ancient  bronze  bell  among  the  relics  in  the 
adjacent  rooms  are  of  Korean  origin  and  belonged  to  Hide- 
yoshi. The  palanquin  was  used  by  one  of  the  early  abbots. 
The  excellent  old  folding  screens,  ornamented  with  Paulownia 


Hachiman  Shrine.  KYOTO  27.  Route.  509 


imperialis  crests  on  a  gold  ground,  are  by  Ikoma  Toju;  the 
decorated  cedar  doors  (one  with  a  duplicate  of  the  Wet  Heron 
of  the  Nijo  Palace)  are  from  Hideyoshi's  Momo-yama  Palace. 
The  fusuma  in  an  adjoining  room,  showing  huge  polychro- 
matic peacocks  with  tails  so  wide  that  they  spread  to  the  sur- 
rounding panels,  are  by  Kand  Sanraku;  those  displaying 
Chinese  figures  are  by  Ko-Hogen.  Both  Yutei  and  Sanraku 
are  represented  by  some  wan  and  faded  work  of  uneven 
quality  in  the  next  suite,  where  there  is  a  very  striking  old- 
gold  folding  screen  (by  Kand  Eitoku  working  in  one  of  his 
best  moods)  with  flights  of  jet-black  crows  across  it  —  coun- 
terparts of  the  glossy  rogues  who  caw  so  loudly  in  the  tall 
cryptomerias  of  the  outer  park.  The  maple  screens  are  by 
Yamaguchi  Seki}  better  examples  of  whose  work  are  the 
folding  screens  snowing  a  Tosa  cock  and  hen  with  long  tails, 
and  some  fallow  deer.  From  this  suite  one  looks  out  upon 
another  small  garden,  with  a  shallow  pond  that  reaches  under 
one  of  the  buildings,  and  imparts  a  pretty  effect.  An  old  biwa 
and  some  minor  relics  are  shown  to  the  visitor  before  he  passes 
on  to  the  honden,  which  contains  among  other  things  a  fine 
gilded  image  of  Miroku-bosatsu  (to  whom  the  temple  is  dedi- 
cated) ascribed  to  the  versatile  Unkei.  The  seated  wood 
figure  at  the  right  is  Kobo-Daishi;  that  at  the  left  Shobo, 
founder  of  the  institution.  Both  are  among  the  best  examples 
extant  of  the  almost  faultless  work  of  Tankei  —  the  talented 
son  of  Unkei.  In  the  Zenjo-kwan  (religious  meditation  room) 
there  is  a  very  curious  black-  and  gold-lacquered  reliquary 
shaped  like  an  old-fashioned  cupboard,  containing  an  image 
of  Jizb.  The  folding  screens  are  adorned  with  the  Ju-ni-ten  — 
Indian  gods  of  bizarre  composition  and  coloring. 

The  *Yawata  Hachiman  Shrine  (called  also  Iwashi  mizu 
Hachiman;  and  Hachiman-gu) ;  on  the  low  (300  ft.)  summit  of 
Otoko-yama  (E,  PL  B,  4),  at  the  Yawata  Station  of  the  Kyoto- 
Osaka  electric  car  line  (30  min.  S.W.  of  Kyoto;  fare,  28  sen 
round  trip),  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  perfect  architec- 
tural expressions  of  a  Ryobu-Shinto  shrine  in  the  Empire,  and 
is  dedicated  to  the  Emperor  Ojin  (God  of  War),  the  tutelar 
deity  of  Kyoto.  It  is  known  locally  for  its  beautiful  and  com- 
manding situation  and  for  a  gutter  of  pure  yellow  gold  (kin  no 
toyu)  which  extends  across  it.  If  possible  one  should  plan  to 
visit  it  early  in  Nov.,  when  the  maples  are  in  their  prime,  as 
these  add  greatly  to  the  peculiar  beauty  of  the  splendid  pano- 
rama visible  roundabout.  Popular  festivals  are  held  (usually 
at  midnight)  from  Jan.  15  to  20,  and  on  Sept.  15,  at  which 
times  devout  pilgrims  climb  the  winding  road  up  the  steep 
hill,  the  many  lighted  lanterns  and  torches  making  a  curious 
spectacle  as  they  glimmer  in  the  darkness.  [It  may  be  merely 
a  coincidence  that  the  untutored  Indians  near  Amecamecat 
Mexico,  have  from  time  immemorial  practiced  the  same  cus- 


510   Route  27.  KYOTO 


Hachiman  Shrine. 


torn  at  the  Sacro  Monte;  consult  Terry's  Mexico,  p.  462.]  — 
From  the  several  stations  near  the  Kamo-gawa  the  tram-car 
runs  out  through  a  district  not  distinguished  for  cleanliness, 
to  the  tawdry  outskirts,  where  the  Osaka  Canal  is  crossed 
and  recrossed.  Between  the  Inari  and  Yodo  Stations  a  wide 
stretch  of  half-submerged  marsh  is  traversed  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Katsura-gawa,  opposite  which  is  the  ruin  of  the  ancient 
Yodo  Castle  —  a  one-time  Tokugawa  stronghold.  Many  pear 
orchards  dot  the  landscape.  Yawata  stands  beyond  the  long 
steel  bridge  near  where  the  Uji-gawa  and  the  Kizu-gawa  merge 
their  waters  and  become  the  Yodo-gawa. 

The  Shofu-ken,  a  semi-foreign  hotel,  faces  the  station;  round- 
ing it  one  sees  just  ahead  a  colossal  granite  torii,  the  lowermost 
outpost  of  the  shrine.  The  serpentine  lotus-pond  is  lovely  in 
Aug.  when  it  flames  with  variegated  flowers.  The  main  road 
lays  its  broad  length  upward  and  around  the  hill,  over  hun- 
dreds of  clean  stone  steps  and  through  charming  stretches 
overshadowed  by  lofty  trees.  The  views  out  over  the  flat 
country  are  beguiling.  A  steady  20  min.  climb  brings  one  to 
the  lower  end  of  a  long  flagged  lateral  walk  which  terminates  at 
the  shrine.  The  old  machine-gun  here  behind  its  shield  is  a 
relic  of  the  Japan-Russia  War.  Lines  of  magnificent  cryptome- 
rias  and  camphor  trees  with  moss-grown,  lichen-covered  stone 
lanterns  beneath  them,  mark  the  approach,  along  which  are 
many  tiny  shops  where  colored  earthenware  pigeons,  and  small 
bows  and  arrows  (the  latter  made  from  a  special  bamboo 
grown  in  the  neighborhood,  and  delicately  feathered),  are  sold 
to  pilgrims  as  souvenirs.  Just  within  the  gate,  at  the  right,  is 
a  bizarre  bronze  horse  half  covered  with  a  bronze  blanket 
stamped  with  a  gilded  crest,  and  tied  to  a  very  realistic  bam- 
boo. The  main  edifice,  which  dates  from  the  16th  cent,  and  is 
built  after  the  style  of  shrines  of  the  Fujiwara  epoch,  is  strik- 
ingly picturesque,  with  a  weather-beaten  roof  that  is  half  tile, 
half  thatch;  and  a  porch  under  the  eaves  of  which  are  many 
faded  wood-carvings.  The  imperial  kiku  crest  so  much  in 
evidence  denotes  royal  patronage.  Hundreds  of  fluttering, 
preening  pigeons  are  fed  in  the  courtyard  because  pigeons  are 
supposed  to  have  fed  the  young  Hachiman  when  he  was  neg- 
lected by  his  warlike  mother.  Flowers  of  different  colors  are 
seen  to  have  been  grafted  on  the  big  sazankwa  bush  at  the 
right  of  the  entrance. 

The  temple  proper  stands  on  a  wide  plinth  supported  by  a 
massive  stone  wall  whose  outer  edge  is  surmounted  by  a 
vermilion  colonnade  flanked  on  the  inner  side  by  a  partly  open 
square.  The  maze  of  weather-stained,  vari-tinted  sculptures 
proclaim  Buddhist  associations.  The  famous  golden  gutter, 
about  3  ft.  only  of  which  is  exposed,  reposes  within  a  sort  of 
protective  shell;  according  to  the  priests  it  is  3  ft.  wide,  3  in. 
thick,  and  78  ft.  long.  —  At  the  rear  of  the  compound,  noted 


Monasteries.       KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN     28.  Rte.  511 


for  its  lofty  cryptomerias  and  camphor  laurels,  is  an  ancient 
storeroom  (kura)  that  resembles  Daniel  Boone1  s  cabin.  —  By 
leaving  the  inclosure  through  the  gate  at  the  right  of  the  shrine, 
one  descends  over  a  zigzag  path  beautifully  embowered  in 
maple  trees.  From  the  terraces  one  gets  enchanting  views  of 
the  Yodo-gawa  as  it  meanders  across  the  wide  Osaka  plain 
below  —  flaming  with  _yellow  rape,  or  green  with  a  gauzy 
mantle  of  young  rice.  Osaka  is  visible  at  the  far  S.  The  path 
strikes  into  the  main  one  at  the  2d  torii.  The  trail  at  the  left 
goes  to  a  pretty  waterfall.  Kori-en,  sl  park  (chrysanthemum 
shows)  much  frequented  by  Osaka  folks,  is  a  20  min.  ride  on 
the  tramway. 

28.  From  Kyoto  to  the  Koya-san  Monasteries. 

*K6ya-san  (or  Takano-yama),  a  mountain  (2800  ft.)  in  the 
N.E.  part  (Wakayama  Prefecture),  of  Kii  Province,  in  the 
basin  of  the  Yoshino-gawa  near  the  Yamato  line;  the  loftiest 
eminence  of  a  bulky  range  that  runs  E.  and  W.  and  holds  in 
its  saucer-shaped  summit  (24  sq.  M.)  the  famous  old  monastic 
town  of  Koya  (comp.  the  accompanying  plan),  should  be  visited 
if  time  permits,  since  a  journey  to  it  forms  one  of  the  most 
delightful  of  all  the  excursions  off  the  beaten  track  of  travel  in 
Japan.  Beside  forming  a  fine  walking-trip  it  gives  the  stranger 
a  glimpse  of  rural  life  he  would  not  get  elsewhere,  as  well  as  of 
one  of  the  quaintest  ecclesiastical  communities  in  the  Empire. 

The  sacred  mountain  is  said  to  derive  its  name  from  the  Umbrella  Fir 
known  as  the  Kdya-maki,  and  as  the  Podocarpus  of  Koya  (Sciadopitys 
verticillata,  Thunberg),  a  fine  and  lofty  tree  (oftentimes  50-65  ft.)  with  a 
gray  trunk  (3  ft.  or  more  in  circumference)  and  cones  like  those  of  a  pine  tree. 
Here,  in  its  native  habitat,  it  occurs  sparsely  and  is  carefully  cultivated.  — 
The  monastic  settlement  owes  its  origin  to  the  famous  Kukai  (b.  790;  d. 
840  —  better  known  by  the  posthumous  name  of  Kobo-Daishi)t  who  entered 
a  Buddhist  temple  when  quite  young  and  at  19  became  a  priest.  In  China 
he  studied  under  the  abbot  Huikwo,  who  taught  him  many  of  the  finer 
precepts  of  Buddhism  and  who  commissioned  him  to  take  back  to  Japan 
the  mystic  formula  of  the  Shingon-shu  (p.  cc).  On  his  return  he  engaged 
in  a  discussion  organized.by  the  Emperor  between  the  most  learned  bonzes, 
and  surpassed  them  all  in  eloquence  and  scientific  knowledge.  Soon  there- 
after he  began  to  preach  the  doctrines  of  the  Shingon  sect,  and  after  serving 
as  abbot  of  the  Toji  at  Kyoto,  he  repaired  to  Koya-san  and  founded  the 
Kongd-buji  which  in  time  became  the  largest  monastery  in  Japan.  He  in- 
vented the  alphabet  mentioned  at  p.  cxxvi,  and  is  said  to  have  possesed 
almost  miraculous  artistic  ability.  Few  if  any  of  his  works  have  survived, 
notwithstanding  the  hundreds  of  sculptures  and  paintings  attributed  to  him. 
He  lived  a  life  of  such  exemplary  sanctity  that  the  credulous  refuse  to 
believe  him  dead  and  are  persuaded  that  he  is  awaiting,  in  a  lethargic  re- 
pose, the  coming  of  Miroku,  the  Buddhist  Messiah. 

The  summit  of  the  mountain  is  a  magnificently  wooded, 
irregular  plateau  about  2  M.  long,  surrounded  by  forest 
scarps  which  terminate  in  eight  points  supposed  by  devout 
Buddhists  to  represent  the  8  petals  of  the  lotus  (hachiyo 
renge).1  Nestling  in  this  high  and  sequestered  cuspidal  basin, 

1  In  this  somewhat  confusing  sense  hachiyo  signifies  a  coat  of  arms  com- 
posed of  8  lotus  leaves;  and  renge  (a  contraction  of  Chirirenge  —  a  porce- 


512   Rte.  28.     KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN  Monasteries. 


far  from  the  1  madding  crowd7  and  the  complexities  of  modern 
life,  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  religious  foundations  in  Japan; 
a  strange  aggregation  of  celibate  monks  forming  the  lees  of  a 
city  (a  sort  of  Japanese  Mount  Athos)  which  in  its  prime  is 
said  to  have  contained  from  2000  to  9900  glittering  temples 
and  90,000  souls.  During  the  turbulent  Middle  Ages  of  Jap- 
anese history  it  had  its  own  soldiers  who  more  than  once  swept 
down  the  mt.  side  like  an  avalanche  and  carried  destruction 
and  death  to  its  over-arrogant  foes.  For  years  it  was  a  place 
of  exile  for  political  prisoners  of  rank,  and  more  than  one 
powerful  but  defeated  warrior  has  been  immured  here  for  life 
in  one  of  the  many  monasteries.  For  centuries  women  were 
not  allowed  to  come  within,  shouting  distance  of  its  hallowed 
precincts  and  were  forced  to  turn  back  at  a  point  near  the 
summit. 

To  the  ignorant,  Kdya-san  is  a  sort  of  miracle-working  place 
and  by  such  it  is  endowed  with  a  sanctity  perhaps  more  pro- 
found than  any  other  Buddhist  community  in  the  Empire. 
Thousands  of  pilgrims  of  both  sexes  make  the  ascent  of  the  mt. 
each  year,  and  the  present  town,  which  consists  entirely  of 
temples  (about  30  in  all,  with  250  priests  and  as  many  aco- 
lytes), monasteries,  monkish-hostelries,  and  shops  which  cater 
to  their  wants,  subsist  upon  the  fruits  of  these  pilgrimages  — 
which  the  entire  community  (pop.  about  2000)  stimulate  by 
every  means  in  their  power.  Many  of  the  shops  are  dedicated 
to  the  sale  of  objects  associated  with  the  worship  of  Buddha 
—  rosaries,  images  of  saints,  and  a  host  of  sanctified  things 
similar  to  those  sold  in  Roman  Catholic  places  of  pilgrimage 
in  Europe.  The  priests  sell  indulgences  (O-fuda)  against  sick- 
ness, the  devil,  the  smallpox,  and  other  things,  and  make  not  a 
little  money  by  the  sale  of  sand  (called  dosha)  from  a  sacred 
mt.  (Muroosan)  in  Yamato.  [After  being  consecrated  by  the 
priests  it  is  supposed  to  have  the  power  of  softening  the  rigid 
joints  of  a  corpse  when  sprinkled  over  it,  so  that  the  body  can 
be  easily  laid  in  the  coffin.]  Also  from  paper  shrouds  (Kid- 
katobira)  painted  all  over  with  Sanskrit  (Jap.  Bonji)  char- 
acters. 

Of  the  several  routes  to  Kdya-san,  the  easiest,  most  popular,  and  the  one 
affording  the  best  views,  is  by  rail  from  Kyoto  (via  Nara)  to  Kdyaguchi 
Station,  thence  by  jinriki  or  on  foot  to  Shide,  a  small  hamlet  at  the  bottom 
of  the  actual  ascent,  —  whence  one  must  either  foot  it  or  be  carried  to  the 
summit  in  a  kago,  as  wheeled  vehicles  are  impracticable.  The  train  custom- 
arily leaves  Kyoto  shortly  before  8a.m.  and  reaches  Nara  under  2  hrs.  The 
only  advantage  in  starting  from  Nara  is  that  one  can  leave  the  hotel  there  at 
about  9  a.m.,  whereas  at  Kyoto  breakfast  must  be  ordered  for  6  a.m.  and  a 


lain  spoon  made  in  the  shape  of  a  lotus  leaf) ,  the  lotus  itself.  The  base  of 
the  lotus  flower  on  which  Buddhist  deities  are  represented  as  sitting  or  stand- 
ing, is  called  Rendai.  The  8  petals  are  symbols  of  Buddhist  philosophy; 
when  closed  they  are  likened  to  the  untaught  mind  that  knows  naught  of 
the  sunlight  of  knowledge  which  floods  them  when  the  flower  opens.  (Comp. 
p.  clxxxix.) 


Practical  Notes.   KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN     28.  Rte.  513 

start  made  for  the  station,  not  later  than  7.  The  rly.  fare  from  Kyoto  to 
Koyaguchi  is  ¥2.83,  1st  cl.;  ¥1.68,  2d;  time  about  5  hrs.  Cars  must  some- 
times be  changed  in  the  Nara  Station  (other  side  of  platform)  and  at  6j%. 
The  rest-house  opposite  the  Koyaguchi  Station  is  in  the  Japanese  style;  the 
rikisha  stand  is  at  the  left.  Shide  is  3^  M.  behind  the  town  (good  road,  easy 
walking),  but  as  there  is  a  slight  incline  the  jinriki-man  usually  insists  upon 
having  a  pushman  (necessary  in  bad  weather).  Albeit  the  charge  of  the 
former  is  34  sen,  the  municipal  regulations  (posted  just  outside  the  station) 
stipulate  a  payment  of  1^  fare  to  the  pusher,  making  the  total  for  a  jinriki 
with  2  men  85  sen.  A  good  walker  can  compass  the  trip  easily  in  1  hr.,  and 
can  save  the  cost  of  the  additional  man  by  agreeing  to  walk  up  the  hills. 
If  a  kago  is  wanted  at  Shide  it  should  be  telephoned  for  from  Koyaguchi,  or 
bespoken  from  Kyoto  by  letter.  While  2  men  will  carry  a  slight  person 
(weighing  100  lbs.  or  thereabout) ,  from  3  to  4  are  needed  for  a  heavier  one. 
For  each  man  75  sen  (90  in  bad  weather)  with  a  small  additional  tip  (about 
20  sen  each)  on  arrival  at  the  top.  The  man  of  ordinary  size  will  find  the 
kagos  bone-breaking  and  painfully  uncomfortable.  Only  hand-luggage  can 
be  carried  on  the  top;  for  other  luggage  a  coolie  (75  sen  a  load)  must  be  em- 
ployed. By  leaving  Shide  at  2  p.m.  one  can  be  put  down  at  the  door  of  the  inn 
at  about  6.  The  men  rest  frequently;  good  walkers  can  make  the  trip  in  a  \ 
hr.  less.  There  are  no  dizzy  climbs,  and  the  clear  trail  is  dotted  with  rest- 
houses  and  hamlets.  The  return  trip  should  be  varied  in  the  manner  de- 
scribed hereinafter.  A  companionable  guide  (comp.  p.  400)  from  the  hotel 
is  desirable,  not  only  to  help  the  traveler  carry  his  kit,  but  also  to  serve  as 
courier  and  interpreter  at  the.  Kdya-san  temples.  The  season  and  the  wea- 
ther have  a  direct  bearing  upon  one's  enjoyment  of  the  trip;  on  rainy  days 
when  clouds  hang  low  over  the  mts.  the  splendid  views  are  obscured,  and 
the  road,  which  in  some  places  is  vile,  is  apt  to  be  slippery  and  deep  in  mud. 
This  makes  the  going  somewhat  wearisome,  particularly  in  the  narrow, 
steepish  defiles.  The  most  beautiful  season  is  perhaps  April  or  May;  then 
the  wild  and  broken  slopes  and  forest  dingles  seem  to  tremble  with  electric 
joy  at  their  spring  awakening,  and  the  mt.  cherry  blossoms,  the  azaleas  and 
other  wild  flowers  give  the  world  an  inkling  of  what  the  summer  glory  is  to 
be.  The  majority  of  the  hundred  thousand  or  more  pilgrims  who  annually 
seek  the  holy  monastic  retreat  (and  who  earnestly  believe  that  a  pilgrimage 
hither  is  necessary  to  their  spiritual  salvation),  go  at  this  time,  before  the 
rice  is  planted,  and  so  crowd  the  inns  that  lodgings  must  be  arranged  f  or  in 
advance.  In  the  full  blaze  of  summer  the  languorous  forest  is  exquisitely 
lovely,  all  color  and  brilliancy,  and  vocal  with  the  stridulous  calling  of  a 
myriad  cicadas.  Stately  ferns  and  a  host  of  flowering  shrubs  decorate  the 
winding  courses  of  the  hurrying,  whimpering  streams;  the  rocky  gorges 
are  fragrant  with  the  perfume  of  countless  white  lilies  and  violets;  the  little- 
trodden,  primeval  by-paths  are  the  haunts  of  many  unhunted  wild  crea- 
tures, and  the  plashing  of  innumerable  waterfalls  and  cascades  ring  through 
the  glades.  But  the  June  rains  have  made  the  roads  heavy,  and  the  mt. 
torrents  bring  destruction  to  many  of  the  bridges.  In  the  autumn,  after  the 
crops  are  garnered,  and  white-clad  pilgrims  with  jingling  staffs  are  again  on 
the  move;  when  the  maples,  the  icho  trees,  the  vegetable  wax,  and  a  host 
of  other  turn-coat  picaroons  are  flushing  and  paling  before  the  advance 
guards  of  winter,  the  forest  is  lovely  beyond  description;  but  it  is  apt  to  be 
cold  at  the  summit.  Snow  often  falls  in  late  Nov.  (sometimes  3  ft.  deep  in 
Jan.-Feb.)  and  the  ponds  show  thin  ice  on  their  surfaces.  But  the  traveler 
misses  much  who  does  not  see  the  fine  old  temples  of  Kdya-san  on  a  gray 
winter  morning  beneath  their  thick  coating  of  hoar  frost  or  snow,  or  when 
they  loom  out  of  their  great  shadows  on  a  frosty  winter  night,  beneath  a  steel 
blue  sky  powdered  with  glittering  stars.  The  rapier-like  thrusts  of  Jack 
Frost  are  considerably  to  the  point  at  this  elevation,  and  travelers  making 
a  winter  pilgrimage  should  bring  heavier  wraps  than  those  required  by  the 
temperature  at  Kyoto.  A  special  charm  of  the  early  fall  is  added  by  the 
trustfully  belated  azaleas,  late-blooming  chrysanthemums,  camellias,  asters, 
and  sazankwas  that  one  often  sees  flowering  in  the  warm  pockets  of  the  hills 
with  a  southern  exposure.  At  this  season  sections  of  the  mt.  sides  show 
pink  with  thickly  hanging,  very  puckery  wild  persimmons,  while  in  the  vil- 
lage gardens  hosts  of  globular  yellow  oranges  pend  from  the  trees  and  con- 
trast sharply  with  the  deep-red  berries  of  the  Nandma  domestica.  Certain 


514   Rte.  28.      KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN  .  Inns. 

sections  possess  a  decided  Tyrolean  charm,  and  the  great  elevations,  the 
magnificent  views,  and  the  deliciously  calm  and  pure  air  exhilarate  one. 

The  hurried  traveler  can  get  a  cursory  view  of  Kdya-san  with  a  hasty 
look  in  at  several  of  the  temples  and  the  Buddhist  necropolis  in  a  half-day, 
and  by  scrambling  down  to  the  rly.,  reach  Kyoto  before  midnight;  but  by 
so  doing  he  must  necessarily  omit  a  quiet  inspection  of  the  best  features  of 
the  fine  old  ecclesiological  relics  of  the  holy  place,  deny  himself  a  close  ac- 
quaintance with  the  rich  treasures  stored  in  the  temple  godowns,  race 
through  the  wonderful  cemetery  (one  of  the  most  unique  in  the  world)  under 
its  lofty  vault  of  majestic  cryptomerias,  Chamcecyparis,  and  other  huge 
coniferous  trees  flanked  by  its  awe-inspiring  tombs,  and  miss  all  the  soul- 
stirring  views  obtainable  from  the  peaks  which  shut  in  the  place.  Most 
travelers  will  wish  to  remain'at  least  1  whole  day  and  2  nights;  many  enjoy- 
able days  can  be  spent  roaming  over  the  quaint  settlement,  attending  the 
temple  services  or  watching  the  zealous  and  enthusiastic  pilgrims  as  they 
hurry  from  one  temple  to  another  and  make  their  orisons  before  noted 
shrines  or  sacred  tombs.  Some  go  from  one  to  another  like  a  running  street- 
lamplighter,  and  feel  that  they  have  not  done  their  duty  or  earned  their 
reward  of  merit  until  they  have  prayed  before  every  sacred  place  on  the 
circuit  to  the  immortal  Kobo-Daishi's  tomb. 

Whosoever  comes  to  inspect  the  chief  treasures  of  the  older  temples  must 
plan  carefully  in  advance,  as  the  same  difficulties  that  confront  one  else- 
where are  here  in  a  more  pronounced  form.  The  ecclesiastical  junk  exhibited 
before  the  casual  and  unknowing  visitor  does  not  include  the  older  or  finer 
relics,  to  see  which  one  must  obtain  a  special  permit  (through  one's  ambassa- 
dor, or  minister)  from  the  Imperial  Household  Department  (at  Tokyo), 
and  a  promise  that  advices  will  be  sent  direct  bespeaking  special  attention 
and  privileges.  These  advices  go  to  the  abbot's  residence  at  the  Kongo- 
buji,  whence  instructions  are  sent  to  the  Miei-dd,  a  squat,  ostensibly  incon- 
sequential little  temple  which  travelers  generally  overlook,  and  in  whose 
godowns  some  of  the  finest  treasures  are  stored.  In  due  time  these  will  be 
brought  forth  and  properly  displayed  and  the  traveler  notified  at  his  inn. 
The  prevailing  dampness  (which  at  Kdya-san  is  much  like  that  at  Nikko) 
so  injures  many  of  the  finer  and  more  delicate  paintings  on  silk  or  paper 
that  it  is  with  extreme  reluctance  that  the  priests  consent  to  withdraw  them 
in  summer  from  their  moisture-proof  storehouses.  Sometimes  it  is  only  once 
in  years  that  the  priceless  old  kakemonos  are  unrolled,  as  new  creases  are  in- 
evitably made  in  them  and  the  finer  penciling  injured,  and  in  time  oblit- 
erated. Certain  of  the  old  masterpieces,  painted  many  centuries  ago,  are 
10  ft.  or  more  wide  by  201ong,  and  for  inspection  they  must  be  hung  against 
a  smooth  wall  or  spread  out  on  a  broad  floor;  in  the  latter  case, where  several 
are  grouped,  the  temple  must  be  closed  temporarily  to  parishioners,  while 
the  traveler  is  engaged  in  the  inspection.  Fees  though  not  obligatory  are  cus- 
tomary; in  special  cases  the  amount  rests  with  the  giver.  Ordinarily  25  or 
50  sen  is  enough  for  the  priest  who  conducts  one  through  one  of  the  temples, 
and  a  yen  is  an  evidence  of  generosity.  Whosoever  gives  more  imposes  a 
moral  burden  on  the  succeeding  visitor  with  a  modest  income.  The  average 
donation  of  pilgrims  to  shrines  visited  by  them  is  §  sen.  Not  over  4  or  5  of 
the  remaining  temples  (all  of  the  Shingon  sect  of  Buddhists)  and  their  relics 
are  worthy  of  notice.  These  all  lie  within  the  triangle  formed  by  the  great 
front  gate,  the  so-called  rear  gate,  and  the  settlement  end  of  the  cemetery 
avenue,  and  are  mere  shadows  of  their  ancient  fame  and  splendor.  The  dis- 
establishment of  Buddhism  and  the  consequent  denationalization  of  the 
temples,  coupled  with  the  disastrous  fires  which  have  swept  over  the  place, 
have  struck  blows  at  Kobo-Daishi's  retreat  from  which  it  has  not  recovered. 
Many  prized  possessions  have  been  acquired  by  art-collectors  in  Japan  and 
abroad,  and  others  have  been  removed  to  the  Tokyo,  Kyoto,  or  Nara  Mu- 
seums. The  traveler  will  mayhap  wish  to  be  reminded  that  the  temples  close 
at  4  p.m.,  and  that  in  winter  particularly,  twilight  comes  soon  thereafter.  — 
It  is  worth  while  lingering  at  Kdya-san  for  a  bright  day  on  which  to  make 
the  descent  to  the  rly.  The  return  route  is  marked  by  finer  and  more  exten- 
sive views  than  that  from  Koyaguchi,  and  whosoever  has  made  the  ascent 
over  this  road  should  by  all  means  choose  the  latter  on  the  downward  trip. 

The  Inns  (p.  xxxiv)  are  monastic  in  character;  part  inn,  part  temple, 
with  clean  rooms  and  no  female  attendants.  The  monks  take  care  of  them, 


Inns.  KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN    28.  Rte.  515 

and  though  obliging  and  solicitous  of  the  traveler's  welfare,  they  do  not 
relish  being  ordered  about  like  menials  in  a  public  hostelry.  Foreigners 
bearing  special  letters  from  the  Tokyo  Gov't  authorities  are  sometimes 
lodged  in  spacious  and  quasi-luxurious  apartments  formerly  reserved  for 
shoguns  and  other  exalted  personages;  certain  of  these  suites  overlook 
pretty  landscape  gardens  and  have  adjacent  bath-rooms  fitted  with  crude 
wooden  bath-tubs.  Of  material  interest  to  the  traveler  is  the  fact  that  there 
is  also  a  tiny  kitchen,  a  blessed  refuge  wherein,  if  he  is  making  a  prolonged 
stay,  he  may  cook  his  un-Christian  food  without  the  vegetarian  priests 
knowing  (or  caring)  that  such  a  sacrilege  is  being  committed!  Meals  are 
served  in  one's  apartment;  the  food  is  purely  vegetable,  and  after  the  second 
day  distressfully  unpalatable.  Fish,  flesh,  fowl,  butter,  cheese,  eggs,  milk 
bread,  coffee,  and  other  necessaries  of  life  are  absent,  and  are  replaced  by 
seaweed,  greens,  bamboo-shoots,  cabbage,  daikon  in  various  unappetizing 
forms,  and  other  garden-truck  which  one  eats  as  a  novelty  the  first  meal 
and  rejects  with  an  involuntary  tightening  of  the  throat  when  it  is  offered 
at  the  second  and  third.  In  addition  there  are  flabby  mushrooms  boiled  in 
very  thin  water  without  seasoning ;  the  omnipresent  boiled  rice  without  sugar, 
milk,  or  salt;  a  bean-curd  (tofu)  for  which  one  acquires  a  liking  only  after 
much  patient  effort;  a  yellow  substance  (known  as  yuba)  made  of  the  skin  of 
bean-curd,  and  looking  and  tasting  like  thin  sheet  rubber;  and  insipid  sugar- 
less tea.  Hot  sake  can  be  had  when  called  for.  Usually  there  is  a  nimble- 
witted,  fleet-footed  lad  about  the  place  who  from  long  practice  in  foraging 
can  make  a  swift  sortie  on  the  town  shops  and  return  with  an  egg  or  a  pheas- 
ant or  something  that  will  keep  body  and  soul  together  during  the  sojourn 
in  this  pious  community.  The  traveler  should  bring  a  well-filled  lunch- 
basket  with  him  from  Kyoto.  Bread  can  be  toasted  nicely  over  the  charcoal 
hibachi,  and  the  monastery  tea  can  be  replaced  by  a  better  brand.  Followers 
of  Epicurus,  particularly  those  interested  in  vegetarianism,  who  are  struck 
by  the  bulk  and  heft  of  certain  of  the  oily-faced  priests,  may  wish  to  know 
that  they  do  not  extract  all  their  religious  fervor  from  'garden-sass,'  for 
when  absent  from  Kdya-san  they  are  allowed  to  vary  their  diet. 

There  are  no  fixed  prices  for  accommodations,  but  travelers  are  expected 
to  pay  (and  tip)  as  much  as  they  would  in  any  first-class  inn.  The  money 
is  customarily  wrapped  in  white  paper  (fees  in  a  separate  package)  and 
handed  to  the  attendant  in  charge  just  before  leaving.  Among  the  best  inns 
are  the  Shojo  Shin-in  ('Pure-hearted  Temple'),  the  adjacent  Henjo  Ko-in, 
and  the  (5  M.)  Kongd-buji.  Many  of  the  other  temples  have  a  small  num- 
ber of  rooms  which  they  hire  out  to  pilgrims.  Certain  of  the  monks  in  charge 
speak  a  little  clipped  English.  In  the  late  autumn  and  winter  the  halls  are 
woefully  chilly,  and  foot-covering  in  the  form  of  soft-soled  felt  slippers  is 
very  acceptable.  Kimonos  in  which  to  sleep  are  provided,  but  towels  and 
soap  should  be  taken  along.  Ask  if  the  house  contains  a  special  bath-tub 
made  after  foreign  designs.  As  one  is  usually  drenched  wth  perspiration  on 
reaching  the  summit,  a  change  of  underclothing  is  needful.  Unless  one  has 
an  extra  pair  of  walking-shoes  in  one's  kit  it  is  highly  advisable  not  to  turn 
wet  or  muddy  shoes  over  to  the  innkeeper  to  clean  or  dry,  as  they  are  apt 
to  be  ruined  (comp.  p.  lxxvii).  Unless  the  traveler's  guide  knows  the  settle- 
ment, time  can  be  saved  by  accepting  the  services  of  a  local  guide.  It  is 
customary  for  the  attendant  at  the  inn  to  call  in  some  shopkeeper  friend  who 
cheerfully  devotes  the  day  to  showing  the  stranger  the  sights,  free  of  charge, 
if  purchases  of  souvenirs  (two  or  three  yen's  worth  leaves  him  satisfied),  etc., 
be  made  at  his  shop.  Reputable  dealers  are  supposed  not  to  advance  the 
prices  for  the  occasion.  Many  attractive  little  mementoes  are  on  sale,  chief 
among  them  rosaries  (juzu)  in  various  designs.  Those  most  in  demand  by 
devout  pilgrims  are  made  of  the  berries  of  the  pippul  tree  (Ficus  religiosa; 
Jap.  bodaiju)  or  the  sacred  bo  tree  of  India,  under  which  Sakya-muni,  the 
founder  of  Buddhism  is  said  to  have  become  '  enlightened',  and  which  legend 
declares  was  produced  at  the  moment  of  his  birth.  The  beads  of  the  rosaries 
are  called  juzudama,  which  is  also  the  name  for  rosaries  made  of  Job's-tears, 
and  for  the  seeds  themselves.    'Telling  the  rosary  '  is  Juzu  wo  tsumaguru. 

The  rly.  line  from  Kyoto  to  Nara  is  described  at  p.  549. 
From  Nara  it  runs  southward  through  a  fair  country  dotted 
with  ruinous  temples,  delimned  by  wooded  hills,  and  devoted 


516    Rte.  28.      KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN  Kdyaguchi. 

to  the  cultivation  of  pears.  3  M..  Kdriyama,  and  7  M.  Hdryuji 
are  spoken  of  in  Rte.  34.  9  M.  Oji  is  the  junction  where  trains 
are  changed  for  Osaka  City.  Passengers  for  the  Kdya-san 
region  change  into  a  car  marked  Wakayama-shi.  The  environ- 
ing country  is  productive  and  the  climate  mild ;  vegetables  are 
often  transplanted  as  late  as  Dec.  and  come  to  fruition  before 
the  cold  and  snow  of  Feb.  13  M.  Shimoda.  From  16  M.  Takada 
a  branch  rly.  leads  to  (6  M.)  Sakurai.  We  pass  the  unimport- 
ant stations  of  Shinjo,  Gose,  Tsubosaka,  (24  M.)  Yoshinoguchi 
(starting-point  for  Yoshino),  Kitauchi,  Gojd,  and  Futami.  The 
line  threads  a  tunnel  and  enters  the  valley  of  the  Kiigawa. 
34  M.  Suda.  37  M.  Hashimoto  (the  station  where  the  train 
is  boarded  for  the  return  trip).  40  M.  Kdyaguchi  ('entrance 
to  Kdya').  From  this  point  the  rly.  continues  on  past  several 
unimportant  stations  to  64  M.  Wakayama. 

At  Koyaguchi  (Inns:  Shinonome-kwan;  Katsuragi-kwan; 
¥2-3  a  day)  the  highroad  goes  down  to  the  left  of  the  station, 
forms  the  main  street  of  the  village,  trends  round  to  the  right, 
and  leads  out  across  a  low  flat  region  to  the  wide,  sandy  bed 
of  the  strikingly  transparent  Kino-gawa  —  which  higher  up  is 
called  the  Yoshino-gawa.  When  the  bridge  is  washed  away, 
which  often  happens  at  flood  tide,  a  flat-bottomed  boat  carries 
travelers  across  (1  sen)  to  the  opposite  village  of  Kuzoyama,  a 
sort  of  shipping-point  for  the  timber  brought  down  on  several 
narrow  streams  from  the  near-by  mts.  —  Traversing  the  main 
street  then  turning  to  the  right  and  following  the  Kamo-gawa 
up  through  its  winding  gorge,  one  soon  comes  to  a  big  steel 
flume  (left)  where  power  i3  generated  and  transmitted  to 
Kishiwada.  Some  fine  old  cherry  trees  hang  over  the  river, 
and  when  they  flower  in  spring,  and  the  boatmen  pole  their 
rafts  beneath  them,  they  form  a  pretty  picture.  Groves  of  slim 
young  pines  clothe  some  of  the  hill-slopes,  while  others  show 
outcroppings  of  a  hard,  variegated  greenish  marble.  A  wood 
bridge  spans  the  river  near  the  top  of  the  gorge,  where  a  brawl- 
ing confluent  rushes  down  at  the  right;  crossing  this  one  follows 
the  well-kept  roadway  (maintained  by  a  tax  of  \  sen  levied  on 
every  one  who  crosses  the  bridge)  up  through  a  highly  pictur- 
esque section  where  the  sun-warmed  hillsides  are  dotted  with 
palmettoes,  cherries,  and  maples  (fine  autumn  tints),  and 
flecked  here  and  there  with  tiny  houses  charmingly  situated. 
The  twin  line  of  rails  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  are  for 
logging-cars.  The  lower  part  of  Shide  village  sprawls  on  both 
sides  of  the  gorge  and  the  river;  instead  of  crossing  the  bridge 
(right)  one  follows  (5  min.)  the  narrow,  winding  street  upward 
to  the  last  rest-house,  facing  it  on  the  left.  Kagos  are  in  wait- 
ing here  for  those  who  have  bespoken  them;  the  ascent  is  too 
steep  for  jinrikis.  Hence  to  the  Kdya-san  gate  is  100  of  the 
local  cho  [the  ri  in  this  region  contains  50  instead  of  36  cho,  and 
is  3 J  M.  long],  and  thence  to  the  inn  20  more,  making  a  total 
of  8  English  miles. 


KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN    28.  Rte.  517 


The  steepish  ascent  begins  over  a  well-trodden  road  beneath 
great  conifers  and  by  the  side  of  a  deep,  silent  gorge  choked 
with  Vegetation.  The  majestic  hinokis,  the  extraordinarily  tall 
columnarian  cryptomerias,  and  the  splendid  retinosporas 
(some  with  trunks  9  ft.  in  circumference),  rise  grandly  in  their 
search  for  blue  sky  and  free  air.  Farther  on  are  serrated  ranks 
of  beautiful  firs  (Abies  firma) ,  thick  groves  of  lissome  bamboos, 
paper  trees,  palmettoes,  persimmons,  cedars,  and  a  host  of 
other  trees  rising  amidst  giant  ferns  and  a  tangle  of  dew- 
drenched,  semi-tropical  vegetation.  Against  the  deep-green 
background  of  the  forest  the  yama-zakura  in  spring,  and  the 
maples  in  autumn,  glow  and  vie  in  color  with  the  lustrous 
green  leaves  and  the  rich  crimson  berries  of  the  nanten.  If  the 
traveler  happens  along  here  when  the  luxuriant  wild  wistaria 
climbs  to  the  topmost  branches  of  the  loftiest  trees  and  there 
flaunts  its  ravishing  beauty  wantonly  in  the  face  of  the  sun, 
he  will  witness  a  floral  display  which  time  will  not  obliterate 
from  his  mind.  Except  in  midsummer,  when  the  myriad  rest- 
less cicadas  call  to  their  responsive  kin,  a  strange  silence  broods 
above  the  dense  and  sometimes  gloomy  forest ;  the  only  sounds 
one  hears  are  the  occasional  ringing  strokes  of  a  woodman's  axe; 
the  tinkling  metal  rings  a-swing  from  some  pilgrim's  staff ;  the 
muffled  hoof-beats  of  a  pack-horse  picking  his  way  carefully 
down  the  sloping  trail;  the  hoarse  cawing  of  distant  rooks  or 
the  sonorous  chant  of  a  wandering  priest.  The  wood-pigeon, 
whose  booming,  melodious  note  one  loves  to  hear  in  the  Jap- 
anese forest,  seems  not  to  frequent  this  hallowed  precinct,  and 
there  is  a  noticeable  absence  of  birds  and  squirrels.  Wild  boars 
are  said  to  haunt  the  deep  fastnesses  of  the  region  hereabout, 
where  many  of  the  gorges  are  mere  blind  rifts  —  wedge-shaped 
slashes  in  the  hills  with  no  upper  outlets.  One  is  often  reminded 
of  the  beautiful  woodland  stretches  around  Karlsbad,  and 
others  in  the  Black  Forest;  the  latter  particularly  comes  to  the 
mind  when  one  emerges  from  the  woods  to  round  some  gigantic 
shoulder  where  the  older  trees  have  been  felled  and  saplings 
have  been  planted  (by  the  Forestry  Bureau)  to  replace  them. 
From  the  rest-houses  perched  like  eagles'  nests  on  terraces 
cut  from  the  mt.  sides,  one  enjoys  extensive  and  magnificent 
panoramas. 

About  1  hr.  out  from  Shide  the  stiff  ascent  terminates  in  a 
broad  road  which  winds  in  and  out  and  up  and  down  over  a 
relatively  level  stretch,  with  such  superb  views  (left)  that  one 
feels  as  if  one  were  walking  across  the  roof  of  the  world.  Far 
below,  looping  gracefully  to  lower  levels,  is  descried  a  primitive 
log-road  made  of  young  trees  held  in  place  by  wood  spikes. 
Heavily  laden  skids,  so  nicely  adjusted  that  the  friction  is  coun- 
terbalanced by  the  pull  of  gravity,  are  slowly  guided  down  it  by 
squads  of  lumbermen  —  for  the  region  hereabout  is  gov't  prop- 
erty and  the  cutting  down  and  replanting  of  trees  goes  stead- 


518   Rte.  28.      KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN  Kamiya. 


ily  on.  Many  of  the  pack-animals  one  meets  are  laden  with 
sawn  lumber  and  have  their  heads  held  low  by  a  taut  mar- 
tingale —  evidently  a  precaution  against  stumbling.  Squads 
of  straining  coolies  are  often  seen  coming  or  going  with  supplies 
for  the  high-perched  settlement.  As  the  road  ascends  one  gets 
beguiling  views  of  the  Yoshino-gawa  in  its  distant  bed. 

At  Kamiya  Village  (Inn:  Hana-ya;  1J  hrs.  from  Shide), 
where  the  sapling-road  merges  into  a  De  Cauville  system  which 
carries  it  up  to  Kdya  town,  the  road  bends  abruptly  to  the 
right  and  winds  through  the  long  single  street;  here  the  alter- 
nate way  to  (7 J  M.)  Hashimoto  (which  we  take  on  the  return), 
branches  off  at  the  left.  Koyaguchi  is  said  to  be  5|  M.  below 
this  point.  The  dark-brown  English  walnuts  (Juglans  regia; 
Jap.  Kurumi;  a  native  of  India  and  the  Caucasus)  which  are 
gathered  in  the  vicinity  and  sold  in  the  tiny  village  shops  are 
almost  as  good  as  their  foreign  prototypes.  The  grade  now 
slopes  downward  to  a  small  shrine  (Shisun-iwa,  or  '  four-inch 
rock')  with  a  big  black  slab  setting  forth  a  description  of  it. 
Here  the  roads  branch  and  form  an  ellipse;  the  path  along 
the  lower  angle  was  used  before  the  upper  one  was  built,  and 
the  huge  footprint  (a  sort  of  worn  place)  in  the  rock  at  the  foot 
of  the  wooden  shrine  is  said  to  have  been  made  by  Kobo- 
Daisha's  feet  on  his  many  trips  up  and  down  the  mt.  It  is  one 
of  the  sanctified  places  and  is  greatly  reverenced  by  the  credu- 
lous. A  noisy  stream  rushes  down  the  gorge  at  the  right. 
Higher  up  it  is  spanned  by  the  locally  celebrated  Gokuraku- 
bashi,  or  '  Bridge  of  the  Buddhist  Paradise'  (25  ft.  long,  8  ft. 
wide,  with  10  bronze  giboshu).  Several  rest-houses  stand  on 
the  opposite  bank,  which  is  a  2  hrs.  walk  from  Shide.  Anciently, 
when  the  monks  of  Koya-san  were  more  militant  and  powerful 
than  they  now  are,  the  district  beyond  this  bridge  lay  within 
the  safety-zone  surrounding  the  free  town  of  Kdya;  once 
beyond  the  bridge  criminals  or  political  offenders  were  out- 
side the  reach  of  the  law,  and  to  it  many  of  them  hastened  as 
did  the  early  Spaniards  who  sought  a  safe  asylum  in  Spanish 
cathedrals.  The  stone  image  of  Jizo  which  sits  hard  by  gives  the 
name,  Jizo-zaka,  to  the  execrable  stretch  of  road  which  zigzags 
upward  just  beyond. 

It  is  also  called  Iroha-Shiju-ha-zaka,  or  the  'Road  of  the  Forty-eight 
Zigzags'  (notwithstanding  there  are  but  33  winding  stretches),  measuring 
8  cho  in  all.  The  Iroha  (a  contraction  of  Iroha-uta) ,  or  I-ro-ha,  the  first  three 
of  the  47  syllabic  sounds  which  form  the  elements  of  the  Kana  alphabet, 
and  which  correspond  to  the  A  B  C  of  the  English  alphabet,  was  invented 
(comp.  p.  cxxvi)  by  Kobo-Daishi,  —  wherefore  its  particular  application 
here. 

A  fatiguing  climb  of  25  min.  lands  one  on  the  crest  of  the 
stiff  and  rocky  incline  and  at  a  neglected  shrine  (dedicated  to 
Fudo)  with  a  red-headed,  fiery  image  of  this  divinity  ascribed  to 
Kukai.  Hence  onward  the  road  slopes  gently  upward  beneath 
giant  trees  dripping  with  moisture,  over  corduroy  bridges  that 


Guiding  Office.      KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN    28.  Rte.  519 


span  ravines,  or  great  tree-roots  that  simulate  steps.  The  hills 
show  the  scars  of  many  landslides,  and  not  a  few  of  the  huge 
trees  have  been  riven  by  lightning.  The  last  bit  of  climbing 
is  over  an  atrocious  road  (ankle-deep  in  yellow  mud  during  the 
rainy  season),  then  a  smooth  stretch  flanked  by  some  amaz- 
ingly tall  and  graceful  cryptomerias.  Ten  min.  of  swift  striding 
along  this  brings  one  to  a  plain  black  gate,  the  Fudo-zaka- 
guchi,  or 'back  entrance'  to  the  temple  inclosure.  From  this 
point  it  is  4  hrs.  walk  from  Kdyaguchi,  3  from  Shide,  1|  from 
Kamiya,  and  1  from  Gokuraku-bashi.  The  timerstained  shrine 
(left)  just  inside  the  gate  is  the  Nyonin-dd,  beyond  which, 
prior  to  1873,  women  were  not  allowed  to  go;  those  who 
reached  this  point  had  to  say  their  prayers  here  and  return. 
The  big  bronze  image  of  Jizo  (right)  dates  from  1745;  the 
upstanding  bronze  figure  of  Kwannon  (amid  the  trees  at  the 
left)  was  erected  in  1852.  The  building  at  the  turn  of  the  road 
ahead  is  the  Annai-sho,  or  'Guiding  Office. 1 

In  the  golden  age  of  Koya-san  every  Japanese  province  where  the  Shingon 
doctrines  were  taught  was  represented  here  by  one  or  more  temples,  and  the 
people  from  any  given  province,  on  repairing  hither,  lodged  in,  or  worshiped 
at,  the  corresponding  fane.  Albeit  many  of  the  older  structures  have  per- 
ished, the  custom  still  exists,  and  every  visitor  is  asked  by  the  priestly  officer 
of  the  Annai-sho  whence  he  came  and  to  which  temple  he  wishes  to  go.  If 
the  stranger  at  the  gate  be  a  foreigner,  and  comes,  perchance,  from  Kyoto, 
with  no  definite  idea  as  to  where  he  will  lodge,  in  all  likelihood  he  will  be  di- 
rected to  the  Shojo  Shin-in,  the  abbot  of  which  is  also  the  abbot  of  the  Tdji 
at  Kyoto.  An  acolyte  (small  fee  acceptable)  with  a  lantern  leads  the  way, 
and  a  25  min.  walk  through  the  serpentine  streets  brings  one  to  the  gate. 

Two  large  and  strikingly  handsome  bronze  lanterns  and  a 
splendid  bronze  fountain  mark  the  entrance  to  the  Shojo 
Shin-in,  which  stands  at  the  left  side  of  the  road,  flanking  a 
high  hill  on  which  anciently  a  score  or  more  temples  stood,  but 
which  now  is  spread  over  with  a  landscape  garden.  Its  situa- 
tion is  convenient  for  strangers,  in  that  the  town  and  its  tem- 
ples are  on  one  side,  and  the  great  cemetery  on  the  other. 
Before  retiring  the  traveler  should  express  his  wish  to  partici- 
pate in  the  impressive  matinal  service  held  in  one  of  the 
temple  halls.  At  5  a.m.  (yet  2  full  hrs.  before  daylight  in 
winter)  an  acolyte  awakens  him  and  conducts  him  along  some 
very  cold  and  draughty  passages  (an  overcoat  slipped  over 
the  sleeping-A^raono  is  useful)  to  the  Ehai-do  (Ancestral 
Tablet  Hall)  wherein  are  ranged  hundreds  of  mortuary  tablets 
of  Japan's  honored  dead , —  emperors,  shoguns,  daimyds, 
samurai,  governors,  abbots,  and  so  on.  Lighted  tapers  stand 
before  many  of  the  enshrined  tablets  and  cast  a  weird,  flicker- 
ing light  over  the  darksome  room.  At  the  center,  before  a  low 
altar  loaded  with  incense-burners  and  bronze  fitments,  and 
illuminated  by  tapers  set  in  massive  metal  candlesticks,  sits  an 
old  abbot,  shaven-pated,  wrinkled,  and  thoughtful.  His  wide 
chasuble  floats  out  behind  him,  while  spread  to  the  right  and 
left,  like  tenuous  wings,  are  lines  of  somber-gowned  acolytes, 


520   Rte.  28.      KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN     The  Temples. 


sitting  on  their  feet  and  intoning  the  sonorous  cadences  of 
the  sacred  chant.  From  time  to  time  the  abbot  spreads  his 
nervous  aesthetic  fingers  and  goes  through  the  pantomimic 
■  motions  of  the  Buddhist  ritual ;  anon  ringing  sweet-toned  bells, 
striking  a  tinkling  cymbal,  joining  in  the  melodious  rhythm  of 
sound,  and  impressing  the  beholder  by  his  mysticism.  As  the 
stranger  from  some  distant  land  kneels  in  the  crepuscular  light 
of  this  vast  incense-filled  room  in  one  of  the  most  sacred 
temples  of  the  holiest  of  holy  places  in  Japan,  and,  under  the 
mesmeric  spell  pf  his  surroundings,  hearkens  to  the  impassioned 
invocations  to  the  inscrutable  Buddha,  he  involuntarily  likens 
it  to  some  mysterious  central  station  or  power-house  where 
electrical  or  religious  sympathy  is  generated  and  flashed  in  a 
potent  current  to  a  myriad  of  devotees  scattered  throughout 
the  Empire  sleeping  in  the  stygian  darkness  of  the  plains 
far  below! 

After  the  (1  hr.)  service  an  acolyte  takes  a  lamp  and  con- 
ducts the  visitor  to  an  adjoining  room  where  a  tablet  of  one  of 
the  ancestors  of  the  great  Mitsui  family  is  enshrined.  Thence 
to  another  with  an  altar  containing  a  superb  national  treasure 
in  the  shape  of  a  beautifully  sculptured  wood  image  of  Amida, 
now  blackened  by  time,  but  carved  by  the  masterly  hand  of 
Unkei —  who  likewise  carved  the  Shi-tenno  flanking  it.  The 
ferocious-looking  Fudd  in  the  next  room  is  unjustifiably 
ascribed  to  Kobo-Daishi;  before  the  image  are  the  fagots  and 
a  fire-pot  to  burn  the  demons  which  Fudd  extracts  from  human 
hearts,  and  the  cords  with  which  he  first  binds  them.  Special 
visitors  are  conducted  hence  to  the  abbot's  apartments  (which 
overlook  a  pretty  landscape  garden),  thence  to  the  0  hiroma, 
a  suite  with  numerous  kakemonos  and  jusuma  decorated  by 
Kano  Tsunenobu.  Conspicuous  among  these  is  a  colossal  pine 
tree  whose  great  branches  extend  over  several  of  the  panels. 
Equally  noteworthy  are  two  big  folding  screens  (by  the 
eccentric  Domo  no  Matabei)  completely  covered  with  palaces 
and  houses  and  processions  and  figures,  all  representative  of 
one  of  the  early  Nara  epochs.  The  wide  kakemono  in  the 
tokonoma  is  ascribed  to  Kano  Motonobu.  In  other  apartments 
are  pictures  of  Ainu. 

Of  the  Koya-san  Temples  the  Kong o-buji  and  its  immediate 
dependencies  are  the  most  worth  seeing.  This  old  monastery 
and  inn  combined,  a  long,  low,  wtather-beaten  but  still  hand- 
some structure,  with  gracefully  curved  roofs  and  some  once 
splendid  wood-carvings  of  tigers,  phcenixes,  and  what-not 
(ascribed  to  a  pupil  of  Hidari  Jingoro)  in  the  pierced  panels 
of  the  main  porch,  is  the  residue  of  the  most  ancient  temple  on 
the  mt.  It  was  established  by  Kobo-Daishi  in  the  9th  cent, 
on  land  given  him  for  the  purpose  by  the  Mikado.  According 
to  tradition  Kariba  Myojin,  the  Shinto  god  of  the  Yamato  Mts., 
welcomed  Kukai  on  his  arrival,  and  promised  protection  for 


The  Temples.      KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN     28.  Rte.  521 


the  enterprise.  This  deity,  being  fond  of  the  chase,  had  a 
special  liking  for  dogs,  from  which  circumstance  these  animals 
were  the  only  ones  ever  permitted  within  the  sacred  pre- 
cincts of  the  settlement.  For  many  years  the  monastery 
enjoyed  the  Imperial  patronage.  In  1595  the  unnatural 
Taiko  Hideyoshi  exiled  hither  his  adopted  son  Hidetsuga  and 
invited  him  to  perform  harakiri  —  which  he  did  in  one  of  the 
rooms  of  the  original  edifice  (see  below).  In  time  the  Kongb- 
buji  became  the  wealthiest  and  most  powerful  temple  in 
Japan,  but  the  great  fire  of  1843  destroyed  it  and  left  only  the 
main  gate  —  which  dates  from  the  16th  cent.  The  present 
structure,  the  headquarters  of  the  Shingon  sect  in  Japan,  is 
interesting  from  an  architectural  standpoint,  although  its 
charm  is  somewhat  marred  by  the  row  of  water-barrels  in 
frames,  which  straddle  the  ridge-pole  and  constitute  a  seg- 
ment of  the  fire  department.  The  penthouse  roof  of  the  porch 
is  quaint.  Arborists  will  be  interested  in  the  tall  Koya-maki 
trees  in  the  park-like  front  yard  —  evergreens  which  the  more 
vigorous  hinoki  and  cryptomerias  seem  to  crowd  out  of  their 
native  habitat. 

The  visitor  is  ushered  first  into  a  big  hall  where  there  are  a 
dozen  or  more  handsome  one-piece  cedar  doors  decorated 
with  hawks  and  pine  trees  by  Kano  Tansen  (18th  cent.). 
Adjoining  it  (left)  is  the  0  hiroma,  a  spacious  suite  with  num- 
erous sliding  fusuma  covered  with  pine  trees,  bamboos,  and 
life-size  cranes  on  an  old-gold  ground  —  the  work  (perhaps)  of 
Ko-Hogen  Motonobu.  The  shrine  in  this  room  is  dedicated  to 
Kobo-Daishi,  and  the  little  room  at  the  left  is  crowded  with 
ancestral  tablets  of  members  of  the  Imperial  family.  In  the 
Plum  Room  are  some  attractive  movable  screens  with  birds 
and  blossoming  plum  trees  by  Kano  Tanyu.  The  Willow  Room 
(yanagi-no-ma) ,  the  decorations  in  which  are  ascribed  to 
Tansen,  stands  on  the  site  of  the  apartment  where  the  unfor- 
tunate Hidetsuga  disemboweled  himself  (see  above)  to  satisfy 
the  caprice  of  Hideyoshi  —  whose  wife  had  given  birth  to  a 
boy  that  succeeded  Hidetsuga  as  the  heir.  The  gold-splashed 
fusuma  with  flying  cranes  are  new.  The  curious  bronze  monu- 
ment in  the  next  room,  depicting  the  dying  Buddha  surrounded 
by  his  mourning  friends,  was  a  gift  from  the  Tokugawa  shogun, 
Ietsuna,  and  is  a  companion  piece  to  the  one  at  the  Miyoshin-ji, 
at  Kyoto.  The  recess  of  the  jodan  in  the  adjacent  apartment 
has  its  entire  back  wall  covered  by  a  noteworthy  old  Chinese 
painting  by  an  unknown  artist;  the  striking  kakemono  here 
pictures  the  immortal  Kobo-Daishi.  Special  services  are  held 
here  by  the  abbot,  whose  seat  is  seen  at  the  edge  of  the  dais. 
Unkoku  Toseki,  one  of  the  masters  of  the  Sesshu  school, 
painted  the  Chinese  scenes  in  sepia  on  the  partitions  of  the 
next  room.  One  of  the  suite  is  called  the  Irori-no-ma  ('  hearth 
room')  from  the  queer  heating  chamber,  around  which  the 


522   me.  28.      KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN 


Miei-dd. 


monks  sit  and  repeat  the  sutras  in  cold  weather.  The  striking 
kakemono  of  Yakushi-Nyorai  in  a  red  robe  backed  by  a  dark 
ground  is  by  an  unknown  painter.  The  big  kitchen  (daidokoro) , 
where  the  simple  food  of  the  monks  and  visiting  pilgrims  is 
prepared,  is  worth  looking  into.  —  The  structure  hard  by  the 
Kongd-buji  is  the  Theological  Seminary  (gakurin)  where  the 
various  tenets  of  Buddhism  are  taught.  Passing  up  a  short 
avenue  flanked  by  Koya-maki  trees  one  soon  reaches 

The  Miei-do  (' Ancestral  Hall'),  a  low,  square,  single- 
storied  building  with  a  thatched  roof  surmounted  by  a  hoshu- 
no-tama.  The  interior  is  restricted  by  a  shrine  within  a  wall 
whose  ten  square  outer  panels  carry  each  a  portrait  of  one  of 
Kukai's  disciples.  The  much  venerated  picture  within  the 
shrine  is  of  the  great  apostle  himself.  One  of  the  most  precious 
of  the  temple  treasures,  perhaps  authentic  but  of  little  worth 
to  foreigners,  is  a  small  terra-cotta  figure  of  Buddha  said  to 
have  been  modeled  by  Kobo-Daishi  (1100  yrs.  ago)  when  7  yrs. 
old.  Of  equal  merit  is  a  brown-lacquered  box  with  the  almost 
obliterated  outline  of  a  lion  on  the  top,  containing  a  plaited 
straw  sandal  said  to  have  been  given  to  him  by  the  Emperor 
Saga  —  but  whose  authenticity  requires  verification.  A  genu- 
ine curio  is  a  tarred  calabash,  made  of  several  sheets  of  beaten 
and  compressed  paper  covered  with  a  thin  layer  of  exfoliated 
lacquer  decorated  dimly  with  gold  butterflies,  within  which 
is  a  chaplet  given  to  the  great  Buddhist  teacher  by  the  Em- 
peror of  China  who  reigned  during  the  early  years  of  the  9th 
cent.  It  is  considered  so  precious  that  it  is  stored,  along  with 
the  two  aforementioned  articles,  in  a  special  godown,  with 
very  thick,  fireproof  walls,  and  is  taken  out  only  on  the  rarest 
occasions.  Of  greater  interest  to  the  traveler  is  the  superb 
mandara  about  10  by  10  ft.  sq.,  called  Nehan-zd,  or  'Buddha 
Entering  Nirvana,'  an  admirably  executed  work  regarded  by 
Japanese  critics  as  one  of  the  greatest  masterpieces  extant  in 
Japan,  and  on  a  par  with  some  of  Raphael  Sanzio's  best  work. 

-  The  fact  that  this  magnificent  picture  was  painted  by  an  obscure  Japanese 
bonze  who  was  born  (in  942;  d.  1017)  541  yrs.  before  the  great  Italian  saw  the 
light  at  Urbino,  is  significant  of  the  latent  possibilities  of  this  singular  people. 
Eshin  Sdzu  (Sozu  means  an  exalted  dignitary  in  the  Buddhist  heirarchy), 
whose  real  name  was  Urabe  Genshin,  who  entered  the  Hiei-zan  Monastery 
at  an  early  age,  studied  under  Jie-Daishi,  became  a  scholar,  painter,  and 
sculptor;  who  built  the  E shin-in  temple  at  Yokawa  and  prepared  the  foun- 
dation of  the  Jodo  sect,  is  believed  to  have  achieved  this  marvel  of  technical 
skill  about  the  year  1000.  The  original  canvas  was  three  times  its  present 
size,  the  two  remaining  segments  having  perished  or  disappeared.  Because 
of  this  certain  critics  deny  its  authenticity,  and  ascribe  it  to  some  clever 
copyist  of  the  Otoku  era  (1084-87).  The  subject  (often  referred  to  as  'The 
Heavenly  Band')  is  a  favorite  one  with  Indian,  Chinese,  and  Japanese 
painters;  Shaka  is  portrayed  returning  to  heaven  after  his  brief  sojourn  on 
earth,  and  the  manifest  joy  of  the  celestial  host  contrasts  admirably  with  the 
tragic  and  hopeless  grief  depicted  on  the  faces  of  his  earthly  followers.  The 
drawing  is  done  with  great  character  and  dignity,  and  the  beautiful  dark- 
green  silk  background  makes  a  superb  foil  for  the  scores  of  figures,  flowers, 
clouds,  temples,  and  what-not  skillfully  displayed  on  its  surface.  The  phe- 


Miei-do.  KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN     28.  Rte.  523 


nomenal  mastery  of  detail,  the  perfect  skill  with  which  the  dark  sfumato 
shadows  have  been  painted  on  a  ground  glowing  with  soft,  ethereal  light; 
the  spiritual  conception  of  the  whole,  and  the  wonderful  harmony  of  color 
recall  some  of  the  work  of  Murillo  done  in  his  best  manner.  It  is  extraordin- 
arily well  preserved,  and  in  point  of  color  and  freshness  is  superior  to  most  of 
the  Japanese  paintings  of  all  classes  distributed  throughout  the  Empire. 

The  fine  kakemono  showing  Shaka  enthroned  on  a  lotus  medi- 
tating in  the  midst  of  the  eight  bosatsu  is  peculiarly  attractive, 
and  is  by  Cho  Shikyo.  The  placid  expression  of  the  great 
teacher  as  he  sits  with  bared  breast  and  hands  held  down  is 
unusually  pleasing;  the  tones  throughout  are  low  and  har- 
monious, in  fine  contrast  to  the  splendid  red  robe  patterned 
with  gold  disks.  Hard  by  is  a  sadly  defaced  but  striking  pic- 
ture of  the  Rain  God  a  faint  but  commanding  figure  perhaps 
a  thousand  yrs.  old,  with  the  tip  of  a  dragon's  tail  showing  at 
the  bottom  of  the  canvas.  The  bizarre,  light-toned  kakemono 
of  Dainichi-Nyorai,  though  apparently  modern,  is  extremely 
old  and  strangely  preserved.  There  is  a  mysterious  something 
about  the  picture  that  impresses  one  queerly;  the  serenely 
beautiful,  radiantly  calm  face,  with  downcast,  womanly  eyes, 
and  pinkish,  bow-shaped  lips,  has  a  subtle  madonna  quality 
that  reminds  one  of  the  exquisitely  dainty  Andalusian  santas 
of  Murillo.  The  comparison  is  heightened  by  the  fine  flesh 
tints,  the  low-toned  reds  and  blues,  and  the  faint  and  harmo- 
niously transparent  shades  that  can  only  be  produced  by  light- 
proof  pigments.  The  charm  of  the  winsome  face  and  the 
purity  of  the  general  effect  haunts  one.  Numerous  tiny 
Buddhas  with  delicate  little  faces  adorn  the  gold  diadem,  and 
around  the  twin  circles  drawn  in  outline  on  the  background 
flame  thin  lines  of  divine  fire  such  as  one  sometimes  sees 
enveloping  the  relentless  Fudo.  The  silken  strips  which  form 
the  body  of  the  kakemono  are  narrower  than  modern  stuffs  and 
are  of  a  kind  popular  about  a  thousand  yrs.  ago.  The  painter's 
name  is  unknown,  but  the  work  bears  a  strong  resemblance 
to  certain  of  Mokkei's  best  productions.  The  old  kakemono 
(ascribed  to  Kobo-Daishi),  portraying  Kariba  Myojin  and  his 
mother,  are  ranked  as  masterpieces  and  belong  to  the  National 
Treasury.  A  mandara  of  noteworthy  excellence  and  amazing 
technique,  about  5  by  15  ft.,  of  Korean  origin,  painter  un- 
known, with  a  host  of  figures  in  low-toned  greens  and  reds 
and  gold,  represents  Shaka  and  his  disciples,  and  is  painted  on 
a  thin  coarse  cloth  bordered  with  green  strips  from  the  cos- 
tumes of  a  group  of  dancers  who  once  entertained  Hideyoshi 
and  Ieyasu  here.  It  is  an  admirable  production,  comparable 
to  certain  of  the  finest  work  of  native  artists,  and  surpassing 
many  of  them  in  execution  and  impressiveness.  Another,  6  by 
8  ft.,  boldly  wrought  in  dark  brown,  shows  Shaka- Nyorai  as  a 
finely  modeled,  bearded  man  with  ear-rings  —  a  commanding 
and  masterly  production  by  Toyeki. 

Spread  out  on  a  beautifully  lacquered  table  for  the  better 


524   Rte.  28.     KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN      Golden  Hall 


inspection  of  special  visitors  are  various  national  treasures  of 
bronze,  lacquer,  etc.;  the  goko,  sanko,  kuko,  and  toko  (p.  ccxii), 
and  the  bronze  hand-bells  (called  goko-rei,  sanko-rei,  etc.)  show- 
ing these  symbols  on  their  handles,  were  brought  from  China 
by  Kobo-Daishi.  The  little  lacquered  shrine,  now  falling  to 
decay,  is  interesting  chiefly  for  its  great  age  and  for  the  fact 
that  it  was  perhaps  made  anterior  to  the  Fujiwara  epoch.  The 
rosaries  were  given  to  Kukai  by  an  early  Chinese  emperor. 
The  extraordinarily  fine  sq.  wood  blocks  (about  6  by  8  in.  and 
called  tsumehori  no  mandara),  shown  as  specimens  of  Kukai1  s 
amazing  ability  as  a  sculptor  in  wood,  should  not  be  overlooked. 
The  myriad  hair-lines  are  almost  incredibly  minute,  and  sug- 
gest marvelous  patience  and  skill.  —  Not  the  least  interesting 
of  the  temple  treasures  are  4000  scrolls  of  the  Buddhist  scrip- 
tures, the  residue  of  the  5000  said  to  have  been  presented  by 
the  Fujiwara  shogun,  Hidehira,  in  1150;  some  have  cut  crystal 
tips,  while  others  are  silver  or  chased  gold.  All  are  beautifully 
inscribed  on  blue  paper,  one  ideographic  line  being  in  gold  and 
the  alternate  one  in  silver.  Ecclesiologists  will  be  interested 
in  the  28  special  rolls  (presented  in  1590  by  Toyotomi  Hide- 
yoshi)  written  in  gold  on  blue  parchment-like  paper,  with 
elaborately  chased  silver  tips  and  clasps.  To  those  who  are 
interested  the  priest  will  show  some  old  flat  Chinese  folding 
books  of  similar  character,  written  in  silver;  and  some  others 
(very  precious)  written  in  black  in  one  of  the  earliest  forms  of 
ideographic  style.  Some  of  the  modern  Korean  scrolls  are 
illuminated,  and  lovely  gold  tracery  illustrates  certain  of  the 
texts.  —  Just  across  the  road  from  the  Miei-do  is  the  bar- 
barically  splendid 

Kon-do,  or  Golden  Hall,  an  aptly  named,  massive,  two- 
storied,  square,  tile-roofed  edifice  dating  from  1852  and  occu- 
pying the  site  of  an  older  structure  burned  a  decade  earlier. 
Its  beautiful  situation  backed  by  green  and  lofty  trees,  and 
the  breadth  and  depth  of  the  bold  wood-sculptures  on  the 
weather-beaten  exterior,  make  a  stronger  appeal  than  the  pro- 
fusely decorated  interior,  which  blazes  with  gold  and  color  and 
is  a  bit  too  gaudy  to  be  in  good  taste.  The  custodian  (whose 
office  is  in  the  squat  building  down  at  the  left)  sometimes  lets 
the  visitor  in  through  the  rear  door  (diagonally  opposite  the 
Miei-do).  The  first  things  one  sees  on  the  inside  here  are  the 
great  doors  swung  on  huge  pivots  let  into  soffits  above  and 
below,  serving  as  rear  exits  (in  case  of  fire)  for  the  splendid 
Yakushi-  Nyorai  on  the  main  altar.  They  are  made  of  single, 
massive,  lacquered  and  brass-trimmed  keyaki  slabs,  and  are 
4  ft.  wide  and  18  ft.  long.  Extending  round  to  the  right  and 
left  are  some  striking  painted  panels  of  the  Sixteen  Rakan, 
strong  in  composition  and  with  extraordinarily  expressive 
faces.  The  temple  is  constructed  on  the  plan  of  three  nested 
squares,  one  within  the  other,  the  brilliancy  and  decoration 


Kon-do. 


KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN     28.  Rte.  525 


increasing  as  one  penetrates  to  the  center,  where  the  main 
shrine  stands  like  a  jewel  in  a  triple  reliquary.  The  keyaki 
pillars  (from  Shinano  Province)  lacquered  a  rich  Indian  red, 
then  completely  covered  with  heavy  gold  foil,  are  superb. 
Between  the  outer  pillars  are  slatted,  black-lacquered  doors 
that  impart  a  wholesome  sobering  effect;  above  them  are  17 
carved  and  gilded  panels  of  flying  tennin  admirably  executed 
in  high  relief  by  Nakagawa,  a  modern  artist.  Above  is  a 
wealth  of  arabesques,  gilded  tie-  and  cross-beams,  and  a  con- 
fusing maze  of  diaper-work  in  noisy  colors.  The  central  panel 
with  its  twin  angels  of  the  Buddhist  Paradise  is  a  good  illus- 
tration of  the  skill  displayed  by  present-day  sculptors  in  the 
subtle  art  of  carving  in  wood  —  as  are  likewise  the  small  but 
artistically  chiseled  and  colored  groups  of  birds  on  the  super- 
imposed beams.  The  tiny  sunken  panels  of  the  coffered  ceiling 
each  carry  different  flower-designs. 

The  outer  hall,  or  gejin,  admits  one  to  the  interior,  or  naijin, 
where  the  most  conspicuous  thing  is  the  wide  lacquered  base 
supporting  a  gold-lacquered  reliquary  containing  a  seated 
image  of  Yakushi-  Nyorai,  unwarrantably  ascribed  to  Kobo- 
Daishi.  The  seated  figures  at  the  right  are  Kongo-bosatsu, 
Fugen,  and  Fudd;  and  at  the  left  Kongo  Satta,  Kokuzo- 
bosatsu,  and  Gozanze  My  d-d.  The  mandara  against  the  left 
wall  depicts  Kariba  Myojin  and  his  mother,  with  Kezai 
Myojin  and  Bezaiten  below.  The  figure  on  the  kakemono  at 
the  right,  in  a  realistic  seated  posture,  with  his  Chinese  shoes 
beneath  his  chair,  is  the  omnipresent  Mr.  Daishi,  when  he  was 
42  yrs.  old.  The  ceiling  of  the  naijin  is  a  duplicate  of  that  of 
the  gejin  except  that  the  complex  portion  above  the  shrine 
carries  dragons  and  mythological  phoenixes  painted  in  restless 
colors.  Before  the  great  altar,  on  the  highly  polished  black- 
lacquered  floor,  are  many  temple  fitments  —  a  veritable 
jumble  of  native  brass  burnished  to  a  fine  luster.  Four  of  the 
great  gold-covered  upright  pillars  are  decorated  with  scowling 
Gods  of  the  Four  Directions,  with  bases  and  capitals  enriched 
with  polychromatic  decorations  made  to  imitate  draperies. 
The  mural  decorations  are  noteworthy;  the  largest  wall- 
panels  are  20  by  25  ft.,  painted  to  represent  the  two  halves  of 
the  Buddhist  universe  and  portraying  a  host  of  figurines 
executed  with  no  «iean  skill. 

Certain  of  the  tawdry,  decaying  structures  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  Kon-do  are  used  as  storehouses  and  are  crammed  with 
small  and  large  gilt  images  rescued  from  the  many  fires  which 
have  destroyed  the  older  temples;  one  of  them  (left)  is  upward 
of  700  yrs.  old  and  in  consequence  ranks  as  one  of  the  most 
ancient  edifices  in  the  settlement.  It  is  gov't  property,  is 
included  in  the  list  of  national  treasures,  and  is  very  carefully 
preserved  from  fire.  The  statue  of  Fudd  which  one  may  see 
through  the  cracks  in  the  door  is  erroneously  attributed  to 


526    Rte.  28.     KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN         Great  Gate. 


Unkei.  In  the  Daiye-do,  across  the  road,  is  a  group  of  huge 
gilded  figures  of  Amida  and  his  suite.  The  small  building 
called  Juntei-do,  just  beyond  the  Miei-do,  contains  a  Kwannon 
said  to  have  been  chiseled  by  Kukai.  Next  to  it  is  an  old  shed 
that  houses  5  huge  and  excellently  preserved  images  of  the 
God  of  Wisdom  (which  occupied  better  quarters  before  the 
old  pagoda  was  burned  in  1888).  On  the  slightly  elevated  ter- 
race at  the  left  stands  the  quaintly  constructed  Saito,  or 
Western  Pagoda,  also  crowded  with  small  statues.  The  greatly 
revered  Shinto  shrines  across  the  way  are  dedicated  to  Kariba 
Myojin  and  his  consort.  —  The  curious  sexagonal  Revolving 
Library  (kyozo)  is  two-storied  and  is  put  together  like  a  prim- 
itive log  cabin. 

The  broad  road  leading  up  at  the  right  goes  to  the  (i  M.) 
Great  Gate  (dai-mon),  which  dates  from  the  Genroku  era 
(1688-1704).  Before  the  rly.  reached  Kdyaguchi  it  was  the 
chief  entrance  to  the  sacred  inclosure.  It  stands  at  the  W.  side 
of  this,  and  is  an  immensely  sturdy  old  structure  with  a  heavy 
superimposed  roof  covered  with  tiles.  Two  huge,  badly 
splintered  Nio  guard  it  from  their  respective  loggias,  and 
glare  out  fiercely  at  whosoever  approaches  from  this  angle. 
From  its  commanding  position  on  a  broad  terrace  which 
slopes  abruptly  to  the  deep  valley  just  below,  one  enjoys  a 
marvelous  view  of  forest-belted  mts.  and  distant  vales.  The 
one-time  popular  (but  now  unattractive)  road  which  leads 
(right)  to  (12  ri —  30  M.)  Wakayama,  is  but  little  used,  and 
after  the  spring  rains  is  apt  to  be  in  bad  repair.  The  seated 
bronze  figure  just  inside  the  entrance  (left)  is  Miroku-bosatsu. 
The  Shojo  Shin-in  is  a  25  min.  walk  from  here,  and  on  the 
return  one  sees  straight  ahead,  3 J  M.  distant,  the  bare,  pointed 
cone  of  Jin-gamine,  from  whose  summit  one  may  look  out 
across  thirty  provinces. 

The  Karukaya-do,  a  small  shrine  on  the  main  road  to  the 
inn,  is  popular  with  pilgrims  because  of  the  story  associated 
with  it.  The  framed  picture  protected  by  a  wire  screen  near 
the  entrance,  portraying  two  women  in  low  relief  with  real 
hair  and  clothes,  playing  go-ban;  their  heads  nearly  touch- 
ing, their  hair  merging  above  in  entwined  serpents  which  glare 
venomously  at  one  another,  explains  the  theme.  They  were 
the  wives  of  Kurakaya-doshin  and  they  lived  together  amicably 
until  the  fire  of  jealousy  flamed  out.  Kurakaya  watched  them 
one  day  as  they  played  the  national  game,  and  his  fancy  pic- 
tured the  serpents  and  the  smothered  conflict  in  their  hearts. 
Straightway  he  renounced  them  and  the  world,  retired  to 
Kdya-san,  shaved  his  head,  founded  the  temple,  and  became 
a  monkish  recluse.  Later,  when  his  beloved  son  followed  and 
begged  him  to  return,  he  dramatically  denied  any  knowledge 
of  him!  This  tragic  episode  —  which  appeals  strongly  to 
Japanese  emotions,  and  which  has  been  dramatized  and  retold 


The  Cemetery.     KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN     28.  Rte.  527 


time  and  again  in  song  and  story  —  is  pictured  here;  the  rigid 
but  heart-broken  father,  and  the  dazed  and  weeping  son. 
Portraits  of  Karukaya  hang  within  the  temple.  The  moral 
of  the  story  is  addressed  to  the  polygamously  inclined. 

The  Eko-in,  5  min.  from  the  Shojo  Shin-in,  is  now  shorn 
of  its  whilom  splendor.  The  pictures  for  which  it  was  once 
celebrated  have  been  transferred  to  museums  and  private 
collections,  and  all  that  remains  —  some  tiger  screens  by 
Kand  Tanyu,  and  a  carved  wood  Kwannon  of  the  Fujiwara 
period  —  are  not  worth  going  to  see. 

The  Kongo  Sammai-in,  15  min.  walk,  is  very  old  and  is 
one  of  the  few  temples  that  has  not  suffered  from  the  fires 
which  have  scourged  the  settlement.  Chief  among  its  interior 
adornments  is  a  screen  by  Oguri  Sotan  (1398-1464)  showing 
some  large  trees,  flowers,  and  birds  on  a  faded  gold  back- 
ground, and  some  white  cranes  feeding  among  brown  reeds  — 
all  more  noteworthy  for  rich  coloring  than  for  conception.  A 
series  of  paintings  show  Kobo-Daishi  and  his  traditional  Chi- 
nese companions  (a  favorite  theme  of  native  painters).  What 
is  perhaps  a  genuine  bit  of  old  Chinese  lacquer  is  preserved 
in  the  shape  of  a  gong-stand  with  uprights  decorated  in  gold 
hummocks  flecked  with  tiny  trees,  amidst  which  gallop  awk- 
ward horsemen  (typically  Chinese)  shooting  with  bows  and 
arrows,  or  hurling  javelins  at  birds.  Of  greater  historical 
interest  is  the  archaic  twin-storied  pagoda  known  as  the 
Tahd-td,  built  by  the  order  of  Masako,  mother  of  the  3d 
Minamoto  shogun,  Sanetomo,  during  the  Kamakura  epoch 
(1192-1219).  The  inner  shrine  of  this  wonderful  old  relic, 
that  has  slept  here  in  the  ancient  peace  of  great  trees  for  nearly 
a  millennium,  contains  some  good  sculptured  figures  (by  Un- 
kei)  of  Shaka,  Dainichi-Nyorai,  Amida,  and  other  divinities, 
all  backed  by  gilded  and  pierced  mandorlas.  The  four  sturdy 
columns  which  support  the  ceiling  are  enriched  with  painted 
medallions.  Special  engineers  came  hither  from  Tokyo  to 
repair  the  structure  in  1908,  and  sustained  efforts  are  being 
made  to  prolong  its  life.  The  group  of  6  cryptomeria  trees 
in  the  yard  are  almost  as  old  and  as  famous  as  the  aged  shrine 
at  the  left  —  a  national  treasure  (said  to  be  the  oldest  stand- 
ing wood  shrine  in  Japan)  built  by  Minamoto  Yoritomo  in  the 
year  of  Our  Lord  a.d.  1190! 

The  Cemetery  (rantoba),  a  vast,  awe-inspiring  City  of 
the  Dead  extending  for  H  M.  through  a  narrow  grove  of 
stately  cryptomeria  and  hinoki  trees,  and  intersected  by  a 
strikingly  beautiful  avenue  terminating  at  the  (40  min.) 
Mandoro,  or  Hall  of  the  Ten  Thousand  Lamps,  is  one  of  the 
most  curious  in  Japan,  and  should  not  be  missed.  Immediately 
behind  this  structure  is  the  Okuno-in  ('Innermost  Temple'), 
where  lie  the  bones  of  the  immortal  Kdbd-Daishi.  The  avenue 
begins  at  the  Ichi-no-hashi  ('First  Bridge'),  which  spans 


528    Rte.  28.     KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN     The  Cemetery. 

a  runnel  called  the  Odo-gawa  (Chinese:  '  Imperial  Domain 
River'),  1  min.  beyond  the  Shojo  Shin-in.  Several  hundred 
tombs,  minjature  pagodas,  torii,  vaults,  and  the  like  are  scat- 
tered through  the  splendid  grove,  and  range  in  size  from  a 
tiny  chiseled  figure  no  larger  than  one's  hand  to  colossal 
granite  structures  weighing  several  tons;  some  are  new  and 
are  all  aglitter  with  gilt  and  bronze;  others  are  weather-stained, 
and  moss-  and  lichen-covered.  The  handsome  bronze  shafts, 
covered  with  gilded  characters  in  high  relief  and  surmounted 
by  burnished  capitals  which  customarily  rise  from  broad 
granite  plinths,  are  known  as  'party  monuments,'  the  scores 
of  names  incised  in  the  bronze  sides  being  those  of  devotees 
who  wish  to  be  perpetuated  here  so  that  their  souls  may  enter 
the  cherished  Jodo,  or  'Pure  Land  of  Perfect  Bliss,'  and  be 
with  that  of  the  great  founder.  While  some  of  the  tombs  stand 
above  the  actual  remains  of  honored  dead,  others  are  merely 
monuments  inscribed  with  the  names  of  persons  interred  in 
distant  parts  of  the  Empire.  Not  a  few  mark  the  spot  where 
a  wisp  of  hair,  some  ashes,  a  bone,  or  a  tooth  of  a  devotee  is 
buried.  Conspicuous  among  the  tombs  are  the  ponderous  and 
picturesque  stupa-shaped  ones,  known  locally  as  gorin-no-td, 
because  they  are  composed  of  five  sculptured  layers  of  stone, 
one  on  the  top  of  another,  and  represent  (in  Hindu  literature) 
the  five  elements  —  earth,  water,  fire,  wind,  and  space.  The 
largest  (which  commemorates  one  of  the  daimyds  of  Suruga 
Province)  is  28  ft.  high  and  has  a  foundation  12  ft.  sq.  The 
oldest  is  of  the  celebrated  Minamoto  shogun,  Tada  Mitsunaka 
(or  Tada  Manju),  and  dates  from  997.  All  were  rolled,  or 
dragged,  or  pushed  up  the  mt.  at  an  almost  unthinkable  ex- 
pense of  time,  labor,  and  money;  the  tomb  of  one  of  the  great 
Lords  of  Satsuma  was  so  heavy  that  history  says  it  could  be 
moved  but  3  in.  a  day,  and  that  several  years  were  required 
to  bring  it  to  its  final  resting-place! 

Proceeding  down  the  winding  avenue  —  a  beautiful  and 
impressive  sight  when  the  rising  sun  lays  golden  shafts  of 
light  between  the  lofty  trees  —  one  notes  at  the  left  the  fine 
tombs  of  the  once  powerful  daimyds  of  Kaga,  Satsuma,  Rik- 
uzen,  and  other  provinces;  not  far  from  the  bridge  at  the  right 
are  those  of  Taira  Atsumori  and  Kumagaya  Naozane  (p.  441). 
Farther  on  is  the  tomb  of  Takeda  Harunobu  (Shingen).  Near 
it  is  a  stone  where  Kobo-Daishi  used  to  sit,  and  which  in  con- 
sequence is  called  Kobo-Daishi' 's  sitting-stone.  Not  far  away 
is  a  curiously  crooked  willow  tree  called  the  'Dragon  Willow.' 
The  big  bronze  statue  is  of  Kobayashi  Sahei,  a  rich  man  of 
Osaka.  Japanese  regard  the  tomb  of  Akechi  Mitsuhide  (the 
poetaster  and  traitor  who  essayed  to  kill  Oda  Nobunaga)  with 
bated  breath,  since  it  is  split  (by  a  thunderbolt)  in  twain.  — 
The  small  rly.  which  runs  underneath  the  avenue  here  is  the 
prolongation  of  the  timber-road  passed  at  Kamiya.  At  the 


Goma-dd.  KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN     28.  Rte.  529 


left  of  the  bridge  is  Kobo-Daishi's  Well,  where  the  great  man 
is  said  to  have  seen  the  reflection  of  his  face;  the  credulous 
drink  the  polluted  water  in  staggering  doses  and  ascribe 
miraculous  stomachic  virtues  to  it.  The  near-by  tomb  of 
Shimazu  (of  the  great  family  of  daimyds  who  governed  Sat- 
suma  from  the  end  of  the  12th  cent,  onward)  came  from  distant 
Rykyu;  the  group  of  monuments  encircling  it  commemorate 
the  men  who  fell  during  Hideyoshi's  invasion  of  Korea.  To 
enumerate  all  the  prominent  tombs  would  merely  confuse  the 
reader.  Some  stand  to  the  memory  of  emperors,  shoguns, 
to  the  militant  Shinran  Shonin,  to  Enko-Daishi,  to  the  popu- 
lar actor  Ishikawa  Banjurd,  and  to  many  notable  and  less  note- 
worthy painters,  poets,  scholars,  warriors,  priests,  princes,  etc. 

The  time-stained  Goma-do,  which  stands  at  the  right  of  the 
path  hereabout,  contains  several  shrines,  one  with  a  wooden 
image  of  Kobo-Daishi  said  to  have  been  carved  by  him  at  the 
age  of  42  —  a  critical  age  with  Japanese,  who  believe  that  the 
dice,  cards,  and  what-not  shown  on  the  accompanying  picture 
must  be  renounced  at  this  period  else  they  will  become  sym- 
bolic of  an  early  demise.  At  the  right  and  left  of  the  image 
stand  a  thousand  small  images  of  Kwannon  —  carved,  gilded, 
and  worthless.  The  adjacent  shrine  is  dedicated  to  Fudo. 
Behind  it  is  a  very  old  building,  the  Gokusho,  with  a  reliquary 
displaying  dim  old  mandaras  of  the  two  halves  of  the  Buddhist 
universe;  offerings  are  made  here  to  Kukai,s  spirit.  The 
bronze  figures  just  beyond  are  called  the  Six  Jizo,  or  Midzu 
muke  Jizo,  from  the  circumstance  that  pilgrims  take  water 
from  the  trough  at  their  feet  and  sprinkle  it  over  them  in  the 
belief  that  by  so  doing  merit  accrues  to  their  forebears.  The 
small,  lichen-covered  bridge,  with  its  8  bronze  giboshu  span- 
ning the  Tamo-gawa  at  this  point,  is  called  Go-Byo-bashi 
('Bridge  to  Kobo-Daishi's  Tomb');  those  who  listen  with 
credulity  to  the  whispered  tradition  believe  that  no*  one  can 
cross  it  who  is  not  approved  by  the  great  teacher's  spirit! 
The  monument  at  the  right  dates  from  1912  and  commemorates 
the  brave  and  willing  men  who  died  in  the  titanic  struggle 
between  the  Japanese  Fox  and  the  Russian  Bear.  A  small 
cage  at  the  left  of  the  avenue  contains  a  curious  stone  (called 
Miroku-ishi — 1  Buddhist  deity  stone  ')  resembling  a  mass  of 
fused  metal ;  it  is  said  to  have  been  brought  from  China  by  Kobo- 
Daishi  over  a  thousand  yrs.  ago.  The  trees  hereabout  are  splen- 
didly straight  and  tall;  the  big  one  near  by  at  the  left,  inclosed 
by  a  wooden  fence  and  girdled  with  a  rope,  is  called  Ryiitd  Sugi 
('Cedar  of  the  Dragon's  Lantern'),  since  in  its  topmost 
boughs  the  heavenly  spirits  have  been  known  to  hang  celestial 
lights!  Wherefore  a  sign-board  cautions  the  sacrilegious  not 
to  touch  it.  The  great  tree  opposite  measures  27  ft.  3  in.  in 
circumference  4  ft.  above  the  ground.  In  the  fenced  space 
at  the  left  of  the  walk  are  numerous  tombs  of  Mikados  and 


530    Rte.  28.     KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN     Hall  of  Bones. 


other  Imperial  personages.  The  bronze  image  with  thought- 
ful and  contemplative  face  which  sits  at  the  left  of  the  steps 
leading  up  to  the  Mandoro,  is  a  Jizo  which  the  ailing  com- 
monalty have  rubbed  until  one  knee  shows  a  fine  patina. 
Before  inspecting  the  Hall  of  Ten  Thousand  Lamps  (a  grand- 
iloquent misnomer)  we  proceed  (left)  to 

The  Hall  of  Bones  {Kotsu-do),  a  grisly  and  repulsive 
circular  edifice  plastered  over  with  ex-votos  and  visiting-cards, 
and  enriched  with  numerous  bunches  of  hair  resembling  dried 
scalp-locks.  In  the  slatted  door  is  a  hole  through  which  bones 
are  tossed  into  a  common  ossuary  —  a  sort  of  pauper  pit 
for  the  corporeal  bits  of  those  who  could  not  afford  to  com- 
mand a  tomb,  but  who  wished  some  of  their  anatomy  to  rest 
contiguous  to  Kobo-Daishi's  remains.  By  this  ingenious 
method  they  hoped  to  obtain  a  sort  of  blanket  fire  insurance 
and  the  grace  with  which  to  start  a  new  life  in  the  wished-for 
land  of  ideal  purity.  The  path  leading  beyond  the  small  gate 
at  the  left  goes  to  minor  tombs  that  are  not  worth  inspecting. 

Kobo-Daishi's  Tomb,  the  Ultima  Thule  of  his  devoted  fol- 
lowers, where  the  sainted  prophet  is  supposed  to  sit  uncor- 
rupted,  awaiting  his  next  incarnation,  is  at  the  right,  behind 
a  barred  fence,  within  a  weather-beaten  shrine  surmounted 
by  SLhoshu-no-tama.  It  is  the  most  popular  object  of  veneration 
within  the  holy  precincts  of  Koya-san,  if  not  of  Central  and 
Western  Japan,  for  more  than  one  hundred  thousand  persons 
from  all  parts  of  the  Empire  come  here  annually  to  pay  hom- 
age to  the  memory  of  the  man  who  first  propounded  the  Shin- 
gon  doctrines  in  Nippon,  and  who,  in  bringing  Kdya-san  into 
animate  life,  perpetuated  his  name  perhaps  for  all  time. 
Thousands  crowd  hither  on  the  21st  of  March,  when  new  vest- 
ments are  laid  upon  the  tomb  and  the  old  ones  retired.  The 
fragrant  smoke  of  incense  blends  eternally  with  that  of  the 
flowers  which  are  always  kept  fresh  before  the  sepulcher. 
Many  bronze  vases,  lotuses,  lanterns,  and  the  like  embellish 
the  spot.  The  dilapidated  old  structure  at  the  right  is  the 
Revolving  Library,  with  an  uninteresting  Monju-bosatsu. 

The  Mandoro,  a  ramshackle  wooden  building  about  40  by 
100  ft.,  erected  by  Ishida  Kazushige  (or  Mitsunari  —  leader 
of  the  army  of  130,000  men  defeated  by  Tokugawa  Ieyasu 
at  Sekigahara,  Oct.  21,  1600),  has  a  darksome  interior  partly 
filled  with  a  hundred  or  more  brass  lanterns  in  which  tiny  wicks 
burn  and  flicker  faintly  —  hence  the  high-sounding  title  of 
Hall  of  Ten  Thousand  Lamps.  These  are  the  gifts  of  various 
persons;  the  bright  one  at  the  right  is  said  to  have  burned  with- 
out interruption  for  more  than  a  thousand  yrs.  One,  the  gift 
of  the  Emperor  Shirakawa  Ho-o,  was  lit  at  his  death  in  1129 
and  has  not  been  extinguished!  For  5  sen  the  priest  will  go 
through  a  brief  ceremony  and  intone  an  invocation  to  Kobo- 
Daishi's  spirit.  An  additional  income  is  derived  from  the  sale 


The  Return.        KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN     28.  Rte.  531 


of  small  images  (10  sen)  of  this  saint,  pressed  into  an  embossed 
tablet  made  from  the  ashes  of  incense  burned  before  his  shrine. 
Tiny  bits  of  the  cloth,  of  which  the  vestments  placed  on  the 
tomb  are  made,  are  eagerly  bought  by  the  credulous,  who  be- 
lieve that  an  illness  can  be  cured  by  shredding  and  swallowing 
them,  or  by  rubbing  the  ailing  spot  with  them.  The  crystal 
rosary  spread  out  on  the  piece  of  silk  brocade  at  the  right  of 
the  reliquary  belonged  to  Kukai.  Behind  it,  under  a  sort  of 
baldachin,  is  a  gold-lacquered,  stupa-shaped  shrine  (sharito) 
presented  by  the  Emperor  Saga.  —  On  the  way  back  to  the 
inn  note  the  fine  old  carvings  in  the  spandrel  formed  by  the 
two  sides  of  the  roof  and  the  ridge  of  the  Gokushd.  The 
tombs  opposite  the  entrance,  on  a  terrace  at  the  right,  are  of 
Oda  Nobunaga  and  his  family,  and  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi. 

The  Return  to  Nara  or  Kyoto  can  be  pleasantly  varied 
by  following  the  route  described  below.  If  breakfast  be 
ordered  for  6  a.m.,  and  a  start  made  at  7,  the  rear  gate  can 
be  reached  and  the  descent  begun  25  min.  later.  A  swinging 
stride  brings  one  to  the  Gokuraku-bashi  at  7.50,  and  Kamiya 
at  8.10.  At  the  far  end  (35  min.)  of  this  hamlet  stands  a  sign- 
post marking  a  road  which  leads  straight  on  and  another 
(traversed  on  the  upward  climb)  which  turns  sharply  up  at 
the  left.  From  this  angle  Kdyaguchi  is  2  ri,  10  did,  and 
Hashimoto  Station  (farther  up  the  line)  about  3  ri.  Continuing 
along  the  smoother  but  narrower  Hashimoto  trail  one  soon 
emerges  on  a  lofty  ridge  between  two  deep  ravines  whence  the 
eye  sweeps  over  a  vast  extent  of  magnificent  mt.  and  plain  — 
the  latter  idealized  by  the  winding,  thread-like  Kino-gawa 
and  a  number  of  villages.  The  one  standing  by  the  river  bank 
is  Kudomura}  and  that  beyond,  Kdyaguchi.  The  vista  is 
tremendous,  and  the  knowledge  of  altitude  and  distance 
charms  the  sense.  The  microscopic  towns  stand  exposed  like 
points  on  a  relief  map;  the  tiny  houses  look  like  Japanese 
match-boxes,  and  the  rly.  trains  recall  the  toy  'chu-chu' 
cars  of  childhood.  The  blue  mts.  rise  in  serried  ranks  to  the 
distant  sky-line,  while  between  us  and  the  river  the  vegetation 
which  belts  the  hills  is  seen  to  change  with  the  subtle  grada- 
tions of  climate  —  from  the  cool,  brooding  cypresses  on  the 
mt.  tops,  to  the  flower-decked  summer-land  miles  below.  The 
dilated  eye  dominates  a  thousand  square  miles  of  delightful 
landscape,  picked  out  here  and  there  with  flowering  gardens 
or  fruitful  orchards.  The  hills  are  always  green  —  a  perman- 
ent charm  of  the  Japanese  country  —  and  the  lissome,  plume- 
like bamboos  which  rise  with  the  palmettoes  amid  the  decidu- 
ous and  evergreen  trees  impart  a  semitropic  and  pleasing 
aspect.  The  road  to  Kdyaguchi  loops  down  across  the  gorge 
at  the  left;  the  main  one  flanks  the  deep  chasm  at  the  right, 
with  a  small  river  churning  through  it. 

The  straggling  village  of  Koyamura,  which  clings  like  a 


532    Rte.  28.     KYOTO  TO  KOYA-SAN 


group  of  swallows'  nests  to  the  sloping  side  of  the  cliff,  is 
passed  at  8.50,  along  with  the  several  succeeding  clusters  of 
houses  beyond  it.  Twenty  min.  later  one  rounds  the  corner 
of  a  bold  headland  and  descries  far  ahead,  perched  on  a  ridge 
above  the  brawling  Kawane-gawa,  the  strikingly  picturesque 
village  (prettiest  by  far  of  all  the  others  of  the  countryside) 
of  Kaneyeki.  The  view  is  bewitching;  the  dashing  river  makes 
a  wide  turn  round  a  triangular  headland  jutting  out  from  a 
tall  range,  then  runs  in  a  contrary  direction  before  losing 
itself  like  a  silver  snake  among  the  hills;  the  highroad  which 
links  primitive  Kaneyeki  to  the  modern  railway  follows  it 
along  a  higher  level,  and  recalls  some  of  the  superb  mt.  roads 
of  Switzerland.  The  descent  hither  is  quite  steep  —  a  leg- 
wearying  climb  when  approached  from  the  opposite  direction 
—  and  leads  to  the  river,  the  village,  and  a  quaint  old  arched 
bridge  adorned  with  ten  bronze  giboshu.  On  the  opposite  shore 
a  steep,  rocky  street  leads  upward  through  the  town,  the 
inhabitants  of  which  seem  all  engaged  in  making  the  paper 
umbrellas  for  which  it  is  locally  celebrated.  Jinrikis  are 
obtainable  here;  prices  are  flexible  and  are  usually  graded 
according  to  the  traveler's  fatigue  and  his  anxiety  to  employ 
one.  At  the  head  of  the  street  (reached  at  9.35)  the  jinriki 
road  bears  round  to  the  left;  walkers  can  save  a  half-mile 
by  climbing  up  the  steep  but  broad  road  which  winds  up  at 
the  right,  and  joins  the  main  highway  (25  min.)  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Kane  Pass.  As  we  follow  this  upward  slope  charm- 
ing views  are  obtained  in  retrospect  of  the  quaint  and  attrac- 
tive little  village  sheltered  by  high,  encircling  hills.  In  this 
sequestered,  sun-warmed  winter  station  flowers  flame  until 
late  Dec,  and  great  yellow  shaddocks  (jabon)  and  oranges 
of  varying  sizes  ripen  in  the  winter  sun.  The  (15  min.)  hill- 
top is  almost  covered  with  orange  groves  heavy  with  globular 
fruit.  Considerable  thin  copying-paper  (gampishi),  made  from 
the  bast  and  bark  of  the  young  snoots  of  gampi  and  the  kozo, 
or  paper-mulberry  tree  (Papyrus  papyrifera;  often  referred 
to  by  the  untenable  name  of  Broussonetia  —  from  Broussonet, 
a  French  naturalist,  1761-1807),  is  made  in  the  neighborhood 
and  is  in  demand  because  of  its  excellent  quality.  As  we 
emerge  on  the  national  road  at  10  a.m.,  Kdyaguchi  is  visible 
at  the  far  left.  Belated  azaleas,  roses  (prominent  among  them 
the  mullen-pink — Lychnis  Coronaria),  asters  of  many 
shades,  and  other  wild  flowers  deck  the  hill-slopes  and  gulches. 
At  10.25  we  enter  the  long,  somnolent  town  of  Kamuro,  with 
a  temple  called  Karukaya-dd  (a  tawdry  replica  of  the  one  at 
Koya-san)  and  a  bronze  Jizo  sitting  negligently  on  a  stone 
lotus  in  the  yard.  Passing  the  inn  (Tamaya)  one  bears  to  the 
right  and  continues  along  the  main  street ;  the  river  runs  below 
at  the  left,  and  many  rafts  of  logs  and  thick  bamboos  float 
down  on  the  current.  The  hills  behind  the  town  are  terraced, 


KYOTO  TO  AMANOHASHIDATE     29.  Rte.  533 


and  planted  to  rice.  In  winter  the  draughty  shops  are  almost 
filled  with  the  wild  persimmons  (p.  397)  which  thrive  here- 
about. Scores  of  strings  of  them  hang  from  the  rafters  beneath 
the  eaves  there  to  dry  and  blacken  and  wrinkle  in  the  sun. 
Unless  they  are  peeled  and  so  ripened  before  eating  they  are 
acrid  and  puckery,  and  will  make  the  best  set  of  false  teeth 
a  temporary  misfit! 

Farther  on  the  river  makes  a  wide  detour,  and  to  reach  the 
ferry  one  must  go  out  through  the  upper  end  of  the  town  and 
continue  for  an  appreciable  distance  —  first  along  a  good  low- 
land road  covered  with  carefully  tended,  pollarded  mulberry 
trees,  thence  through  two  small  towns  to  Kamuro  no  Shimipu 
village,  on  the  river  bank.  Considerable  silk  is  made  in  the 
vicinity,  and  during  spare  hours  the  people  sit  just  within  the 
doors  of  their  houses  (or  in  the  local  factory)  reeling  the  tenu- 
ous threads  from  steaming  cocoons.  The  rampageous  river 
often  takes  the  bridge  out  here,  and  a  regular  boat  ferry  has 
been  established  (3  min.,  1  sen).  The  houses  of  Hashimoto 
town  stream  down  to  the  opposite  shore,  which  is  reached  at 
11.15,  just  4|  hrs.  from  the  Kbya-san  inn.  A  10  min.  walk 
through  the  town  brings  one  to  the  rly.  station,  across  the 
street  from  which  are  several  native  inns  —  Maruya-kwan, 
Hashimoto-kwan,  Mikuni-kwan,  etc.  Certain  of  the  dwellings 
resemble  temples  because  of  the  local  custom  of  placing  demon 
antefixes  at  the  salient  points  of  the  roofs.  Dogs  are  pressed 
into  service  in  the  neighborhood  and  are  made  to  help  the 
farmers  and  pull  jinrikis.  —  If  one  can  board  a  train  passing 
through  Hashimoto  about  noon,  one  can  reach  Kyoto  (fare, 
¥2.70,  1st.  cl.:  ¥1.60,  2d)  about  6  p.m. 

^HFrom  Kyoto  to  Amanohashidate. 

f  *  Amanohashidate  (referred  to  locally  as  Hashidate),  one  _ 
of  the  Sankei,  or  'Three  Famous  Sights  of  Japan,/  on  £KeT . 
West  Coast,  facing  the  Japan  Sea,  in  Tango  Province,  Kyoto- 
ken,  75  M.  from  Kyoto  (104  from  Osaka),  is  reached  by  the 
Fukuchiyama-Shin-Maizura  section  of  the  San-in  Rly.  Line 
to  (60  M.)  Maizuru  (Kaigan  Station;  fare,  ¥2.60,  1st.  cl.; 
¥1.54,  2d)  in  about  3  hrs.;  thence  on  foot  (in  about  4  hrs.; 
good  walking;  superb  views),  in  a  jinriki  (see  below)  or  by 
steamer  (in  1J  hrs.;  fare,  53  sen)  to  Miyazu,  whence  Amano- 
hashidate proper  is  a  walk  of  approx.  1  hr. 

The  usual  plan  is  to  start  from  Kyoto  (Nijd  Station)  about  8  a.m.,  reach 
Maizuru  (Shin,  or  new,  Maizuru,  the  present  terminus  of  the  rly.  is  a  naval 
station  in  which  foreigners  are  supposed  not  to  be  interested)  and  there 
board  a  stub  train  (in  waiting)  for  the  steamer  landing  (5  min.  farther  on) 
at  Kaigan.  If  the  train  is  on  time  the  (gov't  rly.)  steamer  (several  daily;  no 
meals;  do  not  wait  for  trains)  leaves  (fare,  50  sen)  a  few  min.  after  its  arrival 
and  docks  at  (16  M.)  Miyazu  early  in  the  afternoon.  By  depositing  luggage 
in  the  inn  (see  below)  and  starting  at  once  for  Amanohashidate,  one  can  be 
back  in  3  hrs.  (if  the  journey  is  made  on  foot)  or  less.  By  boat,  80  sen  the 
round  trip;  by  jinriki,  70  sen.  —  The  weather  will  make  a  difference  in  one's 


534    Rte.  29,     KYOTO  TO  AMANOHASHIDATE 


comfort  and  it  should  be  considered  in  one's  plans.  If  on  arrival  at  Kaigan 
one  finds  the  wind  blowing  hard  in  the  bay  (which  means  that  it  is  blowing 
still  harder  at  sea)  and  the  ocean  boisterous  (frequently  the  case  in  winter) , 
the  poky  little  boat  is  likely  to  toss  wildly  in  the  open,  beyond  the  shelter  of 
the  hills,  and  the  hour  outside  may  prove  uncomfortable.  In  such  cases 
f  those  who  dread  the  sea  had  better  employ  one  of  the  rikishas  (¥1.50  in 
winter;  more  in  summer  when  the  crops  need  attention)  in  waiting  at  the 
station  and  proceed  overland  (in  3£  hrs.)  to  Miyazu.  A  better  and  cheaper 

I   way  (usually  adopted  by  the  common-sense  English  and  Germans)  is  to 

j    walk  the  15  M.  and  enjoy  in  a  leisurely  manner  one  of  the  loveliest  bits  of 
coastal  road  in  Japan.  The  charm  of  the  ever-changing  views  of  sea  and  land 
I  gives  one  no  time  to  think  of  fatigue.  If  Maizuru  is  reached  in  good  weather, 
this  had  better  be  availed  of,  and  one  had  better  start  out  at  once,  on  foot, 

j  as  the  morrow  may  bring  rain.  Whosoever  does  not  care  to  walk  the  entire 
distance  can  engage  a  jinriki  to  Yura,  at  about  80  sen.  Vehicles  are  not 

,    always  to  be  had  there  on  the  return  trip.  By  adopting  this  plan  and  reach- 
ing Miyazu  in  the  afternoon  and  resting  in  the  inn,  one  can  do  the  Amano- 
hashidate  portion  early  the  next  morning,  and  see  it  at  its  best.  By  starting 
>  (guide  unnecessary)  from  the  inn  at  7  a.m.  one  can  be  back  to  breakfast  at 

/  10;  board  the  morning  boat  for  Maizuru,  and  reach  Kyoto  early  in  the  even- 

I  ing.  On  a  calm  day  the  sea  trip  is  charming;  certain  sheltered  reaches  of  the 
bay  recall  those  of  the  Inland  Sea.  A  lack  of  knowledge  of  Japanese  need 
deter  no  one,  as  a  letter  from  the  hotel  manager  at  Kyoto  to  the  innkeeper  at 
Miyazu,  outlining  one's  wishes,  will  smooth  out  any  difficulties.  The  country 
is  as  safe  as  Bond  St.,  and  the  courtesy  of  the  people  is  marked.  When  a 
foreigner  is  seen  in  the  locality  every  one  guesses  his  destination,  and  he  is 
helped  along  to  it  in  kindly  and  thoughtful  ways. 

There  is  little  choice  in  the  Inns  at  Miyazu  ;  all  are  in  native  style,  and 
all  are  apt  to  be  filled  in  summer  (when  it  is  wise  to  telegraph  ahead  from 
Kyoto).  The  Seiki-ro  stands  on  a  spit  of  land  overlooking  the  lovely  bay, 

;  2  min.  walk  from  the  S.S.  landing;  the  Araki-ya  (a  few  foreign  beds  and  a 
little  English  spoken)  is  8  min.  walk  to  the  right.  The  customary  charge 

'  for  supper,  room,  and  breakfast  is  ¥3  per  pers.  (for  2  pers.,  ¥5).  The  local 
fish  is  delicious,  and  there  are  usually  fresh  milk,  eggs,  toast,  imported  mar- 
malade and  jam,  chicken,  etc.  The  Hashidate  Hotel  (also  an  inn),  1  min. 
left  of  the  landing,  is  cheaper. 

From  Kyoto  the  train  runs  across  the  valley  floor  toward 
the  N.,  then  bears  round  W.  to  4  M.  Hanazono  with  its  nurs- 
ery and  the  near-by  fine  old  Miydshin-ji.  6  M.  Saga.  The 
Saga-no-Shaka-dd  is  visible  at  the  far  right,  amid  trees.  The 
splendid  groves  of  bamboos  at  the  foot  of  Arashiyama  mark 
the  edge  of  the  plain  on  which  Kyoto  stands.  The  tram-car 
station  is  2  min.  walk  to  the  left.  The  grade  slopes  gently 
upward  until  the  first  tunnel  (the  outpost  of  many  on  the  line) 
is  traversed.  The  group  of  picturesque  tea-houses  on  the  oppcP] 
'  site  bank  of  the  Hdzu-gawa  is  very  Japanesey  in  appearance  j 
and  is  the  favorite  resort  of  Kyoto  folks  —  who  foregather  here  1 
in  throngs  during  the  April  cherry-blossom  period  and  when  | 
the  maples  are  out  in  the  autumn.  The  river  is  narrow  and  j 
shallow  in  early  spring,  but  after  the  June  rains  it  looks  for- 
midable enough  as  it  roars  and  plunges  through  the  rocky'" 
defile.  The  rly.  crosses  it  here  on  a  steel  bridge,  and  beyond 
the  tunnel  it  is  seen  on  the  right  side  of  the  line,  a  graceful, 
sinuous,  jade-green  shape  flowing  downward  through  a  maze 
of  high,  rounded  hills.  In  May  the  slopes  flame  with  azaleas 
and  other  wild  flowers,  which  in  Nov.  are  supplemented  by 
scrub  maples  that  for  a  brief  fortnight  dominate  the  land- 


MAIZURU  29.  Route.  535 


scape  with  a  mantle  of  crimson.  Enchanting  glimpses  of  the 
stream  are  had  from  the  right  side  of  the  train  as  it  winds  up 
the  gorge;  conspicuous  features  are  the  long,  flexible  rafts 
fashioned  of  saplings  laid  flat  and  lashed  into  platforms  ten 
trees  wide.  At  times  groups  of  ten  or  more  segments  are  tied 
end  on,  like  freight  cars,  and  they  make  pretty  pictures  as 
they  glide  down  the  rapids.  Active,  semi-nude  men  stand  fore 
and  aft,  and  with  long,  supple  poles  guide  them  away  from 
the  deadly  rocks  on  their  downward  rush  through  the  narrow 
defiles.  At  times  the  river  spreads  into  quiet  pools  whose  crys- 
tal waters  mirror  the  color-blotches  on  the  hill-slopes  until 
they  resemble  rich  silken  brocades. 

13  M.  Kameoka,  in  Tamba  Province,  is  the  starting-point 
for  the  near-by  village  of  Hdzu,  near  the  head  of  the  rapids 
of  the  same  name.  Considerable  tea  is  cultivated  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  in  the  winter  wheat  is  planted  crosswise  on  the  ele- 
vated rows  which  in  summer  form  the  boundaries  of  rice-fields. 
The  river  is  glimpsed  at  the  right  before  we  enter  the  hills  near 
(18  M.)  Yagi,  a  shipping-point  for  charcoal  and  firewood  des- 
tined for  the  Kyoto  market.  Many  pollarded  mulberry  trees 
dot  the  landscape,  and  raw  silk  is  manufactured  in  the  farm- 
steads. The  river  is  crossed  and  four  tunnels  threaded  beyond 
(22  M.)  Sonobe  (a  name  often  applied  locally  to  the  rly.  line). 
27  M.  Tonoda;  the  great  piles  of  fagots  which  sometimes  al- 
most hide  the  station  from  view,  point  to  the  steady  deforesta- 
tion of  the  adjacent  hills.  30  M.  Goma  (629  ft.).  The  scenery 
becomes  wild  and  picturesque,  with  bits  that  recall  the  Aus- 
trian Tyrol ;  the  river  tears  its  impetuous  way  through  a  gorge 
between  bulky  hills,  and  on  the  slopes  of  these  stand  many 
quaint  and  primitive  farmhouses,  whose  thatched  roofs  narrow 
to  sharp  ridges  which  are  straddled  by  half  a  score  tightly 
bound  frames  of  straw  or  wood  like  the  half  of  a  saw-horse. 
Strings  of  drying  persimmons  and  various  simples  hang  beneath 
the  eaves,  and  in  the  autumn  long  trusses  of  dried  rice-straw 
stretch  across  the  land.  Later  the  tree- trunks  serve  as  cores 
to  primitive  haycocks  and  look  like  fat  gin-bottles  standing  up- 
right in  the  fields.  —  Hills,  tunnels,  and  bridges  are  features 
of  the  line  to  37  M.  Wachi.  The  cross-country  highroad  is  ex- 
cellent for  motor-cars.  — 43  M.  Yamaga.  —  48  M.  Ayabe  Jet. 
(for  Osaka  and  way  stations).  The  rly.  leading  W.  is  the  Main 
Line  to  Matsue  and  Izumo-Imaichi  (Rte.  30,  p.  539).  —  53  M. 
Umezako.  The  train  now  runs  toward  the  N.W.  and  soon 
enters  the  province  of  Tango. 

60  M.  Maizuru,  or  Maizuru  Minato.  (Kaigan,  the  boat  sta- 
tion, is  at  the  water's  edge  2  M.  farther.)  Inn,  Furukane-yaf 
¥2.50  to  ¥3.50.  The  town  (pop.  8000)  is  the  seat  of  a  maritime 
province  (chinjufu)  and  is  charmingly  located  on  the  serpentine 
shore  of  a  small  bay  locked  fast  in  the  embrace  of  4high  and 
perennially  green  hills.  Certain  of  these  are  surmounted  by 


536   Ete.  29.     MAIZURU  TO  MIYAZU 

batteries  of  wicked-looking  guns  employed  in  the  national  de- 
fense. The  entire  region  roundabout,  including  the  Arsenal 
and  Docks  of  Shin-maizuru  (4  M.  to  the  E.  on  a  headland 
closed  to  the  public),  is  included  in  the  fortified  zone;  and 
sketching,  photographing,  or  the  making  of  notes  is  attended 
by  serious  consequences.  Many  quaint  arched  bridges  span 
the  multiplicity  of  converging  canals  and  impart  a  Venetian 
aspect  to  the  place.  The  several  Buddhist  temples  and  Shinto 
shrines  call  for  no  special  mention.  Before  the  Restoration 
Maizuru  was  known  as  Tanabe,  and  it  was  the  seat  of  the  rich 
daimyd,  Makino-no-kami,  whose  ruinous  castle  surmounts  the 
crest  of  one  of  the  near-by  hills.  Coasting-steamers  connect 
the  port  (frequent  service)  with  Obama,  Tsuruga,  and  other 
towns  on  the  Japan  Sea. 

The  Highroad  to  Miyazu  trends  N.W.  (turn  left  from  the  rly.  station 
and  go  through  the  town  to  the  bay) ,  flanks  the  sea  for  a  short  distance,  and 
affords  charming  views;  then,  turning  inland,  it  crosses  well-cultivated  rice- 
fields,  by  native  houses  in  which  the  whirring  of  primitive  silk-reels  is  heard 
frequently.  After  £  hr.  the  road  turns  abruptly  to  the  right  and  skirts  the 
base  of  a  hill  before  bending  again  to  the  left  to  a  (10  min.)  summit  from 
which  a  long,  winding  descent  is  made  into  the  rich  valley  of  the  Yura-gawa; 
fine  views.  At  the  bottom  a  well-beaten  path  branches  off  (left)  from  the 
main  road  and  leads  (2  min.)  to  a  thick  clump  of  bamboos  overshadowing 
the  broad,  placid,  green  Yura  River.  A  loud  halloo  brings  a  flat-bottomed 
boat  from  the  opposite  shore,  and  in  5  min.,  for  1  sen,  the  traveler  is  landed 
near  a  smooth  pike  which  flanks  the  river  until  it  merges  into  the  ocean  at 
Yura  village.  Hence  onward  the  road  is  broad  and  unmistakable.  The 
valley  is  charming  and  very  productive;  green  hills  flank  the  islet-dotted  river 
on  both  sides,  and  flame  with  maples,  roses,  camellias,  sazankwas,  persim- 
mons, mandarin-oranges,  and  the  crimson  leaves  of  the  vegetable-wax  tree. 
Many  reed  fish-traps  stand  in  the  river  (400  yds.  wide),  on  the  W.  side  of 
which  Yura-dake  rises  to  a  height  of  2103  ft.  and  serves  as  a  landmark  to 
sailors.  Boats  ascend  the  river  as  far  as  Fukuchi-yama.  —  Yura  village 
(Inn:  Yamada-ya,  ¥2)  on  Yura  Wan  (bay)  is  a  leisurely  walk  of  2  hrs.  from 
Maizuru  and  is  one  of  the  several  birthplaces  of  Urashima,  the  fisher-boy 
referred  to  at  p.  cclix.  The  lovely  coast  makes  a  strong  appeal  to  one's  artistic 
sense,  but  travelers  will  act  wisely  in  being  satisfied  with  a  visual  survey  of 
it,  and  in  heeding  the  repeated  signs  of  warning  posted  by  the  War  Depart- 
ment —  admonitions  which  apply  also  to  Arnanohashidate  and  vicinity. 
The  clean  little  rest-house,  at  the  right  of  the  road  just  as  one  enters  the  vil- 
lage, is  a  good  place  to  eat  luncheon,  as  this  can  be  pieced  out  with  hot  tea 
and  various  simple  native  dishes. 

The  long  street  follows  the  contour  of  the  shore,  within  sound  of  the  sea 
at  the  right.  The  best  scenery  begins  at  the  upper  end  of  the  village.  Here 
the  road  winds  steadily  upward  round  the  sides  of  a  line  of  bold  promontories 
that  come  quite  down  to  the  surging  water.  Their  rugged,  massive  bulk 
imparts  a  decided  impressiveness  to  the  region,  and  recalls  certain  superb 
stretches  of  the  Italian  coast.  In  places  a  granite  balustrade  defends  the 
causeway  from  the  sea,  and  from  this  high  vantage-point  the  pedestrian  looks 
down  on  the  rock-strewn  beach  where  the  surf  pounds  and  breaks  with  a 
reverberating  roar.  Far  out  at  sea  are  islands,  and  white-sailed  junks,  and 
seabirds  that  wheel  and  skirl  and  fish  and  flash  their  broad  wings  in  the  sun- 
beams. The  views  hereabout  are  the  best;  farther  along  they  are  tamer,  but 
the  restless  ocean  and  the  high  nits,  (some  of  them  2000  ft.  or  more)  lose 
none  of  their  grandiose  character.  At  each  turn  of  the  winding  roadway 
some  new  charm  or  pretty  spot  comes  into  the  line  of  vision,  a  decided  ele- 
ment of  beauty  is  added  by  the  graceful  and  fantastic  pine  trees  which 
fleck  the  slopes  and  form  a  translucent  curtain  between  the  highway  and 
the  water.  .They  grow  in  almost  every  conceivable  shape,  and  reach  out 
toward  every  angle,  but  their  gnarled  and  tortured  bodies,  like  Cocos  nuci- 


AMANOHASHIDATE        29.  Rte.  537 


era,  incline  nearly  always  toward  the  calling  sea.  At  certain  places  on  the 
sanded  beach  they  stretch  wild  arms  out  over  delightful  little  coves  where 
men  land  from  boats,  build  camp-fires,  cook  freshly  caught  fish,  and  uncon- 
sciously form  piratical  pictures  that  appeal  to  the  imagination.  The  granitic 
hills  produce  quantities  of  fine  felsite-porphyry  and  siliceous  red  sandstone, 
which  are  quarried  in  big  blocks,  moved  across  the  roadway  on  stout  skids, 
then  slid  down  to  waiting  junks  that  carry  them  to  distant  places. 

The  small  fishing-village  of  Kunda-mura,  with  a  straggling  main  st.  a 
half-mile  or  so  long,  is  entered  1  hr.  out  from  Yura.  A  brisk  15  min.  walk, 
past  clean  little  yards  embowered  in  pomegranates,  mandarin-oranges,  and 
flowers,  brings  one  to  a  fork  in  the  road;  where,  instead  of  continuing  along 
the  shore,  one  turns  up  at  the  left,  and  in  20  min.  reaches  a  long,  stone-lined, 
tubular  tunnel  piercing  the  summit  of  the  ridge.  Soon  after  emerging  from 
this  a  glorious  picture  bursts  upon  the  sight;  a  vast  circle  of  high  and  splen- 
didly wooded  hills  cuts  the  sky-line  on  every  side  and  enfolds  in  its  green 
embrace  a  wide,  tree-dotted  valley  and  a  broad  idyllic  bay  flecked  with 
fishing-boats  and  mirroring  in  its  glassy  surface  all  the  color  of  the  hills  and 
sky.  Straight  ahead,  at  the  west,  on  a  narrow  little  plain  sloping  to  the 
water's  edge,  lies  a  string  of  sequestered  hamlets,  prominent  among  them 
Miyazu,  with  a  waterfront  almost  hidden  behind  a  forest  of  tall  masts.  At 
the  far  right,  stretching  quite  across  the  bay  (Miyazu-wan),  covered  with  a 
dark  mantle  of  evergreen  pines,  is  the  yellow  sand-spit  of  Amanohashidate. 
In  few  places  is  there  so  much  of  beauty,  tranquillity,  and  ostensible  con- 
tentment combined.  A  30  min.  leisurely  and  unforgettable  walk  down 
the  slope,  then  to  the  right,  brings  one  to  the  Seiki-ro,  at  the  water's 
edge,  and  another  10  min.  to  the  Araki-ya  (called  also  ArakVs  Villa). 

Miyazu  (pop.  9000),  a  pretty  and  strikingly  picturesque 
fishing-village  in  a  crescent  of  the  shore  backed  by  lofty  hills, 
came  into  a  sort  of  prominence  in  1584  when  Hosokawa  Ta- 
daoki  built  his  castle  here  and  dominated  the  region.  The  re- 
mains of  this  feudal  retreat  are  still  to  be  seen.  Under  the 
Tokugawas  it  was  successively  the  residence  of  the  Daimyo 
Kyogoku  (1600);  Nagai  (1669);  Abe  (1681);  Okudaira  (1697); 
Aoyama  (1717);  and  the  Honjo  (from  1758  to  1868).  Its  temples 
and  shrines  are  mere  shadows  of  former  greatness  and  are  not 
worth  visiting.  The  open-air  fish-markets  held  daily  in  certain 
of  the  streets  are  of  unfailing  interest  in  their  displays  of  scores 
of  bizarre  forms  of  marine  life,  from  blanched,  repulsive  squid 
to  tiny,  jewel-like  piscine  forms.  Whales  are  caught  in  con- 
siderable numbers  off  the  outer  coast  and  are  sometimes  towed 
into  the  bay  to  be  dismembered.  Fishermen,  who  look  like 
Oriental  Robinson  Crusoes,  with  their  rice-straw  skirts  and 
otherwise  queer  costumes,  often  spread  very  long  and  narrow 
nets  near  the  shore  for  the  catching  of  a  myriad  tiny  minnows. 
The  great  quadrangular  sails  of  certain  of  the  fishing-boats 
are  made  of  finely  woven  matting,  and  they  form  beguiling  pic- 
tures as  they  drift  across  the  placid  waters  of  the  bay,  or  work 
out  to  sea  before  a  gentle  land  breeze. 

Amanohashidate, ) a  tongue  of  land  varying  from  150  to! 
250  ft.  wide,  about  If  M.  long,  and  covered  with  magnificent  j 
old  pine  trees  under  whose  giant  branches  extends  a  fine  sandy  j 
causeway,  cuts  the  Gulf  of  Miyazu  longitudinally and  divides 
it  into  halves;  the  sea  side  retaining  the  name,  the  inner  section 
called  Iwataki  no  Minato.    This  tranquil  lake,  the  winter 
rendezvous  for  a  host  of  sleek  wild  ducks,  is  about  2\  M.  from 


538    Rte.  29.  AMANOHASHIDATE 


E.  to  W.,  and  3  M.  from  N.  to  S.  with  a  depth  varying  from 
6  to  8  fathoms,  and  a  shallow  channel  60  yds.  wide  connecting 
it  with  the  outer,  and  sometimes  rougher,  bay.  A  short  ferry 
plies  (in  3  min.;  fare,  1  sen)  to  and  fro  across  this  break  (near 
the  S.W.  end).  The  bay  proper  is  about  5  M.  long  and  from 
1600  to  2600  yds.  wide,  slightly  open  to  the  N.E.  The  entrance 
is  between  the  points  known  locally  as  Kuro  Saki  (a  conical 
peak  670  ft.  high)  and  Hioki  Saki.  The  encircling  range 
of  mts.,  some  upward  of  a  thousand  ft.  high,  protect  it  from 
all  winds  and  make  of  it  an  ideal  harbor  with  from  10  to  12 
fathoms  of  water.  The  river  which  runs  through  Miyazu 
town  and  empties  into  the  bay  is  the  Hachiman-gawa. 

To  reach  Amanohashidate  we  proceed  through  the  town 
and  follow  the  trend  of  the  beach  to  the  entrance  of  the  Monju 
Temple,  in  Monju  village  near  the  ferry  (watashi);  here  the 
road  branches  to  the  right  and  leads  down  to  the  water.  At 
the  far  end  of  the  pine-clad  strip  the  trees  thin  out;  by  follow- 
ing the  left  branch  of  the  road  leading  past  Ejiri  village,  one 
soon  reaches  a  small  shrine  with  a  new  monument  commemo- 
rating the  soldiers  from  this  district  who  died  in  the  Russo- 
Japan  War.  Two  min.  (left)  beyond  this  a  broad  lane  leads 
to  the  right  to  another  (3  min.)  shrine,  from  the  rear  of  which 
the  road  goes  up  the  hill  (10  min.)  to  Kasamatsu,  where 
there  is  a  platform  whence  a  comprehensive  view  can  be  had 
of  the  surrounding  country.  The  Japanese,  who  from  time 
immemorial  have  greatly  admired  this  place,  and  who -ascribe 
to  it  a  refinement  of  beauty  which  Westerners  sometimes  fail 
to  detect,  love  to  view  it  hence  by  bending  down,  with  head 
inverted  and  eyes  looking  out  from  between  their  outspread 
legs.  This  crazy  and  undignified  position  gives  to  the  scene 
the  appearance  of  an  unstable  inferior  and  superior  mirage, 
and  for  Occidentals  robs  it  of  its  charm.  The  full  beauty  of 
the  place  will  be  revealed  to  whosoever  proceeds  30  min. 
farther  up  the  hill  to  the  old  temple  near  the  summit  of 
Nariai-yama,  near  the  Ochiki  Pass.  This  once  formed  the 
nucleus  of  a  cluster  of  temples  that  bore  a  reputation  for 
sacredness  something  like  that  of  Kdya-san.  The  view  hence 
is  fine  and  far-reaching;  the  Japan  Sea,  the  distant  islands  of 
Oshima  and  Kojima,  many  smaller  ones  and  scores  of  mts. 
are  yisible.  From  this  exalted  place,  the  distance  which  is 
supposed  to  lend  enchantment  enwraps  Amanohashidate, 
and  clothes  it  with  added  grace.  Its  name,  Ama-no-hashidate, 
is  said  to  be  derived  from  the  original  Chinese  Ten-kyo,  or 
'Celestial  Bridge/  poetically  applied  to  it  because  of  its  fan- 
cied similarity  to  the  legendary  Ama-no-Uki-hashi,  or  *  Float- 
ing Bridge  of  Heaven/  on  which  the  mythological  Izanagi 
and  Izanami  stood  when  they  let  fall  from  the  tips  of  their 
jeweled  spears  the  drops  of  ocean  brine  that  solidified  into 
the  Japanese  islands. 


KYOTO  TO  KIZUKI    SO.  Route.  539 


30.  From  Kyoto  via  Yonago  (Sakai  and  The  Oki  Islands), 
Matsue,  and  Izumo-Imaichi  to  Kizuki  (Shrines  of  Izumo). 

San-in  Main  Line  of  the  Imperial  Government  Railways. 

234  M.  Izumo-Imaichi  (several  trains  daily  in  about  12  hrs.;  fare,  ¥6.98, 
1st  cL,  ¥4.19,  2d),  the  station  whence  trains  run  over  the  branch  (Oyashiro, 
or  Great  Shinto  Shrine  Line)  to  4  M.  Kizuki  (with  its  Izumo  shrines),  is 
usually  the  objective  point  of  foreign  travelers  to  this  region.  The  line  in 
part  is  the  S.W.  prolongation  of  the  West  Coast  Route  described  in  Rte. 
32,  and  is  an  important  link  in  the  extensive  coastal  system  that  eventually 
will  connect  Akita  at  the  N.  to  Shimonoseki  at  the  S.  It  is  still  in  process  of 
building,  the  railhead  being  near  247  M.  Oda;  it  is  expected  to  reach  264  M. 
Omori,  in  1916;  282  M.  Gonotsu  in  1917;  and  hence  to  294  M.  Hamada  in 
1918.  According  to  the  Railway  Budget  two  or  more  additional  years  must 
elapse  before  it  will  be  completed  to  Shimonoseki.  Between  Kyoto  and  the 
present  terminus  the  line  traverses  the  provinces  of  Settsu,  Tajima,  and  the 
little  traveled  (by  tourists)  West  Coast  regions  of  Inaba,  Hoki.  and  Izumo. 
The  remote  and  mountainous  provinces  of  Iwami  and  Nagato  will  be  crossed 
en  route  to  Shimonoseki  Strait.  The  present  extension  was  begun  in  1900, 
and  13  yrs.  and  nearly  30  million  yen  have  thus  far  been  expended.  The 
Kinosaki-  Hamasaka  section  was  exceptionally  difficult  and  was  not  opened 
to  traffic  until  1912.  There  are  upward  of  70  tunnels,  and  230  large  and  352 
small  bridges,  with  numerous  costly  embankments  and  cuts.  The  region 
traversed  is  far  from  the  beaten  track  of  travel  and  is  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing and  beautiful  in  Japan.  Many  of  the  people  live  in  a  state  of  unblem- 
ished, patriarchal  simplicity,  in  a  region  where  Old  Japan  is  still  supreme  and 
the  nervous  hand  of  progress  has  failed  to  blight  or  tarnish  it.  The  scenery 
along  the  line  (best  views  from  the  right  side  of  the  train)  after  passing  Kin- 
osaki is  charming,  with  ravishing  views  of  mts.  and  plains  and  the  silent 
Japan  Sea.  The  deep  winter  snows  which  prevail  in  Izumo  have  necessitated 
many  snow-sheds  —  which  remind  one  of  travel  on  the  picturesque  Cana- 
dian Pacific  Railway.  Good  bento  is  sold  (25  sen)  at  the  principal  stations. 
Southbound  travelers  who  may  have  completed  their  inspection  of  the 
Kyoto  and  Kobe  neighborhood  can  vary  the  return  trip,  and  save  time  and 
money,  by  leaving  the  main  line  at  Wadayama  and  proceeding  E.  over  the 
Wadayama-  Himeji  section  (described  hereinafter)  of  the  Bantan  Line  to 
Himeji,  a  station  on  the  main  line  between  Kobe  and  Shimonoseki  (Rte. 
38) .  Sakai  is  the  point  of  departure  for  the  historic  and  primitive  Oki  Is- 
lands. By  boarding  an  early  morning  train  at  Kyoto  ( Nijo  Station)  one  may 
descend  at  the  attractive  old  Izumo  city  of  Matsue,  pass  the  night  there  in 
an  excellent  inn,  inspect  the  quaint  old  castle,  and  proceed  leisurely  to 
Izumo-Imaichi  and  Kizuki  the  following  morning. 

The  rly.  line  from  Kyoto  to  48  M.  Ayabe  Jet.  (starting-point 
for  Shin-Maizuru)  is  described  in  Rte.  29,  p.  535.  Beyond,  the 
train  runs  through  a  pretty,  mountainous  country  to  56  M. 
Fukuchiyama  Jet.  (for  Osaka  City),  thence  on  through  the  hills 
and  past  a  number  of  uninteresting  villages  to  75  M.  Wada- 
yama Jet.,  where  the  San-yo  Line  comes  in  from  Himeji,  at  the 
E.  Here  our  line  turns  abruptly  to  the  N.  and  goes  through  a 
thinly  settled,  unresponsive  region,  to  the  Japan  Sea,  25  M. 
distant .  The  traversing  pike  would  be  excellent  for  automobiles 
were  it  not  that  the  bridges  are  deceptively  frail  and  are  sub- 
ject to  the  violent  and  sudden  caprices  of  the  shallow  but  often- 
times treacherous  rivers  which  first  irrigate,  then  drain,  the  coun- 
try. Bulky  mts.  that  are  snow-streaked  until  late  spring,  wide 
and  deep  valleys  indifferently  cultivated  by  the  poor  but  indus- 
trious peasantry,  and  occasional  pretty  vistas  are  the  salient 
features  of  the  region.  The  numerous  trains  which  stand  on  the 


540    Route  80.      KYOTO  TO  KIZUKI  Kinosaki. 


sidings  are  usually  crammed  to  bursting  with  happy,  ensign- 
bearing  pilgrims  bound  to  or  from  the  Izumo  shrines.  At  99  M. 
the  sea  and  Kinosaki  with  its  hot  springs  and  locally  celebrated 
shrines  are  reached.  Here  the  line  turns  sharply  to  the  left  and 
runs  its  ultimate  course  N.  along  the  coast  through  the  maritime 
provinces  of  Tajima,  Inaba,  Hoki,  and  Izumo;  the  scenery 
soon  becomes  wild  and  strikingly  picturesque.  Many  tunnels 
pierce  the  hills  that  come  down  to  the  sea  to  be  rent  and  torn 
by  the  restless  surf ;  in  the  green  valleys  that  gash  them  nestle 
tiny  fishing-hamlets  as  primitive  as  though  they  were  ten 
thousand,  instead  of  one  hundred,  miles  from  civilization. 
Beyond  115  M.  Yoroi  the  train  emerges  from  a  long  tunnel  and 
runs  out  on  the  spider-like  Amarube  Bridge  (1015  ft.  long; 
cost  330,000  yen)  flung  boldly  across  a  deep  gorge  in  the  cleft 
of  which,  125  ft.  directly  below,  lies  the  village  of  the  same 
name;  the  sea  view  over  and  beyond  it  is  entrancing,  and  the 
bit  of  scenery  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  finest  on  the  line.  For 
miles  the  train  traverses  an  uneven  country  of  mts.,  plains, 
and  tree-dotted  cliffs  flecked  with  hamlets  overlooking  the 
sea.  When  the  water  is  calm  and  reflects  the  lapis-lazuli  sky, 
the  white-sailed  junks,  the  skirling  sea-gulls,  and  the  fantastic 
pines  that  seem  to  exchange  tragic  conferences  with  their 
distorted  images  on  the  mirror-like  surface,  the  views  are 
adorable,  and  they  recall  certain  matchless  stretches  of  the 
Inland  Sea  on  the  Pacific  side  of  the  island.  Miles  of  the 
shingly  beach  are  fringed  with  grotesque  pines  around  the 
feet  of  which  the  restless  sand  plays  ceaselessly,  and  toward 
which  the  ground-swell  reaches  vainly  before  breaking  into 
foam  and  into  long,  bubbling,  glass-like  sheets.  The  stones 
which  hold  the  roofs  of  many  of  the  tiny  dwellings  in  place 
advertise  the  prevalence  in  winter  of  strong  north  winds. 

138  M.  Tottori  (Inn :  Kozeniya,  ¥  2) ,  capital  of  Inaba  Province 
and  of  Tottori-ken,  with  32,600  inhabs.,  and  6400  houses, 
possesses  the  ruins  of  a  castle  built  by  Yamana  Masamichi 
about  the  middle  of  the  16th  cent.  Beyond  the  town  the 
Chiyo  River  runs  down  to  the  sea  across  a  plain  marked  by 
sand-dunes  and  low  hills  at  the  E.  The  small  lake  at  the  right 
is  Koyama-ike.  Eighteen  tunnels  pierce  the  hills  which  inter- 
vene before  159  M.  Matsuzaki.  The  big  lagoon  at  the  right, 
called  Togo-ike,  is  girdled  with  picturesquely  situated  bath- 
ing resorts.  Curious  features  of  the  lake  (which  is  drained  by 
the  Hashizu-gawa)  are  the  numerous  (iron)  mineral  springs 
that  spout  up  from  the  bed  and  supply  the  hot  water  piped 
into  the  bathrooms  of  the  numerous  inns.  The  resulting  hy- 
droxid  coloring  matter  is  employed  to  dye  clothing,  etc.  The 
fish  which  swarm  in  the  lake  and  which  are  caught  in  big 
scoop-nets  appear  to  enjoy  both  the  heat  and  the  mineral  salts. 
Beyond  163  M.  Kurayoshi  (Inn:  Toyo-ken;  ¥2)  the  country 
flattens  out  and  the  volcanic  peak  of  Daisen,  or  O-Yama 


Oki  Islands.  KYOTO  TO  KIZUKI    30.  Route.  541 

0  Great  Mt.'),  the  local  Fuji  (6000  ft.),  is  descried  peering  above 
the  horizon  at  the  far  left. 

Daisen  (called  the  Fuji  of  Izumo  despite  the  fact  that  it  is  in  Hoki  and  not 
Izumo  Province)  is  regarded  by  the  credulous  as  the  dwelling  of  the  primeval 
Shinto  god  Okuninushi,  and  because  of  this  it  is  the  most  revered  of  all  the 
West  Coast  mts.  Usually  snow-covered  and  enshrouded  in  clinging  mists, 
it  is  a  sublime  spectacle  viewed  at  certain  times  and  from  certain  angles,  but 
good  views  of  it  are  obtainable  only  when  the  air  is  unusually  pure.  Many 
marvelous  legends  concerning  the  hobgoblins  who  are  believed  to  dwell 
thereon  are  related  by  the  country  yokels,  and  supernatural  events  are 
associated  with  it.  Formerly  it  was  a  sort  of  western  Kdya-san,  with  many 
temples  clustering  about  the  original  one  founded  in  718  by  Jikaku-Daishi, 
Though  it  never  reached  the  high  religious  position  occupied  by  the  former 
place,  it  was  popular  and  nationally  famous  about  the  14th  cent.,  after  which 
its  power  began  to  decline.  To-day  there  remain  but  one  or  two  dilapidated 
temples  that  are  a  negligible  quantity  in  the  Buddhistic  world.  A  few  zeal- 
ous pilgrims  climb  the  mt.  each  year,  but  foreigners  will  not  feel  repaid  for  so 
doing.  A  much  better  view  is  had  of  the  peak  from  Daisen  Station,  where 
it  is  relatively  as  near  as  Fuji  is  to  Gotemba,  with  similar  views. 

195  M.  Yonago  (Inn:  Komego,  ¥2-3),  an  important  town 
in  Hoki  Province,  with  16,000  inhabs.,  is  finely  situated  on 
the  Naka-umi  Lagoon  and  is  the  starting-point  for  (11  M.) 
Sakai,  the  odoriferous  old  port  at  the  N.W.  extremity  of  the 
Yomigahama  Peninsula,  and  the  end  of  the  line  of  the  Yonago- 
Sakai  branch  of  the  rly.  Forty-four  miles  N.,  in  the  Sea  of 
Japan,  lie  the  1  large  and  3  small  Oki  ('open  sea')  Islands. 

The  Oki  Islands  (pop.  35,000)  are  administered  as  a  part  of  Shimane-ken, 
and  lie  in  lat.  36°  10'  N.  and  in  long.  133°  20'  E.  of  Greenwich.  They  were 
long  known  to  the  Chinese  as  lnshu.  Physically  they  are  divided  into  two 
groups:  Oki,  the  big  island  (often  referred  to  as  Dogo),  where  stands  Saigo, 
the  capital,  and  (6  M.  toward  the  S.W.)  Dozen,  which  comprises  the  small 
islands  of  Chiburi-shima  (1058  ft.  above  the  sea);  Nishinoshima  (1463  ft.), 
and  Nakanoshima  (755  ft.).  The  highest  point,  Daimanji  (2030  ft.),  is  on 
the  E.  side  of  Oki.  The  coast  is  wild  and  beautiful,  but  the  islands  are  rocky 
and  cultivation  is  not  easy.  The  Izumo  dialect  is  used  by  the  people.  The 
Emperor  Go-Toba  was  exiled  to  Nakanoshima  by  Hojo  Yoshitoki,  the  mili- 
tary usurper,  in  1221,  and  Go-Daigo  was  sent  to  Chiburi-shima  by  Hojo 
Takatoki  in  1332.  The  archipelago  is  rarely  visited  by  foreigners.  Poky 
little  local  steamers  make  the  (44  M.)  passage  daily  (in  about  5  hrs.)  from 
Sakai  to  Saigo,  stopping  at  ports  in  the  several  islands.  The  trip  in  stormy 
weather  is  dangerous  in  a  small  boat.  Tourists  will  find  nothing  of  interest 
in  Saigo,  which  stands  on  the  W.  side  of  Saigo  Harbor,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Yabi  River.  The  bay  is  landlocked,  with  an  entrance  250  yds.  wide  and  a 
depth  of  12-25  fathoms.  Fishing  is  the  chief  industry,  and  the  local  specialty 
(meibutsu)  is  dried  cuttle-fish  (ika)  or  sepia,  which  is  netted  here  in  great 
numbers.  Thousands  of  tons  are  caught  each  year  and  exported  to  Korea 
and  China.  On  the  N.  E.  coast  of  Saigo  fishermen  sometimes  capture  upward 
of  2000  cuttle-fish  (12  in.  or  more  long)  in  a  single  night.  Many  hundreds 
of  acres  of  island  land  are  fertilized  with  the  offal.  Another  specialty  is  a 
species  of  obsidian  or  jet  called  bateiseki  ('horse-hoof  stone'),  of  which  many 
small  objects  —  jewelry,  ink-stones,  wine-cups,  and  what-not  —  are  made. 
A  black  coral  or  antipathes  (umimatsu)  or  sea-pine  is  found  in  the  sea  near 
the  coast  and  made  into  expensive  souvenirs.  Many  of  the  stores  in  Saigo 
carry  extensive  collections  of  articles  made  of  nacre  obtained  from  the  shells 
of  the  sea-ear  (awabi). 

The  sea,  which  makes  in  round  the  Yomigahama  Peninsula, 
forms  the  Nakami  Lagoon,  and  the  narrow  Matsue  River  which 
connects  it  with  the  Shinji-ko  (lake)  on  which  Matsue  is  sit- 
uated, adds  a  striking  element  of  beauty  to  the  region  through 


542   Route  30.     KYOTO  TO  KIZUKI 


Matsue. 


which  the  rly.  goes  beyond  Yonago.  The  sheltered  waters  teem 
with  fish,  and  usually  are  dotted  with  many  picturesque  boats, 
which  after  nightfall  carry  flaming  torches  to  aid  the  men  at 
their  work.  The  country  soon  takes  on  a  more  fruitful  aspect, 
many  fluvial  thoroughfares  cross  the  rly.,  and  crude  dug-outs, 
such  as  one  sees  in  and  about  the  Chinampas  in  the  Valley  of 
Mexico,  follow  their  tortuous  courses  inland.  Not  a  few  of  the 
rly.  stations  are  embowered  in  plum,  peach,  and  cherry  trees, 
and  magnolias,  camellias  and  other  flowers,  while  in  season  the 
creamy  blooms  of  many  pear  orchards  add  charm  to  the  land- 
scape. The  well- watered  country  is  as  intensively  cultivated  as 
a  small  garden,  and  excellent  macadam  highways  cross  and  re- 
cross  it.  The  shore  is  much  like  that  of  the  Inland  Sea,  with 
pine-clad  promontories  and  hazy  bays  that  are  at  once  beauti- 
ful and  suggestive  of  a  pleasing  tranquillity.  The  strikingly 
picturesque  old  Matsue  Castle  is  visible  above  the  tree-tops  at 
the  far  right  as  we  near  the  city,  and  the  swift  waters  of  the 
Matsue  River  flow  by  nearer  to  the  rly. 

213  M.  Matsue,  the  clean,  handsome  capital  of  Shimane 
Prefecture,  with  36,000  inhabs.  and  8333  houses,  occupies  a 
commanding  position  on  the  N.E.  shore  of  the  extensive 
Shinji  Lake  (4  M.  broad,  11  long,  and  20  ft.  deep),  near  the 
point  where  two  rivers  lead  into  it  —  the  northernmost,  the 
Matsue,  or  Chashigawa;  the  southernmost,  the  Tenjin-gawa. 

Arrival.  Of  the  several  inns  (comp.  p.  xxxiv)  the  traveler  will  perhaps  select 
the  plain  but  clean  Minami-kwan,  across  the  Tenjin-gawa,  10  min.  from  the 
station  by  jinriki  (15  sen),  near  the  center  of  the  city.  He  will  also  perhaps 
select  an  apartment  overlooking  the  river  (to  which  the  inn  backs  up),  as 
the  many  bizarre  craft  which  ply  to  and  fro  add  appreciably  to  its  charm 
and  afford  sustained  entertainment.  For  ¥3  or  thereabout,  according  to 
location  of  room,  one  is  served  excellent  food  cooked  unusually  well  and 
appetizingly  (in  the  native  style),  and  set  out  in  blue-and- white  porcelain 
(from  Kaga  Province)  of  such  dainty  and  charming  designs  that  one  is 
tempted  to  start  out  at  once  and  ransack  (in  vain)  the  city  shops  to  find 
duplicates. 

Formerly  Matsue  was  a  feudal  stronghold,  the  military  center  of  the  most 
ancient  province  in  Japan,  and  such  a  large  percentage  of  the  men  were 
samurai  that  certain  blasts  from  a  bugle  were  said  to  be  sufficient  to  bring 
nearly  15,000  men  in  fighting  trim  out  of  the  houses  and  into  the  streets.  At 
present  the  busiest  quarter  is  near  the  inn,  between  the  Tenjin  and  Ohashi 
Rivers,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  wide  street  called  Tenjinmachi.  Here  will  be 
found  the  best  shops,  theaters,  pleasure  resorts,  etc.  A  pleasing  feature  of 
the  wide,  clean  streets  is  the  vista  of  green,  wooded  hills  at  the  ends  of  most 
of  them.  A  multiplicity  of  canals  intersect  them  and  one  may  go  by  boat  to 
almost  any  quarter.  Many  of  the  temples  face  Teramachi,  or  Temple  St. 
As  a  rule  these  differ  but  little  from  those  of  other  cities,  and  the  casual  trav- 
eler may  not  feel  repaid  for  visiting  them.  The  huge  Toko-ji  belongs  to  the 
Zen  sect,  and  the  booming  notes  of  its  great  bell  shake  the  entire  city.  The 
Inari  shrine  is  in  the  castle  grounds.  The  lofty  mt.  which  looms  up  at  the 
N.W.  is  Yakuno-san.  Daisen  is  seen  at  the  S.E.  The  fussy  little  boats  which 
start  from  the  pier  at  the  N.  end  of  the  bridge  ply  to  various  near-by  ports. 

The  Castle  (O-Shiro),  an  iron-gray  structure  surmounting 
a  cyclopean  foundation  of  stone  upheld  by  tottering,  cement- 
less,  moss-grown  walls  that  rise  from  a  lotus-choked  moat, 
occupies  a  commanding  site  on  the  summit  of  O-shiroyama 


Izumo  Shrines.       KYOTO  TO  KIZUKI    SO,  Route.  543 


('castle  hill')  in  the  W.  quarter  of  the  city,  5  min.  (jinriki 
10  sen)  from  the  inn,  and  15  min.  from  the  station.  While  not 
so  imposing  or  well  preserved  as  the  Nagoya  Castle,  its  en- 
vironment and  the  many  pine,  plum,  and  cherry  trees  which 
adorn  the  sloping  terraces  add  materially  to  its  appearance. 
It  is  a  grim  old  structure,  and  it  dates  from  1601,  when  Horio 
Yoshiharu  built  it  as  a  fortress  and  a  home  for  the  long  dy- 
nasty of  feudal  barons  that  were  to  follow  him.  The  summit 
is  crested  like  a  war  helmet,  and  there  are  many  gables  and 
angles  and  antefixes  and  squat  windows.  From  the  upper 
terrace,  which  is  embowered  in  cherry  trees,  or  still  better 
from  the  topmost  of  the  six  stories,  one  may  command  a  superb 
view  over  the  city,  the  lake,  and  the  surrounding  hills  and 
plain.  The  winding  road  which  leads  up  to  the  relic  is  lovely  in 
spring,  and  the  numerous  crows  that  wrangle  and  roost  in 
the  near-by  pines  make  one  think  of  towns  in  British  India. 
A  number  of  gov't  buildings  cluster  near  the  foot  of  the  hill, 
among  them  the  prefectural  office  and  the  Middle  School 
(Jinjo-chugakko),  where  Lafcadio  Hearn  came  to  teach  Eng- 
lish in  Aug.,  1890. 

Westward  from  Matsue  the  rly.  follows  the  lake  shore 
and  traverses  a  pretty  country  where  a  number  of  ancient 
dolmens  or  sepulchers  have  been  unearthed  from  time  to 
time.  234  M.  Izumo-Imaichi  is  the  point  of  departure  for  a 
branch  line  that  runs  N.W.  to  4  M.  Kizuki,  with  its  greatly 
reverenced  shrines.  Buddhists  and  Shintoists  alike  regard 
it  as  one  of  the  holiest  cities  in  the  Land  of  the  Gods,  but 
foreigners  are  apt  to  find  but  little  of  absorbing  interest. 
There  are  a  number  of  native  inns,  most  of  them  catering 
to  the  hordes  of  pilgrims  which  come  here  to  make  their  peace 
with  the  deities. 

The  Great  Shrine,  or  Izumo  no  O-yashiro,  the  most  virile  existing  center 
of  the  national  religion,  with  a  reputation  for  sanctity  equalled  only  by  the 
Shrines_of  Ise  (Rte.  35),  is  dedicated  to  the  mythological  god  Okuninushi  no 
kami  (Onamuji),  the  reputed  son  of  '  Susano-o-Mikoto,  and  dates  from  an 
antiquity  so  great  that  it  is  regarded  by  the  natives  as  the  oldest  living 
shrine  of  the  ancestral  cult.  Many  believe  that  it  was  built  by  the  lesser 
gods  at  the  instigation  of  the  Sun  Goddess;  that  the  original  structure  was 
320  ft.  high,  of  beams  and  pillars  larger  than  any  existing  trees  could  furnish; 
and  that  the  framework  was  bound  together  with  fibers  of  the  paper-mul- 
berry tree.  The  priests  believe  that  it  was  rebuilt  in  b.c.  70,  during  the  life 
of  the  Emperor  Sui-nin,  and  that  it  was  called  the  'Structure  of  the  Iron 
Rings'  because  the  pieces  of  the  pillars  —  composed  of  the  wood  of  many 
great  trees  —  had  been  bound  fast  together  with  huge  rings  of  iron.  The 
configuration  of  the  present  temple  (which  dates  from  1881  and  is  about 
80  ft.  high)  is  supposed  to  be  exactly  like  that  of  the  3d  one  constructed 
about  a.d.  655,  and  to  represent  the  29th  of  the  dynasty.  Fashioned  in  the 
severely  plain  and  pure  Shinto  style,  it  occupies  a  commanding  position  at 
the  foot  of  the  finely  wooded  Mt.  Yakumo,  in  a  park-like  inclosure  of  19  acres. 
The  approach  is  through  a  beautiful  and  impressive  avenue  about  i  M. 
long,  flanked  by  grand  patriarchal  trees  a  thousand  or  more  yrs.  old,  and  by 
sacred  groves  at  the  right  and  left.  There  is  the  usual  accompaniment  of 
majestic  torii,  lanterns,  and  the  like,  with  a  lofty  gate  piercing  a  massive 
wall.  Beneath  this  gateway,  at  the  end  of  the  ave.,  there  pulses  a  steady 


544   Rte.  31.     WADAYAMA  TO  HIMEJI 


stream  of  pilgrims  from  almost  every  section  of  Japan,  and  the  noise  of 
scraping  g eta,  the  clapping  of  hands,  and  the  voicing  of  audible  orisons,  is 
almost  deafening.  In  the  inner  court,  near  the  main  temple,  are  19  shrines 
before  which  upward  of  200,000  pilgrims  come  annually  to  pray.  Until 
Lafcadio  Hearn  passed  the  portal  and  entered  the  sacred  precincts  of  the 
main  temple  in  1891,  no  foreigner,  it  is  said,  had  ever  gone  beyond  the  mas- 
sive, iron-bound  steps  leading  to  the  sanctuary.  The  chief  priest  (who  is 
also  the  spiritual  governor  of  Kizuki)  traces  his  lineage  through  many 
generations  of  earthly  deities  to  Amaterasu  and  her  brother  Susano-o-Mi- 
koto,  and  is  said  to  be  the  82d  of  a  dynasty  of  pontiffs.  During  the  popular 
festivals  of  May  14-16  each  year,  the  officiating  clerics  wear  curious  mediae- 
val costumes  and  go  through  many  of  the  ancient  rites. 

Among  the  revered  relics  enshrined  in  the  sacrarium,  and  not  shown  to  the 
casual  visitor,  is  a  metal  mirror  said  to  have  been  in  use  in  the  primitive 
temple;  a  Chinese  jade  flute  given  by  some  long-dead  Chinese  emperor;  a 
number  of  magnificent  swords  presented  by  Japanese  notables;  ancient 
manuscripts,  some  chalcedony  magatama  and  what-not.  A  curiosity  is  the 
primitive  fire-drill  made  of  a  sacred  strip  (about  2\  ft.  long)  of  Chamoecy- 
paris  obtusa  with  a  line  of  holes  drilled  along  its  upper  edge,  so  that  the  upper 
part  of  each  hole  breaks  through  the  side  of  the  solid  plank.  In  these  holes 
wooden  sticks  as  thick  as  a  lead-pencil,  and  about  2  ft.  long,  are  twirled 
between  the  palms  of  the  hands  until  fire  is  produced.  —  The  august  deities 
(Kami)  to  whom  the  shrines  are  consecrated  are  supposed  to  foregather 
here  in  Oct. ;  from  which  circumstance  the  month  is  called  (in  Izumo)  Kami- 
ari-kuki,  or  'Month  with  the  Gods.'  —  Kizuki  is  not  only  the  holiest  place  in 
the  San-in-dd,  but  it  is  also  one  of  the  most  fashionable  bathing-resorts.  The 
near-by  Inasa  Bay  has  a  fine  beach  with  many  inns. 

Beyond  Izumo-Imaichi  the  rly.  continues  across  a  country 
differing  but  little  from  that  we  have  already  traversed.  The 
trend  of  the  line  is  along  the  sea.  The  towns  are  small  and 
call  for  no  particular  mention.  As  one  proceeds  S.W.  the  coast 
is  more  sheltered  from  the  N.  winds  than  that  above  Matsue, 
and  the  winter  snows  are  less  deep. 

31.    From  Wadayama  to  Himeji. 
Bantan  Line  of  the  Imperial  Government  Railways. 

41  M.  Several  trains  daily  in  about  2\  hrs.;  fare,  1st  cl., 
¥1.73;  2d  cl.,  ¥1.04.  The  short  rly.  is  a  link  in  the  San-in, 
or  West  Coast  Line  described  above,  and  the  San-yd,  or  Main 
Line  from  Kobe  to  Shimonoseki  (see  Rte.  38).  At  both 
termini  the  trains  leave  from  the  main  line  stations.  From 
Wadayama  the  train  enters  the  hills  and  runs  due  S.  through 
a  rocky  ravine  with  a  rising  grade,  crossing  and  recrossing 
shallow  streams.  The  poor  towns  of  Takeda,  Nii,  and  (14  M.) 
Ikuno  lie  in  a  somewhat  sterile  and  roughish  country  where 
cultivation  of  the  soil  is  rendered  more  difficult  by  the  steep 
grades.  The  mt.  streams  dash  through  wild  and  rocky  gorges 
and  furnish  electrical  power  to  near-by  places.  Beyond  the 
nondescript  village  of  Hase  the  watershed  is  crossed  and  the 
streams  all  run  toward  the  Pacific  Ocean.  At  Teramae  the 
valley  broadens  and  a  good  pike  runs  with  the  rly.  through 
Tsurui  and  Amaji  into  a  lovely  green  valley  intensively  cul- 
tivated and  flecked  with  farmsteads.  The  small  town  of  30 
M.  Fukuzaki  is  followed  by  Mizoguchi,  Kdro>  Nibuno,  and 


MAIBARA  TO  NAOETSU    32.  Rte.  545 


Nozato.  Here  the  splendid  Himeji  Castle  comes  into  view  at 
the  right,  and  the  train  soon  enters  40  M.  Kyoguchi,  sl  suburb 
of  Himeji.  The  line  half-circles  the  city  before  joining  the 
Tokaido  at  41  M.  Himeji  Station.  South-  or  north-bound 
travelers  with  time  to  spare  should  visit  the  castle  if  time 
permits.  Aside  from  this  the  place  contains  but  little  of  in- 
terest. Kobe  is  34  M.  at  the  E.  with  frequent  trains.  The 
nearest  big  city  at  the  W.  is  (55  M.)  Okayama. 

32.  From  Maibara  via  Tsuruga,  Fukui,  Kanazawa  and 
Tsubata  (Noto  Peninsula)  to  Naoetsu. 

Imperial  Government  Railway's  Hokuroku  Line. 

30  M.  Tsuruga  (frequent  trains  in  about  2  hrs.;  fare,  1st  cl.,  ¥1.28;  2d 
el.,  77  sen)  is  the  point  of  embarkation  for  Vladivostok,  the  E.  terminus 
of  the  Trans-Siberian  Railway  (comp.  Rte.  49).  The  complete  line  to  228  M. 
Naoetsu  (daily  trains  in  about  12  hrs.;  fare,  ¥6.78,  1st  cl.;  ¥4.07,  2d  cl.) 
was  completed  in  1913  as  a  link  in  the  long  rly.  which  eventually  will  tra- 
verse the  entire  West  Coast  from  Aomori  at  the  N.  to  Shimonoseki  at  the 
S.W.  In  direct  ratio  to  the  improvement  of  the  roadbed  the  time  will  be 
shortened  —  safety  being  usually  the  consideration  uppermost  in  the  mind 
of  the  rly.  management.  The  50  or  more  rivers  which  the  line  crosses,  and 
the  half  as  many  tunnels,  coupled  with  unusually  heavy  embankments  and 
retaining  walls,  added  appreciably  to  the  immense  cost  of  the  line — in  some 
places  ¥200,000  per  mile!  Beyond  Tsuruga  it  penetrates  the  little-visited 
provinces  of  Echizen,  Kaga  (whence  a  branch  line  enters  the  Noto  Penin- 
sula, in  Noto  Province),  Etchu,  and  part  of  Echigo.  In  some  places  the  rul- 
ing gradient  is  1  in  40,  and  the  mt.  scenery  is  supplemented  by  magnificent 
sea  views.  The  region  is  officially  termed  the  Hokuroku-dd  (or  mai)  — 
"Northern  Land,'  the  five  provinces  of  which  (including  also  Noto  and  Sado 
Island)  form  a  long  narrow  strip  along  the  Japan  Sea,  and  comprise  one  of 
the  eight  divisions  of  the  Empire.  The  fertile  plains,  which  form  a  sort  of 
slope  between  the  sea  and  the  gigantic  range  of  mts.  that  constitute  segments 
of  the  colossal  backbone  of  the  main  island  of  Hondo,  yield  tea,  rice,  lacquer, 
silk,  and  many  valuable  products.  The  sea  contains  splendid  fish.  During 
the  rigorous  winter,  when  the  coast  is  swept  by  the  biting  Siberian  winds, 
and  much  of  the  low  land  is  buried  deep  in  snow,  communication  by  sea  is 
difficult.  Much  of  the  coast  is  rocky  and  densely  wooded,  and  in  these 
stretches  the  hunter  will  find  game  in  abundance.  In  the  remote  towns  but 
recently  linked  with  the  outer  civilization,  many  of  the  quaintly  primitive 
customs  of  Old  Japan  still  survive.  The  bent 6  sold  at  many  of  the  stations 
contains  excellent  fish  caught  from  the  Japan  Sea. 

From  Maibara  (see  p.  398)  the  rly.  runs  along  the  E.  shore 
of  the  classic  Lake  Biwa  and  trends  N.W.  to  the  Japan  Sea. 
The  flat  rice-lands  rise  gradually  to  hill-slopes,  scattered  over 
which  are  many  pollarded  mulberry  trees  that  advertise  silk 
as  the  local  industry.  Some  tea  and  a  little  cotton  are  raised. 
4  M.  Nagahama  is  mentioned  in  the  reference  to  Lake  Biwa. 
The  country  takes  on  a  roughish  character  around  17  M. 
Naganogo,  and  is  enlivened  here  and  there  by  a  mt.  torrent 
plunging  down  between  the  hills.  On  the  slope  of  a  hill  (915 
ft.)  beyond  19  M.  Yanagase  the  train  traverses  the  Yanagase 
Tunnel,  one  of  the  longest  (4435  ft.)  in  Japan.  Four  years 
and  425,499  yen  were  required  to-  build  it,  and  the  gradient 
of  1  in  40  added  to  the  engineering  difficulties.  Beyond  this 
tunnel  the  train  descends  through  other  tunnels  and  narrow 


546   Route  32.  TSURUGA 


Vladivostok. 


gorges  into  the  province  of  Echizen,  crossing  an  uncomely 
country  watered  by  several  mt.  streams  before  it  reaches 
30  M.  Tsuruga  (soo-roong1 '^ah) ,  a  growing  town  (pop.  18,000) 
at  the  sea-level. 

Tsuruga  town  stands  about  i  M.  to  the  left  of  the  station 
(jinriki,  10  sen;  to  the  steamer  landing,  20  sen;  25  min.  walk) 
at  the  E.  head  of  a  wide  bay  into  which  two  shallow  streams 
empty.  The  Kumagae  Hotel  (near  the  center  of  the  town) 
has  foreign  beds;  rates  from  ¥4  and  upward,  Am.  pi.;  meals, 
¥1  each;  native  style  from  ¥2  per  day.  Tsuruga  Hotel,  same 
rates.  Runners  meet  trains.  —  The  harbor  (about  6  M.  N. 
and  S.  with  an  average  breadth  of  about  2  M.,  tapering 
toward  the  head)  is  one  of  the  best  on  the  West  Coast,  from 
which  circumstance  it  is  much  frequented  by  trading-junks 
and  other  craft.  It  is  unprotected  from  the  N.  winds,  which 
blow  strongly  and  almost  ceaselessly  during  the  winter,  and 
render  the  town  cold  and  disagreeable.  Ships  find  it  difficult 
to  approach  the  shore  in  rough  weather,  and  when  they  stop 
outside,  launches  or  sampans  must  be  employed.  Extensive 
harbor  works,  which  include  docks  and  breakwaters,  are  under 
way.  Several  pretty  temples  and  shrines  occupy  commanding 
positions  on  the  hills  at  the  right,  conspicuous  among  them 
the  Kanagasaki-jinsha,  hard  by  the  attractive  Kamomegasaki  • 
Park  (5  min.  walk  from  the  landing).  Within  J  M.  at  the  left, 
near  the  base  of  a  well-wooded  mt.,  is  the  handsome  Matsu- 
bara  ('pine  forest')  Park.  Both  shores  of  the  bay  rise  abruptly 
from  the  sea  (Nosaka-yama,  at  the  S.  is  2786  ft.  high),  and 
a  number  of  popular  and  sheltered  bathing-resorts  snuggle  in 
the  coves.  Jogu,  with  a  small  shrine,  is  2  M.  to  the  N.W. 
The  region  roundabout  is  historic.  Legend  says  that  the 
first  Koreans  to  land  in  Japan  came  here  during  the  reign  of 
the  Emperor  Sujin  (b.c.  97-33),  and  because  they  wore 
head-dresses  of  horns  the  place  was  called  Tsunoga.  Many 
of  the  nursery  lullabies  and  tales  popular  throughout  Japan 
had  their  origin  hereabout.  The  old  castle  that  once  occupied 
the  summit  (150  ft.)  of  Kanagasaki  was  erected  in  the  14th 
cent,  and  was  the  scene  (in  1337)  of  a  furious  battle  between 
Nitta  Yoshisada  and  the  minions  of  Ashikaga  Takauji.  Oda 
Nobunaga  sacked  and  destroyed  the  place  in  1573.  At  the 
time  of  the  Restoration  it  was  the  home  of  the  Tokugawa 
daimyo,  Sakai. 

Steamships  of  the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  (Agency:  Owada  Shoten,  the 
Bund)  ply  regularly  (popular  with  all  classes;  English  spoken)  to  (492  M. 
in  40  hrs.)  the  Russian  port  of  Vladivostok  (passports  necessary).  Fare, 
1st  cl.,  ¥30  (including  good  foreign  food) ;  2d  cl.,  ¥18;  round  trip,  ¥54,  and 
¥32.40,  respectively.  Luggage  allowance,  150  catties  (about  200  lbs.),  or  15 
cubic  feet.  Per  package  from  ship  to  shore  (red-capped  porters  wearing  the 
company's  badge),  15  sen.  Launch  and  steamer-chairs  free  to  passengers. 
At  Vladivostok  (guidebook  in  English  free  on  application  to  any  of  the 
Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  agents)  the  steamers  go  alongside  the  Commerchesky 
Birstany  (wharf)  and  render  a  transfer  unnecessary.  —  The  Russian  Volun. 


Fukui. 


HAKUSAN  32.  Route.  547 


teer  Fleet,  bi-weekly  steamers;  1st  cl.,  ¥40;  2d  cl.  ¥20.  Meager  food.  The 
traveler  should  be  on  his  guard  constantly  against  extras  and  impositions, 
and  should  take  nothing  for  granted.  Even  1  invitations '  from  the  captain 
are  apt  to  be  inserted  in  the  bill.  Meals  taken  on  board  before  the  ship  starts' 
are  charged  for.  As  a  rule  tips  must  be  forthcoming  before  the  seamen  will 
touch  baggage  in  the  hold,  and  if  this  is  not  looked  after  sharply  it  may  be 
left.  Unattended  ladies  traveling  with  children  will  find  the  ships  of  the 
Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  preferable  in  many  ways. 

From  Tsuruga  the  train  climbs  at  once  into  the  hills  and 
threads  a  number  of  tunnels  before  reaching  the  (3919  ft. 
long)  Yamanaka  Tunnel,  1005  ft.  above  the  sea.  The  stations 
are  small  and  uninteresting.  At  47  M.  Imajo  (517  ft.)  the 
plain  broadens  and  slopes  to  68  M.  Fukui  (131  ft.),  a  thriv- 
ing city  (Inn:  Nawaya,  ¥2-3.50)  with  50,400  inhabs.  in  the 
prefecture  of  the  same  name.  Though  of  but  scant  interest 
t6  foreigners  Fukui  is  of  historic  moment  to  the  Japanese;  the 
ruinous  old  castle  dates  from  the  16th  cent,  and  was  for  many 
years  tbe  home  of  the  powerful  Echizen-ke,  or  Matsudaira 
family  (an  offshoot  of  the  Maeda).  The  Tokugawa  shogun, 
Ieyasu,  established  his  son  Yuki  Hideyasu  here  in  1601,  and 
his  son  Tadanao  changed  the  name  of  the  town  from  Kita-no- 
sho  to  the  present  Fukui.  The  fine  silk  called  habutae,  and 
the  handkerchiefs  made  from  it,  rank  high  among  the  manu- 
factured products.  Broad  fruit  orchards  stud  the  environs. 
The  river  is  the  Asuwa.  —  87  M.  Daishoji  (Inn:  Yataya, 
¥2-3),  an  ancient  castle  town  (pop.  11,000)  in  Kaga  Province 
near  the  Echizen  line,  produces  considerable  tea  and  is  one  of 
the  points  of  departure  for  the  (3|  M.  by  tram  to  the  S.E.) 
Yamashiro  Hot  Springs,  in  a  region  where  there  are  many 
porcelain  kilns  and  where  much  of  the  famous  Kutani  porce- 
lain-ware (comp.  p.  cclvii)  is  made.  There  are  a  number  of  inns 
(Ara-ya,  etc.  from  ¥2.50)  in  the  native  style.  Some  3  M. 
distant,  reached  also  by  tram,  is  the  much-frequented  Yama- 
naka Spa  (several  native  inns)  in  the  midst  of  a  group  of 
saline  and  othersprings  (promiscuous  bathing)  and  picturesque 
mt.  scenery.  The  decadent  town  of  Kutani  lies  5  M.  toward  the 
S.  in  a  hilly  region.  A  kind  of  earthenware  called  Yamanaka- 
ware  is  produced  in  the  neighborhood.  The  internal  fires  which 
rage  over  a  large  section  hereabout  advertise  their  presence 
by  a  multiplicity  of  springs  of  various  chemical  properties,  to 
which  the  ailing  natives  ascribe  wonderful  healing  powers. 

Occasional  glimpses  of  the  sea  relieve  the  monotony  of  the 
land  views  as  the  train  runs  N.;  numerous  rivers  race  down 
from  the  great  mt.  range  at  the  right,  the  most  conspicuous 
feature  of  which  is  the  celebrated  Hakusan,  or  White  Mountain 
(often  called  Kaga  no  Hakusan),  a  graceful,  snow-flecked  cone 
(8700  ft.)  which  16th-cent.  historians  refer  to  as  an  active 
volcano. 

Hakusan  is  to  mariners  on  the  Japan  Sea  much  what  Orizaba  is  to  those 
of  the  Mexican  Gulf,  a  beautiful  and  shining  landmark ;  it  ranks  as  one  of 
the  highest  and  finest  of  the  Japanese  mts.  According  to  Dr.  Rein  it  is  built 


548    Route  32.      NOTO  PENINSULA 


Nanao. 


upon  Jurassic  sandstones  and  trachytic  conglomerates  of  magnificent  horn- 
blende andesite,  and  because  of  its  wealth  of  vegetable  forms  is  one  of  the 
tmost  interesting  mts.  in  Japan.  None  of  the  numerous  lofty  summits  of  the 
country  offer  so  vafied  a  field  for  botanical  geography,  and  few  if  any  exhibit 
an  equally  rich  and  remarkable  collection  of  plants  belonging  to  different 
floras  of  the  world.  A  number  of  temples  adorn  the  three  peaks  (Bessan, 
7733  ft.;  Gozen-mine,  9000  ft.;  and  the  lower  Onanji)  of  Hakusan,  and  in 
July  and  Aug.  are  much  visited  by  pilgrims.  At  its  foot,  near  Ichinose,  a 
strong  chalybeate  bath  offers  to  many  invalids  a  prospect  of  recovery. 

The  customary  starting-point  for  the  ascent  of  Hakusan  is  Kanazawa 
whence  Ichinose  is  34  M.  From  here  the  trail  is  steepish  to  the  (7  M.)  Mu- 
rodo  rest-house,  and  steeper  yet  to  the  summit,  h  mile  higher.  Excellent 
advice  regarding  outfits,  etc.,  will  be  found  in  Rev.  Walter  Weston's  Japan- 
ese Alps.  Guides  are  necessary.  The  region  is  wild  and  uncultivated;  the 
people  hardworking  and  honest.  The  views  from  the  summit  are  fine,  but  are 
not  superior  to  those  obtainable  from  the  crest  of  Fuji,  which  is  more  easily 
approached,  less  difficult,  and  is  marked  by  fewer  discomforts.  The  Tetori- 
gawa,  the  most  important  river  of  Kaga  Province,  and  which  the  rly.  crosses 
just  before  reaching  105  M.  Mikawa,  has  its  rise  on  the  flank  of  Hakusan.  * 

116  M.  Kanazawa  (Inns:  Ouray  a,  Asadaya,  etc.:  from  ¥2.50 
and  upward),  capital  of  Kaga  Province  and  of  Ishikawa  Pre- 
fecture, a  thriving  city  with  111,000  inhabs.,  is  5  M.  from  the 
sea,  133  ft.  above  it,  and  was  founded  in  the  15th  cent.  Many 
bronze  objects  are  made  here,  and  the  city  is  a  great  shipping- 
point  for  the  handsomely  decorated  Kutani-yaki,  or  Kaga 
porcelain.  The  old  castle  (now  a  military  post)  dates  from 
1583,  at  which  time  it  was  built  by  Maeda  Toshiie,  to  whom 
Hideyoshi  gave  the  province  as  a  fief.  The  Kenroku-en,  or 
'Six-fold  Garden'  (with  islets,  quaint  bridges,  fish-  and  lotus- 
ponds),  on  the  opposite  hill,  was  laid  out  by  one  of  the  Maedas 
in  the  17th  cent.,  and  ranks  as  one  of  the  finest  in  the  Empire. 
Visitors  with  time  to  spare  should  inspect  it  and  enjoy  the 
view  over  the  city  from  the  miniature  mt.  (called  Fukuju-san) 
within  it.  —  The  Industrial  Museum  differs  but  little  from 
those  in  other  cities.  —  Soon  after  leaving  Kanazawa  the  rly. 
crosses  the  Asano-gawa  to 

123  M.  Tsubata  (Inn:  Kitaniya,  ¥2.50),  the  starting  point  for 
the  Nanao  Line  to  34  M.  Yatashin,  on  the  Noto  Peninsula  at 
theN.W.  Time,  about  2  hrs.;  fare,  ¥1.43,  1st  cl.;  86  sen,  2d  cl. 

Nanao  (pop.  12,000;  Inn:  Nozakiya,  ¥2),  the  capital  and  chief  town, 
stands  (near  the  center  of  the  E.  coast)  on  Nanao  Bay  —  which  indents  the 
peninsula  in  a  W.  direction  for  about  10  M.  The  old  castle  was  erected  by 
Hatakeyama  Mitsunori,  governor  of  the  province  in  1398.  The  harbor  is  one 
of  the  best  on  the  Japan  Sea,  and  as  the  water  makes  in  from  Toyama  Bay 
it  forms  an  anchorage  almost  as  sheltered  and  as  safe  as  that  of  the  justly 
famous  harbor  of  Sydney,  New  South  Wales.  There  is  splendid  fishing  and 
fine  scenery.  The  Hot  Mineral  Springs  of  Wakura  (£  hr.  by  jinriki)  are  pop- 
ular. Wajimi,  on  the  N.  coast  (pop.  8000),  is  the  next  largest  town.  So  few 
foreign  travelers  penetrate  to  Noto  that  many  of  the  quaint  native  customs 
are  untainted  by  contact  with  the  West,  and  are  practiced  in  their  original 
simplicity. 

From  Tsubata  the  grade  slopes  upward  through  the  Tsudzura- 
ori  Tunnel  to  the  longer  (3102  ft.)  Kurikara  Tunnel,  whence 
it  descends  again  and  passes  several  unimportant  towns  on  the 
plain.  141  M.  Takaoka  (pop.  25,000)  manufactures  bronzes 
and  lacquer-wares.  The  branch  rly.  which  runs  off  toward  the 


KYOTO  TO  NARA      83.  Route.  549 


sea  goes  to  4  M.  Fushiki  (7  M.  from  Nanao,  and  63  from  Na- 
oetsu  —  daily  steamers).  Three  rivers  are  crossed  before  the 
line  reaches  153  M.  Toyama  (Inn:  Takamatsu-ya;  Toyama 
Hotel,  both  native  style,  ¥2.50-3.50),  the  capital  of  Etchu 
Province  and  of  Toyama-ken,  with  58,000  inhabs.  and  13,000 
houses.  The  handsome  old  city  with  its  castle  erected  in  1572 
was  long  the  railhead  of  the  line.  Its  situation  on  the  Jinzu- 
gawa  formerly  added  to  its  strategic  value,  and  for  many  yrs. 
prior  to  the  Restoration  it  was  one  of  the  headquarters  of  the 
powerful  Matsudaira  daimyos.  The  fine  volcanic  mt.  visible 
on  the  sky-line  at  the  E.  is  Tateyama  (9,600  ft.).  —  Hence 
to  the  end  of  the  line  the  rly.  follows  the  contour  of  the  sea 
over  a  fairly  level  country  flanked_on  the  right  by  imposing 
mts.  Conspicuous  among  these  is  Orenge-yama  ('  Great  Lotus 
Mt.')  the  highest  point  (9974  ft.)  in  the  N.  part  of  the  Japanese 
Alps.  Many  giants  of  this  rugged  range  rise  in  pointed  gran- 
deur, and  besides  adding  awe-inspiring  adjuncts  to  the  land- 
scape they  influence  it  materially  by  their  height.  The  trav- 
eler who  comes  this  way  in  winter  will  not  fail  to  be  surprised 
at  the  heavy  snow-fall  —  a  phenomenon  attributable  to  the 
cold,  dry  air  of  Siberia  crossing  the  Japan  Sea  and  impinging 
on  the  W.  face  of  this  warmer,  volcanic  range.  For  months 
the  country  is  sometimes  buried  under  such  masses  of  snow 
that  the  inhabitants  are  forced  to  make  use  of  the  tunnels  re- 
ferred to  at  p.  lviii.  —  Eleven  shallow  but  wide  and  swift  rivers 
cross  the  rly.  track  between  Toyama  and  184  M.  Tomari, 
near  which  is  a  magnificent  stretch  of  seashore  familiar  to 
most  Japanese  because  of  the  two  high,  rocky  cliffs  known 
as  Koshirazu,  and  Oyashirazu — *  Not-knowing  children,' 
and  'Not-knowing  parents.'  Anciently  the  highway  lay  along 
the  beach,  and  during  the  strong  N.W.  gales,  the  sea  beat  in 
with  such  fury  that  those  who  passed  by  did  so  at  great  peril 
to  their  lives.  Hence,  no  man  was  supposed  to  have  a  care 
for  aught  but  himself.  These  granite  cliffs  are  supposed  to  be 
the  starting-point  of  the  range  of  the  Alps  that  stretch  to  the 
Plains  of  Mino,  nearly  a  hundred  miles  distant  at  the  S. 
The  waters  hereabout  are  renowned  for  a  species  of  sole  (karei) 
and  a  sea-bream  (tai) ,  the  latter  good  eating  but  with  an  odor 
like  animated  cheese  (whence  the  expression:  Kusatte  mo  tai, 
i although  it  is  putrid  it  is  better  than  other  fish!').  — 228 
M.  Naoetsu.    See  Rte.  6,  p.  65. 

33,  From  Kyoto  via  Fushimi,  Momo-yama,  and  Uji,  to  Nara. 

Kyoto- Nara-Takada  Section  of  the  Kansai  Line;  Imperial  Gov't  Railway. 

26  M.  Frequent  trains  (from  the  Kyoto  Station,  PI.  C,  5)  in  1£  hrs.  (¥1.13, 
1st  cl,;  68  sen,  2d  cl.). 

The  train  runs  southward  through  the  tawdry  suburb  over 
a  flattish  country  diapered  with  truck-gardens  and  watered 


550    Route  33. 


MOMO-YAMA 


Meiji  Tennd. 


by  the  Kamo-gawa.  The  Toji  Pagoda  is  passed  (right),  then 
(left)  the  big  Kenshi-boseki  (spinning-mill).  2  M.  Fushimi, 
a  low-lying  suburban  town  (pop.  25,000)  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Uji  River  (the  Seta-gawa  at  Lake  Biwa,  and  the  Yodo- 
gawa  at  Osaka),  was  an  important  place  during  the  early  life 
of  Kyoto  —  the  scene  of  much  Imperial  pomp  and  glitter,  and 
the  theater  of  numerous  decisive  battles.  No  vestige  remains 
of  its  former  greatness,  but  the  ruins  of  an  early  Tokugawa 
castle  can  still  be  traced.  Tea  plantations  extend  beyond  the 
town  and  up  the  gentle  slope  to  the  yet  more  historic 

(4  M.)  Momo-yama,  or  i  Peach  Hill/  so  called  for  the  many 
peach  trees  which  grow  on  its  slopes.  It  is  a  favorite  haunt 
of  Kyoto  folks,  thousands  of  whom  foregather  here  (tramway) 
in  spring  to  witness  the  beautiful  display  of  blossoms,  and  in 
the  autumn  to  see  the  turning  maple  leaves.  A  half-mile 
from  the  station,  at  the  crest  of  the  hill  on  the  site  of  Toyotomi 
Hideyoshi's  'Peace  Palace  '  (erected  in  1594  at  a  cost  of 
6  million  yen),  commanding  a  superb  view  across  the  historic 
Yamato  Plain,  over  the  winding  Uji  River  to  the  distant 
Otoko-yama  and  its  picturesque  Hachiman  Shrine,  is  the  mas- 
sive mausoleum  {Momo-yama  gory  6)  of  the  late  Meiji  Tennd. 

Peach  Hill  was  known  anciently  as  Fushimi-yama,  and  for  more  than  a 
thousand  years  it  has  reflected  Kyoto's  greatness.  Already  heavy  with  the 
bones  of  long-dead  Mikados,  it  was  the  scene,  at  11  o'clock  on  the  night  of 
Sept.  14,  1912,  of  one  of  the  most  gorgeous  and  singularly  impressive  cere- 
monies ever  witnessed  in  New  Japan.  To  the  distant  crashing  and  the  rever- 
berating roar  of  minute-guns;  the  wailing  of  bugles  and  the  booming  of  gi- 
gantic temple  bells;  to  the  sound  of  the  wild  minstrelsy  of  priests  and  bonzes, 
the  pattering  of  a  weeping,  drenching  rain  and  the  sighing  of  a  vast  con- 
course of  mourning  people,  —  Japanese  and  foreigners  alike,  —  the  mortal 
remains  of  Mutsuhito,  the  123d  Mikado,  of  the  68th  generation  from  Jimmu 
Tennd,  were  laid  tenderly  in  their  last  resting-place.  Squads  of  soldiers  and 
civilians,  priests  and  laymen,  foreign  diplomats  and  servants  of  the  Imperial 
Household,  —  many  holding  sputtering  pine  torches  on  high  to  light  the 
strange  cortege,  —  awaited  the  arrival  from  Tokyo  of  the  funeral  train  — 
the  first  steam  railway  train  ever  to  bear  a  Mikado  to  his  grave!  From  the 
station  a  hundred  picked  men  carried  the  wonderful  catafalque  to  the  sepul- 
cher,  into  which  the  coffin  was  lowered  over  an  inclined  track. 

The  Imperial  Casket  reposes  in  a  splendid  sarcophagus  of  polished  gran- 
ite from  Sanuki  Province  (Shikoku),  20  ft.  below  the  surface  of  the  ground, 
walled  about  by  several  feet  of  specially  prepared  charcoal  to  exclude  mois- 
ture. Covering  this  is  a  thick  shell,  like  an  inverted  bowl,  of  concrete,  and 
300,000  pebbles  and  boulders.  The  inclosure  (140  by  170  yds.)  is  encircled 
by  a  granite  wall  5  ft.  high  pierced  by  a  gate  bearing  the  16-petal  chrysan- 
themum crest.  Within  are  torii  and  a  pair  of  stone  lanterns  inscribed  (in 
the  handwriting  of  Prince  Kan-in)  with  the  words  '  Fushimi  Momoyama 
Goryo.'  In  obedience  to  a  very  old  funeral  custom,  4  clay  images  2  ft.  5  in. 
high,  clad  in  ancient  armor  and  called  haniwa,  stand  at  the  corners  of  the 
coffin,  and  represent  the  samurai  or  other  retainers  who  anciently  were 
buried  alive  with  the  Emperor  whom  in  life  they  had  served.  Near  them  are 
deposited  branches  of  the  quasi-sacred  Cleyera  japonica,  spears,  shields, 
bows,  arrows,  and  the  like.  Shinto  ceremonials  accompanied  the  interment, 
which,  coupled  with  the  elaborate  functions  at  Tokyo  and  the  cost  of  the 
tomb,  represented  an  outlay  of  nearly  two  million  yen! 

The  spectacle  at  the  national  capital  was  indubitably  the  most  splendidly 
impressive  one  ever  witnessed  in  Nippon.  Foreigners  who  saw  it  will  scarcely 
be  able  to  forget  it.  Special  ceremonies  were  held  over  the  remains  in  a  sump- 
tuous shrine  erected  for  the  occasion  at  the  Aoyama  Cemetery,  and  when  tna 


Tea. 


UJI 


83.  Route.  551 


vanguard  of  the  procession  reached  this  point  the  rear  end  was  still  at  the 
Imperial  Palace,  3  miles  away.  Hosts  of  funeral  commissioners,  guards  of 
honor  carrying  symbolical  banners  or  torches,  musicians,  chamberlains, 
ritualists,  soldiers,  police,  cowherds,  and  what-not  figured  in  the  strange 
assembly,  along  with  chests  for  bows  and  arrows,  and  many  curious  relics 
of  feudal  days.  The  magnificent  and  resplendent  funeral-car  was  drawn 
by  two  cream-white  oxen,  while  3  others  were  held  in  reserve.  A  special 
funeral-train,  preceded  by  another  to  clear  the  way,  carried  the  remains  to 
the  ancient  capital,  and  from  11  p.m.  to  12.40  a.m.  the  guns  from  15  warships 
in  Yokohama  Harbor  boomed  a  mournful  requiem.  For  several  days  preced- 
ing the  sepulture  upward  of  100,000  persons  visited  Momo-yama,  and  the 
monetary  offerings  (saisen)  to  the  tomb  amounted  to  about  8000  yen  a  day. 
Absolute  silence  was  enjoined  on  the  workmen  while  constructing  the 
mausoleum,  the  stones  of  which  are  polished  on  both  sides.  The  elaborate 
funeral-car  (jusha)  is  preserved  in  the  Imperial  Museum  at  Tokyo.  A  splen- 
did palanquin  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  picked  young  men  (  Yase  Doji) 
from  Yase-Ohara  village  (about  5  M.  to  the  N.  of  Tokyo),  is  now  kept  in 
the  Kyoto  Imperial  Museum,  and  is  called  Soka-ken  or  'Onion-flower  Cart,' 
from  the  resemblance  of  the  hoshu-no-tama  on  the  top  to  the  onion  flower. 
The  mausoleum  is  guarded  day  and  night,  and  relic-maniacs  who  do  not 
repress  acquisitive  tendencies  are  subjected  to  harsh  treatment.  The  group 
of  ancient  pines  near  the  tomb  have  stood  there  since  time  immemorial. 
The  tomb  on  the  N.  side  of  the  hill  is  that  of  the  Emperor  Kwammu,  the 
founder  of  Kyoto.  —  On  the  day  of  the  State  funeral  three  huge  tortoises, 
on  whose  backs  a  record  of  the  event  had  been  written  in  black  lacquer,  were 
released  and  placed  in  the  ocean  off  Ogasawara  Island. 

Beyond  Momo-yama  the  rolling  country  is  flecked  with 
groves  of  the  fine  bamboo  for  which  the  region  is  known,  and 
with  thousands  of  knob-like  tea-bushes.  Plantations  of  these 
flank  the  meandering  streams  and  bead  the  rly.  while  groups 
fill  the  back  yards  of  the  houses.  The  Uji  River  is  crossed 
after  leaving  the  unimportant  station  of  Kobata. 

9  M.  Uji  (pop.  3000),  a  prettytown  (Kikuya  Hotel,  small, 
¥3)  in  Yamashiro  Province,  Kyoto  Municipality,  stands  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  river  and  has  been  celebrated  for  centuries 
for  its  fine  tea.  Some  very  choice  varieties  are  grown  here,  and 
an  irregular  stone  monument  (erected  in  1887)  in  the  grounds 
of  the  local  temple  refers  to  its  introduction  (comp.  p.  cvi). 
In  April  the  wealth-producing  bushes  are  sheltered  from  the* 
ardent  sun  by  straw  mats  and  they  then  present  a  curious 
spectacle.   In  May,  when  the  picking  of  the  leaves  is  in  I 
progress,  the  hill-slopes  flame  with  brightly  colored  costumes  I 
of  the  maids  and  matrons  engaged  in  the  task.    Late  in  I 
autumn  the  same  women  thresh  out  the  mature  rice-straw 
with  primitive  flails  and  add  picturesqueness  to  the  land- £ 
scape. 

Uji  came  into  prominence  in  the  7th  cent,  when  the  bonze 
Daicho  constructed  the  historic  Uji-bashi,  the  prototype  of 
the  present  bridge  spanning  the  river  at  the  left  of  that  of  the 
rly.  Its  situation  on  the  S.,  or  Nara,  side  of  the  stream,  gave 
it  considerable  strategic  value  and  made  it  the  center  of  many 
hard-fought  battles  between  political  aspirants.  That  of 
a.d.  1180,  between  Taira  Tomomori  at  the  head  of  20,000 
men,  and  the  valiant  Minamoto  Yorimasa  (then  75  yrs.  of 
age),  is  still  commemorated.    The  vigilant   Yorimasa  had 


552    Route  S3. 


UJI 


Firefly  Battle. 


taken  advantage  of  a  heavy  fog  to  remove  the  planking  from 
the  bridge,  and  when  200  or  more  of  the  Taira  horsemen  gal- 
loped on  to  it  they  plunged  through  and  were  drowned.  This 
so  enraged  the  Taira  that  in  a  desperate  attempt  to  capture 
the  wily  old  warrior  they  shot  him  through  with  an  arrow. 
Dragging  himself  to  the  Byd-dd-in,  Yorimasa  stripped  himself 
of  his  armor,  seated  himself  upon  his  iron  fan,  and  calmly 
disemboweled  himself  (the  2d  instance  of  harakiri  on  record). 
His  two  sons  and  most  of  his  devoted  followers  perished  with 
him.  Relics  of  the  tragedy  are  enshrined  in  the  temple.  This 
historic  structure,  ascribed  to  Fujiwara  Yorimichi  when  he 
turned  bonze  in  1052,  is  the  property  of  the  Tendai  sect  and  is 
one  oiUji's  chief  'sights.'  The  Howo-den  (Phcenix  Hall), 
a  duplicate  of  which  was  exhibited  at  the  World's  Fair  in 
Chicago  in  1893,  is  now  too  badly  decayed  to  be  of  great  inter- 
est. Several  quaint  monuments  stand  in  the  town  and  point 
to  its  past  greatness. 

Uji  is  perhaps  best  known  to  foreigners  for  the  curious 
HotarurKassen,  or  Battle  of  the  Fireflies,  a  spectacular  event 
occurring  usually  about  June  10  of  each  year,  near  midnight. 
Special  trains  are  run  on  the  rly.,  and  thousands  of  persons 
come  hither  from  Kyoto  (tram-cars),  Osaka,  Kobe,' and  near- 
by cities  to  witness  the  brilliant  struggle.  By  bespeaking  a 
boat  (scarce  at  this  time)  from  the  hotel  one  can  make  the 
trip  as  a  short  excursion  from  Kyoto.  The  battle  (one  of 
the  strangest  sights  in  a  strange  country)  occurs  on  the  river 
between  Uji  and  Fushimi,  about  1J  hrs.  boat  ride  from  the 
former  place,  at  a  point  where  the  stream  winds  between  hills. 
The  uncounted  millions  of  sparkling  insects  produce  a  scene 
of  bewildering  beauty  as  they  wheel  and  circle  against  the 
velvety  background  of  night,  and  the  scores  of  illuminated 
boats  on  which  there  are  dancing  and  singing,  geisha,  music, 
and  jollity,  add  to  the  charm.  When  the  fireflies  have  assem- 
bled in  force  myriads  dart  from  either  bank  and  meet  and 
cling  above  the  water.  At  moments  they  so  swarm  together 
as  to  form  what  appears  to  the  eye  like  a  luminous  cloud,  or 
like  a  great  ball  of  sparks.  The  cloud  soon  scatters,  or  the 
ball  drops  and  breaks  upon  the  surface  of  the  current,  and  the 
fallen  fireflies  drift  glittering  away;  but  another  swarm  quickly 
collects  in  the  same  locality.  People  wait  all  night  in  boats 
upon  the  river  to  watch  the  phenomenon.  After  the  Hotaru- 
Kassen  is  done,  the  river  is  covered  with  the  still  sparkling 
bodies  of  the  drifting  insects.  Then  the  natives  refer  po- 
etically to  the  stream  as  the  'Milky  Way,'  the  'River  of 
Heaven,'  etc. 

Two  species  of  fireflies  or  luciola  (sometimes  called  lightning-bugs)  have 
a  wide  distribution  in  Japan,  where  they  have  been  popularly  named  Genji- 
botaru  (Minamoto-Firefly)  and  Heike-botaru  (Taira-Firefly)  —  from  the 
legend  to  the  effect  that  they  are  the  ghosts  of  the  old  Minamoto  and  Taira 
warriors.  It  is  said  that  even  in  their  insect  shapes  they  remember  the  awful 


Fireflies.  UJI  83.  Route.  553 

clan-struggles  of  the  12th  cent.,  and  that  because  of  this,  once  every  year 
they  fight  the  great  battle  on  the  Uji  River.  From  this  the  natives  believe 
that  on  that  night  all  caged  fireflies  should  be  set  free,  in  order  that  they  may 
be  able  to  take  part  in  the  contest.  The  Genji-botaru,  the  largest  species  in 
Japan  proper,  is  found  in  almost  every  part  of  the  country  from  Kyushu 
to  Mutsu;  the  Heike-botaru,  which  is  smaller  and  which  emits  a  feebler  light, 
ranges  farther  N.,  being  specially  common  in  the  colder  island  of  Yezo;  but 
it  is  found  also  in  the  central  and  southern  provinces.  Both  have  been  cele- 
brated in  Japanese  poetry  from  ancient  times;  and  frequent  mention  of  them 
is  made  in  early  prose.  There  is  an  old  belief  that  the  soul  of  a  person  still 
alive  may  sometimes  assume  the  shape  of  a  firefly,  from  which  circumstance 
they  are  objects  of  special  reverence.  Firefly-hunting,  as  a  diversion,  is  a 
very  old  custom;  anciently  it  was  an  aristocratic  amusement,  and  great 
nobles  used  to  give  firefly-hunting  parties  —  hotaru-gari.  Firefly-hunting 
at  Uji  reminds  every  cultured  Japanese  of  the  nationally  celebrated  love- 
story  of  Asagao  and  Asojiro  —  that  plaintive  tale  which  the  gidayu  singer 
renders  with  such  pathos.  All  over  Japan  the  children  have  their  firefly  hunts 
every  summer,  moonless  nights  being  chosen  for  such  expeditions.  Girls 
follow  the  chase  with  paper  fans;  boys,  with  long  light  poles  to  the  ends  of 
which  wisps  of  fresh  bamboo  grass  are  tied.  While  hunting  the  children  sing 
little  songs  supposed  to  attract  the  shining  prey  (which  exists  in  almost  every 
locality  under  special  folk-names). 

Many  persons  earn  their  living  during  the  summer  months  by  catching 
and  selling  the  larger  species  of  fireflies.  The  chiei  center  of  the  industry 
is  in  the  region  about  Ishiyama,  near  the  Lake  of  Omi,  where  a  number  of 
houses,  each  of  which  employs  three-  or  fourscore  catchers  during  the  busy 
season,  supply  fireflies  to  many  parts  of  the  country,  and  especially  to  the 
great  cities  of  Kyoto  and  Osaka.  Some  training  and  a  knowledge  of  the 
habits  of  the  insects  are  required  for  the  occupation.  Fireflies  dislike  certain 
trees  and  are  attracted  by  others.  They  avoid  pine  trees,  and  they  will  not 
light  upon  rosebushes.  Upon  weeping  willow  trees  they  gather  in  swarms, 
and  occasionally,  on  a  sultry  night  in  summer,  one  may  see  a  drooping  wil- 
low so  covered  and  illuminated  with  fireflies  that  all  its  branches  appear  to 
be  1  budding  fire.'  A  tyro  might  find  it  no  easy  matter  to  catch  a  hundred 
fireflies  in  a  single  night;  but  an  expert  has  been  known  to  catch  3000.  The 
methods  of  capture,  while  simple  enough,  are  effective  —  and  interesting. 
'Immediately  after  sunset  the  firefly-hunter  goes  forth  with  a  long  bamboo 
pole  upon  his  shoulder,  and  a  long  bag  of  brown  mosquito-netting  wound, 
like  a  girdle,  about  his  waist.  When  he  reaches  a  wooded  place  frequented 
by  fireflies,  —  usually  some  spot  where  willows  are  planted,  on  the.bank  of 
a  river  or  lake,  —  he  halts  and  watches  the  trees.  As  soon  as  these  begin  to 
twinkle  satisfactorily,  he  gets  his  net  ready,  approaches  the  most  luminous 
tree,  and  with  his  pole  strikes  the  branches.  The  fireflies,  dislodged  by  the 
shock,  do  not  immediately  take  flight,  as  more  active  insects  would  do  un- 
der like  circumstances,  but  drop  helplessly  to  the  ground,  beetle-wise,  where 
their  light  —  always  more  brilliant  in  moments  of  fear  or  pain  —  renders 
them  conspicuous.  If  suffered  to  remain  upon  the  ground  for  a  few  moments 
they  will  fly  away.  But  the  catcher,  picking  them  up  with  astonishing  quick- 
ness, using  both  hands  at  once,  deftly  tosses  them,  into  his  mouth,  —  because 
he  cannot  lose  the  time  required  to  put  them,  one  by  one,  into  the  bag.  Only 
when  his  mouth  can  hold  no  more,  does  he  drop  the  fireflies,  unharmed,  into 
the  netting.  Thus  the  firefly-catcher  works  until  about  2  o'clock  in  the  a.m., 
• —  the  old  Japanese  hour  of  ghosts,  —  at  which  time  the  insects  begin  to 
leave  the  trees  and  seek  the  dewy  soil.  There  they  are  said  to  bury  their 
tails,  so  as  to  remain  viewless.  But  now  the  hunter  changes  his  tactics. 
Taking  a  bamboo  broom  he  brushes  the  surface  of  the  turf,  lightly  and 
quickly.  Whenever  touched  or  alarmed  by  the  broom,  the  fireflies  display 
their  lanterns,  and  are  immediately  nipped  and  bagged.  A  little  before  dawn 
the  hunters  return  to  town.' 

At  the  firefly-shops  the  captured  insects  are  sorted  as  soon  as  possible 
according  to  the  brilliancy  of  their  light  (hotarubi)  —  which  Japanese  ob- 
servers have  described  as  cha-iro  (tea-colored) ,  because  of  its  likeness  to  the 
clear,  greenish-yellow  tint  of  the  infusion  of  Japanese  tea  of  good  quality. 
(The  light  of  the  Genji  firefly  is  so  brilliant  that  only  a  keen  eye  can  detect 
the  greenish  color;  at  first  sight  the  flash  appears  as  yellow  as  the  flame  of 


554   Rte.  34.  f  NARA  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS 

a  wood-fire.)  They  aire  then  put  into  gauze-covered  boxes  or  cages  (hotaru- 
kago)  of  one  or  two  hundred  each  (according  to  grade)  along  with  a  quantity 
of  moistened  grass.  Great  numbers  are  ordered  for  display  at  evening  par- 
ties in  the  summer  season.  The  wholesale  price  ranges  from  3  to  15  sen  a 
hundred,  and  the  retail  price  from  5  sen  (for  a  modest  cage  containing  3  or 
4  insects)  to  several  yen  (for  the  tasteful  bamboo  cages  made  in  the  form 
of  junks,  temple-lanterns,  and  what-not).  Restaurant-keepers  purchase 
largely.  A  large  guest-room  in  a  native  house  usually  overlooks  a  garden; 
and  during  a  banquet  or  other  evening  entertainment,  given  in  the  sultry 
season,  it  is  customary  to  set  fireflies  at  liberty  in  the  garden  after  sunset, 
so  that  the  visitors  may  enjoy  the  sparkling.  In  certain  of  the  well-known 
tea-houses  of  Kyoto,  Osaka,  and  Tokyo,  a  myriad  of  the  delicate  insects 
are  kept  in  garden  plots  inclosed  by  mosquito-netting;  customers  of  the 
nouses  are  permitted  to  enter  the  inclosure  and  capture  a  certain  number 
of  fireflies  to  take  home  with  them.  Curious  medicaments  are  obtained  from 
the  dead  insects:  one,  called  Hotaru-no-abura,  or  'Firefly-grease,'  is  used 
by  wood-workers  for  the  purpose  of  imparting  rigidity  to  objects  made  of 
bent  bamboo. 

According  to  Mr.  Lafcadio  Hearn,  and  Mr.  Shozabuw  Watase,  —  both 
authorities  and  both  sometime  lecturers  in  the  Tokyo  Imperial  University,  — 
the  morphology  of  fireflies  discloses  the  fact  that  the  number  of  light-pulsa- 
tions produced  by  one  species  of  Japanese  firefly  averages  26  per  minute; 
and  the  rate  suddenly  rises  to  63  per  minute  if  the  insect  be  frightened  by 
seizure.  A  smaller  kind  will  increase  the  number  of  light-pulsations  to  up- 
ward of  200  per  minute.  The  light  mechanism  is  one  of  amazing  intricacy 
and  beauty.  'Frogs  fill  their  cold  bellies  with  fireflies  till  the  light  shines 
through  them,  much  as  the  light  of  a  candle-flame  will  glow  through  a  porce- 
lain jar.'  The  firefly  uses  96.5  per  cent  of  its  energy  for  light.  '  The  lighting 
apparatus  consists  of  the  three  lower  segments  of  the  abdomen.  Dissection  of 
the  luminous  part  showed  that  there  was  a  layer  of  light-producing  material, 
a  reflecting  transparent  layer  and  another  layer  of  coloring  material.  These 
layers  are  penetrated  by  innumerable  tiny  tracheae  or  windpipes.  The  air 
is  drawn  in  through  the  ordinary  breathing  passages,  and  then  forced 
through  the  tiny  windpipes  on  the  light-producing  tissue.  There  the  oxy- 
gen of  the  air  is  consumed  in  a  biologic  oxidation.' 

From  Uji  the  -rly.  continues  S.  over  a  pretty  country 
flecked  with  bamboo  groves  and  paddy-fields.  The  highway 
is  good  for  automobiles.  11  M.  Shinden.  13  M.  Nagaike. 
In  season  the  hill-slopes  flame  with  ripening  oranges,  which 
here  and  there  grow  from  the  dikes  separating  the  rice-plots. 
Many  of  the  tasteless  native  pears  are  produced  in  the  region. 
Several  tunnels  and  the  drab  little  stations  of  Tanakura  and 
Kamikome  mark  the  line  beyond  17  M.  Tamamizu.  The  rly. 
crosses  the  Kizu-gawa  to  21  M.  Kizu,  the  junction  for  Ise 
and  Osaka,  then  traverses  the  flat  country  extending  to  26 
M.  Nara  (see  below). 

^sssr-^  34.  Nara  and  its  Environs. 

(  Nara/pop.  33,000,  with  6843  houses),  one  of  the  most  pic- 
turesque, restful,  and  thoroughly  Japanese  of  all  the  cities 
of  Japan,  stands  on  a  wide  and  beautiful  plain  (consult  the 
accompanying  plan),  delimned  by  fine  mts.,  26  M.  S.E.  of 
Kyoto,  and  in  practically  the  same  latitude  (3°  56'  W.  of 
Tokyo)  in  Nara  Prefecture,  near  the  extreme  N.  border  of  Old 
Yamato  —  one  of  the  original  Five  Home  Provinces  (a  re- 
production in  Japan  of  a  prominent  feature  in  the  administra- 
tion of  the  Middle  Kingdom  of  China). 


History.  (  NARA  84.  Route.  555 

Travelers  from  Kyoto  and  the  N.  arrive  at  the  Nara  Station,  near  the  W. 
edge  of  the  city  (PL  A,  3),  at  the  foot  of  the  chief  st.,  10  min.  walk  from  the 
hotel.  Jinriki,  25  sen.  The  Kyobate  Station  (PI.  B,  4)  is  about  1  M.  to  the 
S.  The  hotel  courier  will  take  charge  of  luggage  and  deliver  a  steamer  trunk 
for  15  sen.  A  cart  that  will  accommodate  2  medium-sized  trunks  can  be  hired 
for  40  sen,  and  a  larger  one  (2  men;  3-4  trunks)  for  70  sen.  Laundry  at  the 
hotel,  ¥6  per  100  pieces,  irrespective  of  size.  —  Jinrikis  (comp.  p.  lxxxviii), 
per  day,  ¥1.50;  1  day,  80  sen. 

Th^Nara  Hotel  (Tel  add.:  'Hotel  Nara1),  with  70  large,  airy  comfortable 
rooms,  numerous  private  baths  and  delightful  views,  stands  near  the  Park 
(PI.  C,  3)  and  is  under  the  management  of  the  Imperial  Gov't  Rlys.  English 
spoken.  Good  food.  Rooms,  with  3  meals,  from  ¥6  and  upward  a  day.  Re- 
duction for  two  pers.  in  a  room,  and  for  a  long  stay.  Crowded  during  the 
Christmas  holidays. 

Founded  in  a.d.  710  as  the  capital  of  Japan  (which  with  the 
exception  of  an  interval  of  2  yrs.  it  continued  to  be  until  784), 
Nara  stood  anciently  somewhat  to  the  W.  of  the  present  city 
and  was  laid  out  on  the  lines  of  Si-ngan  the  historic  capital  of 
N.W.  China.  Japanese  art,  literature,  and  history  may  be 
said  to  have  begun  here,  for  the  first  written  histories  (see  p. 
cclxiv)  were  compiled  here  in  the  8th  cent,  (referred  to  as  the 
Nara  Epoch),  and  here  the  Buddhist  priest  Gyogi  gave  (at  the 
same  period)  the  first  impetus  to  the  clay-ware  industry  — 
many  of  the  products  of  that  date  being  still  known  collectively 
as  Gyogi-yaki.  The  sustained  turbulence  of  the  militant  monks 
attached  to  the  great  monasteries  caused  the  capital  to  be 
transferred  to  Nagaoka,  in  784,  after  which  the  city  was  called 
Nanto,  or  Southern  Capital.  Its  numerous  and  ancient  tern* 
pies,  its  superbly  endowed  museum,  splendid  walks,  magnifi- 
cent park,  excellent  hotel,  and  its  well-mannered  people  arei 
peculiarly  pleasing  to  the  average  tourist,  for  whom  its  quaint) 
customs  and  manifold  charm  hold  unfading  attractions.  While| 
a  cursory  view  of  Nara's  main  *  sights'  can  be  had  within  one! 
or  two  days,  weeks,  and  even  months  can  be  spent  pleasantly  ; 
in  its  charmed  atmosphere.  To  the  student  of  ancient  Japan- 
ese history  amost  every  foot  of  Yamato  is  classic  ground,  heav^ 
with  memories  and  the  bones  of  long-dead  emperors  and  their 
glittering  trains.  In  addition  to  the  excursions  noted  herein- 
after, the  Koya-san  trip  described  at  p.  511,  and  many  minor 
jaunts  can  be  planned  with  Nara  as  the  center,  or  headquarters. 
Those  outlined  have  been  grouped  with  the  aim  of  saving  the 
busy  traveler  as  much  time  as  possible.  All  are  subject  to 
variations  in  route ;  if  H dry u-ji  and  Hasedara  are  eliminated, 
then  one  morning  can  be  devoted  to  the  city  temples  and  the 
museum,  and  the  afternoon  to  the  Temples  of  the  Plain.  If  the 
latter  are  rejected,  H  dry  u-ji  can  be  visited  in  one  morning  and 
Hasedera  in  the  afternoon.  Yoshino  loses  much  of  its  interest  and 
beauty  with  the  fading  of  its  wonderful  cherry  blossoms,  while 
Hbryu-ji  acquires  charm  in  Nov.  by  its  maples,  and  Hasedera 
in  May  by  its  peonies.  Many  foreigners  make  Nara  a  meeting- 
point  during  the  Christmas  holidays,  at  which  time  the  hotel 
management  plans  dances,  etc.,  and  rooms  should  be  spoken 


556   Route  84. 


The  Park. 


for  well  in  advance.  —  Alspecialty  of  the  Nara  region  is  a 
grass-cloth  of  superfine  quality  called  Nara  Jofu,  a  sort  of 
hemp  linen  (asanuno)  of  which  many  fabrics  are  made.  (Hemp 
is  the  oldest  cultivated  textile  plant  in  Japan,  and  the  clothing 
of  many  of  the  country  folks  is  made  of  a  coarse  hemp  fabric 
dyed  with  indigo.)  The  main  street  of  the  city,  Sanjo-dori, 
leads  from  the  Nara  Rly.  Station,  at  the  W.  end,  to  the  en- 
trance to  the  Park  at  the  E.  At  right  angles  to  it,  near  the 
center,  is  the  Mochii-dono,  the  chief  shopping-street  of  the 
natives.  The  pond  at  the  N.  of  its  junction  with  Sanjo-dori 
is  the  Sarusawa  (Monkey  Swamp)  Pond,  associated  with  the 
ancient  history  of  the  region.  That  just  below  the  hotel  is 
the  Ara-ike. 


The  Kasuga  no  Miya,  or  Kasuga-jinja  (PI.  D,  3),  a  historic 
Shinto  shrine  founded  in  a.d.  710  by  Fujiwara  Fuhito,  stands 
in  the  famous  Nara  Deey^TWftr^  the  slope  of  Kasuga-yama 
at  the  E.,  and  is  dedicated  to  Ame-no-koyane  no-mikoto  (or 
Kasuga-daimydjin)  —  a  retainer*  of  Amaterasu,  and  the  ori- 
ginal ancestor  of  the  Fujiwara  family.  After  Ise  and  Izumo 
it  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  venerated  sanctuaries  in 
Japan.  Like  all  purely  Shinto  temples,  it  has  been  repeatedly 
rebuilt  and  is  noteworthy  for  architectural  simplicity,  albeit 
in  the  matter  of  exterior  decoration  the  customary  decorum 
has  been  deviated  from :  painted  a  glowing  vermilion,  it  flames 
out  of  its  green  environment  like  one  of  the  gaudy  shrines  to 
Inari.  In  parts  it  retains  the  decorative  richness  acquired 
during  its  association  with  Buddhism  before  its  disestablish- 
ment, and  recalls  certain  of  the  hybrid  shrine-temples  of 
Kyoto.  The  approach  to  it  is  charmingly  picturesque;  the 
great  red  wood  torii,  or  front  gate  {Ichi-no-torii)y  marks  the 
outer  entrance  to  the  park  £  M.  from  it. 

I  The  *  Nara  Park  (PL  C-D,  2-3),  a  magnificent  stretch  of  woodland  com- 
prising some  1250  acres,  on  a  gentle  hill-slope,  crossed  and  re-crossed  by 
noble  avenues  overhung  with  lofty  evergreens  and  deciduous  trees  of  many 
varieties  (cryptomerias,  pines,  oaks,  plums,  Salisburias,  etc.),  is  perhaps  the 
finest  cultivated  park  in  the  Empire,  and  it  strongly  recalls  the  splendid 
groves  which  stretch  away  from  the  rear  of  Chapullepec,  in  the  Valley  of 
Mexico.  These  superb  trees  (60  or  more  of  which  were  unfortunately 
wrecked  by  the  devastating  typhoon  of  Sept.,  1912),  are  interspersed  with 
fine  old  cherry  trees  which  are  a  glory  in  April,  and  maples  which  are  of 
such  unexampled  beauty  in  Nov.  that  thousands  of  pilgrims  repair  hither 
to  drink  in  the  beguiling  beauty  of  the  sight.  The  underbrush  beneath  the 
forest  monarchs  has  been  cleared  so  that  the  rich  greensward  comes  up  to 
the  very  trunks  and  makes  one  think  of  a  well-kept  English  park  or  a  stretch 
of  cultivated  woodland  in  the  Blue-grass  region  of  Kentucky.  Through  this 
Elysian  zone  there  wander  at  will  hundreds  of  quasi-sacred,  dappled  fallow- 
deer  ( Cervus  sika  —  Jap.  Shika)  so  tame  that  with  their  adorable  little  fawns 
they  eat  from  one's  hand  and  do  not  shrink  from  inserting  their  velvety  but 
cold  and  moist  noses  into  the  stranger's  pocket  in  search  of  goodies.  From 
this  protected  reservation  they  wander  all  over  the  town  and  the  adjacent 
hills;  usually  returning  at  nightfall  and  sometimes  bringing  wild  deer  with 
them.  One  of  the  most  famous  Nara  festivals  (Oct.  15  or  thereabout)  is  the 
Deer-Horn  Cutting  Festival  (Shika  no  Tsunokiri) ,  an  occasion  which  delights 
the  country  bumpkins,  but  for  which  the  deer  have  such  a  deeply  rooted  dis-  i 


Festivals.  (  NARA  3A.  Route.  557 

taste  that  about  the  time  for  it  many  of  them  flee  to  the  distant  hills  and 
there  remain  until  they  deem  it  safe  to  return.  The  occasion  is  treated  as  a 
sort  of  round-up ;  skillful  natives  take  the  place  of  cowboys  and  lasso  the 
leaping  and  dodging  deer  with  commendable  skill.  One  hundred  or  more 
of  the  (approx.)  700  animals  are  dehorned  each  year,  amid  considerable  ex- 
citement. The  horns  (tsuno)  are  made  up  into  a  host  of  curios  and  sold  at 
the  local  shops.  Prior  to  1868  to  kill  one  of  the  Nara  deer  was  considered  a 
capital  offense.  —  Scattered  through  the  spacious  park  are  museums,  tem- 
ples, shrines,  shops,  etc.  Flanking  the  wide  central  avenue  are  said  to  be 
3000  stone  and  metal  lanterns  {tor o),  many  moss-covered  or  displaying  the 
fine  patina  which  centuries  only  can  give.  On  or  about  Feb.  2  of  each  year, 
at  the  period  (setsubun)  when  winter  merges  into  spring,  the  lanterns  are  all 
lighted  and  the  park  presents  a  fairy-like  aspect.  The  illumination  is  re- 
peated on  special  occasions,  and  tourists  desirous  of  witnessing  the  sight 
can  (through  the  hotel  management)  arrange  for  it  on  payment  of  a  certain 
sum. 

It  is  through  this  pleasing  avenue  that  the  traveler  ap- 
proaches the  Kasuga  Shrine;  the  attractive  building  at  the 
left,  not  far  from  the  torii,  is  the  Nara  Museum,  and  the  one 
beyond  it  is  the  Nara  Products  Bazaar  (Buppin  Chin- 
retsu-jd:  open  free,  from  9  to  4)  with  a  permanent  and  varied 
exhibit  of  local  products  for  sale  and  marked  with  fixed  prices. 
The  surroundings  are  beautiful  when  the  wistaria  for  which 
the  park  is  noted  festoons  the  great  trees.  As  one  advances 
the  upward-sloping  avenue  narrows  and  the  lanterns  become 
more  numerous.  At  the  foot  of  the  stone  steps  to  the  terrace 
on  which  the  shrine  stands  is  a  big  bronze  deer,  couchant, 
serving  as  a  fountain  (izumi).  The  path  which  branches  off 
toward  the  right  leads  to  the  small  Shira-fuji-no-taki  (white 
wistaria  fall) ;  the  structure  at  the  left  is  where  Imperial  mes- 
sengers to  the  shrine  register  their  names.  A  huge  vermilion 
gateway  (left),  flanked  by  long  corridors  which  form  an  interior 
square  and  are  hung  with  hundreds  of  metal  lanterns,  marks 
the  entrance  to  the  inclosure.  The  ramshackle  old  building 
at  the  left  (inside)  is  the  Haiden,  remembered  by  the  country 
yokels  for  the  rusty  old  iron  lantern  suspended  at  the  near 
corner.  The  hook,  of  rusted  iron  about  li  in.  long,  is  locust- 
shaped,  and  when  the  lantern  swings  and  creaks,  the  locust  or 
semi  (whence  the  name,  Semi-no-toro),  is  supposed  to  be  sing- 
ing! The  open  oratory  at  the  right  is  very  animated  on  the 
night  of  setsubun,  when  many  of  the  townspeople  foregather 
here  and  scatter  beans  about  to  expel  the  evil  spirits.  In  June 
when  the  wistaria  on  the  near-by  arbor  is  in  bloom  the  sight 
is  a  lovely  one.  An  attraction  which  draws  the  clodhoppers 
hither  is  the  flight  of  15  covered  steps  at  the  left  of  the  main 
shrine;  the  gallery  formed  by  them,  called  Negiriro  or  Sujikai- 
no-ma,  is  set  at  an  angle  instead  of  being  straight,  and  is  attri- 
buted (a  crude  and  manifest  deception)  to  Hidari  Jingord. 
At  the  left  is  a  much-grafted  tree  (a  species  of  banyan)  to  whose 
decaying  trunk  have  been  added  slips  of  wistaria,  nandina, 
camellia,  elder,  cherry,  and  maple. 

The  Kasuga-no-Miya  Festival  attracts  many  visitors  about  March  15, 
but  is  not  as  interesting  to  foreigners  as  the  spectacular  On  Matsuri,  which 


558    Route  34.  NARA  Waka-miya. 

falls  on  Dec.  17,  and  is  a  sort  cVtKanksgiving  procession  commemorating 
an  episode  in  the  life  of  the  Tokugawa  shogun,  Ieyasu.  Great  preparations 
are  made  far  in  advance,  and  foreign  visitors  (special  seats  reserved,  50  sen) 
endeavor  to  be  present.  Hundreds  of  men  in  queer  habiliments,  playing 
mediaeval  musical  instruments,  and  carrying  bizarre  accouterments  form 
the  long  procession,  which  winds  up  through  the  park.  Later  there  is  wrest- 
ling and  horse-racing.  The  latter  appeals  strongly  to  countrymen,  who 
train  their  fleetest  nags  with  the  hope  of  wresting  prizes  from  the  'city  fel- 
lows.' For  several  nights  after  the  festival  the  park  is  gayly  illuminated,  and 
scores  of  fakirs,  peddlers,  and  other  artful  dodgers  assist  the  'movies'  and 
others  to  annex  the  farmers'  cash.  —  The  annual  festival  commemorating 
Shomu-tenno,  founder  of  the  Daibutsu,  is  celebrated  May  8. 

The  Waka-miya,  a  smaller  shrine  2  min.  walk  to  the  right, 
faces  a  low,  darksome  hall  adorned  with  pictures  of  the  36 
famous  poets,  and  enlivened  by  several  dancing-girls  who  for 
one  yen  will  go  through  the  tedious  motions  of  a  so-called 
sacred  dance  (kagura),  accompanied  by  chanting  and  deplor- 
able music.  A  longer  dance  (a  kind  of  attenuated  monotony) 
costs  more  in  proportion,  as  the  priests  join  in  and  add  to  the 
discord.  Beyond  the  shrine  the  forest  thickens  and  many  great 
twining  and  climbing  wistaria  may  be  seen  crushing  the  life 
out  of  the  big  forest  trees.  The  maples  hereabout  are  specially 
charming  in  Nov.  The  tawdry  shrine  at  the  right  contains 
thousands  of  small  rice-paddles  which  credulous  folks  place 
here  in  the  belief  that  their  names  will  be  taken  note  of  by 
the  gods.  By  continuing  along  the  path  and  climbing  the  hill 
one  may  enjoy  superb  views  over  the  city  and  the  wide  Nara 
Plain  which  spreads  out  beyond  it. 

Travelers  interested  in  seeing  the  old  Buddhist  temples 
scattered  through  the  park  usually  leave  the  Kasuga-no-Miya 
by  the  door  at  the  left  and  continue  down  at  the  right  through 
the  pretty,  tree-embowered  lane  with  its  numerous  small  shops 
devoted  to  the  sale  of  spotted  deer  made  of  paper-pulp,  and 
many  objects  made  from  deer-horns.  The  well-known  Nara 
ningyo  (Nara  puppets)  in  the  form  of  roughly  chiseled  wooden 
figures,  2  or  3  in.  high,  representing  various  familiar  motives, 
are  relics  of  a  time  when  wood-carving  was  one  of  the  most 
flourishing  industries  of  Nara,  and  toy-making  was  in  its 
infancy.  The  women  shopkeepers  are  as  insistent  as  Bowery 
barkers,  and  prices  are  flexible.  —  Crossing  a  small  bridge 
and  mounting  the  picturesque  steps  beyond  it  one  passes 
(right)  a  rounded  grassy  hill  (1126  ft.)  called  Wakakusa-yama 
('Young  Grass  Mt.')  from  whose  summit  (seek  the  path  that 
leads  up  under  the  pine  trees  near  the  Tamuke-yama  no 
Hachiman-gu  Shrine)  one  may  command  a  splendid  and 
sweeping  panorama  of  the  surrounding  country.  The  annual 
ceremony  of  burning  the  grass  from  this  hill  (occasioned  an- 
ciently by  a  dispute  over  the  boundary  line  between  the 
Todaiji  and  Kofukuji  Temples)  takes  place  about  Feb.  15 
and  is  ranked  as  one  of  the  'sights/  —  The  wide  road  over- 
hung with  conifers  soon  brings  one  to  a  red  torii  marking  the 


San-gwatsu-dd.  ^^NARA  84.  Route.  559 

entrance  to  the  Tamuke-yama'nd  Hachiman-gu,  a  dilapidated 
old  shrine,  with  many  pigeons,  erected  to  the  memory  of 
Emperor  Ojin,  who  is  remarkable  for  having  been  carried 
to  the  throne  on  the  day  of  his  birth  (a.d.  201)  and  carried 
from  it  on  the  day  of  his  death  (in  310),  after  having  ruled 
109  yrs.!  The  beautiful  old  maple  trees  which  surround  the 
shrine  have  caused  it  to  be  perpetuated  in  Japanese  poetry. 
The  lurid  picture  in  the  small  edifice  at  the  left  symbolizes 
a  classical  tale  called  the  'Ogre's  Arm.'  —  Continuing  through 
the  yard  one  soon  comes  to 

The  *San-gwatsu-do  ('Third  Moon  Temple'),  a  weather- 
beaten  but  still  sturdy  old  structure  (PL  D.  2,)  celebrated  for 
its  fine  wood  sculptures  (regarded  as  national  treasures).  If 
the  traveler  with  credentials  will  present  them  to  the  bonze  in 
the  near-by  office  the  (usually  closed)  doors  will  be  opened. 
Like  most  of  the  early  temples  of  the  Nara  Plain,  this  one  is 
devoid  of  the  glitter  characteristic  of  many  Buddhist  fanes, 
and  is  plain  to  homeliness.  The  central  shrine  stands  on  a 
broad  plinth  round  which  runs  a  sort  of  ambulatory  with  a 
dirt  floor;  the  great  beams  look  as  if  they  were  hewn  out  during 
the  Stone  Age,  and  but  for  its  collection  of  statuary,  poorness 
like  unto  that  of  Job's  lean  but  historical  turkey  could  be  the 
name  for  the  temple.  In  the  center  of  the  wide  platform  is 
a  grandiose  Kwannon  made  of  cloth  and  lacquer  ascribed  to 
Gyogi-bosatsu';  at  the  right  and  left  are  Nikko,  a  Buddhist 
divinity  that  resides  in  the  sun;  and  Gwakko,  a  resident  of  the 
moon.  The  other  two  large,  calm,  pure  figures  are  Bonten  (the 
Japanese  equivalent  of  Brahma)  and  Taishaku-ten  (the  Indra 
of  the  Vedic  pantheon).  The  image  at  the  left  is  Jizo;  that 
at  the  right  the  vindictive  Fudd.  He  is  specially  noteworthy, 
sitting  with  one  leg  doubled  under  him,  brandishing  a  sword 
in  his  right  hand,  and  his  mouth  contorted  with  violent  voci- 
feration as  if  the  fire  which  flames  about  him  were  scorching 
him  beyond  endurance.  The  two  small  figures  in  front  of  him 
are  said  to  be  his  children.  Those  at  the  front  of  the  platform 
are  (right)  Kongo-rikishi,  and  (left)  Mitsujiyaku-rikishi.  The 
guardian  gods  in  armor  and  helmets,  who  assert  authority  and 
divine  power  at  the  four  corners  of  the  plinth,  are  the  Shi- 
tenno  —  masterpieces  in  their  way,  and  by  a  hand  but  little 
less  skillful  than  that  of  the  great  Unkei.  —  On  a  terrace 
reached  by  a  flight  of  stone  steps,  one  side  high-perched,  the 
other  clinging  precariously  to  the  edge  of  the  hillside,  is  the 
bizarre 

Ni-gwatsu-do  (neeng-aht-sue-doh'),  or 'Second  Moon  Tem- 
ple' (or  hall),  almost  filled  by  the  hundreds  of  metal  lanterns 
which  swing  from  the  overhead  beams.  From  the  gallery  on 
the  far  side  one  gets  a  superb  view  of  the  wide  plain  stretch- 
ing below  and  beyond  to  the  distant  mts.  Conspicuous,  in 
the  near  foreground  is  the  colossal  Daibutsu-den,  and  nearer 


560    Route  34. 


NARA 


The  Daibutsu. 


still,  at  the  foot  of  the  hilljiirtfte  towering  cryptomeria  in  whose 
long,  horizontal  branches  an  eagle  (so  the  story  runs)  deposited 
the  celebrated  bonze  Ryoben  (b.  689;  d.  773)  —  a  writer,  a 
painter,  the  sometime  head  of  the  Todaiji,  and  a  prominent 
figure  in  the  Ryobu-Shinto  creed.  —  Founded  in  752  but  re- 
peatedly destroyed,  the  temple  is  now  about  200  yrs.  old, 
and  is  dedicated  to  a  well-known  image  of  Kwannon,  enshrined 
somewhere  in  the  darksome  interior  and  said  to  possess  the 
peculiar  property  of  curing  anybody  of  anything,  and  of  being 
always  warm  to  the  touch!  So  that  one's  faith  in  it  may  re- 
main warm  it  is  never  shown.  The  special  services  held  at 
certain  lunar  periods  in  its  honor  give  the  temple  its  name. 
Most  conspicuous  of  these  festivals  is  the  Taimatsu-e  ('  Torch- 
light Assembly'),  a  curious  and  picturesque  affair  held  cus- 
tomarily about  March  12.  A  torchlight  procession  of  men, 
carrying  buckets  of  water  brought  from  Wakasa  Province, 
wends  its  way  to  the  shrine,  and  enters  the  sloping  gallery  or 
appentice  (with  86  steps)  called  Taimatsu  no  Roka  ('  Flam- 
beau Gallery')  behind  the  temple.  The  procession  is  of  very 
ancient  origin  and  the  water  is  supposed  to  guard  the  structure 
against  fire.  Many  devotees  come  from  distant  places  and 
whosoever  can,  takes  home  a  little  of  the  water  to  sprinkle 
over  the  farm  or  garden  as  a  talisman  against  insect  pests. 
Near  the  foot  of  the  steps,  in  a  small  house  at  the  left,  is  a  sa- 
cred well  that  is  opened  only  on  the  night  of  March  12,  and 
is  called  Wakasa  I  because  the  water  is  supposed  to  come  from 
Wakasa  Province.  To  substantiate  this  the  credulous  throw 
rice-husks  in  the  original  spring  in  Wakasa  and  later  find  them 
here! 

f  The  *Big  Bell  (9  ft.  2  in.  in  diameter,  13J  ft.  high,  and  10  in. 
thick  at  the  rim),  a  colossal  mass  of  metal  (PI.  D,  2)  weighing 
48  tons,  was  cast  in  a.d.  732  and  is  the  3d  largest  in  Japan 
(Osaka  1st;  Chion-in  2d).  For  more  than  a  millennium  this 
melodious-voiced  monster  has  stood  here  as  a  companion 
to  the  great  bronze  Daibutsu,  both  of  which  once  were  con- 
spicuous adjuncts  to  the  Todaiji  ('Great  Eastern')  Temple 
which  burned  years  ago.  The  time-worn  belfry  dates  from 
the  Kamakura  epoch.  On  payment  of  1-sen  the  traveler  may 
strike  the  bell  with  the  great  beam  which  swings  before  it.  The 
tiny  models  in  bronze  cost  10-35  sen. 

"*  The  *Nara-no-Daibutsu  (PI.  C,  1),  a  great  bronze  image 
representing  Roshana  Buddha  (Birushana-butsu),  the  God 
of  Light,  sitting  on  an  open  lotus  bloom  in  an  attitude  of  calm 
reflection,  is  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  Japan  and  is  perhaps 
one  of  the  greatest  in  the  world.  As  a  work  of  art  it  is  inferior 
to  the  companion  image  at  Kamakura  and  superior  to  that 
of  Kyoto.  It  was  erected  in  749  at  the  instance  of  the  (45th) 
Emperor  Shomu  (718-58),  and  contains  500  lbs.  of  gold; 
16,827  of  tin;  1954  of  mercury;  986,180  of  copper;  an  unre- 


The  Kaidai-in. 


NARA 


34.  Route.  561 


corded  quantity  of  lead  j  aT^ie- said  to  weigh  approx.  500  tons. 
The  gold  and  mercury  were  used  solely  for  gilding.  It  is  53 \ 
ft.  high;  18  ft.  across  the  breast,  with  a  face  16  by  9J  ft.; 
mouth  and  nose,  each  3  ft.  9  in.  wide;  eye,  3  ft.  11  in.;  and  ear, 
8  ft.  6  in.  The  features  are  Negroid  and  suggest  Hindu  inspir- 
ation. Two  years  were  required  to  cast  it;  the  Emperor  carried 
earth  with  his  own  hands  to  help  make  the  platform,  and  after 
7  unsuccessful  attempts  the  idol  was  at  last  completed.  The 
head  and  neck  were  cast  in  a  single  shell.  The  body  was  formed 
of  plates  10  by  12  in.  and  6  in.  thick,  built  up  in  the  form  of 
walls  and  cooled  a  foot  at  a  time.  The  temple  erected  the  fol- 
lowing year  to  shelter  it  was  soon  burned.  The  present  colossal 
structure  (one  of  a  long  dynasty)  dates  from  1913  —  at  which 
time  the  image  was  cleaned  and  renovated.  The  head  was  so 
badly  damaged  by  one  of  the  early  fires  that  it  was  replaced 
in  1183  by  a  new  one.  The  fine  old  octagonal  bronze  lantern 
of  pierced  and  chiseled  work  dates  from  this  period  and  is 
strongly  suggestive  of  Assyrio-Byzantine  art.  Note  the  curious 
bronze  slab  (called  Hokke-mandara),  with  its  sometime  thou- 
sand figurines  of  Buddha  now  badly  disfigured  by  time.  — 
The  golden  halo  which  backs  the  idol  is  enriched  with  numer- 
ous divinities  of  the  Buddhist  pantheon.  —  The  two  immense 
Nid  in  the  loggia  of  the  great  gateway  are  marvels  of  anatomi- 
cal fidelity  and  are  instinct  with  martial  vitality.  They  are 
often  referred  to  as  the  best  examples  extant  of  the  splendid 
sculpture  of  the  early  Nara  school.  They  differ  slightly  from 
those  one  sees  in  other  parts  of  Japan,  and  are  perhaps  authen- 
tic specimens  of  the  work  of  Unkei  and  his  master  Kwaikei. 
The  absurd  stone  lions  at  the  back  of  the  loggias  are  (perhaps) 
12th-cent.  Chinese  work.  The  whimsical  Binzuru,  who  is  here 
shown  laughing  like  a  toothless  grandmamma,  dates  from  the 
same  remote  era. 

The  Kaidai-in  (PI.  C,  2),  an  ancient  Buddhist  temple  in  the 
old  Nara  style  of  architecture,  with  beams  embedded  in  the 
plastered  walls,  and  a  superimposed  roof  bristling  with  scowl- 
ing demon  antefixes,  stands  on  a  hill  a  short  distance  at  the 
left  of  the  Daibutsu  (temple  office  at  the  right  near  the  Dai- 
butsu  gate,  where  application  for  admission  must  be  made), 
and  was  founded  about  a.d.  740  by  the  bonze  Rydben,  It  un- 
derwent extensive  reparation  in  1912  but  much  of  its  primitive 
charm  remains.  The  interior  differs  from  all  others  in  Nara  in 
that  from  a  narrow  ambulatory  which  runs  quite  round  it 
there  rises  a  little  terrace  reached  by  numerous  flights  of  steps, 
and  above  this  a  wide  plinth  or  platform  approached  by  other 
steps.  The  whole  forms  a  curious  ensemble  and  reminds  one  of 
the  teocalli  of  the  ancient  Aztecs.  In  the  center  of  the  platform 
is  a  large  and  handsome  mahogany-colored,  stupa-shaped, 
double-roofed  shrine  (taho-td)  richly  embellished  with  ascend- 
ing and  descending  sculptured  dragons,  and  containing  in  its 


562   Route  84. 


The  Shoso-in. 


gilded  recess  two  small  seatejcLfigures  of  Shaka  and  Miroku  — 
now  dark  with  age  and  saicTto  have  belonged  to  Rydben  him- 
self. Guarding  the  corners  of  this  platform  are  curious  Shi- 
tenno  modeled  in  clay  by  Tori  Busshi.  Formerly  on  receiving 
the  appointment  of  chief  priest  to  the  Todaiji,  it  was  custom- 
ary to  ascend  to  this  platform  and  fast  in  silence  for  21  days! 

The  *Sh6s6-in  (PI.  C,  1),  a  unique  depository  of  ancient  and 
valued  relics  belonging  to  the  Japanese  Imperial  Household, 
stands  in  an  isolated  position  J  M.  N.W.  of 'the  Daibutsu,  in 
the  Todaiji  grounds,  guarded  by  military  and  unapproachable 
even  by  the  medium  of  weighty  tips.  Unfortunately  it  is 
closed  to  all  except  persons  of  the  highest  rank,  and  then  only 
in  Oct.  when  the  treasury  is  opened  for  the  purpose  of  airing 
the  contents.  Though  tawdry  and  humble  in  appearance,  and 
bearing  a  strong  resemblance  to  a  rambling  old  barn,  it  is  one 
of  the  oldest  and  most  remarkable  museums  of  the  world.  It 
is,  as  the  name  implies  (Shoso  —  solitary;  in  —  building),  the 
single,  or  Chief  Depository,  albeit  at  first  it  consisted  of  two 
separate  buildings,  called  the  Two  Depositories.  Subsequently 
a  connecting  apartment  was  made  to  join  them,  and  the  three, 
before  they  were  thrown  into  a  single  structure,  were  called 
Mitsugura,  or  the  Three  Depositories.  The  critical  eye  of  the 
architect  will  not  fail  to  note  the  somewhat  curious  inner  con- 
struction, and  the  absence  of  the  triangular  timbers  of  the 
middle  section.  The  date  of  the  erection  of  the  first  building 
is  not  known,  but  it  is  believed  to  have  been  completed  as 
a  temple  storehouse  coincidently  with  the  original  structure 
which  housed  the  great  Daibutsu  (see  above).  The  northern 
and  middle  apartments  originally  contained  the  treasures  do- 
nated to  the  Buddha  of  the  Todaiji  by  the  Imperial  House- 
hold (to  which  it  belonged),  and  from  which  permission  had  to 
be  obtained  before  the  treasures  could  be  inspected  or  removed. 
The  doors  were  sealed  with  slips  of  paper  on  which  the  Imperial 
name  was  written,  as  a  sort  of  sign  manual  in  the  handwriting 
of  His  Majesty  the  Mikado,  and  when  an  examination  was 
made,  or  the  relics  aired,  Imperial  messengers  or  ambassadors 
were  dispatched  for  the  purpose  (a  custom  which  still  obtains). 
The  S.  department  was  used  by  the  ecclesiastics  for  other  and 
less  valuable  temple  treasures  and  ornaments,  and  the  door 
thereto  was  sealed  by  slips  of  paper  signed  by  the  chief  priests. 
Many  years  sometimes  passed  without  the  Imperial  seals  being 
disturbed,  and  the  Imperial  records  contain  minute  details 
concerning  the  function  or  ceremony  of  opening  the  building. 
When  the  Imperial  Household  terminated  its  relations  with 
the  Todaiji  officers,  the  structure  and  its  contents  passed 
under  the  sole  care  of  that  department  of  the  Gov't. 

Although  repeated  fires  have  scourged  the  buildings  in  the 
Todaiji  compound,  and  sanguinary  battles  between  priests 
and  laymen,  politicasters  and  proletarians  have  raged  round 


The  Shoso-in.  NARA  34.  Route.  563 

the  Shoso-in  inclosure,  the  inviolability  of  the  sacred  seals  has 
never  been  broken.  In  this  it  is  perhaps  unparalleled  in  the  * 
annals  of  the  world.  The  fact  that  this  flimsy  wooden  build- 
ing, in  a  relatively  isolated  position,  could  pass  through  the 
vicissitudes  of  more  than- 1160  yrs.  and  be  protected  solely  by  a 
few  soldiers  and  a  paper  seal  bearing  the  signatures  of  a  long 
dynasty  of  emperors,  is  unique.  Equally  significant  is  the 
fact  that  after  so  great  a  lapse  of  time  the  precious  relics  of 
the  early  life-history  of  the  nation  should  be  preserved  intact, 
and  agree  in  the  minutest  detail  with  the  list  that  was  made  of 
them  more  than  a  millennium  ago.  The  thought  suggests  a 
special  sort  of  phenomenon  peculiarly  applicable  to  Japan  — 
but  one  indubitably  aided  by  the  fact  that  no  iconoclastic 
aliens  have  ever  successfully  invaded  and  overrun  the  country. 
The  date  of  the  most  ancient  airing  and  examination  of  the 
relics  occurred  in  a.d.  787  and  is  confirmed  by  documentary 
proof.  The  building  was  opened  again  in  793,  811,  and  856, 
and  then  no  record  is  had  of  any  opening  until  1090.  It  was 
repaired  in  1193,  and  opened  again  for  inspection  in  1230-37- 
39,  and  in  1242.  Lightning  struck  the  N.  end  in  1254  and  some 
of  the  underpinning  was  scorched;  according  to  the  records 
kept  by  the  Todaiji,  a  dragon-god  appeared  and  extinguished 
the  fire,  and  in  appreciation  thereof  the  dragon-shrine  called 
Sugimoto  was  erected  within  the  compound.  In  1258  the 
exhibit  again  saw  the  light  of  day,  and  in  1261  the  Ex- Em- 
peror Go-Saga  inspected  the  lot  and  took  out  a  priestly  robe. 
Tradition  avers  that  he  was  severely  reprimanded  in  a  dream 
and  that,  conscience-smitten,  he  returned  it.  It  was  not  until 
the  15th  year  of  Meiji  that  the  articles  were  arranged  system- 
atically, on  shelves  and  in  cases.  Certain  damaged  ones  were 
repaired  about  this  time,  and  facsimiles  of  some  of  the  oldest 
and  best  objects  made. 

The  wooden,  tile-roofed  structure  faces  E.,  is  9  ft.  above  the 
ground,  30  ft.  high,  measures  108  ft.  10|  in.  from  N.  to  S., 
and  is  31  ft.  2J  in.  wide.  The  interior  is  divided  into  three  so- 
called  departments  (with  an  attic),  the  North,  Middle,  and 
South;  each  has  its  own  entrance,  with  double  swinging  doors 
that  open  inward  or  outward.  The  N.  and  S.  sections  are 
constructed  in  the  style  of  an  azekura  (granary)  with  triangu- 
lar timbers  (squared  balks  cut  diagonally)  laid  lengthwise  and 
crossed  at  the  corners.  When  the  building  is  opened  for  the 
purpose  of  airing  the  contents,#a  temporary  portable  balcony 
is  erected  alongside  the  three  rooms,  and  a  short  flight  of  steps 
made  to  reach  it ;  both  are  removed  when  it  is  closed  and  sealed. 
The  roof  is  visible  above  the  low  fence  which  girdles  the  in- 
closure. The  ancient  document  ( Kemmotsucho,  or  Memoran- 
dum of  Things  Donated)  recording  the  establishment  of  the 
reliquary  and  containing  other  important  matters  of  the  re- 
mote epoch,  is  supplemented  by  numerous  additional  papers 


564    Route  84. 


NARA 


The  Shoso-in. 


in  the  possession  of  the  Household  Department  of  the  Imperial 
'Gov't.  Here  also  may  be  seen  the  official  catalogue  {Tbyei 
Shuko),  published  by  the  Shimbi  Shoin,  of  Tokyo.  A  few 
facsimile  specimens  of  the  articles  preserved  in  the  Shoso- 
in  are  on  exhibition  at  the  Imperial  Museum  in  Uyeno  Park, 
Tokyo. 

The  Relics  cover  a  wide  range  of  artistic  endeavor.  Time 
has  not  dealt  kindly  with  many  of  them,  and  few  are  as  beau- 
tiful as  the  objects  produced  by  present-day  craftsmen.  The 
most  highly  prized  are  those  left  by  the  Emperor  Shomu,  col- 
lected by  the  Empress  Komyo  at  his  death  and  presented  to 
the  Todaiji  Buddha.  The  prayer  and  the  list  which  accom- 
panied the  gift  are  curious  documents,  with  the  date  26th  day, 
6th  month,  and  8th  year  of  the  Tempyb-shbho,  signed  by  the 
Empress  and  bearing  489  impressions  of  the  Emperor's  Seal, 
beside  a  long  list  of  signatures  of  temple  officials.  Interesting 
among  the  objects  are  the  round,  hexagonal,  octagonal,  and 
12-sided  mirrors  in  white  bronze,  silver,  and  iron;  decorated 
with  birds,  dragons,  and  other  mythological  beasts,  flowers, 
landscapes,  human  figures,  and  the  like.  Some  have  madre- 
perl  inlaid  in  the  polished  backs  (Korean  work);  others  cloi- 
sonne and  lacquered  figures.  Certain  of  those  which  have  been 
excluded  from  the  light  and  moisture  during  a  thousand  years 
are  as  sharp  and  clear  in  outline  as  when  they  came  from  the 
mould!  Some  are  of  Chinese  origin  and  date  from  the  Sui 
(589  to  618)  and  Tang  (618  to  908)  Dynasties.  Those  with  the 
grape  designs  are  almost  exact  copies  of  the  mirrors  of  the 
Han  Dynasty  (b.c.  202  to  a.d.  221),  but  date  probably  from 
the  time  of  the  Tang  Princes.  Those  with  the  gold  and  silver 
designs  on  the  backs  are  heidatsu-work,  and  those  with  the 
backs  covered  with  thin  plates  of  silver  on  which  delicate 
images  are  traced,  gin-hai.  The  cloisonne  backs  are  not  toJDe 
found  now,  and  undoubtedly  are  exclusive  products  of  one  of 
the  most  ancient  of  the  Japanese  arts. 

The  Musical  Instruments  are  chiefly  of  Chinese  origin, 
excepting  the  few  Korean  harps  (koto,  or  Shinra-kin,  from 
Shinra,  one  of  the  four  contemporary  kingdoms  of  ancient 
Korea)  made  of  Paulownia  wood  with  decorative  figures  done 
in  cut-leaf  of  gold  —  but  now  so  badly  worn  and  time-stained 
that  only  a  faint  trace  of  their  former  beauty  is  visible.  Among 
the  Chinese  instruments  are  some  seven-stringed  koto,  4-  (or 
5-)  stringed  biwa,  4-stringed  gertkan  (or  Gekkin,  from  the  name 
of  its  originator),  several  kinds  of  flutes  (the  ones  with  a  clus- 
ter of  reeds  are  called  Sho,  those  made  of  a  single  piece  of  bam- 
boo and  blown  at  the  end  are  Shakuhachi),  harps,  drums  with 
porcelain  bodies,  plectrums  for  the  biwa  (lute),  and  so  on. 
Certain  of  the  latter  are  made  of  sandalwood  and  are  decorated 
with  figures  of  nacre  inlaid;  others  are  of  maple  dyed  (red) 
with  sapan-wood  and  decorated  with  madreperl  insets,  while 


The  Shoso-in.  (^NARA  34.  Route.  565 

still  others  are  of  mulberry.  Those  which  carry  ornaments  of 
tortoise-shell  glued  to  the  body  are  skillfully  made  and  attrac- 
tive. One  of  the  plectrums  is  made  of  ivory  dyed  crimson  and 
engraved  so  as  to  produce  effective  figures  in  white  (termed 
Bachiru  engraving),  while  another  is  of  sandalwood  carrying 
figurines  formed  of  gold  and  silver  paint.  The  flutes  are  usu- 
ally of  Chinese  and  spotted  bamboo,  covered  with  black  lac- 
quer and  not  unfrequently  decorated  with  heidatsu  figures  in 
gold  and  silver;  the  long  mouthpieces  are  relics  of  early  times 
and  are  now  not  employed.  Quite  unusual  are  the  decorations 
on  the  stone,  ivory,  and  bamboo  flutes  of  curious  models,  with 
floral  designs  skillfully  and  painstakingly  engraved.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  certain  of  these  instruments  are  unique  survivors, 
since  they  are  not  to  be  found  in  any  other  part  of  the  world. 
Even  the  models  seem  to  have  been  destroyed. 

The  old  Masks,  of  which  there  are  upward  of  160,  date 
from  the  Nara  epoch  and  many  were  perhaps  used  at  the  cere- 
monial inauguration  of  the  Great  Bronze  Buddha;  on  the  in- 
side of  certain  of  them  are  the  names  of  the  artisans  who  made 
them,  the  date,  the  uses  to  which  they  were  put,  etc.  Some 
are  made  of  carved  wood,  others  of  hemp  fiber  compressed 
and  dyed;  both  styles  are  decorated  with  polychrome  designs, 
and  some  have  hair,  eyebrows,  and  beard  inserted.  A  wonder- 
ful fidelity  to  nature  and  an  extraordinary  variety  of  expres- 
sion characterize  the  collection,  which  was  manifestly  made 
by  half  a  score  or  more  different  artisans,  since  as  many  names 
are  inscribed  on  them  and  as  many  differences  in  skill  are  ap- 
parent. Side  by  side  with  demon  masks,  with  long  noses,  impos- 
sible ears,  and  ferocious,  glowering  faces,  are  others  of  amiable 
priests,  laughing  boys  and  girls,  garrulous  crones,  whistlers, 
puling  infants,  and  angry  gods  the  veins  of  whose  suffused  faces 
stand  out  like  whipcords,  and  from  whose  lifelike  eyes  dart 
beams  of  withering  wrath.  Many  of  them  bear  some  allusion 
to  Buddhism,  and  not  a  few  picture  Hindu  divinities  with  Jap- 
anese attributes. 

The  Games  played  in  the  early  Nara  period  are  illustrated 
by  various  boards  and  accessories.  At  that  time  sugoroku  (a 
kind  of  backgammon)  was  more  popular  than  the  present  go, 
and  certain  of  the  boards  are  beautiful  examples  of  madreperl 
inlay;  the  disks  are  of  ivory.  The  ^o-boards,  of  mulberry 
sandalwood,  are  marked  out  with  ivory  and  decorated  with 
ivory,  tortoise-shell,  nacre,  etc.  Conspicuous  among  the  cos- 
tumes are  the  ceremonial  robes  and  moleskin  belt  of  the  Em- 
peror Shomu,  with  numerous  theatrical  robes  of  the  period.- 
The  Imperial  shoes  were  of  the  Chinese  style  decorated  with 
gold,  pearls,  and  precious  jewels.  In  one  section  there  is  a  mis- 
cellaneous collection  of  brushes,  India-ink,  ink-stones,  scepters, 
carpets,  pillows,  some  sword-canes,  an  assortment  of  small 
swords  and  sheath-knives  and  a  familiar  set  comprising  several 


566    Route  84. 


NARA 


The  Shdsd~in. 


blades,  a  file,  a  gimlet,  and  a  chisel.  The  assortments  of  incense- 
burners  and  fire-bowls  differ  but  little  in  shape  and  materials 
from  those  of  modern  times,  but  the  folding  screens  embellished 
with  the  feathers  of  birds  bear  a  singular  likeness  to  Hawaiian 
and  Aztec  work.  The  faces  and  hands  of  the  human  figures 
are  painted  in  colors,  the  feathers  being  used  to  depict  the 
clothing.  The  art  came  to  Japan  from  China  in  the  7th  cent., 
and  Reman  Cortez  found  it  developed  to  a  high  degree  of  per- 
fection by  the  Purapecha  Indians  of  Michoacan  State,  when  he 
invaded  Mexico  in  1519-20.  One  of  the  screens  dates  from  the 
8th  year  of  the  Tempyo-shoho  (a.d.  757).  Among  other  prized 
relics  of  this  era  are  two  bronze  statuettes  of  Buddha;  a  curious 
bosatsu  painted  in  monochrome  on  hemp  cloth;  some  lotus 
flowers  of  leather  each  with  32  petals  painted  with  resplendent 
human  figures,  flowers,  and  birds;  and  numerous  articles  of 
gold,  silver,  white  bronze,  copper,  brass,  sahari  (a  bell-metal 
compounded  of  copper,  lead,  and  tin),  iron,  tin,  etc.  Some  are 
hammered,  some  cast,  and  not  a  few  skillfully  and  attractively 
finished.  Certain  of  the  bowls,  plates,  drinking-cups,  incense- 
burners,  flagons,  etc.,  are  decorated  with  precious  jewels  set  in, 
and  a  tracery  so  fine  and  delicate  that  they  equal  modern  work. 

Among  the  Weapons  of  quaint  designs  are  many  antique 
bows  (yumi)  with  quivers  of  feathered  arrows,  the  feathers 
being  tipped  with  the  wings  of  iridescent  beetles.  Some  of  the 
bows  are  made  of  catalpa  (the  American  Indian  term  for  the 
species  cultivated  in  Japan  under  the  name  azusa),  and  are 
called  Azusa-yumi  (a  word  often  used  in  connection  with  the 
fidelity  and  fortitude  of  samurai).  The  arrows  with  ball  heads 
are  called  kabura  (turnip)  from  their  resemblance  to  this  vege- 
table. Among  the  many  swords  are  straight  ones,  of  a  Chinese 
type,  beautifully  inlaid  with  gold,  silver,  and  copper.  The 
scarcity  of  iron  in  Old  Japan  caused  it  to  be  ranked  with  the 
semi-precious  metals,  and  it  is  seen  here  superimposed  on 
many  brilliant  surfaces.  Rhinoceros-horn,  aloe-  and  sandal- 
wood, and  shark-skin  form  the  covering  of  many  of  the  sword- 
hilts,  the  sheaths  being  coated  chiefly  with  lacquer  with  lith- 
arge paintings  of  birds,  flowers,  etc.  The  collection  comprises 
many  javelins  (teboko)  with  straight  heads  and  staffs  wound 
with  cord.  Those  with  the  oddly  curved  heads  were  peculiar 
to  the  time,  and  are  not  seen  now.  Among  the  host  of  boxes 
of  all  sizes  are  many  of  Korean  workmanship  differing  but 
little  from  that  of  the  present.  As  a  rule  they  are  stiff  and 
awkward  and  not  unlike  certain  12th- and  13th-cent.  reliquaries 
of  European  make,  except  that  the  tops  are  flat  instead  of  being 
arched,  and  the  madreperl  and  other  embellishments  are  set 
in  instead  of  showing  in  low  relief.  The  gold  and  silver  designs 
stamped  on  the  leather-work  on  certain  of  the  boxes  are  curi- 
ously like  the  early  Spanish-Moorish  work,  the  archaic  figures 
accentuating  the  resemblance.    Note  the  fine  and  delicate 


TheShdsd-in.  (     NARA  84.  Route.  567 

mirror-box  made  of  lacquered  leather  adorned  with  tortoise- 
shell  and  further  embellished  with  heidatsu  figures  in  gold  and 
silver.  A  box  made  of  aloe-wood  is  inlaid  with  wood  figures; 
another  shows  such  a  skillful  manipulation  of  litharge  that  a 
millennium  has  not  dimmed  it.  A  bizarre  specimen  of  early 
Hindu  work  is  a  box  of  aloe-wood  painted  and  covered  with  a 
thin  sheet  of  crystal,  on  an  ivory  stand  with  incised  floral  de- 
signs. Near  this  is  one  ornamented  with  the  carapace  of  a  tor- 
toise with  outlines  of  gold  and  silver,  and  with  tiny  lozenge- 
shaped  wood  plates,  resting  on  an  engraved  ivory  stand.  One 
of  the  most  striking  in  the  collection  is  a  small  box  of  petrified 
wood  with  gold-dust  painting,  the  grain  of  the  wood  being  out- 
lined with  fine  gold  pencilings.  Many  of  the  boxes  have  gold 
or  silver  locks,  and  rich  brocade  linings,  and  were  made  man- 
ifestly to  hold  articles  of  priestly  craft  —  the  peculiar  baton 
(often  of  jadeite)  carried  by  Buddhist  priests  and  called  nyoi; 
the  shubi,  or  ceremonial  brush,  the  trident  symbolical  of  con- 
dign punishment,  etc.  Curious  among  these  are  some  of  sharp 
and  wonderfully  preserved  iron,  larger  than  those  used  at  pres- 
ent, made  at  a  period  when  they  were  used  as  material  as  well 
as  spiritual  weapons. 

The  Buddhist  Sutras  are  inferior  to  other  collections  in 
the  Empire,  and  are  much  less  attractive  than  those  preserved 
at  Kdya-san.  The  Buddhist  images  carved  of  wood  or  cast 
in  bronze  differ  from  modern  work  only  in  the  Hindu  or  Chi- 
nese features  —  indicative  of  their  foreign  origin.  The  many 
bells  of  an  alloy  of  copper  and  gold  are  said  to  have  formed 
part  of  the  decoration  of  the  Daibutsu  at  the  time  of  the  in- 
augural ceremony.  Noteworthy  among  the  numerous  altar 
fitments  is  an  unusually  fine  silver  bowl  (one  of  the  choicest 
pieces  in  the  museum)  portraying  a  hunting  scene,  the  delicate 
engraving  of  which  is  carried  all  over  the  outer  surface.  The 
constant  recurrence  of  rhinoceros-horn  as  the  medium  out  of 
which  so  many  of  these  ancient  articles  were  fashioned  points 
as  much  to  the  taste  of  the  epoch  as  to  their  Indian  origin. 
Agate,  crystal,  and  plain  glass  figure  largely  in  the  materials 
composing  the  cups,  jugs,  flasks,  sake-cups,  and  what-not  dis- 
played in  one  case,  where  there  are  also  a  number  of  bizarre 
flagons  with  big  bodies  and  small  mouths,  and  foreign  bottles 
in  braided  cases,  lacquered  or  decorated  with  birds,  beasts,  or 
flowers.  Among  the  archaic  jugs  and  pitchers  are  some  of  dark 
bronze  covered  with  the  fine  patina  of  a  thousand  years.  The 
lifeless  conventionalism  in  the  antique  style  of  decoration  of 
certain  of  these  objects  is  very  striking;  the  mouth  of  one  of 
the  pitchers  is  that  of  the  human  face,  with  a  further  resem- 
blance worked  out  in  a  crude  way.  Another  shows  the  heavy 
beak  of  some  bird  of  prey,  and  still  another  the  imperfect  con- 
ception and  the  unskilled  handling  of  both  tools  and  medium 
in  an  art  far  from  its  present  development. 


568    Route  84.  NARA  The  Shoso-in. 


The  collection  of  Ancient  Pottery  embraces  more  unique 
and  uncopied  specimens  than  any  other  in  Japan.  Age  and 
ugliness  are  their  most  striking  characteristics.  Here  one  may 
see  genuine  specimens  of  very  early  Korean  and  Chinese 
wares,  certain  of  the  latter  covered  with  a  green  spotted 
enamel  popular  in  the  opening  years  of  the  Christian  era.  The 
specimens  of  unpolished  cloisonne  (nagashi-jippo)  date  from 
the  8th  cent,  and  are  among  the  earliest  known  pieces  of  cloi- 
sonne enamel  preserved  in  Japan.  Those  with  floral  designs 
in  colors  separated  by  cloison  outlines  in  fine  gold  wire,  with 
brilliant  green,  reddish-brown,  and  indigo  enamels,  date  from 
a  later  period.  —  The  assortment  of  embroideries  and  woven 
stuffs  has  not  improved  with  age.  The  brocades  are  chiefly 
Chinese,  and  are  badly  faded.  The  rarest  among  them  is  a 
tapestry  (perhaps  of  Persian  origin)  depicting  foreigners  on 
horseback  hunting  lions.  There  are  numerous  fragments  of 
priestly  robes,  Indian  carpets,  etc.  The  old  horse-trappings 
bear  all  the  ear-marks  of  Chinese  influence,  and  the  saddle  is 
indisputably  Mongolian.  The  latter  is  decorated  with  cloud 
shapes  painted  in  gold  and  silver  dust,  the  seat  is  covered  with 
a  silk  brocade  cushion,  and  the  queer  old  stirrups,  of  black  iron 
with  silver  inlays  of  birds  and  flowers,  are  shaped  to  fit  Chi- 
nese shoes.  —  In  one  apartment  is  a  collection  of  crude  agri- 
cultural implements,  and  tools  used  in  various  industries.  The 
plough  was  evidently  made  for  a  museum,  since  it  is  of  wood 
and  iron,  with  crimson  handles  and  floral  adornments  amid  gold 
and  silver  clouds.  The  specimens  of  calligraphy  near  by,  as 
well  as  the  old  flags  and  other  articles,  are  preserved  purely 
for  their  historic  associations.  The  lacquer  pieces  are  of  in- 
terest chiefly  because  the  heidatsu  method  employed  in  their 
decoration  is  much  superior  to  present-day  work.  It  consisted 
of  laying  pieces  of  gold  or  silver  foil  upon  the  surface  of  the 
lacquer,  coating  them,  then  rubbing  the  lacquer  until  the  metal 
reappeared  near  the  surface.  The  thin  sheets  were  often  em- 
bellished with  hair-line  drawings  executed  with  astonishing 
skill.  The  many  relics  showing  this  form  of  art-work  are  highly 
prized. 

The  articles  at  once  best  preserved  and  of  the  greatest  in- 
trinsic beauty  are  those  fashioned  of  Semi-precious  Stones 
(gyoku),  many  of  cryptocrystalline  quartz,  and  all  perhaps  of 
Chinese  origin.  Chalcedony  flutes,  tall  chalice-shaped  drink- 
ing-cups,  many  beautiful  trays,  sard  cups,  and  objects  engraved 
with  refinement  and  skill,  characterize  the  collection,  which, 
because  of  the  beauty  of  the  medium  and  the  archaic  designs, 
appeals  strongly  to  the  lover  of  glyptics.  Accompanying  the 
exhibit  is  a  lot  of  early  European  glassware  —  drinking-cups, 
bottles,  dishes,  etc.,  white  and  colored.  Certain  of  the  bowls 
carry  incised  figures  like  the  patterns  on  a  tortoise-shell,  while 
the  cups  are  adorned  with  leaves,  fishes,  and  the  like.  It  is 


Nanen-dd.  NARA  34.  Route.  569 

thought  that  this  rare  and  perhaps  unique  7th-  and  8th-cent. 
Roman  work  was  brought  to  China  by  Persian  trading-ships, 
or  from  Central  Asia  by  caravan.  The  white  agate  articles  are 
Chinese,  as  are  also  the  amber  objects  and  the  fish-shaped 
toys.  The  Japanese  crystal  balls,  several  of  which  are  unfin- 
ished, are  not  noteworthy.  Beside  the  above  there  are  hosts  of 
minor  articles  too  numerous  to  catalogue. 

The  K6fuku-ji  (PI.  B,  2),  a  Buddhist  temple  (Hosso  sect), 
long  known  as  one  of  the  richest  reliquaries  of  wood  sculpture 
in  Japan,  is  now  but  a  melancholy  simulacrum  of  a  one-time 
powerful  and  perhaps  splendid  institution.  It  was  founded 
originally  (by  Nakatomi  Kamatari  in  710)  as  the  Yamashina- 
dera,  at  Yamashinay  near  Kyoto.  Fujiwara  Fuhito  caused  it 
to  be  transported  bodily  to  Nara,  where  in  due  time  it  ac- 
quired fame  and  wealth.  In  the  Middle  Ages  it  possessed  a 
small  army  of  hired  mercenaries  who  on  more  than  one  occasion 
carried  disorder  and  confusion  as  far  as  the  Palace  gates  at 
Kyoto.  The  original  structure  was  burned  along  with  many 
of  its  art  treasures  in  1717,  some  of  the  statues  that  were  saved 
being  taken  at  the  time  to  Kyoto,  Tokyo,  and  to  other  places 
in  Nara.  While  those  which  remain  are  masterpieces,  time  has 
dealt  no  less  leniently  with  them  than  with  the  militant  bro- 
therhood that  once  prayed  to  them.  The  Kondo,  a  dumpy, 
ugly  building  with  a  superimposed  roof  smaller  than  the  under 
one,  has  an  interior  so  humble  that  the  ambulatory  is  of  plain 
dirt,  and  the  beams  are  merely  rough-hewn.  The  images  oc- 
cupy a  sort  of  granite  plinth  3  ft.  or  more  above  the  floor,  and 
are  so  large  that  they  leave  scant  room  for  aught  else.  The 
immense  gilded  and  seated  image  of  Shaka  is  flanked  by  the 
customary  group  of  inexorable  demon-quelling  guardians,  con- 
spicuous among  them  (right)  a  Senju-Kwannon  in  the  act  of 
benediction,  and  at  the  right  of  this  a  Yakuo-bosatsu.  The 
smaller  Amida  at  the  left  is  flanked  by  Yakujd,  a  companion 
figure  to  that  at  the  right.  The  gayly  decorated,  enshrined 
figure  is  Benten.  The  extraordinarily  expressive  martial  stat- 
ues of  the  Shi-tenno  at  the  4  corners  of  the  platform  are  as- 
cribed to  Unkei.  The  two  colossal  sculptured  heads  in  the 
natural  wood,  representing  Indra  and  Brama,  though  accred- 
ited by  the  priests  to  an  unknown  7th-cent.  Korean  carver, 
are  unmistakably  Japanese,  and  are  more  likely  the  work  of 
Unkei's  adept  pupil  Jokaku.  The  smaller  images  of  Jizo,  Ho- 
nen  Shonin,  etc.,  are  mediocre. 

The  Nanen-do  (PI.  B,  2),  an  octagonal  shrine  (9th  in  the  list 
of  the  33  holy  places  sacred  to  Kwannon)  with  a  tiled  roof, 
demon  antefixes,  and  a  hoshu-no-tama,  contains  some  notable 
statuary,  conspicuous  among  which  is  a  huge  seated  Kwannon 
(attributed  to  Kokei,  sl  contemporary  of  Unkei)  on  a  plat- 
form said  (erroneously)  to  have  been  erected  by  Kobo-Daishi. 
The  Gods  of  the  Four  Directions  are  worth  looking  at,  but 


570    Route  34.  NARA  Tokon-dd. 

they  are  less  noteworthy  than  the  six  images  (perhaps  by 
Kwaikei)  of  seated  priests  who  '  in  ample  robes,  which  spread 
about  them  in  supple  folds,  holding  censers  in  their  hands, 
carry  on  their  meditations  and  their  prayers  in  the  shadow  of 
this  retreat.  Their  faces  have  a  very  individual  force  of  ex- 
pression, their  glass  eyes  all  the  intensity  of  life.  The  lines 
of  the  mouth  show  such  a  resigned  bitterness,  the  veins  of  the 
forehead  so  much  knowledge,  that  it  makes  one  uneasy  to  feel 
all  these  keen  looks  encountering  one's  own,  penetrating  one 
with  all  the  mute  interrogation  which  the  meditation  of  cen- 
turies has  enriched  with  such  profound  thought.  One  of  them 
has  a  proud,  energetic  countenance,  calm  and  steadfast,  en- 
visaging life  with  a  direct  gaze;  another,  with  clasped  hands,  is 
a  sublime  representation  of  fervent  prayer  in  his  intense  con- 
centration of  all  the  powers  of  thought ;  yet  another,  with  pain- 
fully contracted  features,  is  pathetic,  a  poor,  distracted  soul, 
seeking  some  moral  standpoint  earnestly  desired  and  fervently 
implored.  All  these  statues  are  haunting  in  their  expressive 
beauty  and  plastic  nobility.  They  are  among  the  purest  and 
most  beautiful  sculptures  in  the  world,  the  most  grandiose  in 
their  breadth  and  simplicity,  the  most  touching  in  their  inti- 
mate sincerity.  They  show  us  that  prior  to  the  Kamakura 
period  an  admirable  art  flourished  in  Japan  under  the  Fuji- 
wara  of  the  11th  and  12th  centuries.'  (Gaston  Migeon.)  —  Fac- 
ing the  Nanen-do,  across  the  park,  is  the  weather-beaten  old 

Tokon-do,  dedicated  to  Yakushi-Nyorai  and  containing  a 
figure  of  this  divinity  backed  by  a  strikingly  handsome  gilded 
mandorla  enriched  with  a  host  of  figurines  sculptured  in  low 
relief.  The  flanking  images  are  the  Indian  goddess,  Benzaiten, 
and  Taishaku,  the  Brahman  Indra.  The  excellently  carved 
Shi-tenno,  and  the  two  huge  figures  of  Amida-butsu  against  the 
wall,  are  too  good  for  their  tawdry  environment.  Facing  this 
edifice  is  a  curious  old  pine  tree  (called  the  Hana-no-matsuy 
or  flowering  pine)  said  to  have  been  planted  by  Kobo-Daishi 
nearly  1100  yrs.  ago!  The  wide-spreading  branches,  nearly  100 
ft.  long,  are  upheld  by  stout  poles,  and  the  tree  is  a  worthy 
rival  of  the  Karasaki  Pine  which  overlooks  Lake  Biwa. 

The  big  neutral-tinted,  5-storied  Pagoda,  165  ft.  high, 
which  rises  near  by  from  a  granite  plinth  54  ft.  sq.  and  which 
is  surmounted  by  a  bronze  demon-arrester,  dates  from  1462 
(30  yrs.  before  Columbus  discovered  America)  and  occupies 
the  site  of  an  ancient  one  erected  sometime  during  the  8th 
cent.  The  peculiar  architectural  features  of  its  prototype 
have  been  followed  in  this  one,  which,  with  its  rakish  uptilted 
roof  corners,  its  double  demon  antefixes,  bronze  wind-bells, 
and  the  like,  possesses  a  jaunty  air  which  belies  its  great  age. 
The  smaller,  3-storied  pagoda,  near  by,  was  erected  at  a  much 
later  period. 

The  traveler  with  time  to  spare  may  elect  to  obtain  a  card 


The  Museum.  I      NARA)  84.  Route.  571 


of  admission  from  the  hotel  manager  and  visit  Mr.  T.  Sekki's 
attractive  little  Landscape  Garden,  not  far  from  the  museum. 
There  is  an  upper  and  lower  pond,  quaint  bridges,  a  tea-house 
in  the  sedate  cha-no-yu  style,  a  lotus-pool,  iris-bed,  banks  of 
azaleas,  a  host  of  lovely  cherry  blooms  in  April,  and  scarlet- 
coated  maples  in  Nov.,  and  a  near-by  rose-garden  which  is  a 
delight  to  lovers  of  such.  It  is  a  delightful  retreat,  with  taste- 
ful walks  and  vistas,  and  a  charm  in  harmony  with  every 
season.  The  genial  owner  dwells  on  the  premises  in  an  ador- 
able little  house  to  which  foreign  visitors  are  welcome,  pro- 
viding they  will  sip  a  cup  of  tea  in  a  pretty  little  room  in  the 
formal  Japanese  style,  the  while  enjoying  from  the  balcony 
a  view  which  the  average  Occidental  would  not  deem  possible 
in  so  restricted  a  space. 

The  *Nara  Museum  ( Hakubutsu-kwan)  is  housed  (PL  C,  2) 
in  a  new  building  (open  from  9  to  4;  fee,  3  sen)  erected  spe- 
cially for  the  purpose  in  the  park  (10  min.  walk  from  the 
hotel)  and  contains  a  small  but  choice  collection  of  genuine 
antiquities  which  the  traveler  —  particularly  if  he  be  inter- 
ested in  glyptic  art  —  will  not  wish  to  miss.  It  has  been  re- 
ferred to  by  art  critics  as  one  of  the  richest  treasuries  of  wood 
sculpture  in  the  world,  and  albeit  some  of  the  wonderful  old 
masterpieces  of  Kobo-Daishi,  An-nami,  Koben,  the  great 
Uhkei  and  his  talented  son  Tokei,  etc.,  and  of  certain  Chinese 
and  Indian  sculptors  who  died  more  than  a  millennium  ago, 
are  badly  vermiculated  and  are  falling  into  decay,  they  have 
not  lost  all  their  extraordinary  charm. 

Nara  stands  in  the  front  rank  as  the  shrine  of  sculpture  in  Japan,  for  it 
was  in  and  near  the  old  capital  that  the  first  workshops  of  the  great  wood- 
carvers  and  bronze-founders  were  set  up,  not  a  few  of  them  in  the  shadow  of 
temples  and  monasteries,  or  under  Imperial  protection.  As  the  treasures 
turned  out  of  them  were  mostly  hieratic,  they  gravitated  naturally  into  the 
hands  of  priests  or  emperors,  which  accounts  for  the  fact  that  those  which 
have  come  down  to  us  to  form  the  nucleus  of  the  present  collection  have 
been  obtained  from,  or  loaned  by,  some  temple,  or  form  part  of  some  royal 
collection  or  group  regarded  as  national  treasures.  Many  of  them  are  superb 
and  satisfying  examples  of  a  unique  art  in  which  the  Japanese  have  ever 
been  preeminent,  and  in  which  the  early  masters  endeavored  to  give  form 
to  the  noble  visions  which  the  new  religion  of  Buddha  opened  to  them.  So 
perfect  was  the  skill  of  these  old  masters,  so  subtle  their  imagination,  and  so 
speedy  their  execution,  that  the  museum  (one  of  the  three  greatest  in  Japan) 
possesses  in  its  storerooms  ten  times  as  many  sculptured  wood  images  as 
they  have  room  to  display,  and  30  times  as  many  kakemonos  as  are  shown 
in  the  space  devoted  to  them.  While  the  display  of  statuary  is  practically 
permanent,  the  kakemonos  and  other  paintings  are  changed  about  every 
60  days  —  not  only  to  present  a  more  varied  assortment,  but  also  to  prevent 
their  ruin  by  strong  sunlight,  and  other  atmospheric  agencies. 

At  rare  intervals  certain  of  the  statues  or  other  relics  are  sent  to  the  Kyoto 
or  Tokyo  Museums,  thus  to  give  them  a  wider  circulation;  and  sometimes 
special  ones  are  returned  to  the  temples  to  which  they  belong.  Again,  certain 
public-spirited  men  place  private  collections  of  different  kinds  in  the  mu- 
seum for  a  time,  so  that  the  public  may  enjoy  them.  The  collection  of  paint- 
ings, in  kakemono  and  makemono  form,  by  artists  of  the  various  Chinese  and 
Japanese  schools,  is  less  valuable  than  those  in  the  Kyoto  and  Tokyo  Muse- 
ums. Some  of  the  bronzes  date  from  times  as  early  as  the  Suiko  period  (540- 


572    Route  34. 


NARA 


First  Room. 


645),  and  are  excellent  and  well-preserved  specimens  of  an  art  that  evidently 
sprang  up  soon  after  Japan's  definite  establishment  as  a  nation.  The  collec- 
tion is  practically  free  from  forgeries,  and  where  there  is  uncertainty  about 
the  authenticity  of  an  exhibit  it  is  carefully  noted.  The  classification  in 
both  Japanese  and  English  is  of  particular  benefit  to  the  bi-lingual  scholar, 
for  purposes  of  comparison,  etc.  In  rooms  set  apart  for  it  is  a  small  but 
excellent  collection  of  early  porcelains,  and  some  beautiful  little  gem-like 
shrines  well  worth  looking  at.  At  present  the  first  three  of  the  13  ground- 
floor  rooms  are  devoted  to  wood,  bronze,  lacquer,  and  allied  sculptures,  and 
they  are  by  far  the  most  interesting.  A  number  of  skilled  wood-carvers 
(some  of  them  the  direct  descendants  of  the  old-time  workers)  still  pursue 
their  profession  at  Nara,  and  they  are  referred  to  at  the  end  of  this  article.  — 
The  museum  officials  are  usually  willing  to  show  special  kakemonos,  etc., 
to  interested  persons  with  credentials. 

The  First  Room  contains  a  number  of  glass  cases  in  which 
the  ancient  sculptural  art  of  Yamato  is  seen  at  its  best ;  the  most 
striking  figures  (among  the  best  in  the  museum)  are  those  in 
the  huge  central  case ,  as  they  command  and  hold  the  attention 
by  their  oddity.  Certain  of  them  are  frankly  Hindu  in  char- 
acter, with  long,  straight  bodies,  flattish  faces,  pointed  ears, 
blunt  features,  thick  lips,  and  with  torsos  girded  with  strik- 
ingly graceful  drapery  that  falls  in  straight  folds  to  the  feet. 
Some  hold  vases  with  lotus  flowers  in  their  hands,  and  the 
imagination  easily  pictures  them  the  prototypes  of  the  original 
teachers  who  came  to  Japan  from  India  to  implant  more 
firmly  the  teachings  of  Buddha;  their  names  indicate  that  they 
were  saints  (bosatsus)  and  the  tall,  oddly  shaped  pierced  man- 
dorlas  which  rise  at  the  back  of  their  heads  confirm  this.  The 
most  singular  figure  in  the  motley  group  is  the  Kwanzeon-bo- 
satsu  (a  Buddhist  saint)  loaned  by  the  Horyu-ji;  a  tall,  willowy, 
sylph-like  figure  resembling  an  Egyptian  goddess,  of  carved 
wood  (sculptor  unknown)  with  excellently  chiseled  drapery 
that  falls  below  the  feet.  Of  almost  equal  merit  is  the  Kokuzo- 
bosatsu  (a  Buddhist  deity  that  resides  in  space;  one  of  the  per- 
sonifications of  wisdom)  at  the  left,  manifestly  by  the  same 
artist  and,  like  its  companion,  more  than  1200  yrs.  old.  The 
splendidly  vigorous  and  imposing  images  at  the  corners,  Kd- 
moku-ten,  Jikoku-ten,  Tamon-ten,  and  Zocho-ten,  the  four  great 
kings  that  protect  the  world  at  the  cardinal  points,  are  in- 
stinct with  fierce  energy  and  implacable  purpose,  and  along 
with  the  tall  figure  of  Fukuken  saku  are  the  sole  survivors  of  a 
bizarre  style  of  sculpture  popular  during  the  8th  cent.  The 
full-length  statues,  in  the  flat  wall-cases,  of  the  disciples  of 
Shaka,  are  manifestly  Hindu  and  are  ascribed  to  Mondoshi,  an 
8th-cent.  sculptor  of  Indian  origin.  They  are  noteworthy  ex- 
amples of  a  style  commonly  employed  prior  to  the  12th  cent. 
After  carving  a  figure  in  wood,  or  building  it  up  on  a  skeleton 
framework  (one  of  which  is  shown  in  the  case)  it  was  covered 
with  strong  canvas,  then  lacquered,  the  resulting  image  being 
light  and  practically  imperishable.  The  statues  in  one  of  the 
cases  wear  helmets  and  armor,  and  some  have  scarves  about 
their  loins.   Some  are  painted  and  lacquered  in  black  and  old 


First  Room.  \  NARA  84.  Route.  573 


gold  in  low,  rich  tones,  to  which  time  has  added  a  harmonious 
patina.  Ashura-o,  with  3  faces  and  6  slender  arms,  is  very- 
striking,  while  Kakura-o  (the  Indian  bird-god,  Garuda),  with 
a  beak  like  a  vulture,  is  strangely  like  certain  of  the  old  Aztec 
gods.  Kinara-o  has  Mongoloid  features,  and  Hiba-Kara-o  is 
distinctively  15th-cent.  Spanish.  All  the  figures  are  curious 
survivals  of  a  period  when  the  virile  martial  spirit  found  fre- 
quent expression  in  these  guardians  of  the  cherished  doctrines 
of  Buddha. 

The  figures  in  the  opposite  case  are  much  less  warlike; 
1  Rakora,  sl  gentle  and  ingenuous  figure,  with  closed  eyes  and 
folded  arms,  is  draped  in  an  ample  cloak  with  black  stripes, 
falling  in  supple  folds  over  a  red  skirt;  he  wears  wooden  shoes 
turned  up  at  the  toes.  Furona  is  a  figure  in  which  the  antique 
sentiment  of  the  finest  Greek  statues  appears:  the  mouth  is 
somewhat  full,  the  eyes  widely  opened,  the  naked  feet  display 
their  admirable  modeling  in  plaited  wood  sandals,  the  breast 
is  bare,  the  ribs  well  indicated  and  also  cunningly  modeled; 
a  mantle  passes  over  the  left  arm  in  superb  transversal  folds. 
Subodai,  with  a  round  head,  chubby  face,  and  bare  feet  in  san- 
dals, is  draped  in  a  full  striped  mantle,  from  which  the  supple 
left  hand  emerges.  Kasen-en  is  the  most  expressive  of  all:  he 
is  speaking  with  a  very  mournful  air ;  the  teeth  are  visible  be- 
tween the  parted  lips;  his  mantle  has  slipped  from  his  bare 
shoulders,  and,  passing  from  the  hip  over  the  left  wrist,  falls 
in  folds  no  sculptor  has  surpassed  in  nobility.  These  statues 
are  strangely  moving  in  their  grand  simplicity,  achieving  as 
they  do  the  expression  of  spiritual  life,  beauty  of  drapery  and 
attitude,  and  a  general  verity  so  absolute  that  no  ethnic  bar- 
riers interpose  between  our  emotion  and  theirs.'  (Gaston 
Migeon.)  —  Mokkeuren,  in  the  same  case,  is  sadly  mutilated, 
but  is  expressive.  The  curious  bronze  slab  (Hokke-mandara) 
in  one  of  the  cases  (a  precious  relic  which  dates  from  the  7th 
cent,  and  belongs  to  the  Hase-dera  Temple),  is  one  of  the  ear- 
liest examples  of  religious  bronze  work,  displaying  in  bas- 
relief  a  Buddhist  temple,  figures  of  the  Shi-tenno,  and  (for- 
merly) a  thousand  tiny  Buddhas  —  some  of  which  are  now 
effaced.  The  lower  right-hand  corner  has  been  broken  and 
replaced  by  a  strip  of  wood  quite  like  the  main  body.  The  old 
wood  masks  in  this  room  are  8th-cent.  work  and  are  worth 
looking  at.  The  model  of  the  5-story  pagoda  shows  the  early 
Nara  style  of  architecture,  with  beams  sunk  in  the  plaster. 
The  clay  figures  in  one  of  the  cases  belong  to  the  set  in  the 
pagoda  at  Horyu-ji  and  are  by  Tori  Busshi  (7th  cent.).  One 
of  the  bronze  statuettes  of  Kwanzeon-bosatsu  in  a  case  dates 
from  the  Suiko  period.  Another  bronze  considered  of  great 
worth  is  the  small  figure  of  Buddha  when  born  (rather  a  virile- 
looking  infant)  standing  by  a  big  bowl  in  the  central  case.  The 
seated  figure  of  the  priest  Gi-en9  made  of  incense-wood  lac- 


574    Route  34. 


NARA 


Second  Room. 


quered,  carved  by  his  own  hand  in  728,  and  occupying  a  seat  in 
a  wall-case,  is  an  excellent  example  of  Tempyo  work ;  as  is  also 
the  seated  figure  (in  the  same  case)  of  Yuima,  which  came  from 
China  and  belongs  to  the  Kokke-ji.  There  are  many  other 
statues,  etc.,  in  this  room  but  they  are  surpassed  by  those  of 
The  Second  Room,  which  contains  some  of  the  great  priest 
Kobo-Daishi' 's  best  work  in  the  form  of  10  pierced  wood  slabs 
(the  remaining  2  of  the  set  are  in  the  Imperial  Museum  at 
Tokyo)  of  guardian  deities  in  low  relief  so  arranged  as  to  be 
adjusted  to  a  background;  they  are  demoniac  figures,  con- 
vulsed in  their  movement,  but  so  charged  with  virility  and 
emphasis  that  their  very  hideousness  attracts.  Chief  among 
the  other  statues  here  is  a  terrifying  one  of  Jikoku-tennb  (by 
Kobo-Daishi)  in  armor,  brandishing  a  sword  and  with  threat- 
ening eyes  that  seem  to  eject  malignity  like  forked  lightning. 
Noteworthy  also  are  the  two  Deva  Kings  in  gilded  and  lac- 
quered wood,  trampling  on  demons  that  squirm  mightily  be- 
neath their  huge  feet.  One  can  scarcely  imagine  how  a  sculp- 
tor could  make  wood  images  expressive  of  more  irresistible 
strength  and  latent  force  than  these  short,  massive,  and  amaz- 
ingly muscular  giants  seem  to  possess.  Their  powerful  out- 
stretched arms,  swelling  muscles,  and  clenched,  sledge-ham- 
mer fists  make  the  timid  recoil  involuntarily  at  sight  of  them. 
They  date  from  the  Jogwan  period  (794-887)  and  are  perhaps 
by  Kobo-Daishi.  The  always  benevolent  Buddha,  in  a  glass 
case  here,  is  ascribed  (perhaps  too  hastily)  to  the  master 
Jocho  (son  of  Kosho),  whose  genius  made  the  beginning  of  the 
11th  cent,  one  of  the  most  notable  epochs  of  Japanese  sculp- 
ture. The  greatest  of  his  works  (the  efforts  of  a  life-time)  per- 
ished with  the  destruction  of  the  Hojo-ji  built  by  the  Fujiwara 
Regent  Michinaga.  The  figure  is  shown  with  the  right  hand 
upraised  in  benediction,  the  breast  bare  under  a  robe  that  falls 
in  harmonious  curves,  and  with  that  admirable  expression  of 
abstraction  and  neutrality  which  every  sculptor  of  Buddha's 
images  has  always  striven  to  produce.  In  the  same  case  is  a 
strikingly  archaic  Monju-bosatsu  seated  on  a  lion;  an  old  image 
dating  from  the  Jogwan  period.  A  Fugen-bosatsu,  seated  on 
an  elephant,  in  another  case,  is  very  old  and  dates  from  the 
early  Fujiwara  times.  Of  considerable  historic  interest  (in  that 
they  show  the  costumes  of  their  era)  are  the' small  carved  wood 
images  of  the  Fujiwara  Empress  Jingo-  Kogo,  and  of  Nakatsu- 
Hime  (a  companion  figure),  belonging  to  the  Yakushi-ji.  The 
Negroid  figure  at  the  right,  of  Monju,  once  belonged  to  the 
bonze  Ryoben.  The  immense  seated  figure  of  Dainichi-  Nyorai 
{Jogwan  period)  has  been  unskillfully  repaired,  and  it  shows 
the  method  of  making  such  images  of  cloth  and  lacquer.  The 
handsome  Eleven-faced  Kwannon  of  sculptured  wood,  on  a 
gilded  base,  belongs  to  the  Yakushi-ji,  dates  from  the  Fujiwara 
epoch,  and  is  unusually  graceful  and  well  executed. 


Third  Room.  NARA  84.  Route.  575 


The  Third  Room  contains  some  of  the  finest  carved  statu- 
ary that  the  immortal  Unkei  has  left  to  a  wondering  posterity. 
Nowhere  can  the  extraordinary  work  of  this  master  be  studied 
to  better  advantage,  for  the  pieces  here  are  unrivaled  in  their 
impressiveness  and  seductive  charm.  The  student  who  has 
laboriously  traced  the  handiwork  of  this  12th-cent.  master  in 
the  maze  of  temples  and  mausolea  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  Japan,  and  has  more  than  once  with  difficulty  re- 
pressed his  indignation  at  the  tawdry  carpenter-work  fatu- 
ously ascribed  to  him  by  ignorant  priests  and  bonzes,  realizes 
with  a  quiet,  vindicated  joy  that  here,  at  last,  he  stands  in 
the  presence  of  indisputable  masterpieces  —  grandiose  works 
fashioned  with  infinite  patience  and  loving  care  by  one  whose 
soul  belonged  to  Buddha,  his  master,  and  whose  whole  life  was 
spent  in  giving  tangible  expression  to  his  images  or  to  those 
of  his  guardians  and  teachers.  Some  of  the  figures  are  marvels 
of  animated  expression,  marred  neither  by  carelessness,  insi- 
pidity, nor  exaggeration  in  form;  there  are  no  defects,  no  con- 
ventional stiffness,  no  cunningly  contrived  subterfuges.  Had 
time  dealt  as  gently  with  them  as  did  Unkei's  marvelous 
chisel,  they  would  be  to  the  Nara  Museum  what  the  Venus 
de  Milo  is  to  the  Louvre,  or  the  Apollo  Belvedere  to  the  Vatican 
—  imperishable  records  of  an  art  that  faded  with  the  master 
whose  shadow  only  has  since  been  thrown  across  the  Land  of 
Yamato. 

Of  the  several  figures  from  Unkei's  chisel,  extraordinarily 
expressive  ones  (attributed  by  some  authorities  to  Kokei), 
are  Anteira-tai-sho,  of  colored  wood,  with  a  tiny  horse's  head 
peering  out  of  the  backward-flowing  masses  of  his  red  hair; 
and  the  companion  image,  Santeira-tai-sho,  in  the  act  of  sight- 
ing an  arrow,  with  a  tiny  monkey  peering  from  amid  his 
equally  fiery  hair.  The  remaining  eight  of  the  original  ten 
figures  are  now  scattered.  Two  of  Unkei's  most  admirable 
pieces  are  unmarked  because  no  records  exist  to  prove  they 
were  his.  One,  Muchaku-bosatsu,  is  distinctively  Unkeiesque 
and  shows  the  marks  of  genius  in  every  line  of  his  magnificent 
head  and  wise  old  face;  the  thick  but  fine  features,  the  prom- 
inent forehead  lined  with  profound  thought,  and  the  toga- 
draped  robe  with  the  ancient  colors  showing  dimly,  might  well 
allow  him  to  pass  for  a  Roman  centurion  in  priestly  garb.  The 
other,  one  of  the  most  splendidly  realistic  bits  in  the  museum, 
shows  Vimala-Kirti  (sometimes  called  Yuima,  a  Chinese  doc- 
tor, and  ascribed  by  some  to  Tokei,  Unkei's  son)  seated  tailor- 
fashion  on  a  fine  old  temple  chair,  in  an  attitude  of  amiable 
argument,  the  right  hand  outstretched  with  two  fingers  ex- 
tended, as  if  emphasizing  something  that  he  has  said;  the 
left  holding  up  a*  corner  of  his  flowing  robe.  The  whole  smiling 
genial  figure  radiates  intense  vitality  and  tolerant  conviction, 
the  one  marring  feature  being  the  glass  eyes,  which  are  set  so 


576    Route  34. 


NARA 


Unkei. 


closely  together  that  they  "give  rise  to  the  suspicion  that  the 
original  was  cross-eyed.  The  polychrome  statues  in  the  same 
case,  the  embodiment  of  unrestrained  anger  and  power,  are  of 
Kongd-rikishi,  and  are  perhaps  authentic  specimens  of  Tokei's 
best  work.  The  near-by  life-size  image  of  Gigei-ten,  with  a 
graceful  body  (Tempyd  period  work  of  lacquer  and  incense) 
draped  in  clinging  polychrome  stuff,  marked  by  an  amused, 
incredulous  expression,  is  curious  in  that  the  torso  was  carved 
by  Unkei  to  fit  the  head.  The  companion  statue  of  Bonten 
(carved  by  An-  Nami  during  the  Kamakura  epoch)  is  decidedly 
feminine  in  suggestiveness.  The  wine-red  face  with  which  this 
Hindu  divinity  (with  Vishnu  and  Siva  comprising  the  Hindu 
Trimurti)  is  customarily  shown,  surmounts  a  graceful  body 
adorned  with  anklets  and  enveloped  in  rich  polychromatic 
drapery  held  in  place  by  a  knotted  scarf  and  girdle.  Like  its 
companion  it  stands  on  an  upturned  lotus,  and  it  looks  more 
like  a  well-fed,  finery-loving  princess  than  the  personified 
Brahma.  —  Other  admirable  specimens  of  Unkei' s  work  in  this 
room  are  the  warlike  figures  of  Kwomoku-ten-d,  Tamon-ten-d, 
Zoocho-ten-o,  and  Jikoku-ten-b.  Very  early  Yamato  work  (8th 
cent.)  are  the  sculptured,  weather-beaten  images  (by  Gybgi)  of 
Haira-Taisho,  and Meishir a- Taisho  (of  the  12  warrior  deities). 

The  wonderful  old  carved  head  with  glass  eyes  in  this  case 
is  by  Tokei.  The  bizarre,  life-size  wood  figure  of  Shubodai  is 
attributed  to  An-  Nami  (who  died  in  1253).  Note  the  fleeing 
figure  of  Zenzai  Doji,  also  by  him.  The  celebrated  demon 
lantern-bearers  (by  Koben,  Kamakura  period)  upholding 
lamps  in  the  central  glass  case,  are  Tentd-ki  and  Ryutb-ki; 
both  are  owned  by  the  Kbfuku-ji,  and  in  the  throat  of  each 
(detachable  heads)  are  rolls  of  paper  giving  their  history. 
Note  the  savage  perplexity  of  one  of  the  imps,  and  the  vacuous 
stolidity  of  the  other.  The  dumpy  image  of  the  immortal 
Gydgi-bosatsu  was  perhaps  carved  by  his  own  hand  and  is  one 
of  the  few  of  this  really  great  man  that  the  traveler  will  see  in 
Japan;  it  is  owned  by  the  Tbsho-dai-ji.  The  awe-inspiring 
seated  figure  of  Emma-b,  the  King  of  Hell,  with  an  enormous 
body,  vociferating  terrible  words  from  a  mouth  twitching  with 
vindictiveness  and  emphasized  by  terrifying  glass  eyes,  chills 
the  marrow  in  one's  bones  and  haunts  the  vision;  it  dates  from 
the  Kamakura  period  and  is  by  some  unknown  but  masterly 
hand  (perhaps  Kbun).  There  are  many  other  distorted  de- 
mons and  divinities  in  this  room,  some  of  them  badly  mauled 
by  the  hand  of  time,  but  all  representative  of  the  greatest 
artistic  epochs  in  Japan's  history.  One  can  scarcely  over- 
look the  two  prodigious  Nib  (12th-cent.  work)  of  carved  and 
painted  wood  —  half-naked  figures  with  salient  muscles  and 
breast-bones,  magnificent  examples  of  learned  anatomy,  the 
faces  and  hands  —  the  former  resembling  those  of  the  Furies 
—  marked  by  unusual  vivacity  of  expression.    Almost  as 


The  Workshop. 


NARA  34.  Route.  577 


striking  are  the  chiseled  wood  images  (by  An- N ami,  whose 
name  is  carved  on  the  bottom  of  the  feet  of 'the  figures)  of 
Shinja-Daio,  Jizo-bosatsu,  and  Shi-  Kongo-jin. 

The  Succeeding  Rooms  contain  collections  of  makemono 
and  kakemono  by  various  artists,  chiefly  of  the  Tosa  school 
(Mitsunobu,  Yoshimitsu,  Mutsuhige,  and  others) ;  some  are  note- 
worthy, but  they  are  always  liable  to  change  in  position  or  to 
be  withdrawn  and  sent  to  other  museums.  The  several  paint- 
ings of  the  Sixteen  Rakan  are  executed  in  rich,  low  tones  in 
pleasing  contrast  to  certain  others  here.  Conspicuous  among 
the  historical  objects  (and  by  which  the  people  set  great  store) 
are  some  examples  of  the  chirography  of  famous  emperors  and 
bonzes,  and  some  excellent  pieces  of  llth-cent.  armor,  eques- 
trian trappings,  and  the  like.  Choice  bits  are  the  little  religious 
symbols,  veritable  gems  of  early  craftsmanship,  in  the  form  of 
pagoda-like  shrines  (of  the  style  called  Shari-to)  dating  from 
the  13th  cent,  and  bedecked  with  jewels  and  gold  foil;  the  inner 
surface  of  the  tiny  doors  is  enriched  by  a  host  of  delicate  fig- 
urines like  the  painted  graces  on  an  ivory  fan.  Some  are  of  wood, 
wonderfully  carved;  others  of  brass,  bronze,  or  lacquer.  The 
one  of  glass  with  the  tiny  pebbles  inside  has  some  legendary  as- 
sociation with  Buddha's  early  life.  The  bronze  shutter  of  a  lamp 
which  anciently  adorned  the  Nanen-do  is  said  to  be  more  than  a 
thousand  yrs.  old.  The  diminutive  wood  towers  in  the  glass  case 
are  a  part  of  the  lot  preserved  in  the  reliquary  at  the  Horyu-ji. 

Porcelainists  will  be  interested  in  the  miscellaneous  col- 
lection of  pieces  exhumed  in  different  parts  of  Yamato  —  the 
cradle  of  the  Japanese  race.  Noteworthy  among  the  bronze 
pieces  is  a  much-copied  group  called  Kwagen-kei,  from  the 
Kofuku-ji,  formed  by  a  lion  supporting  a  stem  composed  of 
squirming  dragons  which  terminate  in  a  circle  that  girdles 
a  shapely  gong.  Critics  disagree  as  to  its  origin  —  some  pro- 
claiming it  Chinese,  others  Japanese  work  of  the  Tempyo 
period.  Certain  curio-dealers  make  a  business  of  selling  what 
purports  to  be  the  original  (worth  15,000  yen)  to  credulous 
foreigners.  Among  the  Imperial  treasures  are  some  fragments 
of  stuff  worn  by  Prince  Shotoku  (in  the  7th  cent.),  and  3 
handsome  black-lacquered  shutters  embellished  with  gold  and 
silver  characters,  and  gold  lotus  leaves  and  stems  —  a  gift 
to  one  of  the  temples  by  Minamoto  Yoritomo,  in  1199.  Note- 
worthy among  the  other  bronze  objects  is  a  strange  piece  of 
13th-cent.  work  (by  Koben)  in  the  form  of  a  demon  with  a  lan- 
tern on  his  head,  and  about  whom  a  serpent  is  coiled. 

In  a  detached  building  not  far  from  the  museum  is  a  Work- 
shop (Sugimura-Tekko)  where  expert  sculptors  may  be  seen 
duplicating  some  of  the  most  famous  wood  statues  exhibited 
in  the  museum.  Visitors,  particularly  curio-lovers,  should  see 
the  display  in  the  showroom  here  if  for  no  other  reason  than 
to  convince  themselves  of  the  astonishing  fidelity  to  detail 


578    Route  34. 


NARA 


Excursions. 


with  which  old  Japanese  statuary  can  be  duplicated  by  modern 
workmen.  Various  reasons  are  given  for  these  authorized 
reproductions;  one  being  that  they  diminish  the  number  of 
spurious  antiques  sold  by  Nara  dealers  as  originals  'removed 
from  such  and  such  a  temple.'  Another,  that  art-lovers  can 
thus  enjoy  by  purchase  duplicates  of  pieces  that  no  money 
could  buy.  Certain  figures  are  carved  out  of  well-seasoned  san- 
dalwood (byakudan),  or  camphor- wood  (kusu-no-ki) ;  or  made 
lightly,  strongly,  and  in  an  almost  imperishable  manner  of  a 
compound  of  cloth  and  lacquer.  Great  skill  and  considerable 
time  are  required  for  sculptured  wood  figures.  Prices  range 
from  25  to  1000  yen,  according  to  size,  etc.  A  complete  pair  of 
Shi-tenno,  made  with  such  embarrassing  fidelity  to  the  originals 
that  experts  only  could  detect  the  fraud,  require  the  attention 
of  10  or  15  workmen  for  6  months  or  more,  and  sell  for  about 
¥1000.  Reproductions  in  cement  of  the  clay  figures  in  the 
Horyu-ji  pagoda  are  also  made. 

Excursions.  The  admirer  of  ancient  Buddhist  temples,  or 
the  treasures  which  they  often  enshrine,  will  feel  amply  repaid 
by  a  visit  to  the  Hokkei-ji,  the  *Toshodai-ji,  Saidai-ji,  and 
*  Yakushi-ji,  a  chain  of  tottering  old  relics  scattered  over  the 
Nara  Plain,  and  celebrated  for  their  fine  statuary.  (Comp. 
the  plan  of  the  Environs  of  Nara.)  By  making  an  all-day  ex- 
cursion of  it  one  may  continue  past  the  Yakushi-ji  to  Kdri- 
yama,  inspect  the  goldfish  hatchery  (about  noon)  and  the  ruins 
of  a  sometime  famous  castle  there;  proceed  thence  (by  rly.) 
to  *  Horyu-ji  and  return  to  the  hotel  late  in  the  afternoon. 
Jinrikis  are  available  (at  about  ¥1.25)  as  far  as  Koriyama 
Station,  but  on  a  bright  day  the  walk  is  so  delightful  that  few 
will  wish  to  resort  to  this  infantile  mode  of  locomotion.  If  one 
does  the  first  part  of  the  journey  on  foot  it  will  be  a  good  plan 
to  take  one  of  the  hotel-boys  along  to  act  as  guide  (as  the  foot- 
path across  the  rice-fields  between  Hokkei-ji  and  Toshodai-ji 
is  a  bit  twisty).  He  will  be  useful  to  carry  the  lunch-basket, 
and  to  act  as  interpreter  at  the  temples.  This  is  almost  a  neces- 
sity at  the  Hokkei-ji,  which  is  a  nunnery  where  men  are  sup- 
posed to  be  conspicuous  by  their  absence.  Grandiose  is  the 
fitting  word  in  the  description  of  the  colossal  statues  of  bronze, 
gilded  wood  and  lacquer  that  one  finds  in  these  sometime  rich 
and  powerful  old  fanes,  and  they  are  strongly  suggestive  of  a 
period  when  Buddhism  had  a  hard-and-fast  grip  on  the  native 
imagination  and  great  wealth  was  lavished  on  the  graven  im- 
ages of  the  'Enlightened  One'  and  his  saintly  retinue. 

The  road  to  the  Hokkei-ji  (E,  PI.  B,  2)  leads  past  the  red 
torii  at  the  entrance  to  the  Nara  Park,  thence  on  to  the*  Kage~ 
kiyo-mon,  or  gate  to  the  Daibutsu  Compound  (E,  PI.  C,  2),  where 
it  turns  abruptly  to  the  left  and  follows  the  Kyo-kaido,  or  old 
Imperial  highway  to  Kyoto.  A  5  min.  walk  along  this  carries 
one  past  the  base  of  a  hill  where  a  fence  bars  ingress  to  a  care- 


The  Hokkei-ji.  NARA  34.  Route.  579 


fully  kept  gravelled  walk  leading  up  to  the  (right)  inclosed 
tomb  of  the  Emperor  Shomu.  Beyond  this  (35  min.  from  the 
hotel)  one  passes  (right)  the  Gov't  Agricultural  Experiment 
Station,  and  after  crossing  (10  min.)  the  rly.,  soon  reaches  the 
temple.  According  to  tradition  it  was  constructed  (about 
a.d.  735)  by  the  order  of  Shomu's  consort,  as  a  retreat  for 
women,  inasmuch  as  when  this  emperor  caused  the  Todai-ji 
to  be  erected  no  women  were  allowed  in  it.  Having  thus  been 
constructed  by  an  Imperial  edict,  the  dynasty  of  abbesses  has 
been  of  the  royal  blood.  The  Imperial  crest  is  in  evidence  on 
the  tiles  of  the  surrounding  wall  and  the  buildings,  but  every- 
thing about  the  place  excepting  the  rosy-cheeked  nuns  is  fast 
falling  to  decay.  A  buxom  lass  radiating  good  health  and  shy- 
ness opens  the  creaking  doors  of  the  old  honden  and  points  out 
the  modest  treasures.  Inside  the  queer  old  black-lacquered 
shrine  on  the  main  altar  is  an  unusually  graceful  Eleven-faced 
Kwannon  of  carved  wood  —  a  voluptuous  figure,  somewhat 
Hindu  in  type,  with  attractive  flesh  folds  that  seem  to  rebel 
against  the  restraint  of  the  draperies  and  the  airy  banderolas 
that  scarcely  hide  them.  The  slender  right  hand  holds  up  the 
salient  curves  of  this  daintily  sculptured  drapery,  while  the 
left  holds  a  vase  from  which  springs  a  lotus  in  bloom.  The  biz- 
arre mandorla  is  composed  of  chiseled  lotus  leaves  suspended 
from  the  ends  of  graduated  wires.  According  to  the  tradi- 
tion referring  to  this  figure,  Komyo-kogo,  wife  of  the  Emperor 
Shomu,  was  such  a  beautiful  and  saintly  character  that  she 
was  regarded  by  some  as  a  material  incarnation  of  the  Goddess 
Kwannon.  A  celebrated  Hindu  sculptor  sojourning  in  Japan 
fell  madly  in  love  with  her  and  wanted  to  carve  her  image,  but 
as  her  Imperial  person  was  too  sacred  to  be  touched  he  was 
obliged  to  content  himself,  for  his  model,  with  her  image  as 
reflected  from  the  surface  of  the  adjacent  lotus-pool  —  whence 
the  background  of  lotus  leaves.  More  than  one  of  the  temple 
relics  hint  at  the  forbidden  subject  of  love.  The  next  most 
precious  possession  belongs  to  this  class  and  is  represented  by 
a  pathetic  kneeling  figure  of  a  shaven-headed  nun  with  delicate 
hands  emerging  from  ample  sleeves.  The  body  is  of  pounded 
and  amalgamated  paper  riddled  with  tiny  insect  holes  —  true 
vermiculated  work.  According  to  the  story  it  is  the  image  of 
the  unfortunate  Yokkobuye,  a  dashing  Court  beauty  of  the 
12th  cent.,  who  was  loved  by  a  gallant  samurai  whom  she  loved 
madly  in  return.  As  his  parents  refused  to  permit  him  to 
marry  her,  he  retired  to  a  monastery  at  Saga  and  became  a 
bonze.  Hearing  of  this  the  distracted  maiden  followed  him  and 
sought  to  have  him  withdraw,  but  the  disappointed  lover  had 
already  taken  the  oath  and  in  obedience  thereto  was  obliged  to 
disavow  her.  Broken-hearted,  she  returned  to  Nara,  shaved 
her  head,  and  entered  the  Hokkei-ji  nunnery.  Many  passion- 
ate letters  were  exchanged  during  the  years  that  followed, 


580    Route  34. 


NARA 


Toshodai-ji. 


and  before  she  died  she  took  these,  pounded  them  to  a  pulp, 
moulded  them  into  a  statue  of  herself,  and  sent*  it  to  her  lover 
as  a  proof  of  undying  fidelity! 

Hard  by  this  image,  which  is  tenderly  enshrined  in  a  glass 
case,  is  a  seated  and  very  lifelike  figure  of  Kobo-Daishi,  said 
to  have  been  carved  by  the  hand  of  the  great  master  himself. 
At  the  right  of  the  room,  in  a  recess,  is  a  striking  statue  of 
Monju  seated  on  a  big  lion.  In  the  same  reliquary  is  a  cu- 
rious Eleven-faced  Kwannon  (of  Indian  origin)  noteworthy  for 
technic,  truth,  and  vigor;  surrounding  the  figure  are  11  white 
disks  on  each  of  which  is  a  gold  letter  in  Sanscrit.  In  an  ad- 
joining room  is  a  Fudd  with  both  legs  doubled  under  him, 
and  with  imitation  jewels  on  his  breast.  —  As  one  leaves  the 
compound  with  its  group  of  low  buildings  behind  its  defensive 
wall,  one  is  impressed  by  the  calmness  and  serenity  of  the 
place;  some  fine  old  cherry  trees  and  a  few  languid  bananas 
show  their  heads  above  the  garden  wall  as  if  startled  at  the 
temerity  of  the  visitor.  Far  across  the  plain  the  spires  of  Nara 
glisten  brightly  at  the  foot  of  the  mts. 

The  road  to  the  Saidai-ji  (E,  PL  B,  2)  follows  a  devious 
course  across  the  paddy-fields,  with  a  S.E.  trend;  the  main 
road  to  the  Toshodai-ji  is  reached  in  about  i  hr.,  where  the 
Yakushi-ji  pagoda  is  seen  at  the  far  left,  and  the  Saidai-ji 
among  the  trees  about  1  M.  to  the  right.  As  the  images  in  this 
temple  differ  but  little  from  those  to  be  seen  in  the  temples  yet 
to  be  visited,  the  traveler  will  not  lose  much  by  omitting  it. 
Conspicuous  among  the  treasures  is  a  huge  gilt  Kwannon  of  a 
plump  Hindu  woman  type,  with  the  slight  curling  mustachio 
one  often  notes  on  similar  images;  a  Monju  mounted  on  the 
customary  lion  led  by  an  armed  guard;  a  big  Shaka  carved 
in  the  natural  wood  and  backed  by  a  huge  pierced  mandorla 
covered  with  figurines;  and  a  number  of  minor  idols.  The 
bronze  images  of  the  Shi-tenno  are  celebrated,  but  not  so  much 
so  as  those  in  the  Yakushi-ji.  Returning  to  the  main  road 
(the  one-time  populous  highway  from  Koriyamato  Kyoto,  and 
along  which  the  powerful  daimybs  went  on  their  annual  pil- 
grimage to  the  Yedo  Court)  we  follow  it  for  15  min.,  then  turn 
up  at  the  right  to  a  neglected  park  crowded  with  old  temples, 
said  to  date  from  the  Tempyo  era. 

The  *T6sh6dai-ji  (E,  PL  B,  2)  was  established  by  Ganjinf 
a  Chinese  bonze  who  on  his  voyage  from  China  was  ship- 
wrecked and  blinded  by  the  salt  water.  The  admirably  carved 
wood  image  of  him  is  considered  so  valuable  that  it  is  kept  in 
a  sealed  godown  forbidden  even  to  the  head  priest,  who  can- 
not show  it  without  written  instructions  from  the  chief  of  the 
Nara  Prefecture.  One  well-known  critic  writes  rapturously 
of  the  image,  which  though  fine  is  scarcely  equal  to  Unkeiys 
best  work.  '  This  supreme  masterpiece  is  preserved  in  a  niche 
inclosed  by  curtains  of  old  silk.  When  they  are  drawn  aside, 


The  Kondd.  NARA  84.  Route.  581 

the  spectator  is  face  to  face  with  a  startling  apparition.  He  is 
seated  with  clasped  hands,  his  thumbs  pressed  together;  his 
robe  is  crossed  in  two  large  black  and  red  folds  upon  his 
breast ;  his  shaven  forehead  is  deeply  wrinkled,  and  under  the 
closed  eyelids  the  pupils  are  suggested  with  extraordinary 
vivacity  and  sensibility.  He  was  blind,  and  the  veiled  eyes  are 
evidently  those  of  a  being  whose  whole  life  was  internal,  and 
who,  in  the  obscurity  of  this  mysterious  retreat,  placidly  pro- 
longed the  unfathomable  dream,  the  intoxications  of  which 
he  had  been  spared.  There  is  a  strange  calm  on  the  face,  which 
no  earthly  emotion  seems  ever  to  have  ruffled.  One  has  a 
sense  of  uneasy  shame  at  having  laid  a  profane  hand  upon 
the  curtains  of  the  shrine,  disturbing  by  an  indiscreet  curiosity 
the  touching  and  eternal  dream  of  the  sage/  —  The  old  go- 
downs  (8th-cent.  work)  in  log-cabin  style,  with  overlapping 
beam-ends  and  resting  above  the  ground  on  sturdy  posts,  look 
as  primitive  as  the  ark,  —  recalling  in  fact  the  lacustral  abode 
of  some  prehistoric  patriarch.  The  fine  lotus-bloom  bronze 
fountain,  over  whose  dimpled  edges  tiny  streams  of  crystal 
water  well  and  fall  with  a  musical  tinkle,  is  the  only  animate 
thing  in  the  great,  solemn,  deserted  court.  When  the  old  bonze 
ambles  into  view  carrying  his  bunch  of  dangling,  rusted,  prison- 
like keys,  he  seems  like  some  queer,  wrinkled  old  sprite  from 
the  dim  past,  returning  to  a  home  deserted  by  him  a  thousand 
yrs.  agone.  The  robust  wood  columns  which  support  the  mas- 
sive buildings  are  bound  with  rusted  iron  bands,  and  the  beams 
and  joists  are  embedded  in  the  plaster,  in  the  old  Yamato 
style.  The  great  draughty  Kodo  with  its  frigid  cement  floor 
and  the  musty  odor  which  time  gives  would  resemble  a  prison 
were  it  not  for  the  huge  and  splendid  old  gilded  image  of 
Miroku-bosatsu,  backed  by  a  superb  mandorla  covered  with 
carved  and  gilded  figures  that  recall  the  florid  exuberance  and 
the  wanton  capriciousness  of  Borromenisco  work.  At  the  top- 
most point  is  a  small  gold  Buddha  carved  in  low  relief,  and 
trailing  down  the  sides  in  beautiful,  sinuous  curves  are  lines 
of  flying  tennin  that  express  in  every  attitude  the  rich  flower- 
ing of  an  unrestrained  art.  So  much  is  the  work  like  the  best 
efforts  of  Churriguera  that,  were  it  not  for  the  Japanese  en- 
vironment, one  could  readily  imagine  one's  self  in  some  vast, 
forgotten  cathedral  of  Southern  Spain:  nothing  of  the  kind  in 
Narais  finer  in  composition  and  execution.  Two  guardian  fig- 
ures with  martial  air  stand  at  the  right  and  left,  but  they  pale 
into  insignificance  before  the  striking  and  unusually  tall  lion  at 
the  end  of  the  room,  polychrome  in  color,  and  dating  from  the 
Kamakura  period.  It  is  decidedly  Persian  in  character,  and 
when  surmounted  by  the  Monju  which  was  stolen  from  it  back 
some  300  yrs.  ago  it  must  have  been  a  resplendent  work  of  art. 

The  Kondo,  across  the  court  from  the  Kodo,  contains  a 
large  and  curious  Roshana,  or  Birushana-butsu  (God  of  Light, 


582    Route  34- 


NARA 


Yakushi-ji. 


as  typified  by  the  Nam  Daibutsu),  referred  to  locally  as  the 
16-foot  Buddha.  It  is  made  of  bamboo  lacquered  and  gilded 
over  and  is  backed  by  an  immense  mandorla  embellished  by 
3000  tiny  Buddhas.  At  the  right  is  a  huge  standing  Yakushi- 
Nyorai]  and  at  the  left  a  Thousand-handed  Kwannon  of  over- 
whelming proportions ;  scores  of  the  larger  hands  hold  scepters, 
lotus  flowers,  and  various  Buddhist  symbols,  while  others 
make  the  gesture  of  benediction  with  golden  fingers.  On  and 
about  the  platform  are  various  masterly  figures:  four  Shi- 
tenno  in  armor  and  helmets,  watching  with  menacing  gestures 
and  contracted  faces;  statues  of  Indra  and  of  Brahma,  both 
with  heavy,  voluptuous  features  that  betray  their  Hindu 
origin,  and  both  enveloped  in  revealing  robes  that  fall  in 
straight  folds  from  the  waist,  festoon  over  the  feet  in  front,  and 
curve  out  in  trains  behind.  The  old  coffered  ceiling  with  its 
polychrome  decorations  shows  traces  of  former  beauty,  and 
the  great  bronze  bell  in  the  outer  yard  has  a  voice  strangely 
sweet  to  be  so  old  —  more  than  1200  yrs. !  The  graceful  Drum- 
Tower  near  by,  which  is  opened  only  on  special  occasions, 
enshrines  a  delicate  Monju  on  a  lion  —  a  national  treasure, 
with  a  gilded  crown  and  sword  dating  from  the  Tempyo  period. 
—  Leaving  the  extraordinarily  attractive  old  court  with  its 
masterpieces  and  its  saddening  memories,  and  passing  through 
the  E.  gate,  first  to  the  right,  then  to  the  left,  we  come,  in 
about  10  min.  to 

The  *Yakushi-ji,  (E,  PL  B-C,  2)  founded  by  the  (40th) 
Emperor  Temmu  sometime  between  673  and  686,  removed 
hither  between  708  and  715,  and  at  present  one  of  the  oldest 
temple  structures  in  the  Nara  region.  Formerly  one  of  the 
richest  and  most  brilliant  of  the  Yamato  fanes,  it  long  since 
fell  from  its  high  estate,  and  is  now  a  crumbling  and  melan- 
choly reminder  of  a  golden  past.  It  stands  in  what  was  once 
a  magnificent  park  where  the  remaining  trees  are  centuries  old, 
and  though  sadly  neglected  it  is  celebrated  far  and  wide  for 
its  unique  art-treasures  in  the  form  of  gigantic  bronze  images 
that  date  from  the  early  years  of  the  7th  cent.  The  custodian 
dwells  at  the  left  of  the  entrance  to  the  unkempt  yard.  We 
enter  first  the  Kodo,  where,  sitting  on  a  wide  quartzite  plat- 
form (called  white  agate  and  said  to  be  from  China)  is  one  of 
the  most  extraordinary  examples  of  early  bronze  statuary  in 
Japan  —  a  superb  green  bronze  Yakushi-Nyorai,  of  majestic 
and  noble  proportions,  9  ft.  high,  fashioned  with  original  vigor 
and  grace,  and  shown  in  the  attitude  of  making  the  gesture 
of  benediction.  The  flight  of  steps  which  leads  up  to  the  pedes- 
tal is  adorned  with  delicate  bas-reliefs,  while  behind  is  a  (new) 
richly  gilded  mandorla  embellished  with  Sanscrit  characters 
in  gold.  Flanking  this  central  figure  are  colossal  bronze  up- 
right statues  13  ft.  high  of  (right)  Gwakko-bosatsu,  and  Nikko- 
bosatsu  —  all  reputed  to  have  been  cast  at  Okamoto  upward 


The  Pagoda. 


NARA  34.  Route.  583 


of  1300  yrs.  ago!  The  head  of  the  Gwakko  was  melted  off  by  the 
fire  which  scarred  his  skirts  200  yrs.  ago,  and  was  replaced. 
According  to  one  art  critic '  there  is  an  elegance  in  their  grand- 
eur and  a  character  in  their  beauty  which  have  been  attained 
only  in  the  great  epochs  of  bronze  statuary  in  ancient  Greece 
and  in  the  Italy  of  the  Renaissance.  Around  these  majestic 
divinities  of  somber  bronze,  the  rich  patina  of  which  envelops 
them  in  soft  reflections,  the  four  Shi-tenno  of  green-lacquered 
and  gilded  wood,  in  their  rich  armor,  add  a  picturesque  note 
of  the  happiest  harmony.'  The  sculptured  wood  figure  of 
Yakushi  at  the  left  of  the  bronze  figure  dates  from  the  Fuji- 
wara  period  and  is  noteworthy  for  fine  carving.  A  jarring  note 
is  imparted  by  a  stack  of  disabled  wood  demons  near  by  and 
which  remind  one  strongly  of  modern  cigar-store  Indians.  — 
Crossing  the  yard  between  the  twin  lotus-ponds  we  come  to 

The  Kondo,  misnamed  the  Golden  Hall,  where  there  are 
reproductions  in  a  highly  polished  black  copper  alloy  of  the 
images  in  the  Kodo;  here  the  benevolent  Yakushi,  God  of 
Medicine,  and  mitigator  of  man's  sufferings,  is  seated  on  a 
great  square  bronze  base  of  unique  design  and  Indian  work- 
manship —  one  of  the  most  striking  examples  of  its  kind  in 
Japan.  Traces  of  gold  foil  shine  out  in  certain  spots,  and  the 
intricate  bas-reliefs  and  tracery  are  relics  of  a  skillful  hand. 
Beneath  a  shallow  arcade  divided  by  a  caryatid  crouch  two 
naked  figures  with  loin-cloths,  in  the  midst  of  serpents;  their 
strangely  dressed  hair  and  their  gnome-like  ugliness  suggest 
alien  origin.  They  are  unlike  anything  else  in  Japan  and  are 
representative  of  an  art  (perhaps  Dravidian)  which  happily 
has  not  been  extensively  copied.  The  Shi-tenno  in  their  green 
robes  and  gilded  armor  are  handsome  examples  of  the  best 
work  of  Jocho. 

The  Pagoda  (p.  clxxxiii)  is  extraordinarily  well  preserved 
for  its  age  —  about  1200  yrs.  The  3  stories  rise  one  above  the 
other  in  pairs,  the  6th  being  surmounted  by  a  bronze  demon- 
arrester  115  ft.  above  the  ground.  The  style  of  architecture 
is  distinctively  that  of  the  remote  Nara  period  —  emphasized 
in  the  curious  manner  in  which  the  compound  brackets  are 
supported  by  the  beam-ends,  and  in  the  host  of  intercommuni- 
cating beams  themselves.  The  demon  antefixes  are  the  proto- 
types of  those  which  one  sees  in  many  parts  of  Old  Yamato, 

The  To-in-do,  hard  by,  contains  a  curiously  decorated 
shrine  with  a  very  graceful  and  womanly  bronze  Kwannon,  7 
ft.  tall ;  the  carefully  modeled  drapery,  and  the  barbaric  girdle 
with  pendants  that  falls  over  and  clings  round  her  thighs,  the 
high  chignon  with  tendrils,  the  wide  scarves  which  undulate 
from  her  arms  to  her  shapely  legs,  and  her  general  foreign  at- 
tributes place  the  image  in  a  class  apart.  Tradition  avers  that  it 
came  from  Korea  over  a  millennium  ago.  The  gem  on  the  fore- 
head is  said  to  be  a  diamond;  the  decoration  of  the  shrine  is 


584    Route  34.    NARA  TO  HORYU-JI  Excursions. 


strangely  out  of  keeping  with  the  excellence  of  the  figure.  The 
odd  Fudo  near  by,  with  the  heads  of  birds  showing  in  his  flam- 
ing aureola,  is  ascribed  to  Kobo-Daishi.  —  Crossing  an  arched 
stone  bridge  spanning  a  neglected  lotus-pool  one  enters 

The  Busoku-dd,  a  small  building  (usually  locked)  enshrin- 
ing a  much  venerated  and  oddly  chiseled  stone  on  whose  upper 
surface,  elaborately  incised  in  geometrical  fashion,  are  the 
outlines  of  two  human  feet  19  in.  long  and  9  in.  wide  —  said  to 
be  the  impress  of  the  feet  of  Buddha!  According  to  the  unc- 
tuous old  bonze  who  unlocks  the  sacred  inclosure,  this  stone 
came  from  India,  and  is  the  original  one  on  which  Buddha 
stood  —  the  spurious  copy  having  been  retained  at  the  point 
of  origin !  The  inscription  on  the  upright  stone  behind  it  was 
made  by  the  Emperor  Shomu. 

Leaving  the  temple  grounds  through  the  near-by  gateway, 
one  turns  first  to  the  right,  then  to  the  left;  a  30  min.  leisurely 
walk  brings  one  to  the  entrance  to  Count  Yanagisawa's  Gold- 
fish Garden,  where  the  custodian  (fees  unnecessary)  conducts 
the  visitor  to  a  pretty  summer-house  in  the  midst  of  a  dozen 
or  more  small  intercommunicating  ponds.  These  form  a  thriv- 
ing hatchery  where  thousands  of  goldfish  (p.  civ)  from  very  tiny 
ones  to  big  fellows  6  or  more  yrs.  old  are  reared  and  sold. 
While  one  eats  one's  luncheon  in  the  rest-house  (table  and 
chairs  provided)  bowlsful  of  wriggling  little  golden  sprites  are 
captured  and  placed  near  for  one's  enjoyment;  the  fish  with 
broad,  bulbous  heads  are  called  shishi-ga-shira,  or  lion-heads. 
—  On  the  way  to  (20  min.)  the  Koriyama  rly.  station,  one 
traverses  the  old  castle  grounds  and  sees  the  vast  moat  and 
massive,  crumbling  walls  of  the  fortress  erected  by  Odagiri 
Harutsuga  in  1565.  Hideyoshi  wrested  it  from  him  in  1585 
and  gave  it  to  his  brother  Hidenaga  along  with  the  provinces 
of  Kii,  Yamato,  and  Izumi.  At  the  time  of  the  Restoration  (in 
1868)  it  belonged  to  the  Yanagisawa  family.  The  upper  ter- 
race is  now  crowned  by  the  Middle  School,  where  excellent 
English  is  taught  by  native  professors.  Many  boys  from  Nara 
come  hither  daily  to  attend  the  school.  A  short  walk  through 
the  town  of  Koriyama  (pop.  15,000)  brings  one  to  the  station, 
linked  by  rly.  to  (4  M.  distant)  Horyu-ji  (E,  PL  B,  2),  at  the  S. 
Consult  the  rly.  time-table.  A  good  walker  can  easily  com- 
pass the  distance  (follow  the  track)  in  an  hour.  Jinrikis  are 
available. 

The  *H6ryu-ji  Temple  (called  also  Ikaruga-dera),  a  Budd- 
hist fane  (oldest  extant  in  Japan)  founded  in  a.d.  607  by 
Prince  Shotoku  (or  Shotoku-taishi) ,  the  2d  son  of  the  (31st) 
Emperor  Yomei  (586-87),  now  hoary  with  age  and  tottering 
beneath  the  weight  of  centuries,  is  a  celebrated  Mecca  for 
those  interested  in  the  dawn  of  Buddhism  in  the  Japanese  Em- 
pire, as  well  as  the  highly  interesting  architecture  which  came 
with  it.  Nowhere  in  Japan  can  one  study  to  better  advantage 


The  Pagoda. 


HORYU-JI  34.  Route.  585 


the  masterful  influences  —  artistic,  ecclesiastical,  and  archi- 
tectural —  which,  imported  along  with  this  pleasing  cult,  were 
destined  to  run  like  a  red  thread  through  the  course  of  Japan- 
ese history;  and  nowhere  can  be  seen  a  Buddhist  temple  con- 
structed in  a  purer  Buddhist  style  unenriched  by  later  ideas, 
expedients,  or  decorations,  and  unaffected  by  Shintdism  and 
its  attributes.  The  student  concerned  in  the  virtual  starting- 
point  of  Japanese  art  while  still  intimately  associated  with  the 
inspirational  Hindu  and  Korean  sources,  will  find  the  Horyu- 
ji  a  mine  of  revelation.  So  close  to  the  veritable  fountain  head 
is  this  bizarre  old  relic  that  the  white-haired  priests  who  totter 
about  the  park-like  grounds,  and  unconsciously  harmonize 
with  the  ancient  character  of  the  buildings,  will  even  recount 
to  the  visitor  how  the  very  temples  themselves  are  built  after 
the  lines  of  Buddha's  face  —  the  great  Dai-  Kodo  and  the  two 
flanking  structures  forming  his  head;  the  Pagoda  and  the 
Kondb  his  eyes,  and  the  huge  Nio-mon  his  mouth! 

The  temples  and  their  subsidiary  structures  stand  within  and  without  a 
walled  inclosure,  on  the  slope  of  a  hill  behind  Horyu-ji  village*  (Inn :  Dai- 
koku-ya,  ¥2  to  ¥3  a  day),  about  §  M.  S.W.  of  the  station  (20  min.  walk; 
jinriki,  40  sen  for  the  round  trip,  with  a  wait  of  about  1  hr.),  at  the  end  of 
a  wide  highway.  The  gate  here  is  the  Nandai-mon  (S.  gate),  and  the  one 
beyond  —  the  main  gateway  —  the  Nio-mon,  or  Gate  of  the  Two  Deva 
Kings  (one  painted  black,  the  other  red).  One  can  scarcely  avoid  employing 
one  of  the  several  local  guides  who  loiter  about  the  Nio-mon  (25  sen  for  one 
person  or  a  small  party  is  ample),  since  they  sometimes  carry  the  quaint 
keys  which  unlock  the  mediaeval  Chinese  and  Korean  locks,  and  the  long, 
slender  hook  with  which  to  shoot  the  massive  bars.  An  entrance  fee  of  2  sen 
is  exacted  at  the  gate,  another  of  20  sen  to  see  the  Kondo,  and  20  more  for 
the  godown  where  the  chief  treasures  are  kept.  If  possible  the  interiors 
should  be  inspected  on  a  bright  day,  as  some  of  them  are  so  stained  and 
blackened  by  the  incense  smoke  of  centuries  that  they  look  gloomy  even  at 
midday.  Twilight  comes  early  in  the  winter,  and  at  all  seasons  the  doors 
clank  and  grind  to  at  4  p.m.  The  wide  corridors  of  posts  and  palings  which 
flank  the  ancient  structures  also  inclose  them.  The  method  of  viewing  the 
several  buildings  varies  according  to  whether  visitors  come  in  the  ordinary 
way  or  bring  special  letters  of  admission  to  rooms  closed  customarily  and 
opened  only  to  them.  We  begin  our  inspection  of  the  group  with 

The  Pagoda,  an  antique  5-storied  structure  which  stands 
at  the  left  in  the  compound,  a  harmony  of  reds  and  yellows 
surmounted  by  a  spiral,  bronze  demon-arrester.  Barring  the 
tiles  of  the  roof  the  construction  is  in  the  old  Nara  style,  with 
the  beams  sunk  in  the  whitewashed  plaster.  The  placement  of 
these,  illustrative  of  a  period  when  the  effects  of  thrust  and 
strain  were  imperfectly  understood,  strikes  the  critical  eye  of 
the  architect  as  very  peculiar.  Equally  so  are  the  squat  de- 
monlets  (Oriental  Atlases)  which  support  the  beams  of  the 
lower  story,  and  the  larger,  sculptured  wood  images  which  up- 
hold those  above;  the  structure  is  low  for  the  number  of  its 
stories  (between  which  the  customary  spaces  have  been  les- 
sened), and  its  general  massiveness  and  its  air  of  snuggling 
closely  to  the  ground  suggest  that  it  was  constructed  at  a  time 
when  earthquakes  were  more  violent  than  at  present.  In  the 

t 


586    Route  34. 


HORYU-JI 


The  Kondo. 


chapel  on  the  lower  floor  are  four  curious  grottoes  (sometimes 
called  Buddha's  Grottoes)  which  the  traveler  will  often  see 
duplicated  in  other  parts  of  the  Empire.  By  means  of  groups 
of  figurines  made  of  white  and  polychrome  terra-cotta  mixed 
with  vegetable  fiber,  and  stalactites  and  stalagmites  of  the 
same  materials,  coupled  with  stucco,  various  scenes  are  de- 
picted; one  being  Shumisen,  a  sort  of  fabled  Hindu  Olympus; 
Buddha's  Death  and  Entombment;  the  Guarding  of  his  mortal 
remains  by  his  faithful  adherents;  His  Entry  into  Nirvana;  and 
Amida  with  Kwannon  and  Daiseishi.  The  attitudes  of  the  small 
figures  are  surprisingly  realistic,  and  they  seem  to  possess  a 
strong  attraction  for  Japanese  (perhaps  because  the  work  is 
that  of  ToriBusshi^  or  Kuratsukuribe  no  Tori,  a  famous  painter 
and  sculptor  who  lived  during  the  reign  of  the  Empress  Suiko, 
593-628).  Some  are  shown  plunged  in  the  deepest  despair; 
others  in  the  attitude  of  prayer  or  adoration;  others  on  guard, 
like  soldiers ;  and  still  others  indulging  in  vociferous  lamenta- 
tion. 

The  Rondo,  which  stands  at  the  right  of  the  pagoda,  is 
a  bizarre,  double  (or  triple)  roofed  structure  with  wide  over- 
hanging eaves,  and  roofs  with  a  decidedly  lower  pitch  than 
those  of  present-day  Buddhist  temples.  It  looks  its  great  age 
and  seems  almost  ready  to  fall  by  its  own  weight;  the  roof- 
tiles,  and  the  scowling  demons,  with  minatory  tusks  and  great 
hooked  noses  that  form  the  antefixes,  are  not  as  aged  as  the 
building  itself.  Note  the  well-carved  ascending  and  descend- 
ing dragons  of  wood  which  are  entwined  about  the  four  sup- 
porting posts  of  the  upper  roof,  and  the  mythological  animals 
which  have  the  appearance  of  being  crushed  beneath  the 
brackets  of  the  porch-like  'extension  of  the  ground  floor.  The 
supporting  beams  rest  on  great  flat  undressed  stones,  and  the 
general  appearance  of  the  structure  is  of  great  strength  coupled 
with  mediaeval  simplicity.  The  time-blackened  interior,  with 
its  rough-hewn  beams,  is  a  surprise  to  one  accustomed  to  the 
blazing  gold  and  the  sprightly  decorations  of  other  Buddhist 
fanes,  but  the  treasures  enshrined  offset  the  impression  and 
gladden  the  eye  of  the  antiquary.  Among  the  score  or  more 
figures  on  the  central  platform,  the  most  conspicuous  is  the 
strange  central  group  beneath  the  smudgy  baldachin.  Sitting 
on  a  square  pedestal  and  backed  each  by  an  aureola  of  the  form 
called  vesica  piscis,  is  an  inspiring  image  of  Sakya-muni  flanked 
by  (left)  Nikko-bosatsu,  and  (right)  Gwakkd-bosatsu  —  all 
strangely  archaic  and  with  a  hieratic  charm  that  differentiates 
them  from  any  similar  group  in  Japan.  It  is  attributed  to  Tori 
Busshi,  dates  from  a.d.  625,  and  is  believed  to  be  the  most  an- 
cient copper-bronze  sculpture  in  Japan.  The  voluminous  folds 
of  the  drapery  are  characteristic  of  the  most  primitive  Japan- 
ese art  under  Sino-Korean  influences,  while  the  unmistakable 
Hindu  features  point  to  the  source  of  the  inspiration.  The 


The  Dai-Kodo. 


HORYU-JI 


34.  Route.  587 


sculptured  wood  image  at  the  right  is  Bishamonten,  and  the 
statuesque  one  at  the  left,  Kichijo-tenno  (his  sister).  On  a 
square  pedestal  at  the  left  is  a  seated  figure  of  Yakushi-Nyorai 
surrounded  by  4  minor  figures.  Among  the  host  of  bizarre 
sculptured  wood  images  are  4  noteworthy  Shi-tenno  standing 
on  venomous  gnomes;  they  date  from  the  Suiko  period  and 
are  of  Indian  origin.  Certain  of  the  statues  have  thin  faces 
with  pointed,  bat-like  ears;  others  have  ideally  calm  faces, 
while  still  others  seem,  by  their  fierce  looks  and  angry  gestures, 
to  resent  their  smoke-begrimed  surroundings. 

Behind  the  central  shrine  is  a  portable  one  containing  a  re- 
markably faithful  reproduction,  on  a  much  smaller  scale,  and 
in  gilded  bronze,  of  the  prominent  group  mentioned  above  — • 
Sakya-muni,  with  Nikko-  and  Gwakko-bosatsu;  the  common 
belief  is  that  it  is  very  early  Japanese  work  or  a  Korean  copy 
of  the  original.  It  is  greatly  revered  because  it  was  the  chosen 
shrine  of  the  Empress  Kbmyo.  Among  the  most  noteworthy 
of  the  treasures,  one  which  the  traveler  should  not  omit  to  see, 
is  a  square  shrine  or  reliquary  of  red-  and  black-lacquered  wood 
and  bronze,  delicately  and  intricately  chiseled,  and  mounted 
on  a  pedestal,  like  a  missal-stand.  It  enshrines  a  small  gilded 
Kwannon,  is  of  Hindu  origin,  and  is  perhaps  the  most  ancient 
object  of  its  class  in  Japan.  The  interior  is  enriched  with  slips 
of  gilded  bronze  on  which  are  hundreds  of  exquisitely  painted 
little  Buddhas  seated  on  lotus  flowers;  while  the  small  paneled 
doors  are  adorned  with  refined  paintings  of  tiny  birds  and 
landscapes.  Time  was  when  the  entire  outer  skin  was  formed 
of  the  iridescent  golden-green  wings  of  the  tiny  Chrysochlora 
(Tamamushi),  whence  the  name  Tamamushi-no-Zushi.  It  was 
the  personal  property  of  the  Empress  Suiko,  who  died  a.d.  628! 

The  great  frescoes  which  cover  the  walls,  mayhap  the  most 
splendid  mural  paintings  that  ever  adorned  a  Japanese  temple, 
are  ascribed  to  the  Korean  bonze  Doncho,  who  came  to  Japan 
in  a.d.  610  and  brought  with  him  many  Buddhist  images  and 
books.  Inexorable  time  and  the  elements  have  united  to  de- 
stroy these  grandiose  specimens  of  antique  art,  and  only  the 
most  salient  details  can  now  be  deciphered.  They  are  strongly 
Byzantine  in  suggestion,  and  possess  an  affinity  with  Assyrio- 
Byzantine  art.  —  The  Dai-Kodo,  or  Great  Lecture  Hall,  at  the 
back  of  the  inclosure,  is  less  interesting  than  the  Kondo,  and  the 
immense  gilded  and  seated  image  of  Yakushi-Nyorai,  flanked  by 
Nikko-  and  Gwakko-bosatsu,  differ  but  little  from  those  in  the 
other  rooms.  —  The  Taishi-den,  or  Shoryo-den  (Room  of  the 
holy  spirit  of  the  Prince),  dedicated  to  the  memory  of  Sho- 
toku-taishi,  is  reached  through  a  gate  in  the  wall  at  the  'right 
of  the  Kondo,  but  it  is  rarely  shown  to  visitors. 

Shotoku-taishi  (b.  572;  d.  621),  the  2d  son  of  the  Emperor  Yomei,  is  one 
of  the  greatest  figures  in  the  history  of  Buddhism  in  Japan.  The  natives 
usually  refer  to  him  by  his  surname  of  Umayado,  given  to  him  because  his 


588    Route  34-  HORYU-JI  Shotoku-taishi. 


mother,  whilst  walking  in  the  palace  grounds,  was  suddenly  seized  with  the 
pangs  of  child-birth  and  was  obliged  to  take  refuge  in  the  palace  stables 
(umaya)  where  her  child  was  born.  At  the  accession  of  his  aunt,  Suiko  (in 
593),  he  was  named  heir  to  the  throne,  and  thereafter  he  gave  material  sup- 
port to  the  Buddhist  cause;  selecting  three  sutras  of  the  Mahdydna  doctrine 
(p.  cxci)  he  ordered  them  to  be  taught  everywhere.  He  favored  the  teach- 
ing of  Eji,  a  Korean  bonze,  and  among  other  temples  constructed  the  Horyu- 
ji.  At  the  time  of  his  death  (aged  49)  there  were  46  temples,  820  bonzes,  and 
560  nuns  in  the  Empire.  It  was  during  his  reign  that  the  first  embassy  was 
sent  to  China.  Sacred  literature  was  one  of  his  specialties,  and  he  had  pub- 
lished two  works  of  historical  value:  the  Tenno-ki,  and  the  Koku-ki.  He  pro- 
mulgated a  code  of  laws  in  17  chapters,  and  adopted  the  Chinese  calender 
(in  604) .  He  is  usually  pictured  standing  between  his  two  little  sons  —  his 
favorites  among  the  8  sons  and  6  daughters  left  by  him. 

Obvious  features  of  the  interior  are  3  reliquaries  in  a  long, 
black-lacquered,  metal-adorned  case  (always  kept  locked)  which 
extends  along  the  back  wall ;  the  metal  locks  of  this  are  quite 
curious,  being  boat-shaped  and  called  Nori-no-fune  —  from  the 
fancied  shape  of  the  boat  in  which  departed  souls  are  borne 
across  the  river  of  death  to  the  Buddhist  Paradise.  The  inner 
decorations  of  all  the  reliquaries  are  of  the  same  design  — 
painted  panels  showing  lotus  flowers  and  leaves  on  a  gold 
ground.  The  central  one  contains  a  seated  wood  image  of  the 
Prince  at  35  yrs.  of  age;  the  right  one  a  standing  Jizb  of  sculp- 
tured wood,  an  image  of  one  of  the  Prince's  children  and  of 
his  Buddhist  teacher;  and  that  at  the  left  an  unusually  hand- 
some gilded  and  seated  Kwannon  (the  personal  property  of  the 
Prince)  in  an  attitude  of  deep  reflection;  the  right  hand  held 
against  the  rounded  cheek,  and  the  right  leg  crossed  over  the 
lap.  The  two  kneeling  figures  with  soft,  sweet,  cherubic  faces, 
are  the  Taishi's  favorite  children.  The  position  of  the  three 
figures  is  singularly  like  that  of  the  two  cherubs  and  the  Ma- 
donna of  San  Sisto.  The  gilded  wall  panels  at  the  right  and 
left  of  the  apartment  display  flying  phoenixes  and  are  said  to 
have  been  copied  from  the  decorations  of  the  Imperial  Palace 
erected  at  Nara  in  the  8th  cent.  From  this  room  a  series  of 
ancient  corridors  adorned  with  swinging  bronze  lanterns  lead 
to  the  astonishingly  old 

Hozo,  or  storehouse,  which  stands  about  6  ft.  above  the 
ground,  on  superannuated  uprights  whose  cross-beams  are 
piled  high  with  pebbles  placed  there  by  the  credulous  as 
prayers  to  the  spirits  associated  in  life  with  the  relics  inside. 
The  (uncatalogued)  exhibits  are  displayed  in  glass  cases  backed 
up  against  the  walls,  or  in  the  center  of  the  several  rooms. 
There  are  many  scores  of  curious  old  things :  wonderful  shrines 
and  images,  still  beautiful  kakemonos  of  celebrities  who  died 
a  thousand  or  more  yrs.  ago,  musical  instruments,  antique 
bronzes,  and  many  miscellaneous  things.  Duplicates  of  objects 
which  the  traveler  will  have  observed  in  many  other  collec- 
tions of  antiquities  in  Japan  are  the  small  cylindrical  pagoda- 
like towers  of  turned  wood,  about  10  in.  high;  the  residue  of 
100,000  which  the  Horyu-ji  once  possessed,  and  part  of  the 


Treasure  Room.  HORYIJ-JI  34.  Route.  589 


million  which  the  Empress  Koken  (46th  sovereign  from  759 
to  764)  ordered  made  (with  a  primitive  turning-lathe)  and  dis- 
tributed to  ten  of  the  chief  temples  in  the  Nara  region.  They 
are  generally  referred  to  as  Hyakuman-td  (Million  Pagodas), 
and,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  relics  here,  each  carries  within  its 
hollow  interior  a  written  Buddhist  text.  History  often  refers 
to  this  early  suffragette,  for  she  it  was  who  ordered  5000  bonzes 
from  all  parts  of  the  Empire  to  foregather  at  the  Nara  Todai-ji, 
and  hearken  as  she  read  to  them  from  the  sacred  books.  She 
was  instrumental  in  carrying  forward  the  plans  for  the  Nara 
Daibutsu,  and  when  she  assumed  office  she  passed  a  law  for- 
bidding under  severe  penalty  the  killing  of  any  living  thing. 

Among  the  strange  old  carved  wood  masks  are  some  of 
admirable  workmanship,  and  these  are  accompanied  by  the 
drums  and  swords  used  along  with  them  in  the  ancient  dances. 
Of  more  interest  than  the  specimen  of  Kobo-Daishi' 's  chiro- 
graphy  is  the  exquisite  little  gold-leaf  (paper)  prayer-book 
(called  Hokkekyo  because  it  contains  a  secret  scripture  of  Bud- 
dhism read  specially  by  the  Buddhists  of  the  Hokke  denomina- 
tion), roll-shaped  and  written  in  a  charmingly  delicate  and 
graceful  hand  by  Sugawara  Michizane  (one  of  the  three  most 
famous  penmen  in  the  Empire;  comp.  p.  496)  in  the  9th  cent.! 
Some  of  the  old  painted  kakemonos  are  marvels  of  composition 
expressed  in  light-proof  colors;  a  beautiful  one,  slightly  torn 
but  with  its  color-tones  still  low,  luminous,  and  rich,  shows 
Shaka-Nyorai  seated  on  an  upturned  lotus  bloom  with  his  ever- 
faithful  Monju  and  Fugen  —  both  with  sweet,  pensive,  wom- 
anly faces  —  snuggling  at  his  feet.  The  same  elegance  marks  a 
very  interesting  Buddhist  Heaven,  wherein  are  a  score  of  deli- 
cately painted  figurines,  temples,  and  other  heavenly  attributes 
of  peculiar  hieratic  beauty.  Equally  charming  is  a  precious 
treasure  in  the  form  of  a  kakemono  showing  a  standing  figure 
of  Shotoku-taishi  at  the  age  of  16,  in  a  red  robe  covered  with  a 
black  mantle.  It  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  in  the  collection ; 
the  chubby,  boyish  face  has  frank,  innocent  eyes  that  look 
straight  out  with  engaging  friendliness;  the  sloe-black  hair  is 
bound  up  at  the  sides  after  a  very  antique  style;  a  censer  is  held 
in  one  hand,  and  a  mauve  curtain  is  draped  behind  the  figure. 
When  one  reflects  that  this  picture  was  painted  by  the  loving 
hands  of  an  artist  who  has  been  dust  for  a  thousand  yrs.,  one  is 
apt  to  return  to  it  and  eagerly  to  search  the  bright,  youthful 
face  with  the  hope  of  surprising  therein  some  secret  of  the  long- 
dead  past.  The  antiquarian  will  wish  to  spend  hours  in  this 
wonderful  old  reliquary — next  to  the  Shoso-in  the  most  fascin- 
ating in  Japan  —  for  the  relics  themselves  betoken  their  au- 
thenticity, and  their  historical  associations  are  as  interesting 
as  they  are  manifold.  —  The  bronze  fountains  and  other  ob- 
jects in  the  temple  yard  are  worth  glancing  at  as  one  proceeds 
to  the  main  gate  before  quitting  the  inclosure.  Once  out- 


590    Route  34. 


HORYU-JI 


Hall  of  Dreams. 


side,  we  turn  to  the  right  and  approach,  by  a  succession  of 

steps, 

The  Mine  no  Yakushi,  an  octagonal  shrine  on  a  .terrace 
where  there  is  a  handsome  bronze  dragon  and  a  laver  of  the 
same  metal  (left).  Here  Ya\ushi  is  deified  as  the  God  of  Medi- 
cine, and  the  structure  which  houses  his  finely  gilded  image 
(ascribed  to  Gyogi-bosatsu)  is  as .  cluttered  up  with  tawdry 
offerings  as  the  shrine  of  some  alleged  miracle-working  Span- 
ish virgin.  Outside  and  inside  almost  every  inch  is  covered 
with  ex-votos  and  gifts  of  some  kind;  the  swords  represent  the 
heart  of  man,  the  mirrors  that  of  woman.  The  hundreds  of  bun- 
dles of  little  wood  drills  (used  by  the  Medicine  God  to  punc- 
ture the  unhearing  ear)  are  acknowledgments  of  persons  cured 
of  deafness.  The  most  casual  eye  cannot  overlook  the  scores 
of  lurid  little  pictures  portraying  semi-nude,  gratified  mothers, 
in  many  attitudes,  but  chiefly  sitting  before  pans,  buckets, 
and  even  tubs  of  foaming  milk  that  has  spurted  from  abnormally 
developed  fountains  of  youth  —  the  results  of  prayers  put  up 
for  a  sufficiency  of  the  lacteal  fluid  to  keep  young  Japan  alive! 
The  interior  of  the  shrine  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  a 
junk-shop,  and  will  detain  the  traveler  only  long  enough  to 
inspect  some  of  the  quaint  sword-guards  tacked  against  the 
walls,  and  the  12  Signs  of  the  Zodiac  (by  Tori  Busshi)  which 
flank  the  figure  of  Yakushi.  —  At  the  opposite  end  of  the  temple 
compound  is 

The  Yume-dono,  or  Hall  of  Dreams  (so-called  because  Sho- 
toku-taishi  used  to  sit  here  and  ponder  over  the  truths  of  the 
Buddhist  faith),  an  octagonal  structure  which  stands  on  a 
raised  granite  platform  and  is  surmounted  by  a  hoshu-no-tama. 
The  few  images  it  contains  are  not  of  much  interest;  the  big 
gilt  one  is  Amida,  the  standing  figure  is  Shotoku-taishi  at  16; 
the  Kwannon  in  the  central  reliquary  was  the  Prince's  special 
favorite.  The  seated  figures  of  priests  are  well-carved  —  as  is 
almost  everything  of  this  nature  in  Japan.  The  building  at  the 
right  is  the  Worshiping  Hall  and  is  of  no  interest;  that  at  the 
left  is  divided  into  the  Shari-den  (at  the  right  of  the  short  hall) 
and  the  Eden.  The  former  is  celebrated  locally  for  a  small  crys- 
tal reliquary  swathed  in  numerous  silk  wrappings  and  exposed 
each  day  at  noon  so  that  the  credulous  may  see  (for  10  sen)  the 
pupil  of  Buddha's  left  eye!  —  a  small,  whitish  bit  of  rubbish 
that  bears  a  strong  resemblance  to  a  quartz  pebble.  The  Eden 
contains  a  series  of  wall-panels  painted  in  noisy  and  inharmon- 
ious colors  portraying  scenes  in  the  life  of  Shotoku-taishi  — 
the  site  of  whose  palace  the  present  structure  is  said  to  occupy. 
Just  behind  the  Shari-den  and  Eden  is  the  old  (erected  by 
Emperor  Shomu  in  740)  Dembo-do,  which  contains  a  number  of 
statues,  chief  among  them  Jizo  and  9  figures  illustrative  of  epi- 
sodes in  the  life  of  Amida.  Still  farther  back  in  the  compound 
is  the  Chugu-ji,  sl  conventual  building  inhabited  solely  by  nuns; 


Excursions.       NARA  TO  HASE-DERA     84.  Rte.  591 


here  are  kept  some  bits  of  embroidery  nearly  1300  yrs.  old;  some 
faded  kakemonos,  and,  in  the  main  shrine,  a  fine  and  rare,  time- 
blackened  wood  image  of  a  Nyorin  Kwannon,  said  to  have 
been  carved  by  Shotoku-taishi.  The  gateway  at  this  end  of  the 
compound  is  nearer  to  the  rly.  station  than  the  main  gate. 

The  Temples  of  Miwa  and  *Hase-dera,  thence  via  Sakurai 
to  Unebi  and  the  Tumulus  and  Mausoleum  of  Jimmu  Tenno 
(E.  PL  C,  3),  may  be  included  in  a  popular,  all-day  excursion; 
a  luncheon  should  be  taken,  and  a  guide  is  useful.  An  early 
start  is  advisable  unless  one  elects  to  visit  the  temples  only. 
There  are  frequent  trains,  and  the  short  trip  through  ancient 
Yamato,  the  very  heart  of  old  Japan,  is  replete  with  charm. 
Hase-dera,  8th  on  the  list  of  the  Thirty-three  Holy  Places  Sacred 
to  Kwannon,  is  one  of  the  most  famous  temples  in  Japan  and 
is  of  a  picturesqueness  which  must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated. 
The  1 J  M.  walk  (jinriki,  25  sen)  from  Miwa  Station  to  Jionji, 
where  one  boards  the  tram  for  Hase  village,  can  be  made  in  30 
min. ;  the  road  is  excellent.  If  the  traveler  does  not  concern 
himself  about  Jimmu  Tenno,  the  mythical  founder  of  the  Japan- 
ese Empire,  he  may  vary  the  excursion  by  going  first  to  Hase, 
thence  to  Sakurai,  and  on  to  Tonomine,  but  this  will  involve 
an  8  M.  walk  (going  and  returning)  over  a  roughish  road.  In 
springtime,  when  the  farmers  are  busy  with  their  fields,  jin- 
rikis  are  apt  to  be  scarce,  and  those  who  want  them  should 
have  the  hotel  manager  telephone  ahead  to  the  station  master 
at  Sakurai  to  have  them  in  readiness.  The  train  leaves  from 
(a  fast  20  min.  walk)  Kyobate  Station  (PL  B,  4),  15  min.  by  rik- 
isha  (25  sen).  The  town  of  Miwa  (fare,  1st  cl.  48  sen ;  2d  cl.  29 
sen),  where  one  leaves  the  train  is  11  M.  distant  (a  40  min. 
run).  The  rly.  (a  branch  line  between  Nara  and  Oji  Jet.)  tra- 
verses a  level  country  delimned  by  high  hills  clothed  in  decidu- 
ous, evergreen,  and  maple  trees  and  dotted  with  farmsteads. 
The  fine  Yamato  Plain  —  the  earliest  historic  center  of  Japan- 
ese culture  —  is  very  fertile,  and  the  farmhouses,  many  with 
plastered  walls  newly  whitewashed,  look  comfortable  and 
thrifty.  The  roofs  embody  various  architectural  differences, 
and  are  unusually  picturesque.  Conspicuous  among  them  are 
the  small  square  roof-sections,  like  miniature  temple-roofs, 
which  sit  astride  the  ridges  a  foot  or  so  above  them  and  serve 
as  exits  for  smoke  and  as  ventilating  holes.  Not  a  few  of  the 
pan-tiled  roofs  are  embellished  with  scowling  demon  faces, 
sprightly  little  Dogs  of  Fo  standing  on  their  fore  legs  and  with 
their  hindquarters  upraised,  fishes  standing  on  their  tails,  gods 
of  good  luck,  and  what-not.  Again  some  are  of  golden  brown 
straw  with  ridges  held  down  by  lines  of  tightly  corded  sheaves; 
others  have  tile  ridges,  and  certain  ones  have  adopted  the  style 
of  roof  used  on  Shinto  shrines  excepting  that  the  ridges  and 
borders  are  of  tiles. 

The  Miwa  Jinsha  is  5  min.  walk  N.E.  of  the  Miwa  Station 


592    Rte.  34.     NARA  TO  HASE-DERA  Excursions. 


(cross  the  rly.  line  by  the  stone  bridge  at  the  right),  at  the  up- 
per end  of  a  long  avenue  flanked  on  both  sides  by  lanterns;  it 
is  picturesquely  situated  on  the  side  of  a  conifer-  and  crypto- 
meria-covered  hill  (which  serves  as  the  inner  shrine  and  is  wor- 
shiped in  lieu  thereof),  and  is  dedicated  to  the  Shinto  god, 
Omononushi  no  kami.  The  entrance  is  guarded  by  two  big 
gray  granite  Dogs  of  Fo.  The  glistening  16-petal  chrysan- 
themum crests  which  adorn  the  roof  of  the  Haiden  proclaim 
the  royal  patronage.  Many  bronze  lanterns  swing  beneath  the 
eaves;  according  to  the  Shinto  custom  the  interior  is  plain  to 
austerity  and  contains  nothing  to  interest  the  traveler.  —  In- 
stead of  returning  to  (and  beyond)  the  station,  walkers  may 
strike  the  highway  from  Miwa  to  Jionji  (starting-point  for 
Hase  village)  by  following  the  path  at  the  right  as  it  winds 
across  the  fields.  The  broad  road  runs  N.E.  and  parallels 
(right)  the  narrow  but  swift  and  sparkling  Hase  River.  Jionji 
is  soon  descried  nestling  in  a  pocket  of  the  hills,  with  a  pretty, 
well-cultivated  little  valley  as  its  front  yard.  The  tram-cars 
which  run  from  Sakurai  to  Hase  (over  the  Hase  Kido  Line) 
stop  frequently  at  Jionji  (time  to  Hase,  10  min.;  fare,  9  sen). 
At  the  village  we  turn  up  at  the  left  and  follow  the  main  street 
—  the  old  highway  between  Osaka  and  (about  75  M.)  Yamada- 
Ise,  with  its  renowned  shrine.  Scattered  among  the  pretty 
little  shops  which  flank  the  street  are  numerous  inns  {Itani-ya, 
and  others)  which  cater  to  the  wants  of  the  hundreds  of  pilgrims 
who  come  each  year  to  the  temple.  This  stands  near  the  top  of 
the  town  (left  of  the  main  street,  15  min.  from  the  station; 
jinriki,  20  sen)  on  a  commanding  site  on  the  upper  slope  of 
a  thickly  wooded  hill,  whence  one  may  enjoy  a  superb  view 
over  the  house-tops  to  other  hills  across  the  valley.  The  situa- 
tion is  strikingly  picturesque,  and  in  its  apparent  effort  to 
maintain  its  equilibrium  the  old  temple  and  its  satellites  rest 
on  scores  of  huge  beams,  and  sections  of  scaffolding  that  re- 
mind one  of  the  Kiyomizu-dera  at  Kyoto. 

Successive  flights  of  stone  steps  lead  up  from  the  end  of 
the  street  to  the  lower  gate  —  which  is  finished  in  the  natu- 
ral wood  and  has  a  graceful  roof  and  balcony  with  many  spir- 
ited carvings  (phoenixes,  birds,  monkeys,  etc.)  harmoniously 
blended  with  the  background.  The  kiku  crests  so  much  in 
evidence  are  those  of  the  reigning  Mikado.  From  this  gate 
(note  the  rich  carvings  on  the  inner  side,  and  the  loggias  with 
their  great  Deva  Kings)  there  slopes  upward  a  long,  tile-cov- 
ered gallery  (236  steps)  with  a  host  of  carved  keyaki  beams 
from  which  swing  scores  of  bronze  lanterns.  The  peony-beds 
at  the  right  and  left  are  at  their  best  about  mid-May.  After 
inspecting  the  fine  bronze  dragon-fountain  at  the  first  landing 
(left),  one  crosses  the  small  arched  stone  bridge  and  mounts 
(72  steps)  a  lateral  corridor  hung  with  metal  lanterns  and 
flanked  by  stone  ones;  the  colorful  flanking  gardens  (adorable 


Main  Temple.  HASE-DERA  34.  Route.  593 


in  spring,  when  the  azaleas  flame  out  in  a  burst  of  color  that 
rivals  the  exquisite  cherry  blooms  for  which  the  temple  is  fam- 
ous) are  held  in  place  on  the  hillside  by  massive  stone  retain- 
ing-walls.  A  third  corridor  leads  up  at  an  angle  from  the  2d 
landing,  and  90  steepish  steps  bring  one  to  the  final  terrace, 
blown  but  triumphant,  and  amazed  at  the  beauty  of  the  pan- 
orama spread  out  below.  The  eye  of  the  architect  will  not  fail 
to  note  the  curious  old  bell-tower  which  sits  astride  the  top  of 
the  gallery  here,  as  if  to  hold  it  down  and  prevent  it  from  slid- 
ing down  upon  the  town  far  below. 

Before  beginning  the  inspection  of  the  temple  one  may  elect 
to  step  to  the  Jizo  Shrine,  at  the  extreme  right  of  the  terrace 
and  from  the  platform  there  (seats  on  which  to  rest)  enjoy  the 
sweeping  view  of  the  town,  the  Hase-gawa,  and  the  verdurous 
hills  which  rise  beyond  them.  The  lordly  hill  at  the  left,  with 
its  trees  of  many  shades  of  green,  is  Yoki-san.  The  brilliant 
sunshine  which  pours  into  this  sheltered  pocket  of  the  hills 
keeps  the  roses  blooming  in  the  temple  garden  until  January. 
Forever  basking  in  the  genial  beams  of  the  sun,  within  the 
doorway  of  the  Jizo  Shrine,  is  an  old  fortune-telling  priest,  who 
ekes  out  a  scanty  livelihood  by  selling  printed  slips  to  credu- 
lous pilgrims  —  all  of  whom  draw  the  lucky  number,  and  each 
of  whom  fervently  thanks  his  stars  that  his  fate  is  not  as  pic- 
tured on  the  lurid  painting  in  the  corridor.  Here  a  Buddhist 
Heaven  —  a  doleful-looking  place  —  has  been  planned  out  by 
some  one  with  an  eye  for  color  and  a  vivid  imagination :  at  the 
bottom  of  the  picture  a  host  of  gleeful  demons  are  seen  blud- 
geoning a  squad  of  unhappy  wights  tied  to  posts,  pitchforking 
others  into  cauldrons  of  boiling  oil,  or  turning  them  over  to  ex- 
pose the  uncooked  side  to  the  sizzling  gridiron.  At  another 
point  a  half-score  of  sinful  beings  stand  waist-deep  in  a  lake  of 
blue  fire  or  suffer  being  pushed  back  as  they  essay  to  scramble 
out! 

The  *Main  Temple,  or  Kwannon-do  (Hall  of  Kwannon  — 
known  also  as  Hase-dera,  and  as  the  Chokoku-ji),  dates  from 
1650  and  stands  on  the  site  of  the  original  temple  founded  in 
the  8th  cent.  It  is  known  throughout  Japan  for  a  colossal 
gilded  figure  (26  ft.  high)  of  the  Ju-ichi-men,  or  Eleven-faced 
Kwannon,^  said  to  have  been  carved  (presumably  in  1191)  from 
a  single  piece  of  camphor-wood,  by  a  Chinese  sculptor.  [It  is 
believed  that  originally  there  were  two  pieces  of  this  wood  and 
that  the  2d  half  was  used  in  the  carving  of  the  gigantic  Kwan- 
non at  the  Hase-no-Kwannon  Temple  at  Kamakura.]  If  the 
main  (rear)  doors  are  closed  the  priestly  custodian  will  be  found 
in  the  temple-office  behind  the  side  door  at  the  right.  On  pay- 
ment of  3  sen  one  is  conducted  down  through  a  darksome  cor- 
ridor, then  into  a  lofty  but  crowded  room  where  the  great  im- 
age stands.  It  looks  30  ft.  tall,  and  is  heavily  gilded,  from  the 
minor  heads  which  surmount  the  small  Kwannon  on  the  main 


594    Route  34. 


HASE-DERA 


Main  Temple. 


head  down  to  the  huge,  highly  polished  feet.  In  the  left  hand 
of  the  idol  is  a  vase  with  a  lotus  flower,  and  in  the  right  a  pil- 
grim's staff  (shakujd)  with  its  top  armed  with  metal  rings. 
The  great  gilt  mandorla  is  adorned  with  gold  Sanscrit  charac- 
ters. As  the  figure  stands  it  brings  the  broad  face  level  with 
the  aperture  formed  by  the  tall  swinging  doors  opening  on  to 
the  Naijin  (where  it  is  seen  as  a  great  framed  picture),  and  the 
effect,  as  it  gazes  out  through  the  ex-voto  hall  to  the  distant 
mts.,  is  peculiarly  striking.  —  The  four  large  paintings  on  the 
wall  at  the  right  and  left  represent  the  gaudy  and  piratical- 
appearing  ruffians  known  as  the  Shi-tenno;  beneath,  extending 
quite  round  the  room,  are  painted  wood  panels  portraying 
the  Thirty-three  Terrestrial  Manifestations  of  Kwannon  —  as 
curious  in  conception  as  The  Revelation  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. Passing  round  the  flanking  corridor  we  come  to  the 
handsome  gilded  shrine  commemorating  the  soldiers  who  died 
in  the  Japan-Russia  War;  the  huge  banner  with  its  hundreds  of 
written  names  is  a  sort  of  register  of  those  who  have  contri- 
buted appreciable  sums  to  the  improvement  of  the  temple. 
In  a  side  room  at  the  left  is  a  big  carved  and  seated  wood  figure 
of  Jizo,  surrounded  by  hundreds  of  offerings.  Returning  to  the 
corridor  at  the  rear  we  come  to  a  standing  gilt  figure  of  Kwan- 
non before  a  large  mural  painting,  in  harmonious  colors,  of 
Jizo-  and  25  other  bosatsus.  Just  outside  the  doors  here  are 
two  small  metal  wheels  hung  loosely  on  pivots,  and  tied  around 
with  paper  prayers.  The  pilgrims  set  these  to  whirling  and  if 
the  wheel  stops  when  the  prayer  is  at  the  bottom,  the  wish 
written  on  it  will  be- fulfilled.  The  many  thin  bamboo  strips 
in  a  box  are  used  as  tallies  by  the  pilgrims,  who  wash  them- 
selves clean  of  all  their  sins  by  circling  the  building  1000  times! 

Among  the  well-carved  wood  figures  of  saints  in  the  last  cor- 
ridor is  one  of  Kobo-Daishi.  A  time-blackened  statue  of  Dai- 
nichi-  Nyorai  sits  before  a  large  mandorla  showing  a  duplicate 
bust  of  him.  The  glass-eyed  figure  at  the  left,  also  badly  black- 
ened by  the  smoke  of  incense  during  centuries,  is  of  Tokudo- 
Shonin,  founder  of  the  temple.  The  face  of  the  great  Kwannon 
is  very  attractive  when  seen  from  the  Naijin.  The  decora- 
tions of  the  frame  must  have  been  admirable  when  new;  those 
on  the  tall  swinging  door  panels  portray  the  Ju-ni-ten  and  are 
still  barbarically  opulent.  The  space  in  front  is  crowded  with 
metal  lanterns,  lotus  leaves,  artificial  flowers,  and  the  usual 
temple  altar  fitments;  the  panels  of  the  altar-base  carry  de- 
signs of  lotus  flowers  and  leaves.  A  host  of  little  bowls  before 
the  shrine  are  filled  with  daikon,  rice-cakes,  and  other  vege- 
table offerings  to  the  deity.  —  The  Ex-voto  Hall  in  front, 
from  the  balcony  of  which  a  splendid  view  is  had  over  the 
valley,  is  filled  with  strange  offerings  —  lurid  paintings  and 
what-not;  the  huge  circular  box  inclosed  in  a  wire  net  and 
covered  with  gilded  ideographs  is  a  compass.   The  seated  red 


TUMULUS  OF  JIMMU  TENNO    34.  Rte.  595 


figure  at  the  right  is  the  ostracized  Binzuru.  The  tortoise- 
pond  beneath  a  wistaria  arbor,  near  the  entrance  to  the  tem- 
ple, contains  many  tortoises  which  here  live  a  long  and  easy 
Jife.  From  the  yard  one  gets  a  good  view  of  the  fine  old  tem- 
ple-roofs (of  which  there  are  8,  counting  the  gables)  supported 
by  96  immense  keyaki  pillars,  some  of  which  are  nearly  3  ft. 
in  diameter.  The  two  big  mandaras  showing  each  a  half  of  the 
Buddhist  universe,  which  formerly  hung  in  the  temple,  are 
now  boxed,  and  may  be  seen  on  application  at  the  temple  of- 
fice. A  celebrated  building  known  as  the  Sen-jd-jiki,  which 
contains  a  thousand  mats,  and  which  was  formerly  the  abbot's 
residence,  was  recently  burned. 

There  are  a  number  of  pretty  Walks  over  the  hills  beyond 
the  temple,  as  well  as  along  the  crest  of  those  which  face  it. 
The  town  differs  so  little  from  the  ordinary  native  settlement 
that  it  need  not  detain  one.  —  Returning,  therefore,  to  the 
tram-station  we  proceed  (10  min.,  13  sen)  to  Sakurai,  a  nonde- 
script town  in  the  fertile  valley  of  the  Hase-gawa,  thence  (by 
steam  rly.,  3  M.,  10  sen)  to  Unebi,  known  as  the  spot  near 
which  (at  the  foot  of  Unebi-yama,  visible  1  M.  at  the  left  — 
N.E.  —  of  the  station)  stands  the  (uninteresting)  Tumulus  of 
Jimmu  Tenno  (a  15  min.  walk),  and  the  locally  extolled  (10 
min.  beyond)  Kashiwabara  Jingu  — a  Shinto  -shrine  on  the  site 
of  his  ancient  palace.  Jinrikis  will  make  trip  from  the  station 
and  back  for  40  sen.  A  local  specialty  is  the  making  of  cotton 
yarn  and  the  weaving  of  cloth;  almost  every  dwelling  is  an  em- 
bryonic factory,  and  not  only  does  one  stumble  over  the  yarns 
stretched  through  the  streets,  but  the  waters  of  every  near-by 
stream  are  stained  with  their  dyes.  —  Turning  left  from  the 
station  we  traverse  the  main  street,  which,  after  bending  far- 
ther to  the  left  and  passing  beneath  the  rly.  track,  broadens 
into  a  good  macadam  road.  The  (uninteresting)  Commercial 
Museum  is  passed  (right)  and  then  (left)  the  Tumulus  (a  low 
mound  in  the  center  of  a  tree-dotted  inclosure  to  which  en- 
trance is  forbidden)  of  the  (2d)  Empqror  Suisei  (b.c.  581-49), 
the  3d  son  of  Jimmu  Tenno,  who  succeeded  his  (legendary) 
father  at  51.  The  stone  monument  beyond,  at  the  right,  com- 
memorates the  Japan-Russia  War.  There  are  several  Imperial 
tumuli  (misasagi)  in  the  neighborhood,  surrounded  by  the 
granite  fences  which  characterize  them.  A  long,  low,  neatly 
trimmed  hedge  flanks  the  street  side  of  the  plot  containing  the 
supposed  grave  of  Jimmu.  Beyond  the  first  torii  is  a  well-cared- 
for  gravelly  inclosure  where  the  traveler  may  go,  provided  no 
repairs  are  under  way;  the  grave  or  mound  is  imperfectly  seen 
at  the  right,  beyond  an  iron  gate  amidst  the  trees.  A  lively 
imagination  is  necessary  to  make  it  appear  interesting,  particu- 
larly in  view  of  the  fact  that  until  a  few  yrs.  ago  the  Japan- 
ese themselves  were  undecided  regarding  the  exact  location 
of  the  burial-place  of  this  shadowy  emperor  of  whom  no  writ- 


596    Route  84.  TO-NO-MINE  Excursions. 


ten  records  existed  until  1100  yrs.  after  his  supposed  life  and 
demise!  No  inscription  marked  the  spot,  but  Jimmu's  capital 
is  thought  to  have  been  hereabout,  and  the  gold  and  silver 
ornaments,  pottery,  swords,  and  what-not  dug  up  convinced 
the  people  that  some  important  personage  was  interred  here. 
The  inclosure  with  its  Imperial  insignia  lies  within  the  Im- 
perial domain  and  dates  from  1863. 

Continuing  along  the  main  road  we  come  (10  min.)  to  the 
Kashiwabara  Jingu,  in  the  town  of  the  same  name;  there  are 
some  unusual  stone  lanterns  and  some  machine-guns  and  iron 
baskets  for  fagots  near  the  shrine  inclosure,  which  is  the  sup- 
posed site  of  Jimmu's  palace;  at  the  left  is  a  pretty  lotus-pond 
with  a  stone  bridge  adorned  with  8  bronze  giboshu.  The  main 
shrine  (no  admittance),  called  Shinka-den,  is  supplemented  by 
an  interior  Naishi-dokoro,  half-encircling  which  is  an  open  gal- 
lery that  terminates  in  a  central  gate  called  Norito-ya.  The 
edifices  are  in  the  customary  Shinto  style  with  beautiful  seal- 
brown  roofs  of  hinoki  bark,  and  handsome  copper-bronze  gut- 
ters. They  were  removed  hither  from  Kyoto  in  1890,  and  are 
planned  somewhat  after  the  Imperial  Palace  there.  The  low 
rear  wall  with  its  5  horizontal  lines  betokens  its  Imperial  char- 
acter. The  inner  structure  is  divided  into  two  departments; 
one  (right)  where  the  custodian  (a  lady  of  royal  lineage)  dwells, 
and  (left)  the  Kashiki-dokoro,  or  'Awe-inspiring  Place/  wherein 
is  a  copy  (original  at  Ise)  of  the  sacred  mirror  given  to  Jimmu 
Tenno,  by  the  Sun  Goddess.  According  to  tradition  the  Im- 
perial Palace  here  was  burned  in  a.d.  690,  and  the  sacred  mir- 
ror flew  out  and  alighted  upon  a  cherry  tree,  where  it  was  dis- 
covered by  one  of  the  Emperor's  female  attendants  (naishi)  — 
whence  the  name  of  the  right-hand  apartment,  Naishi-dokoroy 
or  'Imperial  Court  apartment  where  the  Imperial  insignia  is 
kept.'  Henceforth  only  a  woman  of  royal  lineage  was  per- 
mitted to  guard  the  treasure.  The  edifices  at  the  right  are  the 
godowns  and  the  Shinsenjo,  or  place  where  the  sacred  offerings 
are  prepared.  —  The  annual  festival  of  the  shrine  falls  on 
April  3.  Many  of  the  alleged  relics  claimed  to  have  been  dug 
up  in  the  neighborhood  are  spurious. 

To-no-mine,  or  Tamu-no-Mine  (or  Tan-zan),  sl  mt.,  in  Ya- 
mato  (E,  PI.  C,  3),  distinguished  for  the  temple  erected  there 
in  the  7th  cent,  by  Fujiwara  Joe  in  honor  of  his  father  Ka- 
matari,  is  rarely  visited  by  the  hurried  traveler,  because  of  the 
minor  difficulties  of  reaching  it.  Japanese  sometimes  refer  to  it 
as  the  Nikko  of  the  Kansai  region,  because  of  the  fine  forests 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  also  because  the  decorations  of  the 
Nikko  mausolea  are  thought  to  have  been  inspired  by  those 
of  this  structure.  The  road  from  Sakurai  ( the  point  of  depar- 
ture) is  rocky,  and  jinrikis  are  of  little  use;  a  good  walker  can 
make  the  outward  trip  (4  M.  to  the  S.)  in  about  1J  hrs.,  but 
if  he  has  seen  other  Japanese  temples  he  won't  feel  repaid 


Excursions. 


YOSHINO-YAMA       84.  Route.  597 


for  the  exertion.  The  25  superb  sculptured  and  gilded  figures 
which  composed  the  so-called  Heavenly  Band,  and  which  long 
made  the  temple  worth  going  to  see,  are  now  at  Mr.  Okura's 
private  museum  in  Tokyo.  The  old,  weather-beaten  structure 
is  a  good  example  of  Ryobu-Shinto  architecture,  and  the  13- 
roofed  pagoda  is  unique.  Tradition  has  it  that  Joe  brought 
12  stories  of  the  structure  with  him  from  China  and  that  there 
was  not  enough  room  in  the  junk  for  the  13th,  but  that  this, 
refusing  to  be  separated  from  its  companions,  flew  after  the 
craft  and  rejoined  them  here!  The  decorations  of  all  the  now 
decaying  structures  are  faded,  and  with  the  sculptures  differ 
but  little  from  those  of  other  temples.  Some  fine  maples  sur- 
round the  buildings,  and  the  cherry-blossom  display  in  April 
is  pretty.  On  the  return  down  the  mt.  one  gets  good  views  of 
distant  hills  and  valleys. 

T 6-no-mine,  or  Conference  Peak,  is  often  referred  to  in  history  in  con- 
nection with  the  (35th)  Empress  Kogyoku  (642-45),  whom  a  bold  nobleman, 
Soga-no-Iruka,  wished  to  replace,  and  whom  Fujiwara  Kamatari  (614-69) 
planned  with  friends  to  assassinate.  At  one  time  the  temple  was  prosperous 
and  powerful  and  it  bore  an  unpleasant  reputation  for  the  political  intrigues 
hatched  there.  '  The  years  1081  and  1082  (says  Mr.  Murdoch)  were  con- 
vulsed with  armed  strife  between  the  Nara  Kofuku-ji  and  the  monastery  of 
Tamu-no-mine.  When  about  970  the  abbot  of  Hiei-zan  formed  a  corps  of 
mercenaries  to  protect  the  monastery  and  its  possessions,  and  to  prosecute 
its  quarrels  with  its  rivals  and  foes,  the  example  was  promptly  followed  by 
other  great  religious  foundations,  among  which  the  Kofuku-ji  of  Nara  came 
to  be  notorious.  By  the  end  of  the  11th  cent,  a  number  of  great  fanes  could 
readily  place  several  thousand  men  in  the  field  at  a  very  short  notice.  Each 
of  them  had  become  a  huge  Cave  of  Adullam,  —  a  refuge  for  every  sturdy 
knave  with  a  soul  above  earning  a  livelihood  by  the  commonplace  drudgery 
of  work.  Each  of  them  had  in  truth  assumed  the  aspect  of  a  great  fortress 
garrisoned  by  a  turbulent  rabble  of  armed  ruffians.  And  each  of  them  had 
degenerated  into  a  hotbed  of  vice,  where  the  most  important  precepts  of  the 
moral  code  were  openly  and  wantonly  flouted.  In  truth,  at  this  date,  1100 
a.d.,  Buddhism  in  Japan  from  a  moral  point  of  view  was  in  not  a  whit  better 
case  than  was  the  Church  of  Rome  between  the  death  of  Sylvester  II  and  the 
election  of  Leo  IX.' 

Yoshino-yama  (E,  PL  C,  4),  a  hill  9  M.  to  the  S.E.  of  Td-no- 
mine  (in  Nara  Prefecture,  Yamato  Province),  praised  through- 
out Japan  for  its  attractive  cherry  trees  (blossoms  in  April), 
and  for  its  many  historical  associations,  is  best  reached  by  rly. 
from  Nara  to  (24  M.)  Yoshinoguchi,  thence  on  foot  (in  4  hrs.) 
or  by  jinriki  (in  3  hrs;  fare  ¥3.  60;  lower  in  the  off  season) 
via  the  Muda  Bridge  to  Yoshino  town  (pop.  1500).  The  place 
is  composed  almost  solely  of  inns  (Kado-ya,  Tatsumi-ya,  etc., 
¥2-3)  erected  to  accommodate  the  hordes  of  pilgrims  and 
sightseers  who  come  hither  in  the  spring  to  view  the  most 
superb  exhibition  of  cherry  blossoms  to  be  seen  in  Japan,  and 
to  pray  in  the  numerous  temples  which  dot  the  environs.  One 
of  the  numerous  hills  which  shut  in  the  town  is  entirely  cov- 
ered with  patriarchal  trees,  the  sons  of  earlier  ones  planted 
here  ages  ago.  They  are  grouped  in  masses  supposed  to  con- 
tain a  thousand  trees  each,  which,  because  of  different  expos- 
ures, bloom  successively.  From  a  point  called  Hitome  Sem-bon, 


598    Rte.  35.     NARA  TO  YAMADA-ISE  Kameyama 


or  '  Survey  of  a  Thousand  Trees  at  a  Glance/  the  vision 
sweeps  a  vast  extent  and  enjoys  a  floral  display  perhaps  un- 
equaled.  Trees  to  adorn  palaces  gardens  and  parks  through- 
out the  Empire  are  usually  drawn  from  this  source,  while  far- 
ther down  the  valley  of  the  Yoshino  River  (one  of  the  longest 
in  the  country)  is  obtained  the  fire-garnet  sand,  or  pyrope 
(which  belongs  to  the  magnesia-alumina  variety  of  the  species), 
used  in  the  polishing  of  rock-crystals.  The  region  is  moun- 
tainous, the  highest  peaks  averaging  6000  ft.  The  Emperor 
Go-Daigo  established  his  Court  here  in  1336  (after  his  expul- 
sion from  Kyoto)  and  died  2  yrs.  later.  The  brave  Yoshitsune 
and  his  faithful  Benkei  sought  refuge  here  in  1185  from  the 
unnatural  Yoritomo,  and  the  scenery  roundabout  has  inspired 
Japanese  poets  for  centuries.  Chief  among  the  temples  is  the 
Zd-d-dd  with  a  26-ft.  image  (ascribed  to  Gydgi-bosatsu)  of  Zd-d 
Gongen.  A  specialty  of  the  town  is  a  starchy  sweet  called 
Kuzudamari,  with  which  cherry  blossoms  are  covered  and  sold 
in  pretty  boxes.  The  Yoshino-gami,  or  paper,  used  throughout 
the  country  in  the  lacquer  manufacture,  is  made  in  the  vicinity. 
The  lac  of  the  trees  grown  here  is  greatly  valued  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  lacquer- wares. 

There  are  a  number  of  other  attractive  places  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Nara,  to  which  excursions  can  be  made.  For  data  re- 
ferring to  them  consult  the  hotel  manager.*  Tsukigase  is  ra- 
diant with  plum  blossoms  in  March,  and  there  is  excellent 
trout-fishing  in  the  Kizu  River  near  (12|  M.)  Kasagi-yama. 

35.  From  Nara  to  Yamada  and  the  Shrines  of  Ise. 

Kansai  and  Sangii  Lines  of  the  Imperial  Government  Railways. 

79  M.  Several  trains  daily  in  about  5  hrs.;  fare,  1st  cl.,  ¥3.03;  2d  cL, 
¥1.82.)  Unless  one  boards  a  car  marked  Toba  (the  station  at  the  end  of  the 
line),  a  change  may  be  necessary  (in  same  station)  at  Kameyama.  When 
pilgrims  to  the  shrines  are  on  the  move  (usually  in  springtime),  the  2d.  cl. 
cars  are  apt  to  be  uncomfortably  crowded.  From  Yamato  Province  the  train 
goes  through  the  lower  end  of  Yamashiro,  then  crosses  Iga  before  entering 
Ise  (Chinese,  Seishu)  —  whence  the  shrines  derive  their  name.  The  two 
first  provinces  belong  to  the  Five-Home  group;  the  others  to  the  15  provinces 
or  states  comprising  the  Eastern  Sea  Road.  Because  the  shrines  are  at  the 
town  of  Yamada,  in  the  province  of  Ise  (E'say),  the  place  is  often  referred 
to  as  Yamada-Ise.  Southbound  travelers  who  find  themselves  at  Nagoya 
can  reverse  Rte.  26,  visit  Yamada,  and  travel  thence  to  Nara.  There  is  a 
platform  restaurant  at  Kameyama  and  warm  bento  is  offered  for  sale. 

From  Nara  the  train  runs  back  toward  Kyoto  to  4  M.  Kizu, 
then  branches  to  the  right  (E.)  and  enters  a  hilly  region  drained 
by  the  flanking  Kizu-gawa.  [If  one's  motor-car  is  not  too  heavy 
to  negotiate  the  rather  flimsy  bridges,  the  auto  road  seen  from 
the  train  will  afford  a  pleasant  highway  between  Nara  and 
Yamada.]  The  region  roundabout  is  carefully  cultivated,  and 
in  Nov.  it  flames  with  turning  maples.  8  M.  Kamo,  in  a  hilly 
district  through  which  winds  the  Kizu  River,  is  a  shipping- 
point  for  the  tea  which  grows  in  the  neighborhood.  The  rly. 


toNagoya.        NARA  TO  YAMADA-ISE    35.  Rte.  599 


compasses  the  hills  on  terraces  cut  from  them  and  held  in  place 
by  huge  and  costly  stone  embankments.  12  M.  Kasagi,  sl  poor 
but  picturesque  town  on  the  banks  of  the  Shinono-gawa,  sprawls 
up  the  flank  of  Kasagi-yama,  and  is  the  place  where  the  Em- 
peror Go-Daigo  took  refuge  to  escape  Hojo  Takatoki  (in  1331). 
Soon  afterward  he  was  besieged  on  the  mt.,  made  prisoner,  and 
banished  to  Oki  Island.  —  Immense  rocks  fleck  the  mt.  side 
and  seem  ready  to  fall  upon  the  train  as  it  edges  gingerly  along 
below.  Many  bamboo  articles  are  made  from  this  arbores- 
cent grass,  which  grows  in  groves  on  the  slopes  hereabout.  As 
the  train  enters  a  wild  gorge,  great  rocks  are  descried  in  the 
bed  of  the  dashing  river,  to  which  the  steel  flumes  that  come 
down  the  hillsides  add  their  quota  of  spume.  The  line  follows 
the  sinuosities  of  the  stream,  then  crosses  it  and  runs  over  a 
steadily  ascending  grade  to  Okawara,  beyond  which  a  big  tunnel 
(1266  ft.  long),  then  a  smaller  one,  both  of  the  same  name,  are 
threaded  before  the  rly.  descends  through  the  Shimagawara 
Tunnel  to  the  nondescript  Shimagawara  Station.  Fine  gray 
granite  is  quarried  hereabout,  and  a  yellow  clay  employed  in 
the  manufacture  of  earthenware  is  shipped  hence  to  the  Kyoto 
potteries.  Tsukigase,  sl  small  town  6  M.  to  the  S.  W.  in  Yamato 
Province,  is  a  popular  resort  for  Nara  folks  who  come  hither 
in  March  to  see  the  display  of  flamboyant  plum  blossoms  on 
the  trees  which  flank  the  Kisu  River.  25  M.  JJeno.  30  M. 
Tsuge  Jet.,  in  Iga  Province.  A  branch  line  of  the  Kansai  Line 
runs  hence  (several  trains  daily)  to  22  M.  Kusatsu,  a  station 
near  the  Lake  of  Omi,  On  the  Tokaido  (Rte.  26).  Between  Tsuge 
and  39  M.  Seki  the  rly.  ascends  over  a  gradient  of  1  in  40  to 
the  Kabuto  Tunnel  (3044  ft.  long  and  1062  ft.  above  the  sea), 
then  descends  through  two  more  tunnels  and  across  three 
bridges  to  43  M.  Kameyama  (273  ft.),  where  it  turns  and  runs 
toward  the  S.E.  along  the  W.  shore  of  Ise  Bay. 

From  Kameyama  to  Nagoya,  over  the  Kansai  Main  Line,  is  37  M.,  and 
the  several  daily  trains  compass  the  trip  in  about  2  hrs.  Fare,  1st  cl.,  ¥1.55; 
2d  cl.,  93  sen.  The  first  part  is  over  a  broken  country  marked  by  dense  pine 
groves  and  tea  plantations.  Beyond  10  M.  Kawarada  the  country  flattens 
out  and  the  rly.  crosses  a  wide  prairie-like  region  drained  by  the  Uchibe  River. 
It  is  subject  to  overflows  in  spring,  and  the  numerous  transversal  dikes  are 
aimed  to  keep  the  water  where  it  belongs.  14  M.  Yokkaichi,  an  important 
port  on  Ise  Bay,  in  Ise  Province,  with  31,000  inhabs.,  is  known  locally  for  its 
manufactures  of  paper  and  for  the  Banko  faience  sold  at  Ise.  In  ancient 
times  it  was  a  well-known  point  on  the  Tokaido,  which  still  runs  through  it; 
at  present  its  many  factory  chimneys  cause  it  to  look  like  a  miniature  Osaka. 
For  some  distance  the  rly.  flanks  the  Tokaido,  which  is  still  bordered  by 
ancient  pine  trees.  The  bulky  mt.  range  at  the  left  is  the  dividing  line  be- 
tween the  provinces  of  Ise  and  Omi.  The  country  is  thickly  settled  and  in- 
tensively cultivated;  dogs  help  the  farmers  in  their  work,  and  immense  quan- 
tities of  vegetables  are  produced  on  the  level,  rich  land.  23  M.  Kuwana, 
with  22,000  inhabs.  (Inn;  Funatsu-ya)  is  an  old  castle  town  which  during 
the  16th  cent. was  the  home  of  the  Ise  family.  Its  several  temples  are  of  no 
interest  to  the  casual  traveler.  Traversing  a  level  country  and  then  sweep- 
ing broadly  to  the  right,  the  rly.  crosses  the  H orima-gawa ,  then  the  wide 
Ebi-gawa,  spanned  by  a  16-arch  steel  bridge  3255  ft.  long.  The  country  be- 
tween this  point  and  Nagoya  is  flat  and  is  furrowed  by  8  rivers,  most  of  which 


600    Route  35. 


YAMADA 


Arrival. 


have  to  be  held  in  place  by  low  dikes  and  all  of  which  join  in  inundating  the 
lowlands  during  the  rainy  season!"  "While  these  overflows  have  increased  the 
engineering  difficulties  of  the  rly.  line,  and  each  year  embarrass  the  farmers, 
they  add  to  the  richness  of  their  lands  by  depositing  quantities  of  silt  that 
materially  augment  the  production.  Many  of  the  vegetables  sold  in  the 
Nagoya  markets  are  raised  hereabout.  37  M.  Nagoya,  see  p.  375. 

50  M.  Ishinden,  the  first  station  of  importance  on  the  Sangu 
(lit.,  'Pilgrimage  to  the  Grand  Imperial  Shrine  in  Ise')  Line, 
is  known  for  a  big  temple  (2  min.  walk  from  the  station,  left) 
called  the  Senshu-ji  (or  Takata-no-Gobo),  the  principal  seat  of 
the  Takata  branch  of  the  Jodo-shin  sect  of  Buddhists. 

52  M.  Tsu  (Inn:  Chocho-kwan,  ¥2.50  to  ¥3),  capital  of 
Miye  Prefecture,  with  41,230  inhabs.,  was  formerly  called 
Anotsu  and  was  the  residence  of  a  branch  of  the  Taira  family. 
The  two  temples  near  the  center  of  the  city,  the  Kwannon-ji 
and  Ko-no-Amida,  though  of  considerable  importance  to  the 
natives  are  of  but  little  interest  to  foreigners.  Near  by,  on  the 
W.  shore  of  Ise  Bay,  stands  the  nondescript  town  of  Shirako, 
known  to  artistic  designers  of  many  countries  for  its  unique 
industry.  The  designs  and  patterns  for  many  of  the  best* 
woven  stuffs  (towels,  clothing,  etc.)  in  general  use  throughout 
Japan  originate  here  and  have  done  so  for  centuries.  The  in- 
dustry is  said  to  owe  its  origin  to  a  bonze  of  the  local  temple, 
who  about  a  thousand  yrs.  ago  cut  the  first  figures  from  thick 
paper  and  gave  them  to  the  temple  devotees.  To  this  reposi- 
tory of  ancient  designs  come  copyists  from  many  places  to  see 
and  to  buy.  —  The  train  passes  the  unimportant  towns  of 
Akogi,  Takachaya,  Rokken,  and  Matsuzaka,  the  birthplace  of 
Motoori Norinaga,  a  famous  man  of  letters  (b.  1730;  d.  1801). 

79  M.  (36  from  Kameyama  Jet.)  Yamada  (Yamada-Ise,  or 
Uji-Yamada),  a  clean  and  handsome  town  (pop.  39,000)  near 
the  sea  in  Ise  Province,  is  celebrated  for  its  sacred  shrines. 
According  to  the  local  guidebook  the  occupation  of  the  peo- 
ple 1  is  to  feed  peacefully  upon  tourists/  upwards  of  700,000  of 
whom,  chiefly  Japanese,  come  hither  each  year.  Like  Nara, 
Yamada  nestles  cozily  at  the  base  of  a  range  of  wooded  hills 
which  rise  behind  it,  prominent  among  them  the  lofty  Asama- 
yama. 

Arrival.  Most  foreign  travelers  go  to  the  popular  (foreign  style)  Gonikai 
Hotel  (¥6  a  day  and  upward,  according  to  room),  on  a  commanding  slope 
of  Tora  o  ('  Tiger-Tail  Hill '),  whence  there  are  fine  views.  English  spoken. 
Jinriki  from  the  station,  15  sen,  in  15  min.  —  The  wide  street  which  leads 
from  the  rly.  station  to  the  entrance  to  the  Geku  Shrine  is  flanked  by  numer- 
ous inns  in  the  native  style  (Aburaya,  Takachihi-kwan;  Saiki,  etc.;  all  from 
¥2.50  and  upward  for  lodging  and  2  meals),  but  they  cater  chiefly  to  pilgrims. 
Many  of  the  old-fashioned  inns  in  the  town  are  almost  smothered  in  signs 
and  banners  brought  by  pilgrims  from  different  parts  of  the  Empire,  and  used 
by  the  innkeepers  as  testimonials  and  advertisements. 

Electric  tram-cars  run  at  frequent  intervals  between  the  two  big  shrines 
(terminus  near  the  station),  thence  from  the  Naiku  Shrine  at  Uji  to  the 
popular  seaside  resort  of  Futami.  Automobiles  compete  at  ¥25  a  day;  ¥15 
per  £  day,  and  ¥3.50  an  hr.  A  cursory  view  of  the  two  shrines  and  Futami 
(including  Toba)  can  be  had  in  about  3  hrs.,  but  the  traveler  with  time  to 


The  Shrines  of  1 se.         YAM  ADA  35.  Routs.  601 

spare  should  devote  more  to  them.  The  views  from  the  hilltops  behind  Toba 
are  superb,  and  the  walk  back  through  Futami  is  delightful.  By  boarding  a 
rly.  train  at  Yamada,  for  Toba,  climbing  the  hill  behind  it,  then  walking 
back  to  Futami  and  boarding  a  tram-car  there  for  Naiku,  one  can  get  a  com- 
prehensive view  of  the  surrounding  country.  Asama-yama  may  be  ascended 
horn  Naiku,  but  the  trip  should  be  undertaken  early  in  the  morning.  The 
Museum  and  the  old  Furuichi  quarter  lie  between  Naiku  and  the  hotel,  and 
may  conveniently  be  inspected  on  the  way  back. 

Jinriki  —  fares  35  sen  an  hour;  to  Toba  and  back  via  Futami  and  the 
Naiku  Shrine,  with  2  men,  ¥3.20. 

•  The  Yamada  Shops  contain  but  little  of  real  worth.  The  chief  specialties 
are  pills,  chop-sticks  made  from  the  wood  of  demolished  shrines,  and  the 
rather  coarse  earthenware  called  Banko-yaki. 

The  Shrines  of  Ise,  or  Ise  Daijingu,  the  '  Two  Great  Divine  Palaces  '  of  the 
primitive  Shinto  cult  (comp.  p.  ccxiv) ;  archaic  and  greatly  venerated  struc- 
tures erected  on  the  site  of  originals  dating  from  the  5th  cent,  are  consecrated 
to  the  Sun-Goddess  Amaterasu  and  other  tutelar  saints,  and  while  not  as 
ancient  as  those  of  Kizuki,  in  Izumo  (p.  543) ,  in  point  of  sanctity  they  rank 
highest  of  all  the  Shinto  temples  in  Japan.  Here  the  ancient  ceremonials 
are  conducted  in  their  pristine  simplicity,  without  innovations  of  any  kind, 
and  here  also  what  is  claimed  to  be  the  pure  Shinto  style  of  architecture  can 
be  studied  to  the  best  advantage.  So  unwavering  is  the  belief  of  the  prole- 
tariat that  they  are  the  specially  chosen  terrestrial  abode  of  the  Kami  or 
gods  which  watch  over  the  Japanese,  that  a  horde  of  pilgrims,  devout  and 
otherwise,  foregather  here  during  each  year  and  worship  in  their  own  behalf,  v 
or  that  of  the  scores  of  hamlets  and  villages,  individuals  and  associations,/ 
that  deputize  them  to  make  the  holy  pilgrimage  in  their  names.  To  count- 
less millions  of  the  Nipponese  the  sanctified  spot  is  what  Mecca  is  to  the 
Mahometans,  Jerusalem  to  the  Christians,  and  Guadalupe  to  the  Mexicans. 
According  to  an  accepted  authority  (Sir  Ernest  Satow),^  no  artisan  in  Tokyo 
who  is  a  devotee  of  the  creed  'considers  it  possible  to  gain  a  livelihood  unless 
he  has  invoked  the  protection  of  Daijingu  Sama,  as  the  common  people  are 
accustomed  to  call  the  gods  of  Ise,  by  performing  the  journey  thither  once 
at  least,  and  the  peasants  are  even  more  devout  believers.  In  former  years 
it  was  a  common  thing  for  the  little  shop-boys  of  Yedo  to  abscond  for  a  while 
from  their  master's  houses  and  to  wander  along  the  Tokaido  as  far  as  Ise, 
subsisting  on  the  alms  which  they  begged  from  travelers;  and  having  ob- 
tained the  bundle  of  charms,  consisting  of  pieces  of  the  wood  of  which  the 
temple  is  built,  they  made  their  way  back  home  in  the  same  manner.  The  Ise 
pilgrims  are  distinguished  on  their  return  by  large  bundles  of  charms,  wrapped 
in  oiled  paper,  which  they  carry  suspended  from  their  necks  by  a  string.' 

Photographing  or  sketching,  and  smoking,  are  forbidden  in  the  grounds, 
and  the  relic-maniac  should  refrain  from  detaching  souvenirs  of  his  visit. 
So  sacred  are  the  structures  in  the  eyes  of  the  Japanese  that  the  carpenters 
who  work  on  them  must  not  only  bathe  frequently,  but  are  required  also 
to  wear  spotless  white  clothes  and  to  discard  them  at  the  first  appearance 
of  any  stain.  If  a  workman  cuts  his  finger  and  permits  a  drop  of  the  blood  to 
fall  on  a  piece  of  wood,  this  is  instantly  rejected.  The  wood  itself  is  specially 
selected  hinoki  and  cryptomeria  of  the  finest  grain,  cut  from  the  Imperial 
Forests  on  the  Kiso  Mts.,  on  the  border-line  between  Mino  and  Shinano 
Provinces.  Ceremonies  almost  as  elaborate  as  when  a  new  shrine  is  built 
mark  the  felling  of  the  trees  —  properly  to  consecrate  them.  Branches  of 
the  Ise  Shrines  are  located  at  various  points  in  the  Empire,  and  all  the  island 
roads  are  supposed  to  center  at  Ise. 

The  Geku,  or  Outer  Shrine  (or  Palace) ,  dedicated  to  Toyo-uke  Daijin  (or 
Toyo-uke-bime  no  kami),  Goddess  of  Cereals  and  daughter  of  Izanagi  and 
Izanami,  is  said  to  have  been  founded  in  a.d.  478.  It  stands  in  the  midst  of 
a  magnificent  grove  of  aged  and  lofty  cryptomerias  near  the  rly.  station,  at 
the  S.  side  of  the  town,  about  4  M.  from  its  companion,  the  Naiku,  or  Inner 
Shrine,  which  is  similarly  situated  near  Uji  village,  at  the  E.  A  splendid 
boulevard,  the  Miyuki-dori,  constructed,  as  its  name  implies,  specially  for 
the  use  of  the  Imperial  Family,  lays  its  length  through  the  continuous  vil- 
lages of  Mioken-machi,  Furuichi,  Ushidani,  and  Uji,  and  is  now  used  by  all. 
Electric  tram-cars  (10  sen,  in  25  min.)  and  automobiles  (12  sen)  ply  continu- 
ously between  the  two  shrines,  which  are  so  much  alike  architecturally  that 


602    Route  35.  YAMADA 


The  Shrines* 


seeing  one  is  almost  equivalent  to  seeing  both.  The  Naiku  is  the  larger  and 
holier  of  the  two,  and  has  the  most  pleasing  environment. 

The  pretty  lotus-pond  just  within  the  entrance  of  the  park  enshrining  the 
Geku  is  called  Magatama-ike,  from  its  fancied  resemblance  to  one  of  these 
ancient  ornaments.  An  arched  wood  bridge  with  8  metal  giboshu  gives 
access  to  the  inclosure,  where  the  first  objects  to  attract  the  attention  are 
numerous  war-trophies  in  the  form  of  cannon  and  what-not  captured  in  the 
Chinese  and  Russian  wars.  The  same  number  of  torii,  gateways,  fences,  and 
edifices  to  be  found  in  the  Naiku  Shrine  are  grouped  beside  the  superb 
avenue  of  giant  trees  which  leads  up  to  them.  The  splendid  old  camphor  tree 
which  stands  at  the  right  of  this,  upheld  by  many  supporting  beams,  anfl 
called  Kiyomori  no  kusunoki,  is  said  to  have  been  planted  by  the  valiant 
warrior,  Taira  Kiyomori,  in  the  12th  cent.  Passing  beneath  the  noble  ichi 
no  torii,  which  has  fresh  sakaki  twigs  and  wisps  of  white  paper  nailed  to  the 
uprights,  one  continues  beneath  the  lofty  trees  to  a  fenced  inclosure  (right) 
containing  the  building  where  royalty  changes  its  costume  before  praying 
in  the  temple.  The  Kagura-den  is  beyond,  and  following  this,  on  the  far  side 
of  the  2d  torii,  is  the  Juydsho,  where  offerings,  etc.,  are  sold.  The  next  struc- 
ture at  the  right  is  the  Go  jo-den  where  certain  of  the  numerous  festivals  are 
held.  The  little  pond  at  the  left  here,  with  its  hungry  carp,  is  the  Mi-ike, 
and  the  stone  laver  is  used  by  the  pilgrims  before  they  approach  the  shrine. 
The  Geku  itself,  stands  within  the  compound  at  the  left  and  is  unapproach- 
able by  the  casual  visitor.  The  open  space  awaits  the  next  new  temple  to  be 
erected.  Many  of  the  great  trees  have  sections  of  their  trunks  wrapped  in 
matting  or  are  fenced  in  to  prevent  the  bark  being  stripped  from  them  by 
zealous  devotees.  The  small  inclosure  at  the  left,  piled  with  pebbles  and 
fenced  with  stakes  tied  with  shimenawa,  or  straw  ropes  flecked  with  wisps 
of  white  paper  (representing  purity) ,  is  where  many  pray  rather  than  mount 
the  adjacent  hill  to  the  shrines  there.  A  better  and  closer  view  of  the  inner 
shrine  can  be  had  from  the  rear.  Scattered  amidst  the  immense  camphor 
and  cryptomeria  trees  in  the  park  are  maples,  cherry  trees,  cedars,  and  sev- 
eral varieties  of  conifers. 

The  Naiku  Shrine  stands  within  a  beautiful  164-acre  park  at  the  foot  of 
the  tall  Asama-yama,  and  is  dedicated  to  all  the  divine  ancestors  of  the 
Mikado.  A  handsome,  picturesque,  and  so-called  sacred  bridge  adorned 
with  16  big  bronze  giboshu,  arches  above  the  brawling  Isuzu-gawa,  gives  in- 
gress to  the  inclosure,  and  is  flanked  at  both  ends  by  huge  wood  torii.  In  the 
outer  park  are  several  shut-in  spaces  holding  grim  relics  of  Japan's  titantic 
struggles  with  the  Muscovites  and  Chinese.  The  tall  gray  shaft,  in  the  form 
of  a  shattered  gun  rising  from  a  circular  granite  base  at  the  left  of  the  bridge 
commemorates  the  unforgettable  Battle  of  the  Japan  Sea;  the  smaller  one 
hard  by  was  a  gift  from  Admiral  Togo.  Conspicuous  among  the  groups  at 
the  right  is  a  big  Krupp  gun  captured  from  the  Russians  at  Port  Arthur; 
and  a  huge  black  one  (made  at  the  Osaka  Arsenal)  which  played  a  prominent 
part  in  the  bombardment  and  capture  of  that  stoutly  defended  fortress. 
Crossing  a  smaller  bridge  with  10  giboshu,  one  enters  the  second  of  the  four- 
fold inclosure.  At  the  end  of  the  graveled  and  beautifully  shaded  avenue 
overhung  with  lofty  trees  —  the  home  of  many  cawing  rooks  —  is  the  ichi 
no  (or  first)  torii,  the  silent  symbol  of  all  Shinto  shrines.  At  the  right 
glisten  the  limpid  waters  of  the  Isuzu  River,  where  pilgrims  go  to  purify 
themselves  before  penetrating  farther  into  the  sacred  precinct.  The  edifice 
at  the  left  of  the  second,  or  ni  no  torii,  is  the  stable  for  the  sacred  horse. 
The  adjacent  structure  with  the  lovely  brown,  time-stained  roof,  is  where 
the  Kannushi,  or  attendants  of  the  temple  (who  are  to  Shinto  what  the 
bonzes  are  to  Buddhism),  sell  wrapped  bits  of  the  wood  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  temple;  packets  of  the  rice  which  has  been  offered  to  the 
gods;  paper  charms,  and  other  offerings.  Following  it  is  the  Kagura-den, 
where  the  sacred  dances  are  performed,  a  graceful  structure  with  many  brass 
enrichments  incised  with  the  Imperial  16-petal  chrysanthemum,  and  other 
symbols.  Splendidly  straight  and  lofty  cryptomerias  centuries  old  rise  by 
the  side  of  the  avenue  here,  and  but  for  the  protecting  fences,  the  common 
folk,  who  regard  them  as  quasi-divine,  would  strip  all  the  bark  from  them 
as  talismans  against  evil. 

The  shrines  proper,  with  their  accompanying  buildings,  all  unpainted,  in 
the  natural  (hinoki)  wood  stand  within  double  inclosures,  the  outer  fence 


Museum. 


YAMADA  35.  Route.  603 


(Itagake)  of  cryptomeria  measuringl95  ft.  long  in  front,  369  at  the  side,  and 
202  at  the  rear;  the  innermost  one  (Midzugaki),  149  ft.  in  front,  150  back, 
and  144  at  each  side.  The  principal  deity  worshiped  in  the  veiled  sacrosanct 
interior  is  Amaterasu,  who  is  believed  to  be  represented  by  the  sacred  mirror 
bequeathed  to  the  progenitors  of  the  race .  It  is  kept  in  a  special  casket  of 
flawless  hinoki,  wrapped  in  silk,  and  never  shown.  As  all  save  the  priests 
and  notables  are  excluded  from  the  sacred  compound ,  travelers  must  view 
the  buildings  from  without.  These  are  constructed  of  white  hinoki,  roofed 
over  with  hinoki  bark,  and  are  supposed  to  represent  the  purest  style  of 
Shinto  architecture  —  notwithstanding  the  primitive  structures  admitted 
of  no  ornamentation.  The  glittering  brass  enrichments  incised  with  crests 
and  mystic  symbols  replace  the  elaborate  wood  carvings  of  Buddhist  fanes. 
White  silken  curtains  that  sway  in  the  breeze,  and  new  branches  of  Cleyera 
japonica  attached  to  the  posts  and  doors  complete  the  outer  adornments. 
The  Shoden,  or  shrine  of  the  gods,  contains  the  usual  Shinto  equipment.  In 
the  Hoden,  or  treasury,  are  preserved  silken  stuffs,  saddlery  for  the  sacred 
horses,  and  what-not.  The  numerous  barnyard  fowls  about  the  premises 
are  gifts  of  devotees,  and  they  symbolize  the  supposed  origin  of  the  torii. 
Custom  requires  that  all  the  buildings  be  razed  every  20  yrs.  and  new  ones 
erected  on  the  adjacent  plots  reserved  for  the  purpose.  Elaborate  and  costly 
ceremonies  attend  the  dedication  of  new  shrines.  The  present  buildings  date 
from  1909.  The  Jewel  Pond  in  the  park  at  the  left  is  called  Magatama-ike. 

Most  of  the  things  for  sale  in  the  Uji  shops  have  a  bearing  on  the  shrines 
or  the  Shinto  cult.  The  microscopic  rice-grains  carved  to  imitate  one  of  the 
7  Gods  of  Good  Luck  are  curious.  More  sensible  remembrances  are  the  bits 
of  gray,  brown,  and  green  Banko-ware,  with  raised  enamel  decorations  (a 
product  of  Ise  Province). 

About  midway  of  the  fine  boulevard  which  stretches  from  the  bridge  at 
Uji  to  the  Geku  Shrine,  on  a  hill  commanding  a  broad  prospect,  is  the  mu- 
seum described  below.  Automobile  in  10  min.,  8  sen.  The  walk  is  attractive 
and  takes  but  little  longer. 

The  Choko-kwan,  or  Museum  of  Ancient  Things  (open  daily  from  9  to 
4;  admission,  6  sen,  which  also  includes  the  entrance  fee  to  the  Agricultural 
Hall;  English  spoken)  is  housed  in  a  handsome  new  structure  built  specially 
for  it  in  1909  at  a  cost  of  200,000  yen.  The  exhibits,  though  differing  but  little 
from  those  of  other  high-class  museums,  are  of  considerable  interest.  A  num- 
ber of  the  paintings  are  duplicates  of  originals  in  the  Kyoto,  Tokyo,  and 
Nara  Museums;  as  are  also  some  of  the  coins  in  the  extensive  collection. 
The  life-size  wax  figures  of  ancient  men  and  women  clad  in  the  strikingly 
rich  and  voluminous  costumes  of  the  Nara,  Fujiwara,  Ashikaga,  and  Toku- 
gawa  periods,  are  startlingly  lifelike;  the  beautiful  longhair  of  certain  of  the 
women  is  characteristic  of  the  remote  Fujiwara  epoch.  Noteworthy  among 
the  many  curious  old  weapons  are  the  Mogari  employed  anciently  by  the 
police  to  hook  into  the  clothing  of  fleeing  criminals.  The  daimyo  procession 
relates  to  the  Tokugawa  regime  and  contains  scores  of  elaborately  dressed 
figurines  fashioned  with  exquisite  care  and  wonderful  fidelity  to  details. 
The  two  old  Portuguese  maps  are  very  odd,  and  are  thought  to  have  been 
brought  hither  by  the  first  Portingalls  (maybe  Mendes  Pinto  himself)  who 
came  jauntily  a-trading  in  1542.  The  several  specimens  of  prehistoric  pot- 
tery from  Kyushu  are  interesting  solely  for  their  decorations,  which  are  the 
prototypes  of  those  employed  by  present-day  artists.  Equally  significant 
are  the  several  originally  gilded  bronze  objects  of  native  manufacture,  but 
displaying  unmistakable  Grecian  influence.  The  vermiculated  camphor- 
wood  dragon  which  formed  the  figure  head  of  the  Nihon  Maru,  built  to  con- 
vey the  fighting  Hideyoshi  to  Korea  in  1592,  is  a  genuine  curio,  and  for  cen- 
turies was  preserved  as  an  heirloom  in  the  Toba  Castle,  by  the  descendants 
of  Admiral Kuki  Yoshitaka  (who  built  the  Toba  Castle;  was  commander  of 
Hideyoshi' s  fleet;  governor  of  Shima  Province,  and  was  killed,  in  1600,  when 
he  sided  against  Ieyasu).  The  old  palanquin  near  by  belonged  to  one  of  the 
officers  of  the  Ise  Shrines  in  the  17th  cent.  The  numerous  relics  of  the  Stone 
Age  in  Japan  are  not  devoid  of  interest  to  antiquarians.  —  In  the  museum 
yard  are  several  omnipresent  relics  of  the  Russian  and  Chinese  wars  —  can- 
non, battered  funnels  from  war-ships,  submarine  mines,  torpedoes,  and 
what-not.  In  a  smaller  edifice  hard  by  are  collections  of  relics  from  Yezo, 
the  Loochos  Islands,  Formosa,  and  Korea,  —  Across  the  road  is 


604    Route  35. 


7AMADA 


Ise  Ondo. 


The  Nogyo-kwan,  or  Agricultural  Hall,  with  a  number  of  exhibits  well 
worth  looking  at.  With  the  infinite  patience  and  care  which  are  characteris- 
tics of  the  Japanese,  there  have  been  assembled  here,  and  arranged  in  highly 
interesting  groups,  many  of  the  products  for  which  Japan  is  specially  noted. 
The  processes  of  growing  and  preparing  tea,  seaweed,  rice,  camphor,  pepper- 
mint, silk,  and  a  host  of  native  products,  are  portrayed  in  wax  and  the  like, 
the  silk  process  being  extremely  interesting,  as  every  stage  from  the  silk 
cocoon  to  the  woven  habutae  is  ingeniously  demonstrated.  There  is  a  large 
collection  of  marine  and  land  products,  fish-traps,  models  of  boats,  a  life-his- 
tory of  the  oyster,  with  specimens  of  this  bivalve  in  various  stages  of  devel- 
opment, cases  of  stuffed  birds,  butterflies,  and  what-not.  The  department  for 
the  instruction  of  farmers  and  fishermen  is  the  best  equipped  in  Japan  and 
corresponds  in  a  smaller  way  to  the  Bureau  of  Agriculture  at  Washington, 
D.C.  Housewives  will  be  interested  in  the  process  of  converting  seaweed 
into  gelatine,  while  Western  farmers  may  learn  here  of  a  score  of  uses  to 
which  the  straw,  regarded  in  the  United  States  as  of  little  economical  im- 
portance, can  be  put.  Not  the  least  interesting  in  this  regard  are  the  beau- 
tifully soft  mats  (tatami)  which  serve  in  Japan  as  carpets  and  are  made  of 
the  reed  known  as  J  uncus  communis  (Jap./).  Included  in  the  exhibit  of 
natine  woods  are  many  from  the  fertile  and  productive  forests  of  Formosa. 

The  traveler  with  time  to  spare  should,  on  leaving  the  museum  grounds, 
stroll  back  toward  Yamada  through  the  older  settlement  of  Furuichi,  there 
to  note  the  peculiar  style  of  architecture  of  the  more  ancient  of  the  houses, 
many  of  which  have  gables,  and  stand  with  the  wrong  end  to  the  street. 
Under  certain  of  the  bizarre  tiled  roofs  with  a  pronounced  overhang  are 
quaint  windows  opening  on  to  tiny  balconies  that  suggest  Venice  rather 
than  Japan.  The  principal  street,  formerly  the  chief  thoroughfare  between 
the  two  great  Ise  Shrines,  lacks  the  odor  of  sanctity  which  these  hallowed 
structures  might  be  supposed  to  impart,  but  it  makes  up  for  this,  in  a  mea- 
sure, by  its  picturesqueness.  Not  a  few  of  the  more  sumptuous  houses 
which  face  it  are  of  questionable  repute,  and  are  known  far  and  wide  for  a 
nationally  (in)  famous  dance,  the  Ise  Ondo,  Which  has  obtained  here  since 
time  immemorial.  With  that  singular  inconsistency  which  sometimes  per- 
mits certain  Japanese  to  mix  spiritual  with  material  affairs,  pilgrims  deput- 
ized by  distant  communities  to  represent  them  at  the  Ise  Shrines  have  been 
known  first  to  purify  themselves  at  those  superlatively  sacred  institutions, 
then  repair  hither  to  engage  in  a  little  debauchery  as  an  indulgence  for  too 
much  praying.  Those  uninitiated  foreigners  who  with  one  or  more  friends 
have  chipped  in  ¥3.50  in  order  to  witness  an  Ise  Ondo  arranged  for  their  spe- 
cial entertainment,  and  who  perchance  have  been  puzzled  at  the  decorum 
and  brevity  of  the  exhibition  (which  consists  of  not  ungraceful  posturing 
set  to  music,  and  which  lasts  for  about  5  min.),  may  be  interested  in  the  fol- 
lowing :  The  room  is  provided  with  a  miniature  stage  with  flanking  wings  on 
the  order  of  the  hanamichi,  or  '  flowery  path,'  leading  to  the  stage  of  ordin- 
ary native  theaters.  A  number  of  women  saraisen-players  seat  themselves 
on  mats  below  these  passageways,  and  the  several  spectators  squat  on  the 
floor  directly  facing  the  proscenium.  At  a  given  moment  the  floor  of  this 
rises  to  the  stage  level  and  brings  up  with  it  perhaps  a  dozen  gayly  but 
modestly  clad  women,  with  statuesque  figures,  crimson  lips,  flashing  eyes, 
and  bepowdered,  smiling  .faces.  They  present  a  curious  spectacle  as  they 
blink  at  the  sudden  light  and  sweep  the  room  with  inquiring  glances.  Their 
costumes  are  more  significant  to  Japanese  than  to  the  unknowing  stranger. 
The  music  strikes  up,  each  woman  executes  a  brief  pas  seul,  the  floor  sinks 
with  its  glittering,  musky  burden,  and  closes  with  a  snap,  and  the  exhibition 
is  over  —  for  the  foreigner!  But  the  industrious  Japanese,  if  there  be  any 
present,  has  been  more  interested  in  the  women  than  in  the  celebrated 
dance,  and  he  now  proceeds  forthwith  to  the  proprietor  of  the  establishment, 
demands  the  courtezan  whose  salient  characteristics  he  has  made  a  mental 
note  of,  and  receives  her  to  work  his  will  with  her! 

At  similar  questionable  places  in  this  district  other  trashy  dances  are  per- 
formed before  those  willing  to  pay  for  them.  One  not  without  a  certain  friv- 
olous interest  is  the  sprightly  O  Sugi  O  Tama,  conducted  by  aged  girls  who 
are  such  artful  dodgers  that  they  are  rarely  if  ever  struck  by  the  coins  which 
the  men  among  the  spectators  fling  at  their  faces.  One  of  the  shops  on  the 
main  street  is  noted  among  Japanese  as  the  headquarters  of  a  nationally 


Excursions.  <     YAMADA  35.  Route.  605 

known  medicine  called  Mankin-tan  —  small  anodyne  pills  made  on  Asama- 
yama  and  sold  as  cure-alls  to  ailing  pilgrims. 

Excursions  from  Yamada. 

To  Toba  and  Futami.  Trains  leave  the  Yamada  Station  at  frequent  inter- 
vals, cross  the  wide  estuary  of  the  Isuzu  River  and  parallel  the  tramway  to 
4  M.  (fare,  18  sen)  Futami-no-ura.  Here,  if  the  traveler  so  wishes,  he  may 
(in  spring  or  summer)  board  a  small  steamer  which  plies  hence  to  Toba  and 
crosses  an  island-studded  sea  similar  to  that  about  Matsushima.  The  shel- 
tered bay,  seen  from  the  left  of  the  train,  is  charmingly  tranquil,  and  the 
sinuous  coast  is  one  of  great  natural  beauty.  The  train  soon  crosses  a  long 
bridge  over  an  arm  of  the  bay  that  makes  in  between  pine-clad  promontories 
and  comes  to  8  M.  (fare,  35  sen)  Toba  (in  Shima  Province),  at  the  foot  of  a 
high  hill  surmounted  by  a  steel  lighthouse.  Behind  it,  a  public  garden  called 
Koraku-en  spreads  over  the  summits  of  several  hills,  whence  magnificent 
views  are  had  of  land  and  sea.  Proceeding  past  the  boat-landing  (for  the 
Pearl  Fisheries  mentioned  hereinafter)  to  midway  of  the  village,  one  descries 
a  zigzag  path  leading  up  the  hill  at  the  right.  The  small  island  at  the  left, 
now  given  over  to  a  little  shipyard,  was  once  the  garden  surrounding  the 
castle  of  a  daimyo.  From  the  summit  of  Fujino-dai,  which  we  now  climb, 
one  gets  a  far-reaching  view,  but  a  more  extensive  and  satisfying  one  is  had 
from  the  higher  crest  of 

Hiyori-yama,  or  Weather-Hill,  surmounted  by  a  picturesque  tea-house 
and  belted  with  fantastic  pine  trees.  The  panorama  which  spreads  before 
one  here  easily  takes  rank  among  the  finest  in  the  Empire,  as  it  is  marked  by 
ravishing  beauty  and  a  penetrating  charm.  Far  below,  stretching  to  indefin- 
ite pine-clad  shores  or  merging  into  the  ghostly  mist  which  enshrouds  them, 
lie  a  thousand  square  miles  of  placid,  junk-flecked,  island-dotted  sea  as  ten- 
derly blue  as  the  wonderful  sky  arching  like  an  inverted  porcelain  bowl 
above  it.  Far  to  the  N.E.,  in  the  distant  province  of  Kai,  with  a  portion  of 
its  bulk  hidden  by  the  sky-line,  the  lordly  Fuji  rises  in  faultless  grandeur,  — 
an  adorable,  dreamy  shape,  glistening  with  snow  and  blending  into  the  haze 
like  some  colossal  pearl,  or  the  embodied  spirit  of  the  countless  thousands 
of  these  which  lie  yet  undisturbed  in  their  nacreous  bedsieneath  the  sea 
off  Sugeshima  Island.  In  the  foreground  are  the  mts.  of  (Mvari  and  Mino, 
while  still  nearer,  at  the  left,  stands  the  lofty  Asama-yama,  namesake  of, 
but  no  kin  to,  the  restless  giant  of  the  Karuizawa  Plain.  The  W.  shore  of 
Ise  Bay  stretches  away  at  the  left,  and  with  a  single  sweep  of  the  vision  one 
may  count  a  hundred  flashing  sails,  of  junk  and  fishing-craft,  bending  before, 
or  beating  against,  the  wind,  and  forming  a  picture  which  one  may  see  in 
no  waters  of  the  world  save  those  of  Nippon.  Because  of  its  proximity  to  the 
sea,  the  vista  here  is  finer  and  sharper  than  that  from  the  summit  of  Asama, 
despite  the  fact  that  from  that  vantage-point  one  can  see  more  and  farther. 

Following  the  shaded  woods-road  leading  down  at  the  rear  of  Hiyori- 
yama,  and  passing  the  small  Shinto  shrine  tucked  away  in  a  ferny  dell,  we 
proceed  through  Toba  town  (tri-weekly  steamers  to  Gamagori,  on  the  To- 
kaido;  3  hrs. ;  ¥2)  and  continue  (right)  along  the  excellent  road  which  winds 
between  verdure-covered  hills.  The  cherry  blooms  in  spring  and  the  turning 
maple  leaves  in  autumn  attract  many  pedestrians  hither,  among  them 
scores  of  women  who  with  skirts  tucked  under  their  girdles  stroll  quietly 
along  and  drink  in  the  tranquil  beauty  of  the  scene.  The  highway  soon 
emerges  on  a  level  stretch  and  affords  fascinating  glimpses  of  the  sea  where 
it  swishes  in  and  out  between  woodsy  promontories.  Many  varieties  of 
flowers  and  ferns  grow  hereabout,  and  where  the  fine  pines  spring  up  in  dense 
groves  a  balsamic  fragrance  broods  above  the  countryside.  A  leisurely 
tramp  of  lj  hrs.  brings  one  to  the  outskirts  of  Yemura  village,  where  a  long 
foot-bridge  spans  an  arm  of  the  sea.  Continuing  over  the  crest  of  the  hill, 
along  a  shaded  road,  one  comes  in  20  min.  to  the  wide  ocean  and  a  local  curi- 
osity (as  well  as  a  favorite  theme  with  poets)  in  the  form  of  twin  rocks 
(called  Myoto-iwa,  or  'Wife  and  Husband  Rock')  near  the  shore.  A  straw 
rope  (shimenawa)  18  ft.  long,  of  the  kind  hung  before  Shinto  shrines,  is 
looped  over  the  stones  (one  of  which  is  12,  the  other  30,  ft.  high,  and  both 
of  which  are  often  pictured  in  the  native  art),  and  because  the  sentiment 
pleases  the  Japanese,  and  the  sunset  effect  is  particularly  fine,  many  come 


606    Route  36.      KYOTO  TO  OSAKA 


hither  to  pray  in  the  little  Somin  shozai  no  yashiro  on  a  ledge  of  rock  at  the 
shore.  The  broad  shingly  beach  of  Futami  begins  just  beyond  here,  and 
pedestrians  will  find  it  worth  while  to  leave  the  highroad  and  follow  the  sea 
to  the  town.  The  beach  is  deservedly  popular  with  Yamada  folks,  and  there 
is  good  fishing.  The  conspicuous  stone  slab  overlooking  the  water  com- 
memorates a  visit  of  the  present  Emperor  when  he  was  Crown  Prince.  The 
clean  little  shops  which  flank  the  shore  sell  awabi  shells  and  other  marine 
products,  along  with  a  host  of  tinselly  kickshaws  attractive  to  country  peo- 
ple. The  breezy  little  Taiyo-kwan  Inn  makes  a  specialty  of  buckwheat 
macaroni  (soba).  The  tram-cars  which  leave  from  the  upper  end  of  the 
village  go  to  (25  min.,  15  sen)  Uji  village  and  stop  near  the  Naiku  Shrine. 

Asama-yama  (1700  ft.)  is  a  popular  resort  with  the  townspeople,  since 
from  the  tea-house  and  the  temple  near  the  summit  (much  cooler  than  at 
Yamada)  magnificent  views  are  obtainable  over  land  and  sea.  The  climb 
to  the  top  (about  5  M.  from  the  entrance  to  the  Naiku  Shrine)  presents  no 
difficulties.  Coolie  to  act  as  guide  and  carry  the  lunch-basket,  ¥2. 

The  Mikimoto  Pearl  Fisheries  of  Shimei-ura  (referred  to  in  detail  at  p. 
cxix),  may  be  reached  (about  16  M.  in  2\  hrs.)  by  sailboat  from  Toba,  but 
unless  the  day  is  fine  and  the  sea  fairly  smooth  the  trip  had  better  be  post- 
poned. The  prices  demanded  by  the  boatmen  (who  accost  all  strangers  pass- 
ing the  boat-landing)  are  flexible,  and  a  bargain  should  be  struck  before  em- 
barking; ¥5  for  one  person,  for  the  round  trip  (in  about  6  hrs.)  is  ample, 
and  50  sen  for  each  additional  person  in  a  small  party  is  enough.  —  The 
Women  Divers  (ama)  of  Toba  can  be  seen  at  work  in  the  summer  in  the  sea 
off  Sugeshima,  near  Sakate,  visible  from  Toba  and  about  one  hour's  ride  in 
a  sailboat.  Several  score  women  are  employed  here  to  dive  for  shell-fish  and 
other  marine  products,  chiefly  sea-ears  (awabi)  and  agar-agar,  a  seaweed  of 
which  a  gelatinous  substance  called  kanten  is  made  (and  exported).  Their 
costumes  are  scantier  even  than  those  of  ballet-dancers;  the  saline  water 
soon  turns  their  hair  a  repulsive  reddish-brown  (like  that  of  the  Somali  boys 
who  dive  at  Aden)  and  their  skins  coarse  and  raspy.  Like  the  Burmese 
women,  they  work  while  their  men-folks  loaf.  They  balk  at  cold  water,  and 
prefer  not  to  work  in  winter,  but  the  traveler  intent  upon  seeing  the  opera- 
tion can  arrange  (in  Toba)  for  it  at  a  cost  of  about  five  yen. 


36.  From  (Yokohama,  Nagoya)  Kyoto  to  Osaka  and  Kobe. 

Yokohama-Kobe  Rte.  (24-26),  continued  from  p.  400.  South- 
westward  from  Kyoto  the  rly.  crosses  the  fertile  Yamashiro 
Plain,  with  fine  mts.  at  the  right,  and  bluer,  more  distant 
ones,  at  the  left.  The  Toji  Pagoda  is  soon  passed  at  the  left. 
At  the  right  of  the  far  end  of  the  (1196  ft.)  Katsura  River 
bridge  stands  the  Katsura  Summer  Palace,  hidden  by  trees. 
The  thick  groves  of  the  lissome  Bambusa  which  grows  here  in 
such  wanton  profusion  would  furnish  a  fishing-pole  for  nearly 
every  piscatorially  inclined  youngster  in  the  Midako's  Empire. 
Plodding  oxen  aid  the  simple  husbandmen  in  their  lowly  tasks 
in  the  paddy-fields,  and  sometimes  have  gaudy  scarves  wound 
round  the  base  of  their  horns,  or  are  sheltered  from  the  search- 
ing rays  of  the  sun  by  swaying  canopies  that  cover  them  from 
head  to  tail.  Conspicuous  objects  in  the  fields  are  the  crude 
irrigating  devices  —  species  of  breast-wheels  (perchance  of 
Persian  origin)  with  radial  steps  in  lieu  of  buckets,  up  which 
men  and  women  climb  and  fill  the  sluices  with  water  raised  by 
their  dead  weight.  The  omnipresent  Tokaido  winds  like  a 
white  ribbon  across  the  green  fields,  which  seem  never  without 
their  laborers.  Beyond  319  M .  Yamazaki  sl  score  or  more  smok- 


Arrival. 


OSAKA  36.  Route.  607 


ing  factory  chimneys  _start  up  at  the  left  to  advertise  the  in- 
dustries of  hustling  Osaka.  The  progress  developed  in  this 
moilful  manufacturing  center  seems  to  have  communicated 
itself,  like  an  insidious  poison,  to  the  people  roundabout,  for 
occasionally  one  sees  a  greedy  fisherman  on  the  bank  of  a 
stream  fishing  with  six  or  more  poles  at  a  time!  —  The  Akuta- 
and  the  Yodo-gawa  are  crossed  between  Takatsuki  and  Ibaraki, 
beyond  which,  at  333  M.  Suita,  is  the  immense  brewery  of  the 
Dai  Nippon  Brewery  Co.  The  rly.  now  curves  to  the  left, 
crosses  the  Kami-  Kanzaki-gawa,  then  the  Kami-Yodo-gawa, 
and  enters  the  Umeda  Station  (restaurant  upstairs)  of  338  M. 
Osaka  (see  below) .  For  a  continuation  of  the  journey  see  p.  618. 

Arrival.  The  4  principal  rly.  stations  are:  Umeda,  in  the  N.  quarter  (PI. 
D,  2),  where  north-  and  south-bound  trains  of  the  Tokaido  Rly.  arrive  and 
depart;  Minatomachi,  in  the  S.  Central  quarter  (PI.  D,  3),  starting-point 
for  Tenndji,  Oji,  Koyaguchi  (Kdya-san),  Wakayama,  Nara,  Yamada,  and 
Nagoya;  Namba  Station,  hard  by  the  Minatomachi;  Nan-kai  Rly .  Co.'s  trains 
to  Sumiyoshi,  Sakai,  and  Wakayama;  and  the  Shio-bashi,  W.  of  the  last- 
named  (PL  D,  3) ;  also  for  Kdya-san.  Foreign  visitors  are  usually  concerned 
only  with  the  Umeda  Station.  So  many  disapprove  of  the  hotel  accommo- 
dations at  Osaka  that  visitors  to  the  city  make  it  usually  the  objective 
point  of  an  all-day  excursion  up  from  Kobe  (20  M.,  frequent  trains  and 
electric  tram-cars  in  about  _1  hr.)  or  down  from  (27  M.)  Kyoto  (with  similar 
transportation  facilities).  Osaka  does  not  enjoy  a  reputation  for  healthful- 
ness,  and  prudent  travelers  will  beware  of  the  drinking-water  unless  it  is 
boiled.  Tansan  from  the  near-by  Takaradzuka  Spring  should  be  demanded 
rather  than  drink  the  stuff  bottled  locally,  as  it  is  apt  to  be  river- water 
charged  with  additional  microbic  matter.  The  Asahi  beer  brewed  by  the 
Dai  Nippon  Brewery  Co.  is  well  spoken  of. 

Hotels  and  Inns  (comp.  p.  xxix).  Osaka  Hotel,  on  N aka-no-shima  Island 
(PL  D,  2),  overlooking  the  river;  English  spoken;  rates  from  ¥5  a  day  and 
upward;  leaves  much  to  be  desired.  The  inn  next  door  (native  food)  is  the 
Ginsui-ro,  rates  from  ¥3.50  and  upward.  The  Hana-ya  Inn  (same  rates) 
is  between  the  Nippon  Ginko  and  the  Central  Post-Office. 

Jinrikis  (p.  lxxxviii);  35  sen  for  the  1st  hr.;  25  the  2d;  and  25  for  each 
succeeding  hr.  From  the  Umeda  Station  to  the  castle  and  return,  with  \  hr. 
wait,  40  sen;  to  any  of  the  hotels  on  N aka-no-shima,  15  sen;  by  the  day, 
¥1.50;  \  day,  80  sen;  a  jinriki  full  of  luggage  at  the  same  prices.  Trunks 
from  the  station  to  the  hotel,  25  sen;  15  sen  each  where  there  are  several. 

Tram-cars  (densha)  run  to  all  parts  of  the  city  and  are  speedy,  safe,  and 
cheap.  The  conductors  do  not  always  speak  English,  but  a  key-word  usually 
suffices  for  them,  and  the  traveler  seldom  has  any  difficulty  in  getting  about, 
if  he  knows  how  to  pronounce  the  name  of  his  destination.  A  Belt  Line 
half-circles  the  city,  stopping  at  many  stations  and  linking  up  the  several  rly. 
stations.  Cars  on  the  Takaradzuka  Line  (comp.  p.  629)  leave  every  5  min. 
(from  the  terminus  near  the  Umeda  Station)  between  5  a.m.  and  12.30 
a.m.  making  the  trip  (single  fare,  20  sen;  round  trip,  38)  in  40  min. 

Banks  (comp.  p.  xxiii) :  Yokohama  Specie  Bank;  Awaji-machi  Shichome, 
Higashi-ku.  —  Nippon  Ginko;  Naka-no-shima  Itchome,  Kita-ku.  —  Mit- 
sui Ginko;  Korai-bashi  Nichome,  Higashi-ku.  —  Bank  of  Taiwan  (Taiwan 
Ginko) ;  Korai-bashi  Itchome.  There  arein  addition  15  or  more  native  banks. 

Steamships.  The  head  office  of  the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  (Osaka  Mer- 
cantile Steamship  Co.;  tel.  add.:  'Shosen,  Osaka')  is  in  the  former  Settle- 
ment, at  64,  Tomijima-cho,  Kita-ku  (PL  C,  3).  English  is  spoken  in  all  the 
departments.  The  excellent  ships  of  the  company  (comp.  p.  139)  sail  from 
the  near-by  dock  and  ply  weekly  (or  oftener)  to  many  of  the  Japan  coast 
ports;  to  ports  on  the  E.  and  W.  coasts  of  Korea,  and  to  (1090  M.  in  5  days) 
Tientsin  (N.  China);  fare,  ¥66,  1st  cl.;  ¥36,  2d  cl.  The  Guidebooks  (free) 
to  'Dairen,'  'Chosen,'  and  'Manchuria  and  Beyond'  (all  in  English)  are 
filled  with  information  (steamer  rates,  sailing  dates,  etc.)  of  value  to  trav- 
elers. The  Inland  Sea  Service  (frequent  sailings  to  the  chief  ports)  offers 


608    Route  86. 


OSAKA 


Descriptive. 


delightful  excursions,  and  enables  one  to  get  a  much  better  idea  of  the  charm- 
ing towns  and  coast  of  this  sea  than  is  possible  from  a  big  through  liner. 
Among  the  ports  touched  at|  are  Sakate,  Takamatsu,  Tadotsu,  Itozaki,  Tada- 
noumi,  Takehara,  Kure,  Ujina,  Miyajima,  Yanai,  Shimonoseki,  Moji, 
Takahama,  Oita,  and  the  picturesque  Beppu.  The  company's  folder,  '  Our 
Inland  Sea  Service,'  is  replete  with  information  (in  English)  and  charming 
views  of  the  places  called  at.  Foreign  food  is  served  on  most  of  the  ships, 
and  English  is  spoken.  Trips  can  be  planned  to  the  best  advantage  with  the 
management  or  one  of  the  agents  of  the  company.  A  number  of  ports  are 
visited  in  a  day,  and  at  those  like  Beppu  the  ships  of  the  huge  and  steadily 
increasing  fleet  (about  125  ships)  call  in  six  or  seven  times  a  day. 

Shops  (comp.  p.  cxii).  Few  of  the  native  shops  cater  to  foreign  trade,  and 
travelers  may  find  it  more  advantageous  to  make  purchases  in  Kyoto, 
Kobe,  Yokohama,  or  Tokyo.  For  a  classified  list  of  native  and  foreign  firms, 
religious  organizations,  and  the  like,  consult  the  Directory. 

Osaka,  or  Ozaka  (from  O-e,  great  river,  or  bay;  and  zaka, 
hill) ,  a  huge  manufacturing  city  (2d  in  size  in  the  Empire,  with 
1,273,658  inhabs.  and  266,494  houses)  covering  9  sq.  M.  of  the 
wide  Osaka  Plain  at  the  N.E.  end  of  the  bay  of  the  same  name; 
capital  and  chief  city  of  Osaka  Prefecture  (and  fu),  in  Settsu 
Province,  lies  in  lat.  34°  41'_N.,  and  long.  135°  45'  E.  of  Green- 
wich (4°  16'  W.  from  Tokyo),  and  is  at  once  the  busiest,  most 
productive,  and  least  picturesque  of  the  Japanese  cities.  It 
stretches  along  the  low  delta  at  the  mouths  of  several  rivers, 
chief  among  them  the  Yodo-gawa  (a  prolongation  of  the  Kat- 
sura  and  the  Uji  rivers),  with  the  bulk  of  the  city  on  the 
S.  bank  of  this  polluted  stream.  Both  the  city  and  its  rapidly 
expanding  suburbs  are  intersected  by  such  a  multiplicity  of 
canals,  rivulets,  and  arms  of  the  near-by  sea  that  the  former, 
with  its  800  odd  bridges,  has  earned  the  title  of  the  Japanese 
Venice.  Other  critics,  cognizant  of  its  host  of  factories  and 
of  the  vast  output  of  manufactured  goods,  call  it  the  Man- 
chester (and  the  Chicago)  of  Japan.  Despite  the  water  to  be 
found  on  every  hand,  the  city  is  not  unfrequently  the  the- 
ater of  vast  and  terrifying  conflagrations.  The  great  fire  of 
1910  burned  11,500  houses  and  other  property  valued  at  mil- 
lions of  yen,  while  that  of  Jan.,  1912  (which  burned  steadily 
for  24  hrs.),  devastated  an  area  of  1  sq.  M.  (in  the  S.  quarter 
of  the  city),  obliterated  18  streets,  destroyed  4830  houses, 
temples,  and  shrines,  and  caused  a  loss  of  10  million  yen. 

For  administrative  purposes  the  city  is  divided  into  4  wards 
or  ku:  Kita,  at  the  N.;  Higashi  to  the  S.  of  it;  Minami  still 
farther  S.,  and  Nishi  at  the  W.  Its  greatest  extension  is  from 
N.E.  to  S.W.,  and  across  this  wide  area  run  miles  upon  miles 
of  apparently  interminable  streets,  many  of  them  not  above 
15  ft.  wide,  and  all  flanked  by  endless  rows  of  dumpy,  unhand- 
some brown  houses  as  much  alike  as  dried  beans.  In  summer 
certain  of  these  blistering  lanes  are  covered  with  awnings,  like 
the  streets  of  old  Canton,  and  throngs  of  carts,  jmrikis,  and  ' 
grunting,  perspiring,  half-naked  people  pulse  through  them 
like  gasping  ferrets  in  a  superheated  runway.  Towering  mas- 
sively above  these  small  frame  structures  are  certain  modern 


Dotombori. 


OSAKA  86.  Route.  609 


ones,  symbolic  of  New  Japan  and  its  growing  wealth  and  im- 
portance. The  best  known  and  busiest  of  the  city  streets  is  the 
long  but  narrow  Shinsai-bashi-sugi  which  runs  N.  and  S. 

through  the  Senba  district  (PL  D,  2-3),  marked  near  its  S. 

terminus  by  the  equally  well-known  Shinsai  Bridge.  The  great 
castle  stands  at  the  E.  edge  of  the  metropolis  ill  a  district 
called  Uyemachi,  flanked  on  the  N*.  by  the  Okawa,  or  Big 
River.  A  short  distance  N.W.,  at  the  extreme  E.  end  of 
Kita-ku,  in  a  bend  made  ^y  the  Yodo-gawa,  is  the  Mint,  where 
the  gold,  silver,  and  copper  coins  of  the  realm  are  made.  The 
Umeda  Station  of  the  Tokaido  Rly.  stands  near  the  center  of 
this  rhomboidal  island,  and  midway,  slightly  toward  the  N., 
is  the  big  Osaka  Prison.  Flanking  the  S.  side,  and  between  it 
and  the  city  proper,  lies  the  crescent-shaped  N  aka-no-shima 
(Middle  Island),  with  the  Dojima-gawa  on  its  N.  side  and  the 
narrow,  canal-like  Tosabori-gawa  at  the  S.  On  this  strip  are 
the  N aka-no-shima  Park,  with  its  Public  Library  and  bronze 
statue  of  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi,  —  regarded  as  the  founder  of 
the  modern  city;  the  Central  Post-Office,  and  the  Osaka, 
and  several  native  hotels.  The  big  and  much-traveled  Yodoya 
Bridge  is  one  of  the  several  which  connect  it  with  the  main 
city  at  the  S.  Farther  down  the  stream  is  a  second,  smaller, 
boat-shaped  island  often  called  Kawaguchi  (River's  Mouth), 
the  site  of  the  Foreign  Quarter,  the  Kencho,  or  Municipal 
Office;  many  docks,  and  the  headquarters  of  the  great  Osaka 
Shosen  Kaisha  (the  second  largest  steamship  company  in  Ja- 
pan) ,  whose  flag  is  familiar  to  the  civilized  world  and  whose 
well-appointed  ships  ply  across  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  to  many 
distant  ports. 

Dotombori,  or  Theater  Street,  a  well-known  thoroughfare 
S.  of  the  Senba  district,  in  a  busy  section  beyond  the  narrow 
Dotombori-gawa,  in  Minami-ku,  is  very  gay  after  nightfall,  and 
is  to  Osaka  what  Isezakicho  is  to  Yokohama.  In  the  yards  of 
some  of  its  tea-houses  are  huge  cages  filled  in  summer  with 
fireflies  (  p.  554),  which  are  liberated  for  the  pleasure  of  the 
guests,  or  put  into  tiny  bamboo  cages  for  them  to  take  home. 
The  river  on  summer  nights  is  strikingly  Venetian  in  aspect, 
with  its  pleasure-boats  thronged  with  joyous  merry-makers 
and  illuminated  by  swinging  lanterns.  Prominent  among  the 
city  bridges  is  the  Korai  Bashi,  or  Bridge  of  the  Koreans,  an 
ancient  structure  commemorating  the  early  immigrants  from 
that  peninsula,  and  bearing  the  same  relation  to  Osaka  that 
the  Nihon-bashi  does  to  Tokyo,  and  the  Sanjo-bashi  to  Kyoto ; 
anciently  all  distances  were  measured  therefrom,  and  thither 
all  roads  were  supposed  to  center.  Two  of  the  most  important 
vernacular  newspapers  in  Japan,  the  Osaka  Mainichi  and  the 
Asahi,  are  published  in  the  city.  The  resources  and  business 
knowledge  of  the  Osaka  merchants,  and  the  strong  banks  and 
great  warehouses  crammed  with  home  manufactures  for  ex- 


610    Route  36. 


OSAKA 


History, 


port  and  imports  for  home  consumption,  influence  materially 
the  commerce  of  the  Empire.  Several  of  the  big  foreign  im- 
porting houses  of  Yokohama  and  Kobe  have  branch  offices 
here,  for  the  pulse  of  commercial  Osaka  is  more  important  than 
that  of  more  artistic  Kyoto.  In  the  6000  or  more  industrial 
establishments  all  manner  of  goods  (including  fake  curios)  are 
manufactured  and  exported  to  Korea,  China,  Formosa,  and  the 
southern  countries.  Merchants  from  the  most  distant  parts  of 
the  Empire  draw  their  supplies  hence,  and  a  feverish  activity 
is  manifest  in  the  ever-extending  line  of  smoking  factories  that 
now  almost  girdle  the  broad  bay.  Nearly  60  million  yen  worth 
of  cotton  yarn  is  produced  each  year  by  the  27  huge  cotton- 
spinning  companies  operating  in  the  Osaka  Prefecture.  The 
Osaka  Clearing  House,  founded  in  1879,  is  said  to  have  been 
the  first  of  its  class  in  New  Japan.  The  fine  new  Bank  of  Japan, 
a  handsome  gray  granite  structure  of  the  composite  order,  fac- 
ing the  Naka-no-shima  Park,  is  one  of  the  most  imposing  in 
the  Empire. 

Tempo-zan,  an  artificial  hill  near  the  mouth  of  the  Ajikawa, 
at  the  extreme  E.  edge  of  the  city,  overlooks  Osaka  Bay  and  is 
a  favorite  bathing-resort.  The  N.  breakwater  near  by  is  9124 
ft,  long;  the  S.  one  (14,631  ft.)  extends  from  the  N.  side  of  the 
Kizu-gawa,  and  leaves  a  channel  between  the  two  breakwaters 
220  yds.  wide.  The  harbor  is  to  be  dredged  to  28  ft.,  and  22 
million  yen  are  to  be  spent  in  harbor  improvements.  The  rise 
of  the  tide  is  3-6  ft.  The  white  fixed  light  which  shines  from  a 
white  hexagonal  tower  30  ft.  high  on  the  summit  of  Tempo-zan, 
on  the  S.  side  of  the  Aji-kawa-guchi,  52  ft.  above  high  water, 
is  visible  12  M.  over  an  arc  of  246°.  A  fixed  red  light,  visible 
about  7  M.  is  shown  from  a  red  iron  tower  25  ft.  high  on  the 
head  of  the  S.  breakwater;  and  a  fixed  white  light,  visible  9  M. 
from  a  white  iron  tower  25  ft.  high  on  the  head  of  the  N.  break- 
water; both  lights  are  45  ft.  above  high  water.  Frequent  trains 
of  the  Nishinari  Line  run  from  Umeda  Station  to  the  main 
Custom-House,  near  the  E.  end  of  the  N.  breakwater,  at  Sa- 
kurajima. 

The  Local  Products  Museum,  or  Hakubutsu-jo  (PL  E,  2), 
contains  exhibits  of  local  products  for  sale. 

History.  Until  the  end  of  the  15th  cent,  the  spot  where  the  modern  Osaka 
stands  was  called  Naniwa,  a  name  (thought  to  be  a  corruption  of  Nami-haya, 
or  'swift  waves')  said  to  have  been  applied  to  it  by  the  mythical  Jimmu 
Tenno  when  he  landed  here  from  Kyushu  in  B.C.  660.  It  was  the  residence 
of  the  (16th)  Emperor  Nintoku,  in  the  4th  cent.;  of  Kotoku  (the  36th),  in  the 
7th  cent.,  and  of  Shomu  (45th)  from  744  to  748.  From  the  establishment  of 
Ky5to,  in  794,  it  became  an  important  mart  for  trade,  and  a  seaport  for  war- 
junks  and  commercial  craft.  It  came  prominently  into  history  in  1532  when 
Kennio  Kosa,  the  head  bonze  of  the  Nishi  Hongwanji  at  Kyoto,  incurred 
the  enmity  of  Oda  Nobunaga,  and  built  for  himself  a  huge  castle  which  he  suc- 
cessfully defended  for  5  yrs.  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi  chose  the  city  for  his  resi- 
dence in  1583,  enlarged  the  castle,  and  drew  hither  a  number  of  titled  families. 
Its  greatest  prosperity  dates  from  that  period.  In  the  17th  cent.,  when  Ky- 
oto had  upward  of  a  million  inhabs.,  most  of  its  supplies  came  through 


Nishi  Hongwanji.  OSAKA  36.  Route.  611 


Osaka  port,  and  this  was  the  greatest  emporium  of  trade  in  Japan.  Its  castle 
was  the  strongest  fortress,  and  its  merchants  the  wealthiest.  The  junk  traffic 
was  immense.  Miles  of  these  clumsy  but  picturesque  craft  floated  on  the 
bosom  of  the  bay  or  lay  moored  to  its  shores  —  many  of  them  in  fact  swing- 
ing at  anchor  above  what  at  present  is  a  part  of  the  populous  city,  for  nat- 
ural and  artificial  alterations  have  greatly  changed  the  topographical  features 
of  the  district,  and  the  sea  was  then  much  nearer  the  castle  than  it  is  to-day. 
The  city  really  owes  its  prominence  to  the  near-by  and  now  decadent  port  of 
Sakai,  in  the  17th  cent,  the  great  distributing  center  for  this  section  of  Japan. 

Travelers  familiar  with  the  finer  and  more  elaborate  temples 
of  Kyoto  may  not  find  those  of  Osaka  of  any  great  interest,  and 
may  perhaps  consider  the  Castle,  the  Mint,  and  the  Big  Bell 
the  only  sights  worth  devoting  time  to.  These  can  easily  be 
inspected  in  one  forenoon,  and  a  fair  idea  secured  of  the  city 
on  the  journey  to  and  from  them.  The  temples  other  than 
those  hereinafter  described  are  not  worth  much.  —  The  Hokoku 
Jinsha,  a  Shinto  shrine  hard  by  the  Osaka  Hotel,  was  erected 
to  the  memory  of  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi;  it  need  detain  no  one, 
as  the  handsome  granite  torii  can  be  seen  from  the  street  while 
passing  it. 

The  Nishi  Hongwanji  (PL  D,  2)  differs  but  little  from  similar 
fanes  of  the  same  sect  in  other  cities.  A  high,  massive  wall 
with  mediaeval  turrets  at  the  corners  incloses  the  vast  com- 
pound, to  which  a  penthouse  gateway,  with  some  noteworthy 
carvings  in  the  natural  keyaki,  gives  ingress.  Conspicuous 
among  these  are  enfoliated  chrysanthemums,  the  customary 
Dogs  of  Fo  (with  gilded  eyes),  squirming  dragons,  and  what- 
not. The  supporting  pillars  are  sheathed  in  copper-bronze,  and 
broad  sheets  of  this  enrich  the  big  doors,  swung  on  stout  pivots 
and  let  into  the  beams  above  and  below.  Of  the  several  build- 
ings in  the  inclosure  the  main  temple  is  the  only  one  worth 
looking  at.  Its  clean  and  spacious  interior  contains  some 
richly  gilded,  pierced  and  sculptured  panels  carrying  kiku  de- 
signs, and  some  heavily  gilded  keyaki  pillars  whose  capitals, 
cross-beams,  and  compound  brackets  are  decorated  in  unusu- 
ally harmonious  colors.  The  skillfully  carved  polychromatic 
figures  of  flying  tennin  in  the  upper  panels  are  worth  looking  at, 
as  well  as  the  elaborately  gilded  altar  with  an  enshrined  figure 
of  Amida.  Architects  will  be  interested  in  the  decorative  ex- 
pedients grouped  along  the  huge  cross-beams  above  the  vast 
nave,  in  the  form  of  carved  and  painted  figurines  of  ancient 
sages  and  the  like.  Many  huge  brass  lanterns  swing  from  the 
coffered  ceiling  in  the  natural  wood.  This  differs  from  that  of 
the  adjoining  temple  at  the  right  (connected  to  the  main  fane  by 
a  covered  passageway)  where  each  of  the  192  panels  carries  a 
group  of  painted  flowers,  no  two  of  which  are  alike.  This  con- 
ceit is  further  elaborated  in  the  side  aisles,  with  144  panels. 
The  six  carved  and  painted  panels  above  the  chancel,  snowing 
storks  in  various  attitudes,  are  excellent  examples  of  this  class 
of  work.  There  is  some  very  passable  metal- work  and  some 
good  wood  sculptures  in  the  spandrels  (at  both  ends  of  the 


612    Route  36. 


OSAKA 


The  Castle. 


building)  formed  by  the  struts  and  the  joggle-post  at  the  apex 
of  the  great  slanting  roof.  Note  that  the  sembei,  or  brittle 
cracknels,  sold  at  the  temple  are  stamped  with  a  Billikin  — 
evidently  regarded  by  some  devout  Japanese  as  an  Occiden- 
tal goddikin!  Fivemin.  walk  along  the  same  street  (S.),  behind 
the  same  kind  of  a  wall  perforated  by  a  gate  less  striking  than 
that  of  the  Nishi  Hongwanji,  is 

The  Higashi  Hongwanji,  similar  in  many  ways  to  its  sister 
edifice.  The  heavily  gilded  sculptured  panels  above  the  altar 
here  display  well-executed  phcenixes  and  chrysanthemums  in 
high  relief,  while  above  them  are  smaller  and  less  effective 
groups  of  angels  of  the  Buddhist  Heaven.  The  magnificent 
supporting  columns  of  the  huge  nave  are  heavily  sheathed  in 
gold  foil  and  are  unusually  splendid  specimens  of  the  long- 
lived  keyaki;  some  of  them  are  24  in.  in  diameter  and  the  great 
room  seems  filled  with  broad  waves  of  flashing  yellow  light 
when  the  early  morning  sun  slants  in.  The  standing  figure  in 
the  central  shrine  is  Amida,  and  the  seated  figure  in  the  shrine 
at  the  right,  Kenshin-Daishi.  The  groups  of  figures  carved  in 
the  natural  wood  and  seated  high  up  on  the  cross-beams  are 
Chinese_  sages. 

The  Osaka  Castle  (Oshiro),  in  the  N.E.  quarter  of  the  city 
(PI.  E,  2),  is  of  historic  rather  than  present  interest,  since  only 
the  foundation  and  a  portion  of  the  old  walls  and  moat  remain 
as  evidences  of  its  once  splendid  estate.  A  special  permit,  ob- 
tainable at:the  Kenchd{Kawaguchi  tram-car  from  the  Post-Office 
corner),  where  one  must  sign  one's  name  in  a  register,  is  neces- 
sary, and  should  be  applied  for  in'person  (English  spoken).  The 
Tenjin-bashi  car,  leaving  from  the  Nippon  Ginko  corner,  passes 
(5  min.  walk)  quite  near  the  castle.  The  building  at  the  left  of 
the  approach  is  the  Military  Club;  the  tall  iron  shaft  in  front 
of  it,  surmounted  by  a  globe  radiating  light,  stands  to  the  mem- 
ory of  the  soldiers  who  fell  in  the  various  civil  wars_consequent 
to  the  Restoration.  We  enter  the  castle  by  the  Ote-guchi,  or 
old  front  gate;  the  permit  (read  the  instructions  on  the  back) 
must  be  shown  to  the  sentry  on  entering,  and  delivered  to  him 
on  passing  out.  The  inner  moat  is  dry;  the  immense  stones  in 
the  girdling  wall  and  the  huge  iron-sheathed  doors  are  worth 
noting.  Some  of  the  stones  of  the  wall  beyond  the  3d  gate  are 
18  ft.  high  and  35  ft.  long.  An  arsenal  stands  to  the  E.  of  the 
wall,  and  within  are  a  number  of  storehouses  for  ammunition, 
and  other  military  structures,  all  guarded  by  soldiery  (of  the 
Fourth  Army  Division).  The  best  views  are  obtainable  from 
the  walls  of  the  inner  keep,  where  there  are  some  antique  ma- 
chine-guns and  a  covered  well  which  formerly  supplied  the  im- 
mense garrison  with  drinking-water.  Even  in  ruins,  the  once 
colossal  structure,  with  its  mighty  encircling  walls  of  great 
square  granite  blocks,  presents  an  imposing  appearance.  Pho- 
tographing or  sketching  is  forbidden. 


The  Castle.  OSAKA  36.  Route.  613 


Historical  Sketch.  The  original  structure,  referred  to  by  historians  as 
Ishiyama-jd,  or  '  Stony  Mountain  Fortress,'  stood  on  the  site  of  a  huge,  for- 
tified monastery  erected  about  1575  by  the  Shinshu  monks  as  a  defense 
against  the  repeated  assaults  of  the  arch-enemy  of  their  order,  Oda  Nobun- 
aga.  The  lofty  plateau  on  which  it  stood,  high  above  the  Yodo  River,  was  of 
splendid  strategic  value,  since  it  commanded  not  only  the  river  but  also  the 
entire  city  and  country  roundabout.  Appreciating  this,  Toyotomi  Hide- 
yoshi  (Nobunaga's  ward)  set  to  work  in  1583  to  build  the  greatest  and 
strongest  fortress  ever  seen  in  Japan,  one  that  would  be  the  impregnable  key 
to  Osaka,  Fushimi,  and  Kyoto  itself.  Between  30,000  and  60,000  laborers 
toiled  day  and  night  for  3  yrs.  constructing  the  huge  building  and  the  wide 
encircling  moats.  Louis  Froez,  the  Portuguese  Jesuit,  writing  in  1586,  says: 
'  The  walls  are  of  great  amplitude  and  height  ,  —  all  of  stone.  In  order  that 
the  multitude  of  workers  should  not  cause  confusion,  it  was  ordained  that 
each  master  should  have  his  determined  place,  where  he  should  work,  a  great 
number  of  people  being  employed  during  the  night  in  emptying  the  water 
which  continually  kept  rising  in  the  fosses.  What  is  the  cause  of  such  marvel 
in  this  matter  is  to  see  whence  such  a  great  number  of  stones  of  all  kinds  of 
sizes  have  been  taken;  there  being  a  great  lack  of  them  there.  For  this  rea- 
son he  commanded  the  neighboring  lords  for  20  or  30  leagues  around  to  send 
boats  loaded  with  them.  In  this  way  the  city  of  Sakai  alone  had  been 
charged  to  dispatch  200  vessels  every  day.  So  that  from  our  house  we  some- 
times saw  as  many  as  1000  entering  under  full  sail  and  in  good  order  together. 
On  discharging,  the  stones  are  placed  with  such  care  and  heed  that  none 
(without  leaving  his  head  there)  might  take  a  single  one  of  them  to  place  it 
elsewhere.  And  in  order  that  the  work  might  go  forward  with  greater  heat, 
it  happening  that  a  lord  who  supervised  fell  short  either  in  men  or  industry, 
he  was  at  once  sent  into  exile,  and  stripped  of  his  states  and  revenues.  Be- 
sides the  towers  and  the  bulwarks  around  the  fortresses,  which  are  visible 
from  afar  by  reason  of  their  height,  and  the  splendor  of  the  tiles  which  are 
all  gilded,  he  is  rearing  many  other  remarkable  edifices  there.' 

'  The  plan  of  the  fortress,'  says  Brinkley,  1  showed  three  surrounding  moats 
and  escarpments,  an  arrangement  which  has  always  been  adopted  whenever 
possible  by  the  architects  of  Japanese  castles.  These  moats  were  about  150 
ft.  wide  and  20  ft.  deep,  and  they  not  only  contained  from  6  to  10  ft.  of 
water,  but  had  numbers  of  wooden  stakes  fixed  in  the  bottom  to  prevent 
an  enemy  from  wading  across.  The  revetment  of  the  escarp  was  built  with 
polygonal  granite  blocks,  put  together  in  the  fashion  of  Japanese  masonry, 
the  blocks  being  pyramidal  and  having  the  small  end  of  the  pyramid  turned 
inward  and  the  broad  base  outward.  No  mortar  was  used,  and  thus  the 
revetment  presented  a  slightly  irregular  rubble  face.  The  corners  and  angles 
were  strengthened  with  large  quoins  of  carefully  squared  ashler,  usually 
bound  together  by  strong  cramps  of  iron  or  copper.  Each  escarpment  was 
crowned  by  a  series  of  loopholed  curtain-walls,  1^  ft.  thick,  10  in  the  outer- 
most inclosure,  and  5  in  each  of  the  inner;  and  between  these  walls,  or  para- 
pets, there  were  trenches,  12  ft.  wide  and  18  ft.  deep,  covered  with  bamboos 
and  earth  so  as  to  constitute  pitfalls.  The  parapets  were  8  ft.  high  on  the 
face,  but  had  on  the  inner  side  a  banquette  approached  by  stone  steps.  In 
building  these  walls  clay  mixed  with  salt  was  used,  an  old  recipe  which  gave 
a  hard  and  durable  composition.  The  general  trace  was  irregular,  having 
salient  and  reentering  angles  for  purposes  of  flank  defense,  and  the  salient 
angles  were  crowned  with  pagoda-shaped  turrets  from  20  to  30  ft.  high.  The 
outermost  moat  inclosed  100  acres,  and  the  innermost,  the  hommaru,  or  keep, 
12 1  acres.' 

Hideyoshi's  residence,  surrounded  by  extensive  barracks,  and  two  score 
or  more  godowns  for  provisions,  ammunition,  fuel,  and  what-not,  stood  in 
the  inner  belt,  near  the  great  donjon,  which  in  turn  was  tiled  with  copper, 
had  a  base  of  about  100  ft.  sq.,  and  rose  40  ft.  from  a  battering  stone  base- 
ment 48  ft.  high.  Many  of  the  huge  granite  blocks  used  in  the  construction 
of  this  formidable  defense  remain  to  astonish  the  beholder  by  their  size.  A 
peculiar  feature  of  the  main  wooden  bridge  spanning  the  moat  was  that,  by 
the  removal  of  a  single  pin,  the  whole  structure  would  fall  to  pieces  — 
whence  its  name,  the  Abacus  (Soroban)  Bridge.  4  Each  gate  opened  upon  an 
inner  court  surrounded  by  a  lofty  parapet,  from  which  a  cross-fire  could  be 
poured  upon  the  enemy  after  he  had  forced  the  gate,  as  well  as  upon  the 


614    Route  86. 


OSAKA 


The  Mint. 


bridge  leading  to  the  gate.  An  assailant,  who,  having  broken  through  the 
massive,  iron-bound  timbers  of  an  outer  gate,  with  the  expectation  of  find- 
ing himself  within  the  enceinte,  found  himself  instead,  perhaps  to  his  amaze- 
ment, in  a  kind  of  cul-de-sac,  and  the  target  for  bullets,  arrows,  and  other 
missiles  rained  upon  him  from  all  sides  by  hidden  foes;  in  the  face  of  such  a 
fire  he  had  to  turn  and  face  another  gate  at  right  angles  to  the  original  en- 
trance.' 

The  dismantled  old  building  revives  many  stirring  memories.  Here,  in 
1586,  Hideyoshi  received  in  audience  Froez,  Coelho,  7  other  Jesuits,  and  15 
Catechists,  with  their  petition  to  be  allowed  further  to  spread  the  Christian 
faith,  and  here  in  1614  Ieyasu,  with  180,000  men,  besieged  the  castle  and  its 
90,000  fighting  ronin  under  Tokugawa  Hideyori.  In  Jan.,  1615,  after  the 
signing  of  the  peace  conditions,  the  inner  and  outer  moats  were  filled  in  and 
the  outer  ramparts  demolished.  Upward  of  270,000  Tokugawa  troops  were 
employed  in  the  second  siege  of  the  castle  during  the  summer  of  1615,  which 
resulted  (June  4)  in  the  burning  of  the  citadel  and  the  killing  of  thousands  of 
its  defenders.  Hideyori  committed  suicide  in  his  shot-proof  refuge  in  the 
donjon;  his  consdrt  was  killed  by  one  of  his  retainers;  and  while  30  men  and 
women  who  had  accompanied  him  set  fire  to  the  building  and  disemboweled 
themselves,  the  Osaka  Castle  fell,  and  with  it  perished  the  House  of  Toyo- 
tomi. 

The  *Mint,  or  Zdheikyoku  ('Money-making  office ')  is  a  short 
walk  N.  of  the  castle,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Okawa  (river). 
Cross  the  bridge  and  turn  to  the  right.  Permits  obtainable 
(no  fees)  from  the  hotel  management.  The  main  building,  in 
the  Roman  style  of  architecture,  which  was  constructed  in 
1871,  has  a  clock-tower  over  the  porch  and  carries  Imperial 
chrysanthemum  enrichments.  Here  one  is  conducted  (Eng- 
lish spoken)  through  the  barred,  prison-like  rooms  guarded  by 
sentries,  and  is  shown  all  the  processes,  from  refining  gold,  silver, 
and  copper  to  the  stamping  and  finishing  of  them  into  glisten- 
ing coins  of  the  realm.  Great  precautions  are  taken  against 
theft,  and  visitors  are  supposed  to  abide  by  the  rules  of  the  es- 
tablishment. On  leaving,  one  is  requested  to  scrape  one's  feet 
thoroughly  on  the  door-mat,  to  remove  any  particles  of  metal 
that  may  have  adhered  to  them.  The  region  roundabout  is 
noted  for  its  cherry  blossoms  (in  April). 

The  Tenno-ji  (more  properly  Shi-Tenno-ji),  an  ancient 
Buddhist  temple  (PI.  E,  4)  in  the  S.  E.  quarter  of  the  city  (tram- 
car  from  the  Nippon  Ginko  to  the  Post-Office,  where  change  to 
a  Namba  Station  car,  then  into  a  Tenno-ji  car),  is  of  consider- 
able historic  interest  to  ecclesiologists  in  that  it  is  intimately 
associated  with  the  introduction  of  Buddhism  in  Japan ;  mater- 
ially it  is  not  worth  visiting,  save  for  the  big  bell,  which  is  re- 
puted the  largest  in  the  Empire.  The  original  fane  is  said  to 
have  been  founded  in  a.d.  600  by  Shotoku-taishi.  History  does 
not  record  how  long  the  primitive  structure  stood,  but  the 
present  one,  now  tottering  with  age,  replaced  one  burned  in 
1802.  It  is  dedicated,  as  its  name  implies,  to  the  martial  Shir 
tenno,  or  guardian  gods  of  the  four  sides  of  the  universe.  A 
big  stone  torii  marks  the  entrance  to  the  extensive  grounds,  in 
which  are  a  number  of  dilapidated  shrines  and  a  decrepid  old 
pagoda,  5  stories  high,  showing  traces  of  former  beauty.  The 
only  thing  of  interest  in  the  sadly  defaced  and  misnamed 


The  Bronze  Bell  OSAKA  36.  Route.  615 


Kondo  or  Golden  Hall,  is  a  gilded  copper  Buddha  said  to  have 
been  presented  to  the  temple  by  the  King  of  Kudara  (Korea) 
more  than  a  thousand  yrs.  ago,  and  to  have  been  the  first  of 
its  kind  to  reach  Japan.  There  are  a  number  of  rubbishy 
relics  in  the  darksome  interior  of  no  interest  to  foreigners.  In 
one  of  the  adjoining  courts  a  man  keeps  a  stock  of  turtles  for 
sale,  each  unfortunate  reptile  centered  on  a  low  bamboo  stick 
stuck  in  the  ground,  waving  its  feet  as  in  the  act  of  swimming, 
and  waiting  for  some  charitable  person  to  come  along  and 
liberate  it.  In  passing  through  this  court  note  the  remarkable 
bronze  horse  tethered  to  a  bamboo,  with  a  blanket  embossed 
with  a  gilded  16-petal  kiku  crest  on  his  rump.  In  other  courts 
are  other  turtle-sellers  with  water-buckets  rilled  with  the 
wriggling  chelonians.  One  crafty  wight  has  his  stand  near  a 
pond,  and  when  his  stock  in  trade  is  bought  and  liberated 
therein,  he  replenishes  it  by  a  single  swoop  of  a  capacious  net. 
Scores  of  happy  turtles  swim  about  and  scramble  for  the 
little  pink  balls  of  sweets  fed  to  them;  sun  themselves  on  a 
wooden  platform  near  the  center,  and  perchance  wonder  when 
their  next  expatriation  will  occur.  The  small  bell  which  over- 
looks this  pond  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  one  men- 
tioned below.  —  At  the  left  of  the  grounds  stands  a  roofed 
structure  inclosing  a  sunken  well  about  10  by  12  ft.,  walled  in 
with  granite  blocks.  The  oblong  stone  basin  at  the  bottom  is 
filled  with  water  on  which  float  hundreds  of  thin  wood  strips 
bearing  the  names  of  persons  recently  deceased.  The  credu- 
lous believe  that  if  these  strips  are  placed  in  a  tiny  cup,  held 
under  the  trickle  falling  from  the  mouth  of  the  huge  stone  tor- 
toise, then  immersed  in  the  water  of  the  well,  the  flowing  stream 
will  carry  their  petitions  to  the  spirit  of  the  deified  Shotoku- 
taishi.  —  The  great  pine  tree  in  the  temple  yard  (63  ft.  high 
with  a  trunk  14  ft.  in  circumference)  is  the  oldest  in  the  city 
and  is  said  to  have  been  planted  850  yrs.  ago. 

The  *Bronze  Bell  for  which  the  temple  is  noted,  and  which 
the  Osaka  people  believe  is  the  biggest  in  the  world,  hangs  10 
ft.  from  the  floor,  in  an  immense  belfry  that  rises  from  a  wide 
granite  plinth  at  one  end  of  the  compound.  Admission,  5  sen. 
The  dragon  on  the  ceiling  is  by  a  local  painter.  The  leviathan 
is  26  ft.  high,  34  in  circumference,  16  across  the  mouth,  1 J  ft. 
thick  at  the  rim,  weighs  upward  of  155  tons,  and  is  struck  by  a 
heavy  beam  swung  on  the  outside.  The  upper  part  is  covered 
with  umbones,  and  nearly  all  the  remaining  greenish  surface  is 
inscribed  with  extracts  from  the  Buddhist  classics  and  with  the 
names  of  persons  who  subscribed  to  the  casting  of  it  in  1902. 

It  is  undoubtedly  the  greatest  hanging  bell  in  the  world.  The  'Czar 
Kolokol,'  the  great  Moscow  bell  (which  is  in  the  yard  of  the  Kremlin,  is  19  ft. 
in  diameter,  the  same  in  height,  was  cast  in  1733,  and  is  computed  to  weigh 
440,000  lbs. ,)  is  supposed  never  to  have  been  hung.  It  is  now  used  as  a  chapel, 
the  great  piece  broken  out  of  its  side  by  a  fire  serving  as  a  sort  of  doorway. 
There  is  another  bell  in  Moscow  which  weighs  128  tons.  Perhaps  the  next 


616    Route  36. 


OSAKA 


Excursions. 


in  size  is  that  near  a  ruined  temple  at  Mingun,  about  9  M.  above  Mandalay, 
in  Burma;  the  diameter  at  the  lip  is  18  ft.,  the  height  to  the  top  of  the  shackle, 
31  ft.,  and  the  weight  about  80  tons.  The  belfry  in  which  it  once  stood  was 
long  since  shaken  down  by  an  earthquake  and  the  bell  is  now  shored  up,  but 
does  not  swing  free  of  the  ground.  The  great  bell  of  the  Chion-in  Temple 
at  Kyoto  weighs  74  tons;  that  of  the  Todaiji,  at  Nara,  48  tons.  The  bell  in 
the  Ta-chung-sz' ,  or  Bell-Tower,  near  Peking,  is  14  ft.  high,  34  ft.  in  circum- 
ference at  the  rim,  9  in.  thick,  was  cast  about  1406,  and  weighs  120,000 
lbs.  The  so-called  big  bells  of  Europe  seem  pygmies  compared  to  these 
giants,  for  the  bourdon  of  Notre  Dame  weighs  but  17  tons;  that  of  the  Sens 
Cathedral,  16;  and  that  of  the  Amiens  Cathedral,  11  tons.  The  new  '  Kaiser- 
glocke'  of  the  Cologne  Cathedral  weighs  25  tons,  but  the '  Big  Ben'  of  West- 
minster weighs  only  13  tons.  The  4  Great  Peter,'  at  York  is  of  10  tons  weight, 
and  the  1  Great  Tom '  at  Oxford,  7  tons.  The  largest  bell  on  the  American 
continent  is  perhaps  the  Santa  Maria  de  Guadalupe,  in  the  W.  tower  of  the 
Mexico  City  Cathedral.  It  was  cast  in  Tacubaya  (a  suburb  of  Mexico  City) 
in  1792,  is  10  ft.  across  at  the  rim,  16^  ft.  high,  weighs  27,000  lbs.,  and  cost 
10,400  pesos.  Its  voice  is  grave,  melodious,  and  penetrating,  while  that  of 
the  Osaka  monster  shatters  the  atmosphere  for  miles  around  and  sounds 
something  like  the  crack  of  doom  accompanied  by  a  million  angry  bees  heard 
through  a  megaphone! 

At  the  rear  of  the  belfry,  housed  in  a  dilapidated  structure, 
is  a  sort  of  ecclesiological  museum  called  Tenndji  Hobutsukwan 
(no  fees),  where  among  other  tawdry  relics  one  may  see  two 
huge  polychromatic  festival  drums,  an  old  illuminated  kake- 
mono of  the  Buddhist  Heaven,  some  curious  masks,  figures,  and 
what-not.  —  The  near-by  Imamiya  Park  is  the  most  popular 
of  the  city's  pleasure-grounds,  and  is  usually  filled  with  peep- 
shows,  hucksters,  wrestlers,  'movies,'  and  the  like.  —  The  re- 
turning tram-car  (9  sen)  goes  direct  to  the  Post-Office  corner, 
where  one  changes  into  one  for  the  Japan  Bank,  if  the  hotel  be 
one's  destination. 

Excursions  to  Sumiyoshi,  Sakai,  and  Wakayama  ( Nan-  Kai 
Rly.).  Trains  leave  at  frequent  intervals  from  the  Namba 
Station  (PL  D.  3)  and  follow  the  contour  of  Osaka  Bay.  The 
best  of  the  attractive  views  are  seen  from  the  right  side  of  the 
car.  The  big  island  visible  across  the  bay  is  Awaji  (p.  632) .  By 
starting  early  in  the  a.m.  one  may  inspect  the  three  places  in  a 
leisurely  fashion  and  returnto  Osaka  in  the  afternoon. 

Sumiyoshi,  a  suburb  of  Osaka  (3  M.,  18  sen),  contains  a  lo- 
cally celebrated  temple  revered  by  fishermen  because  they  are 
under  the  special  protection  of  its  deity.  The  three  gods  whom 
legend  avers  assisted  the  Empress  Jingo  on  her  invasion  of 
Korea  are  worshiped  here.  The  grounds  contain  almost  as 
many  tanks  as  an  aquarium.  Conspicuous  among  the  marine 
specimens  are  goldfish  and  tortoises,  the  latter  with  backs  usu- 
ally covered  with  seaweed  and  called  minogame  (mino,  sl  straw 
or  hempen  rain-coat;  kame,  sl  tortoise),  from  their  resemblance 
to  the  straw  coats  worn  by  peasants.  The  region  roundabout  is 
known  for  its  splendid  old  trees,  prominent  among  which  are 
camphor  laurels,  Chinese  Pagoda  trees  (Sophora  japonica), 
Pride-of-India  (Melia  Azedarach,  or  false  sycamore),  Salis- 
burias,  tree-lotuses  (Celtis  sinensis;  Jap.  enoki),  and  magnifi- 
cent old  pines. 


Wakayama. 


OSAKA  36.  Route.  617 


Sakai  (7  M.,  30  sen),  chief  city  of  Izumi  Province,  with  61,000 
inhabs.,  on  the  E.  shore  of  the  Izumi  Nada,  was,  during  the 
Middle  Ages,  the  greatest  seaport  of  Japan.  Originally  called 
Sakai-no-Tsu,  the  1  boundary  seaport/  it  derives  its  name  from 
its  position  on  the  boundary  of  Settsu,  Kawachi,  and  Izumi. 
Its  early  life  was  similar  to  that  of  a  self-reliant  mediaeval  Ital- 
ian republic,  a  sort  of  Japanese  Venice,  with  an  administra- 
tion unique  in  the  Empire,  and  with  vast  fleets  of  ships  and 
many  rich  merchants.  Its  prosperity  declined  when  Hideyoshi 
undertook  the  development  of  Osaka,  and  it  is  now  merely  a 
manufacturing  center  for  cutlery  and  for  the  cotton  rugs  or 
carpets  known  as  Sakai  dantsu.  The  locally  renowned  temples 
are  of  no  interest  to  foreigners.  Sakai's  early  history  is  inti- 
mately associated  with  the  introduction  of  Jesuitism  in  Japan, 
and  the  hatred  which  certain  of  the  samurai  entertained  for  all 
foreigners  culminated  in  1868  in  the  murder  of  an  officer  and 
10  sailors  of  a  French  man-of-war  —  a  crime  expiated  by  11  of 
the  participants,  who  committed  harakiri  in  one  of  the  local 
temples,  in  the  presence  of  Japanese  and  Frenchmen. 

Wakayama  (40  M.  from  Osaka;  fare,  ¥1.65;  time,  2  hrs.), 
the  chief  city  (pop.  77,300)  of  Wakayama  Prefecture,  Kii 
Province,  stands  near  the  mouth  of  the  Kino  River,  and  is  the 
junction  of  the  Wakayama  Section  of  the  Kansai  Line  of  the 
Imperial  Government  Railways.  The  region  roundabout  forms 
the  southernmost  part  or  the  rounded  peninsula  of  Yamato, 
belongs  to  the  Nankai-do,  or  Southern  Sea  Road,  and  is  re- 
garded by  the  Japanese  as  one  of  the  loveliest  in  the  Empire. 
The  province  combines  most  of  the  natural  beauties  of  Japan- 
ese scenery,  and  produces  many  valuable  products.  The  warm 
waters  of  the  Kii  Channel  (or  Linschoten  Strait)  wash  the  W. 
shores,  the  indented  bays  of  which  are  extolled  for  their  -ex- 
quisite views.  Carefully  cultivated  fields  stretch  southward 
and  bring  forth  bountiful  crops  of  rice,  cotton,  and  grain.  The 
valleys  between  the  hills  flame  with  orange  plantations,  the 
hills  themselves  are  studded  all  over  with  rounded  tea-bushes 
that  look  like  the  umbones  on  a  big  bell.  Noble  conifers,  paper 
mulberries,  cryptomerias,  retinosporas,  and  tallow-trees  adorn 
the  mt.  slopes,  and  equally  splendid  camphor  laurels  the  tem- 
ple yards.  The  mandarin-oranges  (Chinese  chu-sha  kih;  Jap. 
mikan)  of  this  district  are  in  the  truest  sense  the  Citrus  nobilis, 
for  they  are  delicious  and  deservedly  famous.  Quantities  of 
them  are  produced  in  the  Arida  district,  S.E.  of  Wakayama, 
and  are  sent  throughout  N.  Japan.  When  ripe,  the  skin  of  the 
fruit  is  of  a  cinnabar  red  color,  and  adheres  to  the  pulp  by  a 
few  loose  fibers. 

The  Wakayama  Castle,  erected  (in  1850)  just  prior  to  the 
Restoration,  is  excellently  preserved,  and  is  considered  a  good 
example  of  this  style  of  architecture.  A  fine  view  is  obtainable 
from  the  upper  (3d)  story,  over  the  wooded  hill  on  which  it 


618   Route  37.       OSAKA  TO  KOBE 


Arrival. 


stands,  to  the  sea  on  one  side,  and  to  mts.  on  the  other.  The 
old  castle,  built  in  1586  by  Hideyoshi's  brother  Hidenaga, 
has  perished.  —  Kimii-dera,  a  Buddhist  temple  2d  in  the  list 
of  the  33  sacred  to  Kwannon,  finely  situated  on  the  slope  of 
Nakusa-yama  (754  ft.)  3  M.  S.E.  of  the  city,  is  the  vantage- 
point  whence  Japanese  usually  view  the  charming  stretch  of 
sandy  beach  known  as  Waka-no-ura,  which  extends  westward 
along  Waka-no-ura-wan.  —  Kdya-san,  the  holy  mt.  described 
at  p.  511,  lies  30  M.  to  the  E.  of  Wakayama,  and  is  often  ap- 
proached by  pilgrims  from  this  region.  Foreigners  will  perhaps 
find  it  easier  and  more  convenient  to  make  the  excursion  from 
Kyoto.  The  nearest  point  by  rly.  (several  trains  daily  in 
about  1  hr.)  is  (24  M.)  Koya-guchi.  Coasting-steamers  leave 
Wakayama  almost  daily  for  various  small  ports  near  by. 

Yokohama-Kobe  Rte.  (24-25-36),  continued  from  p.  607. 
Westward  from  Osaka  Station  the  train  runs  through  vast, 
busy  freight-yards  that  recall  those  of  Kansas  City.  Miles 
of  narrow  streets  dodge  away  at  the  left,  and  scores  of  factory 
chimneys  rise  high  above  the  roofs  of  the  diminutive  houses. 
From  342  M.  Kanzaki  Jet.,  a  branch  line  runs  N.W.  to  the 
Takaradzuka  Mineral  Springs  (p.  629);  the  Hot  Springs  of 
Arima,  and  Maizuru,  which  with  the  near-by  Amanohashidate 
are  described  in  Rte.  29.  —  The  extensive  godowns  that  flank 
the  rly.  between  Kanzaki  and  347  M.  Nishinomiya  are  usually 
filled  with  ripening  sake  —  the  region  roundabout  being  cele- 
brated for  the  production  of  the  best  brands  of  this  tipple. 
Beyond  Shiba,  with  its  Eta  Settlement  (right  of  the  track),  a 
bulky  ridge  of  seared  hills  protects  the  district  from  the  keen 
winter  blasts  and  aids  the  farmers  to  produce  bumper  crops 
on  their  land.  The  extensive  system  of  dikes  hereabout  often 
fails  to  keep  the  turbulent  streams  in  check,  and  the  land  is  not 
unfrequently  submerged.  The  electric  trolley  at  the  left  links 
Kobe  with  Kyoto.  The  sea  now  comes  into  view  and  adds  a 
charming  quality  to  the  landscape.  The  two  short  tunnels 
through  which  the  train  runs  are  beneath  the  sandy  beds  of 
small  rivers.  Bismarck  Hill  stands  out  boldly  at  the  N.W.; 
the  many  attractive  homes  perched  on  the  hill-slopes  beyond 
Sumiyoshi  are  of  Kobe  residents.  The  views  at  the  left  of  the 
splendid  Kobe  Harbor  with  hundreds  of  ships  riding  at  anchor 
are  enchanting.  Far  beyond  are  the  beautiful  reaches  of  the 
Inland  Sea,  one  of  the  loveliest  sheets  of  water  in  the  world. 
The  Kobe  Steel  Works  are  passed  at  the  left.  358  M.  Kobe 
(Sannomiya  Station) .  See  below.  j  j      *    f/j.  +  a 


Arrival  and  Departure.  Railway  Stations,  Steamship-Landings,  Hotels. 

Railway  Stations.  1.  Sannomiya  (PI.  D,  2),  on  Motomachi,  in  the  N.E. 
quarter  (near  the  N.  limit  of  the  former  Foreign  Concession),  to  which  bag- 


37.  Kobe  and  Neighborhood. 


Hotels.  KOBE  37.  Route.  619 

gage  should  be  checked,  and  where  travelers  bound  for  either  of  the  foreign 
hotels  should  alight .— 2.  Kobe  Station  (PL  C,2),  £  M.  to  the  S.W.,  on  Aioi-cho, 
near  the  center  of  Japanese  Kobe.  —  3.  Hyogo  Station  (PL  B,  3),  on  Hama- 
zaki-dori,  1  M.  from  Sannomiya,  in  the  center  of  Hyogo.  Electric  tram- 
cars  run  near  the  Sannomiya  Station  and  past  the  others.  Hotel  omnibuses 
do  not  always  meet  trains.  Jinriki  from  the  Sannomiya  Station  to  the  (,| 
M.)  Oriental  Hotel,  15  sen;  to  the  Tor  Hotel,  20;  from  the  Kobe  Station, 
25-30  sen  ;  from  the  Hyogo  Station,  35-40  sen  respectively.  The  customary 
hotel  charge  for  trunks  from  Sannomiya  is  15  sen  each  (20-25  sen  from  the 
others).  Give  checks  to  the  hotel  manager  or  runner.  If  there  are  a  number 
of  trunks  a  special  price  will  be  made.  When  sending  luggage  to  the  San- 
nomiya Station,  say  whether  it  is  bound  E.  or  W.,  as  there  are  two  baggage- 
rooms,  the  west-bound  on  the  S.  side  of  the  track.  —  Commercial  and  other 
houses  in  Kobe  are  usually  known  by  their  numbers  (rather  than  names), 
as  in  Yokohama. 

Steamship-Landing  (PL  D,  2).  The  Hatoba,  or  American  Pier,  is  at  the 
W.  end  of  the  Bund,  2  min.  walk  from  the  Oriental  Hotel  and  15  min.  from 
the  Tor.  Ships'  launches  usually  land  passengers  (no  charge)  on  the  pier. 
Hotel  launches  meet  incoming  ships,  and  English-speaking  runners  conduct 
passengersa  shore  (free),  take  charge  of  luggage  at  25c.  per  package  and  pass 
it  through  the  Custom-House  (left  of  the  landing).  The  examination  is 
prompt,  courteous,  and  lenient.  Passengers  are  asked  if  they  have  any  to- 
bacco, cigars,  or  cigarettes  (see  p.  xxiv).  Sampans  (bargaining  necessary) 
are  numerous;  from  ship  to  shore,  or  vice-versa,  25-30  sen.  —  The  Eastern, 
Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha,  and  other  piers,  to  which  some  ships  go,  are  at  the 
E.  edge  of  the  Settlement  and  the  Bund,  practically  the  same  distance  from 
the  hotels. 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix).  *Tor  Hotel,  Ltd.  (Tel.  add.:  'Tor,  Kobe1),  a  new, 
modern  hotel  with  70  rooms  (each  with  a  bath-room)  and  accommodations 
for  100  guests,  stands  in  the  midst  of  fine  grounds  backed  by  pine  woods 
at  the  foot  of  Suwayama  (PL  D,  1),  on  Yamamoto-dori,  at  the  top  of  Naka- 
yamate-dori.  Good  air;  magnificent  views.  English  and  German  spoken. 
Rates  from  ¥7  a  day  and  upward,  Am.  pi.  Good  food.  Naval  and  Army 
men  and  their  families  from  ¥6  and  upward.  Reduction  for  a  long  stay. 
Garage;  motor-cars. 

*Qrienftgl  flattd.  Ltd.  (Tel.  add.:  'Oriental,  Kobe'),  a  huge,  up-to-date 
fireproof  structure  (cost  1  million  yen)  on  the  Bund,  in  the  Foreign  Settle- 
ment (PL  D,  2)  overlooking  the  sea  (fine  views),  close  to  the  banks  and  busi- 
ness houses.  English  management;  good  food.  Elevators,  roof-garden,  hot 
and  cold  running  water  in  rooms;  set  bowls.  Popular  with  all  classes.  Read- 
ing room  with  many  foreign  periodicals.  Music.  Excellent  Grill  Room. 
Rates  from  ¥7.50  and  upward;  Am.  pi.;  less  for  2  in  a  room,  and  for  a  long 
stay.  —  Minor  hotels  in  less  desirable  situations  are  :  The  Mikado,  62 
Higashi  Kawasaki-cho;  native  management;  from  ¥5  and  upward.  —  Cen- 
tral Hotel,  Shimoyamate-dori,  Nichome;  ¥3.50  to  ¥5. — Pleasanton  Hotel, 
86  Nakayamate-dori,  Sanchome,  ¥5. 

Means  of  Transportation. 

In  the  absence  of  cabs,  jinrikis  (p.  lxxxviii)  are  the  popular  means  of  con- 
veyance ;  fares  have  a  steadily  rising  tendency,  and  certain  of  the  men  do  not 
hesitate  to  fleece  tourists  who  may  not  know  the  correct  price.  Travelers 
on  shore  for  the  day  from  ships  in  the  harbor  should  arrive  at  an  •  under- 
standing with  jinriki-men  before  engaging  them,  else  there  may  be  a  dis- 
cussion when  payment  is  proffered.  Hyogo  is  oftentimes  considered  by  the 
men  as  out  of  the  Kobe  limit,  and  extra  money  is  demanded.  In  case  of 
dispute,  consult  a  policeman,  or  the  hotel  manager.  An  agreement  must 
always  be  arrived  at  for  out-of-town  trips.  A  pushman  usually  expects  about 
50%  of  the  sum  paid  to  the  puller.  The  traveler  may  wish  to  bear  in  mind 
that  he  can  always  employ  a  jinriki  at  a  lower  rate  a  block  or  two  distant 
from  the  hotel  or  rly.  station.  Men  with  rubber-tired  jinrikis  expect  about 
\  more  than  those  with  the  old-style  vehicles.  One  of  the  latter  can  most 
always  be  hired  on  the  street  at  20-23  sen  the  hr.  (50%  more  after  10  p.m.), 
but  the  runner  will  expect  more  if  he  is  kept  constantly  on  the  move  at  a 
brisk  pace.  The  rate  per  day  in  the  city  is  ¥1.70;  £  day,  ¥1.  The  usual 
rate  demanded  by  a  hotel  jinriki-man  is  40  sen  for  the  1st  hr.;  20  for  the  2d, 


620    Route  37.  KOBE  Practical  Notes. 

and  15  for  each  succeeding  hr.  Sight-seeing  can  usually  be  done  to  better  ad- 
vantage on  foot. 

An  Electric  Street-Car  Line  operates  a  cheap,  speedy,  and  efficient 
service  to  nearly  all  points  in  the  amalgamated  city,  and  is  rapidly  reaching 
out  to  suburban  places.  An  Interurban  line  connects  Kobe  with  Osaka  (and 
Takaradzuka),  thence  to  (47  M.)  Kyoto,  and  maintains  a  frequent  and  reli- 
able service.  This  does  not,  however,  compare  in  speed  and  comfort  with 
the  rly.  line. 


Railway  and  Steamship  Offices.  Express,  Post-  and  Telegraph-Offices. 
Consulates.  Banks.  Money-changers.  Clubs.  Newspapers  and  Directories. 
Churches.    Shops.  Guides. 

Railway  Offices  are  scattered  throughout  the  city,  but  the  traveler  will 
find  those  at  the  rly.  stations  the  most  convenient.  The  hotel  manager  will 
always  attend  to  the  buying  of  tickets,  checking  of  luggage,  and  the  engaging 
of  sleeping-berths. 

The  Steamship  Offices  are  nearly  all  in  the  Foreign  Settlement  (see  the 
plan  of  this),  within  a  few  min.  walk  of  the  hotel.  Toyo  Risen  Kaisha  (Tel. 
add.:  'Toyo  Asano'),  81  Kyo-machi.  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  (Tel.  add.: 
4  Yusen'),  10  Kaigan-dori  Itchome.  —  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Company 
(Royal  Mail  S.S.  Line;  Tel.  add.:  '  Citamprag  '),  14  Maye-machi. — North 
German  Lloyd  (H.  Ahrens  &_Co.,  Nachf.  Tel.  add.:  '  Ahrens,'  and  '  Nord- 
lloyd'),  10  Kaigan-dori. — Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  (Tel.  add.:  '  Shosen),  3 
Kaigan-dori  (the  native  Bund,  a  prolongation  of  that  of  the  Foreign  Settle- 
ment, W.  of  the  American  Pier).  Peninsular  &  Oriental  Steam  Navigation 
Co.  (Tel.  add.:  '  Peninsular  '),  109  Ito-machi.  —  Pacific  Mail  S.S.  Co.  (Tel. 
add.:  'Solano'),  83  Ky5-machi. —  Cie  Des  Messageries  Maritimes  (Tel. 
add.:  '  Messagerie  '),  8-B  Maye-machi.  —  Comes  &  Co.,  7  Kaigan-dori,  are 
agents  for  the  Eastern  &  Australian  S.S.  Line;  South  African  Line,  and 
others.  —  Dodwell  &Co.,  Ltd.,  82  Iyo-macbi,  for  the  Northern  Pacific  Rly. 
Co.;  Bank  Line;  Asiatic  Steam  Navigation  Co.,  and  others.  —  The  American 
Trading  Co.,  99  Kita-machi,  for  the  American  &  Oriental  Transport  Line 
Steamers;  Indian-African  Line,  etc.  For  other  addresses  consult  the  direc- 
tories mentioned  below.  —  Kobe  is  a  port  of  call  for  all  the  big  passenger 
steamers  plying  to  Europe  and  the  West,  and  some  of  the  lines  make  it  their 
terminal.  Ships  of  the  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  (p.  139)  sail  hence  at  frequent 
intervals  to  the  Philippines,  Australia,  Europe,  India,  China,  Korea,  and 
the  Siberian  littoral,  and  to  many  coastal  ports  of  Japan.  Illustrated  book- 
lets quoting  rates,  sailing-dates,  etc.,  free  on  application  to  any  of  the  com- 
pany's agents.  Many  of  the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  ships  touch  here  on  voy- 
ages to  the  Inland  Sea,  Korea,  and  North  China.  Information  relating  to 
boats  for  ports  in  the  near-by  Awaji  and  Shikoku  Islands  can  always  be  had 
of  the  hotel  management. 

Express  Offices.  Helm  Bros.,  Ltd.  (Tel,  add:  'Helm'),  14-B  Naniwa- 
machi;  Landing,  Shipping,  Forwarding  Agents,  and  Customs  Brokers;  agents 
for  Pitt  &  Scott  and  other  foreign  express  companies;  travelers'  luggage, 
curios,  etc.,  packed  stored  and  shipped;  English  spoken. 

Post-  and  Telegraph-Offices  (see  p.  xcii)  are  usually  in  the  same  building; 
there  is  one  in  the  Foreign  Settlement,  and  several  others  in  various  parts 
of  the  city. 

Consulates.  The  American  Consulate  is  on  the  Bund,  next  to  the  Oriental 
Hotel;  the  English  at  9  Naniwa-machi;  the  German  at  115  Higashi-machi. 
Austria-Hungary,  The  Argentine  Republic,  Belgium,  Brazil,  Chili,  China, 
Denmark,  France,  Italy,  The  Netherlands,  Norway,  Peru,  Portugal,  Rou- 
mania,  Russia,  Spain,  Sweden,  and  Switzerland  have  consuls  here,  but  as 
locations  are  apt  to  change,  the  traveler  is  referred  to  the  directories  on  file 
at  the  hotels,  etc. 

Banks  (comp.  p.  xxiii)  where  travelers'  checks,  money-orders,  letters  of 
credit,  etc.,  may  be  cashed:  Yokohama  Specie  Bank,  Ltd.  (PI.  D,  2),27Sakaye- 
machi,  Sanchome  (English  spoken).  —  Chartered  Bank  of  India,  Australia, 
and  China,  26  Naniwa-machi.  —  International  Banking  Corporation,  38 
Naka-machi.  —  Deutsch-Asiatische  Bank,  25  Kyo-machi.  —  Hongkong  & 
Shanghai  Banking  Co.,  2  Bund.  Money  can  be  exchanged  at  any  of  the  above, 
as  well  as  at  the  shops  of  the  several 


300  Meters 

LEGEND   FOR   THE  ABOVE. 


5. 
99. 

9. 
14. 

26. 
88. 

82. 

25. 
82. 

7. 
42. 

8. 
115. 


American  Consulate 

American  Trading  Co. 

British  Consulate 

Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Co's 

Royal  Mail  S.S.  Line 

Chartered  Bank 

China  &  Japan  Trading  Co. 

Ltd. 

Clifford- Wilkinson  Tansan 
Mineral  Water  Co.,  Ltd. 
Deutsch-Asiatische  Bank 
Dodwell  &  Co.,  Ltd. 
Eastern  &  Australian  S.S.  Co. 
French  Consulate 
French  Mail  S.S.  Co. 
German  Consulate 


86.  L.J.  Healing  &  Co.,  Ltd. 
14.  Helm  Bros.,  Ltd. 
2.  Hongkong  &  Shanghai  Bank 
38.  International  Banking  Co. 
65.  Japan  Chronicle 
83.  Jardine,  Matheson  &  Co.,  Ltd. 
23.  Kobe  Herald 

36.  Lane,  Crawford  &  Co.,  Ltd. 
10.  North  German  Lloyd  S.S.  Co. 

6.  Oriental  Hotel 
109.  Peninsular  &  Oriental  Steam 

Navigation  Co. 
83.  Pacific  Mail  S.S.  Co. 
33.  Post  Office 

37.  Roman  Catholic  Church 
81.  Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha  S.S.  Co. 
48.  Union  Church 


History. 


KOBE 


37.  Route.  621 


Money-Changers  (usually  Chinese)  on  Nishi-machi.  Consult  the  rate 
quotations  in  the  newspapers  before  putting  through  important  transactions. 

Clubs.  The  Kobe  Club,  an  international  organization  housed  in  fine 
quarters  at  14  Konocho  Rokuchome  (at  the  S.  end  of  the  Recreation  Ground, 
PI.  D,  2) ,  is  the  most  popular  of  the  city  clubs  and  is  one  of  the  best  in  Japan. 
Card  from  some  resident  member.  The  Club-House  and  Links  of  the  Kobe 
Golf  Club  are  at  Rokkosan.  Kobe  Masonic  Club,  48  Nakayamate-dori  Ni- 
chome. 


Newspapers  (comp.  p.  clvii)  and  Directories.  The  Japan  Chronicle  (Rob-  'J* 
ert  Young,  editor  and  proprietor)  .  65  Naniwa-machi  (PI.  D,  2).  Daily,  morn-^% 
ing,  in  English;  10  sen  a,  copy.  The  Chronicle  Folder  Directory  (¥3)  con- 
tains the  names  of  residents  in  Kobe,  Osaka,  Kyoto,  Moji,  Shimonoseki,  Na-  ^ 
gasaki,  Korea,  and  Dairen.  —  The  Kobe  Herald  (A.  W.  Curtis,  editor  and 
proprietor),  23  Naniwa-machi  (PI.  D,  2).  Daily,  afternoon,  in  English,  10  sen 
The  Herald  Directory  (¥3)  includes  Kobe,  Kyoto,  Osaka,  Moji,  and  Shi-*&^ 
monoseki,  besides  a  list  of  the  foreign  missionaries  residing  in  Japan.  Both  | 
the  above  papers  are  newsy,  and  well  written,  and  contain  foreign  telegrams  I 
and  other  matters  of  interest  and  value  to  travelers.   .  4 
Churches.    Kobe   Union  Church,  48  Akashi-machi.  —  Roman  Catholic  %Jr 
Church,  37  Naka-machi.  —  All  Saints'  Church,  53  Nakayamate-dori,  San^. 
chome.  The  Y.M.  C.  A.  is  in  the  same  neighborhood.  For  information  relat- 
ing to  the  different  Church  Missions  and  Associations,  the  Bible  Society,  Sal-  r„ 
vation  Army,  etc.,  consult  the  local  directories. 

Shops  (comp.  p.  cxii).  Foreign  Department  Store:  Lane,  Crawford  &,  - ■ 
Co.  (a  branch  of  the  Yokohama  house),  36  Naka-machi;  English  spoken;  - 
Tourists'  requisites;  Delicatessen  goods;  Imported  Cigars  and  Tobaccos;  ^  I 
Wines  and  Liquors;  Provisions,  etc.  Many  of  the  most  attractive  native 
shops  are  in  Moto-machi;  bargaining  is  usually  necessary.  Harishin,  138 
Moto-machi,  Sanchome,  has  agood  collection  of  curios.  Attractive  specimens 
of  Loochoo  Lacquered  Ware  may  be  seen  at  C.  Nakamura's,  311  Moto- 
machi  dori,  Sanchome;  prices  fixed  and  reasonable.  The  traveler  may  like  to 
be  reminded  that  Kyoto  is  headquarters  for  silks,  fans,  dolls,  embroidered 
screens,  damascene-ware,  gold-bronze,  fine  porcelain,  and  the  like;  that  the 
best  ivory  and  silver  is  produced  in  Tokyo,  and  that  the  big  shops  of  these 
"Vvvo  cities  and  Yokohama  usually  have  the  assortments  most  liked  by  for- 
eigners. There  are  9  native  bazaars  scattered  throughout  the  city.  The  lus- 
trous blue  and  purple  glazed  faience  displayed  in  certain  of  the  porcelain  shops 
is  made  locally  and  is  known  as  Kobe-yaki;  the  delicate  turquoise-blue  pieces 
with  a  fine,  uniform  crackled  surface  are  considered  the  most  desirable. 

Bookstores:  J.  L.  Thompson  &  Co.,  3  Kaigan-dori  Itchome  (Agents  for 
Kelly  &  Walsh,  of  Yokohama).  — Kawase  Bookstore,  Moto-machi  Itchome. 

Drug  Store,  at  the  above  address  (American  specialties).  —  A.  C.  Sim 
&  Co.,  18  Maye-machi  (English  and  Continental  specialties). 

Guides  (comp.  p.  xxvi)  can  be  secured  at  any  of  the  hotels  at  ¥4  a  day,  for 
one  or  2  persons,  and  50  sen  additional  for  others  in  a  party.  Traveling  ex- 
penses must  be  paid  by  the  employer. 


Kobe,  or  Kobe-Hyogo  (as  it  is  sometimes  miscalled),  a  busy, 
beautiful,  bustling  city  of  brains  and  energy  at  the  head  of 
Osaka  Bay,  in  Settsu  Province,  Hydgo-ken,  is  5th  in  point  of 
size  in  the  Empire,  and  indubitably  is  one  of  the  cleanest  and 
most  attractive  ports  in  Japan.  It  is  finely  situated  on  the 
N.W.  shore  of  its  broad  harbor  in  lat.  34°  41'  N.  and  in  long. 
135°  11'  E.  of  Greenwich,  and  albeit  it  has  100,000  houses  and 
436,000  inhabs.  (700  of  whom  are  British  and  4000  of  various 
nationalities  —  chiefly  Chinese),  and  covers  an  area  of  ap- 
proximately 14  sq.  M.,  it  is  growing  at  a  rate  that  threatens 
to  absorb  all  the  country  immediately  surrounding  it.  It  is 
the  best  and  most  significant  example  in  Japan  of  what  a  few 
hundred  intelligent  foreigners  and  Japanese,  imbued  with  civic 
ideals  and  a  spirit  of  helpfulness,  can  make  of  a  nondescript./ 


622    Route  37. 


KOBE 


Descriptive. 


decadent  port  with  only  a  good  climate  and  a  superb  situation 
to  recommend  it.  Prior  to  1868,  when  the  old  native  town  of 
Hyogo  was  opened  to  foreign  trade  and  residence,  the  E. 
quarter,  where  the  handsome,  Europeanized  city  of  Kobe  now 
stands,  was  the  site  of  three  rambling  suburban  villages  — 
Hashudo,  Futatsuchaya,  and  Kobe.  Hyogo  was  decrepit  and 
was  hoary  with  age  when  the  Portuguese  landed  in  Japan  in 
1542,  and  history  mentions  it  in  a.d.  743  (under  the  name 
Owada-T  omari)  as  a  fishing-port.  Taira-no-Kiyomori  brought 
it  prominently  into  the  foreground  when  he  made  it  the  royal 
residence  for  a  few  months  in  1181,  but  it  attained  no  real 
commercial  importance  until  1868,  when  the  first  alert  British 
merchants  settled  there.  From  that  period  its  growth  was 
rapid.  Fortunately  for  the  new  colony,  British  influence  and 
the  Britain's  genius  for  colonizing  and  organization  were  para- 
mount, and  to  this  fact  is  unquestionably  due  the  city's  per- 
manent advancement  and  its  present  status. 

Kobe  and  Hyogo  are  separated  by  a  dusty  trickle  referred 
to  as  the  Minato  River  and  spanned  by  short  bridges,  but  they 
were  united  politically  in  1878.  In  1889  the  astonished  Hyogo, 
which  had  obtained  for  centuries,  capitulated  to  necessity, 
swallowed  its  chagrin,  delivered  up  its  identity,  and  was  ab- 
sorbed by  Kobe-shi  (city).  The  early  English,  German,  and 
American  settlers  cooperated  and  worked  for  its  enhancement 
to  such  purpose  that  erelong  it  bore  the  proud  title,  the  '  Model 
Settlement'  —  one  which  it  has  never  relinquished.  Its  clean, 
tree-shaded  streets,  its  handsome  buildings;  its  phenomenal 
commercial  activity,  and  its  magnificent  environment  all  con- 
firm its  title  as  the  finest  'foreign'  city  in  Japan.  Conspicuous 
among  its  most  valuable  assets,  and  important  factors  in  its 
upbuilding,  are  its  two  daily  newspapers,  printed  in  English  — 
the  wholly  admirable  Japan  Chronicle,  and  the  Kobe  Herald. 
Both  are  known  for  their  militancy;  and  one,  in  particular, 
for  such  an  embarrassing  aptitude  for  defending  the  city's 
menaced  interests  that  poachers  often  find  themselves  in  the 
unhappy  position  of  a  man  riding  a  tiger  —  very  willing  to  get 
off  but  uncertain  as  to  the  best  method! 

The  amalgamated  city  occupies  a  long,  narrow  strip  of  land 
flanked  on  the  S.  by  the  sea  and  on  the  N.  by  a  densely  wooded 
range  of  lofty  and  splendidly  uneven  hills  (referred  to  locally 
as  the  'Kobe  Alps'),  down  whose  ravines  plunge  lovely  water- 
falls, and  from  whose  summits  are  obtainable  views  so  grand 
and  so  extensive  that  one  is  held  spellbound  by  their  beauty. 
The  far-famed  Inland  Sea  —  most  beautiful  of  marine  pros- 
pects in  Japan  —  stretches  away  southwestward,  and  when  the 
wide  bay  is  flecked  with  white-sailed  junks  standing  in  the  of- 
fing and  making  for,  or  emerging  from,  the  entrance,  the  sight 
is  singularly  beguiling.  The  Tokaidb  Rly.,  from  (375  M.) 
Tokyo,  (357  M.)  Yokohama,  and  (47  M.)  Kyoto  enters  the 


Descriptive.  KOBE  87.  Route.  623 


city  from  the  east,  and  after  passing  through  both  settlements 
goes  westward  (as"  the  Sanyo  Line)  to  (329  M.)  Shimonoseki, 
then  to (567  M.)  Kagoshima,  and  (493  M.)  Nagasaki,  on  Kyushu 
Island.  As  the  commercial  head  of  all  the  Japanese  ports^l 
Kobe's  statistical  returns  numb  the  senses  by  their  magnitude.  I 
The  total  annual  trade  is  something  like  195  million  American  ] 
dollars,  or  about  40%  of  the  total  trade  of  the  Empire.  The  \ 
imports,  of  approximately  305  million  yen,  and  the  151  million  1 
of  exports,  represent  about  25%  and  50%  respectively  of  the 
total  trade.  -Imports  are  increasing  at  the  rate  of  about  45 
millions  a  year,  and  exports  30  millions.  Raw  cotton  from  the 
United  States  and  British  India  represents  about  45%  of  the 
imports,  which  are  brought  in  2500  steamships  (1600  Japanese) 
of  various  countries.  The  number  of  ships  which  anchor  each 
year  in  the  broad  and  placid  harbor  (which  will  permit  ships 
of  20,000  tons  to  moor  inside)  is  increasing  so  steadily  that 
harbor  improvements  involving  foreshore  reclamation,  the 
deepening  of  the  bay,  the  increasing  of  the  area  (of  1715  acres), 
and  the  addition  of  three  detached  breakwaters  with  a  com- 
bined length  of  nearly  3  miles  and  to  cost  9  million  yen,  are 
under  construction.  In  the  1500  manufacturing  plants  scat- 
tered throughout  the  city  (many  small  home  workshops) 
25,000  industrious  people  make  articles  that  are  exported  to  the 
uttermost  ends  of  the  earth.  In  the  32  match-factories  em- 
ploying 5334  workmen,  safety-matches  worth  10  million  yen 
are  made  each  year  and  shipped  to  the  Asiatic  littoral.  Whale- 
Oil,  Tea,  Sake,  Vegetable  Wax,  Refined  Camphor  (see  Rte.  52), 
Peppermint-Oil,  Agar-agar,  or  isinglass  (kanten)  made  from 
seaweed  (and  exported  to  China),  Pearl  Buttons  (made  from 
sea-shells  brought  from  the  Loochoo,  and  the  South  Sea 
Islands),  Straw-Matting,  Toothbrushes,  and  Porcelain  and 
Earthenwares  of  various  provinces,  figure  largely  among  the 
picturesque  exports.  Tucked  away  somewhere  in  the  city 
is  an  obscure  printing-office  where  'old'  postage-stamps  are 
made  with  such  fidelity  to  the  originals  that  the  shrewdest 
traveler  is  apt  to  be  deceived  into  buying  them.  Among  the 
important  manufacturing  interests  is  the  huge  Kawasaki 
Dockyard  Company,  on  the  W.  shore  of  the  bay,  one  of  the 
largest  in  Japan,  with  3000  workmen.  A  varied  assortment  of 
machinery,  and  ships  up  to  20,000  tons  burden,  are  made 
here,  as  well  as  in  the  almost  equally  large  Mitsubishi  Dock- 
yard &  Engine  Works.  The  Kanegaf uchi  Spinning-Mill  is  con- 
sidered a  model  of  its  kind.  From  the  first-named  dockyard 
(says  the  Japan  Chronicle)  '  battleships  as  massive  and  mur- 
derous as  any  floated  by  the  most  Christian  and  civilized  na- 
tions in  the  West,  are  builded  and  launched.  Where  40  yrs. 
ago  wooden  junks  and  sampans  were  being  built,  there  are  now 
dockyards  where  steamships  of  all  classes  and  sizes  are  con- 
structed, from  tub-like  tramps  to  turbined  torpedo-boats. 


624    Route  87. 


KOBE 


Descriptive. 


This  transformation  is  typical  of  what  is  going  on  right  round 
the  coast  of  Osaka  Bay.  The  dawn  is  no  longer  poetically  her- 
alded by  the  deep  booming  of  the  temple  bell,  but  by  the  shrill 
blasts  of  steam  hooters  and  sirens  whose  strident  notes  fall 
discordantly  upon  the  ears  of  those  whom  they  awaken,  and  re- 
morselessly upon  the  ears  of  those  whom  they  summon  to  the 
daily  task  in  factory  or  workshop.  ...  On  every  side  there 
are  indications  of  a  steady  development  of  industrial  and  com- 
mercial activity,  and  though  lovers  of  the  picturesque  may  be- 
moan the  fact  that  one-time  moss-grown  shrines  and  torii  are 
now  soot-begrimed  from  the  surrounding  factories,  it  remains 
an  incontrovertible  fact  that  smoking  factory  chimneys  are 
much  more  valuable  as  a  national  asset  in  these  prosaic  days 
than  the  most  mossy  of  temples  or  the  most  mystic  of  shrines/ 
Despite  its  commercialism,  none  more  than  the  Kobe  people 
strive  to  retain  the  picturesqueness  which  characterizes  the 
port.  Though  its  41  banks  are  indications  of  modernism,  its 
90  Buddhist  temples  and  74  Shinto  shrines  remain  to  impart  a 
pleasing  ecclesiastical  flavor  to  the  city.  The  booming  temple 
bells  still  compete  with  the  ear-splitting  steam  whistles  of  the 
'foreign  devils/  and  the  satisfying  tenets  of  Buddhism  are 
preached  side  by  side  with  those  of  the  Occidental  Christians. 
There  are  several  foreign  churches,  6  comfortable  clubs,  28 
public  and  private  hospitals,  numerous  libraries,  a  Chamber  of 
Commerce  (established  in  1887),  and  a  host  of  Common,  Tech- 
nical, Commercial,  and  other  schools  in  which  3300  Chinese 
students  are  learning  what  it  means  to  live  and  grow  up  in 
a  civilized  community.  Kobe's  excellent  foreign  hotels,  the 
beauty  of  its  surrounding  hills,  the  never-fading  charm  of  its 
sea  views,  its  balmy  climate,  and  the  purity  and  dryness  of  its 
air  are  fast  converting  it  into  a  sort  of  open-air  sanatorium 
for  the  sun-baked,  wilted  residents  of  Manila,  Hongkong,  and 
the  Chinese  littoral.  Few  Japanese  ports  have  so  many  places 
of  beauty  and  interest  near  by,  and  few  offer  more  creature 
comforts  to  the  tourist  seeking  such.  Days  or  even  weeks  may 
be  spent  contentedly,  according  to  one's  temperament.  The 
social  life  among  the  foreigners  (who  are  hospitable  to  a  fault) 
is  delightful,  and  the  recollections  one  carries  away  of  the  city 
and  its  people  are  not  soon  forgotten.  Many  of  the  streets  of 
the  Settlement  are  shaded  by  fine  old  acacias,  maples,  pines, 
willows,  and  flowering  specimens  of  the  Paulownia  imperialis. 
A  massive  sea-wall  runs  along  the  attractive  foreign  Bund,  and 
the  luxurious  houses  which  stand  back  from  it  impart  an  air 
of  prosperity  and  solidity  not  always  features  of  Japanese  ports. 
Many  of  the  foreigners  dwell  in  flower-embowered  houses  high 
poised  on  the  wooded  ridge  behind  the  city,  and  the  seascapes 
visible  from  the  glassed-in  balconies  are  replete  with  charm. 
—  The  promontory  at  the  S.  edge  of  the  city  and  bay,  where 
the  lighthouse  stands,  is  the  Wada  Misaki.  The  Kawasaki  spit 


Bronze  Daibutsu.  KOBE 


37.  Route.  625 


divides  the  two  harbors.  The  gray  granite  monument  in  the 
Recreation  Ground  commemorates  Alexander  Cameron  Sim 
(b.  1840;  d.  1900),  a  public-spirited  Scotchman  who  was  a 
prominent  figure  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  port. 

The  temples  and  shrines  in  Kobe  are  inferior  to  those  of 
Kyoto,  but  are  worth  seeing  by  the  traveler  who  may  not  have 
seen  those  of  the  latter  place.  —  The  Nanko  Jinja  (or  Nan- 
kosha),  a  Shinto  shrine  (PI.  C,  2)  near  the  center  of  the  city, 
founded  in  1871  and  dedicated  to  Kusunoki  Masashige,  stands 
in  spacious  grounds  where  there  are  usually  a  host  of  peep- 
shows,  itinerant  peddlers,  etc.  Two  spirited  bronze  horses  re- 
pose in  front  of  the  shrine,  where  at  certain  times  one  may 
witness  impressive  Shinto  ceremonies  conducted  by  priests  in 
mediaeval  robes.  The  big  machine-gun  in  the  yard  is  a  relic  of 
the  Japan-Russia  War.  On  May  25,  when  the  anniversary  of 
Masashige1  s  death  (b.  1294;  d.  1336)  is  celebrated,  the  place  is 
thronged,  and  special  festivities  are  conducted. 

The  Bronze  Daibutsu,  a  huge  seated  figure  of  Buddha  48  ft. 
high  and  85  ft.  in  circumference,  erected  by  Nanjo  Shobei  (a 
paper  manufacturer  of  Hydgo)  in  1891,  in  the  Ndfukuji  Tem- 
ple grounds  at  Kita-Sakasekawa-machi  (PI.  B,  3),  near  the 
Hydgo  rly.  station  (1J  M.  from  the  Oriental  Hotel),  is  without 
artistic  merit  and  is  decidedly  inferior  to  the  fine  Daibutsu 
at  Kamakura.  The  facial  expression  lacks  spirituality.  The 
caretaker  dwells  in  a  cubby-hole  at  the  rear  where  swinging 
bronze  doors  admit  one  (  fee,  3  sen)  to  the  interior  of  the  sta- 
tue. The  gilded  figurine  of  Amida  at  one  of  the  interior  shrines 
is  said  to  be  over  300  yrs.  old.  The  small  bronze  figure  ( Tanjo 
Shaka)  of  a  nude  infant,  supposed  to  represent  Buddha  at 
birth,  is  greatly  reverenced;  the  right  hand  pointing  upward, 
and  the  left  downward,  symbolize  his  power  over  heaven  and 
earth.  The  trashy  wood  figures  attributed  to  Unkei  are  per- 
haps by  some  local  carpenter.  The  English-speaking  guide 
who  sometimes  gratuitously  attaches  himself  to  foreigners  here- 
abouts conducts  a  curio-store  near  by,  and  is  out  for  business. 
A  5  min.  walk  farther  along  the  street  brings  one  to 

The  Shinkoji  (PI.  B,  3),  in  the  yard  of  which  is  an  attractive 
seated  bronze  figure  of  Buddha  with  a  Hebraic  cast  of  features. 
Buddhists  throughout  Japan  know  the  temple  for  its  associa- 
tion with  the  bonze  Ochi  Michihide  (or  Ippen-Shonin ;  b.  1239; 
d.  1289),  who  in  his  youth  successively  studied  under  priests 
of  the  Tendai,  Jodo,  and  Nembutsu  sects,  and  who  afterwards 
traveled  through  the  provinces  trying  to  gain  adherents  for  a 
new  doctrine  which  he  named  the  Ji-shu.  On  account  of  his 
peregrinations  the  people  dubbed  him  Yugyo-Shonin,  or  the 
Traveling  Bonze;  he  died  here,  and  in  1886  received  the  pos- 
thumous title  Ensho-Daishi.  A  little  farther  along,  diagonally 
across  the  street,  and  standing  a  bit  back  therefrom,  is  a 
ruinous  13-story  Pagoda,  the  Jusanso-sekitoba,  26  ft.  high, 


626    Route  87. 


KOBE  Nunobiki  Waterfall 


and  erected  to  the  memory  of  one  of  the  ears  of  Taira-no- 
Kiyomori! 

The  Ikuta  Jinja  (PI.  D,  2)  a  small  Shinto  shrine  near  the 
Sannomiya  rly.  station,  dedicated  to  the  Goddess  Waka-hime- 
no-Mikoto,  and  said  to  have  been  founded  in  the  3d  cent,  by 
the  Empress  Jingo,  is  embowered  in  camphor  and  cryptome- 
ria  trees. 

Suwayama  Park  (PL  D,  1),  an  elevated  spot  behind  the 
port  (follow  the  street  to  the  Tor  Hotel,  then  turn  to  the  left), 
commands  a  splendid  panorama  of  the  city,  the  bay,  and  the 
distant  mts.  of  Kii  Province  and  Awaji  Island.  The  stone 
monument  commemorates  certain  French  astronomers  who 
from  this  point  once  observed  the  transit  of  Venus.  By  fol- 
lowing the  zigzag  road  leading  along  the  ridge  one  soon  comes 
to  Okurayama  (PL  C,  1),  with  a  still  wider  view  and  a  bronze 
statue  (unveiled  Oct.  26,  1911)  to  the  late  Prince  Ito. 

Excursions.  Many  pleasant  short  excursions  are  possible 
from  Kobe,  and  a  host  of  attractive  spots  lie  within  easy  walk- 
ing distance  of  it.  The  paths  to  many  of  them  lead  over  hills 
from  whose  summits  wonderful  and  inspiring  views  of  land 
and  sea  are  obtainable.  Gorgeous  wild  flowers  in  spring  and 
summer,  more  flowers  and  glorious  autumn  tints  later  in  the 
year,  and  graceful  waterfalls  which  plunge  into,  and  flow  out 
of,  ferny  dells  and  picturesque  gorges  at  all  times  are  some  of 
the  accompaniments.  The  excellent  state  of  the  mt.  paths 
is  due  in  great  part  to  the  Kobe  Walking  Society,  a  popular 
organization  to  which  many  of  the  foreign  residents  belong, 
and  from  the  members  of  which  the  pedestrian  can  get  helpful 
information.  Good  sketch  maps  of  the  Kobe  hinterland  are  on 
sale  at  reasonable  prices  at  the  office  of  the  Japan  Chronicle. 
The  numerous  sign-boards  which  the  progressive  Walking 
Society  (badge  useful)  has  placed  along  the  highways  render 
a  guide  unnecessary  in  the  Kobe  neighborhood.  Certain  mem- 
bers of  this  organization  are  alive  to  the  ethereal  beauty  of  the 
hill-paths  on  moonlit  nights,  and  if  the  traveler  can  secure  an 
invitation  to  be  one  of  a  party  on  a  nocturnal  tramp  to  one  of 
the  many  vantage-points  back  of  the  port,  whence  the  magni- 
ficent bay  with  its  ghostly  junks  and  flitting  gray  shapes  with 
glistening  eyes  can  be  seen,  or  Kobe  illuminated  like  some 
splendid  stadium,  he  will  not  soon  forget  the  impression  re- 
ceived. 

The  *Nunobiki1  Waterfall  (PL  E,  1)  which  plunges  down 
from  the  hills  (1J  M.  from  the  Oriental  Hotel;  30  min.  walk; 
tram-car)  at  the  N.E.  limit  of  the  city,  is  one  of  the  most  de- 
lightful spots  in  the  vicinity.  The  road  (Nonosiki-cho)  leads 

1  The  many  waterfalls  (taki)  of  this  name  in  Japan  is  accounted  for  by  the 
fact  that  Nunobiki  means  '  spreading  cotton  cloth  on  the  ground  for  bleach- 
ing,' and  suggests  falling  water.  It  is  often  used  as  a  'pillow-word'  —  a  mean- 
ingless expression  prefixed  in  Japanese  to  other  words  for  the  sake  of  euphony. 


Maya-san  Temple.  KOBE  87.  Route.  627 

left  from  the  N.  end  of  theSRecreiition  Ground,  and  continues 
through  the  native  quarter,  passing  on  its  way  a  number  of 
small  kilns  where  porcelain  may  be  seen  in  the  process  of  mak- 
ing. At  the  foot  of  the  hill  the  path  bends  to  the  left,  then 
zigzags  up  the  cliff.  Signs  point  the  way,  and  splendid  views 
unfold  themselves  in  retrospect  as  one  ascends.  The  lower 
(rne-daki,  or  female  fall)  is  43  ft.  high;  the  upper  (o-dake,  or 
male  fall)  is  80  ft.  and  it  tumbles  over  a  perpendicular  granite 
wall  into  a  green  swirling  pool  in  a  fine  gorge.  The  customary 
tea-house  sits  astride  the  point  whence  the  best  views  are  ob- 
tainable, but  one  can  get  fairly  good  ones  by  climbing  a  trifle 
higher  up.  The  trail  which  follows  the  stream  round  to  the  left 
beyond  the  upper  fall  leads  (10  min.)  to  the  gigantic  retaining- 
wall  that  forms  one  side  of  the  reservoir  holding  Kobe's  water- 
supply.  A  still  higher  road  rounds  the  profile  of  the  hill  to  (1  \ 
M.)  Futatabi-san,  with  an  old  Buddhist  temple,  the  Tairyu-ji, 
said  to  date  from  the  8th  cent,  and  dedicated  to  Kobo-Daishi 
(the  founder  of  Kdya-san).  A  somewhat  roughish  trail  goes 
(right)  over  the  shoulder  of  Maya-san  (see  below)  to  Rokkosan. 

The  *Maya-san  Temple  can  be  included  with  Nunobiki  in 
a  forenoon  walk  by  following  the  forest  path  down  at  the  right 
of  the  point  immediately  above  the  tea-house  at  the  upper  fall, 
then  through  Kumochi  village  to  the  main  road.  In  summer 
the  small  sequestered  gardens  hereabout  flame  with  bright 
flowers,  and  the  dewy  dingles  down  which  the  numerous  whim- 
pering streamlets  slither  are  beautiful  with  reddening  maples. 
Good  walkers  will  choose  the  upper  road,  near  the  crest  of  the 
ridge,  as  the  views  for  about  a  mile  along  the  terrace  following 
the  contour  of  the  hills  are  superb.  —  From  the  hotel  one  may 
take  a  jinriki  (60  sen  to  the  foot  of  Maya-san;  round  trip,  ¥1. 
20)  or  proceed  in  a  tram-car  to  Higure-dori,  then  turn  left  and 
walk  to  the  foot  of  the  hill.  Hence  to  the  terrace  on  which  the 
temple  stands  is  a  1  hr.  walk.  The  first  half  is  up  through  a 
picturesque  gorge  where  an  excellent  gray  granite  flecked  with 
black  spots  is  quarried.  The  highroad  is  usually  thronged  on 
Sundays  with  people  decked  in  their  best,  going  to  or  coming 
from  the  temple.  The  scores  of  tiny  paper  prayers  stuck  in  the 
earth  are  petitions  to  the  tutelar  deity.  Several  small  shrines, 
numerous  tea-houses,  and  not  a  few  whining  beggars  mark 
the  upward  course,  the  last  half  of  which  (|  hr.)  is  through  a 
lovely  forest  of  maples,  pines,  and  unusually  lofty  crypto- 
merias.  Stones  and  tree-roots  take  the  place  of  steps  in  many 
places.  The  temple  belongs  to  the  Shingon  sect  of  Buddhists, 
is  called  Tenjdji  (but  is  better  known  locally  as  the  Moon  Tem- 
ple), and  occupies  the  site  of  an  original  fane  erected  in  645 
a.d.  by  Hodo-Sennin.  It  stands  on  an  artificial  terrace  at  the 
top  of  several  long  flights  of  (341)  steps,  at  a  point  several  hun- 
dred feet  below  the  summit  (2450  ft.)  of  the  hill.  The  views 
from  the  flagged  atrium  are  entrancing,  and  are  worth  going 


628    Route  37.  KOBE  Rokkosan. 

many  miles  to  see.  From  this  great  elevation  the  wide  Osaka 
Bay  seems  tipped  on  one  edge,  and  the  junks  and  steam- 
ships that  furrow  its  blue  surface  resemble  flies  creeping  along 
a  cerulean  curtain  hung  against  the  distant  mts.  Few  of  the 
panoramas  in  this  spectacular  country  are  finer  or  more  fas- 
cinating. Several  refreshment  stands,  a  big  stone  lavef  half -en- 
circled by  a  bronze  dragon,  and  numerous  fine  bronze  figures 
dispute  the  restricted  space  with  the  fane.  Upward  of  300,000 
persons  come  hither  each  year  to  worship  a  small  carved  wood 
figure  (not  shown)  of  Maya  Bunin  (Buddha's  mother),  said  to 
have  been  brought  from  China  (in  the  9th  cent.)  by  Kobo- 
Daishi.  Pictures  purporting  to  be  like  the  image  are  sold  at 
the  temple  for  1  sen.  At  the  great  annual  festival  (movable 
feast,  usually  Aug.)  many  thousands  of  devotees  visit  the  tem- 
ple, chiefly  at  night.  Each  carries  a  lighted  paper  lantern,  and 
the  procession  as  it  climbs  the  hill  is  strikingly  picturesque. 
Whosoever  ascends  at  this  time  is  supposed  to  acquire  merit 
that  lasts  through  life.  The  return  to  the  hotel  can  be  made 
in  If  hr.  by  walking  to  the  tram  station  and  boarding  the  car 
there.  The  rikisha  fare  from  the  foot  of  the  hill  to  the  hotel  is 
60  sen.  A  tramway  similar  to  the  incline  at  Hongkong  is  under 
discussion. 

*Rokkosan  (3050  ft.),  a  popular  hill-station  with  a  good  club, 
golf  links,  a  number  of  besso  (country  villas),  and  sea  views 
perhaps  unrivaled  in  their  beauty  and  extensiveness,  was  es- 
tablished in  1890  by  Mr.  Arthur  H.  Groom  (monument  un- 
veiled in  1912),  and  is  about  6  M.  N.  of  Kobe  (4  M.  beyond 
Maya-san).  It  is  reached  by  jinriki  to  Gomo  village  (Jhr.;  2 
men,  80  sen),  thence  by  kago  or  chair  (1J  hrs.;  70  sen  for  each 
man)  or  on  foot  (stiffish  climb)  in  about  2  hrs.  Horse,  ¥1.30; 
coolie  for  carrying  luncheon,  etc.,  65  sen.  The  trip  can  be 
planned  to  better  advantage  with  the  assistance  of  the  hotel 
manager,  who  will  arrange  for  a  conveyance.  The  air  is  de- 
lightfully pure  and  the  views  are  inspiring.  Furnished  cot- 
tages can  often  be  rented  for  the  summer  season;  consult  the 
Kobe  newspapers  for  advertisements. 

*  Arima  (1400  ft.),  a  popular  resort  4  M.  N.  oiRokkosan  (9  M. 
over  the  hills  from  Kobe),  is  beautifully  situated  amid  pictur- 
esque mts.  and  is  known  for  its  good  hotel  (Arima  Hotel,  ¥5 
a  day  and  upward;  English  spoken;  open  all  the  year);  its 
iron-impregnated  springs  (warm,  steel-blue,  chalybeate  waters ; 
odorless,  strongly  saline  and  astringent  to  the  taste) ;  its  good 
baths  (cold  springs  of  colorless  water  impregnated  with  free 
carbonic  acid  and  sulphuretted  hydrogen) ;  its  fine  maples  (in 
autumn),  and  its  Arima  baskets.  The  latter  are  made  (in  nu- 
merous small  home  work-shops)  of  several  varieties  of  bamboo 
grown  in  the  neighborhood  —  chiefly  the  matake  ('real  bam- 
boo') and  the  black  variety  known  as  hachiku.  After  being 
carefully  polished  with  a  special  sand  found  in  the  vicinity  the 


Kobe  Excursions.      TAKARADZUKA        37.  Route.  629 


finished  product  (of  many  shapes)  is  stained  a  rich  maroon  and 
sold  (many  exported)  at  reasonable  prices.  The  usual  method 
of  reaching  Arima  is  by  train  (Tokaido  Rly.)  to  (15  M.)  Kan- 
zaki Station  (f  hr.;  65  sen),  thence  (over  the  Fukuchiyama 
Line  of  the  Gov't  Rlys.)  to  (12  M.  in  J  hr. ;  53  sen)  Namase  (with 
hot  springs),  whence  it  is  a  beautiful  6  M.  walk  (uphill,  good 
going,  \\  hrs.)  through  scenery  which  is  more  European  than 
Japanese.  If  the  traveler  will  write  ahead  or  telephone,  the 
hotel  manager  will  have  a  motor-car  or  a  jinriki  waiting  at  the 
station.  From  Sanda  Station  (10  M.  farther  up  the  rly.  line 
where  travelers  returning  from  A manohashidate  should  alight), 
the  (6  M.)  road  to  the  hotel  is  flat,  but  is  not  so  wild  or  pic- 
turesque as  that  from  Namase.  There  are  a  number  of  pretty 
waterfalls  and  scores  of  attractive  walks  in  the  neighborhood. 
The  summer  climate  is  cool,  and  the  several  mineral  springs 
are  reputed  to  be  efficacious  in  rheumatic  and  other  ailments. 
—  The  excursion  described  below  can  be  included  in  the  Arima 
trip. 

The  *Takaradzuka  Mineral  Springs  at  Takaradzuka,  in 
Hydgo-ken,  Settsu  Province,  11  M.  N.  of  Kanzaki  Jet.  (fre- 
quent trains  over  the  Fukuchiyama  Line  of  the  Gov't  Rlys.  in 
J  hr. ;  fare,  48  sen)  and  26  M.  from  Kobe  (total  rly.  fare  ¥1. 13), 
perhaps  rank  highest  of  all  the  important  mineral  springs  of 
Japan.  They  are  possibly  the  best  and  most  favorably  known 
of  any  carbonated  springs  in  the  Far  East,  since  the  excellent 
Takaradzuka  Tansan  table-water  bottled  there  is  of  world- 
wide repute.  The  charmingly  picturesque  environment  (250 
ft.  above  the  sea),  the  many  bathing-resorts,  and  the  hunting, 
fishing,  and  walking  possible  in  the  immediate  neighborhood, 
combine  to  make  it  an  almost  ideal  resort  —  particularly  with 
persons  of  ' nerves'  seeking  tranquillity  amid  pleasant  sur- 
roundings. West-bound  travelers  on_the  Tokaido  Rly.  may, 
by  alighting  at  the  Umeda  Station  at  Osaka  (p.  607),  board  an 
electric  car  (station  near  by)  of  the  Osaka- Takaradzuka  (or  the 
Mino- Arima)  line  (cars  every  5  min.  between  5  and  12.30  a.m.) 
and  go  direct  (f_hr.  fare,  20  sen)  to  Takaradzuka  town.  The 
highways  from  Osaka  and  Kobe  are  suitable  for  motor-cars. 
The  picturesque  and  rapidly  growing  town,  with  its  numerous 
inns  and  bath-houses  overlooking  the  brawling  Muko  River,  is 
a  popular  resort  with  Japanese.  It  is  celebrated  locally  for  its 
palatable  mushrooms,  which  are  gathered  (in  Oct.)  on  the 
conical  hill  behind  the  Tansan  Springs,  and  shipped  as  far  E. 
as  Yokohama  and  Tokyo.  The  pretty  basket-work  in  almost 
endless  variety  on  sale  in  the  local  shops  comes  from  Arima. 
The  big  new  bath-house  (baths  from  5  to  50  sen)  at  the  left  of 
the  rly.  station,  is  operated  by  the  electric  traction  company. 

From  Kanzaki  the  rly.  runs  N.  across  a  rich  and  highly  cul- 
tivated region  to  3  M.  Itami  (known  for  its  fine  sake),  thence 
through  a  smiling  valley  where  many  grapes  (California  red 


630   Route  37,       TANSAN  SPRINGS    Kobe  Excursions. 


variety),  pears,  and  peaches  are  grown.  The  peach  trees  pre- 
sent an  odd  spectacle  in  summer,  as  each  peach  is  usually  done 
up  in  a  little  bag  to  protect  if  from  the  sun  and  prevent  it  ac- 
quiring the  unsatisfactory  (to  the  native)  ruddy  color.  — -7M. 
Ikeda,  has  car-shops,  a  power-station  (for  the  electric  line),  and 
orange  groves.  At  9  M.  Nakayama,  there  is  a  famous  Buddhist 
temple,  the  Nakayama-dera,  hoary  with  age,  rich  in  traditions, 
and  24th  on  the  list  of  the  33  holy  places  sacred  to  Kwannon. 
[Beyond  11  M.  Takaradzuka,  the  rly.  climbs  into  the  hills  and 
traverses  a  fruitful  region  marked  by  extensive  views  and  sweet 
with  wild  flowers.  Namase,  the  station  for  Arima,  is  a  mile 
beyond.] 

The  Tansan  Hotel  (English  management  and  cooking)  is 
10  min.  up  the  hill  (go  past  the  bath-house,  cross  the  foot- 
bridge and  turn  up  right)  from  the  Takaradzuka  Station,  in  a 
handsome,  flower-embowered  garden  whence  there  are  sweep- 
ing views  over  the  valley  and  river  to  the  distant  mts.  Rates 
from  ¥5  a  day  and  upward,  Am.  pi.  Rooms  may  be  engaged 
at  the  office  of  the  J.  Clifford-Wilkinson  Tansan  Mineral 
Water  Co.,  Ltd.,  at  82  Kyo-machi,  Kobe.  The  milk  is  from 
the  hotel  dairy.  The  strawberries  and  other  ground  fruits 
and  vegetables,  which  grow  nearly  all  the  time  in  this  favored 
spot,  are  enriched  with  bean-cake  only  (as  a  precaution  against 
typhoid).  The  mineral  water  is  from  the  Tansan  Springs. 

The  Tansan  Springs  (discovered  by  Mr.  Wilkinson  in  1885) 
lie  §  M.  beyond  the  rly.  station  (and  practically  an  equal  dis- 
tance along  the  river-road  from  the  hotel)  on  the  far  bank  of 
the  turbulent  Muko-gawa  (good  trout-fishing  in  May  and 
Sept.)  —  which  flows  to  the  sea  between  the  Tokaido  stations 
of  Nishinomiya  and  Kanzaki.  The  water  bubbles  up  in  an  un- 
varying flow  of  about  700  gallons  an  hr.,  from  the  volcanic 
rock  forming  the  heart  of  the  lofty  hill  which  overlooks  the 
river.  The  deep  well  is  protected  by  a  granite  lining  and  a 
locked  cover  to  prevent  contamination.  From  this  well  the 
water  is  conducted  through  sealed  pipes  to  spotless  filters 
(where  the  iron  salts  are  eliminated)  of  vitrified  white  tiles, 
thence  it  flows  by  gravity,  in  a  state  of  crystalline  purity  and 
with  a  temperature  of  52°  F.,  to  the  bottling  department.  The 
plant  covers  4  acres,  and  automatic  machinery  made  upon  a 
system  with  a  scrupulous  regard  for  cleanliness,  charges  the 
undefiled  water. 

Tansan  Water  as  marketed  (often  called  the  Apollinaris  of 
Japan,  and  freely  imitated)  is  of  unusual  purity  and  belongs 
to  the  category  of  chalybeate  and  carbonated  mineral  waters. 
It  contains  in  properly  adjusted  proportions,  sodium  and  po- 
tassium chloride;  sodium  sulphate;  sodium,  iron,  calcium,  and 
magnesium  carbonate;  silicic  acid,  iodine;  bromine,  mineral 
salts,  and  free  carbonic  acid.  A  perhaps  unique  quality  is  the 


Kobe  Excursions.         MINO  PARK  37.  Route.  631 


entire  absence  of  nitrites,  organic  matter,  or  bacterial  life. 
—  The  Niwo  Water  is  aperitive,  comes  cold  from  the  hills, 
is  impregnated  with  salt  and  iron,  and  is  taken  internally  for 
rheumatism  and  allied  disorders.  Baths  of  the  heated  water 
are  to  be  had  in  the  several  establishments  at  Takaradzuka.1 

Mino  Park,  in  the  picturesque  Minomo  Valley,  with  its 
magnificent  waterfall  (80  ft.  high),  its  wonderful  maples  (an 
extraordinary  sight  in  Nov.),  and  its  pleasing  environs,  com- 
bine to  form  a  delightful  excursion  (J  hr.  by  tram;  20  sen) 
from  Takaradzuka,  and  should  not  be  missed  —  particularly 
between  Nov.  10  and  20,  when  the  maples  are  in  their  prime. 
[Mino  is  relatively _the  same  distance  from-  Osaka,  and  it  can 
be  reached  by  the  Osaka-Mino  tramway  in  J  hr. ;  fare,  15  sen.] 
From  both  places  the  line  traverses  a  productive  country  to 
Ishibashi  Station,  where  it  goes  up  the  valley  to  the  park. 
Thousands  of  Osaka  and  Kobe  people  foregather  here  in  April 
to  see  the  splendid  cherry  blossoms;  in  the  summer  for  the 
coolness  and  beauty  which  the  cascade  imparts;  and  in  autumn 
to  see  the  maples.  Few  spots  in  Japan  present  a  more  wonder- 
ful array  of  color;  there  are  hundreds  of  trees,  many  of  them 
very  old,  and  the  hillsides  fairly  blaze  before  the  leaves  begin 
to  wither.  The  cascade  at  the  top  of  the  valley  and  park  is  the 
objective  point  for  all  visitors.  It  is  somewhat  like  the  splendid 
Yu-no-taki,  in  the  Nikko  highlands,  just  below  Yumoto  Lake. 
The  temple  a  short  distance  beyond  is  uninteresting. 

Suma,  or  Suma-no-Ura  (4  M.),  Shioya  (6  M.),  and  Maiko 
(9  M.),  all  popular  and  attractive  bathing-resorts  W.  of  Kobe 
(main  line  of  the  Sanyo  Rly.,  and  the  electric  trolley),  on  the 
beautiful  shore  of  the  Inland  Sea,  possess  fine  shingly  beaches 
(the  delight  of  children),  lovely  sea  views  and  a  charm  which 
has  been  the  theme  of  native  poets  for  ages.  A  day  can  be  spent 
very  pleasantly  visiting  the  three  places.  _Awaji  Island  is  visi- 
ble across  the  narrow  strait;  the  Bay  of  Osaka  lies  at  the  left, 
and  the  blue  Harima  Nada  at  the  right.  Many  fishing-boats 
dot  the  placid  waters,  and  long  nets  filled  with  silvery  fish  are 
often  hauled  up  on  the  sandy  shore.  The  sea-bathing  is  excel- 
lent and  safe,  with  no  heavy  ground-swell  or  treacherous  un- 
dertow. Many  Kobe  residents  own  summer  villas  in  Shioya. 
Shioya  Hotel,  from  ¥6  a  day,  Am.  pi. ;  for  2  persons  in  the  same 
room,  ¥10;  per  week,  ¥50,  and  ¥60;  per  month,  ¥130,  and 
¥225  respectively;  children  under  8  yrs.  of  age,  half  rates. 
There  are  boating,  bathing,  fishing,  tennis,  cool  breezes,  and  a 
permanent  charm.  Maiko,  with  its  fantastic  pine  trees  knee- 
deep  in  the  sand,  is  exceptionally  enticing.  The  name  Maiko- 
no-Hama,  or  'Beach  of  the  Dancing  Girl/  is  applied  to  it 
because  of  a  curious  optical  allusion  created  under  certain 

1  The  word  Tansan  means  carbonic  acid.  Sekitansan  is  carbolic  acid,  and 
Tansan-gasu  is  carbonic  acid  gas.  Takaradzuka,  or  Takara-suka,  is  said  to 
mean  precious  place,  hence,  by  induction,  city  of  health. 


632   Rte.S8.    KOBE  TO  SHIMONOSEKI  Naruto. 


atmospheric  conditions:  at  such  times  the  flying  veil  of  sand 
makes  the  bizarre  old  trees  with  their  wide  outstretched  arms 
look  like  whirling  dervishes.  Delicious  peaches  are  grown  in 
the  vicinity  of  Suma,  near  which  (in  a  valley  called  Ichi-no- 
tani)  occurred  the  historic  incident  in  the  life  of  Kumagaya 
Naozane,  referred  to  at  p.  441. 

Awaji  Shima  (sometimes  called  by  its  Chinese  name, 
Tanshu),  the  largest  island  of  the  Inland  Sea  (30  M.  N.  and 
S. ;  14  M.  broad  at  its  S.  part;  area,  217  sq.  M.),  is  a  mountain- 
ousjregion  (highest  point  1955  ft.)  E.  of  Harima  Nada  and  W. 
of  Osaka  Bay,  rarely  visited  by  tourists.  The  scenery  differs 
in  no  way  from  that  of  the  main  island,  and  the  towns  offer 
no  attractions.  Awaji  is  of  historic  interest  to  Japanese, 
whose  mythology  designates  it  as  the  first  land  created  by  their 
supposed  divine  ancestors,  Izanagi  and  Izanami.  Mail  steam- 
ers leave  Kobe  daily  (transit  about  2  hrs.)  and  touch  at  the 
uninteresting  ports  of  Kariya,  Shizuki,  Sumoto,  etc.  Sumoto, 
the  chief  town  (and  capital)  on  the  E.  coast,  with  8000  inhabs. 
(Inn:  Nabeto,  ¥2),  stands  amid  mildly  picturesque  surround- 
ings. I  way  a,  at  the  N.  end  of  the  island,  is  about  2  M.  (ferry 
across  the  Akashi  no  Seto)  from  Akashi  Station,  on  the  Sanyo 
Ely.  The  mts.  on  the  island  are  composed  of  diorite,  gneiss, 
granite,  and  old  schists,  and  are  wooded  to  their  summits.  Well- 
tilled  farms  stretch  away  from  their  lower  flanks.  Between  the 
outermost  rocks  on  the  S.W.  coast  of  the  island  and  the  adja- 
cent Shikoku  is  the  celebrated  Naruto  Whirlpool  (Naruto  Suido), 
a  sort  of  Japanese  Charybdis  invested  with  all  manner  of  ter- 
rors. When  the  tide  from  the  Pacific  Ocean  rushes  in  through 
the  Kii  Channel  and  into  the  (600  yds.  wide)  Naruto  Channel 
(which  links  it  to  the  Inland  Sea),  the  resistance  offered  by 
the  outflowing  water  (48  fathoms  deep),  is  such  that  a  rather 
formidable  whirlpool  (about  60  ft.  in  diameter)  is  created,  with 
a  great  roaring  and  churning  of  the  opposing  forces.  During 
the  spring  tides,  when  the  stream  is  running  at  maximum 
strength,  the  average  speed  is  9-11  knots.  When  the  waters 
of  the  Inland  Sea  prevail,  the  race  sets  back  into  the  Pacific. 
Travelers  may  wish  to  remember  that  both  the  Naruto  Chan- 
nel and  the  straits  about  Tomogashima  Island  (Yura  Strait,  on 
the  S.E.  side  of  Awaji)  lie  within  the  fortified  zone,  and  that 
photographing  and  sketching  are  prohibited  by  the  War  De- 
partment. 

38.  From  Kobe  via  Himeji,  Okayama  (Shikoku  Island), 
Hiroshima,  and  Miyajima  to  Shimonoseki. 
Sany5  Main  Line  of  the  Imperial  Government  Railways. 

To  Shimonoseki,  329  M.  The  (extra  fare)  express  trains  (comp.  p.  Ixxxii) 
make  the  run  in  about  10  hrs.;  the  local  trains  (fare,  ¥8.73,  1st  el.;  ¥5.24, 
2d  cl.)  in  about  14.  After  leaving  Settsu,  the  line  traverses  the  provinces 
of  Harima,  Bizen,  Bitchu,  Bingo,  Aki,  Suwo,  and  goes  to  the  extreme  W. 


The  Castle. 


HIMEJI  38.  Route  633 


point  of  Nagato,  through  a  beautiful  country  contiguous  to  the  Inland  Sea 
(entrancing  views  from  the  left  side  of  the  cars) .  There  is  an  excellent  rly. 
hotel  at  the  Shimonoseki  Station.  Connections  are  made  here  with  swift  and 
commodious  gov't  steamships  for  Korean  ports,  and  points  (ferry  service)  in 
Kyushu.'  The  docks  are  extensions  of  the  rly.  platform,  and  luggage-porters 
are  in  readiness  to  assist  passengers  and  to  see  them  safely  on  their  way 
without  friction,  confusion,  or  delay.  For  the  convenience  of  travelers  cer- 
tain of  the  express  trains  (consult  the  rly.  folder)  stop  at  the  small  station  of 
Miyajima,  where  ferry-boats  are  in  waiting  to  conduct  them  across  the  nar- 
row (15  min.)  strait  to  Miyajima  Island.  A  flying  visit  of  2-3  hrs.  between 
trains  is  ample  for  this  lesser  of  the  'Three  Great  Sights  '  —  the  attrac- 
tions of  which  are  imaginative  rather  than  material. 

From  Kobe  the  train  runs  toward  the  W.  along  the  shore  of 
the  Inland  Sea,  passing  through  the  attractive  seaside  resorts 
of  Suma,  Shioya,  and  Maiko.  The  giant  pine  trees  which 
fringe  the  shore,  the  calm  sea  flecked  with  white-sailed  junks, 
and  the  distant  views  of  Awaji  Island  are  alluring.  12  M. 
Akashi,  opposite  Akashi  Strait,  with  a  Shinto  temple  to  the 
memory  of  Kakinomoto-no-Hitomaru,  a  7th-cent.  poet,  is  the 
meridian  from  which  time  is  reckoned  in  Japan.  Storm-signals 
are  shown  to  mariners  entering  the  E.  end  of  the  Inland  Sea, 
which  terminates  here  and  is  separated  from  Osaka  Bay,  the 
Kii  Channel,  and  the  Pacific  Ocean  by  the  pear-shaped  island 
of  Awaji.  An  excellent  automobile  road  flanks  the  sea  and 
affords  motorists  views  of  unexampled  beauty.  The  train  runs 
at  good  speed  over  the  broad  plain  to  24  M.  Kakogawa,  near 
the  river  of  the  same  name.  The  numerous  well-sweeps  which 
dot  the  country  indicate  an  abundance  of  water  below  the 
surface.  Many  of  the  humble  dwellings  have  the  ridges  of  the 
thatched  roof  held  down  by  bundles  of  straw  which  straddle 
them  and  impart  a  decorative  effect.  In  the  yard  of  the  (2  M.) 
Takasago  Shrine  is  a  giant  tree  celebrated  locally  as  the  Aioi- 
no-matsu,  or  1  Companion  Pine,'  which  is  said  to  ambiparous, 
wherefore  the  leaves  are  used  at  weddings  as  emblems  of  mari- 
tal felicity.  The  motive  is  frequently  portrayed  in  art,  in  the 
forms  of  an  aged  man  and  woman  raking  up  pine  needles  on  a 
seashore  fringed  with  pine  trees.  The  region  roundabout  is 
classic  ground  to  Japanese,  and  constitutes  what  is  termed  the 
Harima  Meguri,  or  '  Circuit  of  Harima'  Province.  It  has  been 
sung  and  written  of  since  time  out  of  mind,  and  the  charms  of 
the  pine-clad  coast  are  favorite  themes  of  writers  of  poetry  and 
historical  romances.  —  26  M.  Hoden  is  known  for  its  (2  M.) 
small  caves  (Ishi-no-Hoden)  cut  (23  by  26  ft.)  from  the  soft 
rock  and  believed  to  date  from  remote  times. 

34  M.  Himeji  (Inn:  Akamatsu,  ¥3),  capital  of  Harima  Pro- 
vince with  42,000  inhabs.;  a  thriving  place  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  lower  Ichi-kawa,  is  noted  for  its  production  of 
stamped  leather  and  cotton  goods,  and  for  its  fine  old  5-sto- 
ried antique  donjon,  called  Rojo,  or  ' Snowy  Heron  Castle' 
—  a  gleaming  white  fortress  (7  min.  walk  from  the  station) 
erected  in  1340  by  Akamatsu  Sada?wri.  From  his  family  it 


634    Route  38.  OKAYAMA 


Crow  Castle. 


passed  to  the  hands  of  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi,  who  rebuilt  and 
enlarged  the  keep  in  1577  and  added  30  turrets.  After  the 
decisive  battle  of  Sekigahara,  Tokugawa  Ieyasu  established 
Ikeda  Terumasa  here,  and  he  changed  the  name  of  Himeyama 
to  Himeji.  A  long  line  of  daimyds  occupied  the  castle  before 
the  Restoration,  when  it  passed  to  the  Gov't  to  be  used  as 
headquarters  for  one  of  the  divisions  of  the  main  army.  The 
beautiful  park  which  surrounds  it,  and  which  is  known  as 
Himeyama,  is  noted  for  its  display  of  wistaria  (in  May).  Per- 
mits easily  obtainable  through  one's  consul.  Photographing 
and  sketching  forbidden.  The  structure  is  an  excellently  pre- 
served relic  of  feudal  days,  but  is  not  as  attractive  as  that  at 
Nagoya.  Shosha-zan,  sl  thickly  wooded  hill  (1300  ft.)  4|  M. 
to  the  N.,  is  revered  by-  the  natives  because  of  its  Buddhist 
temple,  the  Enkyo-ji,  founded  in  966  by  the  bonze  Shoku,  and 
consecrated  to  Kwannon.  Several  of  the  early  emperors  made 
pilgrimages  to  it,  and  the  forces  under  Ashikaga  Takauji  and 
Ishido  Yorifusa  fought  a  battle  near  it  in  1351.  Shikima,  2  M. 
to  the  S.,  the  seaside  terminus  of  the  Bantan  Rly.,  is  a  popu- 
lar bathing-resort. 

The  Himeji- Wadayama  section  of  the  Bantan  Rly.  leads  hence  N.  to  (40 
M.)  Wadayama  (several  trains  daily;  fare,  ¥1.68)  and  forms  a  link  between 
the  Tokaido  and  the  Japan  Sea.  (See  Rte.  31.) 

The  white  castle  towering  above  its  surroundings  makes  a 
fine  picture  in  the  landscape  at  the  right  as  the  train  contin- 
ues W.  from  Himeji.  The  closed  boats  anchored  in  the  Hay  a- 
shida-gawa  beyond  Aboshi  Station  are  primitive  automatic 
rice-hulling  mills.  47  M.  Naba  is  the  point  of  departure  for 
the_historic  seacoast  town  (8  M.  S.)  of  Ako,  known  as  the  home 
of  Oishi  Kuranosuke,  chief  of  the  Forty-Seven  Ronin  retainers 
of  Asano  Takumi,  whose  tragic  history  is  referred  to  at  p.  186. 
—  The  hills  through  which  the  rly.  leads  are  terraced  far  up 
their  sides  and  they  recall  certain  vistas  in  Korea.  Many  of 
the  little  dwellings  tucked  away  in  the  sheltered  valleys  have 
picturesque  roofs  that  are  covered  half  with  tiles  and  half  with 
thatch. 


89  M.  Okayama  (Inn:  Miyoshi-kadan,  5  min.  left  of  the  sta- 
tion; jinriki,  10  sen;  pretentious;  meals  from  ¥1.50,  and  lodg- 
ing from  ¥2  and  upward;  several  cheaper  inns  opposite,  and 
a  restaurant  in  the  station),  capital  of  Bizen  Province  and  of 
Okayama-ken,  with  94,000  inhabs.,  was  formerly  the  castle 
town  of  Ikeda,  sl  rich  and  powerful  daimyo  whose  iWeJL^r^ 
served  fortoss  (built  by  Bizen-no-Kami  Hunetaka  in  the  16th 
cent.)  stiilsfands  and  is  called  'Crow  Castle'  because  of  its 
somber  color. /Convinced  of  the  logic  of  Bulwer's  dictum  re- 
ferring to  the  pen  and  the  sword,  the  local  authorities  have 
housed  the  Fifth  Higher  School  in  the  massive  structure,  and 
have  converted  the  park  at  its  base  (1  M.  from  the  station, 
20  min.;  jinriki,  20  sen)  into  a  handsome  landscape  garden 


Kotohira.  SHIKOKU  ISLAND      88.  Route.  635 


(Korakuen)  with  22  acres,  tea-houses,  views,  etc!-  The  Asahi- 
gawa  flanks  it  on  one  side  and  adds  considerably  to  its  pictur- 
esqueness.  One  of  the  many  tame  cranes  which  wander  at  will 
beneath  the  fine  wistaria  arbors  and  the  splendid  old  cherry 
and  maple  trees,  is  said  to  be  more  than  200  yrs.  old.  Figured 
straw  matting  (hanamushiro)  is  one  of  the  specialties  of  the 
place;  others  are  delicious  peaches  sold  in  fancy  baskets,  and 
native  sweetmeats  packed  in  abnormally  thick  boxes  and 
hawked  about  the  rly.  station  platform.  The  bentb  sold  here 
is  better  than  that  at  certain  other  stations  on  the  line. 

The  Chugoku  Rly.  Co.'s  line  runs  N.  from  Okayama 
through  several  unimportant  towns  to  35  M.  (¥1.07)  Tsuyama 
(pop.  15,000),  an  ancient  castle  town  in  Mimisaka  Province. 
Another  line  trends  N.W.  to  8  J  M.  Inariyama,  and  13  M. 
Tatai,  in  Bitchu  Province. 

Okayama  is  one  of  the  best  points  from  which  to  visit  the 
near-by  Island  of  Shikoku,  with  Kotohira  and  its  much  vener- 
ated Kompira  Shrine.  The  island  as  a  whole  is  off  the  beaten 
track  of  travel,  and  it  differs  so  little  from  other  and  more 
accessible  places  that  foreigners  seldom  feel  repaid  for  a  trip 
through  it.  Hurried  travelers  concerned  with  the  Kompira 
Shrine  can  leave  luggage  in  the  inn  at  Okayama,  board  an  early 
morning  train,  and  be  back  in  the  evening. 

Trains  leave  the  main  line  station  in  Okayama  at  frequent  intervals  and 
arrive  at  20  M.  Uno  (fare,  88  sen)  in  about  1  hr.  The  boat-landing  is  at  the 
station.  Commodious  steamers  (Imp.  Gov't  Rly.)  make  the  trip  (fare,  85 
sen)  across  the  narrow  arm  of  the  Inland  Sea  in  about  1  hr.,  passing  the  pic- 
turesque Shodo  Island  (12  M.  long,  7  wide;  highest  peak,  2697  ft.)  and  land- 
ing at  Takamatsu,  an  old  castle  town  (pop.  43,000)  in  Sanuki  Province  (Ka- 
gawa-ken).  The  traveler  is  reminded  that,  although  the  landlocked  water 
may  be  smooth  in  the  morning,  a  stiffish  wind  loses  no  time  in  kicking  up  a 
coarse  sea  which  may  prove  unsettling  by  afternoon.  The  Kompira  Shrine 
contains  no  works  of  art,  but  its  magnificent  situation  recommends  it.  Two 
hrs.  are  sufficient  to  view  it  and  its  environment  after  reaching  Kotohira. 

The  Takamatsu  Castle,  the  most  conspicuous  object  at 
the  left  of  the  dock,  was  erected  in  1335  by  Yorishige,  sl  some- 
time governor  of  the  province;  it  is  nVJw'Tn  a  ruinous  state,  but 
the  aforetime  castle  park  is  perhaps  finer  than  it  was  originally, 
for  it  has  been  deftly  converted  into  a  landscape  garden  (called 
Kuri-bayashi  Koen)  of  such  unusual  charm  that  the  traveler 
with  time  to  spare  will  feel  repaid  for  seeing  it.  The  town  is 
prettily  situated  on  the  sea.  Yashima,  the  flat-topped  hill  at  the 
E.,  has  been  laid  out  as  a  popular  resort. 

The  rly.  (several  trains  daily)  runs  S.W.  along  the  shore  through  a  num- 
ber of  charmingly  situated  but  monotonously  similar  little  towns  whose 
chief  industry  is  the  extraction  (in  a  crude  way)  of  salt  from  the  ocean's  brine. 
Miles  of  salt-pits  line  the  beach,  while  pine-clad  hills  and  rice-fields  stretch 
away  inland.  The  numerous  palmettoes,  persimmon  trees,  vineyards  (no 
wine),  and  omnipresent  flowers  suggest  a  benign  climate.  The  excellent  ma- 
cadam pike  which  flanks  the  rly.  is  suitable  for  motor-cars.  20  M.  Tadotsu 
(Inn:  Hanabishi,  ¥2.50)  is  in  almost  hourly  touch  (steamers  of  the  Osaka 
Shosen  Kaisha)  with  several  of  the  mainland  towns  (to  31  M.  Onomichi, 


636    Route  38.       SHIKOKU  ISLAND    Kompira  Shrine. 


¥1.60).  From  this  point  the  rly.  turns  S.E.  and  runs  along  the  skirt  of  a 
range  of  bulky  and  densely  wooded  hills  to  its  terminus  at  28  M.  Kotohira. 

A  number  of  inns  cluster  about  the  station  and  cater  to  the 
hordes  of  native  visitors  to  the  town  and  its  sacred  fanes. 
To  reach  the  latter  one  turns  up  at  the  right  and  proceeds 
(5  min.)  along  the  picturesque  and  cheerful  main  st.  to  a  con- 
verging st.  which  ascends  (right)  between  lines  of  balconied 
inns  (Tora-ya,  Bizen-ya,  etc.),  and  beneath  (in  the  summer) 
awnings  which  impart  an  Oriental  aspect  to  it.  Here  cluster 
scores  of  tiny  shops  with  raucous  barkers  who  essay  to  sell  one 
all  manner  of  gewgaws  relating  to  the  temples  and  their  cult. 
Among  the  rubbishy  souvenirs  foreigners  are  pleadingly  re- 
quested to  take  home  with  them  are  trumpet-shells  and  other 
symbols  of  Triton,  chop-sticks  made  of  the  quasi-sacred 
Cleyera  japonica,  pilgrims'  staffs,  gourds,  rosaries,  lacquered 
trays  adorned  with  the  temple  crests,  and  potent  charms 
(O-fuda)  consisting  of  certain  mt.  herbs  gathered  and  blessed 
by  the  priests.  Ninety  steps  lead  up  from  the  street  to  the 
first  gate,  which  is  in  the  form  of  a  rusted  iron  torii  covered 
with  ideographic  texts.  Hence  a  number  of  long,  sloping  land- 
ings and  238  steps  conduct  one  to  the  Daimon,  or  Great 
Gate  (great  in  name  only) ;  252  more  to  the  Asahi  no  Yashiro 
(the  one-time  Kondo,  or  Golden  Hall  of  the  Buddhists) ;  and 
159  thence  to  the  main  temple.  Handsome  bronze  and  stone 
lanterns  flank  the  granite-flagged  ascent,  and  lofty  trees  over- 
shadow it;  the  wood  and  stone  tablets  bear  names  of  generous 
givers  to  the  temple  organization.  The  Asahi  no  Yashiro  has 
some  fairly  good  wood-carvings  in  conventional  Buddhist  de- 
signs, with  some  sculptured  wood  doors  portraying  Chinese 
sages  and  Imperial  chrysanthemums.  The  last  44  steps  leading 
to  the  upper  terrace  are  steepest  of  all.  Here  one  may  often 
see  poor  deluded  old  men  and  women,  half  naked  and  gasping 
for  breath,  running  up  and  down  the  flight  and  performing 
(for  the  alleged  merit  secured)  the  rite  called  Hyaku-do.  The 
wooden  tickets,  strung  on  the  wires  attached  to  the  stone  monu- 
ment (with  a  turtle  base)  at  the  left  of  one  of  the  landings,  are 
used  as  markers  in  this  laborious  exercise.  Formerly  when  hot 
rice-dumplings  were  offered  as  food  to  the  bizarre  bronze  horse 
near  the  Ex-voto  Hall,  devotees  were  wont  to  scramble  for  the 
grains  scattered  about  and  gulp  them  down  in  the  belief  that 
O-Shaka-sama  noted  it  and  praised  them  therefor. 

The  Main  Temple  (no  fees)  stands  on  an  elevated  terrace 
cut  from  the  beautifully  wooded  side  of  Zdzu-san,  and  is 
flanked  by  some  splendid  old  trees  and  several  auxiliary 
shrines.  It  is  the  holiest  shrine  in  Shikoku,  and  is  said  to  have 
been  founded  in  the  9th  cent,  by  the  illustrious  Kobo-Daishi 
(of  Koya-san  fame)  soon  after  his  return  from  China;  and 
later  to  have  served  as  the  model  for  many  other  fanes  in 
different  parts   of  Japan.   With  the  disestablishment  of 


The  Museum.         SHIKOKU  ISLAND     88.  Route.  637 


Buddhism,  the  coarse  idolatry  practiced  here  by  certain  of  the  • 
zealous  and  fanatical  bonzes  was  replaced  by  the  Shinto  tenets. 
That  these  have  not  completely  effaced  the  Buddhist  influence 
is  manifested  in  the  structure  itself  —  a  felicitous  blend  of 
both  styles  of  architecture,  with  the  interior  fitments  pertain- 
ing to  the  Shinto,  and  the  architectural  enrichments  inseparably 
associated  with  Buddhism.  The  prettily  paneled  ceiling  done 
in  gold  lacquer  and  cherry  blooms  is  worth  looking  at.  To  this 
shrine  come  upward  of  800,000  pilgrims  each  year,  most  of 
them,  be  it  said  in  passing,  to  worship  the  tutelar  Kompira 
{Sanskrit,  Kumbhira),  a  redoubtable  Buddhist  divinity  who  is 
supposed  to  protect  seamen  and  travelers,  associated  in  the 
native  mind  with  Neptune,  and  about  whose  antecedents  little 
seems  to  be  known. 

The  panorama  from  the  terrace  is  superb,  embracing  as  it 
does  a  score  of  villages,  hundreds  of  square  miles  of  the  lovely 
Inland  Sea,  range  after  range  of  blue  mts.  and  league  upon 
league  of  cultivated  valley  and  plain.  The  conical  (and  vol- 
canic) mt.  in  the  near  foreground,  looking  very  much  like  an 
exaggerated  sombrero,  is  Shirane-mine,  often  referred  to  as 
the  Sanuki  Fuji.  Beside  the  main  temple  there  is  little  to  see. 
The  Ex-voto  Hall,  a  Buddhist  institution,  contains  a  lot  of  ma- 
rine trumpery,  some  models  of  boats,  many  archaistic  symbols 
of  Poseidon,  some  distressing  pictures,  and  a  faded  old  litho- 
graph of  the  Brooklyn  Bridge!  The  bronze  horse  which  stands 
near,  and  has  a  tail  like  a  pleated  skirt,  has  been  so  rubbed  by 
the  credulous  and  ailing  that  its  nose  is  half  gone.  —  On  the 
descent  it  is  worth  while  to  inspect  (left  of  the  path,  in  a  pretty 
park  with  a  live  bear) 

The  Museum,  or  Homotsu-kwan  ('Treasure  House'),  which 
contains  (admission,  5  sen)  a  collection  of  canonical  books, 
some  pictures,  a  landscape  painting  by  Kano  Tanyu,  a  harp 
upward  of  a  thousand  yrs.  old,  some  silks,  swords,  lacquered 
boxes,  fine  screens,  sculptures,  and  what-not.  —  The  most 
important  of  the  temple  festivals  falls  upon  Sept.  8-10,  and 
Oct.  10-11.  Lesser  ones  occur  on  the  10th  of  each  month. 

Shikoku  Island,  or  Four  Lands,  —  so-called  because  it  comprises  the  4  old 
provinces  (of  the  Nankaido,  or  South  Sea  Road)  of  Sanuki,  Awa,  Tosa,  and 
Iyo,  and  the  4  newer  prefectures  of  Kagawa,  Tokushima,  Kochi,  and  Ehime 
—  has  4  million  inhabs.,  and  with  its  outlying  islets  is  one  of  the  largest 
(6854  sq.  M.)  of  the  Japanese  group.  It  is  bounded  on  the  N.  by  the  Inland 
Sea;  on  the  E.  by  the  Kii  Channel;  on  the  W.  by  the  Bungo  Channel;  and  on 
the  S.  by  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  warm  Kuro-shiwo  tempers  the  climate  and 
gives  it  sub-tropical  vegetation.  Though  mountainous,  the  island  is  densely 
populated,  with  5  cities,  745  villages,  and  66  hamlets.  Magnificent  forests 
of  beech,  oak,  horse-chestnut,  maple,  ash,  camphor,  magnolia,  and  other  de- 
ciduous and  evergreen  trees  deck  the  mt.  slopes,  from  which  numerous 
streams  run  down  to  irrigate  the  rice-plains.  The  longest  river,  the  Yoshino 
(100  M.),  is  often  called  the  Shikoku-Saburd  in  the  belief  that  it  is  the  3d 
longest  in  the  Empire.  The  paper-mulberry  and  the  vegetable-wax  trees  are 
cultivated  on  a  large  scale;  the  inner  bark  of  the  former  not  only  providing 
for  the  considerable  paper  industry  of  Tosa,  but  also  for  the  demands  in 


638    Rte.38.         SHIKOKU  ISLAND 


Tosa. 


other  parts  of  Japan.  There  are  wax-bleaching  works  in  several  places  on 
the  island;  and  in  Tosa,  which  is  also  noted  for  its  fine  camphor,  two  crops  of 
rice  are  raised  per  year.  Kochi  breeds  the  remarkable  long-tailed  fowls  de- 
scribed at  p.  207.  Indigo  and  excellent  tobacco  are  produced  in  quantities. 

The  Besshi  Copper  Mine,  near  the  summit  of  a  mt.  4000  ft.  above  sea- 
level,  in  the  N.W.  part  of  Iyo  Province,  was  discovered  in  1690,  is  owned  by 
the  rich  and  powerful  Sumitomo  family,  has  an  annual  output  of  200,000 
tons  of  ore  and  6500  tons  of  refined  copper,  and  is  one  of  the  most  important 
in  Japan.  The  geological  formation  of  the  mine  (wherein  2300  men  are  em- 
ployed) is  crystalline  schist,  consisting  of  quartz-sericites  and  chlorite  rocks 
between  which  lies  the  uniform  ore  deposit  —  cupriferous  iron  pyrites  con- 
taining an  average  of  4%  copper.  The  output  is  sent  by  private  rly.  to  the 
near-by  Niihama,  thence  by  lighter  to  (9j  M.)  Shisakajima,  where  the  metal- 
lurgical works  (with  1400  employees)  are  located.  Hence,  the  copper  ingots 
are  sent  to  the  Sumitomo  Copper  Works  at  Osaka.  —  Antimony  (Anchi- 
moni  —  a  corruption  of  the  English  word)  is  mined  in  Saijo,  Iyo  Province, 
and  is  exported. 

Tokushima  (Inn:  Hiragame-ro,¥3),  the  chief  city  (pop.  66,000)  of  Awa 
Province,  and  capital  of  Tokushima-ken,  faces  the  Kii  Channel  at  the  N.E., 
has  daily  steamer  connections  with  (51  M.)  Kobe  (fare,  ¥1.  80),  and  is  linked 
by  rly.  (opened  in  1914)  with  (46  M.)  Ikeda,  well  known  for  its  excellent  to- 
bacco. 

Kochi  (Inn:  Jdsei-kwan,^S),  the  capital  (pop.  39,000)  of  Tosa  Province 
and  Kochi-ken,  has  the  ruins  of  a  castle  built  by  Yamanouchi  Kazutoyo  in 
1600.  It  is  an  attractive  port  on  the  S.  side  of  the  island  (140  M.  from  Kobe, 
daily  steamer  in  14  hrs. ;  ¥5,  1st  cl.),  and  besides  producing  paper  of  excellent 
quality  is  a  mart  for  the  coral  taken  from  the  sea  near  by. 

Takahama  (Inn:  Yushinsha,  ¥3),  a  pretty  port  on  the  W.  side  of  the  is- 
land, in  Iyo  Province,  facing  the  Iyo-nada,  is  the  center  whence  several  short 
rlys.  diverge,  and  is  in  touch  daily  with  Ujina,  4  hrs.  across  the  strait,  on 
the  mainland.  It  is  the  point  of  departure  for  5  M.  Matsuyama  (Inn:  Ki- 
doya,  ¥2.50),  capital  (pop.  44,000)  of  Iyo  Province  and  Ehime  Prefecture. 
The  old  castle,  built  in  1603  by  Kato  Yoshiaki,  is  still  in  good  repair,  and 
during  the  Japan-Russia  War  it  furnished  quarters  for  several  thousand 
Russian  prisoners.  The  panorama  viewed  from  the  upper  story  is  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  island.  — The  near-by  suburb  of  Dogo  (Inn:  Funa-ya,  ¥2.50), 
referred  to  in  one  of  the  guidebooks  of  Japan  as  'a  very  notorious  place,'  is 
well  known  for  its  hot  sulphur  springs  and  baths,  said  to  be  efficacious  in 
skin  diseases. 

From  Okayama  westward  the  main  line  of  the  rly.  follows 
the  contour  of  the  sea  through  Bitchu  Province  to  93  M.  Niwase 
(with  a  shrine  founded  by  the  Emperor  Nintoku,  in  the  4th 
cent.),  where  it  crosses  the  Yabe-gawa.  The  well-watered  plains 
hereabouts  are  carefully  cultivated;  the  peasants  who  work  in 
the  fields  discard  all  but  a  loin-cloth  in  summer,  and  their 
brown  bodies  —  much  the  color  of  the  soil  —  and  crude  in- 
struments of  husbandry  give  them  the  appearance  of  prehis- 
toric folks.  Considerable  cotton  cloth  is  manufactured  on 
crude  looms,  and  long  strips  are  spread  out  to  bleach  in  the 
sun.  During  spare  moments  the  farmers  tread  water-wheels 
to  lift  the  fluid  on  to  their  fields.  125  M.  Fukuyama  (Inn: 
Kurisada,  ¥3),  capital  of  Bingo  Pro  vince,_  with  20,000  inhabs., 
was  formerly  the  seat  of  the  ruling  dainty  o.  The  donjon  of  the 
fine  old  baronial  castle,  upheld  by  massive  stone  walls,  can  still 
be  seen  (right  of  train)  beyond  the  station.  The  park  now  con- 
stitutes a  public  garden.  The  soft  matting  used  as  a  covering 
for  native  house-mats  is  a  specialty  of  the  town,  and  is  made 
from  the  rushes  cultivated  roundabout.  The  views  of  the  sea 


TheSenkd-ji.  \ONOMICHI  88.  Route.  639 


from  the  left  side  of  the  train  are  beguiling;  scores  of  pictur- 
esque boats  glance  up  and  down  the  blue  waters,  or  careen  lazily 
on  shore.  At  some  of  the  towns  long  arms  of  the  sea  reach  in 
between  lines  of  houses  and  form  fluvial  thoroughfares  along 
which  ply  ancient  craft  loaded  to  the  gunwale  with  sea- 
weed, fish,  or  other  marine  products.  Crude  salt-pits  for  the 
evaporation  of  sea-water  are  conspicuous  features  along  the 
shore.  The  little  seaport  of  Tomotsu,  at  the  end  of  a  peninsula 
which  bits  seaward,  has  a  daily  steamer  service  to  (20  M.) 
Tadomi  (Island  of  Shikoku),  fare,  ¥1.50,  and  is  dear  to  the 
internal  economy  of  Japanese  because  of  a  celebrated  liquor 
(HSmeishu,  or  'Life-preserving  sake')  brewed  there. 

/lSS  M.  Onomichi  (Inn:  Hamakichi,  ¥4),  one  of  the  best 
j/orts  (popV^JLOOO)^  pj*  the  Island  Sea,  is  also  one  of  the  most 
picturesque,  l^posite  the  town,  which  stretches  for  a  mile  or  ; 
more  along  the  shore,  is  Muko  Islet,  and  between  them  comes  an  , 
arm  of  the  sea  which  serves  as  a  thoroughfare  and  an  anchoring- 
ground  for  hundreds  of  queer  craft  engaged  in  the  fishing  or  *\  \ 
carrying  trade  of  the  Inland  Sea.  Behind  the  town  and  station  ' 
rise  thickly  wooded  hills  amid  whose  ancient  groves  stand  temV 
pies  from  the  atriums  of  which  magnificent  and  far-reaching  ^ 
views  are  obtainable.  Of  the  3  most  important  ones,  Senko-ji,..  -sJ 
dating  from  the  12th  cent.,  is  perhaps  the  best  worth  seeing.  The  -f* 
Saikoku-ji  is  a  dependency  of  the  Koya-san  Monastery,  and  is  (  /f 
a  neglected  relic  of  the  time  when  all  Buddhist  fanes  drew  fat 
revenues  from  the  State  and  could  afford  to  bedeck  themselves 
with  jewel-studded  idols  and  other  graven  images.  If  the\ 
traveler  should  happen  to  pass  through  Onomichi  on  a  day  \ 
when  the  sun  shines  brilliantly  and  suggests  the  lower  tropics,  ! 
he  will  be  reminded  strongly  of  Constantinople  and  the  Goldeny*' 
Horn.  The  thousands  of  tiled  roofs  glistening  in  the  sun,  the 
calm  blue  water  flecked  with  big  white-sailed  junks,  the  scores 
and  scores  of  lesser  craft,  the  snowy  gulls  that  wheel  and  scream 
and  fish,  and  the  deep,  booming  notes  of  the  temple  bells  ring- 
ing their  muezzin-like  calls  to  the  faithful,  all  combine  to  form 
an  enrapturing  picture.  —  Steamships  leave  daily  for  numer- 
ous Inland  Sea  ports. 

The  Kurihara  River  runs  through  the  town,  and  after  cross- 
ing it  the  train  goes  out  through  the  suburbs  past  many  pic- 
turesque bridges  thrown  across  arms  of  the  sea  which  reach  in 
and  impart  a  Venetian-like  aspect  to  the  place.  When  the  tide 
goes  out  it  strands  many  big  junks,  and  leaves  them  sitting  in 
the  mud  like  helpless  leviathans.  The  rly.  now  follows  the 
sinuosities  of  the  beach,  which  hereabout  is  studded  with  salt- 
pits  (shiogama) .  Naked  boys  race  along  the  shore  in  the  joyous 
abandon  of  health  and  youth;  scores  of  clam-diggers  of  both 
sexes  search  diligently  for  that  modest  and  retiring  bivalve; 
and  the  sails  of  many  junks  and  luggers  flash  against  the  hori- 
zon. The  mts.  of  Shikoku  rise  through  the  haze  at  the  left. 


640    Route  38.  HIROSHIMA        Miyajima  Station. 


The  salt-pits  continue  beyond  143  M.  Itozaki,  where  there  is 
good  bento  with  fish.  The  line  now  leaves  the  sea  and  strikes 
into  the  hills.  Beyond  Mihara  it  crosses  the  Numata  River 
and  enters  the  province  of  Aki.  Many  of  the  houses  have 
whitewashed  walls,  wood  trimmings  painted  black,  and  brown 
tiled  roofs.  Beyond  Hongo  the  landscape  becomes  jejune,  and 
the  stiffish  up-grade,  marked  by  several  tunnels  and  streams, 
rises  to  a  point  943  ft.  (at  Hachihonmatsu  Station)  before  it 
descends  again  through  several  picturesque  hamlets  to  189  M. 
Kataichi.  Here  a  branch  line  diverges  (left)  to  12  M.  Kure, 
with  its  big  arsenal  (in  the  war-zone,  no  photographing  or 
sketching)  and  Gov't  Naval  Station.  The  Imperial  Naval  Col- 
lege stands  on  the  nearby  (3  M.)  Etajima.  The  sea  hereabout 
is  charming,  with  lovely  views  and  adorable  little  bays. 

190  M.  Hiroshima  (Inns:  Mizoguchi,  ¥3;  foreign  food,  ¥4; 
Naganuma,  semi-foreign,  near  the  station,  ¥4),  capital  of  Hiro- 
shima Prefecture  and  of  Aki  Province,  an  important  metropolis 
(pop.  143,000)  in  lat.  34°  23'  N.  and  long.  132°  27'  E.  of  Green- 
wich, stands  at  the  delta  of  the  multiple-armed  Ota  River  (called 
also  Kabi-  smdYaki-gawa),  and  is  the  largest  city  between  Kobe 
and  Shimonoseki.  The  historic  castle  (tenshu)  visible  from  the 
train  (left;  closed  to  the  public),  was  built  in  1594  by  Mori  Teru- 
moto.  In  1619  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  Asano  Nogaakira, 
whose  descendants  (often  referred  to  as  the  Princes  of  Geishu, 
the  Chinese  name  for  Aki)  ruled  here  as  daimyos  until  the  Re- 
storation, fi^he  late  Mikado  made  the  castle  (now  occupied 
by  the  Fiftn  Army  Division)  his  headquarters  and  that  of  the 
General  Staff  during  the  Russian  War,  at  whichjime  the  city 
was  the  scene  of  continuous  military  activity])  The  Sentai 
Landscape  Garden  (f  M.  from  the  station),  with  10  acres  of 
ground,  a  big  pond,  bridges,  and  handsome  flowering  trees,  is 
one  of  the  '  sights.'  The  view  from  the  house,  known  as  Set- 
futei,  is  considered  the  best.  At  Nigitsu  Park  (§  M.,  on  a  hill) 
there  are  fine  cherry  and  maple  trees,  tea-houses,  good  views, 
and  a  shrine  called  Nigitsu-jinja,  consecrated  to  the  ances- 
tors of  the  Asano  family  —  whose  crest  of  two  hawks'  feathers 
crossed  show  on  the  enrichments.  Miyajima  and  other  islands 
are  visible  across  the  strait.  Hiroshima  oysters  (kaki)  enjoy 
much  favor;  likewise  the  lacquer,  bronze,  and  other  articles 
made  there. 

A  branch  rly.  runs  hence  (frequent  trains  in  about  20  min.)  to  4  M.  Ujina 
(in  the  war-zone),  with  a  pretty  harbor  (completed  in  1889;  cost  ¥340,000) 
much  frequented  by  coasting-vessels.  Steamers  of  the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha 
run  hence  (several  trips  daily)  to  (7  M.)  Etajima,  (9  M.)  Kure,  thence  to  (4 
hrs.)  Takahama  (¥1 .40)  on  Shikoku  Island. 

191  M.  Yokogawa,  just  across  the  river  from  Hiroshima,  is 
practically  a  suburb.  The  train  continues  over  a  broad  plain 
devoted  ip  the  great  staple,  rice;  pretty  views  of  the  sea  at 
the  left.  An  excellent  highway  runs  along  the  sea-wall  for 


The  Temple.         MIYAJIMA  ISLAND*)  88.  Route.  641 


some  distance  beyond  193  M.  Koi.  Many  paper  umbrellas  are 
made  hereabout,  and  the  scores  of  them  drying  in  the  house- 
yards  looks  like  big  whirligigs.  Some  fine  old  pine  trees  flank  the 
highway  beyond  197  M.  Itsukaichi.  199  M.  Hatsukaichi,  is  a 
charmingly  situated  village  on  the  shore,  with  tiny  harbors 
and  rusty  junks  standing  on  the  sands.  The  old  Sanyodd  runs 
along  the  beach  and  affords  automobilists  entrancing  views  of 
the  island-studded  sea.'  The  big  vermilion  torii  visible  across 
the  smooth  water  is  the  outpost  of 

203  M.  Miyajima  (miya,  a  shrine;  jima,  island;  pron.  me-y 
ya/i-jee' -motif.  u  t 

The  Ferry  (watashi)  is  2  min.  walk  down  the  wide  st.  (left)  from  the  sta- 
tion. Hand-luggage  by  station  porter,  10  sen.  Whatever  baggage  the  trav- 
eler may  not  wish  to  take  with  him  can  be  checked  in  the  station  baggage- 
room.  Frequent  boats  (of  the  Gov't  Rlys.)  make  the  (1J  M.)  trip  across  the 
strait  (Ono  Seto)  in  15  min.  A  number  of  native  inns  cluster  near  the  oppo- 
site landing.  The  small  Miyajima  Hotel  (formerly  the  Mikado),  with  the 
rooms  of  an  inn  and  the  rates  (usually  from  ¥7  and  upward,  a  day,  Am.  pi.) 
of  a  good  London  hotel,  is  20  min.  walk  (through 'the  town  and  the  temple 
grounds)  at  the  right.  No  rikishas.  A  push-cart  from  the  hotel  for  hand-lug- 
gage, 25  sen.  While  the  local  guide  (unnecessary)  will  lay  out  plans  covering 
several  days,  the  real  sights  of  the  island  need  not  detain  the  traveler  more 
than  an  hour  or  so.  Trips  round  the  island  (in  2  hrs.)  by  the  hotel  launch 
(seats ~fl  pers. JT^T". 

Miyajima,  or  Itsukushima,  an  island  5  M.  long  by  2\  wide  (highest  point, 
1671  ft.)  at  the  W.  side  of  Hiroshima  Bay,  in  Aki  Province,  owes  its  name 
to  Itsukushima-hime,  one  of  the  daughters  of  the  mythological  Susano-o.  To 
her  and  her  two  sisters,  Tagori-hime  and  T 'agitsu-hime ,  the  island  shrines  are 
dedicated.  It  is  also  called  Ongashima  ('Gentle  Island').  The  climate  is 
moist,  and  the  hills  profusely  wooded  in  consequence.  Of  the  4000  or  more 
inhabs.,  many  are  priests,  fishermen,  innkeepers,  and  image-carvers.  For- 
merly births  and  deaths  on  the  island  were  forbidden,  but  the  exigencies  of 
circumstances,  and  perchance  20th-cent.  materialism,  have  altered  the  in- 
tense sanctity  of  the  place,  and  introduced  reasonable  flexibility  in  this  rul- 
ing. Dogs  are  still  forbidden  entrance;  the  many  tame  deer  are  like  those 
of  Nara,  and  the  glossy  and  saucy  crows,  at  once  raucous  and  mischievous, 
are  like  those  of  British  India.  There  are  several  pleasant  walks  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Miyajima  town,  but  they  differ  in  only  minor  details  from  those 
of  other  places  in  Japan.  A  host  of  little  shops  with  varying  and  flexible 
prices  are  features  of  the  settlement;  much  of  the  woodwork  offered  for  sale 
is  unseasoned,  and  is  made  in  small  work-shops  on  the  island.  Steamers  of 
the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  leave  Miyajima  daily  for  Kobe,  Beppu,  and  inter- 
mediate points. 

The  Temple  (or  cluster  of  temples) ,  is  in  the  usual  Shinto  style  with  meager 
enrichments.  It  stands  partly  on  spiles  driven  int  o  the  sand  of  the  shore,  and 
when  the  tide  makes  in  and  submerges  the  underpinning,  it  has  the  appear- 
ance of  a  lacustrine  dwelling  half  afloat.  When  the  tide  runs  out  and  exposes 
the  flats  and  the  vermiculated,  barnacle-covered  legs  of  the  structure,  the 
sight  is  painfully  unpicturesque.  The  main  temple  dates  perhaps  from  the 
17th  cent,  and  occupies  the  site  of  a  primitive  one  said  to  have  been  erected 
in  a.d.  587  by  the  order  of  the  Emperor  Suinin.  The  888  ft.  of  dilapidated 
corridors,  14  ft.  wide,  differentiate  it  from  other  Japanese  fanes.  In  one  of 
the  apartments  is  a  Museum  (5  sen)  with  a  collection  of  trumpery  relics  not 
worth  wasting  time  over.  The  war-pictures  are  manifestly  from  the  brush 
of  the  local  house-painter.  The  contribution  box  is  7  ft.  wide  and  15  ft.  long,  "J 
and  when  a  dime  is  dropped  into  it  gives  back^n.ejaakqjrassingly  stingy  echo^j 

The  big  Torii  (O-torii)  in  the  water,  528  ft.  from  the  main  temple,  is  44  ft. 
high,  73  ft.  across  at  the  top,  and  was  built  in  1875.  The  tablet  is  in  the 
handwriting  of  the  late  Prince  AHsugawa  Taruhito.  The  side  supports  differ- 
entiate it  from  the  customary  torii  (comp.  p.  clxxxii).  . 


642    Route  88.  IWAKUNI  Brocade  Bridge. 


The  Hall  of  a  Thousand  Mats  (Sen-jd-jiki)  on  an  eminence  near  by,  a 
huge,  quadrangular,  time-stained  structure  open  to  all  the  winds  that  blow, 
is  said  to  have  been  erected  in  1582  by  the  order  of  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi. 
While  certain  of  the  soldiers  destined  for  China  in  1894  were  quartered 
here,  they  inscribed  their  names  on  their  rice-paddles  and  prayed  to  their 
tutelar  saints  for  victory;  the  fashion  spread,  and  there  are  now  thousands  of 
them  in  the  big  hall.  Aspirants  for  the  publicity  pay  anywhere  from  10  sen 
to  1  yen,  according  to  the  size  of  the  paddle,  to  have  their  names  inscribed 
and  exposed  on  one  of  the  pillars. 

From  Mi ya jim a  Station  the  rly.  follows  the  shore  of  the  bay 
through  charming  scenery.  White  sails  dot  the  water,  which 
flashes  and  dimples  in  the  face  of  the  sun,  and  here  and  there 
one  sees  fishermen  equipped  with  glass-bottomed  boxes  search- 
ing the  floor  of  the  sea  for  marine  life.  The  old  highway  which 
follows  the  shore  is  like  a  sand-papered  boulevard.  Tiny  bays 
with  crescent  beaches  occur  at  intervals,  and  when  one  sees  a 
great  junk  beached  on  one  of  them  for  caulking,  and  busy  men 
swarming  about  it,  one  thinks  of  piratical  forays  and  corsairs' 
buried  treasure  .^Three  tunnels  are  threaded  before  209  M. 
Kuba  is  reachedf  Here  the  tea-houses  perched  on  hills  over- 
looking the  sea  recall  Italian  prospects)  The  long  sea-wall  be- 
yond is  significant  of  the  capriciousness  of  the  waters,  which 
roll  in  here  in  an  uninterrupted  sweep  from  the  California  coast. 
212  M.  Otake  is  but  one  of  many  picturesque  villages  that  dot 
the  shore,  and  the  fleet  of  big  junks  with  bellying  sails  de- 
scried far  out  at  sea  denotes  the  occupation  of  the  people. 
The  region  is  thickly  settled,  and  long  lines  of  houses  make  the 
seashore  their  principal  street.  Cyclopean  stone  walls,  a  tunnel, 
and  many  salt-pits  are  features  of  the  run  to 

215  M.  Iwakuni  (Inn:  Komehei,  ¥2),  just  over  the  border 
in  Suwd  Province.  The  (3  M.  at  the  right)  town  (pop.  12,000), 
formerly  the  seat  of  a  daimyo,  is  known  for  its  silk,  paper,  mat- 
ting, cotton  cloth,  oranges,  and  excellent  figs,  and  also  for  a 
curious  and  ancient  arched  bridge  known  variously  as  the 
Kintai-kyo,  the  Brocade  Bridge  (or  Bridge  of  the  Damask 
Girdle),  and  the  Soroban-bashi  (Abacus-Bridge),  from  its  fan- 
cied resemblance  to  this  reckoning-board. 

The  traveler  can  easily  inspect  the  bridge  between  trains.  An  electric 
trolley  car  leaves  from  the  (right)  station  at  frequent  intervals  and  goes 
(round  trip,  18  sen)  to  the  (15  min.)  center  of  the  town.  Jinrikis  are  in  wait- 
ing at  the  terminal;  to  the  bridge  (5  min.  walk  to  the  right)  and  back,  15  sen. 
The  huge  old  wood,  copper-bronze,  and  rusted  iron  structure  (750  ft.  long), 
said  to  have  been  built  in  1673  by  the  ruling  daimyo,  Kikkawa  Motonobu  (of 
the  Iwakuni  Clan),  has  5  arches  which  rest  upon  4  massive,  knife-edged 
granite  buttresses  bound  with  lead  bands  and  secured  by  lead  dowels.  The 
longest  arch  is  133  ft.;  the  shortest,  108  ft.  The  3  central  spans  are  higher 
than  the  2  end  ones,  which  have  approaches  10  ft.  long.  Anciently  the  cus- 
tom was  to  repair  one  of  these  arches  every  5  yrs.,  so  that  the  bridge  was 
practically  made  over  every  quarter  of  a  century.  The  bold  curvature  of 
the  spans  (78  ft.  above  the  river)  makes  their  surfaces  slippery  in  bad  weather, 
and  to  counteract  this  the  cross-boards  form  tiny  steps  or  ridges.  It  is  worth 
while  removing  one's  shoes  and  wading  out  into  the  shallow  river  in  order  to 
inspect  the  curious  architectural  expedients  employed  on  the  underside  of 
the  structure.  It  is  a  maze  of  pegs  and  crude  joints,  and  looks  very  mediae- 
val. The  river  has  its  source  in  N.  Suwd,  and  after  receiving  several  tributa- 


YAMAGUCHI  88.  Route.  643 


nes  and  passing  through  Iwakuni,  it  separates  into  two  branches,  the  Imatsu 
and  the  Monien-gawa,  both  of  which  empty  into  Hiroshima  Bay.  At  and 
above  Iwakuni,  it  flows  between  lovely  green  hills,  and  its  mirror-like  sur- 
face reflects  all  the  tints  of  the  rich  foliage  on  their  slopes.  The  name,  Ni- 
shiki-gawa  ('Brocade  River'),  is  also  that  of  a  fine  leather  with  white  figures 
on  a  purple  ground,  used  formerly  by  court  nobles.  The  bed  of  the  river  be- 
neath the  bridge  has  been  laid  evenly  with  stones,  and  the  remarkably  clear 
and  transparent  water  makes  a  pretty  picture  as  it  ripples  over  them.  The 
bridge  itself  looks  like  a  huge  caterpillar  arching  above  the  stream.  The 
shrine  at  the  top  of  the  incline  midway  between  the  car-station  and  the  river 
is  of  no  interest.  The  mt.  visible  toward  the  S.W.  is  Iwakuni-yama. 

Beyond  Iwakuni  the  rly.  crosses  first  the  Imatsu-gawa,  then 
the  Monzen-gawa,  and  traverses  a  region  marked  by  numerous 
tunnels  and  small  rivers.  The  sea  and  its  fine  flanking  high- 
way remain  in  view  until  we  reach  240  M.  T abuse;  when  the 
line  enters  a  broken  country  with  hills  at  the  right  and  left. 
The  sea  is  glimpsed  again  beyond  246  M.  Shimada,  where 
crude  water-wheels  on  the  bank  of  the  Shimada-gawa  lift  the 
precious  fluid  and  pour  it  over  the  thirsty  paddy-fields.  Fan- 
tastic pine  trees  fringe  the  shore,  fairy-like  islands  lie  beyond, 
and  an  occasional  white  sail  merges  ghost-like  in  the  haze  of  the 
horizon.  258  M.  Tokuyama,  an  important  port  for  coasting- 
steamers,  is  a  sort  of  snug  harbor  for  junks  in  the  carrying 
trade,  and  between  1634  and  1868  was  the  seat  of  different 
daimyos  of  the  powerful  Mori  family.  A  big  sea-wall  keeps  the 
ocean  in  check,  and  numerous  salt-pits  supply  the  neighbor- 
hood with  a  very  poor  quality  of  salt.  These  are  duplicated 
farther  down  the  line,  where  there  are  a  number  of  tunnels. 
Beyond  270  M.  Tonomi  some  highly  fantastic  rocks  are  seen 
near  the  shore.  The  rly.  runs  along  a  terrace  built  up  boldly 
between  the  hills  and  the  sea,  and  exquisite  seascapes  succeed 
one  another  with  such  unvarying  regularity  that  they  become 
commonplace  by  their  very  frequency. , 

275  M.  Mitajiri  (Inn:  Ibara,  near  the  station,  ¥2),  with 
many  salt  pans,  is  1  M.  from  the  port  of  the  same  name,  and 
is  a  shipping-point  for  the  cheap  earthenware  made  in  the 
neighborhood. 

289  M.  Ogori,  is  the  nearest  station  to  (8  M.)  Yamaguchi 
(Inn:  Fujimura,  ¥3),  capital  of  Yamaguchi  Prefecture  and  one  s 
of  the  largest  (pop.  22,000)  towns  in  Suwo  Province., The 
castle  at  the  foot  of  Mt.  Konomine  was  built  in  1350  by  Ouchi  - 
Hiroyo,  governor  of  the  province,  whose  powerful  descend- 
ants resided  here  for  two  centuries,  and  in  one  period  of  his- 
tory held  almost  absolute  power  over  seven  provinces.  In  the 
14th  cent,  it  was  a  notorious  rendezvous  for  political  malcon- 
tents from  Kyoto,  and  these  instructed  the  samurai  in  so  many 
forms  of  the  dissipation  then  in  vogue  at  the  capital,  that  they 
ultimately  proved  the  daimyd's  ruin.  Yamaguchi  is  of  pecu- 
liar interest  to  Christians  because  St.  Francis  Xavier  founded 
one  of  his  first  missions  here  in  155^.  Equestrian  statues  of 
some  of  the  early  rulers  adorn  Ene  public  garden  on  Kame- 


644    Route  38.       (  SHIMONOSEKI         Practical  Notes. 


yama.  The  hot  spring  of  the  near-by  Yuda  is  a,  favorite  re- 
sort.—  Beyond  Ogori  the  rly.  enters  the  province  of  Nagato 
and  traverses  a  hilly  country  to  307  M.  Asa,  whither  a  branch 
line  runs  N.  to  (13  M.)  Omine,  where  there  is  a  mine  of  smoke- 
less coal  belonging  to  the  Japanese  Navy.  We  now  get  beauti- 
ful glimpses  of  the  sea  (left)  as  the  rly.  approaches  329  M. 
Shimonoseki (see  below). 

ff  ShimonosekiY* Lower  Barrier'),  or  Akamagaseki,  an  impor- 
tant port  at  the  W.  entrance  of  the  Inland  Sea,  the  western- 
most point  of  the  main  island  of  Hondo,  in  Nagato  Province, 
Yamaguchi  Prefecture,  with  60,000  inhabs.,  stretches  for  up- 
ward of  2  M.  along  the  base  of  low  but  steepish  fortified  hills 
in  lat.  33°  58'  N.  and  long.  130°  56'  E.  of  Greenwich.  It  is 
4  M.  from  the  W.  entrance  of  Shimonoseki  Strait;  is  the  W. 
terminus  of  the  Sanyo  Rly.;  the  point  of  embarkation  for  Ko- 
rean ports;  and  it  bears  practically  the  same  relation  to  the 
opposite  port  of  Moji  (pop.  55,000;  in  Buzen  Province;  Ky- 
ushu Island)  that  New  York  does  to  Jersey  City,  or  Aomori, 
the  northeasternmost  point  of  the  island  (1174  M.  distant) 
does  to  the  adjacent  island  of  Yezo.  Tokyo  is  704  M.  at  the  E.; 
Fusan,  in  Korea,  120  M.  N.W.;  Nagasaki  164  M.  at  die  W., 
and  Kagoshima,  the  terminus  of  the  Kyushu  Rly.  239  M. 
toward  the  S.  It  was  here  that  Mori  Motonori,  the  over- 
zealous  daimyb  of  Choshu  (Nagato),  ordered  his  people  (in 
1863)  to  fire  on  foreign  vessels  passing  through  the  Shimono- 
seki Strait,  and  this  treatment,  accorded  to  ships  of  the  United 
States,  Holland,  and  France,  resulted  in  the  historical  1  Shi- 
monoseki Expedition/  —  in  which,  as  a  remonstrance  against 
such  actions,  ships  of  the  three  Powers,  together  with  England, 
sent  a  joint  squadron  which  bombarded  the  forts  and  scat- 
tered their  defenders.  *Peace  negotiations  for  the  termination 
of  the  Japan-China  War  were  concluded  here  (in  the  Shunpen- 
ro  Inn)  in  1895  by  Li  Hung  Chang,  on  the  one  side,  and  Count 
Ito  Hirobumi  and  Viscount  Mutsu  Munemitsu  on  the  other. 
•*J  The  *Sanyo  Hotel,  at  the  station  and  under  the  rly.  management,  is  clean, 
comfortable,  and  cheap;  good  food;  English  spoken.  Porters  meet  all  trains, 
and  launches  convey  guests  from  ship  to  shore  free.  Telegrams  reserving 
rooms  will  be  forwarded  free  from  incoming  trains  if  handed  to  the  Train 
Boy.  Laundry  in  the  hotel.  Rooms  only,  from  ¥1  to  ¥7  for  the  night,  and 
from  ¥1.50  to  ¥10  for  24  hrs.,  according  to  location,  etc.  Reduction  for  2 
pers.  in  1  room.  Breakfast,  ¥1;  Tiffin,  ¥1.20;  Dinner,  ¥1.50.  On  the  Am. 
pi.,  from  ¥4  a  day  and  upward.  Tea,  20  sen;  sandwiches,  20-40  sen;  baths, 
20  sen. 

Steamships  for  Korea  are  mentioned  in  Rte.  44 ;  for  Formosa  in  Rte.  50. 
English-speaking  station  porters  are  always  on  hand  to  take  charge  of  pas- 
sengers and  their  luggage,  and  transfers  are  made  promptly  and  with  a  pleas- 
ing lack  of  friction.  The  big  European  and  American  liners  usually  stop  in 
mid-channel,  where  they  are  met  by  company  launches  and  porters.  The 
ferry-boat  for  Moji  leaves  (20  sen,  1st  cl.;  15  sen, 2d  cl.)  at  frequent  intervals 
from  one  end  of  the  station  platform.  On  the  other  shore  the  Kyushu  Rly. 
Station  is  5  min.  walk  (luggage  by  porter,  10  sen).  A  bridge  to  span  the 
strait,  and  to  cost  18  million  yen,  is  under  discussion.  A  useful  time-table  of 
the  Korea  and  Moji  ferries,  and  of  trains  on  the  Kyushu  Rly.,  can  be  had 
free  of  the  hotel  manager. 


Dan-no-ura.      SHIMONOSEKI  STRAIT      88.  Rte.  645 


Shimonoseki  Strait  (or  Nagato  Kaikyo,  the  Van  der  Capellen  Strait  of 
Europeans),  which  separates  Hondo  from  Kyushu,  is  the  W.  outlet  of  the 
Inland  Sea,  and  though  but  7  M.  long  between  the  two'  islands  it  is  in  reality 
15  M.  long  between  Aino-shima  at  its  W.  and  He-saki  at  its  E.  entrance. 
The  navigable  channel  varies  from  600  to  1400  yds.  in  breadth  with  about 
26  ft.  in  the  fairway  at  low  tide  —  the  average  velocity  of  which  (at  full 
strength  for  3  hrs.  at  each  tide)  is  1\  knots  at  springs  and  4  at  neaps.  Both  ^ 
entrances  are  encumbered  with  sand-banks  and  are  mined  in  time  of  war. 
The  hills  roundabout  are  fortified,  and  the  entire  region,  with  its  signal-' 
stations,  beacons,  and  the  like,  is  included  in  the  war-zone  (photographing 
and  sketching  interdicted) . 

A  comprehensive  view  of  the  town,  of  its  flanking  hills,  and 
of  the  W.  entrance  of  the  Inland  Sea  can  be  had  by  proceeding 
along  the  main  st.  (left,  then  right  from  the  station)  and  follow- 
ing the  trend  of  the  shore  (past  the  \  M.  Main  Post-Office  and 
the  British  Consulate)  to  (1  M.)  the  Kameyama  Jinja,  a  Shinto 
shrine  on  a  hill  overlooking  the  sea.  Near  the  latter  part  of 
the  stroll  one  passes  through  a  picturesque  arcade  occupied  by 
a  fish-  and  fruit-market.  The  shrine  (marked  by  a  wooden 
horse  in  a  cage  near  the  entrance)  is  tinselly,  but  the  view  is 
pleasing. 

Oga's  Villa  (besso),  1  M.  left  of  the  station,  in  the  E.  quar- 
ter, though  classed  as  one  of  the  'sights/  will  not  repay  a 
serious  visit.  The  small  house  sits  on  a  hill  commanding  a 
good  view;  labyrinthine  paths  lead  up  from  the  st.  (where 
there  are  some  old  guns  and  ammunition-boxes)  through  flank- 
ing lines  of  a  miscellaneous  and  nonsensical  array  of  junk  of 
almost  every  conceivable  description  —  ship's  paraphernalia 
and  war  materials  predominating.  No  fees  are  exacted,  but 
visitors  are  supposed  to  buy  some  trifling  thing  at  the  little 
refreshment-stand  at  the  summit,  near  the  pagoda.  —  Con- 
spicuous objects  in  some  of  the  local  shops  are  the  curious 
dried  and  polished  crabs  (kani)  of  peculiar  significance  to  one 
versed  in  Japanese  history.  They  are  caught  along  the  neigh- 
boring (1|  M.  to  the  E.)  Dan-no-ura  (coast)  where  the  great 
Taira  (or  Heike)  Clan  was  exterminated  (April  25, 1185)  by  the 
rival  Minamoto  (or  Genji)  Clan  led  by  the  intrepid  Yoshitsune. 
The  larger  variety  of  these  grotesque  creatures  is  called  Taishd- 
gani  ('chieftain-crab'),  or  Tatsugashira  ('  dragon's-head '  or 
'helmet ');  the  smaller  ones,  Heike-gani.  A  legend  is  current 
to  the  effect  that  the  spirits  of  the  drowned  and  slaughtered 
men  of  the  Heike  Clan  assumed  such  shapes,  and  that  '  the 
fury  or  the  agony  of  the  death-struggle  can  still  be  discerned 
in  the  faces  and  upon  the  backs  of  the  crabs.'  Each  is  also 
supposed  to  be  animated  by  the  spirit  of  the  Heike  warrior, 
or  by  '  ghosts  of  those  great  captains  who  bore  upon  their  hel- 
mets monsters  unknown  to  Western  heraldry,  and  glittering 
horns,  and  dragons  of  gold.' 

Few  incidents  in  Japanese  history  are  more  tragic.  At  the  moment  when 
the  outnumbered  Taira  were  fighting  with  the  reckless  ferocity  of  despair, 
they  were  betrayed  by  one  of  their  captains  (Taguchi  Shigeyoshi),  who  sud- 
denly hauled  down  the  red  flag  and  went  over  to  the  enemy.  '  This  defection 


646    Rte.38.    BATTLE  OF  THE  CLANS  Dan-no-ura. 

was  fatal  to  the  Taira;  in  less  than  half  an  hour  they  were  overpowered. 
Taguchi  was  eager  to  impart  the  intelligence  to  Yoshitsune  that  the  boy  Em- 
peror, Antoku  (7  yrs.  old),  his  mother  and  grandmother,  and  many  Taira 
Court  ladies  were  on  board  one  of  the  vessels,  which  he  now  pointed  out. 
Where  the  Emperor  was,  the  Regalia  would  be  sure  to  be;  and  it  was  at  once 
Yoshitsane's  chief  commission  and  great  anxiety  to  recover  the  Regalia  for 
the  Cloistered  Emperor  and  the  Sovereign  of  his  choice.  Accordingly  the 
main  object  now  became  to  scatter  the  craft  that  surrounded  and  defended 
what  was  practically  the  queen-bee  ship,  and  to  capture  it  and  the  invalu- 
able freight  it  carried.  Presently  the  Admiral,  Tomomori,  went  on  board 
this  Chinese-rigged  vessel  to  make  report  that  the  battle  was  lost  and  that 
if  they  continued  to  live  it  would  only  be  as  the  serfs  and  serving-maids  of 
the  Eastern  boors ;  together  with  his  uncle  Noriyori  he  threw  himself  over- 
board and  perished.  His  mother,  the  Nii-no-ama,  or"  Noble  nun  of  the  2d 
rank,"  Kiyomori's  widow,  seized  the  Sacred  Sword  and  plunged  into  the  sea 
with  it,  while  the  Lady  Azechi  caught  up  the  young  Emperor  in  her  arms 
and  followed  her.  The  Emperor's  mother  also  went  overboard,  but  both 
she  and  the  Lady  Azechi  were  rescued  with  boat-hooks  by  the  Minarnoto, 
who  had  meanwhile  completed  the  rout  of  the  Taira.1  The  Taira  had  500 
war-vessels,  the  Minarnoto,  840.  On  a  ledge  of  rocks  in  the  channel  is  a 
monument  commemorating  Antoku  and  the  nun  in  whose  arms  he  perished. 


■ 


V.  KYUSHU  AND  THE  LOOCHOO  AND  GOTO  ISLANDS 


Route  page 

39.  From  Shimonoseki  (Moji)  via  Hakata,  Fukuoka, 
Tosu,  Arita,  and  Sasebo  to  Nagasaki  650 

Imperial  Steel  Works,651;  Fukuoka,  651;  The  Mongol  In- 
vasion, 652;  Sugawara  Michizane,  654 ;  Karatsu,  655 ;  Arita 
Porcelain,  656;  Eggshell  Porcelain,  658;  Sasebo,  658. 

40.  Nagasaki  and  its  Environs  659 

History,  662;  Deshima  Island,  663;  Temples,  665;  Osuwa 
Park,  667;  The  Bay,  667;  Walks  to  Urakami,  Mogi,  and 
the  Kwannon  Waterfall,  668.  Excursion  to  Unzen,  669; 
Shimabara,  670.  ■ 

41 .  From  Moji  (Shimonoseki)  via  Tosu  and  Kumamoto 
(Aso  Volcano)  to  Kagoshima  671 


Kumamoto,  672;  Hommyo-ji,  673;  Suizenji  Landscape  Gar- 
den, 673;  Ascent  of  Mt.  Kirishima,  675;  Kagoshima,  676; 
Nishi  Hongwanji,  676;  Sakurajima,  678. 

42.  From  Kumamoto  via  Toshita,  Aso-san,  Takeda, 
and  Oita  to  Beppu   679 

Toshita  and  the  Sugaruga  Waterfall,  681 ;  Ascent  of  the  Aso 
Volcano,  681;  Boju,  686;  Takeda,  686;  Oita,  687;  Beppu, 
687;  Hot  Springs  and  Baths,  689. 

43.  From  Beppu  via  Kokura  to  Moji  (Shimonoseki)  .  692 


Kyushu,  or  Kiushiu  (Nine  Provinces),  the  most  southerly 
of  the  four  large  islands  of  the  main  Empire  of  Japan,  on  the 
Saikaidd,  or  Western  Sea  Road,  with  a  population  of  8  millions 
and  an  area  of  13,770  sq.  M.,  is  one  of  the  richest  of  the  Japan- 
ese possessions.  Known  anciently  as  Tsukushi,  it  has  had  an 
important  bearing  on  the  history  of  Japan.  It  was  on  the 
shore  of  this  island  that  the  forebears  of  the  Japanese  race 
first  set  foot,  thence  proceeded  to  the  main  island  to  dispossess 
the  Ainu  of  their  aboriginal  territory.  Here  the  great  wave  of 
the  Mongol  invasion  broke  in  the  13th  cent.;  here  Mendes 
Pinto  and  his  Portuguese  traders  and  psalm-singing  Jesuits 
first  landed;  to  be  followed  by  the  Dutch  with  many  things 
hitherto  unknown  to  the  Japanese.  It  was  to  Kyushu  that  the 
divine  Ninigi  no  Mikoto  is  supposed  to  have  descended  from 
heaven;  and  from  Kyushu  that  the  equally  improbable  Em- 
press Jingo  is  said  to  have  sailed  to  the  conquest  of  Korea. 
As  the  first  Europeans  landed  here  in  1542,  it  was  significant 
and  perhaps  natural  that  the  Satsuma  Rebellion  should  be  the 
last  of  the  attempts  to  prevent  the  Westernization  of  Japan. 

Not  a  little  of  the  exceptionally  rich  flora  of  Hondo  is  trace- 
able to  Kyushu,  where  a  number  of  Chinese  and  other  species 
evidently  landed  to  spread  thence  over  the  main  island.  Con- 
spicuous among  these  is  the  Viburnum  plicatum  (Jap.  Satsu- 
ma-demari)y  an  ornamental  shrub  from  N.  China;  the  Spurge 


648 


LOOCHOO  ISLANDS  Okinawa. 


Laurel,  or  Daphne  laureola  (Satsuma-fuji)',  the  China  Aster, 
or  Callistephus  chinensis  (Satsuma-giku) ;  the  fragrant  Syringa 
or  mock-orange  (Philadelphus  coronarius;  Satsuma-utsugi) , 
hedgerows  of  which  will  be  met  with  around  Beppu  and  other 
places;  the  red-flowered  Azalea  {Rhododendron  indicum);  the 
white-flowered  Deutzia;  the  Anemone;  the  Osmunda  regalis, 
and  many  others.  Tobacco  came  first  to  Japan  through  Kyu- 
shu, and  it  is  thought  that  the  sweet  potato  (Batatas  edulis) 
traveled  over  the  same  road,  since  the  Japanese  know  it  as 
Satsuma-imo,  or  Satsuma  potato.  —  Of  the  host  of  small  is- 
lands which  lie  off  its  shores,  Kyushu  claims  150.  It  has  in 
addition  9  provinces,  8  departments,  85  districts,  11  cities,  127 
towns,  1457  villages,  and  several  active  volcanoes.  Whales  in 
considerable  numbers  are  caught  in  the  environing  sea  — 
which  teems  with  fish  of  many  varieties.  Forty  million  bushels 
of  choice  rice  are  produced  annually,  along  with  10  million  lbs. 
of  tobacco  and  some  camphor.  The  12  million  tons  of  coal 
mined  each  year  are  worth  $20,000,000  in  gold;  the  copper, 
$500,000;  and  the  silver,  $50,000. 

The  Loochoo  Islands,  known  variously  as  Ryukyu,  as  Okina- 
wa, and  as  the  Nansei  (male)  Group,  an  archipelago  consisting  of 
3  large  islands  (Oshima  at  the  N.E. ;  Tokuno-shima  in  the  center; 
and  Okinawa,  or  Greater  Loochoo,  at  the  S.  W.)  and  52  smaller 
ones  (in  Okinawa-ken),  are  between  the  parallels  of  26°  and  28° 
50'  N.  and  the  meridians  of  126°  42'  and  130°  03'  E.,  and  have 
an  area  of  808  sq.  M.  and  a  population  of  502,000.  They  were 
conquered  by  the  Japanese  under  the  Satsuma  Prince  Shima- 
dzu  Iyehisa  about  1609  (prior  to  which  time  they  had  paid 
tribute  both  to  China  and  Japan)  and  were  formally  annexed 
to  the  Empire  in  1876.  From  the  17th  cent.  Japan  has  carried 
on  an  active  trade  with  the  islands,  which  are  in  daily  touch 
with  Kagoshima  by  the  excellent  ships  of  the  Osaka  Shosen 
Kaisha.  The  islands  form  a  series  of  huge  stepping-stones  be- 
tween Tanegashima,  at  the  S.  of  Kyushu,  and  Yonagunishima 
N.E.  of  Formosa,  and  practically  connect  Japan  with  her  most 
southerly  possession.  The  inhabitants  are  honest,  courteous, 
industrious,  and  peaceable,  and  in  these  ways,  as  well  as  in 
dress,  customs,  speech  and  race  are  akin  to  the  Japanese.  The 
language  differs  from  the  Japanese  about  as  much  as  Portu- 
guese does  from  Spanish,  a  connecting  link  between  Luchuan 
and  Japanese  being  found  in  the  dialect  of  Satsuma.  Oshima, 
1  day's  steam  from  Kagoshima,  the  largest  of  the  islands  be- 
tween Japan  and  Okinawa,  is  30  M.  long  from  N.E.  to  S.W., 
produces  quantities  of  sugar,  wheat,  potatoes,  bananas,  sago, 
etc.,  and  has  a  mt.  peak  on  its  W.  side  2300  ft.  above  the  sea- 
level.  The  climate  is  mild,  with  moderate  temperature  further 
softened  by  steady  sea-breezes.  The  mean  annual  temperature 
is  70°.  Aug.  is  the  hottest  month,  with  a  mean  temperature  of 
81°.  Jan.  and  Feb.  are  the  coldest,  with  each  a  mean  of  50°. 


Hirado. 


GOTO  ISLANDS 


649 


Okinawa,  1  day  S.W.  of  Oshima,  372  M.  from  Kagoshima 
and  364  from  Keelung  (in  Formosa),  the  largest  of  the  Nansei 
Group,  is  60  M.  long  from  N.E.  to  S.W.  with  a  varying 
breadth  of  from  2  to  14  M.  Naha,  on  the  S.W.  side,  facing  the 
bay  of  the  same  name,  capital  of  the  group,  with  48,000  inhabs., 
is  the  chief  city  and  is  built  after  the  style  of  a  modern  Japan- 
ese town,  with  the  customary  canals,  bridges,  shrines,  temples, 
and  what-not.  It  contains  nothing  to  interest  foreign  travel- 
ers. Chief  among  the  inns  is  the  Ikebata  (¥2  and  upward),  in 
pure  native  style.  Some  of  the  attractive  Loochoo  lacquer  made 
here  is  exported  to  Kobe.  The  fine  grass-cloth  woven  (of  hemp 
—  jofu)  in  the  neighborhood,  and  known  in  Japan  proper  as 
Satsuma-jofu,  may  be  seen  in  the  shops  of  Kagoshima.  —  The 
Miyako  and  Yaeyama  Groups,  S.W.  of  Okinawa,  between  the 
parallels  of  24°  00'  and  25°  06'  N.  and  the  meridians  of  122° 
55'  and  125°  30'  E.,  comprise  10  islands  of  coral  and  volcanic 
construction,  and  are  of  interest  to  seamen  because  of  the  mag- 
nificent and  spectacular  volcanic  displays  to  be  seen  there  at 
times. 

Conspicuous  among  the  network  of  islands  that  dot  the  sea 
W.  of  Kyushu  is  the  Goto  (Five  Islands)  Group  (50  M.  from 
Nagasaki;  coasting  steamers  at  frequent  intervals),  a  mountain- 
ous chain  of  many  islets  lying  between  the  parallels  of  32°  33' 
and  33°  19'  N.  Their  longest  extension  (N.E.  to  S.W.)  is  50 
M.  Fukue,  the  southernmost,  about  14  by  14  M.,  is  the  largest, 
and  Nakadori,  sl  cruciform  island  20  M.  in  length  is  the  longest. 
Fukue,  the  chief  town,  contains  the  massive  ruins  of  a  castle 
built  in  1614  and  reconstructed  in  1849  by  the  Goto  daimybs. 
Tomie  is  the  headquarters  of  the  Coral  Industry  in  Japan, 
the  value  of  the  catch  (much  of  which  is  bought  by  Italians) 
amounting  to  more  than  J  million  yen.  — Hirado-shima,  an 
island  (17  M.  long  N.E.  and  S.W.)  a  short  distance  N.E.  of 
the  Goto  Group,  is  separated  from  the  province  of  Hizen  by 
the  narrow  (J  M.)  Hirado-kaikyo  (the Specx  Strait  of  the  Euro- 
peans). The  highest  point  is  Yasuman-dake,  1778  ft.  Hirado 
Port,  the  capital,  on  the  E.  side  of  the  island,  on  the  N.  shore 
of  the  bay  of  the  same  name,  was  the  chief  trading-place  of  the 
Portuguese  from  the  middle  of  the  16th  cent,  till  their  expul- 
sion from  Japan;  and  of  the  Dutch  from  1609  until  their  fac- 
tory was  transferred  to  Nagasaki,  in  1641.  The  English  had  a 
commercial  base  here  from  1613  to  1624.  The  town  is  known 
to  porcelainists  for  its  beautiful  blue-and-white  porcelain  of  'a 
fine  close  biscuit,  pure  white  glaze,  and  blue,  which,  if  not  so 
deep  or  strong  as  the  most  esteemed  Chinese  color,  is  of  un- 
surpassed delicacy  and  aesthetic  beauty.' 


650   me.  39.    SHIMONOSEKI  TO  NAGASAKI  Moji. 


39.  From  Shimonoseki  (Moji)  via  Hakata,  Fukuoka,  Tosu, 
Arita,  and  Sasebo  to  Nagasaki. 

Nagasaki  Main  Line  of  the  Imperial  Government's  Kyushu  Railways. 

164  M.  Several  trains  daily  in  about  5  hrs.;  fare,  1st  cl.  ¥5.33;  2d  cl., 
¥3.20.  Not  all  of  the  trains  carry  dining-  and  sleeping-cars,  for  reference 
to  which  consult  the  rly.  folders  and  p.  lxxxiii.  From  Moji,  on  the  S.  side  of 
the  Shimonoseki  Strait,  the  train  traverses  Buzen  and  Chikuzen  before  enter- 
ing Hizen  Province.  Unless  one  boards  a  Nagasaki  car  one  may  have  to 
chan^eta&k  Tosu ,  where  the  Kagoshima  Line  branches  southward. 

,  Moji  (Inn:  Moji  Hotel,  ¥4),  a  sort  of  Japanese  Pittsburg  at 
t!re*©erthernmost  point  of  Buzen  Province,  is  not  unattractive 

J"  just  after  the  rains  from  heaven  have  washed  its  smudgy  face. 

1  f"  As  the  N.  terminus  of  the  extensive  Kyushu  rlys.,  and  as  a  big 

;^  shipping-point  for  the  vast  quantities  of  coal  mined  in  Buzen 
and  Chikuzen  Provinces,  it  enjoys  considerable  prosperity. 

Z  I  There  is  an  air  of  suppressed  restlessness  and  energy  about  the 
place  strangely  out  of  keeping  with  its  Japanese  aspect.  Im- 
mense power-plants,  scores  of  factory  chimneys,  clouds  of  sooty 
smoke,  and  all  the  unhandsome  attributes  of  a  manufacturing 
Occidental  city  are  features  of  it,  and  the  inhabitants  seem 
determined  to  level  all  the  surrounding  hills  and  make  of  the 
spot  a  Kyushu  metropolis.  The  finely  laid  out  public  garden 
or  Kiyotaki-koen,  on  one  of  the  hills  back  of  it,  commands  the 
sea,  while  equally  wide  views  are  obtained  from  the  grounds 
of  the  Mekari-jinsha,  a  Shinto  temple  dedicated  to  Jimmu 
TennoJs  father. 

The  train  seems  glad  to  get  away  from  the  dingy  port,  and 
it  hurries  out  through  the  noisy  suburbs  to  the  shore  of  the 
undefiled  sea  where  one  may  breathe  pure  air  and  feast  the 
eyes  on  the  inspiriting  sight  of  hundreds  of  ships  of  all  classes 
—  steamers,  fore-and-aft  and  square-rigged  sailors,  mediaeval 
junks  with  bellying  sails  like  the  dorsal  fins  of  huge  sea-crea- 
tures, sampans,  luggers,  and  what-not,  standing  in  or  out  of 
the  narrow  strait  and  betimes  courtesying  to  the  strong  tide- 
rip  that  ruffles  its  surface.  Beyond  the  suburban  town  of 
Dairi  there  is  a  long  sea-wall  of  fine  granite  and  a  fleet  of  tea- 
houses standing  on  spindly  legs  half  in  the  water.  Majestic 
old  pine  trees  fringe  the  idyllic  shore,  and  the  silvery  tentacles 
which  the  sea  reaches  in  through  the  little  towns  are  crowded 
with  junks,  lighters,  and  sampans.  After  passing  7  M.  Ko- 
kura  Jet.  (pop.  32,000),  the  starting-point  for  Beppu  and  the 
towns  described  in  Rte.  41,  the  train  flashes  through  several 
small  towns  embowered  in  fruit  trees  and  overtopped  by 
high-pitched  temple-roofs.  Many  crude  ship-building  yards, 
where  leaking  old  junks  are  being  caulked  and  otherwise  doc- 
tored, bead  the  shore,  while  a  fairly  good  turnpike  flanks  the 
rly.  Beyond  11  M.  Tobata,  acres  of  coal-piles  are  seen  with 
sooty  gnomes  running  across  them  and  loading  the  compressed 


Yedamitsu. 


HAKATA  39.  Route.  651 


energy  into  junks  whose  masts  are  as  many  as  trees  in  a  forest. 
Coke-ovens  are  features  x)f  the  neighborhood. 

12  M.  Yedamitsu.  13  M.  Yawata.  The  huge  plant  at  the 
right  is  the  Imperial  Steel  Works  (Seitetsu-jo)  established  in 
1897  after  the  model  of  the  Krupp  Works.  A  dozen  or  more 
tall  chimneys  pour  out  clouds  of  choking  gray-black  smoke 
that  rest  like  a  pall  above  the  landscape.  Within  the  245  acres 
are  numerous  factories,  25  M.  of  rly.,  many  ore-piles,  fire-brick 
kilns,  and  what-not,  with  10,000  workmen.  Bessemer  and 
open-hearth  steel  products  of  many  kinds  are  made  here  of 
magnetite,  hematite,  and  limonite  ores.  Signs  posted  by  the 
War  Department  warn  travelers  to  refrain  from  taking  photo- 
graphs in  the  neighborhood.  —  From  16  M.  Kurosaki  a 
branch  line  runs  to  7  M.  Okura  and  later  joins  the  main  line  at 
Kokura  Jet.  The  rly.  now  deserts  the  sea  and  crosses  paddy- 
fields  dotted  here  and  there  with  lotus-ponds.  19  M.  Orio  Jet. 
The  branch  line  which  turns  off  at  the  right  goes  to  6  M.  Wa- 
kamatsu  (pop.  28,000)  a  seaport  whence  much  of  the  coal  from 
Chikuzen  and  Buzen  Provinces  is  exported.  Another  line,  the 
Chikuho  branch,  runs  S.  via  several  coal-producing  stations  to 
(26  M.)  Kami-Yamada,  in  the  center  of  a  region  of  a  hundred 
or  more  producing  mines.  Coal  is  the  shibboleth  of  the  region, 
and  scores  of  laden  barges  move  slowly  along  the  canals  to- 
ward the  sea. 

The  main  line  now  climbs  over  a  narrow  ridge  and  con- 
tinues across  a  rolling  country  where  considerable  rice  is  pro- 
duced and  where  lotuses  are  cultivated  for  their  edible  roots. 
Vegetable- wax  and  persimmon  trees  fleck  the  hillsides.  At  44 
M.  Kashii  a  branch  line  goes  off  to  the  right  to  7  M.  Saitozaki, 
on  Hakata  Bay,  renowned  as  the  place  where  the  Empress 
Jingo  started  on  her  expedition  to  Korea  200  years  after 
Christ  was  born!  The  sea  hereabout,  the  Genkai  Nada,  is 
noted  for  its  beauty.  47  M.  Hakozaki  has  a  Shinto  temple, 
the  Hachiman-gu,  said  to  have  been  founded  in  759,  and  dedi- 
cated to  Qjin,  the  God  of  War.  The  grove  of  stalwart  pines 
which  surround  it  is  marked  by  a  great  granite  torii  overlooking 
the  sea.  The  lovely  beach  hence  to  Hakata  is  known  as  the 
Chiyo-no-Matsubara,  or  'Pine  Grove  of  a  Thousand  Genera- 
tions,' from  the  ancient  pines  which  flank  it.  48  M.  Yoshizuka. 
A  few  hundred  yds.  at  the  right,  on  a  tall  granite  base,  stands 
a  splendid  monument  in  bronze  (33  ft.  high;  by  Okazaki 
Sessei)  of  the  Buddhist  monk  Nichiren  (p.  cci).  The  smaller 
(but  taller)  one  at  the  left  is  of  the  (90th)  Emperor  Kameya?na, 
clad  in  the  quaint  costume  of  his  time.  Both  were  erected  in 
1904  and  both  commemorate  the  great  Mongol  Invasion  which 
was  predicted  by  Nichiren  3  years  before  it  occurred. 

.49  M.  Hakata  (Inn:  Matsushima-ya,  ¥3,  opposite  the  sta- 
tion), a  clean  and  attractive  port,  though  theoretically  a  city 
by  itself  is  joined  materially  and  politically  to  Fukuoka  (Inn: 


652   Route  39.     MONGOL  INVASION  Fukuoka. 


Sakae-ya,  ¥2.50  to  4.50)  a  growing  commercial  port  (capital 
of  Chikuzen  Province  with  83,000  inhabs.)  on  the  far  side 
of  the  Naka  River  facing  Hakata  Bay,  in  lat.  33°  35'  N.  and 
long.  130°  25'  E.  of  Greenwich.  Formally  the  castle  town  of 
the  Daimyo  Kuroda,  Fukuoka  was  the  abode  of  many  samurai, 
while  Hakata  played  to  a  certain  extent  the  part  of  a  suburb, 
where  the  tradesmen  and  artisans  dwelt.  The  twin  cities  have 
long  been  renowned  for  various  woven  silken  stuffs  known  as 
Hakata-ori;  for  striped  silk  and  cotton  cloth  called  Hakata- 
jima;  and  for  the  well-known  Takatori-yaki,  a  lustrous  faience 
the  art  of  making  which  is  believed  to  have  been  taught  here 
by  Korean  experts  in  the  16th  cent.  The  sashes  (obi)  made 
locally  are  greatly  prized  for  their  quality.  A  lively  intercourse 
was  maintained  with  China  in  the  early  years  of  the  Japanese 
Empire,  and  to  the  coast  hereabout  the  redoubtable  Kublai 
Khan,  (Jap.  Kopitsu-retsu)  sent  his  Mongol  hordes  in  the  13th 
cent,  to  ignominious  defeat  and  death  at  the  hands  of  the  Shik- 
ken  HojoTokimune,  the  chief  official  in  the  Kamakura  shogunate 
at  the  time.  The  ruins  of  the  stone  barrier  erected  on  the  shore 
to  protect  the  town  from  the  Mongol  attacks,  as  well  as  the 
tomb  marking  the  place  where  hundreds  of  the,  slain  corsairs 
were  interred,  are  still  shown. 

The  Mongol  Invasion  was  precipitated  by  a  Korean  named  Cho  I,  who 
found  his  way  to  Pekin,  and  having  gained  the  ear  of  the  piratical  Kublai 
Khan  hinted  that  the  Mongol  Power  ought  to  demand  the  vassalage  of  Ja- 
pan. The  predatory  Tartars  had  already  overthrown  the  Sung  (Jap.  So) 
Dynasty,  and  nomad  bands  had  spread  as  far  as  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris, 
carrying  death  and  devastation  to  what  had  once  been  the  great  Babylon- 
ian Empire.  Kublai  at  once  sent  two  ambassadors  to  Japan,  but  the  mis- 
sion was  driven  back  by  a  tempest  and  accomplished  nothing.  In  1268,  he 
sent  another  envoy,  but  Hojo  Tokimune  (the  6th  Kamakura  Shikken)  was 
so  displeased  with  the  arrogant  tenor  of  the  note  that  he  ignored  it  by  a 
studied  system  of  procrastination.  In  1271,  another  embassy  was  sent  with 
the  same  result,  whereupon  the  enraged  Khan  (an  Arabic  word  used  by  Ma- 
hometans in  the  same  sense  as  1  Esquire')  ordered  one  of  the  provincial 
kings  of  Korea  to  build  a  thousand  junks  and  to  assemble  40,000  troops  for 
the  proposed  invasion  of  the  Island  Empire. — In  Nov.,  1274  (at  which 
period  Marco  Polo  was  residing  at  the  court  of  Kublai  Khan),  the  great 
Mongol  Armada  put  to  sea.  The  island  of  Tsushima  was  first  reduced,  and 
later  Iki  was  attacked;  the  garrison  sold  their  lives  dearly,  but  they,  as  well 
as  the  people  of  Tsushima,  experienced  to  the  full  the  barbarities  that  in 
those  times  attended  a  Mongol  victory.  From  Iki  the  adventurers  pro- 
ceeded directly  to  Hakozaki,  which  they  promptly  attacked.  The  dis- 
charges from  the  great  slings  and  huge  cross-bows  employed  by  the  Mongols 
made  fearful  havoc  among  the  Japanese,  armed  only  with  their  lighter  bows 
and  arrows.  According  to  Yule's  Marco  Polo  (vol.  n,  pp.  143-50) ;  4  The 
trebuchets  discharged  stones,  and  were  used  to  throw  pots  and  barrels  of 
combustible  material,  destined  to  set  fire  to  the  brattices  or  roofs  of  towers 
or  to  start  a  conflagration  in  the  town  which  they  were  employed  to  bom- 
bard. Each  Tartar  had  a  bow  and  60  arrows;  of  these  30  were  light,  with 
small  sharp  points,  whilst  the  other  30  were  heavy,  with  large  broad  heads, 
which  they  shot  at  close  quarters,  and  with  which  they  inflicted  great  gashes 
on  faces  and  arms,  cut  the  enemy's  bowstrings,  and  committed  great  havoc. 
When  they  had  shot  away  their  arrows  they  took  to  their  swords,  maces  and 
lances,  which  they  plied  stoutly.  But  the  great  Kwanto  bows  of  the  Japanese 
were  not  idle;  showers  of  hurtling,  whistling,  death-dealing  arrows  from 
sinewy  arms  fell  upon  the  Mongols  whenever  the  Japanese  could  get  within 


Marco  Polo.  KUBLAI  KHAN        39.  Route.  653 

striking  distance  of  their  foes;  some  of  them  swam  out  to  the  fleet  of  junks, 
boarded  them  in  a  whirlwind  of  frenzy,  and  cut  off  the  heads  of  the  crews. 
To  foil  these  cutting-out  parties,  the  fleet  ranged  itself  in  a  cordon  and  linked 
each  vessel  to  the  other  with  an  iron  chain;  catapults,  immense  bow-guns 
shooting  ponderous  darts,  and  other  bizarre  engines  of  mediaeval  warfare 
were  mounted  on  their  decks  to  sink  attacking  boats.  But  before  the  new 
weapons  were  in  operation  the  daring  Japanese  had  secured  upward  of  2000 
Mongol  heads,  which  they  deposited  on  shore.  Late  in  the  afternoon  they 
retired  behind  the  rude  fortification  which  had  been  erected  on  shore,  to 
which  they  hung  until  new  levies  poured  in  from  the  surrounding  country. 

According  to  native  annalists  the  Japanese  were  aided  in  their  efforts  to 
repel  the  Mongols  by  the  direct  intervention  of  the  gods.  The  Emperor 
went  in  state  to  the  high  priest  of  the  Shinto  cult  and  bade  him  carry  a  peti- 
tion to  the  Imperial  shrine  at  Ise.  No  sooner  were  the  Imperial  wishes  made 
known  than  the  gods  set  immediately  to  work.  A  dreadful  typhoon  was 
loosened  and  it  swept  the  Japanese  coast  with  resistless  force.  The  Mongols, 
somewhat  versed  in  weather  indications  as  well  as  in  warfare,  foresaw  its 
approach  and  hurriedly  embarked  on  board  of  their  junks.  To  facilitate 
their  temporary  retreat  they  set  fire  to  the  great  shrine  at  Hakozaki,  and  to 
several  of  the  villages  which  fringed  the  bay.  '  Soon  the  Japanese  behind  the 
Mizuki  embankment  saw  the  evening  sky  ruddy  with  the  lurid  glow  of  wildly 
leaping  and  rapidly  spreading  flames,  announcing  the  ruin  of  the  altars  of 
their  gods,  and  of  their  own  hearths  and  homes.  All  through  the  darkness  of 
the  night  they  cowered  shelterless  behind  the  dyke,  drenched  with  the  terrible 
deluge  of  rain  which  preceded  the  "  Great  Wind,"  but  when  morning  at  last 
dawned  they  saw  the  vessels  of  the  invaders'  fleet  running  out  through  the 
mouth  of  Hakozaki  Bay.'  Here  the  typhoon  hit  them  with  irresistible  force; 
one  ship  with  about  a  hundred  men  on  board  ran  aground  on  Shiga  Spit, 
which  forms  the  N.  horn  of  the  haven;  and  these  unfortunates  were  promptly 
captured,  carried  to  Mizuki,  and  there  put  to  the  sword.  Many  of  the  helpless 
vessels  foundered  in  the  open  sea.  '  They  were  butted  together  like  mad 
bulls,  impaled  on  the  rocks,  dashed  against  the  cliffs,  or  tossed  on  land  like 
corks  from  the  spray.  Many  were  blown  over  till  they  careened  and  filled. 
Heavily  freighted  with  human  beings,  they  sunk  by  hundreds.  The  corpses 
were  piled  on  shore,  or  floating  on  the  water  so  thickly  that  it  seemed  almost 
possible  to  walk  thereon.  Some  of  the  vessels  of  the  survivors  drifted  to  or 
were  wrecked  on  Takashima,  where  they  established  themselves,  and,  cut- 
ting down  trees,  began  building  boats  to  reach  Korea.  Here  they  were  at- 
tacked by  the  Japanese,  and  after  a  bloody  struggle,  were  slain  or  driven  into 
the  sea  to  be  drowned.  When  the  remnants  of  the  expedition  reunited,  it  was 
found  that  its  operations,  so  far,  had  cost  the  lives  of  13,200  men.' 

In  1275,  the  irrepressible  Khan  sent  another  mission  to  order  the  Japanese 
Emperor  to  repair  to  Pekin  and  to  do  obeisance,  as  the  Koryu  King  had 
done.  The  men  comprising  this  mission  were  sent  to  Kamakura,  executed 
there  on  the  beach,  and  their  heads  exposed  on  the  public  pillories.  In  1280, 
yet  another  group  of  envoys  met  the  same  fate,  and  this  so  enraged  the  be- 
ligerent  Kublai  that  he  followed  them  up  by  another  huge  Armada  com- 
posed of  3500  junks  and  100,000  men.  The  elements  again  proved  their  un- 
doing. '  A  storm  arose  from  the  west,  and  all  the  vessels  made  for  the  en- 
trance of  the  harbor  together.  The  tide  was  running  in  very  strong  and  the 
ships  were  carried  along  irresistibly  in  its  grip.  As  they  converged  to  a  focus 
at  the  mouth  of  the  harbor  a  terrible  catastrophe  occurred.  The  vessels 
were  jammed  together  in  the  offing,  and  the  bodies  of  men  and  broken  tim- 
bers of  the  ships  were  heaped  together  in  a  solid  mass  so  that  a  person  could 
walk  across  from  one  point  of  land  to  another  on  the  mass  of  wreckage.  Ac- 
cording to  some  accounts  3000  prisoners  were  massacred,  only  three  being 
spared  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  an  account  of  the  fate  of  the  expedition 
back  to  China.  The  Chinese  annals  say  from  10,000  to  12,000  were  made 
slaves.  Great  as  had  been  the  failure  of  this  second  attempt  on  Japan,  Ku- 
blai at  once  began  to  concert  measures  for  a  third  great  armament,  but  the 
Mongols  refused;  they  were  tired  of  that  sort  of  service.'  (Murdoch.) 

The  entire  neighborhood  is  studded  with  ancient  temples 
and  monuments.  Japanese  remember  it  for  the  battle  of  1333 
in  which  Kikuche  Taketoki,  a  loyal  supporter  of  the  unfortun- 


654   Route  39.    SUGAWARA  MICHIZANE  Dazaiju. 


ate  Emperor  Go-Daigo,  was  killed  by  the  soldiers  of  Ashikaga 
Takauji.  The  traveler  with  time  to  spare  may  like  to  visit 
the  (13  M.)  Genbudo  Cavern,  a  big  cave  which  the  sea  has  eaten 
out  of  a  basaltic  cliff  and  in  which  a  heavy  surf  pounds  with  a 
reverberating  roar.  Small  _steamers  ply  across  the  lovely  sea 
to  the  village  of  Keya-no-Oto  (by  which  name  the  cavern  is 
sometimes  called).  Near  (3  M.)  Najima,  on  the  shore,  are  bits 
of  a  petrified  tree  which  the  ignorant  believe  once  formed  the 
masts  of  the  junk  which  carried  the  mythical  Empress  Jingo 
to  Korea.  An  electric  tramway  connects  Hakata-Fukuoka  with 
several  surrounding  towns.  The  Medical  College  is  a  branch  of 
the  Kyoto  Imperial  University.  —  The  towns  touched  at  by 
the  short  line  of  the  Hakatawan  Rly.  Co.  are  of  no  interest  to 
foreigners. 

From  Fukuoka  the  rly.  curves  and  runs  southward  through 
a  sparsely  settled,  indifferently  cultivated  region;  the  wild 
pampas-grass  and  the  densely  wooded  hills  impart  a  primeval 
aspect.  A  little  cheap  pottery  is  made  in  the  monotonous  vil- 
lages. —  58  M.  Futsukaichi  is  the  point  of  departure  for  the 
(2  M.,  tram-car)  historic  Dazaiju  (Inn:  Izumiya,  ¥2.50), 
known  throughout  Japan  for  its  association  with  Sugawara- 
Michizanef  the  statesman  and  scholar  who  died  there  in  exile. 

Sugawara  Michizane  (b.  845;  d.  903),  a  deeply  learned,  noble-minded 
man,  rose  to  prominence  during  the  brief  reign  of  the  (59th)  Mikado  Uda 
(888-97),  over  whom  he  exerted  a  strong  influence.  Because  of  this  the  Fu- 
jiwara  Clan  planned  his  downfall.  He  was  accused  of  conspiring  to  de- 
throne the  sovereign,  and  was  banished  to  Dazaifu,  where  he  soon  died  a 
miserable  death  —  presumably  by  starvation.  Soon  after  Michizane' s  de- 
portation his  enemies  began  to  die  one  by  one,  and  in  these  premature 
deaths  the  superstition  of  the  time  saw  the  intervention  of  a  retributive  and 
avenging  Providence.  The  Emperor  repented  bitterly  his  conduct  in  sanc- 
tioning the  decree  of  banishment,  burnt  all  the  documents  in  connection  with 
the  case  —  to  the  great  inconvenience  of  subsequent  historians  —  and  re- 
stored Michizane  posthumously  to  his  former  position.  When  a  few  years 
later  the  young  Prince  Imperial  died,  his  early  demise  was  ascribed  to  the 
curse  of  Michizane' s  angry  shade,  so  to  prevent  his  ghost  from  inflicting  ad- 
ditional harm  on  the  people  a  number  of  temples  were  erected  to  his  memory 
and  he  was  deified  under  the  titles  of  Tenjin  (Heaven  man) ;  Temmangu 
(Heavenly  spirit,  etc.).  One  of  these  temples  (the  Kitano  Tenjin)  stands  in 
Kydto;  another  at  Kameido,  in  Tokyo,  where  he  is  revered  as  the  God  of  Cal- 
ligraphy. Children  offer  to  his  shrine  the  first  examples  of  their  handwriting, 
and  deposit  in  receptacles  made  for  them  their  worn-out  writing-brushes. 
Michizane' s  portrait  appears  on  one  of  the  bills  of  the  Bank  of  Japan.  His 
shrine  at  Dazaifu  (the  Temmangu)  stands  amid  some  fine  old  camphor 
trees  and  was  renovated  in  1902,  at  the  time  of  the  millenary  observance 
of  his  death.  The  preponderance  of  bronze  bulls  noted  at  this  and  similar 
shrines  throughout  the  Empire  symbolizes  Michizane' s  humility.  He  is  often 
pictured  riding  on  one  of  these  lowly  beasts. 

From  the  6th  cent,  onward,  Dazaifu  (lit., 4  the  military  government')  was 
the  seat  of  the  Kyushu  administration.  One  of  the  first  mints  erected 
in  Japan  was  established  here  in  760,  and  here,  in  1182,  the  boy  Emperor 
Antoku  took  refuge,  but  the  revolt  of  Ogata  Koreyoshi  compelled  him  to 
pass  into  Nagato,  where  he  met  his  death  in  the  manner  described  at 
p.  646.  The  big  hill  called  Tempai-zan,  at  the  far  right  of  the.  Futzukaichi 
Station,  is  crowned  by  a  shrine  consecrated  to  Michizane,  who  is  said  to 
have  repaired  hither  often  to  turn  his  face  toward  Kyoto  and  venerate  the 
Emperor  who  exiled  him.  —  Not  far  off  are  the  Hot  Springs  of  Musashi, 
where  pilgrims  to  Dazaifu  foregather. 


Tosu. 


KARATSU  39.  Route.  655 


At  67  M.  Tosu,  the  main  line  of  the  rly.  turns  and  runs  due 
S.  to  Kumamoto  and  Kagoshima  (Rte.  41),  while  ours  continues 
across  a  green  and  partly  cultivated  country  whose  meager, 
volcanic  soil  is  peculiarly  suitable  to  the  growth  of  luscious 
water-melons  (suika).  The  land  is  dotted  with  thousands  of 
vegetable-wax  trees  (Rhus  succedanea;  Jap.  Haze-no-ki;  an  im- 
portation from  the  Loochoo  Islands),  which  bear  a  close  resem- 
blance to  big  peach  trees.  [From  the  small  clustered  berries 
an  excellent  white  candle-wax  (ro)  is  expressed,  which  adds 
materially  to  the  wealth  of  the  island.  In  the  autumn  the 
leaves  turn  yellow,  then  red,  and  flame  like  those  of  the  maple.] 
—  Most  of  the  ponds  along  the  rly.  are  choked  with  lotuses, 
which  present  a  magnificent  spectacle  in  late  summer.  The 
country  pikes  are  not  as  good  as  those  of  the  main  island,  but 
are  passable  for  motor-cars.  Most  of  the  jinrikishas  which 
travel  them  are  equipped  with  buff-colored  tops  —  a  conces- 
sion to  the  southern  sun  which  shines  here  with  blinding  in- 
tensity. 81  M.  Saga  (Inn:  Eitokuya,  opposite  the  station; 
¥2.50),  in  Saga  ken,  with  36,000  inhabs.,  was  until  1553  the 
castled  seat  of  the  Ryuzoji  daimyds;  thenceforward  to  1868 
it  was  the  headquarters  of  the  powerful  Nabeshima  family. 
In  1874,  it  acquired  an  unenviable  fame  for  the  reactionary 
spirit  of  certain  of  its  rulers,  but  the  civil  war  provoked  by 
Eto  Shimpei  (aforetime  Minister  of  Justice  under  the  restored 
Imperial  Gov't)  was  promptly  checked,  the  leader  with  10 
others  being  executed  and  their  heads  pilloried. 

86  M.  Kubota,  is  the  junction  for  a  branch  line  which  runs 
(out  of  the  same  station)  to  (25  M.)  Karatsu  (Inn:  Hakataya, 
¥2.50),  a  bustling  port  on  Karatsu  Bay,  in  Hizen  Province, 
where  coal  and  the  well-known  Karatsu  porcelain  are  exported; 
there  are  extensive  kilns  in  the  neighborhood,  and  the  coal  is 
brought  from  the  mines  on  the  left  bank  of  the  picturesque 
Matsuura  River  (which  runs  through  the  town)  about  6  M. 
from  its  mouth.  Steamships  leave  at  frequent  intervals  for 
Korean  towns  and  ports  on  the  Japan  Sea.  The  bold,  square- 
topped  peak  which  rises  (2638  ft.)  above  the  bay  (12  M.  long; 
entrance  7  M.  wide)  is  Uki-dake.  Near  the  mouth  of  the  river 
is  a  lovely  beach  (tram-car,  1  M.)  called  Niji-no-Matsubara 
from  the  splendid  old  pine  trees  which  fringe  it.  The  most  pop- 
ular of  the  bathing-resorts  is  Kaihin-in.  At  (6  M.,  boats)  Na- 
natsu-gama  (' Seven  Kettles')  there  are  caverns  hollowed  out 
by  the  action  of  the  sea-water,  and  some  striking  basaltic  cliffs 
with  curious  hexagonal  rocks.  The  ruinous  old  castle  in  the 
town  was  built  by  Hideyoshi  during  the  Korean  War  (1592- 
98),  and  was  occupied  by  the  ruling  daimyds  down  to  1868. 

Beyond  88  M.  Ushizu  the  country  is  green  and  is  well  wa- 
tered by  numerous  small  rivers ;  the  wide  plains  produce  such 
abundant  crops  of  rice  that  it  is  said  the  yield  of  one  yr.  is 
sufficient  to  support  the  sparse  population  for  five  yrs.  Fine 


656    Route  39.      ARITA  PORCELAIN         Imari  Ware. 


clumps  of  evergreens  dot  the  plains,  and  the  hills  which  always 
rise  somewhere  near  are  covered  to  their  summits  with  dense 
groves  of  a  score  or  more  varieties  of  trees,  and  huge  but  grace- 
ful ferns.  The  hills  beyond  96  M.  Kitagata  contain  coal.  — 
99  M.  Takeo  (Inn:  Tokyo-ya  Hotel,  etc.,  #3)  nestles  amid 
green  hills  from  whose  fiery  bosom  spurt  hot  ferruginous  waters 
much  resorted  to  by  the  ailing  of  both  sexes  —  who  mingle 
indiscriminately  in  the  baths.  These  are  at  the  foot  of  the  hill, 
at  the  lower  end  of  the  town,  £  M.  to  the  right  of  the  station, 
near  some  pointed  fantastic  rocks  among  which  sit  several 
fatuous  stone  Buddhas.  The  quaint  little  town  is  embowered 
in  tallow  trees  (Sapium  sebiferum;  Jap.  Rd-no-ki;  a  Chinese 
importation),  a  small  smooth  tree  with  fruit-clusters  like  green 
olives  and  triple  seeds  inclosed  in  a  fatty  substance  of  which 
candles  are  made.  The  tall  hill  at  the  left  of  the  station,  with 
perpendicular  rocks  like  cathedral  spires,  is  Shiro-yama 
(Castle  Mt.).  —  The  train  climbs  into  a  labyrinth  of  green 
hills  on  whose  densely  wooded  sides  grow  in  inextricable  con- 
fusion, hundreds  of  the  semi-tropical  trees  and  flowers  for 
which  Kyushu  is  noted  —  ferns  and  bamboos,  oaks  and  cam- 
phor laurels,  maples  and  cherries,  and  flowers  innumerable. 

109  M.  Arita,  a  small  town  in  a  valley  between  hills  aptly 
exemplifies  the  phrase,  Hie  natus  ubique  notus,  for  the  name 
is  known  wherever  porcelainists  foregather.  Here,  and  at 
(8  M.  by  rly.  to  the  N.W.)  Imari,  the  widely  popular  Arita- 
yaki  is  made  in  crude  potteries  small  in  comparison  with  their 
output  and  their  fame.  The  station  platform  is  usually  piled 
high  with  cylindrical,  straw- wrapped  bundles  awaiting  ship- 
ment to  the  curio  centers  of  Japan  and  abroad. 

According  to  Dr.  Rein  the  manufacture  of  Porcelain  at  Arita  is  generally 
traced  to  Gorodayu  Shonsui,  a  potter  of  Ise  Province,  who  lived  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  16th  cent,  and  was  the  first  in  Japan  to  manufacture  porcelain 
proper  as  distinguished  from  pottery.  Moved  by  the  beauty  and  value  of 
Chinese  porcelain,  which  began  to  reach  Japan  at  this  time,  he  undertook  a 
journey  to  King-te-tschin  via  Fuchow,  and  remained  there  5  yrs.  to  learn  the 
trade.  Returning  in  1514  he  settled  in  the  then  insignificant  town  of  Arita 
and  prepared  from  the  materials  he  had  brought  from  China  a  number  of 
coarse  porcelain  wares  decorated  under  glaze  with  blue  cobalt.  When  his 
stock  of  Chinese  porcelain  material  was  exhausted,  and  he  found  himself 
obliged  to  depend  on  domestic  clay,  he  could  make  nothing  but  faience,  as 
did  his  successors  to  the  end  of  the  century,  with  cobalt  decoration  under 
glaze.  Ceramics  received  a  new  impulse  here  (and  in  many  other  parts  of 
Japan)  with  the  return  of  Hideyoshi's  army  from  Korea  (in  1598).  Nabe- 
shima  Naoshige,  the  dainty  6  of  Hizen  Province,  and  one  of  the  commanders 
of  the  Japanese  troops  in  Korea,  brought  back  with  him  several  Korean  pot- 
ters, who  settled  first  in  the  bathing-resort  of  Ureshimo,  but  later  in  Arita. 
One  of  them,  Risampei,  discovered,  in  1599,  porcelain  stone  on  the  Idzumi- 
yama  E.  of  Arita,  and  at  once  began  the  manufacture  of  porcelain  in  Japan. 
The  use  of  red  oxide  of  iron  followed  some  yrs.  after  that  of  cobalt  decoration 
under  glaze  (thought  by  some  to  have  been  brought  out  by  the  Dutch) ,  and 
2  yrs.  later  decoration  on  glaze  was  introduced  by  Higashijima  Tokuemon 
and  Sakaida  Kakiemon,  potters,  of  Arita,  who  learned  the  process  from  the 
captain  of  a  Chinese  junk,  at  Nagasaki.  The  Dutch,  as  early  as  1680,  im- 
ported 'Old  Hizen'  from  Nagasaki,  and  all  the  porcelain  brought  into  Eu- 
rope previous  to  1854  by  them  is  known  as  Arita,  Imari,  or  Hizen  ware  — 


Hizen  Ware.         ARITA  PORCELAIN     89.  Route.  657 

the  first  name  denoting  the  place  of  manufacture;  the  2d,  the  neighboring 
shipping-port;  the  3d,  the  province  in  which  the  two,  together  with  Naga- 
saki, are  situated.  —  For  many  yrs.  the  Arita  industry  was  the  most  highly 
developed  and  the  most  conspicuous  of  all  the  Japanese  potteries.  The 
range  of  hills  lying  to  the  E.  furnished  inexhaustible  quantities  of  porcelain 
stone  of  incomparable  quality  —  a  peculiar  material  from  which  pottery  of 
the  most  varying  forms  is  made,  from  the  light  and  finest  eggshell  porcelain 
to  the  imposing  vases  6  or  more  ft.  high.  It  is  a  product  of  the  transforma- 
tion of  the  old  volcanic  rock  which  is  found  close  by  in  an  unchanged  state 
as  perlite  breccia  and  trachyte  (a  compact  rock  with  2.5-2.7  specific  grav- 
ity). Its  color  is  a  grayish  white  or  soft  yellow,  resembling  trachyte  or  f el- 
site  clay-stone.  The  best  kind  is  almost  pure  kaolin,  while  in  other  places  the 
rock  is  conglomerate,  and  is  intersected  by  numerous  small  quartz  veins, 
partly  filled  with  very  small  quartz  crystals,  and  in  other  portions  with  crys- 
tals of  iron  pyrites,  which  under  the  microscope  appear  distinctly  in  the  form 
of  dice  and  pyritohedrons.  There  are  3  kinds  of  this  quarried  porcelain 
stone:  one  white  and  entirely  kaolinized,  which  also  possesses  the  earthy 
character  of  Kaolin;  one  blue  and  rich  in  quartz;  and  a  third  yellow,  and 
containing  iron. 

For  centuries  Arita  furnished  the  most  highly  valued  wares  of  Japan ;  its 
porcelain  was  perfectly  uniform,  and  besides  adding  considerable  translu- 
cence  to  pure  white,  was  hard  enough  for  all  the  purposes  of  ordinary  life.  It 
burns  so  easily  that  decorative  art  has  in  its  surface,  as  in  that  of  faience,  a 
fine  field,  and  is  aided  also  by  the  plastic  character  of  the  excellent  material. 
The  earlier  pieces  were  chiefly  large,  urn-shaped,  covered  jars,  or  tsubo  (a 
contraction  of  tsubogane),  called  tea-urns  because  they  served  originally  for 
preserving  tea;  also  of  hemispherical  dishes  or  deep  bowls  (domburi),  and 
round,  flat  plates  (sara).  They  were  decorated  with  peonies  and  chrysanthe- 
mums, small  landscapes,  human  figures  in  red  and  gold,  with  sometimes  a 
little  green.  The  use  of  blue,  violet,  yellow,  and  black  muffle  colors  belongs 
to  a  later  period.  Certain  of  Kakiemon1  s  early  masterpieces  were  of  milk- 
white  porcelain,  generally  with  scanty  designs  in  vitrifiable  enamels.  These 
delicate  designs  were  too  tame  for  the  Dutch  traders,  who  suggested  that  the 
potters  should  add  enamel  decoration  over  the  glaze  to  pieces  already  deco- 
rated with  blue  under  the  glaze.  '  There  thus  came  into  existence'  (says  Brink- 
ley)  'the  familiar  Imari-yaki;  the  "  Old  Japan"  of  Western  amateurs;  the 
Nishiki-de  or  "Brocade  Pattern"  of  the  Japanese  themselves.  It  was  a  bril- 
liant ware,  depending  chiefly  upon  wealth  of  decoration  and  richness  of  color- 
ing. Now  nothing  is  rarer  in  enamel  Imari  porcelain  than  a  good  blue,  and 
nothing  is  commoner  than  a  specimen  in  which  the  decoration  over  the  glaze 
gives  evidence  of  great  care  and  skill,  while  the  blue  designs  under  the  glaze 
are  blurred  or  of  impure  tone.  In  brilliancy,  purity,  variety,  and  accuracy  of 
application,  the  enamels  of  the  choice  Imari  specimens  have  never  been  sur- 
passed. They  were  always  painted  with  extreme  care,  their  blue  under  glaze 
rich  and  clear,  their  red  soft,  uniform,  and  solid.  Ranking  first  among  the 
enamels  found  on  the  finest  pieces  is  purple,  a  peculiar  amethystine  tinge, 
verging  upon  lilac.  Then  comes  opaque  yet  lustrous  green,  the  color  of  young 
onion  sprouts,  —  beautiful  enamel,  much  prized  by  the  Japanese,  who  call 
it  tampan  (sulphate  of  copper).  Then  follows  turquoise  blue,  and  finally 
black,  the  first,  however,  being  exceptional.  Add  to  these  red,  grass-green, 
gold  and  blue  (sous  couverte),  and  the  palette  alike  of  the  Arita  and  Na- 
beshima  ceramists  is  exhausted.  In  old  pieces  of  Imari  both  enameled  and 
blue-and-white  cracquele  is  sometimes  found.  The  cracquele  celadon,  of  which 
quantities  now  appear  in  the  market  under  the  name  of  Hizen-yaki,  is  a 
recent  manufacture.' 

The  same  authority  warns  collectors  against  elaborately  modeled  and 
highly  decorated  specimens  of  Imari  porcelain  which  are  placed  upon  the 
market  by  unprincipled  dealers  as  examples  of  Kakiemon' s  work.  There 
were  several  generations  of  Kakiemons,  and  the  mere  fact  of  ascribing  a  speci- 
men to  Kakiemon  is  sufficient  to  proclaim  the  ignorance  or  dishonesty  of 
the  description.  As  for  the  figures  of  richly  robed  females  that  have  received 
this  title  in  recent  works  on  Japanese  art,  they  are  manifest  forgeries.  'Ex- 
quisite specimens  of  enameled  ware  were  produced  at  the  Anita  factories,  but 
the  workmen  generally  adhered  to  a  custom  handed  down  from  the  days  of 
Tokuemon  and  Kakiemon,  —  instead  of  making  their  vases  with  their  own 


658    Bte.89.    EGG-SHELL  PORCELAIN  Usu-de-yaki. 

names  or  those  of  the  year  periods,  they  either  copied  Chinese  seals  and 
dates,  or  used  a  conventional  ideograph  or  group  of  ideographs,  quite  use- 
less for  purposes  of  identification.  The  amateur  is,  therefore,  without  any 
easy  guide  to  determine  the  age  or  maker  of  a  piece.  He  must  look  only  to 
the  quality  of  the  pdte,  the  brilliancy  of  the  enamels,  and  the  purity  and  in- 
tensity of  the  blue  under  the  glaze.  Any  appearance  of  chalkiness  in  the 
clay  indicates  youth,  and,  as  a  general  rule,  the  clearer  and  more  metallic  the 
ring  of  the  biscuit,  the  greater  the  age  of  the  piece.  The  color  of  the  blue 
under  the  glaze  is  also  a  help.  The  tone  is  richest  and  most  pleasing  in  speci- 
mens manufactured  during  the  18th  cent. ;  in  vases  of  earlier  date  it  is  often 
impure  and  blurred.  To  very  choice,  elaborate,  and  carefully  finished  exam- 
ples of  enameling  it  will  generally  be  unsafe  to  assign  a  greater  age  than  150 
yrs.,  and  from  what  has  been  stated  above,  the  amateur  will  see  that  the 
colors  of  the  enamels  afford  some  slight  assistance:  the  red  should  be  deep 
and  even,  with  a  dull,  rather  than  a  glossy  surface;  while  lemon-yellow,  pur- 
ple, and  black  in  combination  are  evidences  at  once  of  choice  ware  and  of 
middle-period  (1700-1830)  manufacture.  In  the  wares  of  the  Kakiemon  school 
there  is  found  a  cream-whit^  surface  sometimes  almost  equal  to  the  ivory- 
white  of  Korea  and  China,  and  this  color  of  the  biscuit  is  another  easily  de- 
tected point.  But  specimens  of  this  sort  belong  to  the  Nabeshima-yaki, 
rather  than  to  genuine  Imari-yaki.  The  biscuit  of  the  latter,  also,  ought  to 
be  white,  —  the  whiter  the  better,  —  but  a  perfectly  pure  white  is  seldom, 
if  ever,  found.  This,  however,  may  be  said:  that  a  surface  showing  a  marked 
tinge  of  blue  is  not  of  fine  quality,  and  that  the  more  pronounced  the  tinge 
the  less  valuable  the  specimen.  Examined  attentively,  the  glaze  of  Imari- 
yaki  presents  the  appearance  of  very  fine  muslin.  It  is  pitted  all  over  with 
microscopic  points,  which  become  more  and  more  distinct  as  a  later  and  less 
careful  period  of  manufacture  is  approached.  Spur-marks,  3  or  5  in  num- 
ber, the  remains  of  little  clay  pillars  upon  which  the  specimen  was  supported 
in  the  furnace,  are  frequently  found  on  the  bottom  of  plates  and  other  flat 
objects,  something  never  seen  on  Chinese  porcelain.'  (Consult  the  Oriental 
Series,  vol.  8.) 

Westward  from  Arita  the  rly.  traverses  a  semi-tropical 
region  to  114  M.  Mikawachi,  known  likewise  for  its  potteries. 

Few  Japanese  wares  are  better  known  to  foreign  collectors  than  the  Egg- 
shell Porcelain  (Usu-de-yaki,  or  '  thin-burned'  ware)  made  here,  but  attri- 
buted to  the  Arita  factories  and  called  Hizen-ware.  The  best,  most  finely 
pulverized  and  purified  material  is  used  in  its  manufacture.  The  dishes  and 
cups  are  turned  quite  thin  on  a  sharpened  wooden  gauging-rod,  then  left 
upon  it  several  days  to  dry  in  the  open  air,  when,  like  the  pieces  of  vases, 
they  are  further  turned  on  the  wheel,  though  much  more  thoroughly,  and 
again  burned  in  cases.  There  are  two  chief  varieties,  both  of  great  fineness 
and  purity,  and  both  of  gossamer-like  consistency.  One  is  decorated  with 
blue  under  the  glaze;  the  other  with  red,  gold,  and  sometimes  light  blue 
above  the  glaze.  Figure  subjects  —  warriors  in  armor  or  courtezans  in 
elaborate  drapery  —  constitute  the  general  decoration,  which  is  seldom  ex- 
ecuted with  any  conspicuous  skill.  The  date  of  its  first  production  cannot 
be  fixed  with  absolute  accuracy,  but  authorities  believe  that  it  was  not 
manufactured  before  the  latter  part  of  the  18th  cent.  A  pretty  conception 
in  the  ware  made  for  export  was  to  protect  the  more  fragile  wine-cups  by 
envelopes  of  extraordinarily  fine  plaited  basket-work  (ajiro-gumi)  made  in 
Nagasaki  —  whither  the  cups  were  sent  for  sale,  usually  in  nests  of  3,  5,  or  7. 

115  M.  Haiki  is  the  point  of  departure  for  (5  M.)  Sasebo 
(pop.  93,000),  an  important  naval  station  (Inn:  Aburaya, 
¥3.50)  in  Nagasaki-ken  with  a  fine  land-locked  harbor  If  M. 
long  by  1  M.  wide.  —  The  rly.  now  curves  broadly  to  the  left 
and  runs  S.E.  along  the  coast  of  the  Gulf  of  Omura.  Nonde- 
script towns,  salt-pits,  and  a  good  automobile  road  are  con- 
spicuous features.  Beyond  130  M.  Sonogi  the  shore  is  dotted 
with  picturesque  fishing-villages;  on  the  sun- warmed  slopes 


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British  Consulate 


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1200  Eng.  Feet 

0       100      200      300      400  Meters 
Drawn  Specially  for 
TERRY'S  JAPANESE  EMPIRE 
Copyrighted 
Railroads  *~ ~~ 





Wm 


Practical  Notes.  NAGASAKI  Jtfi.  Route.  659 


of  the  hills  pomegranates  (zakuro)  flaunt  their  flowers  or  their 
reddish-yellow  fruit,  and  the  deep  scarlet  leaves  of  the  vege- 
table-wax trees  form^  pleasing  coior-notes  against  the  vivid 
green.  —  137  M.  Omura,  a  garrison  town,  was  from  the  12th 
cent,  onward  the  family  seat  of  the  powerful  Omura  daimyds; 
the  walls  of  their  old  feudal  castle,  in  a  fine  garden  overlook- 
ing the  bay,  still  stand  to  their  memory,  while  the  thousands 
of  picturesque  tombstones  on  the  sloping  hillsides  mark  the 
graves  of  their  retainers.  The  rly.  now  climbs  up  through  a 
narrow  valley  splendidly  terraced  and  sown  to  rice;  an  occa- 
sional banana  tree  (basho)  advertises  the  semi-tropical  char- 
acter of  the  region.  Beyond  144  M.  Isahaya  (starting-point 
for  Unzen,  p.  669),  a  wasted  river,  the  Hommyd-gawa,  runs 
down  through  the  ravine,  to  the  sea,  which  soon  comes  into 
view.  The  line  is  now  marked  by  many  curves,  tunnels,  ter- 
raced hills,  and  massive  retaining- walls.  In  many  of  the  yards 
of  the  tiny  houses  splendid  lotuses  bloom  riotously.  Beyond 
159  M.  Michino-o  (with  hot  springs),  the  line  leads  down 
through  a  gradually  widening  valley,  with  a  good  auto  road 
and  many  picturesque  water-wheels.  162  M.  Urakami  is  a 
suburb  of  164  M.  Nagasaki,  which,  with  its  lovely,  hill-en- 
circled bay  crowded  with  ships  and  sampans,  is  now  reached. 

40.  Nagasaki  and  its  Environs. 

Arrival.  The  rly.  station  is  in  the  N.  quarter  of  the  city  (PI.  B,  2)  about  1 
M.  from  the  chief  hotels.  No  cabs.  A  tramway  is  under  construction. 
Fare  by  jinriki,  25  sen;  3  or  4  pieces  of  hand-luggage  can  be  piled  into  another 
kuruma  at  the  same  price.  The  hotel  manager  will  have  heavy  luggage 
brought  up  on  a  push-cart  at  an  inclusive  charge  of  40-50  sen  for  3-4  trunks. 
Rikishas  (p.  lxxxviii)  in  the  town,  15-20  sen  an  hr.  Foreigners  are  charged 
more  than  residents,  and  bargaining  is  always  advisable.  Some  of  the  men 
are  talky,  pert,  and  troublesome;  attaching  themselves  to  travelers  who  wish 
to  stroll  about  the  port,  dogging  their  footsteps,  proffering  information  and 
advice,  and  making  themselves  obnoxious  generally.  Usually  they  can  be 
got  rid  of  by  a  threat  to  appeal  to  the  police.  A  flexible  and  steadily  advanc- 
ing scale  of  prices  applies  to  long  runs  or  out-of-town  trips,  and  a  bargain 
should  be  struck  before  starting  out. 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix).  The  transient  trade  of  Nagasaki  is  too  limited 
to  support  big  hotels  like  those  of  Kobe  or  Yokohama.  The  small  but  com- 
fortable Cliff  House  Hotel  (PI.  B,  4)  is  on  the  hill-slope  E.  of  the  landing,'  in 
Sagarimatsu;  English  management  and  cooking;  ¥3.50  a  day  and  upward, 
Am.  pi.  —  Hotel  Belle  Vue,  near  by;  native  management;  ¥4.50  and  up- 
ward. The  Hotel  de  Japan;  H.  de  France,  and  others  in  the  side  sts.  quote 
lower  rates.  Baths  free.  In  summer  the  most  comfortable  rooms  are  those 
which  get  the  S.W.  breeze  —  which  prevails  nearly  every  day  until  the  end 
of  August. 

Climate.  The  winter  climate  is  fine  and  equable.  The  summer  months  are 
hot,  but  are  usually  tempered  by  sea-breezes.  In  Aug.-Sept.  these  some- 
times develop  into  typhoons  (p.  lxviii)  which  whip  the  coast  with  unre- 
strained fury.  The  region  is  comparatively  free' from  earthquakes. 

Banks  (comp.  p.  xxiii)  where  drafts,  etc.,  can  be  cashed  and  money  ex- 
changed: Yokohama  Specie  Bank,  Ltd.,  4  Megakasi  (PL  B,  3);  English 
spoken.  — International  Banking  Co.  — Chartered  Bank  of  India,  Australia 
and  China.  — Hongkong  and  Shanghai  Banking  Co.,  all  on  the  Bund.  The 
Money  Changers  have  their  offices  in  the  side  sts.  (Comp.  Exchange, 
p.  xxi.) 


660   Route  40.  NAGASAKI 


Shops. 


Photography.  The  traveler  is  cautioned  against  bringing  cameras  ashore 
or  carrying  them  through  the  sts.  Nagasaki  is  a  fortified  port,  and  photo- 
graphing, sketching,  or  the  making  of  notes  of  topographical  features  is  pro- 
hibited by  the  War  Department.  The  Military  Zone  extends  for  some  dis- 
tance roundabout.  Arrest  and  possibly  long  detention  will  inevitably  result 
if  the  admonition  is  disobeyed.  Professed  ignorance  of  the  restrictions  will 
not  avail  one,  as  signs  in  English  acquainting  the  traveler  with  the  ruling 
are  placed  at  many  conspicuous  points  throughout  the  city. 

Ships  of  nearly  all  the  lines  make  Nagasaki  a  port  of  call  (see  below)  and 
usually  anchor  about  \  M;  from  the  Custom-House  Landing.  In  cases  where 
passengers  are  not  put  ashore  in  the  company's  launch,  a  sampan  can  be 
hired  for  25  sen,  with  an  added  charge  of  5  sen  for  each  extra  person.  Hand- 
luggage,  5  sen  per  package;  trunks,  25  sen.  The  hotel  house-boats  (covered 
sampans)  will  land  travelers  (or  put  them  aboard  the  ship)  for  an  inclusive 
charge  of  50  sen  for  2  persons  and  3-4  trunks.  The  offices  of  the  principal 
steamship  lines  are  on  the  Bund  (consult  the  PI.  B-C,  3).  The  Osaka  Shosen 
Kaisha  is  near  the  Obata  Landing  (PI.  B,  2).  Ships  of  this  line  ply  hence  to 
the  chief  ports  of  Korea,  North  China,  Formosa,  etc. 

Curio-Shops  (comp.  p.  cxii)  are  many,  with  flexible  prices.  Foreigners  are 
usually  asked  much  more  than  the  goods  are  worth  or  the  dealer  expects  to 
receive.  Good  curios  can  be  bought  to  better  advantage  at  Yokohama,  To- 
kyo, or  Kyoto.  The  manufacture  of  tortoise-shell  articles  (bekko)  is  a  local 
specialty.  The  carets,  or  hawk's-bill  sea-turtles,  which  furnish  the  shell  are 
caught  in  limited  numbers  in  the  sea  S.  of  Kyushu,  and  are  more  plentiful  in 
the  tropical  water  farther  S.  The  carving  and  shaping  of  the  shell  is  usually 
done  in  small  shops  (several  in  Motokago-machi  and  Funadaiku-machi)  in  full 
view,  of  passers-by.  The  finished  articles  c'over  a  wide  range,  from  minia- 
ture war-ships  to  jinrikis  and  toilet-sets.  The  quality  of  tortoise-shell  de- 
pends mainly  on  the  thickness  and  size  of  the  scales,  and  in  a  smaller  degree 
upon  the  clearness  and  brilliancy  of  the  colors.  The  traveler  should  assure 
himself  that  he  is  not  purchasing  skillfully  manipulated  celluloid  or  horn; 
green  shell  that  will  crack  and  split  under  the  influence  of  brusque  climatic 
changes;  small  shells  cunningly  glued  together  (welded  under  the  pressure  of 
hot  irons)  and  made  to  look  like  large  single  pieces;  very  thin  shell  which 
warps,  or  low-grade  stuff  generally.  —  The  blue-and-white  porcelain  seen  in 
so  many  of  the  shops  comes  from  Hirado. 

Consuls  are  accredited  to  Nagasaki  from  America,  Austria-Hungary,  Bel- 
gium, China,  Denmark,  Germany,  Great  Britain,  France,  Italy,  The  Neth- 
erlands, Norway,  Portugal,  Russia,  Sweden,  and  Switzerland;  for  their  ad- 
dresses (apt  to  change)  consult  the  local  Directory. 

Newspapers  (comp.  p.  clvii) .  The  Nagasaki  Press,  published  daily  in  Eng- 
lish (10  sen  a  copy),  contains  foreign  and  local  news  of  interest  to  travelers. 

Nagasaki  (pron.  nahng-ah-sah' '-key) ,  a  busy  commercial  port 
(pop.  179,000;  of  which  968  are  foreigners)  at  the  S.W.  end 
of  Kyushu  Island,  868  M.  from  Tokyo,  in  Hizen  Province,  is 
the  W.  terminus  of  the  Imperial  Gov't  Rlys.  and  stands  in  lat. 
32°  44'  N.,  and  long.  129°  52'  E.  of  Greenwich.  Its  position  at 
the  N.  extremity  of  the  beautiful  land-locked  Nagasaki  Bay, 
at  the  foot  of  perennially  green  hills  which  rise  in  picturesque 
confusion  behind  it,  is  very  attractive.  It  is  often  made  the 
port  of  entry  for  travelers  from  China,  Manila,  the  East  In- 
dies, and  from  Europe  via  the  Suez  Canal,  and  the  stepping- 
off  place  for  tourists  bound  from  Japan  to  those  coun- 
tries. Formerly  it  was  the  chief  point  of  departure  for  Korean, 
Manchurian,  and  North  China  ports,  but  the  fast  express 
service  of  the  Gov't  Rly.  steamers  which  now  ply  between 
Shimonoseki  and  Fusan  have  made  that  port  the  choice  of 
most  travelers.  Its  prestige  declined  materially  after  the  J apan- 
Russia  War;  prior  thereto  it  was  the  rendezvous  for  many  of 


Descriptive. 


NAGASAKI  40.  Route.  661 


the  ships  of  the  Czar's  Asiatic  Squadron,  and  in  none  of  the 
Nipponese  cities  was  Muscovite  influence  so  marked.  The 
hotels  reaped  a  shining  harvest  from  the  families  of  the  fleet's 
officers  who  wintered  here  to  escape  the  rigors  of  the  Siberian 
climate,  and  as  the  Russians  were  high  livers  and  liberal  spend- 
ers, the  tradesmen  were  glad.  Relics  of  this  prosperous  era 
are  the  many  Russian  sign-boards  which  the  traveler  will  note 
above  the  shop-doors;  a  smattering  of  the  language  is  spoken 
by  many  residents  of  the  port.  Formerly,  too,  most  of  the  big 
European  liners  made  Nagasaki  a  regularly  weekly  or  fort- 
nightly port  of  call ;  some  of  these  stop  now  but  once  a  month 
—  a  fact  the  traveler  may  wish  to  bear  in  mind  when  making 
his  plans.  He  may  also  want  to  remember  that  the  Nippon 
YusenKaisha  ships  for  Shanghai  have  their  best  cabins  be- 
spoken well  in  advance  of  the  Aug.-Sept.  season.  At  this  time 
many  foreign  residents  along  the  Chinese  littoral  return  from 
holidays  spent  at  the  cool  hill-stations  behind  Nagasaki,  and 
the  excellence  of  the  N.  Y.K.  ships,  and  the  lower  fares  (¥30 
against  ¥37  on  the  less  commodious  ships  of  the  Russian 
Volunteer  Fleet;  and  ¥38.50  on  the  Pacific  Mail  boats)  oper- 
ate in  their  favor. 

The  crescent-shaped  Bund  extends  along  the  water-front 
from  Deshima  (PL  B,  3)  at  the  N.  to  Sagarimatsu  (PL  B,  4)  at 
the  S.,  and  is  flanked  by  the  S.S.  Offices,  Consulates,  Banks, 
and  Business  houses.  The  Custom-House,  the  S.S.  Landing, 
and  the  Post-Office  are  near  the  S.  end  of  Deshima.  The  town 
is  packed  solidly  in  the  narrow  ravines  which  gash  the  hills 
at*  the  E.  and  N.E.  of  the  bay,  and  of  the  24,000  houses  many 
have  been  forced  far  up  the  hillsides,  where  they  dispute  the 
land  with  the  temples,  churches,  and  graveyards  that  rise  tier 
upon  tier  above  them.  At  the  summit  of  the  hills  are  gov't 
signal-stations  and  adjuncts  of  the  port  fortifications.  The 
attractive  and  delightfully  situated  bungalows  of  the  foreign 
residents  stand  on  flower-decked  terraces  held  in  place  by  mas- 
sive revetments  extending  up  the  slope  from  the  Bund  at  Sa- 
garimatsu. Scores  of  giant  camphor  laurels,  cherry,  vegetable- 
wax,  magnolia,  orange,  conifers,  and  other  trees  overshadow 
the  houses  and  impart  a  pleasing  coolness.  The  rising  char- 
acter of  the  town  —  the  bulk  of  which  slopes  back  into  a  vast 
amphitheater  formed  by  the  hills  —  gives  a  charming  ap- 
pearance to  it  at  night.  When  the  myriad  stars  which  twinkle 
with  southern  softness  are  reflected  in  the  clear  water  of  the 
bay,  and  challenge  the  blinking  harbor-lights  and  the  thou- 
sands of  electric  lamps  on  shore,  countless  tiny  eyes  seem  to 
gleam  from  every  point.  When  the  city  lights  are  further 
augmented  by  the  soft  yellow  beams  of  many  Bon  Matsuri 
lanterns,  the  effect  is  beguiling.  A  number  of  canals  which  at 
eventide  are  thronged,  with  house-boats,  sampans,  and  fishing- 
craft  reach  back  into*  the  town,  and  are  spanned  at  intervals 


662   Route  Jfl.  NAGASAKI 


History. 


by  picturesque,  humped  bridges.  The  several  fish-markets 
are  of  unfailing  interest.  The  warm  waters  of  the  coast  pro- 
duce many  curious  piscine  forms,  and  the  democratic  fisher- 
men tackle  everything  that  swims.  —  The  excellent  building- 
stone  employed  in  the  construction  of  many  of  the  houses  in 
the  port  comes  from  Yagami-take,  whose  trachytic  cone  rises 
(2000  ft.)  a  few  miles  E.  of  the  town. 

The  populous  Chinese  quarter  is  scarcely  worth  visiting, 
but  the  pretentious  and  imposing  Yoshiwara  (see  p.  221)  on 
Maruyama  (PI.  C,  3)  presents  a  curious  and  instructive  spec- 
tacle after  nightfall.  The  utmost  order  prevails,  and  the  dis- 
trict is  as  safe  as  any  other  part  of  the  port.  In  line  with  the 
custom  prevailing  in  certain  other  cities,  the  sloe-eyed,  statu- 
esque houris  of  Nagasaki  do  not  always  sit  in  slatted  cages 
facing  the  thoroughfare,  but  at  the  side,  flanking  the  entrance 
to  the  establishment;  to  see  them  one  must  be  sufficiently 
interested  to  advance  a  few  paces  inward  from  the  street. 
Many  of  the  houses  are  three-storied,  with  quaint  balconies 
and  species  of  hanging  loggias.  When  these  are  decorated  with 
paper  lanterns,  when  throaty-voiced  geisha  sing  the  native 
contralto  songs,  and  the  plaintive  twanging  of  samisen,  the 
swish  of  silken  kimonos  and  the  soft  pit-pat  of  tabi-shod  feet 
are  wafted  out  through  the  fragrant  twilight,  the  effect  is 
strikingly  Oriental  —  and,  to  the  native  mind,  alluring. 

Nagasaki  lacks  the  rich  hinterland  of  Kobe  and  Yokohama, 
and  exports  are  fewer.  They  include  tortoise-shell  wares,  Arita 
porcelains,  vegetable-wax,  coal,  rice,  paper,  dried  lobsters 
and  other  crustaceans,  mushrooms,  sharks'  fins,  beche  de  mer, 
awabi-shell,  tea,  lacquered  wares,  paper-umbrellas,  etc.  A 
cheap  lacquered  ware  inlaid  with  madreperl,  a  coarse  earth- 
enware, jelly  made  from  seaweed  and  called  kin-gyoku-to,  and 
some  of  the  most  luscious  watermelons  in  Japan  are  among  the 
local  specialties.  —  One  of  the  greatest  of  the  port  festivals  is 
the  Bon  Matsuri  or  'Festival  of  the  Dead/  which  falls  on  July 
13,  14,  and  15,  and  is  here  observed  more  elaborately  and  with 
greater  solemnity  than  at  many  other  places  in  Japan.  During 
the  nights  in  question  thousands  of  the  people  carry  lanterns 
and  decorate  the  graves  of  their  dead  with  them,  while  many 
picturesque  and  illuminated  boats  fleck  the  harbor. 

History.  Nagasaki  came  prominently  into  history  in  the  early  years  of  the 
12th  cent,  when  the  district — then  a  nondescript  fishing-village  called  Fukae 
no  ura  —  formed  a  part  of  the  domain  of  Taira  Norimori,  a  petty  daimyd  of 
that  period.  When  the  powerful  Taira  Clan  was  destroyed  by  Minamoto 
Yoshitsune  in  1185,  Minamoto  Yoritomo  gave  the  feudal  holdings  to  Naga- 
saki Kotaro  (upon  condition  of  military  service)  and  it  remained  in  possession 
of  that  family  (which  gave  it  its  present  name)  until  the  16th  cent.  In  1550, 
it  passed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Omura  Sumitada  who,  jealous  of  the  then 
growing  trade  of  the  Dutch  factory  at  Hirado,  opened  it  to  foreign  trade  in 
1568.  After  the  Kyushu  campaign  of  1587,  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi,  observing 
the  increased  prosperity  of  the  port,  detached  it  from  the  domain  of  the 
Daimyd  Omura  and«made  it  an  Imperial  city  under  the  direct  control  of 
the  shogun.  In  1603,  Tokugawa  Ieyasu  placed  a  bugyd  (governor)  there  in 
the  name  of  the  shogun  —  the  first  of  a  long  line  which  followed. 


Deshima  Island.  NAGASAKI  Jfi.  Route.  663 


From  1641  to  1858,  Nagasaki  was  the  only  town  in  Japan  where  the  Dutch 
and  the  Chinese  (to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  foreigners)  were  allowed  to 
trade.  It  was  one  of  the  5  ports  opened  to  Europeans  by  the  treaty  (forced 
by  Commodore  Perry  of  the  American  squadron)  of  1857.  From  the  mem- 
orable day  in  1543  when  Fernao  Mendes  Pinto  and  his  Portuguese  free-lances 
arrived  at  Nagasaki  it  has  been  a  sort  of  Far-Eastern  clearing-house  for 
Asia,  Europe,  and  the  Occident;  a  meeting-point  of  nations.  In  the  time  of 
Kaempfer  it  was  one  of  the  richest  and  most  important  seaport  towns  of  Ja- 
pan—  made  so  by  traffic  with  foreigners.  It  is  a  reliquary  of  the  history  of 
foreign  intercourse  with  Japan,  and  the  annals  of  the  place  are  red  with  the 
slaughter  of  the  Christian  martyrs  who  braved  the  shogunal  edicts  and  prac- 
ticed the  Jesuit  faith  during  the  Middle  Ages.  Here  a  long  and  saddening 
list  of  unfortunates  were  burned  at  the  stake,  subjected  to  the  water-torture 
or  to  that  of  the  pit,  buried  alive,  beheaded,  tortured,  and  crucified,  between 
the  years  1597  and  1700.  Significant  of  Japan's  attitude  at  that  time  toward 
foreigners  and  the  foreign  faith  was  the  death  of  Luis  Paez  Pacheco,  who 
came  here  about  1630  as  chief  of  an  embassy  from  Macao,  to  the  shogun, 
lemitsu.  He  was  promptly  beheaded  with  nearly  all  his  companions  —  12 
Portuguese,  4  Spaniards,  17  Chinese,  4  Bengalese,  and  18  Malays;  13  sail- 
ors were  spared  and  sent  back  to  Macao  with  the  information  that 'hence- 
forth any  one  who  would  put  his  foot  on  Japanese  soil,  were  he  the  King  of 
Portugal,  were  he  even  the  God  of  the  Christians,  would  be  put  to  death'! 
Prior  thereto  (in  1610)  Andrew  Pessoa  came  to  Nagasaki  in  a  carack  called 
Madre  de  Dios,  and  for  3  days  1200  Japanese  endeavored  to  set  the  ship  on 
fire.  Finally  Pessoa,  despairing  of  saving  himself,  set  fire  to  the  casks  of 
powder  and  blew  up  his  ship,  sending  all  on  board  into  eternity,  along  with 
hundreds  of  natives  and  their  junks.  In  1808,  Captain  Fleetwood  Pellew,  of 
the  English  ship-of-war  Phaeton,  entered  the  bay  to  take  on  a  supply  of 
water.  The  bugyo  of  the  port,  Matsudaira  Yasuhide,  made  strenuous  efforts 
to  burn  the  ship,  and  so  chagiined  was  he  at  his  failure  to  do  so  that  he  and 
5  of  his  military  commanders  committed  harakiri. 

Of  special  interest  to  foreigners  is  the  tiny  island  of  Deshima  (PI.  B,  3), 
the  restricted  home  of  the  Dutch  representatives  of  the  East  India  Company 
during  more  than  two  centuries  (between  1641  and  1858),  and  the  most  his- 
toric spot  in  the  early  foreign  history  of  Japan.  Here  Western  civilization 
first  impinged  on  the  Island  Empire,  later  to  spread  eastward  and  north- 
ward; and  here  stood  the  gateway  through  which  came  the  foreign  ideas  and 
articles  later  so  indispensable  to  the  Japanese.  Tobacco  was  first  brought 
here  by  the  Portuguese  in  the  17th  cent.,  and  later  came  cake,  bread  (comp. 
p.  xliii),  soap,  machinery,  firearms,  ardent  spirits,  and  a  host  of  articles  now 
in  daily  use.  From  here  there  went  (in  1662)  the  first  specimens  of  Hizen  por- 
celain that  Europe  ever  saw,  along  with  many  other  curious  Japanese  trink- 
ets and  things  of  worth.  — James  Specx,  a  Dutch  envoy  who  came  to  Japan  in 
J609,  obtained  the  first  commercial  charter  from  Tokugawa  leyasu,  opened  a 
factory  at  Hiradc,  and  became  its  first  director.  In  1641,  a  governmental 
decree  caused  the  factory  to  be  transferred  to  Deshima  ('fore  island  '),  which 
had  been  formerly  assigned  to  the  Portuguese  (and  from  which  they  were  ex- 
pelled in  1637).  It  was  then  only  about  600  ft.  long  by  240  broad,  a  piece  of 
land  but  6  ft.  above  high  tide,  reclaimed  from  the  bay,  separated  by  a  narrow 
channel  from  the  town  and  connected  therewith  by  a  little  stone  bridge,  at 
the  end  of  which  was  a  gate,  to  enable  the  communication  to  be  strictly 
watched.  On  this  restricted  bit  of  territory,  guarded  and  confined  like 
prisoners  or  thieves,  constantly  subjected  to  the  most  humiliating  official 
arrogance  and  restrictions,  from  16  to  20  Dutchmen  were  allowed  to  live  and 
carry  on  their  trade  with  Japan.  On  the  islet  were  the  dwellings  of  the  offi- 
cials, —  the  chief  of  whom  bore  the  title  of  Resident,  —  the  storerooms,  a 
small  botanical  garden,  and  a  tiny  open  square  upon  which  the  Dutch  flag 
was  hoisted.  At  first  only  one  ship  came  yearly  from  Batavia,  but  later  8 
were  allowed  entrance.  European  goods  of  various  kinds  were  exchanged  for 
gold,  silver,  copper,  silk,  camphor,  porcelain,  and  other  native  productions, 
with  fat  profits  to  the  wily  Hollanders.  The  average  yearly  turnover  is  esti- 
mated at  £660,000.  The  natives  were  not  as  shrewd  at  barter  then  as  they 
are  now,  but  what  the  Dutchmen  wrung  from  them  in  profits  the  Nipponese 
took  out  of  their  pride.  Referring  to  the  degrading  position  of  imprisonment 
imposed  upon  them  at  Deshima,  Kaempfer  writes:  'In  this  service  we  have  to 


664   Route  40.  NAGASAKI  Dutch  Traders. 

put  up  with  many  insulting  regulations  at  the  hands  of  these  proud  heathens. 
We  may  not  keep  Sundays  or  feast-days,  or  allow  our  spiritual  hymns  or  pray- 
ers to  be  heard ;  never  mention  the  name  of  Christ ;  nor  carry  with  us  any  re- 
presentation of  the  cross  or  any  external  signs  of  Christianity.  Besides  these 
things  we  have  to  submit  to  many  other  insulting  imputations,  which  are 
always  painful  to  a  noble  heart.  The  only  reason  which  impels  the  Dutch  to 
bear  all  these  sufferings  so  patiently  is  simply  the  love  of  gain  and  of  the 
precious  marrow  of  the  Japanese  mountains.' 

In  addition  to  the  Japanese  guard  at  the  entrance-gate  to  Deshima,  there 
was  exhibited  upon  a  great  notice-board  the  regulations  (kinsatsu)  with  re- 
gard to  the  Deshima-machi  ('Deshima  Street ').  No  women,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  prostitutes,  might  set  foot  upon  the  soil;  few  priests  and  bonzes,  and 
no  beggars.  No  one  was  permitted,  upon  any  pretext  whatever,  to  come  in  a 
boat  within  the  palisades  or  under  the  bridge;  finally,  no  Dutchman  was  to 
leave  Deshima  without  proper  reasons  or  except  within  the  prescribed  time. 
The  Resident  had  to  journey  once  a  year  to  Yedo,  to  offer  the  shogun  his  re- 
spects and  presents.  The  day  fixed  for  his  departure  was  the  4th  or  5th  of 
March;  on  these  occasions  he  traveled  as  a  daimyd,  and,  like  the  governor 
who  accompanied  him,  in  a  palanquin  (norimono) ,  the  other  higher  officials  in 
basket-litters  (Jcago)  or  on  horseback.  He  was  usually  accompanied  by  his 
Dutch  secretary  and  the  physician  of  the  little  colony.  The  procession  con- 
sisted of  from  100  to  200  persons,  principally  bearers,  and  included  various 
Japanese  officials,  among  them  interpreters  and  spies.  The  rooms  of  the  hos- 
telries  at  which  they  halted  on  the  way  were  locked  and  guarded. 

During  their  stay  in  Yedo  they  were  allowed  no  freedom  of  movement. 
On  the  day  of  audience,  the  presents  for  the  Court  had  to  be  set  out  in  the 
room  of  the  palace  appointed  for  the  purpose,  and  invitations  were  issued  to 
view  them.  Among  them  were  Spanish  wines,  Edam  cheese,  linens,  silks, 
and  other  European  productions.  At  the  audience,  which  took  place  in  the 
Hall  of  a  Hundred  Mats,  the  Dutch  Resident  was  summoned  to  offer  his  rev- 
erence to  the  shogun,  who  usually  sat  behind  a  curtain;  the  Resident  crept 
forward  on  his  hands  and  feet,  and  falling  on  his  knees  bowed  his  head  to  the 
ground,  and  retired  again  in  absolute  silence,  crawling  exactly  like  a  crab. 
When  this  exhibition  was  over,  the  envoys  were  led  farther  into  the  palace, 
to  give  the  women  and  the  rest  of  the  Court  the  pleasure  of  beholding  them, 
in  which  amusement  the  shogun  also  shared.  The  Resident  then  remained 
passive,  and  the  role  of  Kaempfer  and  the  secretary  began.  It  was  a  monkey- 
like comedy  which  the  shogun  called  for.  'Now  '  (writes  Kaempfer)  'we  had 
to  rise  and  walk  to  and  fro,  now  to  exchange  compliments  with  each  other, 
then  to  dance,  jump,  represent  a  drunken  man,  speak  broken  Japanese, 
paint,  read  Dutch  and  German,  sing,  put  on  our  cloaks  and  throw  them  off 
again,  etc. ;  I  for  my  share  singing  a  German  love  ditty.'  'Kaempfer '  (says 
Dr.  Rein)  '  appears  to  have  had  the  reputation  of  a  good  singer,  for  upon 
other  occasions  also  he  was  invited  to  sing  a  song,  to  take  part  with  the  Seer 
retary  in  representing  various  modes  of  behavior  in  Holland,  and  to  do  such 
other  things  as  might  serve  for  entertainment  and  for  the  gratification  of 
curiosity.  When  the  representative  of  the  Dutch  Company  (contemptu- 
ously called  a  red-haired  barbarian)  took  his  leave  of  the  Court,  he  had  to 
bind  himself  not  to  enter  into  any  connection  with  the  Kirishitan-shu  (Chris- 
tian sect,  i.e.,  Catholics),  not  to  bring  any  missionaries  into  the  country, 
and  every  year  to  give  the  Court  such  information  as  to  the  Christian  sect  as 
should  be  of  interest  to  the  shogun.  '  For  nearly  150  years  the  entire  intel- 
lectual stimulus  which  Japan  received  through  the  Dutch  was  limited  to 
what  was  offered  here  and  there  by  Dutch  industrial  productions,  such  as 
barometers  and  thermometers,  clocks  and  other  objects.  Then  began  the 
study  of  the  Dutch  language  and  the  distribution  of  Dutch  books,  but  it  was 
only  in  the  19th  cent.,  when  the  old  edicts  against  foreigners  were  less  strin- 
gently enforced,  that  more  life  was  infused  into  the  study.  Dutch  books  and 
illustrations,  chiefly  of  a  medical  and  technical  character,  were  here  and  there 
sparingly  introduced,  and  conveyed  new  ideas  to  the  thinking  and  energetic 
Japanese,  especially  to  several  physicians.  They  diligently  studied  ana- 
tomy, learnt  venesection  from  the  Dutch,  the  Linncean  and  other  botanical 
systems  from  Von  Siebold,  and  much  else.  In  the  first  half  of  the  19th  cent, 
blast-furnaces  and  mills  were  erected  after  Dutch  plans,  and  many  other  indus- 
trial inventions  were  introduced.  Printing  is  indebted  to  Dutch  intercourse 


KAEMPFER,  THUNBERG,  AND  VON  SIEBOLD  665 


for  many  improvements,  and  even  steam-engines,  the  telegraph,  and  other 
products  of  modern  civilization,  first  became  known  to  Japan  in  this  way.' 
Among  the  real  benefits  to  Japan  and  the  world  at  large  derived  from  the 
Dutch  East  India  Company  was  the  sending  by  this  company  to  Japan  of 
such  men  as  Kaempfer,  Thunberg,  and  Von  Siebold,  all  of  whom,  it  seems, 
came  out  as  surgeons  to  the  Deshima  colony. 

Engelbrecht  Kaempfer  (a  German  physician,  b.  1651;  d.  1716)  came  to 
Japan  in  Sept.,  1690,  and  remained  a  little  over  2  years.  'Though  he  did  not 
neglect  the  natural  sciences,  and  particularly  botany,  yet  his  greater  merit 
lies  in  his  contributions  to  history  and  the  history  of  civilization.  There  can 
be  no  higher  testimony  to  his  chief  works  (the  Amcenitates  Exoticce  and  His- 
toria  imperii  japonici  germanice  scripta),  than  that  now,  after  more  than  200 
years,  and  when  so  much  has  been  written  about  Japan  since  it  has  been 
opened  to  foreigners,  every  one  who  knows  Japan  is  still  glad  to  read  them, 
and  is  convinced  of  the  trustworthiness  of  their  author.' 

Karl  Peter  Thunberg  (a  Swedish  botanist,  b.  1743;  d.  1828),  Director  of 
the  Dutch  factory  at  Deshima  in  1775,  was  the  first  naturalist  of  importance 
who  opened  to  the  world  the  magnificent  Japanese  flora.  His  name  is  in- 
timately associated  with  many  of  the  loveliest  ornamental  plants  now  found 
in  Europe  and  America.  He  was  a  minute  and  erudite  observer,  and  a  pupil 
of  Linnaeus.  Chief  among  his  numerous  works  are  his  Flora  Japonica,  Flora 
Capensis,  and  Icones  plantarum  Japonicarum. 

Philipp  Franz  von  Siebold  (a  German,  b.  1796;  d.  1866),  came  to  Naga- 
saki in  Aug.,  1823,  and  in  1826  went  to  Yedo  to  obtain  permission  to  stay 
in  order  to  give  lessons  in  medicine  and  surgery.  He  was  later  permitted  to 
travel  in  the  interior  on  condition  that  he  would  make  neither  sketches  nor 
maps.  He  was,  however,  able  to  get  a  map  of  Japan  drawn  by  a  native  art- 
ist, but  was  imprisoned  for  it.  He  was  released  in  1830,  and  was  forbidden 
ever  again  to  set  foot  on  Japanese  soil;  30  years  later  he  returned,  sent  by 
his  gov't  on  a  semi-official  mission  which  failed.  Rarelj'  has  an  individual 
been  so  successful  in  gathering  sp  much  and  such  varied  information  worth 
knowing  about  a  foreign  country,  and  in  bringing  it  to  the  knowledge  of 
Europe,  as  he  has  in  his  Nippon,  Archiv  zur  Beschreibung  von  Japan,  his  Flora- 
and  Fauna- Japonica;  Bibliotheca  Japonica,  and  Catalogus  librorum  Japoni- 
corum.  —  Commemorative  monuments  to  all  of  the  above  scholars  stand  in 
the  grounds  of  OsuwaPark. 

The  Buddhist  Temples  (tera)  and  Shinto  Shrines  (miya) 
of  Nagasaki,  though  characteristic  of  the  two  cults  in  archi- 
tecture and  fitments,  are  less  ornate  than  similar  structures  in 
Kyoto  and  other  cities  of  E.  Japan.  A  number  of  the  former 
occupy  commanding  sites  on  the  hill-slopes  overlooking  the  E. 
quarter  of  the  port;  those  mentioned  below  are  perhaps  the 
most  interesting. 

The  Dai-on-ji  (PL  C,  2)  is  the  most  elaborately  decorated; 
the  polychromatic  wood  panels  of  the  architrave  carry  designs 
of  Buddhist  angels,  dragons,  waves,  and  the  Gods  of  the  Four 
Directions,  done  in  a  modest  way  by  local  workmen.  The 
carved,  gilded,  and  seated  wood  figure  of  the  richly  gilt  central 
shrine  is  Shaka.  The  usual  Buddhist  insignia  —  candelabra, 
incense-burners,  and  lotus  flowers,  all  of  metal  —  stand  be- 
fore the  central  altar;  the  Tokugawa  crest  is  in  evidence  on  the 
drapery  and  screens.  The  gilded  mortuary  tablets  are  of  dead 
notables.  The  most  striking  objects  of  the  interior  are  the  mas- 
sive uprights  and  cross-beams  of  splendid  keyaki-wood,  stained 
a  deep  Indian  red  and  sculptured  in  intricate  designs;  above 
the  latter  are  some  crisply  carved  panels,  in  the  natural  wood, 
with  dragon  designs.  At  the  right  of  the  temple  stands 


666   Route  40.    NAGASAKI  TEMPLES  Osuwa-jinja. 


The  Daiko-ji,  a  new,  spotless  fane  popular  with  the  Chinese; 
some  fine  old  camphor  trees  grow  in  the  yard,  hard  by  a  bel- 
fry with  a  bronze  bell.  The  crest  chiseled  on  the  door  is  the 
kiri-no-mon,  of  the  Paulownia  imperialis.  The  view  over  the 
city  and  bay,  from  the  terrace,  is  attractive.  Inside  the  tem- 
ple are  some  skillfully  carved  wood-panels  with  foliated  lo- 
tuses; some  gilded  screens  showing  bamboos  and  pine  trees; 
and  a  plain  coffered  ceiling  from  which  pend  a  number  of  metal 
lanterns.  —  Farther  along  the  terrace  is  a  group  of  decaying 
Chinese  temples  known  collectively  as 

The  Sofuku-ji,  approached  through  a  lofty  gateway  show- 
ing traces  of  former  beauty.  The  immense  rusted  iron  caul- 
dron in  the  yard  was  used  to  boil  rice  in  during  a  great  famine 
in  the  17th  cent.  The  interiors  of  the  buildings  are  so  faded  as 
to  be  uninteresting.  The  Kiyomizu-dera,  the  Nakamiya,  Inari, 
and  other  temples  on  the  same  hillside  are  not  worth  visiting. 
Behind  and  roundabout  them  spread  extensive  graveyards 
with  upright,  moss-grown  granite  tombs  that  resemble  a  stone 
fence  when  viewed  from  far  below.  During  certain  festival 
times,  lighted  lanterns  are  suspended  near  them,  and  their 
number  produces  a  weird  effect. 

The  Osuwa-jinja,  in  the  O-Suwa  Koen,  in  the  N.E.  quar- 
ter (PI.  C,  1),  is  better  known  to  foreigners  as  the  Bronze 
Horse  Temple,  for  a  bizarre  bronze  horse  (evidently  designed 
by  a  blind  artist)  in  the  temple  yard,  presented  by  the  towns- 
folk in  1871;  the  elaborate  bronze  scroll  near  by  bears  the 
names  of  those  who  aided  and  abetted  in  bringing  the  travesty 
into  existence.  Near  the  foot  of  the  (196)  stone  steps  which 
lead  from  the  street  up  beneath  stone  torii  to  the  final  terrace, 
on  which  the  shrine  stands,  is  a  magnificent  bronze  torii  (33  ft. 
high,  38  across  the  top,  13  in  circumference,  and  16  between 
the  two  bases)  which  ranks  as  one  of  the  largest  in  Japan  (made 
at  the  Mitsu  Bishi  Dockyard  and  presented  to  the  shrine  in  the 
27th  year  oiMeiji).  Its  splendid  proportions  are  so  hemmed  in 
by  the  flanking  houses  that  they  cannot  be  seen  to  the  best 
advantage.  Two  handsome  gray  granite  lanterns  stand  below, 
and  3  smaller  stone  torii  beyond.  The  seated  carved  wood  fig- 
ures at  the  right  and  left,  are  Udaijin  and  Sadaijin.  The  two 
bronze  Dogs  of  Fo  which  guard  the  entrance  are  worth  looking 
at.  The  august  deities  worshiped  here  are  supposed  to  inhabit 
the  holier  shrines  which  stand  behind  the  outer  structures.  The 
two  polychromatic  paintings  on  wood  which  hang  at  the  right 
and  left  of  the  altar  refer  to  a  curious  festival,  the  Suwa-no- 
Matsuri  (or  Ku-nichi)  which  customarily  falls  on  Oct.  7,  8,  and 
9,  of  each  year.  Great  preparations  are  made  beforehand,  and 
not  a  little  excitement  prevails. 

At  the  appointed  time  the  spirits  of  the  tutelar  deities  are  invited  to  enter 
large,  heavy,  ornately  lacquered  palanquins,  or  portable  shrines  (kept  in 
locked  godowns  until  wanted),  which,  on  the  7th,  are  carried  at  headlong 


Osuwa  Park. 


NAGASAKI  BAY        Ifi.  Route.  667 


speed,  by  a  hundred  or  more  lusty  men,  down  the  196  steps,  thence  through 
the  narrow  streets  (route  variable)  to  the  Ohato  wharf,  where  a  temporary 
shrine  has  been  erected  for  their  reception.  There  they  remain  for  two  days 
and  nights,  to  be  worshiped  by  the  populace.  On  the  9th  they  are  returned 
in  a  like  manner,  on  a  dead  run  up  the  steps  to  the  shrine,  amidst  a  wild 
uproar  not  always  free  from  personal  encounters.  If  the  bearers  neither 
stumble  nor  fall  in  their  mad  rush  down,  and  their  risky  dash  up  the  steps,  good 
luck  will  mark  the  ensuing  year;  earthquakes  and  similar  disasters  will  remain 
away;  and  bountiful  crops  will  be  the  order  of  the  day.  The  gorgeous  cere- 
monial robes  of  the  priests  (who  ride  on  white  horses),  the  costumes  of  the 
dancing-girls,  and  other  features  combine  to  make  the  festival  highly  pictur- 
esque and  worth  seeing.  Stands  are  erected  at  various  points  along  the  route, 
and  juggling,  theatricals,  and  different  sports  are  indulged  in.  Travelers  for- 
tunate enough  to  secure  an  invitation  (through  one's  consul)  from  the  gov- 
ernor of  the  ken,  can  not  only  witness  the  performances  from  a  specially  pre- 
pared coign  of  vantage,  and  thus  be  spared  the  crush  of  the  crowd,  but  also 
participate  in  the  elaborate  luncheon  prepared  for  the  occasion. 

Osuwa  Park  is  a  restful  spot  embowered  in  fine  cherry,  pine, 
maple,  camphor,  vegetable- wax,  and  flowering  trees.  Of  spe- 
cial interest  to  Americans  are  the  two  trees  hard  by  a  stone  slab 
bearing  the  following  inscription  (dated  June  22,  1879) :  — 

At  the  request  of  Governor  Utsumi  Tadakatsu,  Mrs.  Grant  and  I  each 
planted  a  tree  in  the  Nagasaki  Park.  I  hope  that  both  trees  may  prosper, 
grow  larger,  live  long,  and  in  their  growth,  prosperity  and  long  life  be  em- 
blematic of  the  future  of  Japan.    U .  S.  Grant. 

At  the  left  is  a  bronze  statue  and  a  bust  of  local  celebrities; 
farther  along  is  a  large  school  where  one  may  often  see  young 
men  and  women  practicing  fencing  and  more  intricate  passes 
of  judo.  On  a  terrace  below  are  stone  slabs  to  the  memory  of 
Kaempfer,  Thunberg,  and  Baron  von  Siebold.  The  Commer- 
cial Museum,  at  the  left,  is  of  scant  interest.  By  turning  to 
the  left  and  following  the  narrow  thoroughfare  leading  N.E. 
from  the  main  steps  to  the  Osuwa-jinja  one  reaches,  after  a  20 
min.  walk  (1  M.), 

The  Waterworks,  at  the  N.E.  limit  of  the  town,  high  in 
the  green  hills.  The  street  soon  merges  into  the  country  road 
which  winds  past,  the  reservoirs  —  a  series  of  repressed  lakes 
hemmed  in  by  massive  stone  walls  that  stretch  across  a  nar- 
row ravine.  The  townspeople  consider  the  water  (which  comes 
from  springs  higher  in  the  hills)  of  unimpeachable  quality,  but 
the  observant  traveler  will  not  fail  to.  note  that  the  dwellings, 
paddy-fields,  and  adjacent  gardens  rest  on  a  slope  which  drains 
into  the  ravine  where  the  reservoirs  lie. 

The  Bay  (wan)  or  harbor,  one  of  the  best  and  deepest  (15 
fathoms)  in  Japan,  is  a  large  and  commodious  inlet  completely 
sheltered  and  surrounded  by  green  hills  (from  1000  to  1500  ft. 
high),  fortified  with  batteries  of  guns.  Some  of  these  heights 
have  an  unfortunate  reputation  among  Christians,  for  on 
them,  in  times  gone  by,  many  adherents  of  the  faith  were 
crucified,  burned  at  the  stake,  or  otherwise  martyred.  On 
Feb.  5,  1597,  three  Portuguese  Jesuits,  17  Japanese  converts, 
and  6  Spanish  Franciscans,  among  them  San  Felipe  de  Jesus, 
Mexico's  protomartyr,  were  crucified  and  burned  (on  Hijiri- 


668   Route  Ifi.  NAGASAKI 


Excursions, 


yama,  the  '  Saint  Hill '  of  foreigners),  and  on  Sept.  10, 1622,  30 
more  were  beheaded,  and  25  burned  amid  such  physical  an- 
guish that  the  occurrence  is  known  as  the  Great  Martyrdom.1 
At  the  W.  side  of  the  harbor,  at  the  left  of  the  entrance  is 
the  historical  Taka-hoko  Island,  an  imperishable  memorial  of 
Christian  steadfastness  in  a  time  of  great  tribulation.  From 
this  point,  during  the  period  when  the  fickle  Hideyoshi  was 
employing  all  his  great  power  to  extirpate  Christianity  in 
Japan,  may  hundreds  of  tortured  and  faithful  Christians  were 
once  cast  into  the  sea.  The  Dutch  accordingly  called  it 
Papenberg.  Many  of  the  hills  are  now  laid  out  in  carefully 
cultivated  terraces,  whose  edges  are  planted  with  vegetable- 
wax  trees.  From  the  narrow,  winding,  picturesque  entrance 
to  the  bay,  which  here  is  about  f  M.  wide,  the  harbor  trends 
N.E.  for  2  M.  At  certain  times  the  bay  resembles  one  vast 
coaling-station,  as  steamships  usually  fill  their  bunkers  here 
with  the  excellent  Kyushu  coal  mined  in  the  neighborhood. 
The  port  has  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  quickest  coaling- 
places  in  Japan.  The  work  is  done  in  a  primitive  but  extraor- 
dinarily speedy  manner  by  hundreds  of  men  and  women  who 
stand  on  lines  of  temporary  platforms  or  steps  swung  ladder- 
wise  over  the  ship's  side.  Helpers  in  the  lighters  below  fill 
small  round  baskets  with  the  fine  coal  and  screenings  and  pass 
them  up  the  line  like  buckets  of  water  at  a  fire.  The  capacious 
bunkers  of  a  big  ship  can  be  filled  in  this  way  in  a  few  hours. 
The  record  is  said  to  be  held  by  one  of  the  Empress  ships  of  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Co.'s  Royal  Mail  Line,  which  took 
in  the  extraordinary  amount  of  2100  tons  in  6|  hrs.  —  which 
is  at  the  rate  of  309  tons  per  hour,  or  over  5  tons  a  minute! 

Across  the  harbor  from  Nagasaki  are  the  Akuno-ura  En- 
gine Works,  and  the  Mitsubishi  Dockyards,  the  latter  one  of  the 
largest  of  its  kind  in  Nippon.  It  was  established  in  1856  by 
the  Tokugawa  shogunate,  under  the  tutelage  of  Dutch  engi- 
neers, but  was  transferred  to  the  Mitsubishi  Co.  in  1877;  since 
then  its  growth  has  been  rapid.  Battleships  and  ocean-going 
steamers  of  large  tonnage  are  built  here  (ships  like  the  Tenyo 
Maru  and  the  Chiyo  Maru  of  the  Toyo  Risen  Kaisha)  and 
upward  of  5000  men  are  employed.  There  are  3  dry-docks,  sal- 
vage steamers,  etc. 

Walks.  Many  delightful  walks  are  possible  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
port.  A  short  and  popular  one,  whence  sweeping  views  are  obtainable,  leads 


1  San  Felipe  de  las  Casas  was  but  22  years  old  when  he  died  for  his  belief. 
It  is  said  that  he  endured  his  sufferings  with  such  saintly  fortitude  that  on 
Sept.  14,  1627,  he  was  canonized  by  a  Papal  Bull  of  Pope  Urban  VIII.  Pa- 
pal delegates  from  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world  assembled  at  Rome  on  the 
occasion,  and  splendid  processions  were  held  in  the  martyr's  honor.  In  1629, 
he  was  declared  the  Patron  Saint  of  Mexico  and  New  Spain.  A  splendid 
church  stands  to  his  memory  on  the  Atenida  de  San  Francisco,  at  the  Mexi- 
can capital  (where  he  is  known  as  El  Glorioslsimo  Mdrtir  del  Japon),  and  one 
of  the  finest  altars  of  the  Mexico  City  Cathedral  is  dedicated  to  him.  The 
remainder  of  the  martyrs  were  canonized  in  1862  by  Pope  Pius  IX. 


NAGASAKI  TO  UNSEN    Ifi.  Route.  669 


up  past  the  Cliff  House  Hotel  to  the  Catholic  church  (Notre  Dame  du^[apon)t 
where  turn  to  the  right  and  proceed  along  the  well-kept  terrace-walk  (M mo- 
miyamate)  overlooking  the  bay.  Many  foreign  residences  flank  the  hillsides 
at  the  left.  A  multiplicity  of  footpaths  lead  up  and  over  the  various  hills, 
and  weeks  would  be  required  to  explore  them  all.  A  stroll  up  through  the  na- 
tive town,  at  the  left  of  the  hotels,  brings  one  to  a  quarter  which  recalls  Na- 
ples and  other  Mediteranean  ports.  The  continuous  rise  has  necessitated 
steps,  and  long  and  constantly  recurring  flights  of  these  piece  out  the  street 
and  impart  an  Oriental  picturesqueness  to  them.  Scores  of  quaint  lanes  and 
by-paths  branch  off  from  the  main  thoroughfares  to  tiny  terraces  held  up  by 
stone  retaining-walls  enveloped  in  ferns  and  vines,  and  upon  which  stand 
small  native  dwellings  with  superb  views  to  recommend  them.  Each  house 
seems  ready  to  topple  over  on  its  neighbor  below,  or  be  crushed  by  those 
higher  up. 

The  road  to  the  suburban  town  of  (2  M.)  Urakami  leads  past  the  rly.  sta- 
tion. The  Catholic  community  is  of  historic  interest  in  that  the  seeds  of  Chris- 
tianity planted  here  centuries  ago  flourished  in  secret  during  all  the  troublous 
years  when  those  who  openly  professed  the  faith  were  martyred.  The  knowl- 
edge of  its  existence  did  not  come  to  light  until  about  the  middle  of  the  19th 
cent.;  then  the  Christians  were  ferreted  out  and  subjected  to  considerable 
suffering.  The  erudite  Baron  von  Siebold  lived_near  Urakami  for  a  time. 

Mogi,  a  small  port  overlooking  the  Gulf  of  Omura,  5  M.  S.E.  of  Nagasaki, 
is  a  popular  resort  and  is  oftentimes  made  the  point  of  departure  for  Unzen 
(see  below).  Steamer  across  Chijima  Bay  to  Obama  in  about  3  hrs.  (¥1,  1st 
cl.).  The  road  to  Mogi  leads  out  through  the  E.  quarter  of  the  port  (PI.  C,  3), 
thence  over  the  hills  and  across  a  wide  valley  dotted  with  rice-fields,  bamboo 
groves,  and  farmsteads  with  busy  water-wheels;  jinriki  (2  men)  for  the  round 
trip,  ¥2.40.  ;  time,  about  3  hrs.  A  tramway  is  in  process  of  building.  Mogi 
Hotel,  ¥2.50,  Am.  pi. 

Kwannon  Waterfall,  10  M.  N.E.  of  Nagasaki,  near  Yagami  village ;  jinriki 
with  2  men,  ¥4.  The  road  leads  past  the  Waterworks  and  over  the  crest 
(good  views)  of  Hime  Pass,  thence  downward  through  a  long  valley  to  the 
village,  where  it  turns  left.  The  waterfall  and  the  temple  near  it  are  not 
worth  a  special  trip  (which  occupies  a  long  day). 

Unzen  (or  Unsen),  a  hill-station  on  the  slope  of  Unzen-dake, 
on  the  Shimabara  Peninsula,  E.  of  Nagasaki,  is  a  popular  sum- 
mer resort  for  foreign  residents  of  Shanghai  and  other  China 
ports,  who  begin  to  foregather  here  (usually  about  300  each 
season)  in  June  and  remain  till  Oct.  During  this  period  hotel 
accommodations  are  apt  to  be  scarce  and  they  should  be 
arranged  for  in  advance.  Travelers  from  the  N.  customarily 
alight  at  IsahayaStation  on  the  Tokaido  Rly.,  and  proceed  over 
the  Shimabara  Rly.  to  (40  min.)  Aitsu,  whence  jinrikis  carry 
one  (2  men  at  ¥1.20  each,  in  2  hrs.  —  basha,  25  sen)  to  Chijiwa 
(Chijiwa  Hotel,  ¥3.50  a  day  and  up,  Am.  pi.),  where  chairs  are 
in  waiting  (4  coolies  at  75  sen  each)  for  the  7  M.  trip  (uphill) 
to  (2  hrs.)  Unzen  village.  Good  walkers  can  make  the  trip  in 
less  time.  The  going  is  good,  and  the  scenery  attractive.  An 
alternate  way  is  to  proceed  from  Nagasaki  to  Obama  (Obama 
Hotel,  Ikkakuro  Hotel,  ¥3  and  up,  Am.  pi.),  thence  (in  a  chair, 
4  men  at  75  sen  each  —  pack-horse  for  luggage,  75  sen)  to  the 
(7  M.  in  2|  hrs.)  village.  The  route  is  better  than  that  from 
Chijiwa.  Obama  itself  is  a  favorite  resort ;  the  chalybeate  waters 
(106°  to  160°  F.)  of  its  springs  being  considered  efficacious  in 
rheumatic  ailments.  There  are  several  good  native  inns  (from 
¥2  and  up  a  day)  and  from  the  slope  on  which  the  town  stands 
fine  views  are  had  of  Omura  Bay. 


670   Rte.  40.    SHIMABARA  PENINSULA 


Unfen  is  the  name  of  the  district  wherein  lie  the  small  ham- 
lets of  Furuyu,  Shinyu,  and  Kojigoku  ('Little  Hell').  Shinyu 
is  generally  the  objective  point  of  foreign  visitors.  The  Un- 
zen, Takaki,  Yumei,  and  Shinyu  Hotels,  all  under  native 
management  (English  spoken),  supply  foreign  food  at  from 
¥2.50  and  upward  a  day,  Am.  pi.  Special  rates  for  a  long  stay. 
The  Midori-ya  Inn  at  Kojigoku  is  well  spoken  of.  The  entire 
region  abounds  in  fine  walks,  most  of  which  lead  to  hot  springs. 
The  air  is  cool  and  bracing.  Unzen-dake,  on  the  slope  of 
which  the  hamlets  (2550  ft.)  cluster,  is  4380  ft.  high  and  was 
an  active  volcano  in  1792.  Many  solfataras  bubble  and  hiss 
from  its  flanks,  and  the  rotten  ground  about  them  (guide  nec- 
essary) and  the  numerous  fumaroles  must  be  trodden  with 
caution.  Superheated  steam  and  sulphurous  gases  rise  from 
them  constantly.  Chief  among  the  small  geysers  is  the '  Loud 
Wailing.'  The  Chuto  Jigoku,  or 1  Second-class  Hell f  maintains 
its  title  by  ejecting  water  at  a  temperature  of  204°  F. 

Shimabara,  chief  town  (E.  side)  of  the  Shimabara  Peninsula, 
with  20,000  inhabs.  (Inn :  Chikugoya,¥2.50) ,  lies  a  short  distance 
E.  of  Unzen.  Small  steamers  ply  from  Nagasaki  at  frequent 
intervals,  and  proceed  12  M.  across  the  Shimabara  Gulf  to 
Hyakkanishi,  in  Higo  Province,  where  one  is  in  touch  with  the 
rly .  (Rte.  41 ) .  Shimabara  is  a  fateful  word  in  the  annals  of  Chris- 
tianity in  Japan,  for  the  most  sanguinary  persecution  of  Chris- 
tians to  be  met  with  in  its  history  took  place  in  1637,  at  Arima, 
in  the  S.  of  the  peninsula. 

The  Rising  (or  Massacre)  of  Shimabara  was  a  desperate  revolt  against  the 
inhuman  tortures  to  which  Christians  had  for  20  years  or  more  been  sub- 
jected by  cruel  daimyds.  'The  persecutors  were  not  content  with  the  ordi- 
nary modes,  of  hanging,  crucifying,  drowning,  beheading,  but  flung  the  vic- 
tims down  from  high  precipices,  buried  them  alive,  had  them  torn  asunder  by 
oxen,  tied  them  up  in  rice-sacks  of  plaited  straw,  which  were  then  heaped  up 
and  set  on  fire,  or  put  them  in  cages  with  provisions  before  their  eyes,  where 
they  were  allowed  to  perish  of  hunger.'  About  the  year  1636  the  old  aban- 
doned castle  of  Arima  and  the  neighboring  islands  became  the  place  of  re- 
fuge and  rendezvous  of  some  30,000  or  40,000  Christians  (the  major  portion 
Japanese)  who  came  from  all  parts  of  the  Island  of  Kyushu,  and  here  put 
themselves  into  a  position  of  defense  against  their  persecutors.  Their  princi- 
pal leader  appears  to  have  been  a  man  of  the  name  of  Nirado  Shiro,  from 
the  Island  of  Amakusa.  In  1637,  Itakura  Shigemasa  was  commissioned  by 
the  shogun  to  march  against  the  rebels,  which  he  did  with  30,000  men.  He 
was  killed  whilst  leading  the  attack  upon  the  fortress,  but  was  succeeded  by 
Matsudaira  Nobutsuna,  who  at  the  head  of  100,000  men  besieged  the  castle 
for  two  months  before  he  could  take  it.  On  April  14,  1638,  he  stormed  and 
captured  the  Citadel,  and  the  massacre  which  ensued  baffles  description. 
Three  thousand  men  were  slain  and  buried  at  Tomioka  in  the  Island  of  Ama- 
kusa. Of  all  the  37,000  whom  sword  and  famine  had  spared,  not  one  was  al- 
lowed to  survive.  Many  were  led  to  the  entrance  of  Nagasaki  Harbor  and 
from  the  steep  cliffs  of  Papenberg  Island,  were  hurled  into  the  sea. 

Kuchinotsu,  a  small  port  on  the  S.W.  side  of  the  peninsula, 
15  M.  from  Unzen,  is  called  at  daily  by  steamers  from  Mogi 
(3  hrs.;  fare,  ¥1)  and  is  a  shipping-point  for  the  coal  from  the 
Miike  Mines.  The  steamer  fare  to  Shimabara  is  35  sen. 


MOJI  TO  KAGOSHIMA    41.  Route.  671 


41.  From  Moji  (Shimonoseki)  via  Tosu   and  Kumamoto 
(Aso  Volcano)  to  Kagoshima. 

Kagoshima  Main  Line  of  the  Imperial  Government's  Kyushu  Railways. 

239  M.  Several  trains  daily  in  about  8  hrs. ;  fare,  ¥7,  1st  cl. ;  ¥4.20,  2d  cL 
Dining-  and  sleeping-cars  (¥3  extra)  are  attached  to  the  express  trains. 
Consult  the  rly.  folders.  The  ferry  service  between  Shimonoseki  and  Moji 
is  mentioned  at  p.  644.  The  line  traverses  one  of  the  most  beautiful  regions 
of  the  Empire,  and  after  leaving  the  province  of  Buzen,  crosses  Chikuzen, 
Chikugo,  Higo,  and  Osumi,  before  entering  the  semi-tropical,  historic  pro- 
vince of  Satsuma.  The  scenery  of  certain  sections  is  wild  and  picturesque, 
with  smoking  volcanoes  in  the  background.  The  active  volcano  of  Aso,  one 
of  the  safest,  most  interesting,  and  accessible  in  Japan,  rises  not  far  from 
Kumamoto,  and  a  trip  to  it  is  a  unique  and  unforgettable  experience.  The 
journey  over  its  summit  and  across  the  fine  provinces  of  Higo  and  Bungo 
beyond,  to  the  singularly  interesting  volcanic  region  around  Beppu,  is  en- 
tirely off  the  regular  beaten  track  of  travel,  and  it  should  not  be  omitted  by 
those  who  wish  to  obtain  first-hand  impressions  of  rural  and  volcanic  Japan. 
It  entails  no  real  hardship.  Women  who  are  only  moderately  inured  to 
walking  can  climb  Aso-san  and  make  the  complete  journey  without  undue 
fatigue.  There  are  no  dizzy  heights  to  scale,  and  no  objectionable  preci- 
pices to  cross.  In  places  the  roads  are*  excellent ;  the  going  over  most  of  the 
trails  is  good;  the  wayside  inns  are  clean  and  comfortable;  and  the  scenery  is 
a  perpetual  delight.  Autumn,  winter,  or  spring  are  the  best  seasons,  as  the 
semi-tropical  summers  of  Kyushu  are  hot. 

The  rly.  line  from  Moji  to  67  M.  Tosu  is  described  in  Rte. 
39.  From  Tosu  the  trend  of  the  rails  is  S.W.  The  region  is 
attractive  and  carefully  cultivated,  the  broad-leaved  taro  lily, 
bamboos,  flaming  vegetable-wax,  camphor,  and  pollarded  mul- 
berry trees  being  the  most  conspicuous  features  in  the  land- 
scape. The  Chitose-gawa  is  crossed  on  a  9-span  steel  bridge 
(1243  ft.  long)  just  before  reaching  70  M.  Kurume  (Inn: 
Shioya,  ¥2),  capital  (pop.  36,000)  of  Chikugo  Province,  and 
a  producing  center  for  a  cotton  cloth  with  minute  patterns 
(kasuri)  known  to  the  trade  as  Satsuma-gasuri.  Prior  to  the 
Restoration  the  region  roundabout  was  held  in  feudal  tenure 
by  a  long  dynasty  of  daimyos  of  the  Arima  Toyouji  family.  — 
A  tram-way  runs  hence  to  the  locally  celebrated  (5  M.)  Sui- 
tengu  Shrine  (Shinto;  many  pilgrims)  which  has  the  spirit  of 
the  unfortunate  Emperor  Antoku  for  its  tutelar  deity.  The 
surrounding  country  is  rich  and  productive.  Beyond  the  Yabe 
River  is  (81  M.)  Yabekawa,  with  the  Nakayama  Agricultural 
Experimental  Station.  Five  M.  to  the  W.  is  Yanagawa  (Inn: 
Hiranoya,  ¥2),  where  lie  the  ruins  of  a  castle  built  by  the 
fedual  baron  Kamachi  Shigenari  in  1560. 

90  M.  Omuta  (Inn:  Jugoan,  ¥2.50),  is  the  station  for  the  ex- 
tensive Miike  Colliery,  near  by  at  the  E.  We  soon  glimpse  the 
sea  at  the  right  and  ere  long  the  train  runs  along  the  shore 
where  the  primitive  huts  of  the  fishermen  recall  those  of  the 
Ainu  near  Shiraoi  (p.  353) .  Many  Buddhist  graveyards  dot  the 
country,  and  Unzen  Mt.  is  visible  at  the  right,  on  the  Shima- 
bara  Peninsula.  The  oranges  and  grape-fruit  grown  in  the 
neighborhood  enjoy  a  reputation  for  excellence.  At  certain 
seasons  the  vegetable-wax  trees  are  seen  to  be  full  of  natives, 


672   Route  41.  KUMAMOTO 


Kimbdsan. 


who  gather  the  berries  and  place  them  carefully  in  baskets 
hanging  on  adjacent  limbs.  The  country  is  hilly  on  to  109  M. 
Konoha,  If  M.  from  which  is  Tawarazaka  with  a  granite  monu- 
ment commemorating  the  4000  soldiers  who  died  in  defense  of 
the  place  at  the  time  of  the  Satsuma  Rebellion.  The  farmers 
hereabout  stack  straw  in  the  form  of  wigwams,  and  in  a  cre- 
puscular light  the  fields  resemble  sleeping  encampments. 
Strong,  stodgy  bulls  aid  in  the  laborious  work  in  the  paddy- 
fields.  The  thousands  of  mulberry  trees  planted  on  the  hill- 
slope  terraces  advertise  the  extent  of  the  silk  industry. 

114.  M.  Ueki  is  the  starting-point  for  the  (10  M.)  Yamaga 
Hot  Springs.  The  region  hereabout  is  agriculturally  one  of  the 
richest  in  Japan;  the  bold  mt.  which  rises  at  the  right  is  Kim- 
bdsan (2100  ft.).  119  M.Kami  (upper)  Kumamoto. 

Kami  Kumamoto  is  the  station  where  south-bound  passengers  whose  des- 
tination is  Kumamoto  proper  (2  M.  farther  on)  usually  alight  from  the  train, 
as  it  is  nearer  to  the  chief  inns;  time  can  also  be  saved  by  one  bent  on  temple- 
seeing,  as  the  well-known  Hommyd-ji  is  not  far  from  the  station  (5  min.  to 
the  right,  cross  the  rly.  track  and  proceed  }  M.  up  the  broad  road),  angl  can 
be  inspected  on  the  way  to  the  town  (20  min.  by  jinriki,  20  sen).  The  tram- 
cars  which  leave  the  station  go  near  the  inns,  and  after  connecting  with  the 
cross-country  line  to  Otsu  proceed  to  the  Suizenji  Landscape  Garden.  The 
usual  jinriki  fare  from  the  station  to  the  center  of  the  town  via  the  Hom- 
myd-ji (about  1  hr.),  is  40  sen.  The  country  trip,  via  Aso  Volcano  to  Beppu, 
is  described  hereinafter. 

123  M.  Kumamoto,  capital  of  Higo  Province  and  Kuma- 
moto ken,  in  lat.  32°  49'  N.,  and  long.  130°  42'  E.  of  Greenwich 
(9°  5|'  W.  of  Tokyo),  an  attractive  city  with  62,000  inhabs., 
stands  on  a  broad  plain  encircled  by  mts.,  in  the  midst  of  so 
many  fine  trees  that  it  has  the  appearance  of  a  vast  park. 
The  Shirakawa  (White  River)  winds  through  it  and  is  spanned 
at  intervals  by  broad  foot-bridges  of  mediaeval  aspect.  The 
smoking  cone  of  Aso-san  is  outlined  against  the  N.E.  horizon, 
27  M.  distant.  The  main  street,  with  some  small  but  attrac- 
tive shops,  is  Togin-machi. 

Inns  (comp.  p.  xxxiv) ;  all  in  the  native  style.  The  Togiya  is  in  Semba- 
machi,  25  min.  by  jinriki  from  either  station,  the  Togiya  Shiten  (a  branch  of 
the  former)  is  in  Tetori-honcho,  20  min.  from  the  station.  The  Harukomaya 
is  in  Funabashita-machi,  and  is  a  resort  for  wrestlers  and  such.  Should  the 
traveler  be  obliged  to  lodge  there  a  clear  understanding  should  be  reached 
before  the  room  is  engaged,  as  an  extra  charge  is  usually  made  for  towels, 
bread,  butter,  and  other  requisites.  The  customary  rate  at  all  the  inns  is 
from  ¥2.50  to  ¥3.50  a  day  according  to  room  and  food.  Higher  if  so-called 
foreign  food  (eggs,  bread,  meat,  fried  potatoes,  or  the  like)  are  ordered.  Cer- 
tain of  the  jinriki-men  have  a  private  understanding  with  the  innkeepers,  and 
if  the  traveler  expresses  a  wish  to  go  to  a  certain  inn  he  is  apt  to  be  told  that 
it  is  not  as  good  as  such  and  such  a  place.  There  is  a  refreshment-stand  in 
the  Kumamoto  Station. 

The  Castle  (permit  from  the  Kencho;  no  photographing), 
at  present  occupied  by  the  Sixth  Army  Division,  was  built 
originally  in  the  15th  cent,  by  Ideta  Hidenobu,  and  recon- 
structed on  a  larger  scale  in  1599  by  Kato  Kiyomasa,  who  in 
a  fiduciary  capacity  received  it  from  Toyotomi  Hideyoshi. 
From  1632  until  the  Restoration  it  was  the  feudatory  seat  of 


The  Hommyd-ji.         KUMAMOTO  41.  Route,  673 


the  Hosokawa  daimybs.  A  mutiny  broke  out  here  in  1876, 
among  the  samurai  dissatisfied  with  the  new  Imperial  Gov't,  but 
was  promptly  quelled.  In  1877,  however,  during  the  Satsuma 
War,  the  3000  defenders  under  Colonel  Tani  Tateki  were  be- 
sieged for  50  days  by  the  Saigo  rebels,  but  were  finally  rescued 
by  General  Kuroda.  The  cyclopean  walls  are  all  that  remain 
of  the  former  massive  keep :  the  deep  moats  have  been  filled  in, 
but  the  fine  old  camphor  trees  of  the  park  remain.  Lafcadio 
Hearn  taught  school  in  Kumamoto  in  1894. 

The  Kumamoto  Leper  Hospital,  a  highly  deserving 
(charitable)  institution  founded  in  1895  by  Miss  Helen  Rid- 
dell  (who  still  maintains  it),  stands  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city, 
amid  pleasing  surroundings.  The  New  Year  postage-stamps 
issued  and  sold  during  the  Christmas  holidays  are  in  demand 
by  foreigners. 

The  Hommyo-ji,  a  Buddhist  temple  dedicated  to  KatbKiyo- 
masa,1  —  from  which  circumstance  it  is  often  called  Seishoko 
Sama  (the  Chinese  rendering  of  the  name),  —  dates  from  the 
16th  cent,  and  has  a  very  picturesque  approach.  Successive 
flights  of  stone  steps  lead  up  from  the  terminus  of  a  broad 
flagged  walk  flanked  by  cherry  trees  (fine  blossoms  in  early 
spring)  to  a  number  of  terraces,  each  with  its  tottering  shrine. 
Long  lines  of  picturesque  stone  lanterns  overshadowed  by  lofty 
trees  cut  the  ascending  avenue  into  one  central  and  two  par- 
alleling aisles,  at  the  end  of  which  one  gets  a  comprehensive 
vista  of  the  main  shrine  with  its  fine  roof  and  glistening  crests. 
The  dingy  structure  at  the  right  of  the  first  landing  is  the. 
Nichiren-sho,  and  that  opposite,  the  Shaka-dd.  Just  inside  the 
upper  gate  is  a  curious  old  bronze  monkey  surmounting  a 
bronze  cylinder  adorned  with  ideographs  in  low  relief.  Ac- 
cording to  the  temple  records  it  was  given  by  Kiyomasa  when 
his  favorite  monkey  (of  which  this  is  a  graven  image)  died. 
The  striking  wood-carvings  of  the  porch  are  worth  noticing. 
The  elaborately  decorated  honden  at  the  rear  is  closed  to  the 
public.  Among  the  stone  tombs  is  one  of  Kiyomasa  and  several 
'of  the  Koreans  who  followed  him  to  Japan  after  his  invasion 
of  their  country.  [Because  of  his  success  and  bravery  there, 
Kiyomasa  received  from  Hideyoshi  the  Kumamoto  fief  with 
an  annual  income  of  250,000  koku  of  rice.] 

The  Suizenji  Landscape  Garden  (the  sometime  private 
park  of  the  Hosokawa  family),  2  M.  S.E.  from  the  center  of  the 
city  (30  sen  by  jinriki  in  J  hr. ;  12  sen  by  the  tram  in  15  min.), 
is  worth  seeing  if  one  has  the  time  to  spare  and  is  unacquainted 

1  Kiyomasa's  memory  is  revered  in  all  the  temples  of  the  Nichiren  sect 
because  of  his  generous  protection  of  them  (and  mayhap  because  of  his  relent- 
less enmity  against  Christianity).  This  particular  temple  is  the  chosen 
shrine  of  credulous  folks  who  believe  themselves  possessed  of  the  fox,  and 
special  exorcisms  are  practiced  on  them  by  the  Nichiren  priests,  who  are 
reputed  the  most  successful  expellers  of  these  tricksy  spirits.  It  is  also  a  fav- 
orite resort  of  lepers  —  a  point  which  prudent  travelers  may  wish  to  keep 
in  mind. 


674    Route  1+1.  KUMAMOTO  Suizenji  Garden. 


with  the  usual  type  of  formal  landscape  garden  in  Japan. 
The  car  stops  in  front  of  the  entrance,  near  the  big  granite 
torii.  The  hill  in  the  center  of  the  garden  (no  fees)  is  supposed 
to  be  a  miniature  Fuji-san;  the  bronze  equestrian  statue  com- 
memorates Nagaoka  Shoe,  an  officer  who  died  in  the  Russian 
War.  The  near-by  shrine  is  called  the  '  Water  Shrine/  from 
the  numerous  springs  which  bubble  up  in  the  pond.  The  cred- 
ulous ascribe  miraculous  healing  qualities  to  the  water.  The 
port  of  Kumamoto  is  Hyakkanishi,  5  M .  to  the  W.  on  the  Shima- 
bara  Gulf.  Communication  daily  with  towns  on  the  Shima- 
bara  Peninsula. 

Southward  from  Kumamoto  the  rly.  traverses  a  rolling 
country  and  crosses  3  rivers  before  reaching  128  M.  Uto,  where 
a  branch  line  diverges  (right)  to  16  M.  Misumi,  whence 
steamers  leave  daily  for  Nagasaki  (about  7  hrs.),  and  Kago- 
shima.  —  145  M.  Yatsushiro  (Inn:  Obiya,  ¥2.50),  a  busy  town 
(pop.  15,000)  on  the  right  bank  of  the  swift  Yatsushiro  River 
(known  for  its  rapids),  produces  a  crackled  faience  which  has 
been  manufactured  here  for  centuries  and  was  first  introduced 
by  Koreans.  For  a  long  time  the  hill-encircled  place  was  the 
temporary  terminus  of  the  rly.,  the  section  hence  to  Kago- 
shima  having  presented  engineering  difficulties  that  required 
great  patience  to  overcome.  Several  among  the  57  tunnels  are 
more  than  2000  ft.  long,  the  greatest  being  the  Yatake  (just 
beyond  Yatake  Station),  which  is  6877  ft.  in  length,  and  is 
built  on  a  sharp  slope  1861  ft.  above  the  sea.  There  are  20 
steel  and  stone  bridges,  and  a  host  of  culverts.  —  The  rly. 
plunges  at  once  into  the  hills  and  begins  to  climb  through  wild 
and  picturesque  scenery.  The  river  flanks  it  on  the  right,  and 
from  the  car  window  one  sees  lithe  bamboo  rafts  careering 
down  the  rapid  current,  or  long-nosed  boats  being  poled  or 
hauled  up  by  perspiring  coolies.  There  is  barely  room  on  the 
mt.  side  for  the  rly.  and  for  the  few  farmsteads  which  stand 
near  it  high  above  the  stream;  the  people  live  by  fishing  and 
raising  a  few  necessities  on  their  checker-board-like  farms. 
Beyond  152  M.  Sakamoto,  the  canon  becomes  deeper  and  the 
rapids  steeper  and  more  impetuous;  the  region  is  wild  and 
primitive,  but  soft,  flower-decked,  and  pleasing.  The  mild 
climate  favors  the  flowers,  which  flame  from  every  hillside,  and 
the  blue-green  river  that  swirls  down  through  the  sunshine  pre- 
sents a  charming  picture  of  motion  and  semi-tropical  life. 
Tiny  hamlets  looking  like  swallows'  nests  cling  to  the  bank  at 
certain  points  in  the  gorge,  and  roundabout  them  happy 
naked  boys  shoot  the  rapids  in  frail,  rakish  crafts,  fish  for  mt. 
trout  in  cool  eddies  of  the  stream,  and  remain  blissfully  ignor- 
ant of  the  outer  world  and  its  myriad  complexities.  The  train 
crosses  and  re-crosses  the  river,  now  darting  through  a  dark- 
some tunnel,  now  edging  along  the  precipice  on  some  daring 
terrace,  or  sliding  through  some  densely  wooded  forest  or 


Takachiho. 


KIRISHIMA  41.  Route.  675 


valley.  The  small  stations  of  Setoishi,  Shiroisi,  Isshochi,  and 
W atari  are  all  in  the  ravine.  Beyond  the  latter  place  the  hills 
flatten,  the  river  loses#its  impetuous  character,  and  the  views 
broaden. 

177  M.  Hitoyoshi  stands  on  a  broad  upland  plain  delimned 
by  bulky  hills;  from  it  along,  stiffish  grade  pierced  by  many 
tunnels  leads  to  182  M.  Okoba  (1065  ft.),  on  a  spur  track, 
where,  before  the  train  has  time  to  back  out,  one  gets  a  superb 
view  over  the  ridge  (left)  to  the  deep  valley  hundreds  of  feet 
below.  The  stone  monument  in  the  triangle  here  stands  to  the 
memory  of  the  valiant  ones  who  left  this  region  to  die  for  the 
fatherland  on  the  Manchurian  plains.  As  the  train  proceeds 
along  another  track  around  the  shoulder  of  the  hill,  the  de- 
lighted eye  gazes  over  a  thousand  square  miles  of  deep,  peace- 
ful valley-land  walled  in  by  tumbled  mts.  Another  stiff  up- 
grade marked  by  tunnels  and  a  series  of  inspiring  views  carries 
the  train  to  189  M.  Yatake,  whence  it  descends  through  the 
long  Yatake  Tunnel  and  several  shorter  ones,  to  a  beautiful 
valley  sentineled  at  the  left  by  the  sacrosanct  Mt.  Kirishima, 
a  smoking  volcano  astride  the  border  of  Hyuga  and  Osumi 
Provinces.  It  is  greatly  revered  by  the  Japanese,  who  believe 
that  Ninigi  no  Mikoto,  grandson  of  Amaterasu,  and  great- 
grandfather of  Jimmu  Tenno,  set  his  foot  here  first  when  he 
descended  (see  below)  from  heaven  to  Japan. 

Higashi  (E.)  Kirishima,  the  only  active  vent  of  the  twin  peaks,  is  the 
highest  (5570  ft.)  and  is  often  called  Takachiho.  Nishi  (W.)  Kirishima,  a 
less  sharply  pointed  mass  about  8  M.  distant  on  the  sky-line,  is  usually  re- 
ferred to  as  Shiratori-taki.  Since  the  great  eruption  of  1895,  Takachiho  has 
been  classed  as  one  of  the  most  active  volcanoes  in  Japan.  Steam  and  sul- 
phurous gases  rise  from  it  constantly,  and  its  huge  crater  presents  an  awe- 
inspiring  manifestation  of  volcanic  energy.  Colossal  fumaroles  character- 
ize it,  and  numerous  hot  springs  burst  from  its  lower  flanks.  It  is  the 
terror  of  the  surrounding  villages,  and  particularly  of  Kirishima  village, 
1500  ft.  above  the  sea,  on  its  slope.  Many  parts  of  the  environing  country 
are  undergoing  a  steady  sinking  process,  particularly  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Yatake  Station.  —  On  a  pile  of  stones  on  the  E.  side  of  the  summit  stands 
the  famous  'Heavenly  Spear'  (Ama-no-nuhoko)  which  tradition  associates 
with  the  descending  to  earth  of  the  divine  Ninigi.  Its  extraordinarily  clumsy 
form  points  to  a  great  antiquity.  In  shape  it  is  a  cylindrical  shaft  of  forged 
copper-bronze,  with  several  blunt  projections,  and  toward  the  top  is  sharp- 
ened on  one  side.  Its  entire  length  is  about  50  in.:  the  length  from  point 
to  hilt,  about  40  in.;  the  circumference,  8-10  in.,  and  the  thickness  of  the 
handle,  22  in.  It  is  fixed  in  the  blunt  cone  hilt  upward.  —  The  mt.  slopes 
spared  by  the  fire  which  rained  from  Takachiho  in  Aug.,  1903,  are  covered 
in  places  with  chestnuts,  oaks,  mt.  cherry,  and  splendid  evergreen  and  de- 
ciduous trees  intermingled  with  various  conifers.  The  ascent  of  the  mt.  is 
usually  made  from  Kokubu  Station  (Inn:  Enrikan,  ¥2),  12  M.  from  its  foot, 
though  a  trip  (2  days)  can  be  arranged  to  better  advantage  from  Kagoshima, 
where  a  guide  (¥10),  etc.,  can  be  obtained  through  the  good  offices  of  the  inn- 
keeper. —  The  way  from  Kirishima  village  leads  through  a  fine  semi-tropi- 
cal forest,  thence  over  an  old  lava-field  covered  with  stunted  firs  and  alders 
to  a  fork  in  the  path,  the  right  branch  of  which  leads  to  Takachiho.  From 
this  point  the  ascent  (1  hr.)  is  over  ashes  and  scoria  to  the  lowest  margin  of 
the  crater.  The  view  from  the  summit  is  very  extensive.  ' 

More  tunnels  mark  the  wild  but  beautiful  region  through 
which  the  train  runs  after  leaving  184  M.  Masaki;  for  a  while 


676    Route  41.  KAGOSHIMA      Satsuma  Province. 


the  smoking  crater  sentinels  us,  then  it  dips  and  disappears 
behind  the  horizon.  198  M.  Yoshimatsu  is  a  shipping-point 
for  the  timber  cut  from  the  surrounding  hills. 

From  Yoshimatsu  the  Miyazaki  branch  line  runs  N.E.  to  32  M.  Koba- 
yashi-machi,  where  it  turns  S.E.  to  21  M.  Miyakonojo,  thence  runs  N.E.  again 
to  29  M.  Miyazaki,  a  small  port  on  the  Bungo  Channel.  Eventually  it  will 
form  a  link  in  the  system  now  under  construction  down  the  E.  coast  of  Kyu- 
shu from  Oita.  —  A  pike  excellent  for  motor-cars  runs  through  the  valley 
hereabout.  —  222  M.  Kokubu,  known  throughout  the  Empire  for  its  fine 
tobacco,  is  sometimes  the  starting-point  for  the  ascent  of  Kirishima.  The 
views  become  more  extensive  and  are  full  of  romantic  charm.  The  rly.  slopes 
downward  on  an  artificial  stone  terrace  high  above  the  placid  Kagoshima  Bay, 
and  the  views  of  this,  thence  over  and  beyond  to  the  holy  Kirishima  at  the 
far  left,  flanked  by  a  score  or  more  lesser  peaks  and  ranges,  and  the  fine  Sa- 
kurajima  rising  from  the  harbor  of  Kagoshima  just  ahead,  combine  to  form 
a  picture  as  charming  as  any  one  will  see  in  Japan.  The  benignity  of  the 
climate,  which  brings  a  myriad  flowers  and  flowering  trees  into  glorious  life,  is 
of  a  genial  'sunny  south'  character,  and  a  pervasive  joyousness  seems  to 
brood  above  the  landscape.  The  tiny  villages  which  dot  the  lovely  shore,  and 
the  children  who  splash  and  gambol  in  the  tepid  water  look  happy,  clean,  and 
inviting,  while  the  white-sailed  junks  that  drift  languidly  over  the  unruffled 
surface  of  the  lapis-lazuli  bay  impart  a  dreamy  magic  that  recalls  Ionian 
scenes.  There  are  4  tunnels  between  Shigelomi  and  Kagoshima,  and  just  be- 
fore reaching  the  last  one  the  pretty  Shimizu  Landscape  Garden  is  seen  at 
the  right. 

239  M.  Kagoshima  (pop.  64,000;  11,500  houses),  the  most 
important  southern  city  of  Japan,  capital  of  Satsuma  Province 
and  of  Kagoshima  Prefecture,  is  clean,  attractive^  and  stands 
amid  delightful  surroundings.  At  the  lower  edge  of  Kyushu,  in 
lat.  3.1°  35'  N.,  and  long.  130°  33'  E.  of  Greenwich,  it  is  943  M. 
from  Tokyo,  and  1617  from  Wakkanai,  the  topmost  point  of 
Yezo.  No  figures  could  give  a  better  idea  of  the  length  of 
densely  populated  Japan  —  a  country  which  a  one-time  great 
European  Power  formerly  regarded  as  too  insignificant  to  be 
considered  seriously  from  a  military  standpoint! 

The  Hotels  or  Inns  (comp.  p.  xxxiv)  are  all  in  the  native  style.  A  limited 
number  of  foreign-style  dishes  can  usually  be  had  at  a  price  slightly  above 
the  customary  rate;  the  fish  is  excellent  and  plentiful.  The  Yamashiroya 
Hotel,  near  the  steamer  landing,  in  Asahitori-machi  (10  min.  from  the  station 
by  jinriki;  10  sen) ,  is  clean  and  comfortable;  rates  vary  according  to  the  ac- 
commodation, from  ¥2  to  ¥3.50  a  day,  Am.  pi.  Other  inns  near  by  are 
the  Ikebata,  the  Okabe,  etc. 

Steamships  ply  frequently  to  162  M.  Nagasaki,  411  M.  Kobe,  to  various 
coast  ports,  to  Tanegashima  and  Amakusa  Island,  and  to  the  largest  of  the 
Loochoo  Islands. 

A  branch  rly.,  the  Sendai  Line,  runs  N.W.  from  Kagoshima  to  32  M. 
Sendai,  whither  it  will  proceed  eventually  farther  N.  along  the  island-dotted 
coast  flanking  Amakusajima. 

The  Nishi  Hongwanji,  an  immense  Buddhist  temple  (Monto 
sect)  inclosed  by  a  high  stone  wall  near  the  Prefectural  Office, 
besides  being  the  bulkiest  structure  in  the  port  is  the  finest 
fane  in  Kyushu.  It  is  marked  by  all  the  splendor  and  luxury 
which  usually  characterize  the  temples  of  this  sect,  and  is  sur- 
rounded by  the  customary  bronze  and  stone  lanterns,  lavers, 
fountains,  etc.  The  wide  porch,  with  some  passable  carvings 
in  the  natural  wood,  is  supported  by  four  handsome  square 
keyaki  columns  set  in  fine  bronze  sockets  resting  on  granite 


The  Castle. 


KAGOSHIMA  41.  Route.  677 


bases.  The  splendid  old  gray  tiled  roof  with  its  imposing  ante- 
fixes  is  one  of  the  most  satisfying  things  in  the  town.  The  six 
immense  supporting  pillars  of  the  interior  are  supplemented 
by  numerous  pilasters  of  beautifully  grained  keyaki,  sculptured 
in  low  relief,  with  decorations  that  extend  over  on  to  the  mas- 
sive cross-beams.  On  these,  at  intervals  are  chiseled  groups 
of  foliated  chrysanthemums,  and  alert  Dogs  of  Fo  with  ivory 
eyes.  Eighty  mats  are  required  to  cover  the  vast  central  nave, 
48  for  each  of  the  side  aisles,  12  for  the  ambulatory,  and  20 
for  the  chancel.  The  outer  doors  are  finished  in  the  natural 
wood,  heavily  studded  with  iron  bosses,  and  carved  with 
Paulownia  imperialis  crests.  The  panels  of  the  coffered  ceiling 
are  finished  in  dull  gold  lacquer.  The  high  altar,  a  marvel  of 
rich  brocade,  gold,  and  shining  metal,  is  decorated  after  the 
style  of  the  Nikko  mausolea,  with  a  maze  of  polychromatic 
diaper-work,  cloisonne,  and  intricate  arabesques.  The  seven 
superbly  sculptured  and  gilded  tennin  in  alto-relievo  work  are 
noteworthy  expressions  of  Buddhist  art.  The  central  one, 
above  the  middle  door  facing  the  shrine,  holds  in  her  hand  an 
exquisite  little  golden  Amida  backed  by  a  tiny  mandorla,  a 
copy  of  that  in  the  reliquary,  and  which,  by  its  excellence,  re- 
calls certain  of  Churiguerra's  finest  work.  Some  of  the  figures 
are  portrayed  in  the  characteristic  attitude  of  evoking  celestial 
music,  while  others  appear  enraptured  by  the  Buddhistic  sym- 
bols which  they  hold  before  them.  Below,  but  still  above  the 
doors,  are  7  other  excellently  carved  and  gilded  ramma  show- 
ing lotus  flowers  and  leaves  in  high  relief,  along  with  graceful 
peacocks,  mythological  phcenixes,  waves,  etc.  The  numerous 
rich  and  historic  kakemono  differ  but  little  from  those  in  other 
temples. 

Kagoshima  is  mentioned  in  history  as  far  back  as  a.d.  764. 
The  ruins  of  the  present  castle  —  the  feudal  keep  of  the  pow- 
erful Shimazu  daimybs  until  the  Restoration  —  occupy  the 
site  of  an  earlier  structure  'razed  by  Shimazu  Iehisa  in  the 
16th  cent.  St.  Francis  Xavier  landed  here  in  1549,  and  in 
Aug.,  1863,  the  English  Admiral  Kuper  bombarded  the  port 
and  practically  destroyed  it  in  retaliation  for  the  refusal  of 
the  reigning  Lord  of  Satsuma  to  make  redress  for  the  murder 
of  C.  L.  Richardson,  an  Englishman,  killed  by  one  of  his  vas- 
sals at  Namamugi  (near  Yokohama)  in  1862.  The  city  was  the 
center  of  the  historic  Satsuma  Rebellion  of  1877,  at  which  time 
—  after  8  months  of  desultory  fighting  —  it  and  its  castle  were 
again  reduced  to  ruins.  Here  the  hapless  Saigo  Takamori 
(monument  in  Uyeno  Park,  Tokyo)  the  leader  of  the  insurrec- 
tion, committed  seppuku  when  he  saw  that  the  uprising  had 
failed  of  its  purpose.  —  A  multiplicity  of  canals  cross  and  re- 
cross  the  town,  and  many  quaint  stone  bridges  are  features 
of  them.  It  knows  little  or  nothing  of  the  winters  which  bury 
N.  Japan  under  10  ft.  of  snow,  for  here  fruit  trees  bloom  in 


678    Route  p.      KAGOSHIMA  GULF  Sakurajima. 


Oct.  alongside  ripening  grape-fruit,  oranges,  and  other  semi- 
tropical  products.  The  fine  crackled  porcelain  known  as 
Satsuma-yaki  (which  has  carried  the  name  Satsuma  to  all 
parts  of  the  artistic  world),  though  still  made  here  is  now  sur- 
passed in  beauty  and  excellence  by  Kyoto  products  (comp.  p. 
ccliv).  Dainty  sets  in  which  tea  is  served  by  yet  daintier  Sa- 
tsuma maidens  are  among  the  alluring  features  of  the  inns,  and 
many  of  the  shops  are  dedicated  to  the  sale  of  the  local 
productions.  The  superior  grass-cloth  (called  Satsuma- j of u, 
because  it  was  first  imported  through  Satsuma  Province)  sold 
in  some  of  the  stores  is  woven  (from  hemp  bark)  and  dyed 
in  the  Loochoo  Islands.  Satsuma-rdsoku,  a  superior  kind  of 
wax-candle  is  made  here. 

A  host  of  delightful  walks  are  possible  in  the  neighborhood, 
and  weeks  would  be  needed  to  trace  them  all  out.  The  big 
wooded  hill  at  the  right  of  the  town  (W.),  called  Shiroyama 
C Castle  Hill'),  and  Tsurumaruyama,  is  the  site  of  the  old 
castle  and  Shiroyama  Park,  the  most  popular  of  the  near-by 
resorts.  From  the  ruins  of  the  sometime  fortress  rises  the 
new  Kagoshima  Middle  School.  Lotus-choked  moats  flank  the 
lower  edge  of  the  inclosure  and  from  them  rise  cyclopean  old 
walls  almost  covered  with  the  myriad  tiny  flora  of  a  semi- 
tropic  region.  In  the  early  morning  the  twisty,  upward-slop- 
ing avenue  is  thronged  with  bright-eyed,  neatly  clad,  chatter- 
ing school-girls,  equipped  with  books  and  slates,  and  with 
squat  bottles  of  ink  swinging  from  strings  tied  to  their  little 
fingers.  —  Following  the  zigzag  path  leading  past  the  school 
one  soon  comes  to  a  shaded  woods-road  which  bears  up  the 
slope  to  the  left  and  affords  charming  views  over  the  town 
to  Sakurajima  and  the  sea  beyond.  The  many  monuments 
and  graves  commemorate  the  misguided  men  who  perished 
in  the  Satsuma  Rebellion.  By-paths  conduct  one  to  other  and 
higher  eminences  whence  the  views  are  yet  more  extensive, 
and  embrace  the  twin  peaks  of  Kirishimay  and  other  lofty 
ranges. 

Kagoshima  Gulf,  about  40  M.  long  from  N.  to  S.,  and  5- 
10  M.  wide,  is  very  deep  (127  fathoms  near  the  middle),  and 
has  practically  no  anchorage  for  large  vessels  except  near  the 
city.  Blocking  the  channel  10  M.  from  its  head,  with  deep 
water  passages  on  either  side,  abreast  of  the  city,  and  but  a 
short  distance  from  the  steamer-landing,  is  the  bulky  and  lofty 
Sakurajima  (Cherry  Tree  Island),  the  highest  peak  of  which, 
Mitaka  (3000  ft.),  in  the  center  of  the  island,  is  an  active  vol- 
cano (great  eruption  in  Jan.,  1914).  The  terraces  on  its  lower 
slope  are  planted  with  vegetable-wax  and  orange  trees,  while 
the  carefully  tilled  fields,  warmed  below  by  subterranean 
fires,  and  above  by  a  tropical  sun,  produce  the  fine  vegetables 
(chiefly  radishes  and  big  daikons),  the  sugar-cane,  and  what- 
not for  which  the  region  is  celebrated.  In  early  spring  the 


Ozu. 


KUMAMOTO  TO  BEPPU    42.  Route.  679 


foot-paths  which  zigzag  up  the  mt.  (extensive  views  from  the 
summit)  are  adorned  with  a  host  of  azaleas,  deutzias,  lilies, 
beautiful  ferns,  and  other  plants.  Small  steamers  leave  the 
landing  several  times  each  day  for  5  J  M.  Zokoyama,  and  other 
of  the  island  ports.  The  Arimura  Hot  Springs,  at  the  southern 
foot  of  the  island,  3  hrs.  from  Kagoshima,  is  a  popular  resort. 

42.  From  Kumamoto  via  Toshita,  Aso-san,  Takeda,  and  Oita 
to  Beppu. 

This  trip,  one  of  the  finest  cross-country  jaunts  in  Japan,  should  be  taken 
for  the  unusual  opportunity  afforded  of  standing  on  the  rim  of  an  active  vol- 
cano and  gazing  into  one  of  Nature's  awe-inspiring  work-shops,  as  well  as  for 
the  delightful  glimpses  one  gets  of  thoroughly  rural  Japan  in  one  of  its  best 
aspects.  The  traveler  who  prefers  to  proceed  from  one  of  the  Kyushu  ports 
to  Nagasaki  by  sea,  rather  than  return  to  Shimonoseki,  can  reverse  this  route 
and  Route  43,  without  missing  anything  worth  seeing.  The  most  satisfactory 
way  is,  however,  to  start  from  Kumamoto.  With  this  Handbook  a  guide  is 
unnecessary;  a  local  one  must  perforce  be  picked  up  at  Toshita,  for  the  round- 
about walk  over  Aso-san,  as  described  hereinafter.  Money  can  be  saved  by 
limiting  one's  hand-luggage,  and  having  the  (strong  and  willing)  guide  from 
Toshita  carry  it  over  Aso-san  to  Boju,  where  the  basha  is  rejoined.  The  obser- 
vations below  are  detailed  with  the  aim  of  saving  the  traveler  time  and  an 
unpleasant  experience  —  nothing  in  itself,  but  vexatious  if  there  be  a  tired 
woman  in  the  party.  English  is  spoken  by  the  obliging  matron  at  the  To- 
shita Inn,  and  the  scholarly  proprietor  of  the  Beppu  Hotel.  The  country  is 
as  safe  as  Broadway  or  the  Strand. 

The  Kumamoto _Inns  are  mentioned  at  p.  672.  The  tram-fare  fromii'u- 
mamoto  to  Ozu  (or  Otzu;  often  pronounced  oats)  is  33  sen;  the  junction  where 
the  car  is  usually  boarded  is  in  the  N.E.  quarter  of  the  town,  near  the  Ken- 
cho  —  which  is  passed  (right)  as  the  car  (usually  crowded)  goes  out  toward 
the  N.W.  suburb.  The  12  M.  ride  to  Ozu  takes  about  If  hrs.,  and  if  one's 
time  is  limited  and  one  wishes  to  make  an  early  start  from  the  inn,  the  Sui- 
zenji  Garden  can  be  visited,  the  tram  taken  to  the  Ozu  Jet.,  and  the  Ozu  car 
boarded  there.  It  is  a  little  over  2  hrs.  by  basha  (p.  xci)  from  Ozu  to  (9  M.) 
Toshita,  where  one  must  spend  the  night,  but  as  there  are  several  fine  water- 
falls in  the  immediate  vicinity,  it  is  worth  while  trying  to  reach  there  early 
in  the  afternoon  in  order  to  see  them  before  dark.  From  Kumamoto  the 
line  crosses  a  cultivated,  pleasing  country  with  Aso-san  smoking  vigorously 
on  the  left  horizon  and  every  now  and  then  puffing  up  huge  black  rings  of 
smoke.  Other  odd  features  in  the  landscape  are  the  Chinese  juniper  trees 
(Ibuki),  the  foliage  of  which  springs  out  a  few  feet  above  the  ground  and  en- 
velops the  trunk  like  a  cloak  to  a  point  near  the  top,  where  the  limbs  branch 
like  those  of  an  ordinary  conifer,  but  sometimes  form  cones  that  resemble 
the  trimmed  trees  in  a  graveyard.  Many  groves  of  bamboos,  pines,  and 
vegetable-wax  trees  dot  the  valleys,  and  dispute  the  land  with  pollarded  mul- 
berries; the  dwellers  in  the  cottages  devote  their  spare  moments  to  reeling 
silk  on  primitive  reels,  from  steaming  cocoons.  The  road  to  Toshita  is  ma- 
cadamized and  is  practicable  for  motor-cars. 

The  Basha  Office  (basha-gwaisha)  at  Ozu  is  opposite  the  tram  terminus; 
no  English  spoken.  Henceforward  the  road  is  broad,  unmistakable,  and 
much  traveled,  and  a  good  pedestrian  can  easily  walk  to  Toshita  in  2\  hrs. 
The  bashas  used  by  the  natives  are  small,  seatless,  and  singularly  uncom- 
fortable. As  many  as  can  be  packed  into  them  squat  on  the  restricted  and 
bumpy  floor,  and  sleep  with  heads  resting  on  their  neighbor's  shoulder  as 
occasion  offers.  Fare  to  Toshita,  40  sen.  Foreigners  are  usually  expected  to 
hire  a  special  basha  (cost,  ¥1.55)  with  seats  and  room  for  4  pers.,  and  this 
vehicle  is  usually  brought  up  unasked.  It  is  so  superior  to  the  other,  and  is 
drawn  by  such  a  strong  and  willing-looking  horse  (a  decoy  used  for  the  occa- 
sion), that  it  is  engaged  forthwith.  The  traveler  is  now  told  that  bashas  are 
difficult  to  find  en  route,  and  he  is  besought  to  arrange  for  a  continuous  trip 
to  Takeda  (20  M.  beyond  Boju  at  the  far  side  of  Aso-san,  where  the  basha 
is  rejoined)  at  an  agreed-upon  price  (basha-chin)  of  ¥6.50  (prices  are  dear 


680   Route  42.    KUMAMOTO  TO  BEPPU  Toshita. 


and  flexible),  thence  to  (29  M.  over  a  much  better  road)  Oita,  at  a  final 
charge  of  ¥5.  The  same  horse,  honest-appearing  driver,  and  comfortable 
basha  are  unctuously  promised  for  the  through  trip.  The  money  is  de- 
manded in  advance.  When  the  early  morning  tramp  is  begun  at  Toshita, 
one's  luggage  is  piled  into  the  basha,  which  is  supposed  to  follow  the  highway 
round  the  base  of  the  volcano  and  to  be  in  waiting  at  Boju  in  the  afternoon. 
Here  one  usually  arrives  about  4  or  4.30,  tired  enough  after  the  long  mt. 
climb,  dusty,  and  anxious  to  proceed  to  Takeda  and  the  inn,  with  its  supper 
and  bed.  He  finds,  however,  that  he  has  been  tricked;  hunting  out  the  bait- 
ing-station (bashaku),  he  is  able  to  rout  out  naught  but  a  wretched,  dilapi- 
dated vehicle,  a  strange  driver  (basha  no  betto),  and  a  bony  horse  (basha-uma) 
that  has  seen  better  days.  After  much  grumbling  about  its  being  too  late  in 
the  day,  the  driver  grudgingly  hitches  up  and  starts.  But  at  the  end  of  an 
hour,  when  Sakanashi  (Inn:  Sakana-ya,  ¥2.50)  is  reached,  the  basha-driver 
stubbornly  refuses  to  proceed  farther,  and  if  the  traveler  wishes  to  save 
time  and  go  on  to  Takeda,  a  firm  attitude  and  an  appeal  to  the  police  are 
necessary  to  move  him.  Just  beyond  this  wretched  village  is  the  barrier 
ridge  (the  old  crater  wall)  which  hems  in  the  vast  valley  (once  the  crater 
floor).  The  road  upward  to  Takimuro-zaka  (hill)  zigzags  at  such  an  angle 
that  the  poor  horse  pulls  the  empty  basha  with  the  greatest  difficulty,  the 
while  breathing  laboriously.  The  traveler,  man  or  woman,  must  walk,  stum- 
blingly,  and  sometimes  in  pitchy  darkness,  and  is  lucky  if  not  asked  to  push. 
The  time  lost  in  expostulating  with  the  driver  serves  merely  to  delay  one, 
and  invites  the  risk  of  being  refused  admission  to  the  Takeda  Inn  (reached  at 
about  11  p.m.)  because  of  the  lateness  of  the  hour.  Hence  to  Oita  there  is  no 
difficulty,  as  there  are  frequent  and  competing  bashas  and  jinrikis.  The 
above  annoyance  can  be  avoided  by  refusing  to  pay  in  advance  for  the 
basha;  by  having  the  guide  from  Toshita  carry  one's  luggage  along;  and  by 
making  a  bargain  for  a  fresh  horse  and  basha  at  Boju,  for  the  trip  to  Takeda. 
At  that  town  the  basha  starts  from  a  point  near  the  inn,  and  the  obliging  inn- 
keeper will  see  that  his  guest  is  not  overcharged.  Unless  the  traveler  carries 
special  credentials,  a  letter  from  the  matron  at  Toshita  to  the  innkeeper 
at  Takeda  will  be  found  useful.  Amateur  photographers  who  plan  to  take 
views  of  the  crater  are  recommended  to  read  the  2d  paragraph  at  p.  ci. 

From  Ozu,  a  primitive  town  with  streams  of  clear  water 
running  through  its  main  street,  the  excellent  road  slopes 
gently  upward  through  a  region  where  much  good  tobacco  is 
raised;  the  hillsides  are  usually  scarlet  with  the  leaves  of  the 
vegetable-wax  trees,  and  in  autumn  they  flame  with  many 
gorgeous  tints.  The  valley  lands  are  sown  to  grain.  About 
1  hr.  out  the  road  approaches  a  stupendous  gorge  (right)  cov- 
ered with  dense  forests  of  tall  cedars  that  rise  like  exaggerated 
funeral  plumes;  lofty  mts.  stand  behind,  while  far  down  at  the 
S.  the  land  falls  away  in  a  magnificent  perspective;  the  mighty 
roar  of  a  surging  river  comes  up  from  the  depths.  The  road- 
way winds  down  over  terraces  cut  from  the  canon  wall  to  the 
quaint  stone  Megane  Bridge  thrown  across  the  river  at  a  point 
where  two  streams  converge.  The  Kurogawa  (Black  River) 
comes  in  at  the  right,  the  Shirakawa  (White  River)  at  the 
left.  In  the  triangle  formed  by  the  streams  and  the  lofty  hills 
nestles  the  picturesque  hamlet  of  Toshita,  or  Aso  village,  not 
unfrequently  confounded  with  Tochinoki-shinyu  (Inn:  Oyama, 
¥2),  a  cluster  of  houses  round  a  hot  spring  in  the  canon  a  short 
distance  farther  up  the  Shirakawa,  and  a  popular  resort  of  Ja- 
panese. Here  the  two  rivers,  which  in  early  spring  tear  through 
the  ravine  with  a  deafening  roar,  merge  their  waters,  and  after 
flowing  through  a  wild  and  lovely  rift  in  the  mts.  emerge  on  the 


Aso-san.        KUMAMOTO  TO  BEPPU    42.  Route.  681 


plain  and  wind  placidly  through  Kumamoto  as  the  Shirakawa. 
The  thin  waterfall  which  plunges  down  the  slope  on  the  near 
side  of  the  road  and  town,  close  to  the  bridge,  is  the  Kigurashi- 
no-taki.  In  April  the  hills,  which  tower  on  all  sides  and  close 
in  the  hamlet  like  a  pebble  at  the  bottom  of  a  bowl,  are  necked 
with  splendid  yama-zakura  blooms.  So  vigorous  are  the  trees, 
and  so  mild  the  climate,  that  one  may  frequently  witness  the 
curious  spectacle  of  fruit  blooms  in  Oct.,  when  the  slopes  are 
crimson  with  maples  blushing  at  the  defiling  caress  of  the  so- 
called  winter.  At  both  seasons  the  place  is  pleasant,  with  a 
purity  of  air  one  would  not  expect  in  so  deep  a  depression.  To 
this  secluded  spot  come  occasional  foreigners  from  the  Chinese 
littoral,  and  native  school-boys  (under  the  leadership  of  a  be- 
goggled  professor)  on  their  way  to  or  from  Aso-san.  The  hot 
sulphur  and  the  gypsum  (sekko)  springs  which  abound  are 
supposed  to  spurt  direct  from  the  glowing  heart  of  the  volcano ; 
those  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  are  called  Toshita,  To- 
chinoki,  Yunotani,  Tarutama,  and  Jigoku.  The  numerous  baths 
are  as  primitive  as  the  habits  and  ideas  of  the  people  —  the 
steaming  sulphur  water  running  through  bamboo  pipes  into 
pools  under  flimsy  sheds  which  afford  no  privacy  and  where 
men  and  women  bathe  together  in  nature's  way.  —  Foreign 
food  cooked  in  a  savory  manner  is  served  at  the  Hotel  Choyo- 
kwan,  the  primitive  little  Toshita  Inn  (supper,  bed,  and  early 
breakfast,  ¥2.50;  hot  sulphur  baths  in  a  special  inclosure, 
15  sen),  and  the  matron  is  helpful  in  securing  a  guide  (Ichihara 
Takeshides  is  recommended)  for  the  trip  to  the  volcano;  from 
Toshita  to  Aso-san  and  return,  one  yen;  50  sen  more  if  he  goes 
on  to  (6  M.)  Bdju,  and  ¥2  if  to  Miyaji  (Inn:  Somonkwan, 
¥2.50).  This  is  the  only  stretch  where  a  guide  is  necessary, 
as  the  trail  is  easily  lost. 

If  the  traveler  has  a  little  time  to  spare  at  Toshita,  he  will 
be  repaid  for  the  40  min.  walk  along  the  Boju  road  (local 
guide,  25  sen)  to  the  Sugaruga  Waterfall  (50  ft.  high).  A 
quick  way  (not  liked  by  ladies)  is  to  scale  the  face  of  the 
high  hill  at  the  far  end  of  the  bridge  and  climb  past  the  Ki- 
gurashi  Cascade  to  where  the  water  flows  through  a  weir,  then 
follow  the  narrow  path  along  the  crest  of  the  steep  ridge  at  the 
edge  of  the  upland  rice-fields.  This  trail  soon  leads  into  the 
highway,  a  short  walk  (right)  along  which  brings  one  to  a  di- 
verging path,  also  at  the  right,  terminating  at  a  ledge  where 
one  gets  a  thrilling  view  over  a  deep  valley  to  the  Sugaruga-taki 
at  the  left,  and  the  almost  equally  high  Shiraito  Fall  at  the 
right.  The  two  sheets  of  water  plunging  into  the  ravine  with  a 
thunderous  roar,  the  foaming  river  tearing  through  the  broken 
country  below,  and  the  smoking  cone  of  Aso-san  above,  com- 
bine to  form  an  extraordinarily  striking  vista. 

The  start  for  the  ascent  of  the  Aso  Volcano  should  be  made 
from  Toshita  not  later  than  5  a.m.  in  summer,  or  6  in  winter; 


682    Route  42.    KUMAMOTO  TO  BEPPU    Aso  Volcano. 


the  hostess  will  serve  a  hot  breakfast  in  one's  room  at  any  de- 
sired hour,  and  prepare  the  luncheon  which  the  guide  carries. 
A  bottle  of  water  will  be  found  useful  before  the  crater  is  reached. 
Hot  tea,  cold  beer,  and  other  refreshments  can  be  had  at  tea- 
houses along  the  way,  but  the  water  should  be  avoided.  It 
should  be  remembered,  too,  that  water  used  in  making  tea  in 
Japan  is  not  brought  to  a  boil.  The  earlier  the  start  the  earlier 
one  reaches  the  inn  at  Takeda.  Furthermore,  if  one  can  man- 
age to  be  well  on  the  way  before  the  sun  rises  over  the  sur- 
rounding mts.  one  of  the  finest  prospects  in  nature  may  be 
enjoyed  from  the  high  elevations.  —  Toshita  looks  very  pretty 
in  its  rocky  nest  beside  the  rushing  rivers  as  one  looks  down 
upon  it  from  the  broad  macadam  road  that  winds  up  out  of 
the  gorge.  A  30  min.  walk  brings  one  to  a  point  far  below 
which  Tochinoki-shinyu  is  descried  perched  like  a  swallow's 
nest  in  a  gorge  from  which  many  wisps  of  steam  drift  upward. 
The  view  of  the  roaring,  angry  river  as  it  rushes  downward  is 
inspiriting.  The  curious  rock  formation  at  the  left  of  the  road 
is  worth  looking  at.  The  ravine  soon  widens  and  affords  a  vista 
(at  the  far  right)  of  the  (30  ft.  high)  Aigaeru-taki  (' barrier/ 
or  'trout-return'),  so  called  because  the  mt.  trout  bound  up- 
stream must  turn  back  here.  Here,  too,  one  passes  out  of  ear- 
shot of  the  resounding  river.  The  tall  mt.  at  the  right  is  Ta- 
wara-yama.  —  A  steady  45  min.  ascent  from  Toshita  brings  one 
to  a  steepish  rocky  trail  which  leads  up  (left)  at  a  sharp  angle 
from  the  main  road  to  (10  min.)  a  wide,  rolling  upland  plain, 
on  the  far  side  of  which  a  thin  column  of  steam  can  be  seen 
rising  from  the  (3^  M.)  Yunotani  Hot  Springs,  on  the  slope  of 
what  once  formed  the  outer  wall  of  the  Aso-san  crater. 

The  view  from  this  elevated  plane  is  singularly  vivid  and 
beautiful.  The  eye  ranges  over  scores  of  peaks  and  gorges, 
and  thousands  of  square  miles  of  tumbled  valley  land  senti- 
neled by  the  ominous  volcano  pouring  out  clouds  of  black 
wrath,  and  they  all  make  a  lively  impression  upon  the  mind. 
If  one  can  reach  this  spot  when  the  sun's  disk  is  just  climbing 
above  the  surrounding  mts.,  and  broad  fingers  of  yellow  light 
are  ripping  aside  the  somber  curtains  of  night  and  chasing  the 
shadows  out  of  the  yawning  chasms,  one  will  experience  a  stir- 
ring of  the  blood  such  as  one  feels  at  the  summit  of  the  Matter- 
horny  on  Tiger  Hill  in  the  Himalayas,  with  Mt.  Everest  in  the 
foreground,  or  on  the  deathly  silent  uppermost  rim  of  Popo- 
catepetl. Another  10  min.  walk  brings  one  to  a  small  cluster  of 
trees  girdling  a  deserted  shrine  on  a  summit  of  a  rounded  hill 
whence  the  view  is  even  finer.  Here  perhaps  better  than  at  any 
other  point  one  is  able  to  appreciate  the  claim  made  for  Aso- 
san  that  with  its  ancient  crater  40  M.  in  circumference  it  is 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  terrestrial  volcanoes.  The  pre- 
sent crater,  14  M.  by  10,  with  the  longest  diameter  running 
N.  and  S.,  is  still  of  striking  magnitude.  The  jagged  girdle  of 


Aso  Volcano.    KUMAMOTO  TO  BEPPU    42.  Route.  683 


cliff  and  escarpment  which  cuts  the  horizon  at  the  right  and 
left  anciently  formed  the  outer  rim  of  the  volcano.  The  only 
gap  in  this  vast  circuit  is  seen  straight  ahead  and  was  made 
by  the  Shirakawa  perhaps  aeons  ago  when  it  burst  its  way 
through  the  wall  in  its  strenuous  efforts  to  reach  the  sea.  On 
the  wide  crater  floor,  now  jumbled  into  a  confused  mass  of  hills, 
ravines,  and  smiling  meadows,  twenty  or  more  populous  vil- 
lages stand  in  fancied  security.  All  are  far  below  the  huge 
central  cone,  which  rises  bulkily  to  terminate  in  five  squat 
peaks,  the  highest  (Taka-dake)  5220  ft.  above  the  sea.  Each 
so-called  peak  —  merely  an  unpricked  mud-bubble  on  the  lip 
of  a  gigantic  vent  —  is  separated  from  its  mate  by  mud  and 
ash  walls,  and  but  two  are  active.  A  series  of  gentle  grassy 
slopes  lead  upward  from  the  plain  to  the  rim  of  the  newer,  yet 
unthinkably  old,  crater  wall,  over  which  one  passes  to  the 
wide  oval  pit  where  the  glowing  heart  of  this  Kyushu  monarch 
still  harbors  some  of  its  original  fire. 

Seen  from  our  vantage-point  the  inclosed  region  reminds 
one  of  a  titanic,  sunlit  amphitheater  at  the  top  of  the  world. 
Barring  the  ringing  call  of  field-larks  and  the  answering  notes 
of  other  birds,  the  peace  of  a  great  silence  broods  above  it.  The 
tiny,  blurred  cluster  of  white  houses  glinting  miles  away  through 
the  great  gash  in  the  crater  wall  is  Ozu.  The  blue  mts.  beyond 
the  azure,  satin-like  sea  rise  in  pointed  grandeur  from  the  Shima- 
bara  Peninsula.  A  myriad  wild  flowers  deck  the  grassy  slopes, 
prominent  among  them  a  dainty  little  stellate  white  flower 
like  the  Star-of-Bethlehem,  and  a  singularly  handsome  purple 
thistle  which  the  mountaineers  call  (perhaps  too  loosely)  the 
Gobo,  or  burdock  (Arctium  Lappa)  and  which  they  sometimes 
cultivate  as  a  vegetable.  —  The  roar  of  a  distant  waterfall  rides 
down  on  the  wind  as  we  follow  the  trail  in  its  windings  up 
and  down  and  across  the  plateau  to  the  bulky,  smoking  mt. 
At  7.30  we  reach  a  commanding  eminence  whence  a  mag- 
nificent view  is  had  of  the  vast  sweep  of  land  at  our  feet,  and 
of  the  semi-circular  crater  wall  with  the  ragged  gash  torn 
through  its  ribs  countless  ages  ago  by  the  impetuous  Shira- 
kawa. The  impelling  harmony  of  the  scene  causes  one  to  turn 
again  and  again  as  one  ascends.  A  sequestered  hamlet  with  a 
cobble-paved  street  sloping  upward  beneath  shade-trees  is 
passed  at  8  o'clock,  and  40  min.  later  a  lovely,  shadowy,  idyl- 
lic road  leads  through  somber  pines  to  (25  min.)  Yunotani 
village,  where  there  are  many  persimmon  trees  and  a  little  tea- 
house, from  the  terrace  of  which  a  wonderful  panorama  is 
spread  out  below.  While  one  is  enjoying  the  view  from  a  seat 
beneath  flowering  plum,  peach,  or  cherry  trees,  or  reddening 
maples,  the  nesans  scurry  around  and  brew  the  inevitable 
green  tea,  assemble  yokan  and  sweet  cakes,  and  tie  on  the  new 
waraji  (3  sen)  with  which  the  traveler  will  be  wise  to  equip 
himself  before  tightening  his  belt,  taking  off  his  coat,  and 


684   Route  £2.    KUMAMOTO  TO  BEPPU    Aso  Volcano. 


starting  for  the  real  climb  in  a  whirl  of  renewed  energy.  Before 
leaving  the  town  one  should  pass  into  the  yard  at  the  left  of  the 
road  (a  minute's  walk  beyond  the  cha-ya),  and  inspect  the  huge 
steaming,  boiling  pool  of  mud  there  in  the  midst  of  sulphur 
fumes,  and  rocks  that  have  been  burned  a  dusky  red  by  in- 
ternal fires.  The  region,  perhaps  an  old  volcanic  vent,  looks 
very  Plutonian  and  forbidding;  the  ground  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  is  treacherous,  and  the  water  is  led  away  in  pipes  to  a 
primitive  bath-house. 

The  trail  is  now  uphill  along  a  shaded  woods-path,  then  for 
an  hour  or  more  over  the  shoulders  of  steepish,  rounded  hills 
where  much  pampas-grass  grows,  and  whence  the  views  are 
of  a  majesty  which  words  fail  to  describe.  Farmers  from  the 
microscopic  towns  far  below  come  up  to  this  point  with  pack- 
animals  and  cut  the  fine  grass  and  take  it  down  to  the  plains. 
Occasional  subterranean  grumbles  beneath  one's  feet  remind 
one  of  the  hot  fires  that  glow  not  far  below,  and  these  sounds 
are  punctuated  at  intervals  by  thunderous  explosions  that 
shake  the  ground  and  start  pebbles  rattling  down  the  mt. 
side.  A  leisurely  ascent  of  1J  hrs.  from  Yunotani  brings  one 
(at  11.15)  to  the  rim  of  another  old  crater  overlooking  the 
wide,  grass-grown  crater  floor.  The  gray,  tortured  rocks  of  the 
massive  walls  are  pictures  of  desolation,  and  they  look  as  if 
they  had  passed  through  infernal  fires.  Before  descending  to 
the  floor  of  Aso's  deserted  workshop,  one  gets  a  last  look  in  re- 
trospect over  the  land  which  seems  to  slope  like  a  toboggan- 
slide  into  infinity.  A  50  min.  walk  down  to  a  small  gorge 
where  the  Boju  trail  strikes  off  at  the  left,  then  up  a  stiffish 
winding  trail,  brings  one  to  the  rest-house  just  at  the  foot  of 
Aso's  frowning  crest.  Clouds  of  smoke  ascend  amid  deafening 
noises.  Light  refreshments  are  obtainable  here,  and  for  20 
sen  one  buys  a  cane  stamped  with  the  assurance  that  one  has 
reached  the  top. 

The  Active  Crater  is  reached  by  passing  behind  the  inn, 
then  alongside  the  melancholy  little  Aso-san  Shrine,  and  up 
(20  min.)  a  desolate,  sloping  path  strewn  with  scoria  and  vol- 
canic detritus.  Great  waves  of  molten  lava  are  seen  to  have 
washed  down  the  slag-encumbered  side  of  the  cone,  and  they 
have  formed  a  fearsome  atrium,  like  that  of  an  expiring  world, 
where  deadly  peril  seems  to  stalk  abroad,  and  where  no  flowers 
bloom,  or  birds  sing.  Scrambling  over  the  parched  and  dread- 
fully distorted  lip,  one  finds  one's  self  within  the  gaunt  ribs  of 
a  still  living  skeleton  of  a  volcano  nearly  \  M.  long,  fire-scorched, 
streaked  and  smeared  with  all  the  colors  of  death's  spectrum, 
and  appalling  in  its  dying  agony.  These  scarified  walls  are 
among  the  most  impressive  things  in  the  interior,  since  they  tell 
all  too  plainly  the  terrible  tortures  to  which  they  have  been 
subjected;  they  bear  a  curious  resemblance  to  the  walls  of  an 
old  paint-shop  whose  slipshod  owner  has  for  years  tried  out 


Aso  Volcano.  BOJO  TO  TAKEDA     42.  Route.  685 


colors  on  them.  Lateral  walls  of  crumbly  mud  and  ashes 
(dangerous)  separate  the  several  vents  (apt  to  change  with 
each  eruption)  and  from  these  vast  sloping  ridges  avalanches 
slip  down  from  time  to  time.  Near  the  center  is  a  fear-inspir- 
ing hole  200  or  more  ft.  deep  and  |  M.  in  diameter  at  the  top, 
with  a  wall  that  dips  sharply  and  narrows  to  a  boiling,  roaring 
pool  of  mud  and  fire  and  sulphur  out  of  which  shoot  up  streaks 
of  snow-white  steam  or  billowy  eddies  of  dense  black  smoke. 
The  roar  is  like  that  from  a  titanic  blast-furnace,  and  the  heat 
as  great;  the  guide  keeps  the  stench  of  brimstone  out  of  his 
nostrils  by  tying  a  handkerchief  over  his  face,  but  the  turmoil 
in  one's  ears  is  almost  deafening.  This  pit  has  a  deadly  attrac- 
tion for  persons  afflicted  with  the  suicidal  mania,  and  many 
have  jumped  into  it.  Like  Asama-yama  in  Shinano  Province, 
Aso-san  is  a  deceptive  volcano  —  smoking  quietly  to-day  and 
mayhap  screeching  hysterically  and  sending  out  terrifying 
volumes  of  smoke,  hot  stones,  and  ashes,  to-morrow.  There 
are  several  active  vents  inside  the  crater,  one  a  wide  pool  of 
boiling  mud  which  ejects  jets  of  spiteful  steam  high  in  the  air. 
Occasionally  one  gets  a  fugitive  reflection  of  the  incandescent 
throat  beneath,  glowing  with  unthinkable  heat. 

The  scramble  down  from  the  cone  to  the  rest-house  takes 
25  min.,  and  10  min.  afterward  one  enters  the  Bdju  path. 
Thence  it  is  downhill  through  a  narrow  valley,  with  the  smok- 
ing crater  at  the  right  and  high  hills  at  the  left.  At  times  the 
trail  is  blind,  and  at  others  it  loses  itself  entirely  in  the  rocky 
ravines  that  serve  as  water-courses  in  the  rainy  season.  The 
hillsides  flame  with  wild  azaleas  in  March  and  April  (30-60 
days  earlier  than  in  Central  Japan),  and  in  Oct.  small  magenta 
ones  come  out  to  herald  the  mild  winter.  Wild  white  hydran- 
geas are  common,  and  goldenrod  blooms  in  season  as  luxur- 
iantly as  in  distant  America.  After  1  hr.  Bdju  is  descried  far 
down  on  the  plain,  embowered  in  trees.  The  gigantic  semi- 
circular wall  cutting  the  sky-line  beyond  once  formed  a  segment 
in  the  outer  wall  of  the  crater.  The  appearance  of  this  at  the 
right  as  we  descend  is  strangely  fantastic.  Gigantic  escarp- 
ments rise  sheer  from  the  plain  like  the  turrets  of  a  great  castle, 
and  are  supported  near  the  base  by  stupendous  green  buttresses 
that  extend  far  out  over  the  valley  floor.  Streaked  with  the 
effects  of  the  awful  fires  through  which  they  have  passed,  and 
seemingly  ready  to  topple  over,  they  look  miles  high  when 
viewed  from  below.  Behind  this  forbidding  rampart  rise  the 
five  cones  which  comprise  the  present  mt.  —  Taka-,  Kijimi-, 
Eboshi-,  Neko-,  and  Naka-dake.  Seen  by  moonlight  from  Bdju 
or  any  of  the  towns  on  the  plain,  they  constitute  one  of  the 
most  impressive  sights  in  the  Midako's  Empire. 

The  last  part  of  the  descent  is  over  a  grassy  slope  at  the  far 
right  of  which  Miyaji  village  is  seen  clustering  amid  the  trees. 
At  the  end  of  a  leisurely  walk  of  2  hrs.  or  more  from  the  rest- 


686    Route  42.       TAKEDA  TO  OITA 


Bdju. 


house  one  comes  to  an  old  graveyard  where  the  trail  forks;  the 
moss-grown  road  at  the  left  takes  one  (10  min.)  into  the  main 
street  of  Boju.  The  basket's  baiting-stable  is  just  up  at  the  left. 
—  The  broad  pike  leading  to  the  right  (E.)  crosses  the  one- 
time floor  of  the  crater,  between  this  and  the  outer  wall.  The 
road  which  turns  left  from  the  main  highway  20  min.  (by 
basha)  from  Bdju  goes  to  Miyaji  (Inn:  Yoshinoya,  ¥2).  Sakana- 
shi  is  reached  in  30  min.,  and  in  a  half-hour  more  Takimuro,  on 
the  summit  of  the  E.  wall  of  the  crater.  The  4  hrs.  ride  hence 
to  (about  13  M.)  Takeda  is  over  a  rolling  country  with  no  dis- 
tinctive features. 

Takeda  (Inn:  Masudaya,  clean,  comfortable;  ¥2  a  day),  a 
delightfully  situated  little  town  (pop.  7000)  in  a  highly  volcanic 
region  in  Bungo  Province,  occupies  what  perhaps  was  an- 
ciently the  crater  of  an  extinct  volcano.  Hills  surround  it,  and 
to  reach  it  one  must  go  through  one  of  the  score  or  more  tun- 
nels which  pierce  these  hills  and  give  access  to  it.  Brawling 
brooks  from  the  near-by  mts.  stream  through  the  town.  A 
half-mile  to  the  E.  is  a  miniature  Niagara  in  the  form  of  the 
splendid  Uozumi  Waterfall  (36  ft.  high),  which  plunges  over 
upright  basaltic  columns  at  the  E.  base  of  Aso-san.  Ten  M. 
toward  the  S.E.  is  the  magnificent  (60  ft.  high,  300  ft.  wide) 
Chinda  Fall,  into  which  prisoners  were  formerly  cast  and  par- 
doned if  they  came  out  alive.  The  entire  region  roundabout 
abounds  in  charming  spots.  The  big  hill  near  the  town,  Oka- 
yama,  is  the  site  of  a  one-time  castle,  the  Oka-jo,  from  1593  to 
1868  the  home  of  the  powerful  Nakagawa  family.  The  adja- 
cent country  is  covered  with  decomposed  lava,  and  ranks  as 
one  of  the  most  productive  in  Japan.  Besides  the  ordinary 
agricultural  products  it  yields  tea,  tobacco,  vegetable-wax, 
fine  shaddocks,  and  other  citrus  fruits,  prominent  among  them 
delicious  mandarin  oranges  which  sell  for  §  sen  each.  The 
surrounding  mts.  contain  alum,  copper,  iron,  antimony,  and 
lead.  The  people  are  beginning  to  appreciate  the  value  of 
milk  as  a  food,  and  this  fluid  can  be  had  at  the  local  inns.  The 
basha  baiting-stable  is  near  the  Masudaya  Inn;  the  correct 
charge  for  a  special  basha  (for  4  pers.)  to  (20  M.)  Oita  is  ¥4, 
although  ¥6  will  be  asked.  Jinriki  with  2  men,  about  the  same 
for  one  person. 

_  From  Takeda  the  road  crosses  the  rushing  and  sparkling 
Onogawa,  then  threads  a  cool  tunnel  cut  through  tufa  and 
lined  with  moss  and  tiny  vegetable  life.  The  entire  journey 
is  over  a  charming  country  of  hills  and  dales  and  dashing 
rivers,  with  mts.  on  the  sky-line  and  picturesque  farmsteads 
on  the  hill-slopes.  A  myriad  wild  flowers  deck  the  country  in 
spring  and  summer,  and  give  place  to  glorious  woodland  tints 
in  autumn.  Certain  reaches  remind  one  strongly  of  the  Aus- 
trian Tyrol,  others  of  fertile  stretches  in  Devonshire  or  Ken- 
tucky. Beyond  10  M.  Nukumi  (3  hrs.  from  Takeda),  sl  non- 


Oita. 


BEPPU 


#.  Route.  687 


descript  village  where  the  basha  horses  are  fed,  there  is  a  wild 
and  picturesque  gorge  in  a  region  of  singular  beauty.  The 
road  hence  to  6  M.  (2  hrs.)  Imaichi  is  marked  by  the  orange- 
groves  and  millet-fields  for  which  Kyushu  is  renowned.  The 
views  hereabout,  as  the  road  winds  down  amid  the  hills,  and 
flanks  deep  ravines  with  thundering  rivers,  are  grand.  Swift 
runners  carrying  the  gov't  mail  done  up  in  packages  tied  to 
shoulder-poles  speed  by  from  time  to  time,  and  impart  a  sug- 
gestion of  the  rapid  transit  of  Old  Japan.  _Notsuhara,  18£  M. 
from  Takeda,  is  reached  7  hrs.  out,  and  Oita,  the  end  of  the 
line,  1%  hrs.  later.  The  basha  stops  near  the  rly.  station,  a 
short  distance  from  the  terminus  of  the  Beppu  electric  car-line 
(cajs  at  frequent  intervals,  13  sen). 

Oita  (sometimes  called  by  its  old  name,  Funai),  capital  of 
Oita  Prefecture,  with  30,000  inhabs.  (Inn:  Yaoya,  ¥2)  7|  M. 
S.E.  of  Beppu,  an  important  port  on  the  Bungo  Channel,  in 
Bungo  Province,  is  of  historic  rather  than  local  interest,  and 
it  need  not  detain  the.  traveler.  From  the  13th  cent,  onward  it 
was  the  home  of  the  Otomo  daimyos,  the  most  powerful  among 
the  Kyushu  lords.  In  the  latter  half  of  the  16th  cent,  the  do- 
mains of  the  Prince  of  Bungo  extended  from  the  Strait  of  Shi- 
monoseki  southward  to  the  realm  of  the  Lord  of  Satsuma.  It 
was  at  Funai  that  the  Portuguese  adventurer  Mendes  Pinto, 
landed  in  1543,  and  gave  the  astonished  Japanese  their  first 
glimpse  of  firearms.  The  daimyo  was  friendly  both  to  them 
and  the  Jesuit  missionaries  (who  called  him  King  Franciscus), 
and  in  accepting  their  religion  he  came  into  history  as  the  first 
daimyo  of  Japan  to  go  over  to  the  Christian  faith.  He  was 
represented  in  the  memorable  embassy  to  Rome,  Portugal,  and 
Spain,  in  1585,  by  his  nephew,  the  ruler  of  Hyuga,  whom  the 
Jesuits  called  Jerome.  A  specialty  of  Oita  is  the  cotton  yarn 
which  one  sees  in  almost  every  shop.  —  The  rly.  runs  frequent 
trains  to  Beppu,  the  present  starting-point  (for  Shimonoseki) 
of  Rte.  43  (see  below). 

Beppu,  a  sort  of  Japanese  Karlsbad  in  a  highly  volcanic  re- 
gion on  the  beautiful  Beppu  Bay  (an  inlet  of  Bungo  Channel), 
in  Bungo  Province,  at  the  W.  end  of  the  Inland  Sea,  though  but 
little  known  to  foreign  tourists,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
places  in  the  Empire  —  a  natural  masterpiece  left  unfinished 
by  Nature  in  a  region  which  Europeans  often  refer  to  as  the 
Japanese  Riviera.  The  entire  country  roundabout  reminds 
one  strongly  of  Italy  or  Sicily.  The  compact  town  (pop. 
10,000)  stands  on  the  sea-edge  of  a  small  scorified  plain  which 
reaches  back  to,  and  up  the  sides  of,  three  extinct  volcanoes  — 
Yufu,  or  Tsukushi  Fuji  (often  called  the  Bungo  Fuji),  4850 
ft.  high,  and  said  to  be  the  loftiest  peak  in  Bungo;  Tsurumi 
(3619  ft.),  a  bare  mt.  at  the  right  of  it;  and  Takasaki  (2067  ft.), 
at  the  S.  end  of  the  town,  often  called  Shikioku-san,  and  remem- 
bered by  the  natives  for  the  splendid  castle  (destroyed  during 


688    Route  1*2. 


BEPPU 


the  war  for  the  Restoration)  which  occupied  a  terrace  on  its 
side  high  above  the  sea.  The  last  outburst  from  Tsurumi  was 
in  the  17th  cent,  when  it  filled  the  valley  with  the  clinker-like 
scoria  of  numerous  lava  streams.  In  due  course  much  of  this 
cindery  stuff  decomposed  and  gave  rise  to  the  rank  vegetation 
which  now  clothes  the  skirts  of  the  mts.  in  perennial  green. 
But  in  places  the  old  volcanic  wounds  failed  to  heal,  and  they 
now  advertise  their  presence  by  suppurating  sores  in  the  form 
of  furiously  boiling  chemical  pools  flush  with  the  surface,  or 
iiiineral  springs  that  spurt  out  steam  and  water  blistering  to 
the  touch.  The  district  seems  all  underlaid  with  infernal  fires, 
some  of  which  are  so  close  to  the  surface  that  the  people  cook 
their  daily  food  over  holes  punched  in  the  earth.  In  places  the 
crust  is  so  thin  that  to  sink  in  means  to  have  a  foot  parboiled 
or  burned  to  a  cinder,  while  at  others  there  are  agitated  ulcers 
which  spit  out  scarifying  blobs  of  liquid  mud  accompanied  by 
menacing  sounds  and  noisome  stenches.  Streams  of  steam- 
ing water  showing  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow  rush  down  from 
the  hills  through  the  gutters  of  the  town,  and  impart  a  most 
infernal  look  to  the  place.  Many  of  the  adjuncts  of  the  region 
are  in  strange  keeping  with  its  mediaeval  appearance. 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix).  While  there  are  upward  of  190  inns  and  lodging- 
houses  that  cater  to  the  horde  of  people  who  repair  hither  each  year,  most 
foreigners  will  perhaps  prefer  to  lodge  at  the  clean,  new,  semi-foreign  Beppu 
Hotel  (Tel.  add.:  4 Beptel')  at  the  W.  edge  of  the  town,  on  the  hillside,  1  M. 
(20  min.  at  the  W.)  from  the  rly.  station  (25  min.  from  the  pier;  jinriki  from 
both  places,  20  sen) ,  with  the  advantage  of  pure  air,  numerous  foreign-style 
comforts  (English  spoken),  and  superb  views  (from  the  E.  side  of  the  house). 
Rates,  ¥4.50  to  ¥5  for  1  pers.;  ¥7.50  to  8  for  2  in  the  same  room;  special 
suites,  from  ¥20  to  ¥30,  Am.  pi.  —  Rooms  only,  ¥2-2.50  for  1  pers.;  ¥3- 
3.50  for  2;  suites,  from  ¥15  to  ¥25.  Baths  free.  Trunks  from  the  station,  10 
sen  each.  Breakfast  only,  60  sen;  Tiffin,  ¥1 ;  Dinner,  ¥1.20.  Tea  or  coffee  with 
cakes,  20  sen.  Milk  extra.  English-speaking  guides  supplied  at  reasonable 
rates.  One  of  the  hotel-boys  will  pilot  the  stranger  about  for  a  small  fee  (¥1 
a  day  is  enough),  and  the  hotel  manager  (a  Japanese  educated  in  the  United 
States)  will  help  the  traveler  to  form  his  plans.  —  The  Hinago-ya,  an  inn 
in  Naka-machi,  near  the  chief  bath-houses  (¥2  and  upward)  is  popular  with 
natives;  as  is  also  the  Koyokwan,  and  the  Meiji,  both  5  min.  from  the  sta- 
tion. It  is  the  custom  for  the  inns  to  aid  the  municipality  in  their  main- 
tenance, and  to  provide  bath-tickets  free  to  guests. 

Steamships  of  the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  leave  every  day  for  (8  hrs.;  fare, 
¥3.60,  1st  cl.)  Miyajima,  (20  hrs.,  ¥6.51)  Kobe,  and  other  points  on  the  In- 
land Sea. 

A  magnificent  panorama  of  the  plain  on  which  Beppu 
stands  and  of  the  lovely  sea  beyond  can  be  had  from  the  ele- 
vated Kankaiji  (a  hill  and  hamlet  of  the  same  name  i  M. 
back  of  the-  Beppu  Hotel),  poised  like  an  eagle's  nest  high 
above  a  gorge.  The  path  is  easily  followed  as  it  ascends  be- 
tween hedges  of  orange  blooms.  Tinkling  mt.  streams  slither 
down  over  the  stones,  and  the  bald  cone  of  Yufu-yama  rises 
brown  and  sere  at  the  right.   A  flagged  road  leads  into  the 

hr.)  hamlet,  where  there  are  several  hot  baths.  The  view  of 
the  sea  is  beautiful,  with  its  flashing  sails,  and  its  vast,  azure 
surface  rippled  by  the  wind  into  a  sea  of  crinkly  silk  crape,  — 


BEPPU  HOT  SPRINGS    42.  Route.  689 


The  Landscape  Garden  near  the  hotel,  with  waterfalls,  ravines, 
and  many  flowers,  is  called  Sansuikai.  —  The  Sanatorium 
near  by  belongs  to  the  Military  Department  of  the  Gov't. 

The  Hot  Springs  and  Baths,  with  saline,  alkaline,  and  chaly- 
beate waters  (temperature  from  100°  F.  and  upward)  charged 
with  carbonic-acid  gas,  are  sustainedly  interesting  and  have 
been  known  (it  is  said)  from  the  6th  cent.  Of  the  many  thou- 
sands of  persons  who  foregather  here  each  year  between  Feb. 
and  Sept.  some  remain  throughout  trfe  winter,  as  the  peasant 
farmer  who  subsists  on  a  meager  diet  of  grain  or  fish  is  said 
to  find  it  cheaper  to  soak  here  in  the  warm  water  than  to  pay 
for  fuel  at  home.  The  sands  of  the  shore  are  heated  by  subter- 
raneous fires  and  a  sempiternal  sun,  and  in  them  the  indigent 
make  beds  in  which  they  lie  from  morning  till  night,  like  pid- 
docks,  with  only  their  heads  and  feet  exposed.  Through  the 
sands  numerous  hot  springs  of  sanatory  water  bubble  up,  and 
scores  of  nude  men  and  women  with  ailments  scoop  out  hol- 
lows near  them,  and  half  bury  themselves  by  heaping  piles 
of  the  sand  over  an  ailing  part.  At  times  they  sit  up,  squat 
about  in  semi-circles,  chat  with  friends,  and  form  bizarre  pic- 
tures that  are  reproduced  on  the  post-cards  for  sale  in  the  shops. 
Aged  persons  of  sluggish  circulation  frequent  the  bath-houses, 
and  sometimes  lie  submerged  for  weeks  at  a  stretch,  their 
heads  pillowed  on  a  support,  a  heavy  stone  on  their  stomachs 
to  keep  them  from  floating.  Here  they  eat,  sleep,  and  have 
their  being  in  a  manner  as  primitive  as  that  of  a  Maori,  don- 
ning their  scant  clothing  (often  but  a  breech-clout  or  a  snood) 
only  when  necessity  urges.  The  fact  that  prolonged  immersion 
in  sulphurous  or  ferruginous  water  imparts  a  rusty  tinge  to  the 
hair,  and  a  general  piebald  look,  does  not  deter  them,  and  some- 
times when  they  emerge  they  are  as  wrinkled  as  a  choice  piece 
of  old  crackled  Satsuma  faience  and  as  spotted  as  a  leper! 

Chief  among  the  30  or  more  public  baths  (Furoya)  are  the 
Furo-sen  (Longevity  Bath),  the  Reicho-sen  (so-called  because 
the  tubs  are  filled  only  when  the  tide  makes  in  to  cool  the  water) , 
the  Higashi-onsen  (E.  Hot  springs),  Nishi  (W.)  onsen,  etc. 
The  latter  are  at  the  S.  end  of  the  town,  near  one  another,  in 
the  Hamawake  district,  beyond  the  river.  A  well-known  bath 
is  the  Kusunoki-yu,  or  Camphor  Tree  Bath,  so-named  for  the 
big  camphor  tree  which  grows  up  through  the  roof  and  has  a 
tiny  shrine  in  its  branches.  The  open-air  beach  baths  are 
called  Suna-yu,  or  Gravel  Baths.  In  all  of  them  rosy,  fat- 
paunched  babies,  rounded  youth,  buxom  maturity,  and  shriv- 
eled age  bathe  promiscuously  in  all  the  abandon  of  perfect 
nudity,  apparently  as  innocent  as  Eve  was  before  the  apple 
episode!  Discreet  travelers  are  not  debarred  from  inspecting 
the  baths  and  bathers  at  will,  but  the  latter  do  not  like  to  be 
photographed  when  nude.  One  of  the  most  curious  of  the 
baths  is  at  the  adjacent  village  of  Kannawa,  mentioned  herein- 


690   Route  42.         BEPPU  BATHS 


after,  where  a  cavern  has  been  dug  in  the  side  of  a  volcanic 
hill,  and  where  one  enters  a  natural  steam-chamber  but  a 
foot  or  two  removed  from  Pluto's  domain. 

While  a  day  will  suffice  for  a  cursory  view  of  the  chief  points 
of  interest  around  Beppu,  it  is  a  place  in  which  one  usually 
wishes  to  linger  and  loaf,  to  luxuriate  in  the  hot  baths,  enjoy 
the  many  mt.  walks,  and  the  never-fading  charm  of  the  sea 
views.  No  one  with  a  little  time  to  spare  should  omit  visiting 
the  near-by  Kannawa,Bozu  J igoku  (Priest's  Hell),  Umi  Jigoku 
(Suppurating  Hell),  Chi-no-ike  Jigoku  (Blood-lake  Hell),  and 
Shibaishi,  all  of  which  can  be  seen  in  the. order  named  in 
about  6  hrs.  (preferably  on  foot).  A  jinriki  (¥1.50  for  1  man; 
¥2.50  for  2)  can  be  used  part  way  only,  as  the  steepness  of 
the  hills  renders  some  walking  necessary. 

Leaving  the  hotel  one  descends  to  the  town,  passes  the  rly. 
station  (left),  and  follows  (N.)  the  contour  of  the  bay,  which 
customarily  is  a  beautiful  blue.  A  walk  of  1  hr.  brings  one 
to  the  wide  and  partly  shaded  Kannawa  road,  which  turns  up 
left  and  goes  to  the  (1  M.)  village  of  the  same  name.  Midway 
is  a  big  rock  (right)  crowned  by  a  shrine  whence  an  entrancing 
view  of  the  sea  is  had.  Streams  of  poisonous  mineral  water 
rush  down  the  slope,  which  here  is  steep  and  rocky  enough  to 
require  two  men  for  one's  rikisha.  On  the  outskirts  of  the  vil- 
lage the  road  becomes  rougher  and  narrower;  at  frequent 
intervals  along  the  stony,  tortuous  streets,  on  the  edge  of  the 
curbing,  rise  cement  pots  15  or  more  in.  high,  like  sections  of 
drain-pipe,  provided  with  wood  or  straw-mat  covers.  Steam 
pours  up  through  the  open  ones,  while  on  others  sit  kettles 
of  boiling  rice,  vegetables,  or  iron  tea-pots.  The  bath-house 
is  near  the  center  of  the  village;  the  hot  cave  is  entered  from 
the  side  of* a  big  swimming-pool.  It  holds  a  dozen  or  more 
persons,  the  charge  for  each  of  which  for  the  day  is  10  sen;  one 
waits  his  turn  in  an  ante-room  until  some  one  comes  out  and 
relieves  the  crush  inside.  Foreigners  will  like  neither  the  con- 
fined air,  which  reeks  of  all  manner  of  smells,  nor  the  hot  mud 
which  drops  from  the  ceiling  and  feels  like  molten  lead  on  one's 
skin.  Persons  with  weak  hearts  and  those  unaccustomed  to 
infernal  heat  should  stay  out.  The  bathers  of  both  sexes  wear 
only  a  clean  skin,  reddened  like  that  of  a  cooked  lobster. 

Ascending  a  hill  behind  the  town,  and  following  a  path  along- 
side a  cliff  streaked  with  white,  brown,  and  yellow,  one  comes 
soon  to  a  small  factory  where  white  clay  (Shirotsuchi)  is  mined 
and  used  for  various  purposes,  chiefly  as  a  base  for  tooth-pow- 
der. The  hills  which  supply  it  furnish  also  heat  and  motive- 
power  —  an  unusual  and  felicitous  combination  for  a  factory. 
Steam  hisses  from  numerous  holes  in  the  ground  and  the  air 
carries  the  odor  of  cooked  chemicals.  Beyond  are  a  number  of 
boiling-mud-holes  girdled  by  miniature  cones  out  of  which 
noxious  gases  and  blobs  of  hot  mud  shoot  up.   The  prudent 


SHIBAISHI  HOT  SPRINGS   42.  Rte.  691 


will  keep  well  in  the  path  hereabout  as  the  earth  crust  is  as 
thin  as  it  is  treacherous.  At  the  foot  of  a  small  tea-house  (no 
fees,  but  one  is  expected  to  buy  something)  extends  a  wicked- 
looking  slough  40  ft.  or  more  in  diameter,  called  Bozu  Jigoku, 
and  containing  boiling  mouse-gray,  viscous  mud  which  bubbles 
incessantly  (stronger  on  cloudy  days)  with  a  menacing  sound. 
The  keeper  of  the  tea-house  produces  a  small  bundle  of  straw, 
lights  it  on  the  bank  so  that  the  heat  and  smoke  will  blow  over 
the  surface  of  the  pool,  and  by  so  doing  sets  the  whole  thing 
to  boiling  more  furiously  than  ever.  When,  a  bamboo  pole  is 
plunged  into  the  seething  mass,  the  latter  grunts  and  gurgles 
angrily  and  spurts  up  in  scores  of  places  —  splashing  the  over- 
hanging bushes  with  white  flakes.  Souvenir  towels  dyed  in  the 
liquid  are  on  sale  in  the  tea-house  at  14-18  sen  each.  The  re- 
gion is  the  chosen  home  of  many  harmless  snakes  who  like  the 
warmth  and  the  hideous  toads  which  here  are  of  .  a  fatness 
unusual,  weighing  1  lb.  or  more  and  measuring  6-8  in.  across 
the  back! 

On  the  way  back  to  the  clay-factory  one  crosses  a  stream 
with  stones  stained  a  deep  red  by  the  iron-charged  waters. 
At  the  factory  one  should  diverge  5  min.  to  the  left  to  a  curi- 
ous pond,  the  Umi  Jigoku,  of  boiling  water  shot  with  blue  and 
green,  and  in  places  the  color  of  a  robin's  egg.  Clouds  of  steam 
drift  from  its  surface  (60  ft.  in  diameter  at  the  widest  part)  and 
the  rocks  roundabout  are  streaked  with  sulphur.  The  lethal 
but  attractive  place  has  a  fascination  for  unfortunates  with 
suicidal  intentions.  —  The  path  now  leads  along  a  terrace 
high  above  the  village,  thence  down  a  steepish  hill  to  a  gorge 
and  a  cluster  of  houses  on  the  edge  of  a  (40  min.)  steaming 
pool  (60  ft.  in  diameter)  known  as  Chi-no-ike  Jigoku,  with 
iron-stained  shores.  About  3  cho  (15  min.  walk)  back  in  the 
hills  lie  the  Shibaishi  Hot  Springs,  in  a  ravine  where  a  min- 
eral-stained brook  rushes  down  to  the  sea.  One  of  the  streams 
is  a  light  crimson,  like  thin  carmine  ink.  A  feature  of  the  place 
is  a  waterfall  diverted  into  bamboo  pipes  which  carry  the 
fluid  outward  and  pour  it  over  naked  men  and  women  stand- 
ing below.  There  is  another  cave  bath-house  here  which  the 
foreigner  won't  want  to  go  into,  as  one  must  crawl  in  through 
an  approach  like  that  to  an  igloo,  then  squat  on  a  rush  mat 
thrown  over  the  stone  floor.  The  water  which  runs  beneath 
is  prune-colored.  Above  the  bath  is  another  pool  of  dark 
maroon  water,  very  poisonous-looking.  Many  of  the  rocks 
hereabout  are  of  a  tint  known  as  ox-blood.  The  stone  in  the 
cage  shows  fossil  leaves.  —  Returning  over  a  different  path 
across  the  hills  one  soon  reaches  the  terrace  overlooking  the 
sea.  Passing  again  through  (30  min.)  Kannawa  village,  one 
continues  along  the  highroad  (inspiring  views)  which  follows 
the  contour  of  the  mt.  to  the  (1  hr.)  hotel. 


692   RU.  43.    BEPPU  TO  SHIMONOSEKI 


43,  From  Beppu  via  Kokura  to  Moji  (Shimonoseki) . 

Hoshu  Main  Line,  Imperial  Government's  Kyushu  Railways. 

82  M.  Several  trains  daily  in  5  hrs.;  fare,  ¥3.15,  1st  cl.;  ¥1.89,  2d  cl. 
South  from  Oita  the  rly.  is  under  construction  and  will  eventually  connect 
at  Miyazaki  with  the  cross-country  line  from  Yoshimatsu. 

From  Beppu  the  rly.  runs  N.  along  the  shore  of  the  fine  bay 
with  its  flanking  hills.  Yufu-yama  rises  at  the  left.  Many 
fishing-hamlets  aot  the  beach ;  at  the  village  of  Kashiranari  the 
line  makes  a  wide  _detour  (right)  and  affords  a  distant  view 
across  the  bay  to  Oita.  Beyond  Hiji  the  rly.  leaves  the  sea 
and  crosses  a  luxuriant  country  with  many  mulberry  and  vege- 
table-wax trees.  28  M.  Usa,  a  nondescript  town  on  the  edge  of 
a  wide  plain,  is  known  for  a  group  of  shrines  (3  M.;  jinriki, 
35  sen),  the  Usa  Hachimangu,  all  painted  a  bright  vermilion 
and  dedicated  to  the  God  of  War,  to  Hime-Ogami,  and  to  the 
Empress  Jingo.  The  sea  is  visible  at  the  right.  43  M.  Nakatsu 
(Inn:  Shofukwan,  ¥2),  a  thriving  town  (pop.  15,000)  in  Buzen 
Province,  produces  good  oranges,  persimmons,  and  palatable 
yokan  put  up  in  attractive  cylinders  and  sold  at  15  sen  the 
package.  It  stands  on  the  E.  bank  of  the  Yamakuni  River, 
whose  upper  reaches  are  celebrated  for  their  beauty  under  the 
name  of  the  Yabakei.  —  60  M.  Yukuhashi  is  the  point  of 
departure  for  a  branch  line  to  (23  M.)  Soeda,  at  the  S.W.,  near 
Mt.  Ehiko  (3657  ft.)  which  is  much  revered  by  Shintdists  for 
its  shrines.  Hence  to  75  M.  Kokura  the  rly.  crosses  a  well- 
cultivated,  pleasing,  and  productive  region  which  calls  for 
no  particular  mention.  Electric  trolleys  link  the  surrounding 
country  with  82  M.  Moji;  (see  p.  650). 


VI.  KOREA,  MANCHUEIA,  AND  THE 
TRANS-SIBERIAN  RAILWAY 


Route  Page 

44.  From  Shimonoseki  (Japan)  to  Fusan  (Korea)  .    .  693 

Geographical  Sketch,  695;  Ginseng,  699;  Provinces,  701; 
River  System,  704;  Climate,  705;  Health,  706;  Money, 
706;  Hunting  and  Fishing,  707;  Mines  and  Mining,  708; 
Historical  Sketch,  708;  Korean  Characteristics,  718; 
Language,  725;  Literature,  726;  The  Flag,  726;  The 
Railway  System,  727. 

45.  From  Fusan  via  Sanroshin  (Masanpo),  Taikyu, 
Shufurei,  Taiden  (Kunsan,  Mokpo),  Seikwan,  and 
Eitoho  (Jinsen,  Chemulpo)  to  Seoul  (Keijo) .    .  .728 

Masanpo,  729;  Kunsan,  730;  Mokpo,  731. 

46.  Seoul  and  its  Environs     .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .  .731 

The  Korean  Pony,  737;  The  Legation  Quarter,  738;  Walls 
and  Gates,  738;  The  North  Palace,  740;  The  Big  Bell, 
742;  Marble  Pagoda,  742;  East  Palace,  743,  Art  Mu- 
seum, 745,  Botanical  and  Zoological  Gardens,  745; 
Queen's  Tomb,  746;  New  Imperial  Palace,  747;  Walks 
and  Excursions,  747;  To  the  Independence  Arch,  aad 
The  White  Buddha,  747;  To  the  Pook  Han  Monastery, 
749;  The  Diamond  Mt.  Monasteries,  750. 

47.  From  Seoul  via  Ryuzan  and  Eitoho  to  Jinsen  (Che- 
mulpo) .    .  750 

48.  From  Seoul  via  Kaijo,  Koshii  (Kenjiho),  Heijo 
(Chinnampo)  to  Shingishu  (Antung)  ^52 

Kaijo,  753;  Heijo  (Ping  Yang),  754;  Chinnampo,  755;  The 
Yalu  River  Bridge,  756. 

49.  Manchuria  and  The  Trans-Siberian  Railway  .    .  756 


44.  From  Shimonoseki  (Japan)  to  Fusan  (Korea). 

The  Imperial  Japanese  Gov't  Rlys.  maintain  an  excellent 
and  speedy  express  service  (day  and  night) ,  and  the  commodi- 
ous steamers  (English  spoken)  make  the  122  M.  run  in  about 
8  hrs.  The  1st  cl.  fare  of  ¥10  includes  a  2-berth  cabin  (alone 
if  the  ship  is  not  crowded)  and  meals.  The  passage  is  usually 
smooth,  but  it  can  be  rough.  For  this  reason  the  night  boats 
are  popular,  as  one  can  sleep.  Upper-deck  cabins  (portholes 
can  be  left  open)  are  preferable  and  can  be  reserved  (no  extra 
cost)  by  telegraphing  ahead  to  the  station  agent  at  either  port. 
Red-capped  porters  meet  trains,  and  for  a  small  fee  will  see 
the  traveler  to  his  cabin.  Transfers  are  made  without  friction 
and  in  a  quiet,  systematic  way  that  appeals  to  one.  At  Fusan 
ships  tie  up  at  the  pier  near  the  rly.  station.  Customs-officers 
inspect  luggage  on  the  boat.  Foreigners  are  taken  but  little 
notice  of,  as  they  are  supposed  not  to  be  engaged  in  smuggling. 


694   Rte.44.   SHIMONOSEKI  TO  KOREA  Fusan. 


Those  entering  Japan  are  asked  if  they  have  tobacco  in  any 
form.  Opium  is  excluded  and  is  a  risky  thing  to  have  in  one's 
possession.  After  leaving  Shimonoseki  Strait  the  ship  enters  the 
Genkai  Nada  and  follows  a  N.W.  course  along  Tsushima 
Island  (in  the  war  zone;  no  photographing)  visible  at  the  S. 
and  celebrated  as  the  base  for  Admiral  Togo's  squadron  during 
the  Russian  War.  Iki  Island  is  farther  S.  —  Bare  and  precipi- 
tous hills  mark  the  sea  approach  to  Fusan  (68  M.  from  Tsu- 
shima) ,  which  lies  at  the  upper  end  of  a  crescent-shaped  bay 
half-encircled  by  hills  that  rise  to  a  height  of  800-2000  ft. 
The  big  bare  island  at  the  left  is  Deer  Island  (zetsueito)  and 
beyond  it  is  Chinhai  Bay  (in  the  war  zone).  Some  fantastic 
rocks  start  up  near  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  (right)  and  pro- 
duce a  curious  mirage  effect.  The  white-clad  Koreans  always 
seen  sitting  in  fatuous  vacuity  on  the  rocks  at  the  head  of  the 
bay  have  been  aptly  likeneS  to  pelicans  or  penguins.  —  Pass- 
ports are  unnecessary.  —  The  first-class  ships  of  the  Nippon 
Yusen  Kaisha  and  of  the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  also  ply  be- 
tween the  two  ports.  Their  offices  are  near  the  rly.  station 
(an  imposing  red-brick  and  granite  structure  recognizable  by  its 
clock- tower) . 

The  Fusan  Station  Hotel,  under  the  management  of  the  Railway  Bu- 
reau of  the  Government  General  of  Chosen,  is  upstairs  in  the  station  and  is 
conducted  on  the  European  Plan  only.  Room  for  the  night,  for  1  pers.  from 
¥1.50  to  ¥2.50;  for  24  hrs.,  ¥2.50  to  ¥3.50.  Breakfast,  ¥1;  Tiffin,  ¥1.30; 
Dinner,  ¥1.50,  Luncheon,  ¥1;  Tea,  20  sen;  Bath,  15  sen.  Roof-garden;  fine 
views.  English  spoken.  Rooms  can  be  engaged  by  telegraph  (hand  mes- 
sages to  the  Train  Boy)  free.  A  larger  hotel  is  planned  for  the  summit  of 
Ryuto  Hill,  near  the  station.  —  Inns  in  the  native  style:  Oihe,  Moriya, 
Nfiifi^o^etiC.,  from  ¥2.50  and  upward. 


Fusan  (Korean,  Pusan,  or  1  Pot  Mt.'),  an  important  and 


growing  port  at  the  southeasternmost  point  of  the  Korean 
Peninsula,  274  M.  from  Seoul,  in  South  Kyong-Syang  Pro- 
vince and  lat.  35°  06'  N.,  now  celebrated  as  the  Far-Eastern 
terminus  of  the  great  transcontinental  rly.  which  links  Eu- 
rope to  Japan,  is  the  landing-place  for  most  travelers  from 
Japan,  and  the  stepping-off  place  for  those  who  leave  the  con- 
tinent for  Shimonoseki.  It  is  picturesquely  situated  at  the 
foot  of  the  Yon-sen  Mt.,  which  rises  bulkily  behind  the  docks 
and  rly.  station,  but  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  sea.  It  has"] 
been  held  and  claimed  by  the  Japanese  from  time  immemorial, 
and  as  the  nearest  port  to  Japan,  it  has  been  the  landing-place  J 
for  their  armies  since  the  days  of  the  mythical  Empress  Jingo. 
For  centuries  Fusan  was  the  strongest  town  in  Korea,  and  for 
many  years  the  Nipponese  maintained  a  trading  factory  here 
under  conditions  very  similar  to  those  imposed  upon  the  Dutch 
at  Hirado  and  Nagasaki.  Once  a  foothold  was  secured  they 
clung  to  the  place  with  a  grip  which  the  Koreans  could  never 
loosen.  The  lofty  cryptomerias  which  adorn  the  summit  of 
Ryutd-san  are  said  to  have  been  planted  by  them  in  1592,  and 


Geography.  TkOREA  U>  Route.  695 

every  sign  of  progress  one  notes  in  the  place  is  due  to  these  pur- 
poseful and  tenacious  islanders.  The  port  was  formally  opened 
to  them  by  the  treaty  of  1876,  and  since  then  its  trade  has  in- 
creased so  that  now  it  amounts  to  upward  of  16  million  yen  a 
year.  It  is  being  so  rapidly  Japanned  out  of  its  decadence  and 
insularism  that  now  one  third  of  the  exports  and  two  thirds  of 
the  imports  of  the  entire  country  pass  through  it.  The  domin- 
ating note  is  Japanese,  and  those  familiar  with  it  two  decades 
ago  would  scarcely  recognize  it  now  with  its  pretentious  sta- 
tion and  big  commercial  buildings.  Of  the  50,000  inhabs.  29,000 
are  Japanese,  and  each  one  is  busy  doing  something.  Wide 
areas  are  being  reclaimed  from  the  sea;  solid  retaining- walls 
are  being  built;  new  docks  are  under  way;  the  harbor  is  being 
dredged  to  permit  the  entrance  of  ships  of  deep  draught;  a  mil- 
lion tons  of  rock  have  been  drilled  from  the  granitic  sides  of  the 
forbidding  Yon-san,  and  7  million  yen  are  being  spent  to  make 
Fusan  the  biggest  entry  port  of  the  peninsula.  The  entire 
place  resembles  a  transplanted  bit  of  the  hustling  Island  Em- 
pire. Waterworks,  industrial  schools,  postal  facilities,  a  good 
hotel,  and  a  host  of  modern  conveniences  are  among  the  im- 
provements introduced,  and  more  are  to  come. 

Only  a  small  section  of  the  town  can  be  seen  from  the  bay,  as 
it  is  packed  snugly  between  the  hills  that  rise  abruptly  around 
it.  The  old  Korean  town  of  Pusan  stands  at  the  other  extre- 
mity of  the  narrow  pass  through  which  the  main  street  leads, 
facing  an  arm  of  the  bay  that  makes  in  there.  The  streets 
are  narrow  and  unsavory,  and  the  shops  small  and  poor.  The 
wares  of  many  of  these  are  displayed  on  mats  stretched  on  the 
street,  and  over  the  tawdry  collections  the  Koreans  haggle 
amid  considerable  screeching.  The  traveler  with  time  to  spare 
can  get  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  twin  settlements  by  climb- 
ing the  low  Ryuto-san  ('  Dragon-Lantern  Hill ')  which  faces 
the  landing.  Several  paths  lead  up  beneath  grateful  shade. 
Just  below  the  small  park  at  the  summit  is  a  Buddhist  temple 
dedicated  to  the  spirit  of  Kato  Kiy omasa.  The  stone  slab 
commemorates  the  soldiers  who  died  in  the  Japan-China  War. 
The  surrounding  hills  are  said  to  contain  gold.  —  About  50  M. 
N.  of  Fusan  is  the  old  town  of  Kyonju,  anciently  the  capital 
of  the  Kingdom  of  Silla,  and  the  home  of  everything  that  was 
greatest  and  best  in  Korean  art  and  literature.  From  here 
many  of  the  artistic  inspirations  of  the  early  Japanese  were 
drawn. 

Geographical  Sketch.  —  The  Peninsula  of  Korea  (between 
33°  12'  and  43°  02'  of  N.  lat.,and  124°  18' and  130°  54' of  long. 
E.  of  Greenwich)  is  bounded  on  the  N.  by  Manchuria  and  the 
Russian-Asiatic  maritime  province  of  Primorskaya  (upon  which 
it  abuts  for  11  M.  inward  from  the  Japan  Sea) ;  on  the  E.  by  the 
Japan  Sea;  on  the  S.  by  the  Eastern  Sea  (Tung-hai)  and  the 
Korea  Channel,  and  on  the  W.  by  the  Yellow  Sea  ( Hwang-hai). 


696    Route  U-  KOREA  Geography. 

Its  northernmost  part  is  delimned  by  the  Tumen  (which  flows 
into  the  Japan  Sea  at  the  E.)  and  the  Yalu  River  (which  emp- 
ties into  the  Yellow  Sea),  and  between  them  by  the  Shan  Yan 
('Ever- White')  Mts.  —  the  source  of  both  streams.  Its  total 
length  (fromN.  to  S.)  is  about  600  M.;  its  coast-line  is  1700 
(5000  including  the  islands).  Its  widest  part  (between  the 
mouths  of  the  Tumen  and  Yalu)  is  350  M.;  its  narrowest  (in 
the  vicinity  of  Seoul)  about  120  M.  The  total  area  (much 
smaller  than  formerly)  is  estimated  at  85,000  sq.  M.  (practically 
that  of  Utah,  Kansas,  or  the  British  Isles) .  About  one  tenth  is 
under  cultivation.  It  is  more  than  half  as  large  as  all  Japan*?*; 
including  Formosa,  the  14  million  or  more  inhabitants  being; 
augmented  by  300,000  Japanese  (rapidly  increasing  in  num- 
bers), 14,000  Chinese,  500  Americans,  200  English,  and  200  of 
other  nationalities.  In  general  shape  and  relative  position  to 
the  continent  of  Asia,  Korea  resembles  Florida,  but  is  unlike 
it  in  that  it  is  a  land  of  rugged  mts.  Those  at  the  N.  are  densely 
wooded,  but  the  S.  is  so  bare  and  drear  that  the  Japanese 
often  refer  to  the  entire  peninsula  as  'the  land  of  treeless  mts.'^ 

The  sinuous  ridge  of  lofty,  towering  peaks  starts  up  like  a 
great  buttressed  wall  at  the  N.  boundary,  as  if  striving  to  hold 
back  the  flowing  Siberian  steppes.  Its  trend  S.  is  from  the 
celebrated  Paik-tu  San  (White-Head  Peak;  7800  ft.)— the 
monarch  of  the  Ever- White  Range  —  and  passing  through  the 
center  of  the  N.E.  province  of  Ham  Gyong  it  reaches  the  E.  coast 
at  about  the  40th  parallel  of  latitude.  Thence  it  extends  in  a 
continuous  line  to  the  extreme  S.,  here  and  there  on  its  way 
throwing  out  lateral  spurs  that  wind  toward  the  W.  coast. 
Among  the  arms  of  this  great  axial  range,  nearly  midway  be- 
tween the  extreme  N.  and  S.,  rises  the  (5856  ft.)  Diamond 
Mountain  (Keum-Kang  San) ,  so  called  for  a  fancied  resemblance 
of  its  (greatly  exaggerated)  '  Twelve  Thousand  Serrated  Peaks  • 
to  rough  diamonds.  Perched  high  among  them  stand  the 
great  historic  Buddhist  monasteries  of  Korea,  celebrated  alike 
for  their  antiquity  and  the  grandeur  of  their  environment. 
According  to  the  natives  this  range  winds  in  and  out  99  times 
in  its  progress  down  the  peninsula,  and  in  addition  to  this 
maze  there  is  a  complicated  pass  called  '  Pass  of  the  Ninety- 
nine  Turns.'  The  E.  section  of  this  rugged  spine  which  divides 
the  country  into  two  parts  is  merely  a  narrow  strip,  fertile 
but  comparatively  inaccessible,  sloping  sharply  to  the  Sea 
of  Japan;  the  W.  section  comprises  the  main  body  of  the  in- 
habited Korean  territory  —  well  watered,  poorly  cultivated 
but  phenomenally  rich  and  admirably  suited  for  agriculture. 
Craters  of  long  extinct  volcanoes,  of  time-eroded  lava  streams 
and  other  signs  of  volcanic  action  are  constantly  met  with,  and 
they  as  constantly  remind  old  travelers  of  the  Transvaal  and 
Kimberly  regions,  with  all  their  suggestive  possibilities.  That 
the  mts.  are  streaked  with  gold  is  shown  by  the  mineral  out- 


Geography. 


KOREA  U-  Route.  697 


put;  it  remains  for  some  skilled  prospector  to  find  the  dia- 
monds, and  thus  confirm  the  name  unwittingly  given  by  the 
Koreans  to  the  peaks.  History  records  that  during  the  terri- 
ble days  of  the  Middle  Ages,  when  the  country  was  ruled  by 
cruel  and  half-demented  emperors,  the  peasants  were  forced  to 
flee  for  their  lives  to  the  mts.,  and  once  there,  to  burn  the  trees 
thereon  to  keep  from  freezing.  Each  year  sees  more  and  more 
of  the  denuded  slopes  covered  with  young  trees,  and  the  For- 
estry Bureau  of  the  Imperial  Japanese  Gov't,  is  untiring  in  its 
efforts  to  make  physical  Korea  match  its  almost  perfect  climate. 

Korea's  nearest  over-sea  neighbor  on  the  S.  is  Japan,  from 
which  it  is  separated  by  122  M.  of  island-dotted  strait.  Mid- 
way, between  the  Tsushima  Channel  of  Japan  and  the  Korea 
Channel  of  Korea,  is  the  celebrated  Tsushima  ('  Twin-Island  ') 
the  sentinel  of  the  S.  entrance  to  the  Sea  of  Japan,  and  Nip- 
pon's naval  base  during  her  titanic  struggle  with  the  Musco- 
vites. Not  far  to  the  E.,  the  Russian  Armada  of  38  modern 
fighting  ships  under  Admiral  Rozhdestvensky  were  '  by  the 
grace  of  Heaven  and  the  help  of  the  gods'  annihilated  by 
Togo's  fleet  during  the  battle  of  the  Sea  of  Japan,  March  27- 
28,  .1905.  Between  Tsushima  and  the  Korean  promontories 
of  the  S.  coast  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  archipelagos  of 
the  world,  unknown  to  Europe  until  Captains  Maxwell  and 
Basil  Hall,  in  the  Alceste  and  the  Lyra,  navigated  it  in  1816; 
here  200  or  more  islets  of  many  shapes  and  sizes,  from  bold 
masses  of  wild  and  arid  rock  a  thousand  or  more  ft.  high,  to 
low,  cultivated  islands  barely  awash  at  high  tide,  dot  the  sea, 
shelter  a  myriad  sea-fowl,  and  form  a  shoal  that  completely 
screens  the  mainland  from  approaching  ships.  Some  are 
thickly  wooded;  others  bare  and  of  forbidding  aspect.  Those 
that  are  submerged  by  the  spring  tides  help  to  render  the  coast 
one  of  the  most  dangerous  known  to  navigators.  Sponges, 
pearls,  beautiful  coral-beds,  and  a  host  of  bizarre  marine 
creatures  dwell  in  the  waters  roundabout  them.  The  largest, 
most  important,  and  the  most  fertile  of  the  islands  (some- 
time noted  for  its  fine  pearls)  is  Chyoi-ju  or  Quelpart  (40 
M.  long  by  17  broad),  distant  60  m.  from  the  S.W.  corner  of 
the  peninsula;  with  a  population  of  100,000,  chiefly  fisher- 
men, and  an  infamous  reputation  for  shipwrecks.  It  is  an 
elliptical,  rock-bound  island  almost  covered  with  conical  mts. 
(many  of  them  extinct  craters)  culminating  in  the  lofty  Hal-la 
San  or  Mt.  Auckland  (6588  ft.),  on  the  top  of  which  are  triple 
extinct  craters  each  holding  a  lake  in  its  burned-out  cone. 
Cultivation  rises  to  the  2000  ft.  level.  The  towns  are  of  no 
special  interest  to  foreigners. 

Travelers  know  this  region  as  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
of  the  world,  particularly  during  certain  seasons.  A  sail 
through  the  cluster  on  a  fine  summer  day,  when  atmospheric 
conditions  are  propitious  for  the  formation  of  the  wonderful 


698   Route  U-  f  KOREA    )  Geography. 

Inferior  Mirages  for  which  the  locality  is  celebrated,  is  an  ex- 
perience one  does  not  forget.  Then  the  whole  Korean  world 
looks  ghostly,  and  the  islands  loom  upside  down  in  a  way 
that  amazes  the  beholders.  At  times  the  sea  is  almost  ripple- 
less;  at  others  tremendous  tides  scour  through  the  channels, 
and  dense  fog-banks  add  to  the  treachery  of  the  tides.  The 
Korean  port  of  Fusan  —  the  landing-place  for  many  travelers 
from  Japan  —  faces  Tsushima  (which  belongs  to  Japan),  and 
from  this  point  round  the  E.  coast  of  the  mainland  (where 
there  are  no  islands),  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  tides  is  1  to  2  ft. 
In  singular  contrast  are  the  conditions  on  the  W.  coast;  at 
Chemulpo  the  stream  rushes  in  with  startling  rapidity  and 
violence  to  a  depth  of  37  ft.  The  tidal  range  is  greater  in  sum- 
mer and  autumn  than  in  winter  and  spring.  A  winding  chan- 
nel leads  up  the  bay,  and  unless  big  ships  moor  head  and  stern 
in  the  constantly  altering  fairway,  they  will  be  left  sticking  in 
the  black  mud  when  the  tide  swirls  out.  The  flat-bottomed 
native  junks  are  fashioned  to  meet  this  contingency,  and  one 
may  often  see  a  dozen  or  more  resting  on  the  black  mud  of  the 
harbor  bottom,  looking  like  fat  geese  or  beached  scows.  The 
tidal  stream  is  so  strong  that  it  runs  for  56  M.  up  the  Han 
River,  to  the  rapid  near  Ma-pu.  There  are  several  fine  harbors 
and  sheltered  ports  on  this  deeply  indented  coast.  The  richest 
section  of  the  peninsula  flanks  the  Han  River  from  its  mouth 
to  its  source  in  the  Keum-kang  San.  Much  of  the  soil  is  rich 
alluvium,  from  5  to  10  ft.  deep,  capable  of  bearing  two  bumper 
crops  a  year  with  little  or  no  enriching.  Few  of  the  hills  are 
terraced  as  in  Japan.  Many  wild  flowers  deck  them  after  the 
rains,  and  fine  purple  thistles  grow  in  profusion.  —  Outside 
the  capital,  which  is  practically  the  only  city  worth  seeing, 
there  are  few  places  of  importance.  The  small  towns  are  mere 
clusters  of  hovels  with  narrow,  dirty  streets,  and  a  preponder- 
ance of  listless  men  and  frowsy  women.  Abominable  stenches 
abound,  and  open  drains  are  common.  The  most  important 
of  the  ports  are  mentioned  in  their  proper  places  in  the  Guide- 
book. 

The  merciful  hand  of  Providence  has  bestowed  on  the  Kore- 
ans a  magnificent  land  abounding  in  resources  of  all  kinds  — 
one  where  none  ought  to  be  poor,  and  where  misery  ought  to 
be  unknown  —  a  land  whose  products  and  riches  of  many 
kinds  are  abundant,  and  as  varied  as  they  are  rich.  With  a 
superb  climate,  an  abundant  rainfall,  a  productive  soil,  and  a 
hardy  people;  with  mts.  sprinkled  with  gold,  coal,  iron,  silver, 
copper,  and  lead;  with  an  extensive  coast-line  laved  by  a  sea 
teeming  with  fine  fish  from  whales  to  sardines,  and  dotted  with 
islands  noted  for  their  pearls,  Korea  has  lacked  only  a  good 
gov't  to  make  it  one  of  the  most  opulent  countries  of  the  gor- 
geous East.  Earthquakes  are  unknown;  typhoons  are  rare; 
its  wonderful  climate  makes  of  the  country  a  sort  of  open-air 


Agriculture.  KOREA  44.  Route.  699 

sanatorium,  and  its  bright,  beautiful,  strangely  calm  and  per- 
fect mornings  —  clear  as  the  tones  of  a  chapel  bell,  and  musi- 
cal with  the  call  of  many  birds  —  fill  the  spirit  with  the  electric 
joy  of  youth,  and  with  a  tranquillity  all  too  rare  in  this  work-a- 
day  world.  It  is  fast  becoming  a  health  resort  for  the  steamed 
colonials  of  the  China  and  India  littoral,  and  in  the  summer  the 
attractive  hotel  at  Seoul  is  full  to  overflowing  with  limp  and 
enervated  Europeans  from  the  torrid  south. 

Agriculture  is  the  national  industry  and  it  gives  occupation 
to  six  or  seven  millions  of  the  people.  The  native  methods  are 
so  primitive  that  ere  long  the  production  will  be  trebled  by  the 
modern  system  introduced  by  the  Japanese.  Three  men  at 
least  are  required  to  use  a  spade  —  one  to  guide  it  by  the  handle, 
two  others  to  raise  it  from  the  ground  by  ropes  attached  to  a 
long  blade,  and  the  latter  are  sometimes  increased  to  six  or 
eight.  Oxen  are  employed  to  drag  ploughs  (wooden  with  a 
removable  iron  shoe)  as  crude  as  those  of  early  Mexico  or 
Egypt.  Rice  and  barley  are  threshed  on  a  board,  or  with  a 
flail,  and  winnowed  by  throwing  the  grains  into  the  air ;  then 
they  are  milled  by  pestles  in  a  wooden  mortar.  The  chief 
crops  are  rice,  beans,  pease,  millet,  wheat,  barley,  tobacco, 
cotton,  castor-oil,  potatoes,  melons,  and  peppers.  The  people 
are  inordinately  fond  of  lettuce,  and  nearly  every  yard  has  a 
plot  of  it.  Besides  teaching  the  Koreans  methods  for  the  de- 
velopment of  the  land  on  scientific  lines,  the  Japanese  have 
established  model  farms,  miniature  cotton  and  tobacco  plan- 
tations; horticultural,  forestry,  and  seedling  stations,  and 
besides  stocking  the  country  with  fresh  seeds  and  new  agri- 
cultural tools,  they  have  taught  the  people  how  to  breed  and 
care  for  live-stock,  and  have  quadrupled  the  yearly  output  of 
Korean  silk.  The  country  has  been  referred  to  as  a  'natural 
orchard/  and  experts  are  supplanting  certain  of  the  poorly 
developed  fruits  with  American  pears,  grapes,  apples,  etc.  The 
;  appearance  of  the  Korean  peasantry  often  tempts  one  to  para- 
|  phrase  Artemus  Ward's  remark  about  Spain,  and  agree  with  him 
that  there  would  be  more  arable  land  if  the  people  did  not 
I   carry  so  much  of  it  around  on  their  persons! 

Ginseng  {Panax  Schinseng),  originally  a  wild  Manchurian 
product,  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  economic  plants.  Credu- 
lous Chinese  ascribe  almost  miraculous  curative  powers  to  it, 
and  ailing  persons  will  sometimes  pay  $200  for  a  special  root 
3  or  4  in.  long  and  weighing  but  a  few  ounces.  The  Chinese 
name  jin-tsan  (or  jin-shen)  is  said  to  allude  to  the  resemblance 
of  the  forked,  carrot-like  root  to  the  legs  of  a  man  (Jin),  Panax 
(Greek,  'all-healing')  expresses  the  Asiatic  belief  in  its  efficacy. 
The  Japanese  name,  ninjin,  is  the  word  for  carrot,  and  its  high 
price  is  referred  to  in  the  proverb,  Ninjin  kute  kubi  kukuru 
('after  ginseng,  death  by  hanging')  meaning,  'you  will  prob- 
ably get  well  if  you  eat  ginseng,  but  you  will  die  of  hunger  after- 


700    Route  U- 


KOREA 


The  Flora. 


ward,  for  it  will  make  you  poor/  The  manufactured  product, 
red  ginseng,  whose  only  medicinal  effect  is  that  of  a  mild  aro- 
matic stimulant,  is  known  to  Chinese  and  Koreans  as  Hong- 
sam.  The  cultivated  root  is  esteemed  less  highly  than  the  wild 
(which  grows  in  N.  Korea  and  Manchuria),  one  kin  of  the 
former  bringing  only  45  taels  in  the  Shanghai  market,  against 
30  taels  of  the  American  product  (Panax  quinquefolius,  the  in- 
troduction of  which  broke  the  market  and  brought  down  the 
price),  and  3  taels  for  the  Japanese  plant  (which  is  cultivated 
in  many  of  the  provinces  of  Japan).  Korean  ginseng  has  al- 
ways been  highly  esteemed  at  the  Peking  Court,  and  anciently 
it  was  included  in  the  annual  tribute.  Its  cultivation  has  long 
been  a  gov't  monopoly,  and  is  at  present  in  charge  of  the 
Monopoly  Bureau  of  the  Chosen  Gov't.  The  annual  produc- 
tion is  about  6000  lbs.,  the  best  quality  bringing  ¥80  per  lb. 
The  plant  is  cultivated  in  ground  which  has  not  been  used  for 
ginseng  -culture  for  7  yrs.  The  carefully  fenced  beds  (of  sand, 
leaf-mould,  etc.)  are  about  18  in.  wide  and  24  high.  When  2 
yrs.  old,  the  plant  puts  forth  2  leaves,  and  2  yrs.  later  it  has  4 
leaves  and  is  6  in.  high.  It  reaches  maturity  in  the  6th-7th 
yr.,  up  to  which  time  it  is  tended  with  extreme  care  and  is  shel- 
tered from  the  sun  and  wind  by  reed  blinds  stretched  above  or 
slanting  at  the  side  of  the  plots,  and  inclining  slightly  to  the  S. 
Hong-sam  can  be  made  only  out  of  the  roots  of  plants  5  yrs. 
old  and  upward.  After  being  steamed  and  dried,  the  1  beards 1 
and  '  tails '  are  cut  off,  the  trunks  are  classified  according  to  size 
and  quality  and  packed  in  neat  baskets  of  5  catties  each. 

Southern  Korea  is  practically  bare  of  trees,  but  the  mts.  of 
the  N.  and  E.  provinces  contain  splendid  forests  which  cover 
wide  areas;  chief  among  the  indigenous  trees  are  silver-firs, 
many  species  of  pine,  oak,  and  maple;  birch,  juniper,  mt.  ash, 
hazel,  lime,  willow,  alder,  larch,  chestnut,  poplar,  walnut,  etc. 
Vast  quantities  of  timber  (chiefly  larch,  red-pine,  and  walnut) 
are  felled  annually  in  the  Hyoi-san-chin  Mt.  (the  center  of  the 
forest  on  the  upper  reaches  of  the  Yalu)  and  rafted  down  to 
Shin-wiju  —  the  huge  rafts  constituting  picturesque  features 
of  the  Yalu  River.  From  the  several  species  of  hornbeam  found 
in  the  peninsula,  the  Koreans  make  mallets,  handles,  and  agri- 

) cultural  implements.  The  Forestry  Bureau  is  busily  engaged 
in  afforestation  throughout  the  country  (many  stations),  and 
among  the  thousands  of  trees  planted  yearly  the  splendid 
Cryptomeria  japonica  figures  largely,  along  with  the  quick- 
growing  acacias.  Splendid  groves  of  Spanish  chestnuts  are 
features  of  the  upper  reaches  of  the  Han  River.  The  Umbrella 
Pines  are  called  Parasol  Pines,  because  they  resemble  in  shape 
the  parasols  carried  over  the  King.  Many  of  the  gnarled,  weird 
Japanese  pines  are  seen,  but  not  in  such  profusion  as  in  Japan. 

The  Flora  is  extensive  and  interesting,  but  not  so  varied  or 
prolific  as  that  of  Japan.  The  plums  and  cherries  bloom  just 


Provinces,  KOREA  44.  Route.  701 

as  beautifully,  and  wild  azaleas  flame  from  the  hill-slopes  just 
as  they  do  around  Karuizawa  and  other  places  in  the  island 
Empire.  The  several  varieties  of  clematis  warm  the  hearts  of 
travelers  from  New  England,  and  the  splendid  rhododendrons 
impart  a  semi- tropic  aspect  to  the  land.  In  some  places  frag- 
rant honeysuckle  is  as  plentiful  as  at  Nikkd.  Travelers  will  not 
fail  to  note  the  omnipresent  climbing  ivy  classified  as  Ampel- 
opsis  (of  the  family  Vitacece  —  a  near  relation  to  the  Japan- 
ese ivy)  and  the  many-flowered  rose  (a  Japanese  species,  -Rosa 
multiflora),  which  climb  to  the  topmost  points  of  the  loftiest 
trees  to  flaunt  their  beauties  wantonly  in  the  face  of  the  sun. 
Tiger-lilies,  weigelas,  gentians,  peonies,  marigolds,  butter- 
cups, violets,  white  aconite,  dandelions,  asters,  syringa,  spiraea, 
pink  iris,  and  many  other  old-fashioned  flowers  and  flowering 
shrubs  grow  in  profusion.  In  S.  Korea  plums  put  forth  their 
pinkish- white  blooms  in  late  Jan.,  and  peaches  and  cherries 
follow  soon  thereafter,  albeit  the  displays  are  not  so  extensive 
as  in  Japan. 

For  purposes  of  civil  administration  Korea  is  divided  into 
13  Provinces  (do),  all  maritime,  all  based  mainly  on  the  river 
basins;  and  named  (the  8  originals  ones)  by  uniting  the  initial 
syllables  of  the  largest  cities  within  their  borders ;  for  example, 
Hoang-chiu  and  Hai-chiu,  when  thus  separated  form  the  pro- 
vince of  Hoang-hai.  They  are  subdivided  into  eleven  prefec- 
tures (pu)  and  333  districts  (kiln).  The  present  excellent  sys- 
tem of  gov't  is  modeled  on  that  of  Japan.  Japanese  names  are 
being  given  gradually  to  the  provinces  and  cities.  The  annual 
income  is  about  30  million  yen,  and  is  equaled  by  the  expendi- 
tures. About  8000  steamers,  sailing-ships  and  junks  touch  at 
Korean  ports  each  year.  The  largest  of  the  provinces,  North 
and  South  Ham-Gyong  (Complete  View),  with  1,388,611  in- 
habitants, border  Manchuria  and  Asiatic  Russia,  from  which 
they  are  separated  by  the  Tumen  River  and  the  Ever- White 
Mts.  The  region  (called  Kankyo  by  the  Japanese)  is  one  of 
lofty,  forest-clad  mts.  —  the  home  of  the  tiger,  leopard,  the 
huge  Korean  bear,  and  of  much  small  game.  Within  the  boun- 
daries is  Paik-Tu  Mt.,  a  limestone  formation  prominent  in 
Korean  folk-lore  as  the  abode  of  a  benevolent  goddess  who 
presides  over  the  entire  country.  Chinese  writers  have  com- 
pared the  peak  to  a  '  white  porcelain  vase  with  a  scalloped 
rim/  and  it  is  believed  ( by  the  credulous)  that  the  white- 
haired  fauna  of  the  district  never  injures  man.  Snow  covers 
Paik-  Tu  for  10  months  of  the  year.  The  chief  port,  Won-san,  on 
the  S.  shore  of  Broughton  Bay,  contains  little  to  interest  trav- 
elers. Ships  of  the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  ply  weekly  to  Fusan 
(297  M.;  fare,  ¥15),  Osaka  (618  M.  ¥30),  and  to  minor  ports. 

North  and  South  Phyong-An  (Tranquil  Peace)  or  Ping 
Yang,  or  Heian,  lie  to  the  W.  of  the  above  provinces  and 
flank  Manchuria  and  the  Yalu  River  at  the  N.,  and  the  Yellow 


702    Route  U>  QKOREA^y  Provinces. 

Sea  at  the  W.  They  belie  their  peaceful  name,  for  S.  Phyong- 
An  had  been  the  great  battlefield  of  Korea  for  ages.  For  cen- 
turies it  was  the  gate  of  ingress  for,  and  outlet  to,  China,  and 
on  its  wide  plains  (which  support  a  pop.  of  1,934,340)  hosts  of 
Mongols  and  Koreans,  Japanese  and  Chinese  have  fought  and 
died.  The  region  is  rich  in  minerals;  the  Japanese  Navy  makes 
its  briquettes  from  the  anthracite  product  of  the  extensive 
Ping  Yang  Coal  Mines  (veins  32  M.  long  by  7 \  M.  wide) 
owned  by  Gov't.  Many  ruins  of  early  Chinese  occupation  are 
to  be  found,  and  fortified  castles,  quaint  old  gates  and  walls 
dot  the  hills.  Heijo,  the  capital,  is  mentioned  at  p.  754. 

Hoang-Hai  (Yellow  Sea,  or  Hwang-hai,  or  Kokai),  with 
1,015,867  inhabs.,  borders  this  sea,  and  its  extreme  point  is  the 
nearest  in  Korea  to  the  (80  M.)  Shantung  Promontory  of 
China.  It  was  long  the  camping-ground  for  the  hordes  of 
Chinese  pirates  (from  Chefoo  and  Teng  Chow)  who  formerly 
made  periodical  raids  in  the  peninsula.  On  their  arrival  it  was 
customary  for  the  Korean  lookouts  to  light  great  signal-fires 
(pong-wa)  by  night  and  to  send  up  dense  columns  of  smoke  by 
day  to  warn  the  inland  people  of  the  approach  of  the  bucca- 
neers ;  other  fires  were  soon  lit  on  other  hills  until  a  luminous 
chain  of  them  flamed  to  the  sky  clear  to  Nam-San  at  Seoul, 
and  the  King  was  apprised  of  the  on-coming  peril.  This  pic- 
turesque arrangement  (one  now  superseded  by  the  telegraph 
of  the  i  foreign  devil  -)  was,  until  quite  recently,  employed  ex- 
tensively, and  by  means  of  it  the  King  received  intelligence 
from  the  uttermost  end  of  his  realm.  Hoang-hai  was  also  the 
objective  point  of  the  early  missionaries  who  tried  to  enter  the 
forbidden  land  —  there  to  suffer  martyrdom  and  a  cruel  death. 
The  adjacent  sea  teems  with  fine  fish,  and  it  was  long  the 
chosen  fishing-ground  for  Chinese  from  the  mainland.  The 
most  important  islands  off  the  coast  are  the  Hall  Group,  so- 
called  (in  1816)  by  Basil  Hall  (captain  of  the  ship  Lyra)  in 
memory  of  his  father  Sir  James  Hall,  sometime  president  of 
the  Edinburgh  Geographical  Society.  Rock-salt  and  ginseng 
are  among  the  chief  products.  The  extensive  Iron  Mine  (brown 
hematite  ore)  in  the  Chai-nyong  district  (near  Chinnampo)  is 
owned  and  operated  by  the  Gov't;  the  annual  output  (much 
of  which  goes  to  the  foundry  at  Wakamatsu)  is  about  70,000 
tons.  Modern  machinery  is  used.  There  are  two  smaller 
mines,  the  Anak,  and  the  Eunyul. 

Kang-Won  (River  Moor),  or  Kogen,  with  833,000  inhabs., 
is  unique  among  the  provinces  in  that  its  (150  M.)  coast  is  un- 
sheltered by  islands,  and  is  without  harbors.  It  is  the  most 
mountainous  of  all  the  provinces.  The  Twelve  Thousand 
Peaks  of  the  Diamond  Mt.  are  within  its  borders,  as  is  also  the 
source  of  the  river  Han.  Forty-five  miles  off  the  coast  lies  the 
solitary  and  rarely  visited  Dagelet  Island  (named  for  this  as- 
tronomer by  La  Perouse,  the  French  navigator  who  discovered 


Provinces.  KOREA  44.  Route.  703 

N  

it  in  1787).  From  the  high  rampart  of  bare  rock  which  sur- 
rounds it  a  central  peak  rises  4000  ft.  above  the  sea.  The  few 
Koreans  and  Japanese  who  dwell  in  this  lonely  spot  subsist  by 
fishing  for  the  whales  which  abound  in  the  waters  roundabout. 
The  coast  of  the  province  is  noted  among  Koreans  for  its 
Eight  Views  {PJ  al-kyong) ,  which  are  of  no  interest  to  foreigners. 

Kyong-Kwi  (Capital  Boundaries),  of  Keiki  (pop.  1,513,- 
966)  though  smallest  in  area,  is  one  of  the  richest  of  all  the 
Korean  possessions.  It  flanks  Kang-Won  on  the  W.,  the  Yel- 
low Sea  on  the  E.,  is  crossed  by  the  Han  River  (largest  of  the 
native  rivers  flanked  on  both  sides  by  Korean  territory),  and 
beside  Seoul,  the  modern  capital,  it  contains  within  its  borders 
the  important  port  of  Chemulpo,  and  the  one-time  prosperous 
town  of  Kang-hoa. 

North  and  South  Chyung-Chyong  (Pure  Loyalty),  or 
Chusei,  a  rich  and  fertile  province  (pop.  1,519,309)  sometimes 
referred  to  as  the  Granary  of  the  Kingdom,  is  celebrated  among 
j  Christians  as  the  'nursery  of  the  faith,'  for  its  soil  has  been  re- 
i  peatedly  soaked  with  the  blood  of  native  believers.  Along  its 
coast  are  numerous  bays  and  islands  marked  on  European 
\charts  with  the  names  of  the  foreign  navigators  who  visited 
them  in  the  early  days.  Jerome  Bay  and  the  Prince  Imperial 
Archipelago  recall  the  ill-fated  wrecks  (in  1846)  of  the  ships 
Glory  and  Victory.  Fogs  are  frequent  off  the  coast,  and  these, 
with  the  many  shoals  and  strong  high  tides,  render  navigation 
extremely  hazardous.  The  Keum,  a  river  of  minor  importance, 
drains  both  provinces  and  empties  into  the  Yellow  Sea  near 
Kun-San. 

North  and  South  Chyolla  (Complete  Network),  or 
Zenra,  the  most  fertile  and  warmest  of  the  provinces  (pop. 
2,632,849),  occupy  the  site  of  the  ancient  Kingdom  of  Pakche; 
are  the  nearest  to  Shanghai,  and  produce  cattle  for  the  meat- 
eating  Koreans,  and  cotton  for  the  Japanese  mills.  The  island- 
dotted  shores  have  been  the  scene  of  many  shipwrecks. 

North  and  South  Kyong-Syang  (Joyful  Honor)  orKeisho, 
occupy  the  site  of  the  sometime  kingdoms  of  Silla,  Kaya,  and 
Karak,  in  the  southeasternmost  region  of  the  peninsula,  and 
are  at  once  the  richest  and  most  populous  (3,174,985  inhabs.)  of 
the  provinces.  The  plains  and  valleys  are  watered  and  drained 
by  the  Nak-tong,  and  the  equable  climate  is  free  from  the 
rigors  of  the  northern  winters.  From  time  immemorial  the  in- 
vading Japanese  have  landed  their  troops  here,  and  here  the 
earliest  Korean  civilization  and  art  reached  their  highest  de- 
velopment before  being  expatriated  to  the  island  of  Kyushu. 
Fusan,  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  ports,  is  mentioned 
at  p.  694.  The  Japanese  are  developing  the  region,  and  China- 
hai,  on  the  bay  of  the  same  name,  is  perhaps  destined  to  be  a 
great  naval  port. 


704    Route  U-  KOREA  J)        The  River  System. 

The  Korean  HiGHWAY§~are  not  yet  suitable  for  automo- 
biles. What  the  natives  grandiloquently  term  i  Great  Roads ' 
are  oftentimes  infamous  foot-paths  with  scarcely  room  for  two 
laden  bulls  to  pass  each  other.  Many  of  the  bridges  (usually 
sod-covered)  are  so  rotten  that  even  the  native  horses  refuse  to 
cross  them  until  the  mapu  (driver)  crosses  them  first  and  tests 
them.  The  Japanese  Gov't  is  rapidly  extending  the  peninsular 
highways,  widening  and  strengthening  them  as  they  go.  At 
present  the  difficulties  of  automobile  travel  in  Korea  would 
be  too  great  to  be  lightly  undertaken. 

The  River  System  is  extensive,  and  the  country  is  well 
watered,  but  with  few  exceptions  the  streams,  because  of  their 
shallowness,  are  practically  valueless  for  navigation.  The 
largest  of  the  rivers,  the  Yalu,  called  by  the  Koreans  Am  Nok, 
or  Green  Duck  (from  its  bluish-green  color  after  the  melting 
of  the  snow  and  ice  near  its  mt.  source),  forms  a  part  of  the  N. 
boundary  and  separates  Korea  from  Manchuria.  It  is  naviga- 
ble for  60  M.  from  its  triple  mouth  (at  the  Yellow  Sea),  and  is 
much  used  for  rafting  down  (to  Antung)  the  logs  cut  near  its 
upper  reaches.  The  cold  Tumen,  which  rises  in  the  Ever- 
White  Mts.  and  separates  N.E.  Korea  from  Asiatic  Russia, 
though  about  200  M.  long  is  of  little  benefit  to  Koreans.  It  is 
frozen  over  during  several  months  of  the  intense  Siberian 
winter,  and  in  the  spring,  when  the  snows  melt,  it  becomes  a 
raging  torrent  difficult  to  navigate.  The  Tai-dong  (Daido), 
which  drains  South  Phyong-An  and  is  often  called  the  Ping 
Yang  (after  it  passes  the  old  capital  of  that  name),  empties 
into  the  Yellow  Sea  near  Chinnampo  and  is  one  of  the  impor- 
tant rivers  of  the  peninsula.  At  Ping  Yang  it  is  about  1200  ft. 
wide,  and  during  the  season  its  surface  is  often  quite  covered 
with  the  timber-rafts  that  come  down  from  the  mts.  to  the  sea. 
The  upper  reaches  are  noted  for  fine  scenery.  The  stately 
Han,  the  finest  of  the  Korean  rivers,  referred  to  by  mariners 
as  the  Seoul  River  and  by  others  as  the  River  of  Golden  Sand 
(because  of  the  auriferous  deposits  in  its  bed),  rises  in  the  Dia- 
mond Mt.,  serves  as  the  great  fluvial  artery  between  that  re- 
gion and  Seoul  (where  it  is  900  ft.  wide),  thence  flows  45  M.  to 
the  Yellow  Sea.  It  is  navigable  for  small  flat-bottomed  craft 
for  nearly  170  M.  from  its  mouth,  and  up  and  down  its  sinuous 
course,  through  gorges  that  remind  one  of  those  of  the  Yangtze- 
kiang,  go  many  picturesque,  mediaeval  junks.  There  are  50  or 
more  rapids  along  its  upper  reaches,  and  some  of  them  glis- 
sade down  amid  the  most  beautiful  and  inspiring  scenery  in 
the  country.  It  is  the  favorite  river  with  foreigners  for  house- 
boating,  and  a  journey  to  its  mt.  source  leads  one  through  the 
very  heart  of  Korea,  where  many  of  the  old  beliefs  and  cus- 
toms prevail.  Trips  can  always  be  planned  with  the  assist- 
ance of  the  hotel  manager  at  Seoul.  The  high  tides  of  the  Yel- 
low Sea  affect  the  river  56  M.  from  its  mouth.  Thirty  miles 


Climate. 


KOREA  44^  Route.  705 


below  the  capital  it  divides,  the  main  stream  flowing  W.,  and  a 
branch,  the  Salee,  turning  S.  At  the  mouth  stands  Kanghoa 
Island  ('Flower  of  the  River'),  long  regarded  as  one  of  the 
invincible  fortified  outposts  of  the  capital,  and  oftentimes  the 
retreat  of  kings  forced  out  by  foreign  invasion  or  domestic  up- 
risings. Duplicates  of  the  national  archives  were  formerly 
preserved  here,  and  the  library  was  anciently  rich  in  Chinese 
MSS.  The  fortress  was  bombarded  and  destroyed  so  many 
times  after  the  foreigners  forced  their  way  into  the  country, 
that  its  one-time  prestige  has  vanished.  —  The  Nak-tong,  the 
most  prominent  of  the  southern  rivers,  drains  the  greater  part 
of  North  Kyong-Syang  before  emptying  into  the  Korea  Channel 
near  Fusan.  The  Keum  River  rises  in  Chyung-Chyong  and 
merges  its  shallow  waters  with  those  of  the  Yellow  Sea  near 
Kun-san. 

•UK 

Climate.  The  physical  configuration  of  Korea  gives  it  a 
climate  of  almost  unsurpassed  excellence.  The  winter  quality 
is  superb;  the  summer  is  supportable.  It  is  without  asperity, 
and  there  &re  no  extremes  of  heat  or  cold  to  guard  against. 
Foreigners  are  not  affected  by  climatic  maladies,  and  Euro- 
pean children  thrive.  Because  of  the  length  of  the  peninsula, 
the  winter  at  the  N.  is  considerably  colder  than  at  the  S.  At 
Shingishu  it  opens  earlier,  and  the  spring  30  days  later,  than 
at  Fusan.  Persons  accustomed  to  life  in  the  Temperate  Zone 
find  the  Korean  climate  exhilarating;  particularly  the  cold, 
dry,  bracing  winter.  It  is  much  superior  and  more  agreeable 
than  that  of  Japan.  The  summer  heat,  though  strong,  is  tem- 
pered by  sea-breezes,  and  is  without  the  disintegrating  quality 
of  the  heat  in  Japan  or  the  savage  torridity  of  that  of  Hong- 
kong. January  is  the  coldest  month,  the  mean  temperature 
being  15°  at  the  N.  and  35°  at  the  S.  The  northland  is  some- 
times covered  with  deep  snows  from  Sept.  to  March,  but  with 
bright,  beautiful  clear  days,  and  still,  frosty,  moonlit  nights 
that  suggest  packs  of  running  wolves,  and  '  frosty  but  kindly ' 
tonic  effects.  The  golden  quality  of  the  sunshine  is  so  appar- 
ent, and  the  early  mornings  are  of  such  rare  beauty,  that  the 
name  of  the  country,  'Land  of  the  Morning  Calm/  is  derived 
from  them.  The  Yalu  and  the  Tumen  Rivers  are  "frozen  over 
for  3-4  months,  and  the  Han  for  2-3.  The  ice  is  usually  thick 
enough  to  permit  the  passage  of  any  army  with  impedimenta. 
For  9  months  of  each  year  one  can  customarily  count  upon 
bright  blue,  unclouded  skies  from  the  Yalu  to  the  Korea 
Channel.  The  winter  at  the  S.  is  bright  and  mild,  with  a  crisp 
tang  like  that  of  the  climate  of  the  Mexican  tableland. 
I  The  hottest  month  is  Aug. ,  with  a  mean  temperature  of  72°  at 
the  N.  and  77°  at  the  S.  The  mean  summer  temperature  at 
1  Seoul  is  about  75°  F.  and,  that  of  winter  about  33°.  The  mean 
\  of  the  E.  coast  is  from  2°  to  4°  higher  than  that  of  the  W.  coast 
lin  the  same  latitude,  during  Feb.  and  March;  the  reverse  being 


706   Route  44- 


KOREA 


Health. 


the  case  during  April- July.  From  Oct.  to  March  northerly 
winds  prevail;  in  April  and  Sept.  they  are  variable,  and  from 
May  to  Aug.  they  are  usually  southerly.  The  rains  are  well 
distributed  during  the  year;  the  average  rainfall  is  36  in.  a 
year,  and  during  the  summer  rainy  season  22  in.  Irrigation  is 
necessary  only  for  the  rice  crop.  —  The  Rainy  Season  occurs 
in  July-Aug.  on  the  N.E.  and  W.  coasts,  and  April- July  on 
the  S.  coast;  the  annual  rainfall  in  those  localities  being  about 
35,  42,  and  30  in.  respectively.  It  is  dry  on  the  W.  coast  from 
Sept.  to  Jan.,  on  the  S.  in  Feb.  (where  the  rainfall  is  more 
evenly  distributed  throughout  the  year  than  elsewhere)  and 
on  the  N.E.  coast  from  April  to  Aug.  Europeans  find  the 
fiercely  hot  summer  (mid- July  to  mid-Sept.)  trying  but  not 
unhealthy.  Fogs  frequently  occur  on  the  N.E.  coast  in  summer, 
and  occasionally  at  the  beginning  and  end  of  winter;  on  the  W. 
coast  from  March  to  July,  and  on  the  S.  from  April  to  August. 

Health.  Korean  ideas  of  hygiene  are  almost  as  negligible  as 
those  of  a  Hottentot.  Travelers  should  always  be  on  their 
guard  against  sampling  native  dishes  and  beverages,  and  on 
no  account  should  water  or  milk  be  drunk  unless  recently 
boiled.  The  average  Korean  well  is  little  short  of  a  pest-hole, 
and  is  often  the  cause  of  epidemics.  While  the  progressive 
Japanese  have  installed  modern  waterworks  in  certain  of  the 
large  cities,  it  is  difficult  to  prevent  an  ignorant  populace  from 
defiling  the  sources.  Boiled  milk  is  always  to  be  had  in  the 
foreign  hotels,  and  the  excellent  Takaradzuka  Tansan  Mineral 
Water  (p.  629)  is  imported  from  Japan.  For  the  traveler  who 
takes  ordinary  precautions  Korea  is  healthier  than  most  coun- 
tries in  the  East. 

Money.  The  old  Korean  system  was  so  cumbersome  that 
when  the  invading  Japanese  army  once  bought  10,000  yen 
worth  of  timber  in  the  interior,  and  was  obliged  to  pay  in 
copper  cash,  it  was  found  necessary  to  charter  a  small  steamer 
and  fill  it  with  the  old  coins.  These,  along  with  the  debased 
nickles,  the  silver  20  chon  (sen)  pieces  and  the  dollars  (won) 
are  being  withdrawn  and  replaced  by  new  coins  and  bank- 
notes of  equal  value  with  those  of  Japan.  The  new  metallic 
money  is  similar  in  quality  and  appearance  to  that  of  Japan 
except  that  the  Korean  national  emblems  (a  white  cock  like 
the  mythological  phoenix,  and  a  5-petal  plum  blossom  replac- 
ing the  16-petal  chrysanthemum)  appear  upon  them  in  jux- 
taposition to  various  Japanese  symbols.  The  so-called  gold 
standard  is  represented  by  5,  10,  and  20  yen  pieces  (rarely 
seen) ;  subsidiary  copper  coins  of  \  and  1  sen  (or  chon) ;  nickels 
(5  chon) ;  10  and  20  sen  (chon)  silver  pieces;  and  a  half  yen  (50 
sen)  called  half  won.  Japanese  money  passes  interchangeably 
with  the  Korean,  but  upon  leaving  the  country  the  traveler 
should  change  his  money  to  avoid  its  being  discounted  (in 


Hunting  and  Fishing.       KOREA  44.  Route.  707 


Japan  or  elsewhere).  This  also  applies  to  the  different  bank- 
notes issued  by  the  (governmental)  Bank  of  Chosen. 

Hunting  and  Fishing.  The  extensive  fauna  includes  splendid 
striped  tigers  (Bengal  variety)  whose  magnificent  pelts  (be- 
cause of  trie  cold  winters)  have  much  longer  and  thicker  fur 
than  their  southern  brothers.  The  great  size  and  beautiful 
markings  of  the  skins  make  them  highly  prized  by  foreigners, 
who  often  come  from  a  distance  to  seek  them.  The  chief  range 
is  in  the  N.,  among  the  forest-clad  mts.  of  Ham-Gyong,  but  the 
animals  harass  the  villages  throughout  the  peninsula,  and  dur- 
ing the  year  kill  numbers  of  Koreans.  Not  long  ago  they  came) 
up  to,  and  over,  the  walls  of  Seoul,  and  in  some  districts  they ' 
are  still  such  a  pest  that  they  are  exterminated  when  possible.  / 
The  dread  of  the  beast  is  so  widespread  that  when  the  natives  j 
are  obliged  to  travel  at  night,  they  often  associate  themselves  \ 
in  bands  and  yell,  beat  gongs,  and  swing  lanterns  and  torches.' 
Tiger-hunters  form  a  class  by  themselves,  and  customarily/ 
seek  the  animal  in  the  winter,  when  the  snow  lies  deep  and  it ! 
can  be  tracked  easily.  In  the  summer,  when  the  people  are'v 
busy  with  other  things  and  the  underbrush  affords  shelter,  j 
'stripes'  remembers  the  compliment  of  the  preceding  season  \ 
and  returns  it  with  great  diligence  and  singleness  of  purpose.  J 
The  hunters  are  usually  so  inept  that  good  tiger-skins  are  ] 
harder  for  the  tourist  to  get  than  Korean  skins  are  for  the  i 
tiger.  The  latter  is  sometimes  trapped  and  poisoned  by  bait- 
ing  a  pit  with  a  dog  or  a  pig.  The  Chinese  pay  high  prices  for  ( 
the  tiger's  bones,  as  they  consider  them  a  specific  for  strength 
and  courage!  A  winged  tiger  anciently  formed  one  of  the  sym- 
bols on  the  Korean  flag,  and  typified  power  and  fierceness. 
The  animal  occupies  as  prominent  a  place  in  the  history,  lan- 
guage, and  minds  of  the  people  as  the  peasants  do  in  the  in- 
ternal economy  of  the  tiger. 

Tiger-cats,  sleek  and  handsomely  spotted  leopards,  big  black 
Korean  bears,  several  species  of  deer,  wild  boars,  foxes,  beav- 
ers, otters,  sables,  badgers,  squirrels,  and  other  minor  game 
are  common  features  of  this  hunters'  paradise.  The  horns,  in 
the  velvet,  of  the  large  Manchurian  deer  (Cervus  manchuri- 
cus)  are  much  valued  by  the  Chinese,  who  use  them  for  medi- 
cine. Prominent  among  the  feathered  game  are  several  varie- 


swans,  teal,  mallard  and  man&arin  Sucks,  turkey-buzzards, 
eagles,  herons,  imperial  cranes,  storks,  harriers,  peregrines 
(employed  by  the  Koreans  as  hunting-falcons) ,  white  and  pink 
ibises,  hawks,  kestrels,  pigeons,  doves,  snipes,  and  so  on.  Among 
the  numerous  birds  are  cuckoos,  halcyon  and  bright  blue 
kingfishers,  clanking  blue  jays,  wood-larks,  thrushes,  redstarts, 
wagtails,  orioles,  nut-hatches,  rooks,  many  warblers,  and  the 
omnipresent  Korean  crow,  a  species  of  magpie  (Kasa-sagi). 
One  sees  these  almost  everywhere  in  the  peninsula;  they  are 


ties,  of  silver  and  copper 


common),  geese, 


708   Route  44*  KOREA 


Mines. 


easily  distinguished  by  their  black  head,  black-and-white 
breast,  and  long,  nervous  tail;  the  tips  of  the  outstretched 
wings  are  white,  and  in  certain  lights  the  back  shows  a  green- 
ish sheen.  They  are  the  size  of  a  small  crow,  bright-eyed,  saucy 
and  noisy,  and  the  markings  are  very  pretty  when  the  bird 
is  on  the  wing.  Game  is  not  persecuted  as  in  certain  other 
countries,  as  for  some  of  the  birds  there  is  a  close  season  (May 
to  Sept.)  and  a  special  license  (obtainable  from  the  authorities 
for  ¥7  for  the  season)  is  required  to  hunt  them.  Big-game 
hunters  should  always  plan  their  excursions  with  the  knowl- 
edge and  advice  of  the  authorities.  The  hotel  manager  can 
always  be  of  assistance  in  the  matter  of  guides,  etc. 

The  seas  which  wash  the  Korean  shores  abound  in  fine  fish. 
Upward  of  500  whales  are  captured  each  year  off  the  E.  coast, 
where  they  feed  on  the  immense  shoals  of  sardines  and  her- 
rings. Owing  to  the  unseaworthiness  of  the  picturesque  Kor- 
ean junks,  most  of  the  fishing  is  done  by  Japanese. 
Twines  and  Mining.  Gold,  silver,  copper,  iron, '  coal,  mica, 
graphite,  and  minor  minerals  are  found  in  almost  all  the  prov- 
inces, and  alluvial  gold  exists  in  many  places.  About  500  min- 
ing concessions  are  granted  by  the  Gov't  each  year;  the  tax  is 
*1%  of  the  gross  output,  and  50  sen  for  each  1000  tsubo  of  land. 
The  new  mining  law  of  1906  opened  the  country  to  foreigners. 
Among  the  best  known  of  the  gold  properties  are  the  six  mines 
of  the  Wun-san  group,  in  North  Phyong- An,  worked  (by  Amer- 
icans) under  a  concession  granted  to  the  Oriental  Consolidated 
Mining  Co.  in  1896.  The  veins  run  chiefly  from  N.  to  S.  and 
are  worked  at  deep  levels  by  75  Americans,  600  Chinese,  60 
Japanese,  and  2300  Koreans  (who  make  excellent  miners). 
The  annual  yield  is  about  £250,000.  The  gold  placers  of  the 
Chiksan  Mining  Co.  (American)  are  about  50  M.  S.  of  Seoul, 
in  South  Chyung-Chyong.  The  Suan  Mine  (English)  is  in 
Hwang-Hai.  Several  hundred  mines  are  being  developed  by 
foreigners  of  various  nationalities,  and  others  by  Japanese. 
The  country  is  believed  to  be  as  highly  mineralized  as  Mexico. 

Historical  Sketch.  When  Korea,  or  Cho-sen  {Ctiao  Hsien  — 
'  Morning  Calm '  or  'Fresh  Morning'),  became  known  to  the 
Chinese  (who  called  it  Tung-kwo,  or  '  Eastern  Kingdom ')  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  Wuti,  of  the  Han  Dynasty  (b.c.  206  to  a.d. 
221),  it  was  peopled  by  numerous  groups  of  semi-savage  tribes 
(perhaps  nomadic  Turanians)  of  different  stock,  language, 
and  institutions,  who  are  supposed  to  have  entered  the  penin- 
sula overland  from  that  great  hive  of  nations,  Manchuria,  at 
the  north.  The  flimsy  legends  and  tribal  beliefs  of  these  rude 
and  unlettered  peoples,  though  supposed  to  reach  back  to 
B.C.  2300,  throw  but  little  true  light  on  their  origin  or  pro- 
venience. After  the  lapse  of  an  unrecorded  period,  history 
finds  their  descendants  cemented  into  a  number  of  fairly 
3trong  kingdoms  ruled  over  by  their  own  kings  and  all 


History. 


KOREA  44.  Route.  709 


apparently  animated  by  the  wish  to  suppress  or  absorb  their 
weaker  neighbors.  For  the  first  600  yrs.  of  the  Christian  era 
the  history  of  the  peninsula  is  practically  that  of  three  king- 
doms, and  for  400  yrs.  thereafter  that  of  Silla  (Jap.  Shiragi), 
which  rose  to  such  prominence  that  before  its  decay  and  down- 
fall in  a.d.  935  its  sovereign  unified  the  country  and  ruled  it 
under  one  crown.  The  word  Korea  is  derived  from  Korai,  the 
name  of  the  most  northern  of  the  three  old  kingdoms  which 
originally  shared  the  peninsula  between  them.  '  Each  king- 
dom had  a  long  line  of  kings  of  varying  characters  and  for- 
tunes, who  worked  weal  or  woe  to  their  countries,  some  of 
whom  fell  beneath  assassins'  knives,  while  others,  deposed  or  de- 
feated, died  by  their  own  hands;  some  leaving  behind  them  the 
memories  of  strong  and  efficient  governments,  which  brought 
nothing  but  good  to  their  subjects;  others  those  of  merciless 
tyrants,  sunk  in  debauchery  and  cruelty,  whose  memories  are 
akin  to  those  of  Nero  and  Caligula.  Each  had  its  episodes  of 
national  triumph  and  reverse,  its  incidents  of  heroic  fortitude 
and  craven  submission,  amidst  which  all  steadily  progressed 
on  the  paths  of  learning,  art,  and  industry;  each  received  its 
teachers  and  missionaries  from  China ;  each  preserved  through- 
out its  history  the  characteristics  that  had  marked  its  origin. 
Each  contributed  in  its  turn  to  the  stream  of  emigrants  that 
poured  from  the  peninsula  into  Japan,  bringing  with  them  all 
that  they  themselves  had  learned  from  China,  and  assisting  in 
laying  the  foundations  of  the  systems  of  religion,  statecraft  and 
literature,  science  and  social  life  which  formed  the  civilization 
of  Japan  for  more  than  1200  years,  and  was  only  replaced  in 
the  latter  half  of  the  19th  cent,  by  the  higher  civilization  of 
Europe.'  (Longford.) 

Conspicuous  among  these  petty  states  was  Pakche  (Jap. 
Kudara)  which  rose  in  B.C.  17  and  lasted  until  a.d.  660.  It 
is  of  interest,  for  it  is  believed  that  from  it  the  islanders  got 
the  first  tincture  of  continental  civilization.  Japanese  records 
refer  to  various  embassies  that  passed  between  Japan  and  the 
peninsular  kingdoms,  particularly  one  in  a.d.  284  when  two 
horses  (said  to  be  the  first  to  enter  Japan)  were  sent  from 
the  mainland.  In  time  this  kingdom  —  which  stretched  along 
the  shores  of  the  Yellow  Sea  from  the  neighborhood  of  the  pre- 
sent Korean  capital  to  the  S.  W.  extremity  of  the  peninsula  — 
served  as  the  bridge  over  which  much  of  the  Chinese  culture 
of  the  times  passed  to  Japan.  Thither  went  Buddhism  along 
with  its  sutras,  idols,  temple  fitments,  and  artisans  to  erect  the 
first  temples  in  Japan  in  a.d.  552,  and  later  the  first  specimens 
of  ceramic  art  (said  to  have  come  to  Korea  from  Persia),  with 
skilled  potters,  who  settled  in  Kyushu  and  there  established 
primitive  potteries,  destined  later  to  send  their  wonderful  pro- 
ducts far  afield  and  to  make  Satsuma  ware  celebrated  through- 
out the  world.  Thither  also  went  (about  a.d.  725)  the  dread 


scourge  smallpox,  which 


710    Route  U- 


pire  and  gained  therein  such  a  foothold  that  it  has  never  been 
entirely  dislodged.  ^Prior  to  this,  in  a.d.  405,  a  celebrated 
teacher  of  writing  named  Wani  went  from  Pakche  to  Japan 
and  introduced  in  that  country  a  system  of  writing  and  of  pre- 
serving written  records,  thus  laying  the  foundation  of  Japan- 
ese written  language  and  history.  He  was  but  the  forerunner 
of  a  long  list  of  skilled  emigrants  who  went  to  Japan  during 
the  succeeding  centuries,  and  by  their  industrial,  literary,  and 
technical  attainments  founded  most  of  the  fine  arts  for  which 
that  empire  is  famous  to-day)  It  was  not  until  the  7th  cent, 
that  Japanese  students  began'4inding  their  way  direct  to  the 
seats  of  learning  in  China,  and  thus  getting  their  information 
at  first  hand.  They  adopted  printing  from  Korea  in  the  12th 
cent.,  at  which  time  a  work  of  the  Buddhist  canon  was  printed 
from  wooden  blocks.  'A  Korean  book  is  known  which  dates 
authentically  from  the  period  between  1317  and  1324,  over  a 
century  before  the  earliest  printed  book  known  in  Europe.'  — - 
In  time  the  kingdom  of  Silla  was  swallowed  up  in  the  new  king- 
dom of  Koryu,  which,  originating  in  the  N.  in  a.d.  918,  soon 
acquired  such  power  that  it  extended  its  sway  over  the  whole 
peninsula,  and  far  beyond  the  Yalu,  in  Manchuria.  With  the 
rise  of  the  great  Kublai  Khan  in  1265,  Koryu  (or  Korai,  or 
Korea  —  Chinese :  Kaoli)  was  forced  to  acknowledge  Mongol 
suzerainty,  and  the  people  of  the  peninsula  were  obliged  to  aid 
Kublai  in  his  abortive  descents  against  the  Japanese  coast. 
Koryu  came  to  a  political  end  in  1392  when  the  ancestor  (Yi 
Taijo)  of  the  line  of  sovereigns  who  ruled  the  country  down  to 
1910  ascended  the  throne  and  established  what  was  thence- 
forth known  as  Chosen.  History  records  that  Tax  Jong  (1418- 
50),  the  younger  son  of  Taijo,  first  conceived  and  carried  out 
the  idea  of  movable  copper  types.1 

The  Arabs,  who  were  among  the  earliest  races  to  trade  with 
the  Koreans,  knew  of  the  country  in  the  9th  cent.;  reference  is 
made  to  it  by  an  Arab  geographer,  Khordadbeh,  in  his  Book  of 

1  According  to  Mr.  S.  Wells  Williams  (Middle  Kingdom,  vol.  1,  p.  603): 
'The  honor  of  being  the  first  inventor  of  movable  types  undoubtedly  belongs 
to  a  Chinese  blacksmith  named  Pi  Shing,  who  lived  about  a.d.  1000,  and 
printed  books  with  them  nearly  500  yrs.  before  Gutenberg  cut  his  matrices 
at  Mainz.  They  were  made  of  plastic  clay,  hardened  by  fire  after  the  charac- 
ters had  been  cut  on  the  soft  surface  of  a  plate  of  clay  in  which  they  were 
moulded.  The  porcelain  types  were  then  set  up  in  a  frame  of  iron  parti- 
tioned off  by  strips,  and  inserted  in  a  cement  of  wax,  resin,  and  lime  to  fasten 
them  down.  The  printing  was  done  by  rubbing,  and  when  completed  the 
types  were  loosened  by  melting  the  cement,  and  made  clean  for  another  im- 
pression: This  invention  seems  never  to  have  been  developed  to  any  practi- 
cal application  in  superseding  block  printing  (adopted  from  the  discovery  of 
Fungtau,  in  the  10th  cent.).  The  Emperor  Kanghi  ordered  (about  1722) 
approximately  250  thousand  copper  types  to  be  engraved  for  printing  publi- 
cations of  the  Government,  and  these  works  are  now  highly  prized  for  their 
beauty.  The  cupidity  of  his  successors  led  to  melting  these  types  into  cash, 
but  his  grandson  Kienlung  directed  the  casting  of  a  large  font  of  lead  types 
for  government  use.' 


History.  ( KOREA  U-  Route.'  711 

Roads  and  Provinces.  Marco  Polo  carried  the  news  of  it  to 
Europe,  and  later  did  also  the  Portuguese  and  Franciscan 
friars.  It  soon  became  known  to  Europeans  as  '  The  Hermit 
Kingdom/  from  the  circumstance  that  for  centuries  Korea 
successfully  carried  out  the  policy  of  isolation.  Father  Gre- 
gorio  de  Cespedes,  a  zealous  Jesuit  missionary,  was  the  first 
recorded  foreigner  to  enter  the  forbidden  land,  but  he  was 
deported  soon  after  he  had  landed  at  Fusan  in  1594.  It  was 
nearly  200  yrs.  later  before  another  missionary  entered  the 
kingdom,  as  during  that  long  interval  the  Koreans  made  stren- 
uous efforts  to  hermetically  seal  the  country,  laying  waste  the 
seacoast  and  inhospitable  land  zones,  and  killing  or  turning 
back  all  aspirants  for  admission.  The  unfortunate  Dutch 
sailors  of  the  Sparwehr  (Sparrowhawk)  who  were  wrecked 
off  Quelpart  in  1653  were  enslaved  and  were  detained  as  cap- 
tives for  27  yrs.  —  the  fate  of  a  number  of  them  being  un- 
known. During  its  long  isolation  the  peninsula  was  a  constant 
bone  of  contention  between  the  Chinese  on  one  side  and  the 
Japanese  on  the  other.  The  latter  laid  claim  to  the  country  in 
the  2d  cent,  a.d.,  and  made  frequent  efforts  to  possess  it.  In 
lieu  of  possession  they  exacted  yearly  tribute,  and  it  was  not v 
until  Feb.  27,  1876,  that  the  Mikado's  Minister  Plenipoten-  / 
tiary  signed  a  treaty  which  recognized  Chosen  as  an  independ- 
ent nation.  For  upward  of  50  yrs.  prior  to  this  it  had  been 
the  crux  of  the  international  policy  of  the  Far  East,  while  for 
centuries  it  had  been  the  theater  of  prolonged  internecine  wars, 
and  Japanese,  Manchu,  and  Mongol  raids.  Dreadful  perse-  j 
cutions  of  Christians,  and  misrule  and  cruelty  that  shock  the 
sensibilities,  are  among  the  most  salient  episodes  in  the  his- 
tory of  this  backward  nation.  In  1592,  Konishi  Yukinaga  and 
Kato  Kiyomasa,  HideyoshV s  most  popular  generals,  invaded 
the  kingdom  at  Fusan,  and  with  more  than  300,000  troops 
(50,000  of  whom  were  killed)  waged  a  tremendous  war  against 
the  Koreans  and  their  Chinese  allies ;  nor  did  this  oversea  cam- 
paign (one  of  the  greatest  in  the  history  of  any  country)  cease 
until  HideyoshiJ  s  death  in  1598. 

Of  peculiar  interest  in  connection  with  this  titanic  invasion  is  the  refer- 
ence (made  often  by  historians)  to  the  Kwi-sun,  or  Tortoise-boat  (invented 
by  Admiral  Yi  Sun-sin),  'which  had  a  curved  deck  of  iron  plates  like  a  tor- 
toise which  completely  sheltered  the  fighters  and  rowers  beneath,'  and  which 
many  authorities  accept  as  the  true  prototype  of  the  modern  ironclad  war- 
ship (particularly  of  the  type  used  in  the  American  War  of  Secession).  Also 
of  the  wonderful  new  missile  (invented  by  Yi  Jang-son)  called  'The  Flying- 
Thunderbolt.'  This  was  projected  from  a  kind  of  mortar  (about  8  ft.  long) 
^  made  of  bell  metal,  and  having  a  bore  of  12-14  in.  History  records  that  this 
could  hurl  itself  through  the  air  for  40  paces.  When  the  'Flying  Thunder- 
bolt' was  thrown  over  the  wall  of  a  town,  and  when  the  Japanese  inside 
flocked  to  see  what  it  might  be,  it  exploded  with  a  terrifying  noise,  killing  a 
score  or  more  men  instantly.  'The  length  of  the  gun  compared  with  its  cali- 
ber, the  distance  the  projectile  was  carried  with  the  poor  powder  then  in  use, 
and  the  explosion  of  the  shell  all  point  to  this  as  being  the  first  veritable  mor- 
tar in  use  in  the  East,  if  not  in  the  world.'  It  is  said  that  the  Japanese  were  so 
enraged  at  the  destructiveness  of  these  new  instruments  of  war,  that  at  the 


712    Route  U- 


KOREA 


History. 


final  great  battle  of  the  campaign  at  Sochon  (near  Fusan),  nearly  39,000 
Korean  and  Chinese  heads  were  gathered  up  from  the  field,  the  ears  and 
noses  were  cut  off  and  pickled  in  Hme  and  water  and  forwarded  to  Hide- 
yoshi,  —  later  to  be  buried  in  the  famous  Ear  Mound  (Mimi-zuka;  p.  430)  at 
Kyoto.  One  authority  says  that  214,752  human  bodies  were  decapitated  to 
furnish  the  ghastly  material  for  this  ear-mound,  and  he  further  adds:  'Thus 
ended  one  of  the  most  needless,  unprovoked,  cruel,  and  desolating  wars  that 
ever  cursed  Korea,  and  from  which  it  has  taken  her  over  two  centuries  to 
recover.'  So  far-reaching  was  the  suffering  this  stupendous  campaign  entailed 
that  thenceforth  the  Japanese  were  customarily  referred  to  by  the  Korean 
commonalty  as  'the  accursed  nation.' 

In  1797,  Captain  Broughton,  in  his  voyage  of  discovery  in 
H.M.S.  Providence,  cruised  along  the  E.  coast  of  Korea  and 
gave  his  name  to  the  great  bay  in  the  S.  of  Ham-Gyong  Pro- 
vince. He  was  soon  followed  by  others,  and  Korean  cruelty 
toward  those  who  attempted  to  enter  the  country,  and  official 
arrogance  toward  the  foreign  gov't  that  essayed  to  protect  its 
nationals,  involved  the  authorities  in  frequent  disastrous  scrim- 
mages. A  fleet  of  7  French  ships  commanded  by  Bellonet  an- 
chored off  the  mouth  of  the  Han  River  in  1866,  and  the  city 
of  Kang  hoa,  on  Kang  hoa  Island,  the  military  headquarters  of 
W.  Korea,  was  bombarded  and  destroyed.  When  the  crew  of 
the  American  schooner  General  Sherman  were  murdered  by 
Koreans  at  Ping- An,  injjg^  the  United  States  sent  a  puni- 
tive expedition  (of  750  men;  under  Rear-Admiral  John  Rod- 
gers,  and  after  a  rapid  shrapnel  demonstration  (sometimes  re- 
ferred to  as  'Our  little  war  with  the  Heathen'),  the  Koreans 
made  amends  and  the  ships  withdrew.  The  repeated  breaches 
made  by  England,* France,  Germany,  Japan,  and  the  United 
States,  soon  broke  down  the  wall  of  Chosenese  seclusion,  and 
after  the  signing  of  the  treaty  with  Japan,  the  first  Korean 
embassy  (which  since  the  12th  cent,  had  been  accredited  to 
the  Mikado's  Court)  left  for  Japan,  and  reached  Yokohama 
May  29,  1876.  Other  treaties  were  soon  signed  with  foreign 
powers  (that  of  the  United  States  in  1882),  the  most  important 
being  that  with  Great  Britain  (in  1884),  for,  as  is  customary 
with  that  greatest  of  all  colonizing  powers,  the  intelligent  and 
able  representatives  who  trod  in  the  footsteps  of  Sir  Harry 
Parkes  (prominent  among  them  Dr.  Mc  heavy  Brown)  left  their 
indelible  impress  upon  the  country  and  its  people.  The  first 
American  minister  to  the  Hermit  Kingdom  was  General  Lucius 
H.  Foote.  The  events  which  led  up  to  the  final  annexation  of 
Korea  (Aug.  22,  1910)  by  Japan  were  rapid  and  sanguinary; 
Russian  greed,  haughtiness,  and  duplicity  were  the  underlying 
and  accelerating  motives. 

The  world  knows  how  holy,  peace-loving  Russia  unmasked 
her  batteries  after  the  Japan-China  War  of  1895,  and,  aided  by 
other  powers,  compelled  Japan  to  give  up  all  claims  upon  the 
continent  and  to  be  content  with  an  indemnity  from  China  and 
the  cession  of  Formosa.  Also  how  all  administrative  reforms 
instituted  by  Japan  in  Korea  were  nullified  and  rendered  abor- 


\ 


History. 


KOREA 


U-  'Route.  713 


tive  by  Muscovite  intrigue.  To  remain  in  direst  ignorance,  but 
to  join  the  Greek  Church,  recognize  the  supremacy  of,  and  pay 
tribute  to,  the  'Little  Father,'  and  later  to  aid  him  in  a  de- 
nationalizing campaign  against  Japan,  comprised  Russia's  aims 
toward  the  Koreans.  But  more  enlightened  and  progressive 
Japan  had  wider  and  more  humanitarian  ambitions  —  ambi- 
tions similar  to  those  of  the  United  States  in  the  Philippines, 
and  Great  Britain  in  India.  For  years  the  Mikado's  unswerv- 
ing policy  has  been  to  correct  Korean  maladministration,  and 
to  open  the  Hermit  Kingdom  to  the  world.  'Twice'  (says 
Mr.  Longford)  '  the  Japanese  attempted  to  secure  their  own 
position  in  Korean  vis-a-vis  Russia,  first  by  the  convention  ne- 
gotiated at  St.  Petersburg  in  1896,  and  second  by  that  nego- 
tiated at  Tokyo  in  1898,  known  from  the  names  of  their  signa- 
tories, the  first  as  the  Yamagata-Lobanoff,  and  the  second  as  the 
Nishi-Rosen,  convention.  All  were  in  vain.  Russia  pursued  her 
own  course  regardless  of  all  treaty  obligations,  obtained  and 
held  control  of  the  military  and  financial  systems  of  Korea, 
and,  while  she  had  agreed  to  respect  Korea's  territorial  in- 
tegrity and  not  to  obstruct  the  development  of  commercial 
and  industrial  relations  with  Japan,  she  was  rapidly  securing 
for  herself  concessions  which  placed  the  most  valuable  re-, 
sources  of  Korea  at  her  disposal.  Her  Minister  at  Seoul  was 
always  in  the  confidence  of  the  King,  and,  backed  both  by 
gratitude  which  the  King  owed  for  the  protection  given  to  him 
in  his  time  of  peril  (after  the  murder  of  his  Queen)  and  by  the 
prestige  of  Russia,  was  practically  able  to  obtain  all  that  he 
asked.  It  seemed  only  a  question  of  time  when  Korea  should 
become  in  name,  as  she  already  appeared  to  be  in  fact,  a  Rus- 
sian province,  when  a  series  of  incidents  occurred  that  were 
as  insignificant  in  their  origin  as  they  were  momentous  in  their 
results. 

'Among  the  many  concessions  granted  by  the  Korean  King 
when  a  refugee  in  the  Russian  Legation  (in  1896)  was  one  to 
a  Russian  subject  for  cutting  timber  in  the  valley  of  the  River 
Yalu,  on  the  N.W.  frontier.  It  was  a  valuable  one,  in  view 
of  the  building  of  the  Trans-Siberian  Railway,  the  immense 
number  of  sleepers  that  would  be  required,  and  the  rich  forests 
of  the  Yalu  Valley,  which  could  furnish  the  material,  while 
the  river  itself  afforded  easy  and  cheap  facilities  for  transport 
from  the  forests  to  the  borders  of  Manchuria.  Members  of  the 
Imperial  family  of  Russia  and  high  officials  in  E.  Siberia  took 
large  pecuniary  interests  in  it,  so  that  the  concessionnaire  be- 
came assured  of  strong  political  and  official  support  whenever 
the  time  came  at  which  it  suited  him  to  make  use  of  it.  It  was 
never  made  public,  and  nothing  was  heard  of  it  till  the  summer 
of  1903,  when  Chinese  laborers  from  Manchuria  began  to  fell 
timber  on  an  extensive  scale  under  Russian  direction ;  and  the 
laborers  were  soon  followed  by  soldiers,  to  protect  them  from 


714    Route  U.  KOREA  History, 

the  mounted  Chinese  bandits  who  infested  Manchuria  immedi- 
ately to  the  N.  of  the  Yalu.  The  sale  of  land  to  foreigners  out- 
side the  limits  of  the  recognized  settlements  was  forbidden  by 
Korean  law,  but  a  large  tract  was  purchased  by  the  Russian 
timber  concessionnaire  at  Yongampho,  a  Korean  port  on  the 
Yalu,  about  15  M.  from  its  mouth,  from  the  Korean  owners. 
Substantial  dwellings,  sawmills,  and  other  buildings  were 
erected  on  it,  the  river  frontage  was  embanked,  and  every 
intention  was  manifested  of  founding  a  large  settlement.  A 
little  farther  up  the  river,  on  the  Manchurian  side,  is  the  Chi- 
nese port  of  Anturig)  Yongampho  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  ten 
best  harbors^  itt~K'orea.  If  the  possession  of  Yongampho  was 
combined  with  that  of  Antung,  which,  like  the  rest  of  Man- 
churia, was  at  the  time  in  Russian  occupation,  the  river  Yalu 
could  be  closed  to  all  approach  from  the  sea,  and  the  Russians, 
with  open  contempt  for  both  Japanese  and  Korean  protests 
gave  every  indication  of  their  intentions.  A  fort  was  erected 
on  the  highest  part  of  the  acquired  land  in  Korea,  guns  were 
mounted,  and  a  garrison  established  in  it.  A  second  fort  was 
commenced  on  the  Manchurian  side,  on  a  cliff  commanding  the 
river,  a  few  miles  farther  up.  The  Korean  Gov't  was  awak- 
ened by  these  proceedings  to  the  danger  which  threatened 
their  N.  frontier  and  their  N.W.  province.  An  old  prophecy 
foretold  that  when  the  Tartar  was  in  the  N.  and  a  shrimp  in 
the  S.,  and  white  pines  grew  in  the  valley  of  the  Yalu,  the  end 
of  Korean  independence  would  be  near.  The  configuration 
of  Japan  is  supposed  to  resemble  a  shrimp,  and  Japanese  set- 
tlements were  now  all  over  the  S.  —  at  Fusan,  Masampo,  and 
Seoul.  The  Russian  Tartar  was  establishing  himself  in  the  N. 
and  lining  the  valleys  of  the  Yalu  with  white  telegraph-posts 
made  of  pine,  and  all  combined  to  signify  the  realization  of  the 
prophecy.  Korea  was  still  under  the  thumb  of  Russia,  the 
King  (later  the  Emperor),  both  in  gratitude  and  fear,  subser- 
vient in  all  things  to  the  masterful  Russian  Minister  at  Seoul; 
but  both  King  and  Gov't,  pressed  by  the  Japanese  Minister, 
who  was  supported  by  the  diplomatic  representatives  of  the 
other  powers  at  Seoul,  especially  by  those  of  England  and  the 
United  States,  plucked  up  courage  to  send  orders  to  the  local 
governor  of  Wiju,  the  most  important  frontier  town  of  Korea,' 
and  the  capital  of  the  prefecture,  to  stop  the  illegal  sale  of  real 
estate.  The  Governor  reported  that  the  Russian  methods  ren- 
dered him  powerless;  that  the  Russians  simply  took  possession 
of  the  land  in  the  first  instance,  with  or  without  the  consent 
of  the  native  owners,  and  went*  through  the  form  of  buying 
it  afterwards.  The  Russian  Minister  in  Seoul,  in  answer  to  the 
feeble  protests  of  the  Gov't,  declared  that  the  "valley  of  the 
Yalu"  included  not  only  the  line  of  the  river  itself  throughout 
its  entire  length,  but  all  its  tributaries  and  all  the  adjoining 
districts,  and  that  a  concession  to  cut  timber  implied  the  priv- 


History. 


44-  Route.  715 


ilege  of  exercising  every  operation  incidental  to  it,  in  no  matter 
how  remote  a  degree.  He  claimed,  therefore,  the  right  to  con- 
struct rlys.  or  roads,  erect  telegraphs,  acquire  land  for  building 
purposes,  and  to  take  whatever  military  measures  appeared 
to  be  prudent  for  the  protection  of  the  Russian  settlers  en- 
gaged in  all  or  any  of  these  works.  He  claimed,  in  fact,  the 
fullest  military  control  and  very  extensive  proprietorial  rights 
over  the  entire  N.W.  frontier. 

'The  Japanese  Gov't  was  profoundly  moved  by  the  Russian 
proceedings  and  claim,  recognizing  that  if  both  were  permitted 
to  pass  without  resistance,  they  would  form  stepping-stones 
for  further  extension  of  the  Russian  sphere  of  influence  that 
might  end  in  the  absorption  of  the  whole  peninsula.  She  had 
before  her  many  instances  of  Russian  methods  and  of  Rus- 
sia's cynical  disregard  of  the  most  solemn  treaty  obligations 
when  it  suited  her  to  break  them.  Russia  had  already  in  her 
present  action  violated  in  their  most  essential  items  both  of  the 
conventions  she  had  made  with  Japan  for  the  regulation  of 
their  mutual  interests  in  Korea.  She  had  stationed  troops  in 
Korean  dominions,  though  they  were  not  necessary  for  the 
protection  of  existing  settlements;  and  she  had  acquired  land 
in  places  not  open  to  the  residence  of  foreigners  in  defiance  of 
the  provisions  of  Korean  law;  in  both  respects  outraging  the 
sovereignty  of  Korea  as  an  independent  kingdom,  which  she 
had  solemnly  bound  herself  to  recognize.  Japan  tried  in  vain 
to  rouse  the  Korean  Gov't  to  take  steps  which  would  throw 
some  moral  obstacles  in  the  way  of  Russia's  encroachment,  but 
neither  the  King  nor  his  Ministers  would  go  beyond  their  first 
feeble  protests,  and  they  blindly  and  fatuously  yielded  to 
the  dictates  of  the  Russian  Minister.  Japan  then  tried  to  safe- 
guard her  own  interests  by  offering  Russia  a  free  hand,  as  far 
as  she  was  concerned,  in  Manchuria,  provided  the  safety  and 
independence  of  Korea  were  adequately  guaranteed;  and  she 
exhausted  every  step  that  was  possible  in  patient  diplomacy  in 
her  endeavor  to  procure  Russia's  assent  to  the  guarantees 
which  she  considered  essential.  Russia  treated  her  well-meant 
and  courteous  efforts  with  offensive  indifference  till  her  pa- 
tience was  exhausted,  and  the  Russo-Japanese  War  of  1904- 
05  began.  Its  results  as  completely  put  an  end  to  Russia's 
further  interference  in  Korea  as  the  China-Japan  War  had 
to  that  of  China  10  yrs.  before. 

'By  two  great  wars  Japan  had  freed  Korea  from  all  inter- 
ference on  the  part  of  the  two  great  neighboring  empires,  and 
she  was  now  herself  at  liberty  to  start  on  the  task  of  the  regen- 
eration of  the  unhappy  kingdom  which  had  been  the  ostensible 
object  of  all  her  interference  in  its  affairs  for  thirty  yrs.  Korea 
henceforth  stood  toward  Japan  in  the  same  relation  as  that 
of  Egypt  to  Great  Britain  since  1882,  and  the  task  before 
her  was  very  similar  to  that  which  faced  Great  Britain  —  to 


716   Route  U-  ^KQREAy  History 

reform  a  Gov't  rotten  with  corruption  to  its  very  core,  and  to 
elevate  a  people  reduced  by  ages  of  oppression  and  spoliation 
to  the  lowest  abysses  of  unrelieved  misery  and  hopeless  de- 
gradation. All  Korea's  history  in  recent  years  left  no  hope 
that  she  could  ever  reform  herself.'   (The  Story  of  Korea.) 

The  atrocious  murder  of  the  Queen  consort  by  ruffians  in  the 
service  of  Yi  Haeung  (the  Tai  Won  Kun,  or  Prince  Parent  — 
of  the  King),  aided  by  low  Japanese  assassins,  in  1895,  and  the 
consequent  flight  of  the  King  to  the  Russian  Legation  (where 
he  remained  for  2  yrs.),  convinced  the  well-meaning  Tokyo 
Gov't  of  the  difficulties  attending  the  introduction  of  reforms 
in  a  state  not  entirely  under  its  control,  so  when  by  the  terms 
of  the  Portsmouth  Treaty  (of  Sept.,  1905)  Russia  acknowl- 
edged Japan's  'paramount  political,  military,  and  economical 
interests'  in  the  peninsula,  a  Protectorate  with  a  Resident 
General  vested  with  practically  sovereign  authority  was  es- 
tablished by  Japan  (1905-07),  and  the  reformation  of  the 
country  was  begun.  The  administration  of  the  Court,  its 
property  and  revenues,  was  taken  in  charge  by  Japanese  offi- 
cials;-a  Cabinet  was  formed  on  the  model  of  that  in  Japan; 
an  elaborate  scheme  of  local  gov't  was  adopted;  the  judiciary 
was  reformed;  taxation  readjusted;  prisons  cleansed  and  am- 
plified torture  abolished;  primary,  technical,  law,  language, 
agricultural,  forestry,  and  other  schools  established;  new 
highways,  streets,  and  parks  opened;  an  elaborate  system  of 
railways  planned;  and  more  abuses  corrected  and  civic  and 
other  reforms  instituted  than  China  and  Korea  combined  had 
perhaps  thought  of  during  the  preceding  two  thousand  yrs. 
When  the  Japanese  undertook  the  work  of  reform  there  were 
but  two  classes  in  Korea,  'the  robbers  and  the  robbed.' 
Squeezing  and  peculation  were  the  rule  from  the  highest  to 
the  lowest,  and  every  position  was  bought  and  sold.  The 
peasants  had  neither  rights  nor  privileges,  except  that  of  being 
the  'ultimate  sponge.'  'Standards  of  official  rectitude  were 
unknown,  and  traditions  of  honor  and  honesty  if  they  ever 
existed,  had  been  forgotten  for  centuries.'  In  order  to  protect 
the  peasantry,  who  were  powerless  to  protect  themselves,  the 
Japanese  punished  grafters,  and  this  so  incensed  the  Kor- 
ean officials  that  assassination,  Korea's  craven  but  popular 
method  of  political  attack,  was  resorted  to,  and  Prince  Hiro- 
bumi  Ito,  whose  splendid  administration  was  in  a  fair  way  to 
regenerate  the  unhappy  country,  was  shot  (in  the  Harbin 
Station)  Oct.  26,  1909.  Prior  to  this  the  old  Emperor  had  re- 
linquished his  crown  (July  17,  1907),  and  his  'long,  unhappy 
reign  had  come  to  an  end  (the  reign  which  commenced  with 
the  extermination  of  the  Christians  within  his  dominions  and 
ended  with  these  dominions  in  the  firm  grasp  of  his  traditional 
enemy)  and  a  new  Emperor  had  been  installed;  but  his  reign 
was  destined  to  be  brief.'  Everything  had  been  tending  to  one 


History.  ^KOREA^  44.  Route.  717 

unavoidable  end;  Korean  politics  showed  a  perpetual  repeti- 
tion of  the  same  tale :  plot,  counterplot,  insurrection,  and  foreign 
complications.  The  brutal  murder  (March  24,  1908)  of  Mr. 
Durham  White  Stevens,  the  American  Councillor  to  the  Korean 
Gov't,  and  thaFoTThe  lamented  Prince  I  to  (one-time  Resident 
General  of  Korea,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  President  of  the 
Privy  Council  in  Japan)  were  the  last  straws,  and  on  Aug.  22, 
1910,  Korea  was  formally  annexed  to  the  Japanese  Empire. 

On  introducing  the  new  regime,  the  Mikado  pardoned  1711 
criminals,  granted  special  gifts  to  12,115  aged  members  of  the 
Korean  aristocracy  and  literati,  and  to  3209  faithful  women  and 
dutiful  sons,  and  distributed  special  bounties  (amounting  to 
17,398,000  yen)  to  317  rural  districts.  In  addition  he  ordered 
to  be  immediately  established  35  sericultural  training  schools, 
21  for  weaving,  8  for  paper-making,  3  fishery  training  schools, 
13  industrial  workshops,  37  seedling  nurseries,  4  mulberry 
farms,  and  several  hundred  primary  schools,  etc.  The  scien- 
tific, hygienic,  educational,  and  other  reforms  instituted  by  the 
Japanese  would  require  a  book  to  catalogue.  Nearly  every 
city  now  has  its  industrial  schools,  and  model  farms  and  even 
model  villages  have  been  established  throughout  the  country 
to  teach  the  benighted  people  how  to  help  themselves.  A  net- 
work of  rlys.  is  being  pushed  in  all  directions;  mines  are  being 
developed;  hospitals  and  waterworks,  telephones  and  tele- 
graphs installed;  the  cities  have  been  cleansed,  beautified,  and 
rendered  safe  for  all;  aliens  are  protected;  the  death-rate 
among  the  people  has  been  materially  diminished,  and  the 
public  health  has  noticeably  increased.  Small  manufacturing 
plants,  museums,  public  libraries,  and  institutes  for  the  aged, 
the  helpless,  and  the  blind  are  now  to  be  found  in  several  of  the 
cities,  along  with  courts  where  justice  is  dispensed  and  from 
which  intrigue  has  been  abolished. 

The  progress  of  the  erstwhile  Hermit  Kingdom  —  once  a 
*  going  piggery/  but  now  something  more  than  a  geographical 
nonentity  —  has  been  almost  as  great  in  its  way  as  that  of 
Japan  after  its  opening  to  the  world  by  Commodore  Perry. 
That  intelligent  Koreans  will  later  be  as  grateful  to  Japan  as 
I  the  Japanese  now  are  to  the  United  States,  there  is  but  little 
doubt.  With  customary  astuteness  and  good  will,  Japan  has 
.adopted  the  admirable  British  idea  in  colonization  of  giving 
jevery  man,  British  or  alien,  friend  or  foe,  the  same  chance. 
The  dog-in-the-manger  policy  —  one  of  the  silliest  ever  prac- 
ticed —  is  conspicuous  by  its  absence.  It  is  to  her  credit  also 
that  she  has  given  practically  a  free  hand  in  Korea  to  the  right 
sort  of  missionaries  (of  whom  there  are  500  or  more,  75%  Amer- 
ican) in  their  chosen  but  not  always  amply  rewarded  tasks. 
For  smce  the  days  of  Father  Cespedes,  certain  missionaries 
have,  by  splendid  work  and  continued  self-abasement,  striven 
for  the  uplift  and  betterment  of  the  down-trodden  Koreans, 


718   Route  U-  KOREA 


Korean 


and  not  a  little  of  the  refinement  noticed  among  certain  classes 
to-day  could  easily  be  traced  direct  to  their  unremitting 
individual  efforts.  Japan  is  to-day  repaying  Korea  for  centu- 
ries of  unjust  invasion,  by  the  introduction  of  civilization  and 
enlightenment.  The  student  may  consult :  The  Story  of  Korea , 
by  Joseph  H.  Longford  (London,  1911).  —  Corea  the  Hermit 
Nation,  by  William  Elliot  Griffis  (New  York,  1907).  — Korea, 
by  Angus  Hamilton  (New  York,  1904).  —  Korea  and  Her 
Neighbors,  by  Isabella  Bird- Bishop  (New  York,  1897).  —  His- 
tory  of  Korea,  by  Rev.  John  Ross  (Paisley,  1880).  —  History  of 
Korea,  by  Homer  Hulbert  (Seoul,  1904) ;  and  others.  The  actual 
progress  of  Korea  under  the  able  administration  of  the  Japan- 
ese is  set  forth  annually  in  an  interesting  book  (published  at 
Seoul,  by  the  Government  General  of  Chosen)  called  Annual 
Report  on  Reforms  and  Progress  in  Korea. 

Korean  Characteristics.  The  average  Korean  man  is  5  ft. 
4  in.  tall,  of  good  physique,  well  formed,  with  not  unhandsome 
Mongoloid  features,  oblique  dark-brown  eyes,  high  cheek- 
bones, and  noncurling  hair  that  shades  from  a  russet  to  a  sloe 
black.  The  olive  bronze  complexions  in  certain  instances  show 
a  tint  as  light  as  that  of  a  quadroon  —  a  phenomenon  which 
some  writers  lay  at  the  door  of  the  Dutch  sailors  of  the  Spar- 
rowhawk  who  were  wrecked  off  the  coast  in  the  17th  cent.,  and 
held  prisoners  for  27  yrs.  To  the  observing  eye  there  is  the 
same  diversity  of  racial  types  among  Koreans  as  one  notes 
among  the  Japanese  and  Chinese.  Straight  and  aquiline 
noses,  as  well  as  others  that  are  broad  and  snubbed,  with  dis- 
tended nostrils  and  Negroid  characteristics  are  common,  and, 
as  is  the  case  with  the  Japanese,  all  do  not  show  the  looped- 
up  eyes.  The  physiognomic  peculiarities  are  sufficiently  dis- 
tinctive easily  to  differentiate  Koreans  from  Chinese  or  Japan- 
ese. The  hands  and  feet  of  both  sexes  and  all  classes  are  small 
and  well  formed;  the  finger  nails  are  almond-shaped.  The  men 
are  endowed  with  considerable  physical  strength  and  they  will 
carry  heavy  weights  on  their  shoulders  with  the  ease  of  Turk- 
ish porters  or  Mexican  cargadores.  They  are  a  sturdy,  non- 
maritime  race,  with  large,  fairly  healthy  families.  Whiskers 
,,are  at  a  premium,  and  whenever  a  man  can,  he  raises  a  pseudo 
full  beard  of  spiky  hairs  that  refuse  to  grow  close  together  and 
,\  which  can  be  counted  readily.  Those  who  cannot  force  this 
A  bristly  desideratum  wear  a  lean  black  mustache  turned  upside 
\down  like  that  of  the  mandarin  pictured  on  tea-boxes,  and, 
when  possible,  cultivate  a  goatish,  paint-brush-like  imperial, 
similar  to  that  usually  shown  in  cartoons  of  '  Uncle  Samuel 1 
of  the  United  States.  This  hirsute  adornment,  attached  to  the 
cheerful  if  vacant  Korean  physiognomy,  is  so  startlingly  like 
that  of  the  average  Cora  Indian,  of  Tepic  Territory,  in  Mexico 
(who  claim  that  their  forebears  came  from  the  Far  East,  and 
who  are  so  much  like  Mongolians  that  the  Mexicans  call  them 


Characteristics. 


KOREA  U-  Route.  719 


Chinos,  or  Chinese),  as  to  mate  a  singular  impression  upon  one 
acquainted  with  the  two  peoples.  (Comp.  Terry's  Mexico,  p.  95.) 

In  many  respects  the  Korean  is  sui  generis.  Frugal  in  the 
use  of  water  (to  which  he  has  a  determined  hostility),  fond  of 
a  frowsy  smell,  economical  of  the  truth,  as  avid  of  1  fire-water • 
i  as  the  red  man  of  the  American  plains,  and  with  light  prehensile 
/  fingers  that  readily  assimilate  the  detachable  impedimenta 
of  the  'foreign  devil,'  he  suspects  the  wide  world  and  possesses 
.to  a  sordid  degree  the  Oriental  vices  of  duplicity,  cunning,  and 
general  un  trust  worthiness.  He  steals  freely  when  the  oppor- 
tunity offers,  and  his  capacious  sleeves  and  balloon-like  trou- 
sers make  ideal  places  of  concealment  for  one's  cherished  be- 
longings. The  spawn  of  a  low  order  of  civilization,  he  is  untidy 
and  swinish  in  his  habits,  and  apathetic  in  the  face  of  work  — 
for  whiclTTie  has  a  fervid  distaste.  He  is  a  born  dawdler, 
gambler,  and  brawler:  and,  like  the  Chinaman,  he  has,  in  his 
fathomless  conceit  and  besotted  ignorance,  a  sturdy  and  un- 
shakable faith  in  his  own  impeccability  and  the  flagrant  worth- 
lessness  of  everything  foreign.  He  is  lethargic,  purposeless, 
devoid  of  thrift  or  ambition,  and  he  dwells  contentedly  amidst- 
incredible  dirt  and  discorrifort.  His  specialty  —  the  curse  of 
his  country  —  is  sorning  on  his  relatives  or  friends.  He  is  an 
inveterate  smoker  and  he  will  sit  for  hours  in  a  limp  state  of 
fatuous  vacuity,  sucking  a  bowlful  of  tobacco  not  larger  than 
a  marrowfat  pea,  while  Tiis  puny  little  wife  (or  one  of  his  several 
concubines)  —  usually  several  hands  shorter  and  of  much 
smaller  physique  —  may  be  squatting  beside  some  wayside 
pool  washing  the  raiment  which  her  lord  and  master  always 
wears  out  first  in  the  seat.  The  long-stemmed  pipe  with  its 
;  tiny  bowl  (much  IiKe  ^fie  Japanese  pipe)  of  enameled  base 
metal,  and  its  miniature  pellet  of  home-grown  tobacco  is  to 
him  what  the  cigarette  is  to  the  Spaniard,  —  an  almost  insep- 
arable companion.  Over  this  travesty  of  a  smoke,  men  and 
women  will  sit  for  hours  gossiping  and  indulging  in  acrid 
scandal ;  for  owing  to  the  insatiable  curiosity  of  the  people  no- 
thing can  be  kept  sacred  or  secret.  They  are  said  to  be  the 
most  irrepressible  scandal-mongers  in  the  world,  —  which  in 
truth  is  saying  a  good  deal ! 

y  One  of  the  qualities  which  prove  Koreans  destitute  of  the 
commonest  sense  is  cruelty;  in  this  respect  the  sensitive  person 
soon  classes  the  country  with  southern  Italy.  Few  travelers 
can  pass  through  Seoul  without  seeing  unfortunate  and  loudly- 
squawking  poultry  undergoing  the  painful  operation  of  being 
plucked  alive,  and  there  is  no  dearth  of  mistreated  animals  to 
be  commiserated.  It  would,  indeed,  be  a  greedy  person  who 
would  wish  to  revisit  a  Korean  abattoir,  as  the  method  of  dis- 
patching the  poor  animals  is  almost  too  revolting  to  be  de- 
scribed. The  throat  of  the  beef  is  first  cut,  then  a  peg  is  inserted 
in  the  opening,  and  the  butcher  takes  a  hatchet  or  a  heavy 


720    Route  U- 


KOREA 


Korean 


mallet  and  beats  the  martyred  animal  on  the  rump  until  it 
dies.  The  process  takes  about  an  hour,  and  the  wild-eyed  crea- 
ture suffers  agonies  of  terror  and  pain  before  it  loses  conscious- 
ness. By  this  wicked  method  very  little  blood  is  lost  during 
the  operation;  the  meat  is  full  of  it,  and  its  heavier  weight  is 
to  the  advantage  of  the  vendor.  The  method  is  so  repug- 
nant to  foreigners  that  they  deal  almost  exclusively  with  the 
Japanese  butchers,  shunning  the  Korean  product  as  one  does 
pork  at  Shanghai.  Goats  (which  are  sold  for  mutton)  are  killed 
by  pulling  them  to  and  fro  in  a  rivulet;  a  method  which  is  said 
to  destroy  the  rank  taste  of  the  flesh.  Dogs  are  dispatched  by 
twirling  them  in  a  noose  until  they  are  unconscious,  after  which 
they  are  bled. 

The  people  are  practically  without  a  national  religion;  an- 
cestor-worship influences  their  life  and  character  (chiefly 
through  fear  of  what  demons  may  do  to  them  if  they  neglect 
the  spirits  of  those  that  have  gone),  and  Confucianism,  which 
is  ostensibly  the  official  cult,  is  supposed  to  provide  the  guiding 
rules  of  life.  A  wave  of  Buddhistic  fervor  swept  over  the  land  in 
the  15th  cent.,  but  it  left  but  little  impress  on  the  Korean 
morality.  Sorcerers  and  sorceresses  abound  and  fatten  on  the 
credulity  of  the  unlettered  classes,  and  while  exorcising  al- 
leged evil  spirits,  they  annex  the  victims'  cash.  Demonism 
with  its  host  of  allied  superstitions  gives  rise  to  many  idolatrous 
practices,  and  not  a  few  ridiculous  customs;  an  uncharitable 
and  characteristic  one  of  these  is  to  stuff  rude  straw  dolls  with 
a  few  cash,  and  on  certain  days  cast  them  into  the  street,  so 
that  the  unwary  who  pick  them  up  may  acquire  all  the  present 
and  future  ills  of  the  persons  who  threw  them  out!  Christian- 
ity is  making  its  influence  felt,  and  it  is  indubitably  the  reli- 
gion of  the  future. 

Koreans  usually  settle  individual  or  village  disputes  or  feuds 
with  stones;  they  are  said  to  be  the  most  expert  stone-throwers,, 
in  the  world,  both  in  their  accuracy  of  aim  and  in  the  foTce 
and  distance  of  the  throw.  They  can  hurl  a  granitic  message 
through  the  air  with  a  dexterity  peculiarly  embarrassing  to  an 
opponent,  and  about  every  so  often  the  necessity  seems  to  arise 
for  them  to  let  off  steam  in  this  Biblical  fashion.  When  there 
is  a  dispute  between  villagers,  instead  of  soiling  their  knives 
on  their  enemies,  each  side  lines  up  its  most  pugnacious  men, ' 
who  in  turn  scour  the  neighborhood  for  the  hardest  missiles 
they  can  find.  When  these  are  piled  in  convenient  places,  each 
side  draws  off  and  the  battle  begins.  Until  the  projectiles  have 
all  been  thrown  out  of  reach,  the  sight  is  a  peculiar  one.  The 
men  stand  their  ground  gamely  enough  until  downed  by  some 
hurtling  boulder.  For  a  time  the  air  is  thick  with  flying  stones, 
which  oftentimes  clash  in  mid-air  with  on-coming  ones  and 
strike  brilliant  sparks  from  them.  Battered  faces  and  bruised 
heads  are  always  the  outcome  of  these  little  tribal  wars. 


Characteristics. 


KOREA 


U-  Route.  721 


Swinging  is  a  favorite  pastime;  at  certain  seasons  stout 
swings  are  erected  at  almost  every  village,  for  the  enjoyment 
of  old  and  young.  Kite-flying  is  the  sport  most  relished  by 
men  and  boys  (Jan.  is  the  great  month,  on  account  of  the 
light  winds),  since  considerable  discomfiture  can  be  given  an 
opponent  by  cutting  his  kite-string  (and  thus  winning  his 
kite)  by  a  more  skillfully  manipulated  string  coated  with  glue 
and  powdered  glass.  —  The  native  music  is  as  painful  to  the 
foreign  ear  as  ours  is  to  the  Koreans;  the  musical  instruments 
are  many  and  of  crude  workmanship  and  design.  Drums,  cym- 
bals, gongs  (of  which  the  people  are  passionately  fond),  un- 
keyed  bugles,  trumpets,  flutes,  several  sizes  of  rude  guitars, 
and  a  five-stringed  violin  assist  in  the  execution  of  their  wild 
and  melancholy  minstrelsy  —  from  the  dissonancy  of  which 
foreigners  usually  hasten  as  fast  as  possible. 

Of  Korean  grotesqueries  the  national  costume  is  among  the 
most  pronounced.  The  grass-cloth  worn  by  both  sexes  is  made 
from  the  fiber  of  a  white  nettle  (Urtica  niveus)  grown  in  many 
parts  of  the  country  and  woven  on  rude  looms.  When  the 
upper  classes  can  afford  it,  they  wear  thin  silks  of  the  brightest 
colors  obtainable,  usually  blue,  green,  and  purple,  or  white. 
The  voluminous  winter  costume  consists  of  huge  trousers  and 
socks  and  a  sleeved  coat.  The  costume  peculiar  to  the  women' 
of  the  capital  is  a  swathed  skirt  (resembling  exaggerated  Turk- 
ish trousers)  and  a  (masculine)  green,  blue,  or  lavender  silk 
coat  put  over  the  head  and  clutched  below  the  eyes,  the  long 
wide  sleeves  falling  from  the  ears.  The  effect  is  that  of  a  person 
who  has  hastily  thrown  a  coat  over  the  head  without  putting 
the  arms  through  the  sleeves.  Tradition  has  it  that  the  custom 
arose  at  a  time  when  most  of  the  fighting  men  were  slain,  and 
women  had  to  mount  the  walls  arrayed  in  men's  coats  to  de- 
ceive the  enemy.  It  is  declared  that  no  Korean  woman  ever 
puts  her  arms  through  the  sleeves  of  her  coat. 

The  Korean  Top-Knot,  an  inherited  custom  established 
upward  of  20  centuries  ago,  is  as  much  a  Korean  characteristic 
as  the  queue  has  long  been  in  China.  The  average  Korean  is 
very  much  attached  to  it,  as  it  is  his  badge  of  legal  manhood 
(rather  than  one  of  subjugation,  like  the  pig-tail),  and  until 
he  possesses  it  he  has  the  title  of  '  a  half  man'  bestowed  upon 
him.  Boys  wear  twin  plaits  or  tails  down  their  backs  until 
they  are  old  enough  to  be  invested  with  this  manly  attribute, 
and  the  investure  is  one  of  the  most  important  ceremonies  in 
their  lives.  To  the  American,  this  hirsute  adornment  bears  a 
striking  resemblance  to  a  twist  of  Navy  tobacco ;  it  is  protected 
by  a  fine  crinoline  hat  (made  of  horsehair)  which  distinguishes 
Koreans  from  all  other  nationalities.  It  weighs  about  If 
ounces,  and  through  its  fine  meshes  one  can  see  the  cherished 
knot  coiled  tightly  on  the  top  of  the  wearer's  head.  The  trun- 
cated conical  crown  (which  is  about  5  in.  in  diameter  at  the 


722    Route  if.  KOREA  Korean 

base,  tapering  to  4  in.  at  the  top),  with  its  circular  brim 
(about  18  in.  across)  gives  it  the  appearance  of  a  new-fan- 
gled fly-trap.  When  tied  beneath  the  chin  with  broad  black 
crinoline  ribbons,  it  imparts  to  a  chubby,  bewhiskered  face 
a  ludicrously  lackadaisical  and  infantile  air!  It  is  not  un- 
like the  old-style  Welshwoman's  hat,  or  that  of  a  Tipperary 
brawler.  Of  a  uniform  glossy  black,  it  is  a  source  of  ceaseless 
anxiety  to  the  wearer;  if  it  gets  wet  it  is  ruined,  and  to  prevent 
this  it  is  often  covered  with  an  oiled  paper,  an  arrangement 
both  conical  and  comical.  They  are  the  special  predilection  of 
the  Yang  bans  (officials  and  men  of  leisure),  who  saunter  along 
the  street  with  a  serenity  born  of  possessing  absolutely  nothing 
and  consequently  having  nothing  to  lose.  This  decayed  gentry, 
who  try  so  hard  to  impress  the  beholder  with  their  worth,  who 
strut  along  with  a  swinging  gate  befitting  their  supposed  stand- 
ing, and  whose  pockets  are  usually  as  empty  as  their  top- 
knotted  pates,  form  a  striking  class  in  Korea.  Their  long  bam- 
boo pipes  and  their  wooden  shoes  recall  those  of  the  first 
Dutchmen  who  came  to  Japan,  and  their  haughty  demeanor 
(much  copied  by  the  aspiring  jeunesse  doree)  oftentimes  accords 
illy  with  their  general  appearance  of  ambulating  rag-bags. 
Many  of  the  Koreans  possess  an  alert  mentality,  but  this  is 
usually  so  befogged  by  superstition,  prejudice,  and  conceit, 
that  it  is  of  little  use  to Jjmm. 

The  social  position  ot^Korean  Wo  me  rf  is  deplorable.  They 
have  been  rigidly  secludecl  for  ages;  they  are  the  slaves  of  their 
masters,  the  men,  and  they  are  kept  down  by  a  tyrannical 
oppression  that  would  scarcely  be  credited  in  the  West.  Silence 
is  regarded  as  a  woman's  first  duty;  her  husband  addresses  her 
by  the  word  yabu,  signifying  'Look  here,'  which  is  significant 
of  her  relations  to  him.  From  a  young  girl  she  is  kept  carefully 
shut  up  and  is  not  allowed  to  be  seen  or  spoken  to  by  a  man. 
She  has  no  voice  in  the  matter  of  her  marriage,  as  her  husband 
is  selected  for  her  by  her  father.  She  may  never  have  seen  her 
husband  before  the  wedding-day,  and  even  then  etiquette  does 
not  permit  her,  throughout  all  the  festivities,  to  exchange  a 
word  with  him.  If  a  man  speaks  to  a  girl  before  she  is  married, 
she  is  considered  as  disgraced;  if  a  malevolent  ravisher  pene- 
trates to  her  apartment  at  night  undiscovered,  it  is  safer  for 
her  to  permit  him  to  work  his  will  rather  than  to  call  for  help, 
for  thus  the  world  would  know  that  a  man  had  spoken  to 
her,  and  she  would  be  dishonored!  Despite  the  fact  that  the 
Koreans  are  an  intensely  passionate  people,  a  man  is  supposed 
never  to  glance  at  a  woman.  Marriage  at  an  early  age  is  com- 
mon among  them,  and  immorality  is  commoner. 

Korean  women  have  always  borne  the  yoke.  They  accept 
inferiority  as  their  natural  lot,  and  they  do  not  look  for  affec- 
tion in  marriage.  The  wife  has  recognized  duties  to  her  hus- 
band, but  he  has  few,  if  any,  to  her.  It  is  correct  for  a  man  to 


Women. 


KOREA 


U>  Route.  723 


treat  his  wife  with  external  marks  of  respect,  but  he  would  be 
an  object  for  scorn  and  ridicule  if  he  showed  her  affection  or 
treated  her  as  a  companion.  On  her  marriage-day  the  bride 
must  be  as  mute  as  a  graven  image.  This  silence  must  remain 

1  unbroken  even  in  her  own  room.  From  the  moment  she  enters 
the  nuptial  chamber  with  her  stranger  husband  (who  often- 
times attempts  to  make  her  break  her  silence  by  coaxing, 
taunts,  or  jeers),  she  is  spied  upon  by  all  the  female  servants 
of  the  house,  who  hang  about  the  doors  and  chinks  waiting  for 
such  a  breach  of  etiquette  as  speech.  A  single  utterance  would 
cause  her  to  lose  caste  forever  in  her  circle.  As  it  is,  whatever 

-  the  newly  wedded  couple  do  is  told  by  the  servants  to  all  the 
neighborhood,  which  evolves  choice  bits  of  scandal  in  order  to 
make  the  pair  a  laughing-stock  among  their  friends.  The  cus- 
tom of  silence  is  observed  with  great  rigidity  among  people  of 
the  so-called  upper  classes.  It  may  be  a  week,  or  many  weeks, 
before  the  husband  knows  the  sound  of  his  wife's  voice;  even 
then  she  speaks  only  when  absolutely  necessary.  The  daugh- 
ter-in-law often  passes  years  without  raising  her  eyes  to  those 
of  her  father-in-law,  or  addressing  him.  Among  the  highest 
class,  a  bridegroom,  after  passing  three  or  four  days  with  his 
wife,  leaves  her  for  a  considerable  time  to  show  his  indifference; 
to  act  otherwise  would  be  bad  form.  —  When  the  girl  becomes 
a  mother  her  position  is  somewhat  improved.  She  rarely  goes 
out  by  daylight  except  in  closed  chairs.  If  she  leaves  the  house 
at  night  it  must  be  with  her  husband's  consent,  and  she  must 
be  accompanied  by  some  one  to  bring  back  proof  of  where  she 
has  been.  Korean  babies  have  no  cradles,  and  are  put  to  sleep 
by  being  tapped  lightly  on  the  stomach.  Widows  are  not  per- 
mitted to  marry  again,  and  the  inevitable  consequence  is  that 
many  become  the  concubines  of  married  men.  Concubinage 
is  very  common.  Phyong  An  is  said  to  have  formerly  produced 
the  most  beautiful  women  in  Korea,  and  from  that  region  came 
the  Gesang  for  the  Royal  Court  at  Seoul. 

Somewhat  different  social  regulations  apply  to  the  women 
of  the  lower  class,  who  share  in  the  toil  of  daily  life  and  must  in 
consequence  make  their  appearance  by  day  in  the  streets.  As 
a  rule  they  are  ill-bred  and  unmannerly,  far  removed  from 
the  gracefulness  and  charm  of  the  same  class  in  Japan.  The 
wearing  of  white  clothes  by  the  men  puts  severe  and  almost 
incessant  work  on  the  women's  shoulders,  and  they  are  the  na- 
tional drudges.  They  have  few  if  any  pleasures,  and  they  try 
to  get  even  with  fate  by  singeing  their  compatriots  with  the 
lash  of  their  pungent  and  scarifying  vocabulary.  The  average 
low-class  women  possess  a  fund  of  invective  that  usually  sends 
the  men  scattering  to  the  four  points  of  the  compass;  it  is  as 
inelegant  as  it  is  complete,  and  it  seems  to  be  both  dreaded 
and  effective.  Age  treats  these  poor  creatures  shockingly;  at 
30  they  look  50,  and  at  60  the  stranger  wishes  he  hadn't  seen 


724    Route  U-  KOREA 


Korean 


them.  Their  vixenish  dispositions  indubitably  add  to  their 
extraordinary  unattractiveness.  One  pities  them  for  the  style 
of  dress  evidently  forced  upon  them.  As  the  feminine  waist- 
line is  supposed  to  be  at  the  arm-pits,  and  as  tight  swath- 
ing of  the  bust  does  not  permit  the  mothers  to  respond  readily 
to  baby's  hungry  and  imperious  clamor,  the  twin  maternal 
founts  are  worn,  as  it  were,  on  the  outside.  Thus  the  firm  buds 
of  youth  and  the  flapping  rags  of  age  are  displayed  to  the 
*  world  —  exposing  to  all  Korea  what  antipodal  women  strive 
to  conceal.  The  bulging  trousers  of  the  women  are  the  acme 
of  unpicturesqueness,  and  they  render  them  devoid  of  all  grace 
and  charm.  One  is  often  astonished  in  Korea  at  the  patrician 
beauty  of  the  girl  children;  some  of  their  faces  are  unusually 
fine,  and  it  is  a  pity  that  age  does  not  in  their  case  fulfill  the 
promises  of  youth.  The  present  humane  government  is  striv- 
ing to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  Korean  women,  and  the  closer 
observation  by  them  of  Western  ways  and  manners,  aided  by 
the  uplifting  work  of  the  missionaries,  is  having  a  beneficent 
effect. 

Food.  Koreans  are  voracious  meat-eaters,  and  the  cuisine 
is  on  the  whole  more  substantial  than  that  of  the  Japanese. 
Omnivorousness  is  a  native  characteristic ;  dog  meat  is  in  great 
request  at  certain  seasons,  and  dogs  are  extensively  bred  for  the 
table.  Pork,  beef,  fish,  —  raw,  dried,  and  salted,  —  the  in- 
testines of  animals,  all  birds  and  game,  no  part  being  rejected, 
are  eaten  —  a  baked  fowl,  with  its  head,  claws,  and  interior 
intact  is  considered  a  special  dainty  which  every  one  enjoys. 
Cooking  is  not  always  essential.  1  In  this  respect  all  classes  are 
alike.  The  great  merit  of  a  meal  is  not  so  much  quality  as 
quantity,  and  from  infancy  onward,  one  object  in  life  is  to  give 
the  stomach  as  much  capacity  and  elasticity  as  is  possible,  so 
that  four  pounds  of  rice  daily  may  not  incommode  it.  People 
in  easy  circumstances  drink  wine  and  eat  great  quantities  of 
fruit,  nuts,  and  confectionary  in  the  intervals  between  meals, 
yet  are  as  ready  to  tackle  the  next  food  as  though  they  had 
been  starving  for  a  week.  In  well-to-do  houses  beef  and  dog 
are  served  on  large  trenchers,  and  as  each  guest  has  his  separ- 
ate table,  a  host  can  show  generosity  to  this  or  that  special 
friend  without  helping  others  to  more  than  is  necessary. 
Large  as  a  portion  is,  it  is  not  unusual  to  see  a  Korean  eat  three 
and  even  four,  and  where  people  abstain  from  these  excesses 
it  may  generally  be  assumed  that  they  are  too  poor  to  indulge 
in  them.  It  is  quite  common  to  see  from  20  to  25  peaches  or 
small  melons  disappear  at  a  single  sitting,  and  without  being 
peeled.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  enormous  consump- 
tion of  red  pepper,  which  is  supplied  even  to  infants,  helps  this 
gluttonous  style  of  eating.  It  is  not  surprising  that  dyspepsia 
and  kindred  evils  are  very  common  among  Koreans.  They  eat 
not  to  satisfy  hunger,  but  to  enjoy  the  sensation  of  repletion. 


Food.       THE  KOREAN  LANGUAGE    U-  Route.  725 


The  training  for  this  enjoyment  begins  at  a  very  early  age.  A 
mother  feeds  her  young  child  with  rice,  and  when  it  can  eat 
no  more  in  an  upright  position,  lays  it  on  its  back  on  her  lap 
and  feeds  it  again,  tapping  its  stomach  from  time  to  time  with 
a  flat  spoon  to  ascertain  if  further  cramming  is  possible.  "  The 
child  is  father  to  the  man,"  and  the  adult  Korean  shows  that 
he  has  reached  the  desirable  stage  of  repletion  by  eructations, 
splutterings,  slapping  his  stomach,  and  groans  of  satisfaction, 
looking  round  with  a  satisfied  air.  The  very  poor  only  take 
two  meals  a  day,  but  those  who  can  afford  it  take  three  and 
four.'  Among  the  dishes  dear  to  the  native  heart  are  pounded 
capsicum,  bean  curd,  various  sauces  of  abominable  odors,  a 
species  of  sour  kraut  (kimshi),  seaweed,  salt  fish,  and  salted 
seaweed  fried  in  batter.  'Hot  dog'  in  the  literal  sense  is  the 
piece  de  resistance  of  the  Korean  menu. 

There  are  no  harder  or  more  constant  drinkers  than  the 
Koreans,  and  the  vice  is  common  to  all  classes.  The  greatest 
happiness  that  can  fall  to  the  commoner  is  to  be  able  to  drown 
his  cares  in  the  f orgetf ulness of  intoxication;  he  is  then  the  envy 
of  all  his  neighbors.  The  fermented  liquors  (for  which  Euro- 
peans have  to  acquire  a  taste)  vary  from  a  smooth  white  drink 
resembling  buttermilk  in  appearance,  and  very  mild,  to  a  water- 
white  spirit  of  strong  smell,  fiery  taste,  and  great  potentiality. 
Between  these  comes  the  ordinary  rice  wine,  slightly  yellowish, 
akin  to  Japanese  sake  and  Chinese  samshu,  with  a  faint,  sickly 
smell  and  flavor.  They  all  taste  more  or  less  strongly  of  smoke, 
oil,  and  alcohol,  and  the  fusel  oil  remains  even  in  the  best. 
They  are  manufactured  from  rice,  millet,  and  barley.  The 
peasants  drink  hot  rice-water  (in  which  the  rice  has  been  boiled) 
with  their  meals,  honey- water  as  a  luxury,  and  occasionally  an 
infusion  of  orange  peel  and  ginger.  Tea  is  rarely  drunk. 

Language.  Modern  Korean  is  closely  akin  to  Japanese  in 
structure,  and  there  is  no  lack  of  analogues  in  the  terms  of  the 
two  tongues;  both  are  thought  to  be  of  Turanian  origin,  and 
Korean  bears  much  the  same  relation  to  Japanese  that  Italian 
does  to  Spanish.  Japanese  and  Koreans  learn  each  others'  lan- 
guage easily,  and  communicate  readily  by  the  written  charac- 
ters —  many  of  which  are  of  Chinese  origin.  As  in  Japan,  spe- 
cially literate  classes  introduce  archaic  Chinese  frequently  into 
their  conversation,  and  two  written  languages,  stilted  Chinese 
and  a  derived  demotic,  are  used  side  by  side.  The  Korean 
alphabet,  or  On-mun,  said  by  expert  sinologues  to  be  one  of  the 
most  perfect  in  the  world,  was  invented  by  Se  jong  in  1451, 
out  it  is  disdained  by  literates,  whose  education  is  usually  in 
the  Chinese  classics.  The  masses  can  usually  read  their  own 
script.  The  tongue  is  a  difficult  one  for  foreigners  to  acquire; 
unlike  Japanese  it  is  full  of  ungallant  epithets  which  the  pro- 
letariat use  with  scandalous  inelegancy.  Scalding  invective  is 
their  strong  point,  and  sensitive  persons  who  have  to  overhear 


726   Route  U-   KOREAN  LITERATURE         The  Flag. 


them  are  fortunate  in  not  knowing  the  language.  The  vituper- 
ative epithet  of  the  Koreans  is  'son  of  a  rat/  a  somewhat 
meaningless  expression  which  reflects  on  one's  father  —  usu- 
ally an  object  of  veneration  by  the  Korean  son.  Nom  (fool) 
when  applied  in  a  contemptuous  tone,  is  apt  to  provoke  quick 
physical  retaliation;  end,  the  root  form  for  '  mother/  if  used 
in  a  disparaging  accusation  (referring  to  ancestry  and  moral 
parity),  is  very  offensive  to  Koreans,  and  often  stirs  up  a  fight. 
The  name  of  the  Creator  is  never  taken  in  vain. 

Korean  Literature  is  said  not  to  repay  one  for  the  time  spent 
in  studying  it.  The  inspiration  is  chiefly  Chinese;  the  natives 
lack  the  ardent  imagination  of  certain  Orientals,  and  literary 
themes  too  often  turn  to  erotic  things.  Love  songs  are  popu- 
lar, and  some  of  them  are  not  lacking  in  grace;  the  following 
stanza  (one  of  four)  translated  by  Mr.  Gale,  is  often  quoted :  — 

'Silvery  moon  and  frosty  air, 
Eve  and  dawn  are  meeting; 
Widowed  wild  goose  flying  there, 
Hear  my  words  of  greeting! 
On  your  journey  should  you  see 
Him  I  love  so  broken-hearted, 
Kindly  say  this  word  for  me, 
That  it 's  death  when  we  are  parted. 
Flapping  off  the  wild  goose  clambers, 
Says  she  will  if  she  remembers.' 

The  Flag  of  the  old  Korean  Kingdom  displayed  symbols 
which  travelers  frequently  see  repeated  in  the  art,  architec- 
ture, and  decoration  of  the  people.  Though  apparently  totally 
different  from  those  on  the  Japanese  flag,  the  emblems  are 
nevertheless  founded  on  the  same  order  of  ideas.  The  cabalis- 
tic central  figures  on  the  white  ground  are  (in  the  philosophy 
of  the  Chinese)  the  Yang  and  Yin,  or  male  and  female  prin- 
ciples of  nature  —  the  twofold  division  (the  first  strong  or 
hard,  the  second  weak  or  soft)  of  the  one  primordial  hi  (air)  — 
dual  powers  which  first  formed  the  outlines  of  the  universe,  and 
were  themselves  influenced  retroactively  by  their  own  crea- 
tions. These  coma-shaped  figures  (called  by  the  Japanese 
Futatsu-tomoe,  and  by  the  Chinese  Taiku,  the  body)  are  always 
shown  (in  Korea),  one  in  light,  one  in  shade,  coiled  within  an 
involved  circle  (called  Yang  and  Yong),  and  are  considered  a 
sort  of  distinctive  badge  of  nationality.  (Comp.  Kuro-shiwo, 
p.  cxlvi.)  The  mystic  forms  (siang)  at  the  four  corners  are  sup- 
posed to  express  the  state  and  position,  at  any  given  place  or 
time,  of  the  Yang  and  Yin,  and  they  are  called  Fuh-hi  (from 
Fuh-hi,  the  supposed  founder  —  in  B.C.  3322  —  of  the  Chinese 
nation).  They  represent  but  one  half  of  the  eight  trigrams 
(kwa)  evolved  from  the  two  original  principles,  and  among 
other  things  stand  for  the  four  cardinal  points,  the  earth,  fire, 
sun,  water,  clouds,  rivers,  seasons,  and  what-not.  The  mean- 
ings are  subtle  and  confusing  to  the  lay  mind ;  an  effort  is  made 
to  explain  them  in  the  Yih  King  (of  the  Chinese  Five  Classics) 


Time.  KOREAN  RAILWAYS     U-  Route.  727 


or  Book  of  Changes,  translated  by  James  Legge  (Oxford,  1882). 
Consult  also  The  Middle  Kingdom,  by  S.  Wells  Williams,  vol. 
1,  p.  626. 

The  Railway  System  (about  1300  M.  of  standard  broad 
gauge)  is  owned  and  ably  managed  by  the  Government  General 
of  Chosen,  and  is  being  extended  rapidly.  The  equipment  is 
modern,  the  road-bed  and  rolling-stock  excellent,  and  trains 
are  run  at  a  safe  speed.  American  practice  is  in  vogue,  and 
American  and  German  locomotives  are  used.  The  dining-  and 
Pullman-cars  are  made  at  Dairen  and  in  Japan  and  mounted 
on  imported  Pullman  trucks.  Both  figure  on  the  fast  express 
trains  between  Fusan  and  Shingishu,  now  an  important  link 
in  the  round-the-world  route.  Fares  are  charged  at  the  rate 
of  5  sen  per  mile,  1st  cl.;  3  J  sen,  2d  cL;  and  2  sen,  3d  cl.,  with  a 
small  transit  tax  extra.  On  express  trains  an  additional  ¥2  is 
charged  for  distances  under  200  M. ;  ¥3  under  500,  and  ¥5  over 
500.  Children  under  10  yrs.,  i  fare;  under  4  yrs.,  free.  The 
average  charge  for  a  single  berth  (not  wide  enough  for  2  pers.) 
in  a  sleeping-car  is  ¥5  for  12  hrs.,  and  ¥8  for  20-24  (or  from 
Fusan  to  Changchun).  Stop-overs  allowed  at  certain  of  the 
larger  cities.  Liquors,  tobacco,  postage-stamps,  etc.,  on  sale  in 
the  dining-car  (meals  at  fixed  price  and  a  la  carte).  The  differ- 
ence between  the  1st  and  2d  cl.  cars  is  so  slight  that  many  for- 
eigners travel  2d.  The  fast  trains  operated  in  connection  with 
those  of  the  Trans-Siberian  Rly.  usually  carry  1st  and  2d  cl. 
passengers  only.  Other  trains  have  only  2d  and  3d  cl.  cars. 
Luggage  allowance  133  lbs.,  1st  cl.;  80  lbs.,  2d.;  40  lbs.,  3d. 
Parcel  Check-Rooms  (3-6  sen  per  day  per  pkg.)  at  all  the 
big  stations  (many  of  which  now  have  Japanese  names). 
Luggage-porter  within  any  station,  3  sen  per  trip,  irrespec- 
tive of  the  number  or  size  of  the  pieces  carried.  There  are 
no  news-agents,  but  there  are  news-stands  at  the  stations. 
Train  conductors  wear  red  bands  round  their  arms;  train  boys 
on  1st  and  2d  cl.  cars  only.  In  many  ways  the  train  service  is 
like  that  in  Japan.  Travelers  who  cannot  make  ticket-agents 
understand  their  wants  will  find  the  Information  Bureau 
(English  spoken)  service  (in  all  the  big  stations)  useful.  Rail- 
way Hotels  are  being  established  at  the  most  important  places. 
The  winter  schedule  of  trains  is  apt  to  differ  from  that  of  sum- 
mer. The  Railway  Bureau  issues  dainty  illustrated  booklets, 
time-cards,  etc.,  in  English  of  genuine  use  to  travelers.  —  Cen- 
tral Standard  Japanese  Time  is  used  in  Korea,  and  it  is  one 
hour  ahead  of  Manchurian  time.  —  The  fares  quoted  through- 
out the  Guidebook  are  approximate  only  and  are  apt  to  change. 

The  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  and  the  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha 
run  clean,  comfortable,  and  speedy  ships  between.  Korean, 
Japanese,. and  Chinese  ports  (frequent  and  trustworthy  service) 
and  are  referred  to  in  various  places  in  the  Guidebook. 


728   Route  45.       FUSAN  TO  SEOUL 


45.  From  Fusan  via  Sanroshin  (Masanpo),  Taikyu,  Shu- 
furei,  Taiden  (Kunsan,  Mokpo),  Seikwan  and  Eitoho  (Jinsen, 
Chemulpo)  to  Seoul  (Keijo). 

Fusan-Seoul  Line,  Korean  Railway. 

274  M.  Frequent  daily  trains  in  about  9  hrs.  Fare,  1st  cl.  ¥13.75;  2d  cl., 
¥9.63;  3d  cl.,  ¥5.50.  Extra  fare  on  express  trains.  Dining-cars  with  a  la 
carte  service.  The  placards  on  the  Seoul  cars  are  usually  marked  Seidaimon. 
Those  on  the  down  trains  are  marked  Fusan.  None  of  the  intervening  cities 
possess  strong  attractions  for  foreigners.  The  mournful  little  hamlets  are 
devoid  of  all  comfort  and  charm,  and  oftentimes  they  so  blend  with  the  pre- 
vailing brown  of  the  landscape  as  to  be  scarcely  distinguishable  from  it. 

For  a  short  distance  the  rly .  skirts  the  shore  of  the  bay,  which 
here  is  usually  so  blue,  and  so  flecked  with  yellow-sailed  junks, 
as  strongly  to  remind  one  of  the  Bay  of  Naples.  Beyond  1  M. 
Soryo  (the  original  starting-point  of  the  Fusan-Seoul  Rly.),  a 
number  of  primitive  huts  of  Korean  fishermen  flank  the  shore, 
their  thatched  roofs  sometimes  held  down  by  a  tangle  of  growing 
melon-vines;  the  local  industry  is  the  catching  of  sardines  and 
the  gathering  of  edible  seaweed,  both  of  which  may  be  seen 
drying  in  the  sun  on  the  beach.  The  ruinous  old  castle  on  the 
hill  at  3  M.  Fusanchin  (pop.  13,000)  was  built  by  Toyotomi 
Hideyoshi's  general,  Konishi  Yukinaga,  in  1592;  it  has  been 
2    the  scene  of  many  bloody  struggles  between  the  invading  Jap- 
^    anese  and  the  Koreans.  History  records  that  on  one  occasion 
*  5000  Korean  defenders  were  slaughtered  here,  and  2000  primi- 
jjigjbive  engines  for  hurling  cartouche  shots  captured.  Formerly 
the  castle  was  surrounded  by  deep  moats  defended  by  hun- 
1^  dreds  of  caltrops  on  which  it  was  hoped  the  Japanese  cavalry 
would  impale  itself.  Long  lines  of  white-clad  Koreans  plod  city- 
ward down  the  steep  hills  which  now  close  at  the  right  —  the 
slatternly,  uncomely  women  the  burden-carriers.   The  rly. 
winds  in  and  out  between  the  hills,  which  are  bare  and  brown 
in  the  winter,  but  green  and  flecked  with  cosmos  and  asters  in 
spring  and  summer.  The  few  graceful  pine  trees  which  look 
*fj  down  upon  the  rice-fields  (2  crops  a  year)  recall  much  fairer 
scenes  in  Japan.  Many  of  the  hills  are  metal-impregnated  and 
are  marked  by  odd  rocks  fused  in  a  black  mass. 

11  M.  Kiho,  on  the  shallow  Rakuto  River.  The  trend  of 
the  line  is  N.W.  through  a  poor  country  lacking  in  charm.  The 
native  villages  are  scarcely  better  than  those  of  Hottentots  — „ 
pictures  of  filth,  poverty,  and  sloth.   Many  of  the  huts  are  / 
round  and  in  shape  and  color  like  big  mushrooms,  built  of  stone 
and  straw,  and  so  poor  that  20  yen  in  cash  would  buy  a  town.  / 
The  dead  level  of  poverty  is  everywhere  apparent.  Lines  of 
dirty  men  and  women  with  a  dazed  and  purposeless  air  travel 
between  these  spots  and  the  adjacent  fields,  where  red  cattle  , 
help  to  drag  rude  ploughs  inferior  to  those  used  in  Pharaoh's  ( 
time,  and  aid  in  methods  of  irrigation  (necessary  only  for  the  I 
rice-fields),  that  suggest  Biblical  epochs.  One  occasionally  sees  ' 


Chinhai  Bay. 


MASANPO  46.  Route.  729 


men  making  visible  efforts  to  work  clad  only  in  a  fillet  bound 
/  round  the  head;  others  waste  the  precious  hours  strutting 
|  about  smoking  contemptible  little  long-stemmed  pipes  in  an 
\  effort  to  fill  in  their  monotonous  lives  in  a  monotonous  region. 
]  The  villages  are  usually  attended  by  a  retinue  of  voluminously 
/  clad,  bare-breasted  women  destitute  of  grace  and  pulchritude; 
\  by  squalid  children,  black  goats,  runty  black  pigs  of  revolting 
/  habits,  and  noisy  geese,  the  latter  kept  chiefly  as  guards  and 
'  -  for  presentation  at  weddings  as  emblems  of  fidelity,  —  some- 
thing the  Koreans  do  not  possess. — We  pass  the  unimport- 
ant stations  of  19  M.  Fukkin,  and  25  M.  Indo.  At 

30  M.  Sanrdshin  (Korean,  Sam-rang-jin) ,  a  branch  line  runs 
in  a  S.W.  direction  to  25  M.  Masan,  or  Masanpo  (Inn:  Yoshi- 
kawa ;  ¥3)  a  growing  town  (pop.  14,000)  known  for  its  splen- 
did harbor  and  for  the  new  Japanese  city  and  naval  base  of 
Chinhai.  In  the  long  diplomatic  struggle  between  Russia  and 
Japan  for  the  possession  of  Korea,  the  fine  Chinhai  Bay  was 
earnestly  coveted  by  both.  Trains  leave  (several  daily,  in 
about  1  hr.:  1st  cl.  fare,  ¥1.25;  2d  cl.,  88  sen)  for  Masanpo 
from  the  main  line  station.  —  Beyond  Sanrdshin  the  Nak-tong 
River  is  seen  at  the  left ;  the  train  enters  a  hilly  country,  stony, 
jejune,  and  sparsely  settled.  The  scrub  pines  which  clothe  cer- 
tain of  the  slopes  are  characteristic  features  of  Korean  scenery. 
Tunnels  become  frequent  as  the  line  penetrates  the  higher 
ranges  of  the  hills.  38  M.  Mitsuyo  (pop.  13,000,  on  a  fine 
plain).  The  river  (good  trout-fishing)  is  crossed  and  the  rly. 
curves  broadly  to  avoid  some  of  the  loftiest  hills,  which  are 
riven  by  long,  arid,  sparsely  settled,  uncultivated  valleys.  46 
M.  Yusen.    52  M.  Seido.  67M.Keizan. 

77  M.  Taikyu  (Inn:  Taikyu-kwan;  Tatsujokan,  the  latter 
near  the  station;  both  ¥3),  one  of  the  most  flourishing  towns 
in  S.  Chosen,  has  8000  inhabs.  and  stands  on  a  wide  rice-plain 
surrounded  by  hills.  The  Tatsujd  Park  is  about  f  M.  to  the 
S.W.  The  track  now  crosses  a  region  of  wide  cultivated  valleys 
watered  by  thin  streams  and  hemmed  in  by  stately  mts.  Many 
of  the  house-roofs  flame  in  autumn  with  the  red  peppers  which 
form  piquant  items  in  the  native  cookery.  Occasionally  one 
glimpses  crude  water-pestles  used  for  hulling  rice  —  contriv- 
ances consisting  of  a  heavy  log  centered  on  a  pivot  with  a 
weighty  pestle  at  one  end,  and  a  box  at  the  other.  When  the 
latter  is  filled  with  the  water  diverted  into  it,  it  tips  and  bears 
down  one  end  of  the  log;  the  pestle  then  ascends  with  a  solemn, 
crushing  thud  on  the  rice  in  the  tub  or  hollowed  stone  serving 
as  a  mortar.  Like  the  'poor  folks'  of  other  lands  the  poverty- 
pinched  Koreans  maintain  kennels  of  sturdy  but  craven, 
mangy  yellow  dogs,  which  race  with  the  train  as  it  runs  past 
their  doors.  Many  black  magpies  enliven  the  fields.  The  rock- 
strewn  hills  remind  travelers  of  Mexico,  and  the  filth  and  leth- 
argy of  the  Mexican  peon  is  reflected  in  the  domestic  economy 


730    Route  45.  TAIKYU 


Rural  Life. 


of  the  Korean,  —  whose  mind  is  usually  as  sterile  as  his  coun- 
try, or  as  shallow  as  the  streams  which  cross  it.  88  M.  Shindo, 
in  a  broken  country  where  purple  asters  and  field  daisies  grow. 
The  distant  hills  look  grim  and  forbidding.  Some  of  the  crudely 
fashioned  earthenware  used  in  Korean  homes  is  made  hereabout. 

The  general  aspect  of  the  country  beyond  94  M.  Waikwan  is 
bare  and  monotonous,  and  were  it  nor  for  the  majesty  which 
the  very  baldness  of  the  mts.  suggests,  and  the  glorifying  effect 
of  the  matchless  blue  sky,  it  would  all  be  wearisome  to  the  eye 
and  mind.  The  rly.  soon  describes  a  wide  curve  to  the  left, 
enters  a  tunnel,  and  on  emerging  crosses  the  Nak-tong  on  a  7- 
span  steel  bridge.  Other  tunnels  are  features  of  the  region, 
which  is  marked  by  vegetable  wax-trees  planted  by  the 
thrifty  Japanese.  99  M.  Jakuboku.  The  pernicious  effects  of 
the  wholesale  deforestation  of  the  mts.  is  shown  hereabout  in 
the  deeply  gashed  slopes  and  the  parched  and  barren  valleys 
between.  Some  of  the  hills  are  basaltic  with  huge  blocks  of 
basalt  that  protrude  from  between  the  sparse  scrub  pines. 
Beyond  105  M.  Kin-usan,  a  wretched  and  melancholy  town, 
the  train  threads  a  tunnel,  then  runs  down  a  narrow  valley 
watered  by  several  tributaries  of  the  Nak-tong  which  meander 
like  slim  blue  threads  across  the  region.  In  the  hamlets  which 
generally  back  up  to  these  streams,  pottery-making  is  the  chief 
local  industry.  115  M.  Kinsen  (pop.  4500).  Persimmon  or- 
chards are  now  features  of  the  country,  which  is  dotted  with 
crude  potteries.  Swineherds  and  shepherds,  as  primitively  claTI 
as  Pan  himself  and  almost  as  suggestive  of  goats,  lead  their 
meager  flocks  across  the  dry  hills,  and  add  life  if  not  color  to 
the  views.  * 

.  125  M.  Shufurei  (812  ft.),  the  highest  point  on  the  line,  marks 
the  watershed  of  the  massive  lateral  spur  which  extends  west- 
ward from  the  great  axial  range  of  the  Paik-tu  Mts.  of  the  E. 
coast,  and  separates  the  province  of  N.  Kyong-Syang  (which 
'we  have  just  left)  from  N,  Chyung-Chyong  (which  the  train 
now  enters).  131  M.  Kokan.  140  M.  Eido,  the  half-way  sta- 
tion between  Fusan  and  Seoul.  147  M.  Shinsen.  153  M.  Tin. 
The  rly.  now  describes  a  great  horseshoe  curve,  runs  up  a  steep 
slope  opposite  the  station,  rounds  a  high  hill  on  a  stiff  gradient, 
and  offers,  in  retrospect,  some  of  the  most  satisfying  vistas  on 
the  journey.  Beyond  the  tunnel  extensive  views  over  a  wide 
expanse  of  territory  open  out  at  the  right.  160  M.  Yokusen. 
The  up-grade  is  still  stiffish,  and  from  the  terraces  on  which  the 
trains  run,  one  gets  glimpses  of  a  picturesque  town  on  the  bank 
of  a  winding  stream  far  down  at  the  right.  Four  tunnels  are 
passed  through  before  we  reach 

170  M.  Taiden  (Taichun),  point  of  departure  for  a  branch 
line  via  9  nondescript  stations  to  69  M.  Kunsan,  a  port  (in 
N.  Chyolla  Province)  on  the  Yellow  Sea,  near  the  estuary  of 
the  Keum  River, 


Practical  Notes.  SEOUL  46.  Route.  731 


Trains  (several  daily  in  about  4  hrs.)  leave  from  the  main  line  station; 
fare,_lst  cl.,  ¥3.45;  2d  cl.,  ¥2.42.  —  Steamers  of  the  Osaka-Jinsen  Line  of 
the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  call  .at  Kunsan  twice  weekly;  fare  from  Osaka,  ¥27; 
Runsan  to  Chemulpo,  ¥7.50;  to  Mokpo,  ¥7.50.  —  The  objective  point  of 
the  rly.  is  Mokpo  (105  M.  to  the  S.  in  S.  Chyolla)  a  busy  port  in  a  fine 
agricultural  region,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Yong-san  River.  Bi-weekly  ships 
of  the  Osaka-Shosen  Kaisha  make  it  a  port  of  call.  To  (269  M.)  Chemulpo, 
¥9;  to  Osaka,  ¥27. 

Northward  of  Taiden  the  rly.  traverses  a  region  of  denuded 
hills  drained  by  numerous  purly  rivulets,  then  crosses  the 
Keum  River  to  179  M.  Shinnanshin.  187  M.  Fuko,  on  the 
Kinko  River.  193  M.  Chochiin.  202  M.  Zengi.  The  broad 
wagon-road  leading  over  the  hills  goes  to  the  Chiksan  Mining 
Co.'s  property.  The  pink  and  white  ibises  which  one  notes  in 
the  fields  beyond  feed  on  a  species  of  large  and  unusually  hand- 
some frog  of  a  vivid  green  color  with  black  velvety  spots,  the 
under  side  of  the  legs  and  body  being  a  rich  red.  —  207  M. 
Shoseiri.  214  M.  Ten-an,  starting-point  for  the  near-by  On-yo 
Hot  Springs.  The  region  roundabout  is  the  favorite  haunt  of 
fine  copper  pheasants,  many  of  which  start  up  and  whirr  off  at 
a  rapid  pace  before  the  approach  of  the  train.  221  M.  Seikwan 
(Song-hoan).  Asan  Bay  and  an  old  battlefield  of  the  China- 
Japan  War  lie  toward  the  N.W.  The  rly.  soon  crosses  the  An- 
jo  River  on  a  steel  bridge  388  ft.  long.  —  227  M.  Heitaku.  232 
M.  Seiseiri.  240  M.  Usan.  224  M.  Beiten.  The  broad  rice- 
fields  backed  by  distant  mts.  are  bright  with  color  imparted  by 
long-tailed  pheasants  of  beautiful  plumage.  The  region  shows 
its  proximity  to  Seoul  and  looks  prosperous.  248  M.  Suigen 
(Suon),  one-time  capital  of  the  district,  with  13,000  inhabs., 
contains  a  number  of  uninteresting  old  temples,  some  ruinous 
palaces,  an  ancient  astronomical  observatory,  and  an  Agricul- 
tural and  Industrial  Model  Farm,  maintained  by  the  Gov't  for 
the  advancement  of  agriculture.  The  district  is  pleasing,  with 
many  pine  and  willow  trees.  (The  big,  sleek  red  bulls  which  help 
the  farmers  in  their  tasks  carry  a  framework  on  tl^eir  backs , 
with  capacious  side  pockets  into  which  hay  is  thrusy  Numer- 
ous quaint  arched- stone  bridges  and  tombs,  in  the  form  of  gran- 
ite tortoises  with  shafts  rising  from  their  backs,  are  features  in 
the  landscape.  Broomcorn,  rice,  and  various  grains  are  the 
chief  crops.  —  225  M.  Gumpojo.  259  M.  An-yo.  263  M.  Shiko. 
At  268  M.  Eitoho  (  Yong-dong-po)  Jet.,  north-bound  travelers 
who  do  not  wish  to  continue  on  to  Seoul  change  cars  for  Che- 
mulpo (Rte.  47).  The  line  now  crosses  the  broad  and  deep 
Han  River,  over  an  American  steel  bridge  2000  ft.  long  and 
53  ft.  above  the  stream.  272  M.  Ryuzan  (Yong-san)  Jet.  is  a 
suburb  of  Seoul  and  the  administrative  center  of  the  Korean 
Rlys.  274  M.  Seoul  (Nandaimon  Station). 

46.  Seoul  and  its  Environs 

Arrival.  Travelers  usually  alight  at  the  Nandaimon  Station  (named  for 
the  big  gate  near  by  and  pronounced  Nan-die' -moan),  as  hotel  runners  and 


732    Rou^S^  V  SEOUL  Hotels. 

jinrikis  await  them  hero.  The  (\  M.  farther)  Seidaimon  (say -die' -moan) 
^att&fi  is  used  c!»ef]y  by  residents  of  the  W.  quarter  of  the  city.  —  Refresh- 
ment Rcf^m. information  Bureau  where  English  is  spoken.  The  Rly.  Co.  will 
deliver, trunks  to  any  part  of  the  city  (within  2  hrs.  unless  they  reach  the 
city  a\er  IQ  p.m.)  for  10  sen  each,  irrespective  of  size.  Push-carts  from  the 
hotel,  Holding  2-3  or  5-6  trunks  and  several  hand-bags,  cost  50-80  sen.  De- 
liver checks  to  the  runner  or  the  manager.  Jinriki  full  of  grips  to  the  hotel, 
25  sen;  small  trunk  on  the  hotel  cart,  20  sen. 

Hotels  (comp.  p.  xxix).  *Sontag  Hotel  (Tel.  add.:  'Sontag,  Seoul1),  one 
of  the  best  known  and  most  popular  in  Korea  (formerly  a  private  hotel  of 
the  Imperial  Korean  Household),  with  electric  lights,  free  baths,  a  reading- 
room  well  stocked  with  papers  and  magazines  from  many  lands,  stands 
about  1  M.  N.  of  the  Nandaimon  Station  (PL  B,  3)  in  a  spacious  garden  with 
many  fine  trees  and  flowers,  in  the  Legation  Quarter  (adjacent  to  the 
sometime  French  legation).  English,  French,  German,  and  Spanish  spoken. 
French  cooking.  Fresh  milk  from  the  hotel  dairy.  Single  rooms  in  the  main 
building,  ¥8-10  a  day,  Am.  pi.  Double  rooms,  ¥14-16.  In  the  annex,  ¥7-8 
and  ¥12  respectively.  The  hotel  is  apt  to  be  crowded  in  the  spring  and 
autumn  seasons  and  rooms  should  be  engaged  in  advance. —  Japanese  Inns 
(comp.  p.  xxxiv) .  Hajd-kwan;  Keijo  Hotel;  Tenshin-ro,  etc.  All  ¥3  a  day 
and  upward.  —  The  foreign  visitor  to  Seoul  who  lodges  with  friends  or  at 
places  other  than  the  regular  hotels  or  inns  may  wish  to  remember  that 
after  a  sojourn  of  10  days  his  or  her  name,  nationality,  occupation,  etc., 
along  with  previous  stopping-place,  and  the  day  and  hour  of  arrival,  must  be 
registered  (by  the  host)  at  police  headquarters.  The  hour  and  date  of  leav- 
ing, and  the  destination,  must  also  be  reported  within  24  hrs.  Failure  to 
obey  this  city  ordinance  is  punishable  by  detention  or  a  fine. 

Jinrikis  (p.  lxxxviii)  drawn  by  husky  (but  oftentimes  lazy  and  covetous) 
Koreans  ply  for  hire,  with  stands  at  the  stations,  hotels,  and  at  various  points 
throughout  the  city.  The  correct  fare  from  the  Nandaimon  Station  to  the 
Sontag  Hotel  (20  min.)  is  25  sen.  As  in  Japan,  the  hotel-keepers  and  others 
are  powerless  to  prevent  imposition  on  travelers,  for  to  side  with  the  stranger 
may  result  in  having  one's  premises  boycotted,  and  the  hotel  belittled.  The 
traveler  should  resent  overcharge,  and  in  cases  of  dispute  should  proceed  to 
the  nearest  police  station.  The  schedule  is  drawn  up  by  the  Police  Depart- 
ment, and  the  men  are  supposed  to  adhere  to  it.  The  fixed  rate  within  the 
city  walls  is  30  sen  an  hr.;  per  day  ¥1.50  (with  2  coolies,  ¥2);  £  day,  with 
one  man,  ¥1.  For  trips  outside  the  walls  a  special  agreement  must  be 
reached  with  the  man.  The  tendency  i3  steadily  upward,  and  the  coolies 
have  learned  that  foreigners  usually  prefer  to  submit  to  an  overcharge 
rather  than  make  a  scene.  A  list  of  the  correct  fares  from  the  hotel  to  differ- 
ent points  will  be  found  in  the  hotel  lobby. 

Electric  Tram-Cars  run  to  nearly  all  parts  of  the  city,  and  are  clean, 
speedy,  and  cheap.  Fares  (usually  3  sen)  are  collected  according  to  distance. 
Horses  are  popular  and  can  be  hired  cheaply  of  the  hotel  manager.  They 
are  more  satisfactory  for  single-day  excursions  than  jinrikis.  Laundry  is 
done  at  the  hotel  at  7  sen  per  piece,  irrespective  of  size: 

Guides  (comp.  p  xxvi)  for  short  trips  around  the  city  are  supplied  free  by 
the  manager  of  the  Sontag  Hotel;  on  longer  trips  their  pay  (for  English- 
speaking  men)  is  ¥3  a  day;  they  find  their  own  food  and  will  cook  that  of 
their  employer. 

Shops  and  Curios  (comp.  p.  cxii).  Both  are  inferior  in  number  and  quality 
to  those  of  Japan.  Koreans  carry  on  commerce  in  a  surprisingly  petty  way, 
and  their  artistic  sense  is  of  a  low  order.  There  are  no  fine  shops  or  big  dis- 
plays. Certain  of  the  wrought  silver  articles  are  quaint  and  in  a  way  attrac- 
tive. Perhaps  the  best  assortment  is  displayed  at  the  small  shop  with  the 
high-sounding  title  of  Korean  Silver  &  Gold  Art  Palace  (English  spoken)  in  Chonr 
no  (PL  C,  2) near  the  Big  Bell.  The  silver  finger-rings  with  ideographs  repre- 
senting Long  Life,  Good  Luck,  etc.,  are  cheap  (30-50  sen  each).  Large  arti- 
cles are  sold  by  weight,  and  a  big  percentage  added  for  workmanship.  Prices 
are  high  and  are  supposed  to  be  fixed.  The  Korean  Brass- Work  includes 
cooking  utensils  in  many  shapes,  candlesticks,  finger-bowls  (good  ones  from 
¥5  to ¥6.50  per  dozen),  tea-pots,  etc.  In  buying  bowls  pick  out  the  designs 
wanted,  hold  the  articles  against  the  light  for  possible  air-holes,  try  them  out 
with  water  to  be  sure  they  are  tight,  then  take  them  along  (rather  than  have 


Curios.  (^SEOUl)  46.  Route.  733 

them  sent  to  the  hotel).  Numerous  brass  shops  cluster  near  the  W.  Gate. 
The  best  ware  is  heavy,  is  beaten  up  with  hammers,  and  is  made  in  the  An 
Sung  district  of  Kyong-kwi  Province.  The  old  heirlooms  are  the  most  desir- 
able. 

The  Brass-trimmed  Chests  make  desirable  souvenirs  and  are  much  sought 
by  travelers.  The  best  (usually  old  ones)  are  made  of  hornbeam,  chestnut, 
or  the  wood  of  the  Chinese  Pagoda  tree.  The  cheaper  ones,  of  pine  veneered 
with  peach  or  maple,  warp  readily,  and  the  best  of  the  former  withstand 
but  indifferently  the  steam  heat  of  American  homes.  The  finest  cabinets  are 
sometimes  made  of  rosewood,  handsomely  trimmed;  good  specimens  cost 
from  ¥25  to  ¥50.  Women  use  them  for  their  clothing.  Cash-Boxes  vary  in 
price  (good  ones  come  from Pying-Yang)  according  to  size,  age,  condition, 
and  the  weight  of  the  brass  trimmings.  Small  ones  can  be  bought  for  ¥2-5; 
large  ones,  ¥25  to  ¥50.  The  Open  Cabinets  with  drawers,  used  as  medicine- 
chests  and  for  writing-materials,  cost  from  ¥30  to  ¥50.  Pearl  Inlaid  Cabi- 
nets (best  from  Chyolla  Province) ,  made  of  fir  inlaid  with  madreperl  in  va- 
rious designs  (turtles,  phoenixes,  bamboos,  flowers, and  symbols),  are  desirable 
(cost  from  ¥15  to  ¥200  according  to  size)  only  when  old  and  well-lacquered, 
as  the  insets  soon  drop  out  of  newly  made  pieces.  Red-lacquered  Dress- 
ing-Boxes cost  from  ¥5  to  ¥15.  The  fantastic  brass  trimmings  in  numerous 
quaint  designs;  the  broad  butterfly  hinges,  great  hasps,  and  padlocks,  are 
what  make  the  furniture  attractive,  since  the  interior  arrangement  of  some 
of  the  pieces  is  unsuited  to  foreign  needs.  Articles  can  be  bought  cheaper  in 
winter  (when  there  are  but  few  tourists)  than  in  summer,  when  there  is  a 
steady  demand.  Travelers  may  wish  to  remember  that  there  is  an  export 
duty  of  5%  on  furniture;  an  import  duty  into  the  United  States  of  35%; 
that  all  goods  destined  for  the  latter  country  must  be  accompanied  by  a 
Consular  Invoice  and  a  Bill  of  Health  (cost,  ¥5.02) ;  that  packing  (and  in- 
surance) charges  are  to  be  added  to  purchases,  and  that  the  freight  rate  to 
England  or  America  is  about  $10  (£2)  per  ton  of  40  cubic  ft.  These  addi- 
tions make  the  chests  cost  practically  double  before  they  can  be  delivered  at 
home.  A  good  plan  is  to  make  a  pencil  drawing  of  any  particular  chest  de- 
sired, buy  the  brass  trimmings  and  fitments  (easily  removed;  cost,  ¥4  to 
¥6  for  the  largest  cabinet)  ;  then  get  a  brass  lock  (the  best  are  about  6  in. 
long,  are  tubular;  cost  ¥2,  and  are  of  simple  but  ingenious  construction) 
and  have  a  much  handsomer  chest  of  better  seasoned  wood  made  at  home, 
and  the  fittings  put  on  it. 

On  the  other  hand,  brassware  and  other  stuff  may  be  packed  inside  cabi- 
nets for  shipment.  While  good  specimens  may  sometimes  be  picked  up  in  the 
numerous  second-hand  shops,  these  are  usually  such  filthy  and  squalid  dens, 
cluttered  up  with  all  manner  of  rubbish,  that  they  are  to  be  avoided.  No 
chests  should  be  bought  and  sent  home  without  being  first  fumigated.  Plague, 
smallpox,  scarlet  fever,  cholera,  and  other  dread  visitations  are  sometimes  epi- 
demic among  the  Koreans,  and  when  a  man  dies  his  belongings  are  often  hus- 
tled into  a  junk-shop  and  sold.  English  is  spoken  in  few  if  any  of  the  native 
shops;  prices  are  flexible,  and  the  'boy'  who  accompanies  one  as  interpreter 
is  certain  to  make  a  fat '  squeeze'  on  purchases.  Foreigners  have  given  the 
name  Cabinet  Street  to  a  thoroughfare  near  the  Legation  Quarter  where 
chests  and  brassware  are  sold.  The  best  and  most  satisfactory  assortment 
(fixed  prices,  etc.)  will  perhaps  be  found  at  the  Kavanaugh  Shoten  (Eng- 
lish) in  Taihei-machi.  Here  also  may  be  seen  collections  of 

Matting  and  Ceramics.  The  former  is  sometimes  made  in  artistic  pat- 
terns; the  latter  is  of  a  low  order.  The  paper  fans  (12  sen.)  make  cheap  and 
attractive  souvenirs.  The  decorations  are  customarily  the  Yang  and  Yin 
(p.  726).  Fans  are  covered  with  oil  and  are  dipped  in  water  to  heighten  the 
cool  effect.  The  buff,  translucent,  vellum-like  Korean  paper  of  which  they 
are  made  is  remarkable  for  durability,  toughness  and  impermeability.  The 
best  is  made  from  the  bast  of  the  paper-mulberry  tree.  Strips  make  good 
substitutes  for  rain-coats  and  are  useful  for  wrapping  cameras  and  other  per- 
ishable objects.  In  some  native  houses  the  almost  indestructible  paper  is 
used  instead  of  carpet;  it  bears  washing  and  takes  a  high  polish  when  rubbed 
dry.  When  several  thicknesses  are  beaten  together  it  serves  for  trunks  and 
strong  boxes.  —  The  Korean  Types  (50  sen  each),  made  of  paper  and  rags, 
resemble  Mexican  rag-figures  and  portray  the  commonalty  in  an  interesting 
manner.  In  buying  the  picturesque  but  clumsy  wooden  sabots,  or  the  dain- 


734    Route  46. 


SEOUL  ] 


Keijo. 


tier  embroidered  native  women's  shoes,  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  a  spe- 
cially thick  sock  must  be  worn  with  them.  Inlaid  Iron-Work  is  popular  and 
sometimes  attractive.  Very  thin  sheets  of  silver  foil  are  hammered  on  an 
iron  surface  until  it  resembles  niello-wOrk.  It  rusts  unless  it  is  kept  oiled. 
Certain  of  the  peddlers  who  frequent  the  road  to  the  Sontag  Hotel  have  the 
instincts  of  brigands,  and  ask  several  times  as  much  for  things  as  they  ex- 
pect to  receive.  Care  should  be  exercised  in  making  offers.  The  pear-shaped 
chunks  of  amber  which  they  claim  come  from  a  northern  province,  and 
which  in  reality  come  from  Germany,  can  be  bought  for  ¥1-3  if  ¥5-10  are 
asked.  The  supply  is  unlimited.  ^ 

Banks  (comp  p.  xxiii),  where  money  can  be  exchanged  ano!  drafts,  etc., 
cashed:  Bank  of  Chosen;  English  spoken. — Dai-ichi  Ginko.  The  usual 
exchange  for  American  paper  or  gold  is  2  for  1 ;  a  little  less  (because  of  dif- 
ference in  value)  for  pounds  sterling,  marks,  francs,  etc.  The  bank  will 
sometimes  give  100  roubles  for  ¥102  (which  is  better  than  one  can  get  in 
Japan) .  —  Consulates  are  maintained  by  Great  Britain,  the  United  States, 
Germany,  France,  Belgium,  Russia,  etc.  Most  of  them  are  near  the  W. 
Gate,  within  a  few  min.  walk  of  the  Sontag  Hotel.  — Post-  and  Telegraph- 
Offices  in  various  parts  of  the  city  (usually  in  the  same  building).  Mails  for 
Europe  and  America  should  be  marked  'Via  Siberia,'  if  time  be  a  considera- 
tion. Postage  same  as  from  Japan.  The  hotel  manager  will  take  charge  of 
mail-matter  and  telegrams.  Korea  now  belongs  to  the  International  Postal 
Union.  The  Police  Station,  the  sometime  P' o-do-chong ,  or  Burglar-captur- 
ing Office,'  is  near  the  Nam-san  Public  Garden  (PI.  C,  3).  —  Tobacco  and 
Cigars  are  cheaper  than  in  Japan.  The  business  is  largely  in  the  hands  of 
Greeks.  There  are  several  foreign  Churches  in  the  city.  See  the  notices  in 
the  hotel  lobby. 

Korean  Dances  (insipid  and  wearisome)  can  be  arranged  for  with  the  aid 
of  the  hotel  manager.  The  gesang  (similar  to  the  Japanese  geisha)  are  not 
always  of  the  highest  class.  —  Newspapers.  The  Seoul  Press,  a  daily  (morn- 
ing) newspaper  (edited  and  published  by  Mr.  Isoh  Yamagata)  in  the  English 
language  (20  sen  a  copy) ,  contains  Associated  Press  matter  and  local  news, 
etc.,  of  interest  to  travelers.  There  are  a  number  of  Japanese  newspapers 
printed  in  the  capital,  and  20  or  more  in  the  peninsula.  —  Physicians  and 
Dentists.  For  the  permanent  addresses  of  these  consult  the  advertisements 
in  the  Seoul  Press.  The  American  Hospital,  opposite  the  Nandaimon  rly. 
station,  sells  foreign  medicines,  etc.  —  The  Korea  Branch  of  the  Japan 
Tourist  Bureau  is  located  at  Yongsan,  in  the  Railway  Bureau. 

Seoul  (pronounced  sowl,  or  sow-ohl) ,  an  elliptical  walled  city 
(pop.  300,000)  on  the  N.  side  (2  M.  distant)  of  the  swift  Han 
River  (120  ft.  above  it  and  35  M.  from  its  mouth),  in  the  heart 
( Kyong-kwi  Province)  of  the  ancient  Kingdom  of  Korea  (lat. 
37°  35'  N.,  and  long.  127°  0'  E.  from  Greenwich),  is  one  of  the 
most  picturesque  and  romantically  situated  mediaeval  capitals 
of  Eastern  Asia.  It  was  founded  (in  1392)  by  the  Emperor  Yo 
Taijo  under  the  name  of  Han-yang  ('  Fortress  on  the  Han '),  but 
it  is  generally  known  as  Seoul  ('capital '),  the  Japanese  equi- 
valent for  which  is  Keijo.  As  the  political,  intellectual,  educa- 
tional, and  commercial  center  of  the  country,  with  (so-called) 
palaces,  art,  and  industrial  museums,  libraries,  botanical  and 
zoological  gardens,  colleges,  banks,  electric  lights,  street-cars, 
and  telephones,  and  many  additional  adjuncts  of  a  modern  and 
progressive  metropolis,  it  is  Korea  to  most  foreigners,  since  it 
represents  in  the  large  everything  Korean;  much  as  Tokyo  re- 
presents N.  Japan.  For  upward  of  8  centuries  it  was  the  home 
of  the  concubine-loving  Korean  sovereigns,  and  few  cities  have 
seen  more  maladministration,  cruelty,  rioting,  and  bloodshed. 
For  almost  that  length  of  time  it  was  a  sort  of  cancerous  growth 


Street  Sights.  '         SEOUL  46.  Route.  735 

that  choked  the  national  ambition  and  sapped  the  life-blood  of 
the  people  —  a  poisonous  blight  on  all  progress  and  civiliza- 
tion. To-day  it  is  the  center  whence  all  benefits  and  reforms 
radiate.  The  Japanese  Governor-General  dwells  here,  and 
from  the  Residency  the  affairs  of  the  nation  are  administered. 
The  situation  of  the  old  capital  (2  by  2  M.),  in  a  broad  valley 
(5  M.  long  by  3  broad)  surrounded  by  rugged  hills  that  tower 
in  somber  grandeur  above  it,  is  very  attractive.  From  the 
highest  of  these  (N.)  hills,  the  San-kak-san,  or  Three-peaked 
Mountain  (2,270  ft.),  —  which  foreigners  know  as  the  Cock's 
Comb,  —  one  may  enjoy  a  magnificent  panorama  of  the  wide 
city  with  its  mushroom-like  houses  and  the  lordly  Han  flowing 
broadly  to  the  sea.  From  a  military  viewpoint  the  city  is  con- 
sidered strong  both  in  itself  and  in  its  stern  outposts.  Arid  and 
forbidding  as  the  hills  look  in  winter,  spring  and  summer  find 
them  clothed  in  delicate  green  enlivened  here  and  there  by 
great  blotches  of  heliotrope,  azalea,  fragrant  honeysuckle,  and 
(in  season)  the  beautiful  blossoms  of  the  plum,  the  peach,  and 
the  cherry.  Many  poplar  trees,  Chinese  pines  (Pinus  sinensis), 
and  flowering  shrubs  thrive  in  the  warm  pockets  of  the  hills  — 
invisible  to  the  eye  until  one  approaches  closely  —  while  at 
their  feet  the  lotus-pools  (in  Aug.)  are  worth  going  far  to  see. 
The  mt.  to  the  S.  of  the  capital,  Mok-mie-san,  long  served  as  a 
signal-station  on  which  bonfire  messages  were  received  from 
the  southern  provinces. 

For  purposes  of  civic  administration  the  city  is  divided  into 
five  quarters:  Toshb  (East),  Seishb  (West),  Hokusho  (North) 
Nansho  (South),  and  Chusho  (Middle).  The  56,000  or  more 
Japanese  who  add  life,  energy,  and  color,  and  the  2100  Chinese 
who  impart  an  odor  not  strictly  one  of  sanctity,  dwell  in  the 
Honmachi  district  (the  Chinkokai  of  the  Koreans)  in  the  S. 
quarter.  The  Legation  Quarter  (Chong-dong)  with  its  many 
trees,  its  ugly  hybrid  houses,  its  park-like  gardens,  and  elevated 
sites,  stands  at  the  W.  extremity  of  the  city,  inside  the  wall, 
near  the  W.  Gate  and  the  Seidaimon  Station;  many  of  the  300 
or  more  foreign  residents  dwell  here  and  just  outside  the  wall, 
beyond  which  the  country  drops  away  abruptly  and  affords 
pleasing  and  far-reaching  views  over  the  deep  and  wide  inter- 
vening valley.  Around  the  city  proper,  inclosing  intramural 
Seoul,  climbing  up  and  down  the  precipitous  slopes  and  laying 
its  brown,  weather-beaten,  and  sinuous  lengths  over  the  hills 
like  some  great  dragon,  is  the  battlemented  wall  described 
hereinafter.  A  long,  wide  (100  ft.)  street,  Chon-no  (pron.  Chong- 
no)  or  Big  Bell  St.  (Jap.  Shoro),  divides  the  cfty  practically  in( 
halves  and  leads  from  the  E.  to  the  W.  Gate,  then  far  into  the\ 
country,  through  extra-mural  Seoul  at  either  side.  It  is  essen-  [ 
tially  the  main  street  of  Korea,  for  here  one  may  study  the  na-  \ 
tives  and  their  ways  to  the  best  advantage.  Scattered  along  / 
its  length  are  some  of  the  chief  'sights'  and  the  best  of  the  J 


736    Route  46. 


SEOUL 


Street  Sights. 


Korean  shops,  most  of  the  latter  mean  and  tawdry  and  out  of 
keeping  with  the  width  of  the  thoroughfare.  The  majority  of 
the  shops  are  dedicated  to  a  trivial  commerce  in  ironware  as 
crude  as  that  which  Vulcan  forged,  in  junk  of  various  kinds; 
horn  and  tortoise-shell  goggles  much  affected  by  the  alleged 
literati  and  official  class;  coarse  earthenware;  cheap  native- 
made  knives  and  pipes;  paper-goods  and  matting;  tin  lamps  and 
candle-sticks;  cumbersome  saddles  with  green  and  red  leather 
flaps  embossed  with  brass  rosettes ;  and  imported  textiles  whose 
colors  maintain  a  perpetual  warfare.  Up  and  down  this  bril- 
liant, sunlit  metropolitan  thoroughfare  flows  a  steady  and 
kaleidoscopic  stream  of  native  life  which  contrasts  strangely 
with  the  modern  electric  street-cars  and  other  evidences  of 
Western  progress.  Tall,  top-knotted  Koreans  with  goatees, 
fly-trap  hats,. baggy  clothes,  and  clogs  like  miniature  dug-outs; 
lazing  Yang-bans  strolling  or  being  carried  in  palanquins  ' 
I  of  a  type  3  centuries  old;  olive-skinned  and  oftentimes  bare- 
breasted  women  clad  in  the  costume  peculiar  to  the  capital ; 
huge  creaking  wooden  carts  filled  with  brushwood  or  produce 
and  as  antiquated  as  those  which  Noah  used,  —  these  and  a 
host  of  queer  things  attract  the  eye  and  make  the  street  highly 
interesting  to  strangers.  The  houses  are  poor  and  monotonous, 
but  the  surging  procession  of  begoggled  officials  and  sweating 
coolies,  slobbering  bulls  and  squealing  ponies,  wrangling  dogs 
and  dirty  children,  redeem  them  and  impart  to  the  street  a 
strange  blend  of  gayety  and  sobriety,  of  modernity  and  medi- 
evalism, of  the  Orient  and  the  Occident. 

Paralleling  Chon-no  on  the  S.  are  the  ruins  of  a  sometime 
crystal  brook,  now  defiled  in  a  loathsome  manner  and  spanned 
by  a  number  of  archaic  stone  bridges,  one  known  as  the 
Chicken  Bridge,  because  the  chicken-market  is  held  near  it. 
On  the  banks  of  this  fetid  stream  scores  of  the  native  women 
work  out  their  destiny  by  washing  their  lords'  frowsy  and  vol- 
uminous clothes;  pounding  the  hard  bundles  with  wooden 
rollers  on  stones  until  a  fine  gloss  like  that  of  mercerized  cotton 
is  produced.  They  are  characteristic  features  not  only  of  Seoul 
but  of  all  Korea,  for  wherever  there  is  a  runnel  or  a  festering 
pool  there  women  drudges  foregather,  ladle  up  the  malodorous 
water,  roll  the  yellowish-white  garments  into  sizable  bundles, 
then  batter  them  into  cleanliness.  The  sound  of  their  tapping 
clubs  is  a  familiar  one  in  the  'Land  of  the  Morning  Calm/  A 
little  farther  to  the  S.  stretches  one  of  the  chief  Japanese  thor- 
oughfares, the  Honcho-dori  (Main  St.;  also  called  Honmachi), 
narrower,  busier,  cleaner,  more  cheerful  and  inviting  than  the 
Korean  street,  but  less  interesting  because  more  modern.  It 
curves  gracefully  round  the  base  of  a  small  bit  of  transplanted 
Tokyo  called  Nam-san  (Nam  Hill),  on  which  stand  several  im- 
posing governmental  buildings,  conspicuous  among  them  the 
Sotokufu,  or  Residency  General.  Here  there  is  a  pretty  public 


The  Korean  Pony.  \  SEOUL  46.  Route.  737 


garden,  and  hereabout  Japan  blazes  forth  in  all  its  riot  of  color 
and  picturesqueness.  In  no  quarter  of  Seoul  is  the  stress  of 
Occidental  civilization  and  progress  so  apparent  as  here,  and 
from  daylight  until  dusk  long  lines  of  busy  people,  postmen  on 
bicycles,  delivery  carts  being  pedaled  along  by  bareheaded 
boys,  straining  bulls,  foreigners,  Japanese,  Koreans,  Manchus, 
and  Cantonese  pulse  through  its  restricted  channel.  The  most 
objectionable  and  savagely  noisy  segments  of  the  daily  pro- 
cession are  the  strapped,  muzzled,  and  contumacious  Korean 
ponies,  against  which  the  traveler  should  always  be  on  his  guard. 
They  rarely  lose  a  chance  to  bite  the  unsuspecting  stranger 
and  they  are  equally  diligent  with  their  heels  or  fore  feet. 
*V  The  Korean  Pony  (prototype  of  the  Japanese  pony)  is  one  of  the  most 
s  ^salient  features  of  Korea.  'The  breed  is  peculiar  to  it.  The  animals  used  for 
burdens  are  all  stallions,  from  10  to  12  hands  high,  well  formed,  and  singu- 
larly strong,  carrying  from  160  to  200  lbs.  30  M.  a  day,  week  after  week,  on 
sorry  food.  They  are  most  desperate;  squealing  and  trumpeting  on  all  occa-' 
sions,  attacking  every  pony  they  meet  on  the  road,  never  becoming  recon- 
ciled to  each  other  even  on  a  long  journey,  and  in  their  fury  ignoring  their 
loads,  which  are  often  smashed  to  pieces.  Their  savagery  makes  it  neces- 
sary to  have  a  mapu  for  every  pony.  At  the  inn  stables  they  are  not  only 
chained  down  to  the  troughs  by  chains  short  enough  to  prevent  them  from 
raising  their  heads,  but  are  partially  slung  at  night  to  the  heavy  beams  of 
the  roof.  Even  under  these  restricted  circumstances  their  cordial  hatred 
finds  vent  in  hyena-like  yells,  abortive  snaps,  and  attempts  to  swing  their 
hind  legs  round.  They  are  never  allowed  to  lie  down,  and  very  rarely  to 
drink  water,  and  then  only  when  freely  salted.  Their  nostrils  are  all  slit  in 
an  attempt  to  improve  upon  nature  and  give  them  better  wind.  They  are 
fed  three  times  a  day  on  brown  slush  as  hot  as  they  can  drink  it,  composed 
of  beans,  chopped  millet-stalks,  rice-husks,  and  bran,  with  the  water  in 
which  they  have  been  boiled.  Everj-  attempt  at  friendliness  is  resented  with 
teeth  and  heels.  When  descending  a  steep  hill  the  mapus  hold  the  ponies  by 
their  tails! ' 

Honcho-dori  is  as  innocent  of  sidewalks  as  a  country  lane, 
but  facing  it,  beside  the  many  branch  stores  from  Osaka  and 
Tokyo,  are  the  sub-offices  of  two  of  the  greatest  corporations  of 
the  world:  The  Standard  Oil  Co.  of  New  York,  and  the  Mitsui 
Bussan  Kdisha  of  Tokyo.  At  its  junction  with  Nandaimon- 
dori  stands  the  costly  (2  million  yen)  and  imposing  Chosen 
Ginkb  (Bank  of  Korea),  completed  in  1912  and  forming,  with 
its  splendidly  massive  gray  granite  walls  and  glistening  copper- 
sheathed  domes,  a  landmark  in  the  vicinity.  It  is  the  newest 
and  finest  of  all  the  city  banks,  and  once  within  its  spacious 
and  elaborate  interior  the  visitor  finds  it  difficult  to  convince 
himself  that  he  is  not  in  New  York.  The  immediate  neighbor- 
hood is  the  liveliest  in  the  city,  and  the  hucksters  who  trot 
along  the  street  uttering  their  strange  cries  add  to  the  universal 
din.  Here  the  Japanese  demonstrate  their  right  to  be  the  rul- 
ing race  by  intelligence  and  progress,  and  many  Koreans  clus- 
ter as  near  as  possible  to  them  for  the  protection  they  feel  is 
assured  them. 

From  each  of  the  two  great  arteries  mentioned  there  radiates 
a  labyrinth  of  narrow,  tortuous  streets  flanked  by  Korean, 
Japanese,  and  Chinese  shops  and  factories.  Not  a  few  of  the 


738    Route  46.  CsEOUL  Walls  and  Gates. 


city  byways  are  still  unpaved,  dirty  alleys  whose  emphatic 
quality  during  the  dry  season  is  dust,  and  during  and  after  the 
rainy  season  sticky  mud.  Most  of  them  are  concrete  illustra- 
tions of  the  fact  that  when  left  to  themselves  the  Koreans  be- 
come very  soiled  children  of  the  soil,  and  dwell  in  a  general 
abominableness  repulsive  to  Westerners.  The  slimy  and  fetid 
runlets  which  ooze  past  their  rickety  doors  and  the  microbic 
refuse-heaps  piled  high  beneath  the  low  straw  eaves  speak  no 
language  to  them.  —  The  broad,  well-paved  street  which  goes 
past  the  Nandaimon  Gate  and  Station,  and  connects  the  city 
with  the  new  Japanese  suburb  of  Ryuzan  (linked  also  by  rly. 
and  trolley),  is  Furuichi-cho;  cityward  from  the  gate  to  its  in- 
tersection with  Honcho-dori,  and  later  with  Chon-no}  it  is  called 
Nandaimon-dori.  It  has  been  recently  widened  and  paved,  and 
it  is  significant  of  what  the  chief  thoroughfares  of  the  metropo- 
lis will  be  a  few  years  hence. 

The  Legation  Quarter  (PI.  B,  3)  is  perhaps  the  healthiest  of 
the  city  —  a  blend  of  town  and  country.  Most  of  the  houses 
stand  back  in  fine  spacious  gardens  reached  through  lanes  be- 
tween high  and  massive  walls.  In  spring  and  summer  one  is 
awakened  early  by  the  strident  chattering  and  wrangling  of 
magpies;  the  melodious  call  of  the  cuckoo;  the  incessant  twit- 
tering and  chirping  of  small  birds  and  insects;  the  hoarse  calling 
of  geese;  the  crowing  of  a  myriad  cockerels;  and  not  unfre- 
quently  by  the  grunting  or  squealing  of  the  young  bears  of 
which  the  manager  of  the  Sontag  Hotel  is  fond  and  which  he 
captures  and  chains  up  in  the  hotel  yard.  The  entire  section  is 
embowered  in  beautiful  flowers  and  poplars,  Paulownia  imperi- 
alism pines,  and  other  trees,  and  the  freshness  and  beauty  of  the 
early  mornings  are  inspiring. 

The  Walls  and  Gates.  Few  objects  in  the  Far  East  are  more 
impressive  or  more  distinctively  mediaeval  than  the  crumbling, 
crenelated  wall  (Korean,  song;  Jap.  heki),  which  is  25-40  ft. 
high  and  which  runs  for  14  M.  like  a  girdle  about  the  inner 
city.  No  less  picturesque  are  the  eight  huge  pavilioned  gate- 
ways which  pierce  it,  and  the  great  arches  that  span  the  streams 
crossed  in  its  course.  The  Emperor  Yi  Taijo  caused  it  to  be 
built  soon  after  he  fixed  his  new  capital  here  in  1392,  and  his- 
tory records  that  200,000  men  were  drawn  in  from  the  different 
provinces  to  work  on  it.  Like  the  Great  Wall  of  China  (from 
which  it  manifestly  was  copied)  it  stops  not  at  mts.,  but  climbs 
them  sturdily  (to  a  height  of  1130  ft.  at  the  N.),  coiling  about 
them  like  some  sinuous  and  sinister  dragon;  following  the 
irregularities  of  the  ridges  before  dipping  into  some  deep  valley 
or  disappearing  behind  some  spur  later  to  reappear  on  a  higher, 
projecting  ridge.  Small  sections  have  been  demolished  to  make 
way  for  the  expansion  of  the  modern  city;  others  are  falling 
inward,  and  still  others  are  used  as  foot-paths  or  planted  with 
flowers  and  vegetables  by  those  whose  houses  back  up  against 


Nam  Tai  Moon. 


SEOUL 


46.  Route.  739 


it ;  but  the  remainder  is  preserved  in  its  pristine  crudity.  What 
it  has  lost  in  strength  it  has  gained  in  picturesqueness,  for  long 
stretches  are  almost  covered  with  clinging  ivy,  and  where  the 
accumulated  moss  of  centuries  spots  its  sides  it  makes  a  strik- 
ing feature  in  a  striking  landscape.  From  below  it  looks  like  a 
solid  and  formidable  mass  of  cyclopean  masonry,  for  numerous 
direct  and  oblique  embrasures  pierce  it  and  recall  the  time 
when  bold  archers  trod  its  high  parapets  and  launched  feathered 
shafts  and  javelins  over  the  ramparts  at  advancing  foes. 
Through  these  loopholes  one  gets  entrancing  views  of  distant 
valleys  and  mts.  and  from  the  top  still  wider  ones.  The  wall 
proper  is  12-15  ft.  through  and  consists  of  a  bank  of  earth  faced 
with  masonry,  of  varying  heights.  The  stones  which  form  the 
outer  veneer  are  about  3  ft.  sq.  and  15  in.  thick,  and  are 
crowned  by  cut  granite  blocks  or  coping-stones  grooved  in  the 
center,  set  on  a  slight  incline,  and  measuring  approximately 
5  ft.  wide,  12-15  ft.  long,  and  from  6  to  36  in.  thick.  The  trav- 
eler with  time  to  spare  will  not  regret  an  early  morning  stroll 
along  the  crest  of  this  ancient  fortification  built  a  hundred  yrs. 
before  Columbus  discovered  America.  That  part  near  the  W. 
Gate,  5  min.  from  the  hotel,  is  easily  accessible.  Ascend  be- 
tween the  gate  and  the  police-box  at  the  right.  There  are  none 
to  question  or  to  demand  fees. 

The  Gates  (Korean,  moon;  Jap.  mon)  are  huge,  cumbersome 
affairs,  heavily  bossed  and  strengthened  with  massive  and 
badly  rusted  iron  sheathing,  strips,  and  bolts,  swung  on  huge 
pivots  let  into  soffits  above  and  belo\f ,  —  after  the  manner  of 
old  Spanish-Moorish  seignorial  houses,  —  and  set  in  solid 
arches  of  cut  gray  granite  blocks,  some  of  them  10  ft.  long  and 
almost  as  thick.  They  are  interesting  specimens  of  the  crude 
workmanship  of  the  early  Chosenese  —  more  picturesque  than 
handsome,  and  in  this  progressive  20th  cent,  more  ornamental 
than  useful.  Surmounting  the  arches  are  massive,  two-storied, 
quadrilateral,  temple-like  structures,  with  uptilted  tiled  roofs, 
enriched  with  a  maze  of  faded  compound  brackets  and  dingy 
polychromatic  decorations  —  conspicuous  among  which  in 
white  and  black,  is  the  Life  Principle  already  referred  to.  An- 
ciently they  were  used  for  the  barbaric  dramas  enacted  by 
masked  musicians,  sorcerers,  and  the  like  whenever  the  Emperor 
went  abroad  or  visited  extra-mural  Seoul.  Certain  of  the  gates 
have  grandiloquent  titles  that  accord  illy  with  their  dilapidated 
appearance;  as,  ' Benevolence,'  'Bright  Amiability/  'Exalted 
Politeness,'  'Gate  of  Elevated  Humanity,'  and  the  like. 

The  Nandaimon  (Korean,  Nam  Tai  Moon),  or  &  Gate,  near 
the  rly.  station  of  the  same  name  (PI.  B,  3),  is  the  most  attrac- 
tive and  the  best  preserved.  Like  certain  others  it  is  reserved 
for  pedestrians  only,  and  one  will  scarcely  see  a  more  pictur- 
esque sight  than  the  stream  of  variegated  humanity  that  pulses 
through  it  on  a  bright  day,  —  Korean  men  in  white,  and 


740   Route  46.  '  SEOUL 


North  Palace. 


women  in  green  garments;  Chinese  in  blue  gowns;  Japanese  in 
sundry  vivid  colors  and  conventional  black;  and  native  chil- 
dren in  their  brown  '  birthday'  suits.  —  The  archway  is  im- 
mensely solid  (39  ft.  deep;  16  wide  and  20  high),  iron-studded 
and  with  the  ear-marks  of  great  antiquity.  The  lower  stone 
wall,  the  electric  light  shafts,  and  the  parterres  are  modern. 
The  superstructure  is  in  only  tolerable  repair  and  is  inacessible 
to  visitors.  Those  interested  in  seeing  one  of  the  pavilions  are 
recommended  to  the 

Seidaimon  (Su  Tai  Moon),  or  W.  Gate  (PL  B,  2),  for  cen- 
turies the  entrance  to  the  capital  for  travelers  from  Chemulpo. 
The  huge  swinging  gates  (smaller  and  more  time-stained  than 
the  Nandaimon)  are  good  examples  of  early  Korean  workman- 
ship, and  the  painted,  winged  tiger  below  the  arch  expresses 
the  native  idea  of  decorative  art.  By  passing  between  the  gate- 
way and  the  policeman's  box  at  the  right,  then  ascending  and 
bearing  round  to  the  left,  one  quickly  reaches  the  ramshackle 
superstructure,  with  its  faded  decorations  and  general  un- 

r  cleanliness.  The  view  from  the  parapet  of  the  wall  is  extensive. 

[  Not  very  long  ago,  when  the  Big  Bell  sounded  the  requiem  of  the 
setting  sun,  all  the  city  gates  were  closed,  and  the  dilatory  and 
luckless  wight  who  reached  one  of  them  a  minute  late  might 
beat  on  their  knurled  surfaces  until  his  knuckles  bled  and  the 
tigers  came  and  carried  him  off,  for  nary  a  soul  would  open  them 
as  much  as  an  inch.  At  that  period  the  wall  was  intact,  but  de- 
spite this  tigers  and  leopards  leaped  it  and  frequently  took  a 
nightly  quota  from  among  the  trembling  citizens  of  the  inclosure. 

The  North  Palace  (Kyong-pok  Koong),  in  the  N.W.  quarter 
(PL  B,  2)  at  the  foot  of  the  frowning  Pook  Han  Hill,  comprises 
a  group  of  over-decorated  and  practically  deserted  buildings 
(said  to  date  from  the  15th  cent.)  in  an  immense  neglected 
walled  inclosure  5  min.  walk  N.  of  Chon-no  St.  (W.  of  the  big 
bell)  and  15  min.  from  the  Sontag  Hotel.  The  entrance  is  at  the 
top  of  the  wide,  unpaved  Kokamon-dori,  |  M.  from  Chon-no. 
A  line  of  barracks  flanks  it  on  the  left,  and  several  new  adminis- 
tration buildings  on  the  right.  A  guide  is  unnecessary  and  no 
fees  are  demanded  beyond  the  ticket  (5  sen),  which  must  be 
purchased  at  the  office  at  the  left  of  the  gate  and  given  up  there 
on  leaving.  The  crude,  inartistic,  crumbling  structures  are  of 
little  interest  to  whosoever  has  seen  architecture  of  a  similar 
but  much  superior  style  in  Japan.  The  badly  mutilated  and 
hideous  Dogs  of  Fo  (gifts  from  a  Chinese  Emperor)  which 
stand  on  pedestals  near  the  outer  gate  were  evidently  fashioned 
with  dull  tools  by  an  unimaginative  workman.  The  wide 
Kokamon  Gate  is  of  grandiose  proportions  and  is  pierced  by 
triple  stone  arches  each  with  massive,  heavily-studded  doors 
almost  covered  with  iron  and  bronze.  The  crude  iron  locks  are 
the  only  things  worth  looking  at.  The  mythological  phoenixes 
(fung-wang)  on  the  wood  ceiling  of  the  central  arch  are  Korean 


The  Reikairo. 


SEOUL  46.  Route.  741 


emblems  of  peace  and  good  government.  —  The  Main  Palace 
stands  at  the  foot  of  a  succession  of  wide,  grass-grown,  flagged 
inclosures  marked  by  faded  gates  and  indifferently  carved 
stone  balustrades.  The  stone  animals  in  the  act  of  peering  into 
the  verdure-choked  runnel  of  the  second  compound  are  curious. 
The  3d  gate  gives  ingress  to  an  inclosure  with  a  two-storied 
ancestral  temple  rising  from  a  double  plinth  encircled  by  sculp- 
tured stone  fences  showing  traces  of  art.  The  compound  brack- 
ets of  the  eaves,  the  huge  sloping  roof,  and  the  general  exterior 
decorations  are  mediocre.  A  vacant  shrine  stands  within.  The 
tall  Indian-red  pillars  support  a  ceiling  smudged  by  the  incense 
of  ages  and  covered  with  tawdry  decorations.  Passing  through 
two  more  inclosures,  each  with  its  deserted  shrines,  then 
through  a  low  gateway  at  the  left,  we  cross  a  stone  bridge  flung 
across  a  lily-  and  lotus-flecked  moat  to 

The  Keikairo,  known  variously  as  the  Summer  Pavilion, 
Hall  of  Congratulations,  and  Audience  Hall,  a  draughty,  quad- 
rilateral, dilapidated  structure  supported  by  8  rows  of  6  each 
square  and  round  gray  granite  columns  with  metal  sheaths  in- 
stead of  capitals.  A  beautiful  lotus-pond  stretches  beyond  to 
a  pine-clad  strip  with  many  flowering  trees  and  shrubs.  Water 
completely  surrounds  the  edifice,  like  certain  of  the  floating 
palaces  of  India,  and  granite  steps  lead  down  to  the  lakelet  on 
which  royal  boats  once  floated.  The  supports  of  the  carefully 
chiseled  stone  balustrade  girdling  the  building  carry  lotus-leaf 
designs.  Many  bird  notes  fill  the  air,  and  a  gentle  melancholy 
broods  above  the  place.  Here  the  palace  ladies  formerly  loved 
to  congregate  and  to  enjoy  the  reflection  of  the  myriad  lotuses 
which  waved  and  nodded  above  the  rippleless  pool.  —  A  de- 
serted garden,  now  choked  with  underbrush,  stretches  away  to 
the  rear  of  the  palace  buildings,  and  near  the  back  gate,  on  a 
spot  then  covered  with  a  small  hut  since  destroyed,  a  cruel 
tragedy  was  enacted  before  dawn  on  Oct.  8,  1895. 

Because  of  her  unusual  intelligence  and  her  skill  in  placing  members  of  her 
own  family  in  nearly  all  the  offices  of  State,  the  Korean  Queen  was  a  thorn 
in  the  side  of  certain  Court  intriguers,  particularly  TaiWon  Run  (the  King's 
father;  died  1898)  who  ruled  with  excessive  vigor  for  10  yrs.,  put  2000  Ko- 
rean Catholics  to  death  in  1868,  and  won  the  title  of  a '  man  with  bowels  of 
iron  and  a  heart  of  stone.'  By  unscrupulous  ability  and  rapaciousness  he 
gained  the  support  of  certain  unpatriotic  Japanese,  and  on  the  morning  in 
question,  at  the  head  of  a  mixed  band  of  miscreants,  he  suddenly  stormed 
the  palace,  intimidated  the  King,  and  by  mistreating  certain  of  the  palace 
ladies,  made  them  disclose  the  hiding-place  of  their  royal  mistress.  'In  the 
upper  story  the  Crown  Princess  was  found  with  several  ladies,  and  she  was 
dragged  by  the  hair,  cut  with  a  sword,  beaten,  and  thrown  downstairs.  The 
Queen,  flying  from  the  assassins,  was  overtaken  and  stabbed,  falling  down  as 
if  dead;  some  one  then  jumped  on  her  breast  and  stabbed  her  through  and 
through  with  a  sword.  She  was  then  carried  to  a  grove  of  pines  in  the  adja- 
cent park,  kerosene  oil  was  poured  over  the  body,  which  was  surrounded 
by  fagots  and  burned,  only  a  few  small  bones  escaping  destruction.  Thus 
perished,  at  the  age  of  forty-four,  by  the  hands  of  assassins,  the  clever,  ambi- 
tious, intriguing,  fascinating,  and  in  many  respects  lovable  Queen  of  Korea.' 
What  remained  of  the  poor  stricken  body  was  gathered  up  and  later  buried 
beneath  the  tomb  mentioned  hereinafter. 


742    Route  46.  SEOUL  Marble  Pagoda. 


The  Big  Bell  (chong  or  chori)  stands  at  the  intersection  of  the 
Nandaimon-dori  and  the  Chon-no  (PI.  B,  2)  in  a  rude,  slatted, 
and  time-stained  pavilion  called  the  Chong-kak.  It  is  of  cast 
bronze,  10  ft.  high  by  8  wide  (weight  unknown),  and  is  said  to 
be  the  3d  largest  in  the  world  —  which  is  doubtful.  It  is  easily 
the  largest  in  Korea,  and  it  bears  the  following  inscription: 
Sye  Cho  the  Great,  12th  year  Man  cha  and  moon,  the  4th  year 
of  the  great  Ming  Emperor  Hsiian-hua,  the  head  of  the  bureau 
of  Royal  despatches,  Sye  Ko  Chyeng,  bearing  the  title  Sa  Ka 
Chyeng,  had  this  pavilion  erected  and  this  bell  hung/  Accord- 
ing to  an  authority  it  was  cast  in  1396  and  hung  in  its  present 
place  in  1468.  The  metal  of  which  it  was  cast  failed  to  fuse 
until  a  living  child  had  been  tossed  into  the  molten  mass,  from 
which  circumstance  the  Koreans  claim  that  the  wailing  of  a 
child  can  always  be  detected  in  its  notes.  Its  dull,  heavy  boom 
is  heard  in  all  parts  of  the  city,  and  its  warning  tones  have  been 
the  signal  for  the  opening  and  closing  of  the  gates  during  five 
centuries.  Formerly  at  8  or  9  o'clock,  when  darkness  had 
fallen,  this  great  curfew  was  rung  as  a  signal  to  all  the  men 
that  they  must  hurry  home,  seclude  themselves,  and  give  the 
women  a  chance  to  come  out  and  amuse  themselves.  Drastic 
punishment  was  the  reward  for  failure  to  obey;  the  custom  fell 
into  disuse  when  Europeans  came  to  live  in  the  capital.  The 
spot  on  which  the  bell  kiosk  stands  is  regarded  as  the  center  of 
the  old  city.  The  inclosed  Monument  somewhat  to  the  W.  of 
the  big  bell,  on  the  Chon-no  (N.  side),  was  erected  by  Tai  Won 
Kun  in  1866,  after  the  Korean  repulse  of  a  feeble  attempt  made 
by  the  French  to  get  satisfaction  for  the  murder  of  French 
missionaries.  The  inscription  is  significant  of  the  tyrant: 
1  Whosoever  pronounces  even  the  name  of  a  European  is  a 
traitor  to  his  country/ 

The  Marble  Pagoda  (PI.  C,  2),  in  Pagoda  Park,  5  min.  walk 
E.  from  the  big  bell,  stands  on  the  N.  side  of  Chon-no  St.  in  a 
pretty  park  with  attractive  iron  gates.  If  these  are  closed,  en- 
trance can  be  gained  through  the  wooden  gate  at  the  left.  The 
custodian's  house  (no  fees)  is  just  within.  The  pagoda,  a  curi- 
ous Buddhist  relic  in  the  Dravidian  style  modified  by  Chinese 
sculptors,  is  said  to  have  been^presented  to  a  Korean  King  by  a 
Chinese  emperor  in  the  13th  cent.  Originally  11  stories  high, 
it  is  now  in  a  lamentable  state  of  decay ;  the  topmost  sections- 
have  fallen  and  lie  near  the  base.  The  sculptures  in  low  relief 
represent  Buddhist  votaries  traveling  toward  nirvana,  sur- 
rounded by  tigers,  dragons,  and  many  figures  of  the  Buddhist 
pantheon.  Time  and  the  elements  have  dealt  less  kindly  with 
this  curious  relic  of  Indian-Chinese  art  than  with  the  huge 
stone  tortoise  hard  by,  the  chiseled  lotus  leaf  on  the  back  of 
which  proclaims  its  Buddhistic  significance.  It  is  14  ft.  long  by 
9  ft.  broad,  and  it  rests  in  a  sunken  space  18  by  15  ft.;  rising 
from  its  back  is  a  stone  shaft  capped  by  a  sculptured  entangle- 


East  Palace.  "  pEOUw  46.  Route.  743 


ment  of  writhing  dragons  in  bold  design.  It  is  evidently  a 
tomb,  as  the  tortoise  forms  the  material  for  a  number  of  pleas- 
ing superstitions  peculiarly  acceptable  to  the  Korean  habit  of 
thought. 

The  *East  Palace  (Chang-tok  Koong)  stands  in  the  N.E. 
quarter  of  the  city,  immediately  S.  of  the  Museum  (PI.  C,  2), 
at  the  top  of  a  short  street  (Yokamon-dori)  which  leads  N. 
from  Chon-no  a  short  distance  beyond  (E.)  the  Marble  Pagoda. 
The  palace  and  grounds  are  closed  to  the  general  public,  but  a 
card  of  admission  can  be  obtained  through  one's  consul  or 
upon  application  to  the  Resident  General.  One  hour  is  suffi- 
cient for  an  inspection  of  the  buildings  and  grounds  —  which 
are  worth  seeing.  Fees  are  refused  by  the  palace  guide  and 
should  not  be  proffered.  Travelers  usually  indicate  beforehand 
the  hour  of  their  arrival  and  the  (English-speaking)  guide  will 
be  found  in  readiness  just  within  the  gate,  near  the  new  admin- 
istration building  —  the  guards  of  which  challenge  visitors 
unsupplied  with  the  necessary  permit.  The  main  building 
dates  from  the  17th  cent,  but  has  been  frequently  repaired  and 
recently  re-decorated.  The  exterior  is  profusely  adorned  in 
clashing  colors.  The  tiled  roof  with  deep  eaves  has  elaborately 
painted  carved  beams  carrying  terminal  enrichments  snowing 
the  5-petal  plum  blossom  —  the  old  dynastic  emblem.  The 
detached  building  at  the  rear  of  the  main  structure,  an  excel- 
lent example  of  first-class  Korean  workmanship,  has  strikingly 
decorative  peacock-blue  tiles,  and  formerly  was  the  home  of 
the  Emperor.  When  not  in  the  New  Palace  in  the  Legation 
Quarter,  he  is  supposed  to  abide  in  the  low  house  at  the  right. 
The  prevailing  tones  of  the  interior  decorations  are  red,  gray, 
and  black;  the  structure  is  erected  around  a  hollow  square,  sim- 
ilar to  the  old  imperial  buildings  at  Kyoto.  Save  for  a  stone 
fountain  the  central  patio  is  bare.  The  long  hall  into  which  the 
visitor  is  conducted  first  is  carpeted  with  imported  linoleum; 
from  this  one  usually  enters  a  public  dining-room,  decorated  in 
tawdry  and  doubtful  taste.  The  low  waiting-room  is  a  poly- 
chromatic maze  of  bewildering  colors,  not  very  subdued,  but 
relieved  here  and  there  by  sculptured  phoenixes  and  plum- 
blossom  crests.  From  it  one  proceeds  to  the  vast  and  lofty 
Throne  Room,  60  or  more  ft.  high,  embellished  in  many  colors. 
Fourteen  immense  wood  columns  2  ft.  in  diameter,  and  many 
pilasters,  all  painted  a  rich  Indian  red,  support  the  coffered 
ceiling,  each  panel  of  which  is  adorned  with  a  painted  phcenix; 
the  wide  central  sunken  panel  displays  two  gorgeous  gold 
phoenixes  in  high  relief,  surrounded  by  wave  patterns  in  poly- 
chrome tints.  This  design  is  duplicated  in  a  richer  and  more 
decorous  way  in  the  fine  panel  above  the  throne.  The  extra-  \ 
ordinarily  fine  hangings  are  of  rich  yellow  and  gold  brocade! 
woven  on  Kyoto  looms.  At  the  back  are  two  large  phoenixes 
(one  with  a  peacock's  outspread  tail)  painted  in  pleasing  colors 


744   Route  46. 


SEOUL 


East  Palace. 


on  a  gold-lacquered  panel  20  by  20  ft.  Beneath  are  four  curious 
wood  panels  ornamented  in  colors  with  mythological  phoenixes, 
dragons,  and  tortoises.  The  imperial  insignia  worked  in  relief 
on  the  silk  curtains  in  gold  are  striking.  The  beautiful  gold 
peacock  screen  at  the  left  is  worth  noting.  The  massive  and 
graceful  chair  which  forms  the  throne  is  of  rich  yellow  silk- 
velvet  and  gold,  with  imperial  plum  blossoms  worked  in  gold 
on  the  arms  and  legs,  and  the  Yang  and  Yin  of  the  Chinese. 
The  exquisite  dark-blue  cloisonne  vases  at  the  right  and  left, 
portraying  white  flowers  and  birds,  were  presented  by  the  late 
Prince  I  to.  Singularly  out  of  place  amid  the  luxurious  fit- 
ments of  the  room  are  the  14  brass  gas-heaters  of  foreign  pro- 
venience. The  hardwood  floor  is  polished  to  a  high  degree  of 
luster  and  slipperiness.  The  medley  of  wall-decoration  is  not 
in  the  best  taste. 

Adjoining  the  Throne  Room  is  the  smaller,  similarly  deco- 
rated Audience  Room,  with  some  rich  and  costly  screens  and 
some  spindly,  upholstered  French  furniture.  The  screen  in 
front  of  the  yellow  silk  hangings  at  the  left  cost  ¥2000  and  is 
a  marvel  of  richness;  the  panel  at  the  right,  with  the  cock  and 
hen,  plum  blossoms,  and  camellias,  symbolizes  Spring.  That 
with  the  wistaria,  lilies,  and  cranes  is  emblematic  of  Summer. 
Autumn  is  represented  by  autumn  leaves,  chrysanthemums, 
and  pheasants  fashioned  with  marvelous  fidelity  to  nature.  The 
dissolution  of  the  summer  glories  and  the  advent  of  Winter  is 
represented  by  a  panel  displaying  ducks,  winter  berries,  and 
flowers.  The  base  of  the  screen  is  beautifully  inlaid  with  rich 
yellow  gold  and  madreperl,  and  edged  with  chased  gold  fili- 
gree. The  dominant  ground  note  of  all  the  panels  is  a  delicate 
pearl  gray.  The  other  screen,  displaying  strikingly  handsome 
Japanese  cranes  on  a  mauve  ground,  cost  ¥1500.  —  Travers- 
ing a  long  hall  in  which  there  are  several  excellent  old  Chinese 
and  Japanese  screens,  we  come  to 

The  Reception  Hall,  with  some  more  costly  screens  and  a 
noteworthy  peacock  panel  suspended  against  the  wall ;  the  fas- 
tenings of  the  windows  and  partitions  are  fine  Korean  brass- 
work.  The  bronze  statuette  on  its  pedestal  (said  to  be  over  a 
thousand  yrs.  old)  was  a  gift  from  the  Emperor  of  Italy  to  the 
ex-Emperor  of  Korea  for  his  consideration  toward  certain 
Italian  subjects.  The  long  screen  behind  it,  adorned  with  apri- 
cot blossoms,  is  of  Korean  make.  —  Leaving  the  palace  we  bear 
to  the  left  and  proceed  to  the  Imperial  Summer  House,  in  the 
spacious,  flower-decked  garden.  In  spring  the  place  is  redolent 
of  fragrance  and  beautiful  with  blossoming  cherries;  in  summer 
lilies  and  lotuses  impart  their  special  charm,  and  in  autumn  the 
reddening  maples  are  of  a  gorgeousness  difficult  to  portray. 
The  grounds  are  very  extensive,  and  fine  walks  lead  to  and  fro 
across  them.  In  one  of  the  little  houses  silk-worms  were  for- 
merly reared  by  the  Emperor;  at  the  far  end  of  the  park  is  a 


Art  Museum. 


SEOUL  46.  Route.  745 


special  summer-house  where  the  Crown  Prince  used  to  receive 
the  ministers  and  nobles.  The  visitor  is  conducted  finally  to  a 
charmingly  reposeful  little  sexagonal  summer-house  overlook- 
ing a  lovely  pond  spanned  by  a  quaint  bridge  —  a  flower- 
decked  retreat  in  strange  contrast  to  the  baldness  of  the  Ko- 
rean streets.  To  this  spot  a  special  aromatic  tea  accompanied 
by  cakes  is  brought  from  an  adjacent  house,  and  served  on 
spotless  linen  spread  upon  a  Western  table.  Far  back  of  the 
tea-house,  at  the  end  of  a  secluded  walk  which  winds  through 
forest  glades  and  maple  groves,  is  a  pretty  dell  with  a  running 
brook  near  it  —  the  special  retiring  place  of  His  Majesty.  If 
the  guide  is  complacent  he  will  lead  the  visitor  through  a  gate- 
way to  the  grounds  of  the  museum  and  the  botanical  garden 
before  conducting  hkn  to.the  entrance. 

The  *Seoul  Art  Museum  (Hakubutsukwan),  the  Botanical 
Garden  (Shokubutsuen),  and  the  Zoological  Garden  {DobuU 
su-en)  are  all  in  one  wide  inclosure  just  N.  of  the  East  Palace 
garden  (PI.  C,  2),  and  are  reached  through  a  short  street  (the 
Genkwa-mon-dori)  which  leads  N.  (tram-cars)  from  Chon-no 
St.  (5  min.  walk)  at  a  point  a  short  way  E.  of  Pagoda  Park 
and  the  E.  Palace  entrance;  they  were  established  in  1908 
and  are  open  daily  (admission,  10  sen)  from  9  to  4.  The  en- 
trance to  the  museum  grounds  is  on  the  left  side  of  the  St., 
and  when  one  stands  within  the  gateway  the  museum  is 
straight  ahead,  the  botanical  garden  is  at  the  right,  and  the 
Zoo  at  the  left;  all  are  in  a  state  of  development  and  change. 
The  museum  exhibits  at  present  displayed  in  the  rather  shabby 
detached  buildings  are  destined  later  to  be  assembled  and 
united  in  one  or  more  larger  and  more  commodious  structures. 
No  effort  is  here  made  to  describe  the  collection  in  detail ;  it  is 
decidedly  inferior  to  the  customary  splendid  ancient  and  mod- 
ern art  objects  one  usually  sees  in  the  museums  of  Japan. 
There  are  strangely  few  antiquities  of  artistic  or  intrinsic  worth, 
despite  the  oft-repeated  assertion  that  Korea  was  the  fountain- 
head  whence  the  wonderful  artisans  of  Old  Japan  drew  their 
inspiration.  Few  of  them  are  comparable  to  the  early  achieve- 
ments of  the  Nipponese.  Most  of  the  specimens  of  old  work 
date  from  periods  between  the  9th  and  14th  centuries.  There 
are  some  attractive  bits  of  gold,  bronze,  brass,  and  lacquer 
inlaid  with  madreperl,  conspicuous  among  the  latter,  several 
chests,  trays,  and  what-not  strikingly  like  certain  of  the  pieces 
in  the  Nara  and  Tokyo  museums.  The  bronze  mirrors  are 
chiefly  of  Chinese  origin  and  are  unequivocally  the  prototypes 
of  those  so  prominent  in  Japan  in  the  pre-Meiji  era.  The  hall 
in  which  the  small  but  interesting  collection  of  old  Buddhas 
(many  of  Indian  origin)  are  kept  is  worth  looking  into,  as  it 
contains  also  a  display  of  early  jewelry.  Certain  of  the  old 
monochrome  and  polychrome  pictures,  chiefly  in  makemono 
and  kakemono  form,  are  scarcely  distinguishable,  to  the  casual 


746    Route  1+6. 


SEOUL 


Queen1  s  Tomb. 


eye,  from  the  Japanese  and  Chinese  work.  Certain  of  the  court 
scenes,  landscapes,  portraits  of  Buddhist  priests  and  sages,  and 
the  like,  are  noteworthy  in  conception  and  technic  and  show 
the  work  of  true  artists  on  their  ancient  surfaces.  The  collec- 
tion of  palanquins,  singularly  crude  vehicles,  arms,  and  royal 
trappings  is  more  picturesque  than  artistic.  The  mineral  speci- 
mens and  the  stuffed  birds,  animals,  and  fishes  need  not  detain 
one.  The  numerous  glass  cases  containing  early  pottery,  porce- 
lain, and  stoneware  are  not  without  interest.  Certain  of  the 
rare  celadon  pieces  are  grim  relics  of  an  era  when  it  was  cus- 
tomary to  fill  them  with  food  and  water  and  place  them  in 
tombs  or  mounds  where  aged  or  infirm  persons  had  been  left  to 
die  a  lingering  death.  The  gray  Mishimade-ware  is  so  called 
because  the  stripes  resemble  those  of  the  Mishima  Almanac 
published  anciently  by  the  Mishima  Myojin  Temple  (in 
Japan).  All  the  pieces  are  immeasurably  superior  to  present- 
day  productions.  The  fictitious  value  placed  upon  some  of 
these  old  Korean  bits  by  Japanese  enthusiasts  was  exemplified 
at  a  recent  auction  sale  in  Osaka,  when  a  mound-bowl,  once  the 
property  of  a  Korean  emperor,  and  with  an  intrinsic  value  of 
perhaps  15  yen,  sold  for  ¥90,000!  —  The  blue-and-white  porce- 
lain of  the  Ri  Dynasty  is  interesting.  Most  of  the  specimens 
of  white  glazed  stoneware  were  taken  from  tombs  dating  from 
a.d.  900  to  1400.  —  The  buildings  on  a  low  terrace  at  the  upper 
end  date  from  1911. 

The  Botanical  Garden  is  laid  out  in  the  formal  Japanese 
style,  with  lakelets,  artistic  bridges,  etc.,  and  is  being  stocked 
gradually  with  rare  plants.  The  fine  glassed-in  greenhouse 
contains  a  number  of  beautiful  orchids.  The  cherry  blooms  in 
April  and  the  maple  leaves  in  Nov.  attract  many  persons.  — 
The  Zoo  contains  the  usual  assortment  of  animals  from  rodents 
to  elephants,  besides  some  splendid  Korean  tigers,  leopards,  and 
bears.  —  The  Imperial  Library  in  course  of  construction  will 
contain,  among  other  things,  some  rare  Korean  and  Chinese 
manuscripts  from  the  monasteries  on  Diamond  Mt. 

The  Queen's  Tomb  (Seiryori),  about  1  M.  N.E.  of  the  To- 
daimon  {Tong  Tai  Moon)  Gate  (PI.  D,  2)  at  the  E.  outskirt  of 
the  city,  can  be  reached  easily  and  quickly  (tram-car  in  20 
min. ;  fare,  15  sen;  2  hrs.  should  be  allowed  for  the  round  trip)  by 
boarding  a  car  on  Chon-no  and  proceeding  to  a  point  near  the 
terminus,  outside  the  gate.  It  stands  on  the  terraced  slope  of  a 
high  hill  20  min.  walk  (over  a  straight  road)  to  the  left  of  the 
car-track,  behind  a  group  of  shrines.  Encircling  it  is  a  row 
of  crudely  chiseled  grotesque  figures  of  Chinese  sages,  lions, 
ponies,  sheep,  etc.  A  slab  of  finely  sculptured  granite  2  ft. 
thick,  6  ft.  wide,  and  12  ft.  long  stands  before  the  mound  and 
rests  upon  4  stone  drums.  The  general  effect  is  bizarre  and 
puerile.  The  caretaker  expects  a  small  fee  (10-20  sen  is  ample). 
—  The  dilapidated  and  uninteresting  Temple  of  the  Chinese 


Excursions. 


SEOUL  46.  Route.  747 


God  of  War  just  outside  the  Todaimon  Gate  is  not  worth  wast- 
ing time  over.  —  The  so-called  Temple  of  Heaven,  a  worthless 
structure  in  the  W.  quarter  of  the  city  (PL  B,  3),  played  its 
part  during  the  old  regime  and  fell  into  decay  along  with  it. 

The  New  Imperial  Palace  ( Kyong  Kyu)  stands  in  the  Lega- 
tion Quarter  (PI.  B,  3)  in  a  wide  compound  entered  through 
several  massive  gateways  which  recall  certain  of  the  Buddhist 
temple  gates  of  Japan.  The  florid  decorations  are  in  atrocious 
taste  and  are  less  interesting  than  the  many  involved  brackets 
whose  salient  members  suggest  exaggerated  calipers  and  attest 
their  Buddhist  origin.  The  left  (side)  gate  has  recently  been 
painted  in  colors  so  flamboyant  that  even  the  brilliant  Korean 
sun  seems  unable  to  tame  them.  The  palace  proper,  a  preten- 
tious gray  granite  Ionicized  structure  (dating  from  1906),  two- 
storied,  with  lines  of  fluted  columns  on  three  sides  and  Greek 
vases  on  the  low  roof,  stands  far  back  from  the  street,  behind 
high  masonry  walls,  and  is  not  open  to  the  public.  It  occupies 
the  site  of  an  original  detached  Korean-style  edifice  erected 
soon  after  the  flight  of  the  Emperor  to  the  Russian  Legation 
(in  1895)  and  burned  in  1904;  the  interior  fitments  were  fur- 
nished by  Maple  &  Co.  of  London,  and  cost  about  3  million 
yen.  In  the  back  yard  is  a  striking  shaft  adorned  with  a  group 
of  bronze  dragons.  The  English  Consulate  stands  just  back  of 
the  palace  inclosure,  and  the  American  at  the  left  of  it. 

Walks  and  Excursions.  The  environs  of  Seoul  possess  a 
wildness  peculiarly  pleasing  to  the  stranger;  within  an  hour's 
walk  of  the  capital,  one  finds  districts  as  primitive  as  though 
they  were  a  thousand  miles  from  civilization.  The  people  are 
gentle  and  kindly  disposed,  though  usually  ignorant  of  anyv 
English  word.  Many  of  the  old  customs  prevail,  and  if  the  , 
foreigner  addresses  a  woman,  in  all  probability  she  will  turn 
and  flee  from  him  as  if  he  were  the  ' Old  Scratch '  in  person;  the 
scrawnier  and  more  uncomely  the  woman,  the  shyer  and  more 
timid  she  usually  appears!  Strangers  who  knock  at  house  doors 
or  cross  land  to  seek  information  from  unattended  females  are 
apt  to  wound  the  susceptibilities  of  the  people.  Albeit  the 
country  is  safe,  foreign  ladies  who  object  to  rude  curiosity 
should  go  attended  by  some  one  —  if  only  a  coolie  or  a  jinriki- 
man  from  the  hotel.  The  fortresses  which  crown  the  summits 
of  certain  of  the  environing  mts.  are  picturesque  relics  of  the 
old  days,  but  are  scarcely  worth  visiting. 

Independence  Arch,  and  the  White  Buddha.  The  former 
stands  on  the  Peking  Road  in  extra-mural  Seoul,  15  min.  walk 
beyond  the  W.  Gate  (PI.  A,  2).  The  walk  to  the  latter  is  one  of 
the  most  interesting  in  the  environs,  since  it  affords  a  good 
glimpse  of  Korean  country  and  (on  the  return)  a  magnificent 
view  over  the  city  from  the  heights  behind  it.  —  From  the 
gate  the  road  slopes  sharply  into  the  valley  to  (5  min.)  a  wide 


748    Route  46. 


SEOUL 


The  White  Buddha. 


unpaved  street  leading  to  the  right.  Several  of  the  consulates 
are  hereabout,  and  near  them  are  pretty  flower-embowered 
villas  of  foreign  residents.  The  primitive  houses  which  flank 
the  Peking  Road  are  scarcely  better  than  the  homes  of  the  con- 
temptible little  black  pigs  for  which  Korea  is  known.  The 
curious  establishments  where  the  huge  draft  bulls  are  trussed 
and  shod,  resemble  primitive  bear-traps;  half  a  dozen  men  are 
required  to  manage  the  unwieldy  animals.  The  wares  in  some 
of  the  shops  are  kept  in  pottery  jars  as  big  as  those  in  which  the 
'  Forty  Thieves' were  boiled  in  oil.  Korean  ineptitude  is  curi- 
ously manifest  in  certain  of  the  processes  of  daily  life,  and  the 
leisurely  traveler  finds  much  to  interest  him  hereabout. 

The  Arch  is  a  somewhat  tawdry  affair  of  gray  granite  with 
a  commemorative  tablet  and  design  of  the  Korean  flag.  It  was 
erected  in  1895  to  symbolize  the  assumption  of  independence 
by  Korea,  on  the  site  of  an  ancient  structure  called  the  '  Gate 
of  Gratitude.'  Near  it  formerly  stood  a  pavilion  in  which  newly 
appointed  sovereigns  received  the  investiture  brought  by  a 
special  envoy  from  Peking.  Only  the  stone  supports  of  the  old 
gate  remain.  —  The  rambling  structure  near  the  base  of  the 
hill  at  the  left  is  the  Seoul  Prison.  The  region  roundabout  was 
formerly  used  as  an  Execution  Ground,  and  a  decade  or  so  ago 
it  was  not  unusual  to  see  headless  bodies  stretched  by  the  road- 
side, as  reminders  that  the  ferocious  Tong-haks,  or  the  scarcely 
less  cruel  Government,  were  busy.  —  Beyond  the  arch,  the 
road  winds  up  through  a  rocky  defile,  then  leads  countryward 
between  bald  hills.  The  city  wall  high  above  on  the  craggy 
heights  is  picturesque.  The  highway  soon  descends  into  a  wild 
and  arid  gorge.  About  J  M.  from  the  arch  the  side  trail  to  the 
White  Buddha  turns  off  at  the  right,  and  winds  first  to  the  left, 
then  to  the  right  across  a  lonely  and  forbidding  country.  An 
open  stretch  leads  between  hills  to  a  shallow  river,  a  5  min. 
walk  up  which  brings  one  to  Inouye's  stone  quarry  (frequent 
blasting) .  Opposite  this,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  stream,  near 
the  superintendent's  house,  is  a  temple-like  pavilion  above  a 
monolithic  fragment  of  granite  at  the  foot  of  a  hill. 

The  White  Buddha,  sometimes  called  Miriok  (from  the  Chi- 
nese Mi-ley  or  Buddha),  is  one  of  many  similar  sculptured  fig- 
ures (in  low  relief)  scattered  throughout  Korea,  and  is  supposed 
to  be  an  early  relic  of  Buddhism.  The  setting  of  the  figure  is 
romantic  and  picturesque,  with  the  shallow  stream  prattling 
at  its  feet  and  the  lofty  hills  rising  behind.  The  body  of  the 
seated  image  is  painted  white;  the  heavy,  chiseled  features 
show  little  of  the  calm  Buddhistic  spirit  characteristic  of  cer- 
tain Buddhas  in  Japan,  and  the  bizarre  head-dress  and  gaudy 
enrichments  accentuate  its  cheapness.  There  is  no  custodian, 
and  no  fees  are  demanded.  —  The  return  to  Seoul  should  be 
varied  by  continuing  upstream  through  the  wild  and  striking 
region  to  a  point  where  the  city  wall  flings  itself  across  the 


Pook  Han. 


SEOUL  46.  Route.  749 


gorge  and  forms  a  mediaeval  five-arched  bridge.  At  a  point  5 
min.  beyond  the  gateway  (through  the  wall)  a  lateral  arm  of 
the  stream  comes  in  at  right  angles.  This  should  be  followed 
past  the  small  group  of  native  huts  flanking  one  side  of  the 
gorge.  In  spring  the  wild  flowers  are  varied  and  beautiful,  and 
in  autumn  the  splendid  tints  are  accentuated  by  numerous 
coppices  of  red  haw  bushes.  In  the  warm  and  sheltered  rift  in 
the  hills,  vegetation  flourishes  with  semi-tropical  luxuriance. 
Lines  of  laden  bulls,  ponies,  and  coolies  descend  the  gorge  and 
add  to  its  picturesqueness.  A  25  min.  walk  from  the  Buddha, 
along  a  well-defined  path,  brings  one  to  the  summit  of  the  ridge 
and  the  antique  Pook  Han  Gate,  formerly  closed  and  reserved 
for  the  King  should  he  attempt  to  escape  to  one  of  the  several 
fortresses  in  the  hills.  A  Japanese  sentry  now  guards  it.  — 
The  road  dips  hence  into  a  second  gorge  choked  with  willows, 
poplars,  and  scrub  pines,  then  emerges  on  a  height  whence  a 
fine  panorama  of  the  city  and  the  hills  behind  unfolds  itself. 
Hence  a  30  min.  walk  down  through  the  outskirts  (follow  the 
wide  road  and  turn  up  at  the  left  with  it)  brings  one  to  the  side 
wall  and  gate  of  the  N.  Palace. 

Pook  Han  Monastery.  Pook  Han  is  the  name  of  a  horseshoe- 
shaped  ridge  of  mts.  about  6  M.  north  of  Seoul;  the  highest 
of  the  peaks  is  about  3500  ft.  above  the  sea.  Some  2000  ft.  up 
from  the  valley,  toward  the  summit,  is  a  depression  somewhat 
similar  to  that  of  Koya-san.  Here  stood  formerly  an  extensive 
group  of  monasterial  edifices  (some  of  which  have  been  burned) 
where  Buddhist  monks  who  had  taken  monastic  vows,  uneasy 
Korean  kings,  and  a  few  literates  lived  the  lives  of  recluses. 
The  structures  are  now  deserted  save  for  a  few  poor  (and  some- 
times greedy)  priests.  Certain  of  the  Christian  missionaries  in 
Seoul  go  there  during  the  hottest  period  of  summer,  and  dwell 
in  the  tumble-down  temples.  The  spot  forms  a  locally  popular 
all-day  excursion  from  the  capital  —  of  more  interest  to  the 
antiquarian  and  to  the  lover  of  picturesque  and  tranquil  scen- 
ery than  to  the  ordinary  tourist  in  search  of  thrills.  Ladies 
unused  to  climbing  rocky  roads  may  find  the  trip  fatiguing. 
Four  hrs.  should  be  allowed  for  the  outward  journey  (which 
can  be  planned  to  the  best  advantage  with  the  assistance  of  the 
hotel  manager),  and  as  many  for  the  return  —  which  can  be 
varied.  A  guide  (3  yen  for  the  day)  can  be  dispensed  with  if  one 
can  get  a  jinriki  coolie  who  speaks  a  little  English.  Rikishas 
(2  yen  for  the  round  trip  with  2  men)  can  go  only  part  way, 
leaving  a  walk  up  to  the  monastery  of  about  1|  hr.  One  man 
accompanies  the  traveler  and  the  other  goes  round  the  base  of 
the  hill  to  another  point,  whence  the  homeward  start  is  made. 
By  starting  from  the  hotel  at  8  a.m.  and  taking  it  leisurely,  the 
monastery  can  be  reached  about  noon,  where  luncheon  (best  to 
be  taken  from  the  hotel)  may  be  eaten.  The  situation  of  the 
structures,  locked  in  the  cool  mt.  fastnesses  of  a  spur  of  the 


750   Route  47.    SEOUL  TO  CHEMULPO 


great  axial  range,  is  charmingly  romantic;  the  edifices  them- 
selves are  in  a  lamentable  state  of  decay  and  are  melancholy 
reminders  of  better  days.  Compared  to  the  splendid  Buddhis- 
tic fanes  of  Japan,  these  are  crudely  constructed,  and  with 
shabby,  impoverished  interiors.  The  now  faded  frescoes  re- 
present the  customary  mythological  dragons  and  other  Bud- 
dhist emblems,  and  are  without  artistic  worth.  On  a  clear  day 
the  views  from  the  high  points  of  the  hills  are  magnificent  and 
far-reaching;  Chemulpo,  25  M.  distant,  and  the  Yellow  Sea 
that  stretches  beyond  it  are  visible,  along  with  many  hundreds 
of  square  miles  of  mt.  and  valley.  The  matchless  blue  of  the 
Korean  sky  lends  a  permanent  charm.  —  It  is  customary  to 
leave  a  small  offering  with  the  priest;  the  traveler  is  fortunate 
if  this  subject  does  not  name  the  fee  and  make  it  a  fat  one. 

The  Diamond  Mountain  Monasteries,  a  celebrated  monkish 
retreat  in  an  isolated  position  on  the  Keum-kang  Mt.,  lie  in 
Kang-Won  Province,  on  the  E.  coast  overlooking  the  Sea  of 
Japan  about  100  M.  from  Seoul.  Their  approach  is  guarded  by 
narrow,  rocky  passages  up  which  the  traveler  must  toil  labori- 
ously. The  journey  at  present  is  attended  by  so  many  difficul- 
ties that  few  tourists  are  willing  to  brave  them.  The  Seoul- 
Wonsan  (or  Gensan)  Rly.  Line  (136  M.)  now  under  construc- 
tion will  greatly  minimize  these  when  completed.  There  are 
upward  of  50  or  more  monasteries  and  monastic  shrines,  all  in 
a  ruinous  state  and  all  similar  in  point  of  architecture,  but 
greatly  inferior  in  point  of  beauty,  to  the  allied  Buddhist 
temples  of  Japan.  Some  of  the  ancient  buildings  are  said  to 
date  from  a.d.  515  —  which  is  doubtful.  Their  interiors  are 
shabby  and  dirty,  and  the  monkish  caretakers  (upon  whom  the 
traveler  must  depend  for  food  and  shelter)  have  the  commer- 
cial instinct  strongly  developed.  Trips  can  be  planned  with 
the  aid  of  the  hotel  manager,  who  will  obtain  guides  and  out- 
fits for  the  traveler. 

According  to  the  latest  official  reports  there  are  2000  Buddhist  monaste- 
ries in  Chosen,  presided  over  by  10,000  priests  (less  than  one  tenth  of  the  total 
number  in  Japan).  Thirty  of  the  institutions  are  recognized  officially.  There 
are  said  to  be  but  two  Buddhist  sects,  the  Zen  and  the  Kyo;  the  latter  an  off- 
shoot of  the  Chinese  creed  and  confined  exclusively  to  Korea.  Many  of  the 
old  monasteries  are  in  a  deplorable  state  of  neglect  and  decay  —  of  greater 
interest  to  the  antiquarian  and  the  student  of  Buddhism  than  to  the  casual 
traveler. 

47.  From  Seoul  via  Ryiizan  and  Eitoho  to  Jinsen  (Chemulpo). 

Seoul- Jinsen  Line. 

25  M.  Several  trains  daily  (from  the  Nandaimon  Station;  PI.  B,  3,  in 
about  1  hr.) ;  fare  1st  cl.,  ¥1.25;  2d  cl.,  88  sen;  3d  cl.,  50  sen.  Passengers  from 
Fusan  may  leave  the  main  line  north-bound  train  at  Eitoho  (Rte.  45),  7  M. 
S.  of  Seoul,  and  await  the  train  there.  Cars  are  marked  Jinsen  —  the  Japan- 
ese name  for  the  Chemulpo  of  the  Koreans.  The  rly.  (constructed  by  Ameri- 
cans in  1899)  was  the  first  one  built  in  Korea.  The  distances  are  counted 
from  Eitoho. 


Kyong-Kwi  Province.    CHEMULPO  47.  Route.  751 


The  line  passes  out  through  Ryiizan,  crosses  the  Han  River 
on  the  main  line  bridge,  then  bears  W.  and  runs  toward  the 
Yellow  Sea.  Cars  must  be  changed  at  Eitoho  Jet.  unless  one 
has  boarded  a  through  car  marked  Jinsen.  The  big  building  at 
the  right,  i  M.  beyond  Eitoho,  is  a  prison.  The  train  traverses 
a  fairly  fertile  country  where  many  of  the  vegetables  for  the 
city  markets  are  raised.  Low,  semi-denuded  hills  mark  the 
sky-line;  many  cosmos  flowers  enliven  the  scene  in  summer. 
The  few  stations  (4  M.  Goryudo,  7  M.  Sosha,  11  M.  Fuhei,  and 
14  M.  Shuan)  are  uninteresting.  The  sea  is  visible  at  the  left, 
and  near  it  are  vast  salt  basins  operated  by  the  Gov't.  17  M. 
Chuken,  a  suburban  station,  is  nearer  to  the  E.  end  of  Che- 
mulpo (and  to  the  business  quarter)  than  the  terminal  station 
a  mile  farther  on.  The  road  from  here  to  the  town  (jinriki,  15 
sen)  leads  up  the  hill  at  the  left  and  passes  beneath  the  big 
stone  arch  near  the  summit;  the  town  is  then  descried  on  the 
slope  beyond.  The  port  is  rapidly  expanding  in  the  direction 
of  Chuken,  and  many  dwellings  now  cover  the  hill-slopes; 
those  which  crown  the  summit  of  the  big  hill  behind  which 
Chemulpo  lies,  are  the  homes  of  foreigners. 

18  M.  Chemulpo,  an  important  and  thriving  port  in  Kyong- 
Kwi  Province,  on  an  estuary  of  the  Han  River  overlooking  the 
Yellow  Sea,  on  the  W.  coast  in  lat.  37°  28'  30"  N.  and  long. 
126°  37'  E.  of  Greenwich,  is  known  for  its  fine  climate,  splendid 
situation,  sheltered  harbor,  and  charming  sea  views.  Until  it 
was  opened  to  foreign  trade  (in  1883)  by  the  treaty  with  Japan, 
it  was  an  insignificant  fishing-village;  to-day  upward  of  3000 
steamships  and  sailing-vessels  anchor  in  its  harbor  each  year, 
and  its  annual  trade  amounts  to  25  million  yen  —  two  thirds 
of  which  are  imports.  It  is  often  referred  to  as  the  Yokohama 
of  Korea,  and  the  progressiveness  of  its  merchants  (the  largest 
importing  and  exporting  house  is  that  of  W.  D.  Townsend,  of 
Boston,  U.S.A.)  warrants  the  name.  Of  the  40,000  inhabs.,  a 
third  are  Japanese,  and  but  a  small  percentage  foreigners.  A 
number  of  Chinese  merchants  have  hongs  here.  The  best  known 
among  these  (Steward  &  Co.)  operate  the  Hotel  Steward,  where 
plain  food  and  lodgings  are  available  at  ¥3  a  day_.  English 
spoken. — JinsenClub  Hotel,  same  rate.  Ships  of  the  Osaka  Sho- 
senKaisha  (Osaka-Jinsen  Line)  leave  twice  a  week  for  (731  M.) 
Osaka;  (fare,  ¥27),  and  call  at  other  ports.  Those  of  the  Naga- 
saki-Dairen  Line  (to  Nagasaki,  ¥17;  to  Dairen,  ¥18)  call 
weekly.  Passengers  are  landed  free  in  the  company  launch.  — 
Sept.  and  Oct.  are  the  best  months  for  a  visit.  Bright  frosty 
weather  usually  prevails  in  Jan.,  with  snow  at  intervals  be- 
tween Sept.  and  March.  Fogs  are  frequent  off  the  coast  from 
March  to  July,  but  are  comparatively  rare  from  Oct.  to  Feb.  — 
The  town  rises  back  up  the  slope  of  the  hill  from  the  sea,  and 
from  the  houses  perched  near  the  summit  superb  seascapes  are 
obtained.  The  British  Consulate  stands  on  the  crest  of  the 


752    Route  48.    SEOUL  TO  SHINGISHU 


ridge,  and  hard  by  is  the  Chemulpo  Club,  with  British  and 
American  members.  The  island  one  sees  straight  out  in  the 
bay  is  Observation  Island;  between  it  and  the  shore  the  Gov't 
is  making  harbor  improvements,  to  cost  4  million  yen.  Getsu- 
bito  Island  is  J  nautical  mile  to  the  W.  The  Bank  of  Chosen 
has  a  branch  here,  and  there  are  a  number  of  small  shops.  The 
drinking-water  (filtered  through  sand)  is  supposed  to  be  good, 
but  prudent  travelers  will  boil  it  before  imbibing  it.  The  water- 
works were  installed  in  1908,  and  water  is  drawn  from  a  point 
on  the  Han  River  3  M.  from  Seoul  (near  Tukuson).  There  are 
few  points  of  special  interest  in  or  near  Chemulpo;  the  Interna- 
tional  Park  is  about  i  M.  east  of  the  rly.  station;  the  Daijingu 
Shrine  (Shinto ,  p.  ccxiv)  J  M.  to  the  E.  The  first  shot  in  the 
Japan-Russia  War  was  fired  in  Chemulpo  Harbor  Feb.  8,  1904, 
when  the  Japanese  fleet  of  7  cruisers  appeared  off  the  entrance 
and  discovered  the  Russian  men-of-war  Variag  and  Korietz 
anchored  therein.  The  Korietz  attempted  to  escape  to  Port 
Arthur,  but  was  intercepted.  When  advised  by  the  Japanese 
admiral  that  if  they  did  not  leave  the  harbor  at  once  they  would 
be  attacked  at  their  anchorage,  the  ships  steamed  out,  but 
soon  crept  back  riddled  and  worthless  wrecks. 

48.  From  Seoul  via  Kaijo,  Koshu  (Kenjiho),  Heijo  (Chin- 
nampo)  to  Shingishu  (Antung). 

Seoul-Shingishu  Line. 

309  M.  Several  trains  daily  (from  Nandaimon  Station)  in  about  10-12  hrs. 
The  tendency  is  to  increase  the  speed  and  reduce  the  time.  Fare,  1st.  cl., 
¥15.45;  2d  cl..  ¥10.82;  3d  cl.,  ¥6.18,  with  an  added  15  sen  toll  for  crossing 
the  Yalu  Bridge  to  Antung-hsien.  Dining-cars  are  carried  on  through  ex- 
press trains.  Little  or  nothing  to  eat  is  sold  at  wayside  stations.  The  line  is 
a  continuation  of  that  from  Fusan.  Elevations  range  from  500  to  2000  ft. 

Seoul,  see  p.  734.  The  train  runs  out  through  the,  Ryuzan 
suburb,  then  bears  toward  the  N.W.  and  traverses  a  carefully 
cultivated  country  flecked  with  villages  overlooking  valleys 
sown  to  rice;  fine  hills  delimn  the  plains,  and  the  region  looks 
productive.  The  iron  in  the  soil  imparts  a  brick-red  color  to  it, 
and  contrasts  sharply  with  the  green  herbage.  As  we  go  up  the 
low  valleys  we  get  sweeping  views  of  the  lofty  lateral  spurs  of 
the  Paik-tu  Mts.  Despite  their  nearness  to  the  capital  the 
peasantry  live  as  primitively  as  men  of  the  flint  age,  and  but  a 
shade  better  than  cliff-dwellers.  Some  of  the  hills  are  brown 
and  bare,  and  are  seamed  by  watercourses  that  have  uncov- 
ered outcroppings  of  auriferous  rocks.  Beyond  the  unimpor- 
tant station  of  (6  M.)  Suishoku  the  grade  slopes  gently  upward 
and  culminates  in  a  tunnel  piercing  some  tumbled  hills  cov- 
ered with  scrub  pines  and  Paulownia  imperialis.  Tall  poplars 
flank  certain  of  the  grain-fields,  and  stately  herons  fish  in  the 
solitary  paddies.  16  M.  Ichizan,  22  M.  Kinson,  29  M.  Bunzan\ 
on  the  Rinshin  River.  The  absence  of  temples  and  shrines  in 


Songdo. 


KAIJO  48.  Route.  753 


the  landscape  attracts  the  attention  of  travelers  from  Japan. 
Before  36  M.  Chotan,  we  cross  the  wide  Han  River  on  an  8- 
span  steel  bridge.  Considerable  ginseng  is  cultivated  round- 
about and  plots  of  the  bizarre  plants  protected  from  the  sun 
by  mats  spread  on  framework  dot  the  landscape.  Numerous 
saucy  black-and-white  magpies  add  voice  and  motion  to  the 
region,  the  trees  on  the  hill-slopes  of  which  are  as  thinly  scat- 
tered as  the  hairs  of  a  Korean's  beard.  The  granite  monu- 
ments flanking  the  roads  approaching  big  towns  are  memorials 
supposed  to  have  been  erected  by  grateful  citizens  to  the  mem- 
ory of  departing  magistrates  (but  in  most  cases  erected  by  the 
officials  themselves  —  lest  the  public  forget!). 

46  M.  Kaijd  (Kaisong,  or  Songdo),  anciently  the  seat  of  the 
Korai  Dynasty,  and  capital  of  the  peninsula  from  a.d.  960  to 
1392,  has  60,000  inhabs.  and  is  curiously  mediaeval.  Inn: 
Kaiwa-Kwan,  ¥3.  Much  of  the  coarse  cotton  cloth  which 
forms  the  national  dress  is  made  here,  along  with  a  crude  earth- 
enware called  Korai-yaki.  The  city  is  a  great  ginseng  mart, 
and  many  of  the  ancient  customs  unaffected  by  modern  prog- 
ress prevail.  Along  the  narrow,  dirty  streets  go  many  curi- 
ously clad  men  and  women,  the  latter  often  wrapped  in  white 
sheets  gathered  round  their  heads  and  reaching  to  their  heels. 
When  the  breeze  fills  these  ghostly  habiliments  and  makes 
temporary  balloons  of  them,  they  are  almost  as  bizarre  as  the 
pink  garments  and  curious  yellow  hats  of  the  boy  bridegrooms, 
or  the  peaked  and  scalloped  hats  and  sackcloth  coverings  of 
professional  mourners.  The  old  metropolis  is  a  large,  smelly 
place  in  which  the  stranger  will  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  linger. 
The  piles  of  slender  dried  fish  (called  Mintai)  which  one  often 
sees  on  the  rly.  station  platform  come  from  the  N.  province, 
and  form  a  staple  article  of  Korean  diet.  The  Bokuen  Water- 
fall, 7|  M.  to  the  N.,  though  regarded  as  a  local  wonder,  is 
of  no  interest  to  travelers;  likewise  the  ruins  of  an  old  palace 
{Keitokukyo)  1J  M.  to  the  S. 

Beyond  the  tunnel  which  is  passed  just  N.  of  Kaijd  the  line 
winds  through  the  hills,  on  the  lower  slopes  of  which  are  some 
quaint  brick-kilns  constructed  in  the  form  of  a  series  of  low 
tomb-like  ovens  with  a  tall  draft  chimney  in  the  center  at  the 
apex  of  two  converging  nests.  The  near-by  hills  are  granitic  in 
structure  and  from  them  comes  some  of  the  splendid  granite 
with  which  the  rly.  tunnels  are  lined.  Great  blotches  of  wild 
iris  deck  the  hill-slopes  in  late  spring.  The  cave-like  mud  ovens 
on  the  hills  are  used  for  burning  charcoal.  52  M.  Dojo.  61  M. 
Keisei.  68  M.  Kinko.  75  M.  Kampo.  The  grade  is  steadily 
upward,  between  hills  which  shelter  fair  valleys  and  necessi- 
tate numerous  tunnels.  Good  views.  The  villages  which  dot  the 
valleys  own  the  fields  and  till  them  communistically;  one  often 
sees  all  the  men  and  women  of  a  community  out  in  the  open 
working  side  by  side;  ploughing,  sowing,  or  reaping  the  harvest 


754    Route  48. 


HEIJO  Ping  Yang. 


in  a  crude  Utopian  way.  The  summer  climate  of  the  sheltered 
valleys  is  cool;  the  winter  wheat  does  not  ripen  until  June.  The 
rich,  reddish,  alluvial  soil  produces  bountifully.  The  many 
pheasants  are  practically  unhunted,  and  the  hills  often  echo  to 
the  metallic  skirl  of  the  male  bird  and  the  answering  note  of  his 
dowdy  mate.  Serrated  mt.  ranges  peer  shyly  above  the  distant 
horizon  and  add  beauty  to  a  productive  country  dappled  with 
forlorn  and  melancholy  hamlets.  The  people  are  so  unim- 
pressed by  the  leaven  of  progress  gradually  changing  their 
country,  that  to  foreigners  they  look  very  primitive,  ignorant, 
and  shabby.  And  this  impression  is  accentuated  by  the  mock 
dignity  of  the  grimy,  wretchedly  poor,  but  nevertheless  pom- 
pous, yang-bans  one  occasionally  sees.  The  majority  of  the 
native  huts  are  roofed  with  mouldy  straw,  and  there  are  no 
attractive  granges;  nothing  to  betoken  home  comforts,  per- 
sonal prosperity  or  intellectual  or  moral  advancement.  The 
country  is  so  big  that  the  few  inhabitants  rattle  round  in  it  like 
a  handful  of  peas  in  a  big  kettle,  and  their  tawdry  possessions 
suggest  nomadic  rather  than  fixed  ways.  Their  wretched  dwell- 
ings are  as  poorly  equipped  to  withstand  the  rigors  of  winter 
as  they  are  to  protect  the  inmates  against  the  attacks  of  the 
predatory  tigers  that  infest  the  environing  hills. — Beyond 
84  M.  Nansen,  the  unimportant  stations  of  Bukkai,  Shimbaku, 
Zuiko,  Kosui,  Seikei,  Bado,  (125  M.)  Shariin  in  a  fine  rice  dis- 
trict, and  Chinson,  are  passed.  140  M.  Koshu,  in  Hwang- Hai 
Province,  is  linked  by  a  branch  line  to  9  M.  Kenjiho,  an  unin- 
teresting port  on  the  Tai-dong  Delta.  —  147  M.  Kokkyo.  151 
M.  Chuwa.  156  M.  Rikiho.  The  Tai-dong  is  crossed  on  a  6- 
span  steel  bridge,  then  again  on  one  of  5  spans.  The  many  sail- 
boats which  glance  up  and  down  the  river  suggest  those  of 
China. 

162  M.  Heijo  (Phyong  Yang,  or  Ping  Yang),  a  sometime 
celebrated  city  (Inns:  Yanagiya;  Mine; '  Sakura-ya,  all  from 
¥3  and  upward)  with  41,000  inhabs.  (11,000  of  which  are  Jap- 
anese) in  South- Phyong- An  Province,  on  the  N.  bank  of  the 
Tai-dong  50  M.  from  its  mouth,  is  one  of  the  oldest  cities  in 
Korea;  here  Ki  Tse  the  traditional  founder  of  Korea  is  said  to 
have  established  his  capital  in  b.c.  1122,  and  the  credulous  still 
point  out  traces  of  the  original  walls  as  well  as  the  founder's 
tomb  (3  J  M.  to  the  N.E.).  History  records  that  the  old  city 
became  the  capital  of  Korai  in  the  6th  cent.,  and  that  when 
Korai  fell  it  was  the  center  from  which  the  Chinese  prefects 
administered  the  affairs  of  the  conquered  provinces.  Its  Chi- 
nese characteristics  still  show  in  the  old  walls,  forts,  and  gates; 
the  prosession  of  which  has  been  the  cause  of  many  sanguin- 
ary struggles  between  Mongols  and  Manchus,  Koreans  and 
Japanese.  Hideyoshi's  army  under  Konishi  Yukinaga  cap- 
tured the  city  in  1592,  and  so  battered  and  beaten  was  it  by 
the  Japanese  in  the  great  battle  of  Sept.  15,  1894,  during  the 


Coal  Mines.  CHINNAMPO  48.  Route.  755 


China-Japan  War,  that  of  its  reputed  80,000  inhabs.,  all  but 
15,000  fled  or  were  killed.  The  fine  monolith  on  one  of  the 
knolls  within  the  walls  commemorates  the  168  Japanese  killed  in 
this  engagement.  For  many  years  Ping  Yang  bore  an  unenvi- 
able reputation  as  a  sort  of  Sodom,  and  it  is  yet  spoken  of  as 
the  wickedest  city  in  the  peninsula.  To  Koreans  its  very  name 
suggests  beautiful  women,  wealth,  and  licentiousness.  Its 
scorn  for  religion  and  missionaries  was  notorious  prior  to  its 
last  downfall,  but  many  of  the  latter  reside  there  now  and  do 
good  work.  Though  squalid  and  dismal  from  the  foreign  view- 
point, it  is  one  of  the  most  picturesquely  situated  capitals  of 
Korea.  It  spreads  over  a  lofty  bluff  rising  abruptly  from  the 
Tai-dong,  which  here  is  bright,  swift,  clear,  and  1200  ft.  wide. 
The  many  Chinese  junks  and  smaller  craft  which  glance  up  and 
down  its  sparkling  surface,  and  the  scores  of  great  timber  rafts 
which  come  down  from  its  upper  reaches  in  summer,  are  of  un- 
failing interest.  The  old  Chinese  wall  20  ft.  high  climbs  like  a 
sinuous  dragon  from  the  River  Gate  with  its  decorated  pavilion, 
and  winds  over  the  hills  like  that  of  Seoul.  The  views  from 
certain  of  the  old  forts  which  crown  the  loopholed,  battle- 
mented,  decaying  relic  are  magnificent  and  far-reaching.  From 
one  of  these  vantage-points  the  city  below  is  seen  to  be  somer 
what  in  shape  like  a  Korean  boat,  and  because  of  this,  the 
credulous  natives  dig  no  wells  within  the  walls,  believing  that 
by  so  doing  the  bottom  will  be  pierced  and  the  boat  will  sink. 
The  Korean  vices  of  slothfulness  and  filth  are  reflected  in  all 
the  narrow,  tortuous  streets,  and  little  remains  of  the  wealth, 
decoration,  fine  edifices  and  the  like  to  remind  the  traveler  of 
the  one-time  power  and  charm  of  the  old  metropolis.  The 
decorations  of  the  tottering  temple  of  the  God  of  War,  once 
reputed  the  finest  in  Korea,  are  now  faded  and  neglected.  The 
Japanese  are  striving  to  modernize  the  city,  and  many  of  the 
newer  buildings,  along  with  the  waterworks,  are  due  to  their 
efforts.  The  fertile  region  roundabout  is  now  made  to  produce 
considerable  silk  and  ginseng,  and  the  celebrated  Ping  Yang 
Coal  Mines  are  the  largest  in  Korea.  Americans  know  the  city 
in  connection  with  the  atrocious  murder  of  the  crew  of  the 
American  schooner  General  Sherman,  as  it  lay  at  anchor  in 
the  river  in  1866.  Three  years  later,  while  Commander  J.  C. 
Febiger,  of  the  U.S.  Ship  Shenandoah  was  lying  off  the  mouth 
of  the  river,  he  surveyed  the  inlet  and  named  it  Shenandoah. 
There  are  a  number  of  historical  sites  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
borhood, but  they  are  of  interest  only  to  Japanese  and  Koreans. 

A  branch  rly.  runs  (S.W.)  from  Ping  Yang  through  the  uninteresting 
towns  of  9  M.  Taihei,  17  M.  Kiyd,  and  25  M.  Shinchido,to  34  M.  Chinnampo, 
(several  trains  daily  in  If  hrs.;  fare,  1st  cl.,  ¥1.70;  2d  cl.,  ¥1.19),  a  thriving 
port  (pop.  12,000)  on  the  Tai-dong  near  where  it  empties  into  the  Yellow 
Sea.  The  steamers  of  the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  make  it  a  port  of  call 
(weekly)  on  its  Osaka- Antung  line  (fare  to  Osaka  ¥30;  to  Antung,  ¥9;  to 
Chemulpo,  ¥9).  There  is  a  good  landing-place  and  a  granite  wharf.  The 
great  Salt  Basin  at  Koang-yang  Bay  (near  Chinnampo)  is  owned  and  oper- 


756    Route  49.  MANCHURIA 


ated  by  the  Gov't  Monopoly  Bureau;  evaporation  is  the  method  employed 
and  the  annual  output  is  about  150  million  lbs.  The  vast  mud  flats  which 
the  receding  tides  leave  bare  impart  an  air  of  desolation  to  the  port.  The 
chief  inns  are  the  Meigetsu,  Asahi-kwan,  and  the  Fusd-kwan,  all  managed  by 
Japanese  and  all  from  ¥3  a  day  and  upward. 

From  Heijo  the  rly.  continues  its  trend  to  the  N.W.  follow- 
ing the  sea,  but  at  some  distance  from  it;  many  of  the  villages 
are  merely  clusters  of  decaying  huts  in  a  dreary  region.  169  M. 
Seiko.  178  M.  Jun-an.  188  M.  Gyoha.  195  M.  Shukusen.  201 
M.  Banjo.  Beyond  209  M.  Shin-anshu  we  cross  the  Seiseiko 
River  on  a  9-span  steel  bridge,  then  the  Daineiko  on  one  of  7 
spans,  both  upheld  by  splendidly  massive  granite  piers.  Laden 
junks  come  up  the  rivers  from  the  adjacent  sea,  and  make 
pretty  pictures  when  they  spread  their  broad  sails  to  catch  the 
breezes  blowing  above  the  tree-tops.  Miles  of  rice-fields  are 
now  features  of  the  drenched  lowlands,  and  the  blue  herons 
(aosagi)  which  fish  in  the  shallows  look  bedraggled  and  woe- 
begone. Numerous  tunnels  mark  the  line  hence  to  (100  M.) 
the  Yalu  River.  As  we  approach  this  and  the  frontier,  the  hills 
show  more  trees,  and  the  general  aspect  of  the  country  im- 
proves. The  stations  are  small  and  uninteresting  and  are 
stopped  at  by  local  trains  only. 

"309  M.  Shingishu  (or  New  Wiju),  a  growing  Japanese  fron- 
tier town  on  the  S.  bank  of  the  broad  and  swift  Yalu  River,  in 
North-  Phyong-An  Province,  is  the  terminus  of  the  main  line  of 
the  Korean  Rly.  and  is  about  2  M.  from  the  old  Korean  Wiju. 
The  Shingishu  Station  Hotel  (English  spoken)  is  similar  to  that 
in  the  (588  M.)  Fusan  Station  and  is  under  the  rly.  management. 
There  are  8  comfortable  bedrooms  and  the  food  is  better  than 
one  will  get  elsewhere  in  the  neighborhood.  Spanning  the  river 
and  linking  the  town  to  the  Manchurian  town  of  Antung-hsien 
(Antoken)  is  the  longest  pivot-bridge  in  the  Far  East.  It  was 
begun  in  1909  from  the  Chinese  side,  cost  ¥1,753,308,  and  was 
completed  and  opened  to  traffic  in  Oct.,  1911.  It  is  36  ft.  wide, 
with  a  10  ft.  path  for  pedestrians  (toll,  15  sen  per  person),  with  6 
spans  of  200  ft.,  6  of  300,  and  1  of  306.  The  draw  is  opened  twice 
daily  to  allow  vessels  to  pass  up  and  down.  A  picturesque  pro- 
cession of  Koreans,  Chinese,  Russians,  Japanese,  and  mongrels 
cross  the  bridge,  which  is  a  graceful  and  permanent  monument 
to  the  skill  of  Japanese  engineers. 

40.  Manchuria  and  the  Trans-Siberian  Railway. 

Manchuria.  /Antungj(Inns:  Gempo-kwan;  Fukuzumi,  both  ¥3.50)  stands 
on  the  bank  oiS^Xaiu  at  the  foot  of  a  low  range  of  hills,  in  a  picturesque 
environment.  Pop.  15,000.  Manchurian  time  is  1  hr.  slower  than  that  of 
Korea,  and  watches  should  be  put  back  an  hr.  The  custom-house  is  oper- 
ated jointly  by  Chinese  and  Japanese.  The  luggage  of  travelers  bound  for 
Europe  (or  for  points  in  Japan)  is  not  molested.  Considerable  bean-cake  and 
furs,  and  vast  quantities  of  lumber,  etc.,  come  down  the  river  from  upper 
Manchuria  and  Siberia.  Ships  of  the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  leave  at  regular 
intervals  for  Korean  coast  ports  and  Osaka  (fare  ¥33).   The  Mukden- 


Vladivostok.  MANCHURIA  49.  Route.  757 


Antung  branch  of  the  South  Manchuria  Railway  (a  link  in  the  Trans-Si- 
berian Rte.  referred  to  hereinafter)  runs  N.  (daily  expresses  in  about  8  hrs.; 
fare,  ¥10.35,  1st  cl.)  to  (170  M.)  Mukden  (Fengtien),  where  main  line  trains 
come  in  from  (246  M;  time,  about  8  hrs. ;  fare,  ¥14.95)  Dairen  (Dalny) ,  the 
S.  terminus  (39  M.,  in  1£  hrs.  from  Port  Arthur).  The  Yamato  Hotel,  at 
Dairen,  is  under  the  rly.  management;  rooms  only,  from  ¥2  to  ¥15  a  day. 
Breakfast,  ¥1;  Tiffin,  ¥1.50;  Dinner,  ¥1.75.  Reduction  for  2  pers.  in  one 
room,  and  for  a  long  stay.  The  Rly.  Co.  also  operates  a  regular  steamship  ser- 
vice to  (597  M.)  Shanghai  (fare,  ¥40,  1st  cl.;  ¥25,  2d  cl.).  Mail  steamers  of 
the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  leave  twice  weekly  for  (860  M.)  Kobe  (in  4  days; 
fare,  ¥42) .  To  Shimonoseki,  ¥36.  To  Nagasaki,  ¥30.  The  Kobe-Korea-North- 
China  Line  of  the  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  makes  of  Dairen  a  regular  port  of 
call.  —  From^Mukden:  (  Yamato  Hotel;  same  rates  as  at  Dairen)  the  rly. 
runs  N.E.  river  a  rolling  country  to  189  M.  (436  from  Dairen)  Changchun 
(fare,  ¥11/50,  1st  ck),  the  terminus  of  the  South  Manchuria  Rly.,  and  start- 
ing-point of  the  ..Chinese  Eastern  Rly.,  which  proceeds  N.  to  (152  M.;  fare, 
roubles  9. 60>  Harbin,  where  it  merges  with  the  Trans-Siberian  Rly.  and  goes  E.^ 
(876  versts)  to  its  supposed  terminus  at  Manchuria  Station.  The  regulations 
on  the  South  Manchuria  Rly.  are  similar  to  those  on  the  Korean  line, 
with  dining-  and  sleeping-cars,  an  extra  fare  on  express  trains,  etc.  Japanese 
money  is  the  best  circulating  medium  in  Manchuria  (so  termed  from  the/ 
leading  race  which  dwells  there,  the  Mandjurs  or  Manchus). 

The  Trans-Siberian  Railway,  which  comes  into  Harbin  (under  the  official 
title  of  Chinese  Eastern  Railway)  from  Vladivostok  (729  versts  at  the 
E.  (comp.  p.  546) ,  stretches  W.  to  (7402  versts,  or  about  4900  M.)  Moscow, 
where  it  extends  through  Poland  and  connects  with  the  rly.  systems  of  Ger- 
many, France,  and  Belgium.  Small  steamers  carry  travelers  from  Ostend 
(and  other  points)  across  the  narrow  channel  to  England,  just  as  do  others 
across  the  Korea  Channel  to  the  Island  Empire  of  Japan.  From  Moscow  to 
London  is  1890  M.,  and  from  London  to  Yokohama,  via  Korea  and  Shimo- 
noseki, is  8700  M.  The  following  references  have  been  made  for  the  con- 
venience of  travelers  bound  from  the  Far  East  to  Europe,  who  may  wish  to 
compare  the  expenses  of  both  routes  and  get  as  much  as  possible  for  their 
money  and  out  of  their  journey.  The  rly.  lacks  the  touristic  value  afforded 
by  the  brilliant  and  colorful  Oriental  ports  touched  at  by  steamers  between 
Europe  and  Japan,  and  the  14  days'  journey  by  rail  costs  about  as  much  as 
the  45  days'  steamer  trip  with  its  more  vivid  charm  and  variety.  The  rly. 
(passport  necessary)  is  used  chiefly  as  an  expedient  by  persons  pressed  for 
time,  and  by  those  already  familiar  with  the  ports  (comp.  p.  xv)  in  ques- 
tion. The  vast  silent  plains  of  Manchuria,  crossed  here  and  there  by  tawny 
rivers  and  marked  at  rare  intervals  by  mean  little  Mongolian  towns,  offer 
few  picturesque  features  save  an  occasional  camel-caravan  or  a  dirty  en- 
campment of  nomad  Tartars.  They  recall  certain  characterless  stretches  of 
New  Mexico,  and  though  enlivened  by  wild  flowers  in  summer,  they  are  usu- 
ally sustainedly  wearisome.  The  lonely  Siberian  taiga,  with  its  gloomy  for- 
ests studded  with  fire-scorched  trees  that  suggest  the  blasted  hopes  of  politi- 
cal exiles,  is  less  interesting  than  the  wide  undulating  steppes,  which  stretch 
in  sad  monotony  for  a  thousand  miles  to  Cheliabinsk.  Even  here  the  solemn 
hills  are  without  majesty,  and  the  unpeopled  plains  soon  become  tiresome  to 
the  eye.  Instead  of  leading  straight  across  the  continent,  the  rly.  twists  and 
turns  and  runs  over  dumpy  hills,  and  through  scores  of  tunnels  and  unculti- 
vated valleys,  marked  by  a  tedious  uniformity.  Lake  Baikal  (the  Holy  Sea), 
600  versts  long  by  80  wide,  and  3000  ft.  deep  near  its  S.  point,  though  one  of 
the  largest  fresh-water  lakes  in  the  world,  is  also  one  of  the  loneliest,  and  its 
mountainous  environment  (4500  ft.  high)  is  grim  rather  than  picturesque. 
The  Ural  Mts.,  a  sort  of  natural  barrier  between  the  plains  of  European 
Russia  and  those  of  Western  Siberia,  are  of  an  average  height  of  1500  ft.  — 
mere  foothills  when  compared  with  the  Canadian  Rockies  or  the  snow-clad 
giants  of  Japan.  Barring  magnificent  Moscow,  which  is  in  every  way  wor- 
thy of  the  traveler's  attention,  none  of  the  wayside  cities  possess  vitality, 
sprightliness,  or  color,  and  their  cheerless  aspect  depresses  rather  than  at- 
tracts one.  The  inhospitable  towns,  with  their  log  cabins  and  mud  streets, 
are  pictures  of  desolation,  and  are  almost  as  saddening  as  the  blowsy,  be- 
whiskered,  sodden,  slatternly  people,  who  somehow  remind  one  of  emigrants 
from  a  land  yet  in  the  Stone  Age.  Poverty-stricken,  crushed,  dumb  with  de- 


758    Route  49.    TRANS-SIBERIAN  RLY.  Trains. 

spair,  and  with  no  knowledge  of  the  outer  world,  of  a  razor,  a  handkerchief, 
or  a  toothbrush,  they  drain  one's  sympathies  to  the  dregs;  particularly  the 
poor,  bedraggled  children  clad  in  their  elders'  ragged  clothes;  and  the  over- 
worked mothers  with  their  sorrow-lined  faces.  Highly  picturesque  features 
are  the  occasional  squads  of  cavalry  careering  across  the  steppes,  the  agile 
young  men  standing  upright  in  their  saddles  and  singing  in  stentorian  and 
musical  voices.  Except  in  the  brightest  of  bright  weather  the  country  is 
somber.  The  half-famished  dogs  which  skulk  about  the  stations  for  some- 
thing to  eat,  look  suspiciously  like  wolves,  and  the  shaggy  horses  hitched  to 
the  troikas  are  as  unkempt  as  their  hairy  drivers.  The  station  signs,  etc., 
are  all  in  Russian.  Apparently  no  thought  is  taken  for  the  foreign  traveler. 

The  Trains  of  the  International  Sleeping-Car  Co.  (several  expresses  each 
week)  run  easily  and  comfortably,  and  accommodate  1st  and  2d  cl.  passen- 
gers only.  The  steam-heated,  electric-lighted  cars  are  built  well  and  mas- 
sively, and  are  drawn  by  huge  home-built  wood-  or  oil-burning  locomotives 
at  an  average  speed  of  about  25  M.  an  hr.  A  side  corridor  runs  the  length  of 
the  cars,  and  opening  from  it  are  2-berth  compartments  somewhat  similar 
to  the  drawing-room  of  a  Pullman.  The  1st  cl.  are  7  by  7  ft.  inside,  with  a 
lengthwise  couch  3|  ft.  wide  which  makes  up  into  a  narrow  bed.  Crosswise 
above  the  windows  is  another  similar  bed  which  folds  against  the  wall  in  the 
daytime.  The  sheets  are  so  skimpy  that  a  restless  sleeper  often  wakes  to  find 
himself  on  the  mattress  (6  ft.  2  in.  long  by  28  in.  wide).  Between  every  two 
compartments  is  a  restricted  wash-room  used  by  the  occupants  of  both.  The 
soap  is  bad;  the  towels  are  sleazy,  but  a  trifle  larger  than  handkerchiefs,  and 
are  renewed  reluctantly.  At  the  end  of  the  2\  ft.  aisle  of  each  compart- 
ment are  two  windows  (22  by  28  in.),  and  between  them  and  the  end  of  the 
couch  on  one  side,  and  an  auxiliary  seat  opposite,  is  a  collapsible  wall-table 
14  in.  wide  by  23  in.  long.  Hand-luggage  can  be  stowed  beneath  this  seat 
and  in  a  space  above  the  door.  The  lavatories  at  the  end  of  the  aisle  are  medi- 
aeval. The  cars  between  Moscow  and  Warsaw  are  less  commodious,  and 
thence  to  Ostend  are  even  more  restricted,  with  no  room  for  much  hand- 
luggage. —  The  2d  cl.  compartments  (same  train)  accommodate  4  pers.  (lim- 
ited number  of  2-berth  rooms)  and  differ  but  little  from  the  1st  cl.,  beyond 
having  smaller  windows  and  no  individual  wash-rooms.  The  fee  of  the  Rus- 
sian-German-French-speaking conductor  superintending  the  car  is  custo- 
marily 3  roubles  between  Changchun  and  Irkoutsk,  5  roubles  thence  to  Mos- 
cow, and  the  equivalent  of  5  to  Ostend.  Trains  make  long  stops  at  stations 
and  are  started  by  the  triple  ringing  of  a  bell  at  short  intervals.  The  3d 
warning  follows  the  2d  almost  immediately,  and  the  train  pulls  out  forth-'; 
with.  As  to  be  left  at  a  Siberian  station  is  almost  equivalent  'to  falling  over- 
board from  a  steamship  in  mid-ocean,'  travelers  should  not  stray  too  far  from/ 
the  train.  J 

Because  of  limited  accommodations  reservations  must  be  made  weeks  in 
advance  (particularly  in  May-June).  Travel  to  Europe  is  heavier  than  in 
the  opposite  direction.  Winter  travel  is  light,  and  heavy  furs  are  necessary 
(to  prevent  frost-bite)  when  one  alights  at  stations.  Snow  remains  on  some 
of  the  hills  till  late  June,  and  wraps  are  comfortable.  July  and  Aug.  are 
warm  —  with  many  mosquitoes.  A  few  only  of  the  dining-cars  are  equipped 
with  small  libraries  (in  which  French  novels  predominate) .  The  deposit  of 
3  roubles  is  returned  at  the  end  of  the  journey.  Neither  books  nor  papers 
are  sold  on  trains,  and  travelers  are  advised  to  stock  up  in  Japan  before  leav- 
ing. Books  and  magazines  are  carefully  scrutinized  when  entering  Russia 
from  Europe,  and  are  sometimes  confiscated.  Maps  are  regarded  with  sus- 
picion, as  also  are  playing-cards,  which  are  refused  admittance  to  State 
trains.  At  the  German  frontier  travelers  are  asked  if  they  have  tea,  tobacco, 
or  chocolate. 

Tickets  are  on  sale  by  the  numerous  agents  of  the  I.S.C.  Co. ;  at  the  largest 
stations  on  the  Japanese  Gov't  Rlys.,  and  by  Thos.  Cook  &  Son.  A  deposit 
of  ¥100  is  usually  exacted  when  reservations  are  made,  and  should  the  trav- 
eler decide  later  to  go  some  other  way  the  money  is  refunded,  provided  3 
weeks'  notice  is  given  and  the  accommodation  resold  for  the  entire  journey. 
Travelers  for  points  beyond  Moscow  should  insist  upon  the  selling-agent  re- 
serving compartments  in  the  connecting  train  to  destination.  Nor  should 
one  bound  for  London  by  the  Nord  Express  accept  a  compartment  as  far  as 
LiSge  in  the  Paris  car  and  agree  to  ride  thence  to  Ostend  in  the  dining-car,  as 


Money,        TRANS-SIBERIAN  RLY.      49.  Route.  759 


this  is  often  crowded,  and  the  transfer  involves  inconveniences,  fees,  and 
difficulties  with  hand-luggage. 

Fares  from  Yokohama  via  Korea-Manchuria-Moscow-Ostend  to  London, 
including  a  single  berth  (no  room  for  a  child)  in  a  2-berth  compartment  (con- 
siderably more  for  its  exclusive  use)  to  Ostend  are:  ¥518.64,  1st  cl. ;  ¥356.71, 
2d  cl.  (¥521.06  and  ¥336.45  via  Tsuruga-Vladivostok) .  A  child  between 
4  and  12  yrs.  of  age,  ¥252.37 and  ¥177.34  (and  ¥253.34  and  ¥166.79).  Fares 
are  higher  in  the  Trains  de  Luxe  from  Moscow.  A  trip  via  St.  Petersburg 
costs  about  4%  more  than  the  above  amounts.  To  Berlin  (via  Korea) 
¥464-94,  1st  cl.,  and  ¥319.46,  2d  cl.  —  To  Paris,  ¥513.08  and  ¥352.92. 
Fares  in  the  Russian  State  Trains,  which  run  daily,  make  good  time,  and  are 
not  uncomfortable  for  men  willing  to  submit  to  minor  inconveniences,  are 
about  35%  less  than  the  above.  The  guards  speak  Russian  only  and  some- 
times are  of  an  almost  inconceivable  mental  density.  The  compartments 
hold  4  persons.  The  food  is  sometimes  good.  There  are  no  individual  lava- 
tories. Ladies  should  travel  with  an  escort  or  in  parties  of  4  —  a  compartment 
full. 

In  comparing  the  Cost  of  therly.  trip  with  the  steamer  voyage  the  econom- 
ical traveler  will  wish  to  bear  in  mind  that  while  on  shipboard  extras  are 
few  and  are  represented  usually  by  luxuries  which  one  can  forego,  on  the  rly. 
they  are  many  and  are  made  necessary.  By  drinking  the  doubtful  water  on 
the  train  and  being  satisfied  with  the  illusory  food  served  in  the  dining-car 
at  the  fixed  price  of  roubles  3.30  a  day  (in  Russia;  higher  in  Manchuria  and 
beyond  Moscow),  one  can  get  over  the  13  days  from  Fusan  to  Ostend  with 
an  approximate  outlay  (including  the  customary  10%  tip  to  the  waiter)  of 
about  ¥60,  but  the  average  traveler  will  feel  obliged  to  double  this.  The 
difference  in  the  rly.  gauge  (5  ft.  in  Russia;  4  ft.  8^  in.  in  Manchuria)  makes 
several  changes  of  cars  (at  Changchun;  Irkoutsk;  Moscow;  Warsaw)  necessary, 
and  the  consequent  porters'  fees  occasioned  by  these,  and  the  frequent  re- 
weighing  and  re-checking  of  luggage,  will  easily  average  ¥10.  If  one  has  much 
excess  baggage  above  the  stingy  allowance  (1st  or  2d  cl.)  of  110  lbs.  (60  lbs. 
only  to  points  in  Russia) ,  the  outlay  will  be  heavier.  The  long  train  ride 
makes  frequent  changes  of  clothing  necessary,  and  as  a  small  steamer-trunk 
packed  snugly  can  weigh  easily  150  lbs.,  and  as  Americans  rarely  travel  with 
less  than  2  or  3  trunks,  the  transportation  of  these  over  the  rly.  becomes  com- 
plex and  costly.  Extra  luggage  from  Yokohama  to  London  is  charged  for 
(roubles  9.67  for  22  Russian  lbs.  =  20  English  lbs.)  at  approximately  $25 
(U.S.  money)  per  100  lbs.  To  avoid  this,  travelers  usually  deliver  all  excess 
(weeks  in  advance  unless  one  wishes  to  wait  at  the  other  end  for  its  arrival) 
to  a  shipping-agent  to  be  sent  by  freight  (passenger  steamer  advisable)  via 
Suez  (time  to  London  about  45  days),  at  an  approximate  cost  (for  2  medium 
trunks)  of  ¥30  (which  includes  packing,  shipping,  marine  freight,  insurance, 
clearing,  customs,  dock,  and  other  dues  at  destination)  —  the  usual  freight 
charge  being  (minimum  of  one  guinea)  about  50  shillings  per  ton  (weight  or 
measurement,  at  the  ship's  option). 

A  puerile  awkwardness,  and  a  lack  of  systematic  flexibility  is  apparent  in 
the  rly.,  operations.  Constant  vigilance  is  required  to  prevent  luggage  being 
lost  or  left  behind,  and  only  the  daring  will  trust  their  trunks  '  in  bond.'  Dis- 
order reigns  in  the  baggage-rooms  where  luggage  is  weighed  and  examined, 
and  besides  paying  a  transit  charge  of  2  roubles  for  each  trunk,  the  traveler 
must  also  pay  the  porter  for  putting  them  back  on  the  train.  When  check- 
ing baggage  to  London,  the  traveler  should  indicate  at  which  station  (Char- 
ing Cross  is  nearest  to  the  Hotel  Cecil  and  others  off  Trafalgar  Square)  he 
proposes  to  alight.  The  Russians'  genius  for  '  squeezes'  usually  enables  them 
to  mulct  the  traveler  (passports,  tips,  etc.)  several  times  before  he  is  released 
at  the  German  frontier.  The  baths  (inconveniently  situated  in  the  baggage- 
car)  cost  2\  roubles!  The  private  cabins  on  the  Channel  boats  cost  14 
francs. 

Money.  About  100  or  150  roubles  should  be  taken  for  the  journey  for  'in- 
cidentals.' Travelers  from  Korea  will  do  well  to  dispose  of  (particularly) 
Korean  and  Japanese  money  at  the  Changchun  Station.  For  all  practical 
purposes  a  rouble  is  equal  to  one  yen,  or  50c.  U.S.  money  (2  shillings;  2 
marks;  2\  francs).  The  Russian  1,  2,  5,  10,  15,  20,  and  50  kopeck  pieces 
are  otten  of  a  base  metal  covered  with  a  thin  plating  of  silver.  The  silver 
roubles  pass  current  with  the  3, 5, 10,  25,  etc.,  rouble  notes,  and  the  gold  pieces. 


760   Route  49.     TRANS-SIBERIAN  RLY.  Food. 


English  gold  is  more  readily  convertible  than  bank  notes.  A  £5  note  is 
worth  approximately  ¥48.50;  100  roubles,  ¥102-4. 

The  Food  served  in  the  dining-car  (Speise  Wagen)  is  meager,  with  few 
distinctively  Russian  dishes,  and  a  lack  of  the  generous  excellence  of  that 
of  England  or  Germany.  French  economy  is  practiced,  and  it  would  .be  no 
misnomer  to  dub  the  line  the  Prune  Route.  The  lean  meals  are  inferior  to 
those  of  the  State  trains,  and  are  of  a  distressful  sameness.  The  scanty 
breakfast  (petit  dejeuner;  55  kopecks,  in  Russia,  1  mark  25  pfennig  beyond 
Moscow)  is  a  fiction  to  an  American;  it  consists  of  1  cup  of  coffee  (or  tea  or 
chocolate)  with  hot  milk  (better  in  Russia  than  beyond  the  frontier)  and  a 
whimsical  portion  of  coarse  white  or  black  bread.  One  may  breakfast  more 
expensively  a  la  carte  by  purchasing  the  appetizing  jams,  fruit,  marmalade, 
honey,  chocolate,  wine,  mineral  water,  etc.,  carefully  placed  on  the  table  at 
one's  elbow,  —  an  operation  duplicated  at  luncheon  (dejeuner)  and  dinner 
(diner).  The  former  (roubles  1.50)  is  generally  represented  (in  a  shadowy 
way)  by  cold  herring,  beef -stew  (or  veal,  or  omelette),  and  a  compote  of 
fruit  (dried  apples,  evaporated  pears,  or  prunes).  —  The  latter  (roubles  2.25) 
comprises  soup  (often  cabbage),  osseous  fish,  goose,  or  beef,  or  (rarely) 
chicken,  with  dried  pears,  or  prunes  and  bread.  Vegetarians  fare  illy,  as 
vegetables  (even  potatoes),  salads,  and  'made'  dishes  are  apparently  un- 
known. The  food  improves  beyond  Warsaw,  but  even  then  it  is  marked 
by  a  simplicity  at  variance  with  its  cost.  Children  are  charged  full  price  for 
everything.  As  the  filthy  state  of  the  Russian  towns  suggest  a  polluted 
water-supply,  and  as  the  boiled  water  (by  request;  fees)  obtainable  in  the 
dining-car  is  usually  cloudy,  one  is  generally  forced  to  buy  the  mineral  water 
(40  kopecks  a  bottle)  sold  on  the  train.  The  wines  (vino) ,  at  90  kopecks,  and 
roubles  1.75  a  bottle,  are  not  of  the  finest.  Fruit  is  scarce  and  expensive. 
The  economical  traveler  will  do  well  to  carry  a  well-filled  lunch-basket  (also 
condiments,  lemons,  towels,  a  tea-pot,  a  big  cup,  a  knife,  fork,  spoon,  etc.) 
and  adopt  the  Russian  custom  of  buying  food  at  the  wayside  stations.  Here 
women  and  girls  sell  milk  (moloko)  from  big  bottles  and  pottery  jars  (the 
rich  milk  of  camels  and  of  asses  upsets  stomachs  unused  to  it),  and  fresh 
bread  (hylep)  at  moderate  prices.  Hot  water  for  tea  (chai)  is  to  be  had  at 
all  the  stations.  At  the  large  ones  there  is  usually  an  uninviting  platform- 
stand  (exposed  to  dust  and  flies)  where  sausages,  cheese  (some  of  it  excel- 
lent), caviar  (ikvah,  at  4*  roubles  for  a  1-lb.  tin),  good  chocolate  (chocolat), 
cigarettes  (papirosi) ,  cold  meats,  nuts,  and  tinned  goods  are  on  sale. 

Strangers  are  cautioned  against  the  deception  practiced  at  certain  sta- 
tions between  Petropavlovsk  and  Oufa  (and  elsewhere).  Here  are  displayed, 
for  the  fleecing  of  the  unwary,  glittering  assemblages  of  pseudo-semi-pre- 
cious stones  said  to  come  from  the  Ural  and  Caucasus  Mts.,  but  which  in 
reality  are  manufactured  in  Germany  of  the  excellent  glass  there.  The  ex- 
perienced eye  will  quickly  detect  the  German  'cut'  of  the  so-called  emeralds, 
rubies,  amethysts,  sapphires,  yellow  and  rose-colored  topazes,  tourmalines, 
aquamarines,  chrysoberyls,  etc.  These  are  grouped  generally  in  jewel-boxes 
holding  from  6  to  20  stones  for  which  from  30  to  150  roubles  are  demanded, 
and  5  of  which  will  generally  be  accepted.  Legitimate  stones  are  to  be  had 
by  those  who  know  them,  but  care  must  be  exercised  that  glass  copies  are  not 
substituted  for  them  as  the  train  is  moving  out  of  the  station.  Specimens  of 
beautiful  apple-green  chrysoprase  (there  are  also  glass  substitutes)  are  sold 
to  the  unknowing  as  fine  jade. 


rv  r\  tv  r\rs 


VII.  FORMOSA  (TAIWAN)  AND  THE  PESCADORES. 


Route 


Page 


Steamship  Communication,  761.  —  Practical  Information, 
761. —  Climate,  763.  —  Topographical  Sketch,  764.— 
The  Pescadores  and  The  Botel  Tobago  Islands,  765.  — 
Forests,  766.  —  Fauna,  767.  —  Historical  Sketch,  768.  — 
Population,  769.  —  The  Guard-Line,  769.  —  Head- 
hunting, 770.  —  Footbinding,  773.  —  The  Aborigines, 
773.  —  Bibliography,  774. 


Formosa  Oolong  Tea,  778.  —  Taihoku  Museum,  779.  — 
Botanical  Garden,  780.  — The  Monopoly  Bureau;  Cam- 
phor, 781.—  Opium,  782.—  Taipeh  Prison,  783.—  Maru- 
yama  Park,  783.  —  Excursions  to  a  village  of  Savages, 
783. 

53.  From  Taihoku  via  Hokuto  to  Tamsui    ....  784 

54.  From  Taihoku  via  Toyen,  Shinchiku,  Byoritsu, 
Taichu  (Rokko),  Kagi,  and  Tainan  (Anping)  to 


Pankyo  Landscape  Garden,  785.  —  Lake  Candidius,  787. 

—  Mt.  Morrison,  788.  —  Arisan,   789.  —  Tainan,  789. 

—  Anping,  789.  —  Takao,  791. 


Steamship  Communication.  The  Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha  and  the  Osaka 
Shosen  Kaisha  operate  weeklv  services  between  Kobe  and  (986  M.)  Kee- 
lung (fare,  ¥36,  1st  cl.;  ¥24,  2d  cl.;  round  trip,  ¥64.80  and  ¥43.20  respec- 
tively), calling  at  Moji  (fare  to  Keelung,  1st  cl.,  ¥30;  2d  cl.,  ¥20).  Steamers 
usually  leave  Moji  about  4  p.m.  and  arrive  at  the  Keelung  wharf  early  in  the 
morning  of  the  4th  day.  The  ships,  food,  and  accommodations  are  good; 
deck-chairs  free.  English  spoken.  The  O.S.K.  runs  ships  bi-weekly  between 
Yokohama  and  (1495  M.  in  10  days)  Takao  (fare,  ¥47,  1st  cl.;  ¥31.50,  2d 
cl.),  calling  at  Kobe,  Ujino,  Moji.  and  Nagasaki  (fare  hence,  ¥18  and  ¥12 
respectively).  Ships  sail  each  week  from  Hongkong  via  Amoy  and  Swatow 
to  (633  M.  in  2  days)  Tamsui  (¥35,  1st  cl. ;  ¥23,  2d  cl.) ;  and  between  Shang- 
hai and  Takao  (¥60  and  ¥30).  Local  boats  make  the  circuit_of  the  island 
coast  at  frequent  intervals.  A  regular  line  also  leads  from  Osaka  via  the 
Loochoo  Islands  (9  days;  fare,  ¥47  and  ¥31.50)  to  Keelung.  Special  ar- 
rangements with  the  Taiwan  Railway  management  permits  south-bound 
travelers  to  proceed  by  steamer  to  Keelung,  traverse  the  island  by  rail,  and 
regain  the  ship  for  Hongkong  at  Takao.  For  detailed  reference  to  this  and 
to  other  features  of  the  service  apply  to  any  of  the  company's,  agents. 
The  handy  little  Guide  to  Formosa  (in  English,  free)  issued  by  the  O.S.  K.  is 
valuable  to  travelers.  During  the  tea-shipping  season  (June-Sept.),  the  big 
Transpacific  liners  of  the  Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha  stop  at  Keelung  northward- 
bound  from  Hongkong  and  anchor  outside  (time,  30  hrs.;  fare,  ¥27.50,  1st 
cl.).  Sampan  to  the  shore,  25  sen. 


Practical  Information.  Formosa,  or  (Chinese  and  Japanese) 
Taiwan  ('terraced  bay'),  a  semi-tropical,  ovaliform  island 
(greatest  width,  97  M.  from  E.  to  W.;  greatest  length,  244  M. 
from  N.  to  S.)  in  the  torrid  zone  approximately  90  M.  from  the 
China  coast,  extends  from  21°  45'  to  25°  38'  of  N.  lat.  and  from 
120°  to  122°  6'  15"  of  long.  E.  of  Greenwich,  and  forms  a  link  in 


50. 
51. 
52. 


Keelung  (Kiirun)  .  .  . 
From  Keelung  to  Taihoku 
Taihoku  and  its  Environs 


774 
775 
776 


Takao 


784 


762 


FORMOSA  Practical  Notes. 


the  vast  volcanic  chain  which,  running  from  Papua  northward 
to  the  Kuril es,  constitutes  the  E.  escarpment  of  the  Chinese  con- 
tinent —  to  which  it  is  connected  by  a  plateau  over  which  the 
depth  of  water  is  generally  less  than  50  fathoms.  Immediately 
to  the  E.  of  the  island  deep  water  is  found,  and  the  broad  Pa- 
cific stretches  away  4700  M.  to  Honolulu.  Its  area  of  14,000 
sq.  M.  (coast-line  of  700  M.)  makes  the  island  a  trifle  larger 
than  Holland,  a  bit  smaller  than  Switzerland,  and  more  than 
twice  the  size  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands.  There  are  63  outlying 
islands  with  an  area  of  48  sq.  M.  and  a  coast-line  of  132  M. 
The  Tropic  of  Cancer  (which  passes  slightly  to  the  N.  of  Cuba 
and  Honolulu)  cuts  it  near  the  middle  and  defines  the  (sea- 
level)  climate.  The  Time  is  54  min.  behind  that  used  in  Japan, 
to  which  Formosa  is  almost  connected  by  the  huge  stepping- 
stones  comprising  the  Loochoo  Islands  —  the  southernmost  of 
which  is  visible  in  clear  weather  from  the  northernmost  point 
of  the  island.  The  Philippines  lie  225  M.  to  the  S.  of  the  curi- 
ously pointed  Garambi  Cape,  with  Manila  390  M.  still  farther 
away.  Between  the  island  and  the  mainland  flows  the  boister- 
ous stream  of  the  Formosa  Channel,  with  the  Pescadores  (p. 
765)  intervening  25  M.  from  its  W.  edge.  Ships  leaving  For- 
mosa on  the  evening  tide  in  good  weather  find  themselves  the 
next  morning  in  a  port  on  the  Chinese  littoral.  Hongkong  is 
360  M.  from  Takao,  and  with  a  smooth  sea  steamships  make  it 
in  a  day.  But  during  the  roaring  S.W.  monsoon,  when  the  tear- 
ing winds  howl  like  demons  and  kick  up  a  tremendous  sea,  the 
biggest  liners  are  glad  to  lie  to  or  run  somewhere  for  shelter; 
in  such  cases  the  voyage  may  take  several  days.  Submarine 
cables  link  the  island  to  Fochow  and  Kyushu,  and  wireless  sta- 
tions signal  ships  in  the  channel  and  flash  messages  to  the  main- 
land. 

The  island  is  one  of  rare  beauty  and  charm,  a  bizarre  blend 
of  civilization  and  savagery;  of  snow-clad  mts.  and  the  lush 
vegetation  of  the  semi-tropics;  of  the  16th-cent.  Orient  and  the 
20th-cent.  Occident.  In  one  respect  it  offers  the  blase  traveler 
a  combination  rarely  met  with  anywhere,  —  the  possibility  of 
safely  hobnobbing  with  savages  reclaimed  with  the  thinnest 
kind  of  a  veneer,  who  secretly  want  the  visitor's  head,  but  are 
prevented  by  Japanese  law  from  taking  anything  more  portable 
than  his  small  change;  and  this  only  in  the  way  of  legitimate 
barter!  To  sit  on  the  balcony  of  the  luxuriously  appointed 
Taihoku  Hotel  and  know  that  somewhere  in  the  near-by  mts. 
eager  eyes  may  be  searching  one  out,  and  nervous  fingers  be 
gripping  a  razor-like  kris  that  would  quickly  decentralize  one's 
cherished  head-piece,  affords  a  thrill  not  'included  in  the 
price'  in  Europe  or  America!  The  aim  of  the  Japanese  is  to 
make  of  Formosa  a  tropical  garden  that  will  attract  travelers 
from  everywhere,  and  much  money  and  effort  are  being  ex- 
pended to  this  end, 


Climate. 


FORMOSA 


763 


As  a  colonial  possession  Taiwan  is  ruled  over  by  a  Governor- 
General  appointed  by  the  Mikado,  and  assisted  by  a  Civil 
Administrative  Dept.,  an  Army  Dept.,  and  a  Naval  Staff.  For 
purposes  of  local  administration  the  island  is  divided  into  20 
prefectures  and  sub-prefectures,  which  are  increased  and  ex- 
tended as  fast  as  sections  of  the  Savage  Territory  are  reclaimed. 
The  organization  is  patterned  closely  after  that  of  Japan  (p. 
cli).  The  Central  Gov't  (Taiwan  Sotoku-fu)  is  at  Taihoku 
(p.  776).  The  annual  revenue  of  approximately  56  million  yen 
(expenses  about  42  millions)  is  obtained  from  taxation,  the  im- 
position of  customs  duties  on  imported  articles,  and  from  the 
receipts  from  various  governmental  undertakings,  —  the  rlys. 
(1000  M.  of  3  ft.  6  in.  gauge),  forests,  opium,  salt,  tobacco,  and 
camphor  monopolies,  etc.  Gold,  silver,  copper,  sulphur,  coal, 
etc.,  are  mined  in  quantities,  and  considerable  petroleum  is  pro- 
duced. Of  the  20  or  more  gold  mines,  but  3  or  4  are  productive. 
The  total  annual  trade  amounts  to  about  125  million  yen. 
Much  of  the  rattan  made  into  furniture  at  Hongkong  is  shipped 
hence.  Rice  and  sugar  are  the  greatest  staples.  Of  the  223 
public  schools  of  the  island,  17  are  for  the  aborigines.  Among 
other  accomplishments  the  aboriginal  children  (1732  pupils) 
are  taught  embroidery,  the  making  of  artificial  flowers,  etc. 

Climate.  The  climatological  conditions  are  singular;  the 
temperature  at  one  point  may  differ  materially  from  that  at 
another  at  practically  the  same  elevation  and  but  a  few  miles 
distant,  and  while  one  town  is  bathed  in  sempiternal  sunshine 
a  less  fortunate  one  10  miles  or  more  away  may  be  overhung 
with  clouds  and  enveloped  in  weeping  rains !  While  one  region 
is  enjoying  a  delightful  season  with  freedom  from  heavy  rains, 
another  district  on  the  same  level  but  a  hundred  miles  or  more 
distant  may  be  having  its  annual  rainy  season.  While  Keelung 
is  dubiously  celebrated  as  the  rainiest  place  in  the  Far  East 
(and  the  4th  wettest  in  the  world),  with  a  yearly  average  of  219 
rainy  days  and  nearly  200  in.  of  rain,  Tainan,  but  218  M.  to 
the  south,  also  at  sea-level,  has  but  104  wet  days  and  54  in. 
of  rain,  and  Tamsui,  20  M.  over  the  hills  from  Keelung,  less 
than  100.  Thick  layers  of  clouds  often  rise  at  the  E.  summits  of 
the  mts.,  but  dissolve  quickly  when  descending  to  the  warmer 
atmosphere  on  their  W.  sides.  The  N.E.  monsoon,  which  ab- 
sorbs an  abundance  of  vapor  when  warmed  by  the  Japan 
Stream  (p.  cxlvi)  condenses  into  heavy  rain  when  it  impinges  on 
the  cool  mts.  of  N.E.  Formosa.  During  the  S.W.  monsoon  the 
S.  portion  receives  more  rain  than  the  N.  The  W.  side  of  the 
island  receives  its  greatest  rainfall  in  summer  —  usually  in 
Aug.  Although  Nov.  is  the  wettest  month  in  Keelung,  it  is 
usually  the  dry  est  month  in  Taihoku,  20  M.  distant.  Because 
of  these  climatic  peculiarities  Formosa  is  richer  than  most 
regions  in  the  variety  of  its  plant  life.  Vegetation  grows  vigor- 
ously at  all  times;  flowers  bloom  perennially,  and  every  month 


764  FORMOSA  Topography. 


is  the  busy  season  of  the  mosquito  —  the  most  industrious 
object  on  the  island.  Mosquito-nets  are  indispensable  through- 
out the  year,  and  are  supplied  at  the  hotels  'and  inns.  As  the 
head-hunting  tribes  inhabit  and  hold  the  mts.  in  their  posses- 
sion, —  thus  enjoying  what  must  be  a  fine  and  invigorating 
climate,  —  the  civilized,  and  other,  folks  must  dwell  on  the 
plains  and  at  sea-level. 

Spring  begins  in  March  and  lasts  till  the  end  of  May.  In 
April  the  thermometer  often  registers  90°  F.,  and  this  temper- 
ature may  increase  to  97°  in  summer,  which  lasts  from  June  till 
the  middle  of  Sept.  The  warmest  month  is  July,  the  mean  tem- 
perature being  81°.  The  monthly  average  of  humidity  is  over 
80°,  and  it  varies  between  93°  and  73°.  Oct.  and  Nov.  corre- 
spond to  the  Indian  Summer  of  the  N.  of  the  United  States  and 
the  Little  Spring  of  Japan;  they  are  the  healthiest  months  of 
the  year,  and  the  best  for  the  tourist  to  visit  the  island.  From 
Sept.  to  April  northeasterly  winds  prevail,  the  direction  being 
somewhat  affected  by  topographical  conditions;  thus  the  wind 
is  E.  at  Taihoku,  N.  at  Tainan,  and  N.E.  at  the  Pescadores. 
Southerly  winds  prevail  from  May  to  Sept.  The  rainy  season  is 
supposed  to  set  in  in  Dec.  and  for  30  days  or  thereabout  the 
drizzle  continues  almost  uninterruptedly,  revivifying  the  vege- 
tation while  depressing  the  spirits  of  the  people.  The  period  is 
much  like  the  Nyubai  of  Japan,  during  which  metals  rust  and 
other  things  mould  and  decay.  During  this  time  the  visitor 
must  be  on  his  guard  against  the  prevalent  malaria.  The  cold- 
est month  is  Feb.  with  a  minimum  temperature  (at  Taihoku 
and  Tainan)  of  38°  F.  and  a  mean  of  61°.  Taihoku  experiences 
but  little  rain  between  Nov.  and  April,  but  the  traveler  may 
expect  it  practically  every  day  at  Keelung  during  that  time.  — 
The  typhoons  which  visit  the  island  during  Aug.  and  Sept.  are 
much  dreaded,  as  they  bring  the  rivers  up  out  of  their  banks, 
flood  the  plantations,  wash  out  bridges,  and  destroy  rly.  com- 
munication, and  sometimes  blow  at  the  astonishing  rate  of  97 
M.  an  hr.  (Taihoku,  Aug.  5,  1898).  Fogs  often  temper  the 
summer  heat.  Yachtsmen  may  wish  to  remember  that  while 
the  E.  coast  of  Formosa  is  clearest  in  summer,  the  W.  coast  is 
clearest  in  winter.  Earthquakes  are  frequent  but  are  rarely 
severe.    Storms  do  the  most  damage. 

Topographical  Sketch.  Topographically  Formosa  is  like 
Japan  in  that  ridges  of  lofty,  densely-wooded  mts.  traverse  it 
from  N.  to  S.  and  divide  it.  Westward  of  the  ridge  the  land  falls 
in  a  succession  of  terraces  to  a  wide  plain  covered  with  sugar 
plantations  and  rice-fields  (2  crops  a  year).  Many  of  the  5000 
sq.  M.  of  the  total  tillable  area  lie  here,  and  from  the  numerous 
bays  and  ports  2215  steamships  and  36,000  junks  carry  the 
island  products  to  Japan  and  the  Chinese  littoral.  As  civiliza- 
tion entered  the  island  from  this  side  and  spread  toward  the  E., 
its  advance  is  marked  by  populous  villages  and  well-cultivated 


The  Pescadores.  FORMOSA 


765 


fields.  The  E.  coast  is  mountainous,  and  some  of  the  remarka- 
bly beautiful  cliffs  which  rise  a  sheer  3300  ft.  from  the  water  are 
said  to  be  the  highest  in  the  world  —  reminding  one  of  Norwe- 
gian, New  Zealand,  or  Alaskan  fiords.  The  water  is  deep  close  in, 
and  when  big  ships  steam  along  the  base  of  the  towering  rocky 
mass  they  seem  no  larger  than  cockle-shells.  The  rocks  are 
chiefly  sandstone,  slate,  graystone,  gneiss,  shale,  and  granite, 
with  others  of  trappean,  coal,  and  coralline  formation.  Taito, 
Pinan,  Karenko,  and  So-o  are  the  chief  ports" of  the  E.  coast. 
The  great  axial  range,  which  with  smaller  ridges  traverses  the 
island  from  N.  to  S.,  rises  near  Taihoku  and  tapers  to  the  South 
Cape,  there  to  terminate  in  a  remarkable  limestone  mass  fa- 
mous in  Chinese  legends.  Many  stately  peaks  mark  the  prog- 
ress of  the  range,  the  culminating  point  (highest  in  the  Jap- 
anese Empire)  being  Mt.  Morrison  (p.  788).  Other  fine  peaks 
are  Mt.  Sylvia  (12,522  ft.;  named  for  a  British  man-of-war,  the 
Sylvia,  in  1867);  Taihasen,  a  few  miles  to  the  N.  (10,797  ft.); 
Taisetsu  (10,800  ft.);  Gokan  (11,209  ft.);  Hakku  (10,539  ft.); 
Tosha  (10,800  ft.);  Antogun  (10,193  ft.);  Noko  (11,200  ft.); 
Randai-san  (10,100  ft.);  Bokyo  (10,250  ft.);  Gundai  (10,700 
ft.);  Kanzan  (12,100  ft.);  Shokanzan  (10,740  ft.);  Pinan 
(10,906  ft.);  and  nearly  a  score  of  giants  from  9000  ft.  down- 
ward. The  splendid  Shukoran,  near  Mt.  Morrison,  is  12,650 
ft.,  and  is  next  in  height  to  its  loftier  neighbor.  On  the  slopes 
of  nearly  all  these  huge  peaks  are  the  high-poised  and  almost 
inaccessible  villages  of  the  wild  tribes,  within  the  district  known 
as  the  Savage  Boundary,  now  hemmed  in  in  many  places  by 
electrified  barbed-wire  and  guarded  stations. 

The  principal  plains  are  Hozan,  Tainan,  Kagi,  and  Shoka,  — 
all  known  as  the  Plains  of  the  West  Coast.  The  Giran,  or 
Kapsulan  Plain,  and  the  Karai  Plain  (referred  to  sometimes 
as  the  Taito  Valley)  are  on  the  E.  side  of  the  axial  chain.  — 
All  the  streams  of  the  limited  River  System  are  of  the  nature 
of  mt.  torrents,  —  shallow  and  sluggish  during  the  dry  season, 
but  raging  and  destructive  during  the  season  of  floods  (July- 
Aug.).  At  such  times  erstwhile  nondescript  trickles  become 
booming  torrents  a  half-mile  or  so  wide,  which  tear  out  the 
strongest  rly.  bridges  and  demolish  the  largest  plantations  in 
their  path.  The  most  important  are  the  Tamsui  River  (87  M. 
long);  the  Dakusukei  (95  M.);  and  the  Daiankei  (48  M.). 

The  Pescadores  (islands  so  called  by  the  Spanish  navigators 
because  most  of  the  inhabs.  are  Pescadores,  or  'fishermen')  are 
called  Hoko-to  by  the  Japanese,  to  whom  they  belong.  The  un- 
interesting archipelago  (pop.  56,000)  consists  of  about  21  small 
islands  generally  flat  and  in  no  place  more  than  300  ft.  above 
the  sea-level.  The  area  of  the  largest  is  about  24  sq.  M.  The 
two  most  important  are  Panghu  and  Fisher  Island,  near  the 
center  of  the  cluster.  Makiu,  or  Mako,  or  Makung,  the  capi- 
tal, has  the  remains  of  an  old  Dutch  fort,  and  a  pop.  of  5000. 


766 


FORMOSA 


The  Forests. 


The  usual  point  of  departure  for  the  islands  is  Antung.  Steam- 
ers of  the  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  make  the  52  M.  in  5-6  hrs. 

The  Botel  Tobago  Islands  (Jap.  Koto-Sho),  50  M.  S.E.  of 
Pinan,  consist  of  2  islands,  the  largest  7|  M.  long  from  W.N.W. 
to  E.S.E.,  and  from  2  to  4  broad  (highest  point,  1820  ft.) ;  with 
a  smaller  one  3  M.  to  the  S.  The  1200  or  more  benighted  inhabs. 
occupy  8  wretched  villages,  and  in  their  manners  and  customs 
recall  the  Papuans  of  the  Solomon  Islands.  They  are  believed 
to  be  of  Malaysian-Polynesian  origin. 

The  Forests  cover  about  7  million  acres  (67%  of  the  total 
area  of  the  island)  and  lie  chiefly  within  the  Savage  Territory. 
The  3  million  acres  outside  this  have  been  almost  ruined  by 
the  ruthless  Chinese  in  their  search  for  camphor  and  other 
products.  The  Arisan  Forest,  on  Mt.  Ari,  covers  about  27,000 
acres  between  1800  and  9000  ft.  above  the  sea,  and  is  widely 
known  for  its  large  and  splendidly  tall  evergreen  trees,  some  of 
which  are  thought  to  be  1500  yrs.  old.  The  most  valuable  are 
the  immense  camphor  trees  (p.  781),  and  the  huge  (some  190 
ft.  high  and  60  ft.  in  girth)  coniferous  Chamoecyparis  formo- 
sensis  (a  relative  of  the  Thuya;  Jap.  Hinoki),  of  which  there  are 
said  to  be  upward  of  300,000.  Here,  at  an  elevation  of  about 
7000  ft.,  grow  the  few  specimens  of  the  unique  Belts  Lanceolata 
(or  Cunninghamia;  named  for  R.  Cunningham,  an  English 
physician  in  China),  magnificent  trees  of  a  single  species  but 
allied  closely  to  the  sequoia  of  California,  and  used  by  the 
Chinese  for  tea-chests  and  coffins.  The  Japanese  cedar  is  re- 
presented by  the  immensely  tall,  umbrella-shaped  Cryptomeria 
Taiwaniana;  and  the  Tsuga  (large  forests  of  which  the  traveler 
will  note  on  Fuji-san)  by  equally  splendid  specimens  of  Tsuga 
formosensis  —  both  to  Japan  and  Formosa  what  the  hemlock- 
spruce  is  to  Canada  and  the  United  States.  Retinosporas, 
spruces,  soap,  tallow,  and  paper-mulberry  trees,  Liquidambar 
formosana,  magnolias,  and  a  host  of  others  grow  in  riotous  pro- 
fusion, prominent  and  striking  figures  among  them  the  Libo- 
cedrus  (the  arbor-vita?,  or  incense-cedar),  which  yields  a  yel- 
lowish wood  capable  of  taking  a  high  polish  and  a  satin-like 
finish.  The  Katang  tree  produces  the  close-grained,  rich-red 
wood  made  up  into  furniture  in  China  and  sold  to  the  unwary 
as  rosewood.  The  East  Indian  palm  (Areca  Cathecu;  Jap. 
binro)  is  common  everywhere  and  furnishes  the  areca-nut  (bin- 
roji)  so  highly  esteemed  among  the  natives  as  a  masticatory. 
The  fruit  (often  called  betel-nut  because  it  is  chewed  with  the 
leaf  of  the  betel  pepper  —  Piper  Betle)  resembles  a  nutmeg  in 
shape  and  color,  but  is  larger,  with  hard  white  albumen.  The 
entire  nut  is  chewed;  a  slice  is  wrapped  in  the  fresh  leaf  smeared 
with  a  mixture  of  gambier  or  shell-lime  colored  red,  and  the 
whole  masticated  to  a  pulp  before  spitting  it  out.  The  taste  is 
herbaceous  and  aromatic  with  a  little  pungency,  and  those  who 
chew  it  seldom  have  it  out  of  their  mouths  (usually  lodged 


Fauna. 


FORMOSA 


767 


between  the  teeth  and  the  lower  lip) .  It  is  supposed  to  sweeten 
the  breath  and  promote  digestion.  — The' lithe  bamboo  (Phyl- 
lostachys)  grows  in  dense  groves  and  produces  culms  40-50  ft. 
long.  The  Gov't  Forestry  Bureau  is  engaged  actively  in  refor- 
estation, and  in  the  museum  at  Taihoku  there  is  an  excellent 
collection  of  forest  timber,  properly  classified,  with  its  uses,  etc. 
The  Pacific  Northwest  system  of  logging  and  lumber-sawing  is 
followed,  and  American  sawing-machinery  is  used. 

The  Fauna  is  more  closely  allied  to  that  of  Japan,  Malaysia, 
and  British  India  than  the  mainland  of  China,  and  includes 
tiger-cats,  Asiatic  wild-cats,  Tibetan  bears,  3  species  of  deer 
and  civets,  wild  boars,  Swinhoe's  goat-antelopes,  martens,  the 
S.  China  wild  cow  (Bos  Chinensis) ,  apes,  armadillos,  several 
species  of  squirrels,  and  numerous  rodents.  Conspicuous  fea- 
tures are  the  domesticated  water  buffaloes  (Bubalus  buffelus  — 
Chinese,  Shiu  niu,  or  water-ox;  the  carabao  of  the  Philippines), 
employed  as  beasts  of  burden  and  in  tilling  the  soil.  They  are 
docile  but  unwieldy  creatures,  with  a  hairless  hide  of  a  repul- 
sive, light  slaty  black,  and  widespread  black  ribbed  horns  with 
flat  upper  surfaces  that  lie  far  back  on  the  neck  and  resemble 
exaggerated  callipers.  Each  horn  is  nearly  semicircular,  and 
bends  downward;  the  head  seems  to  be  affected  by  their 
weight,  and  is  turned  back  so  as  to  bring  the  nose  horizontal. 
To  all  appearances  this  adornment  is  useless  to  its  wearer,  but 
such  is  not  the  case,  since  the  clumsy  ruminants  not  only  de- 
fend themselves  against  the  attacks  of  tigers  (particularly  in 
Java) ,  but  often  kill  the  aggressors.  Constitutionally  more  deli- 
cate than  the  ox,  the  buffaloes  tire  easily,  and  unless  their  driv- 
ers pour  water  over  them  occasionally  they  become  fagged  and 
useless.  One  often  sees  them  standing  in  square  tanks  being 
splashed  with  water.  The  tough  naked  hide  is  a  mark  for  gnats 
and  other  insects,  and  to  guard  against  them  the  animals  seek 
muddy  pools,  where  they  lie  for  hrs.  with  only  the  nose  and 
eyes  above  the  surface.  Saucy  Drongo-shrikes,  handsome  birds 
with  long  forked  tails,  black  shot  with  steel-blue,  and  with  a 
tinge  of  bronze  on  both  wings  and  tails,  are  seen  often  sitting 
on  the  backs  of  buffaloes  devouring  the  insects  which  torment 
them.  Ragged  herd-boys  often  ride  the  animals,  and  the  meta- 
phor of  a  lad  astride  a  buffalo's  back,  blowing  the  flute,  fre- 
quently enters  into  Chinese  descriptions  of  rural  life.  The 
snowy  herons  which  stalk  the  animals  eat  the  tiny  lampreys 
found  in  the  pools  in  which  they  wallow.  Buffaloes  often  show 
their  wild  nature  by  dislike  for  Europeans,  and  travelers  should 
try  to  avoid  meeting  them  in  narrow  lanes  unaccompanied  by 
drivers.  The  island  is  rich  in  venomous  snakes  of  more  interest 
to  herpetologists  than  to  timid  tourists.  The  dreaded  Cobra 
de  capello,  a  repulsive  reptile  which  attains  a  length  of  3-4  ft., 
is  common.  The  avifauna  is  very  varied,  and  of  the  150  or 
more  species  of  birds,  a  number  are  peculiar  to  the  locality. 


768  FORMOSA  History. 

Among  the  finest  is  the  beautiful  blue  magpie  (Urocissa  coeru- 
lea),  with  deep  black  head  and  neck,  bright  vermilion  bill  and 
legs,  and  violet-blue  and  white  body.  The  crows  one  some- 
times sees  are  the  descendants  of  those  which  Admiral  Vis- 
count  Kabayama  (the  first  Governor-General)  set  free  from  his 
warship  at  the  time  of  the  Japanese  occupation  in  1895.  The 
gekko  lizards  so  common  in  Formosan  houses  are  timid  and 
harmless.  The  fish  of  the  environing  seas  are  similar  to  those 
of  Japan,  but  perhaps  because  of  the  warmer  water  are  less 
palatable. 

Historical  Sketch.  According  to  the  (not  always  trustworthy)  Chinese 
annals,  Formosa  came  prominently  into  history  in  a.d.  605  (during  the  Sui 
Dynasty)  when  a  Chinese  navigator,  Ho  Man,  visited  the  island  and  was 
surprised  to  find  it  peopled  by  numerous  savage  tribes  (perhaps  Malays,  but 
called  by  some  authorities  Lonkius)  whose  language  he  could  not  under- 
stand. The  wily  Mongolian  returned  to  China  and  soon  thereafter  headed  a 
second  (piratical)  expedition,  and  after  demanding  that  the  natives  recog- 
nize the '  Son  of  Heaven'  as  their  lord  (which  was  refused) ,  burnt  their  villages, 
slew  those  who  failed  to  take  refuge  in  the  mts.,  and  then  returned  in  tri- 
umph to  the  mainland.  The  Chinese  legend  which  refers  to  the  creation  of 
the  island  is  not  worth  repeating.  Until  the  15th  cent.,  when  the  Loochoos 
proper  were  distinguished  from  Formosa  and  called  Yakushima,  the  Chi- 
nese persisted  in  calling  the  island  Loochoo.  Many  still  call  it  Ki-lung-shan 
(Keelung  Mt.).  In  1590,  some  Portuguese  sailing  near  the  W.  coast  of  the 
island  sighted  it  and  were  so  struck  by  its  beauty  that  they  called  it  Ilha  For- 
mosa  (Beautiful  Island) .  The  name  was  incorporated  in  the  Dutch  charts 
by  a  Dutch  navigator,  John  Hughes  de  Linschooten  (who  explored  the  coast 
of  Japan  in  1584),  and  eventually  became  the  accepted  (and  appropriate) 
name.  In  1622,  after  the  Dutch  bombardment  of  Portuguese  Macao  by 
the  ships  of  Cornelius  Reyersz,  these  'Red-haired  Barbarians'  settled  in  the 
Pescadores,  and  to  placate  them  the  Chinese  who  already  had  established 
themselves  in  Formosa  in  appreciable  numbers,  and  who  practically  dom- 
inated the  island,  gave  them  permission  (in  1623)  to  trade  there.  A  year 
later  Fort  Zelandia  was  erected  at  Taiwan  (now  Anping),  and  soon  there- 
after a  second  and  smaller  fort,  Provintia,  was  built.  In  1626,  the  Spaniards 
settled  at  Keelung  and  named  it  La  Santlsima  Trinidad  (Holy  Trinity) .  For 
years  thereafter  there  was  much  bickering  between  the  sly,  psalm-sing- 
ing, mercenary  Hollanders,  and  the  equally  zealous  and  intolerant  padres. 
In  this  the  Japanese  pirates,  who  had  ravaged  the  coast  some  20  yrs.  before, 
and  who  considered  it  as  their  special  domain,  took  an  active  part.  Many 
merchants  of  this  nation  had  already  settled  at  Takao ,  and  because  the  scen- 
ery of  the  coast  between  that  port  and  Anping  was  similar  to  that  of  Taka- 
sago,  in  Harima  (or  Banshu)  Province,  they  named  the  island  Takasago  — 
a  pillow-word  for  a  mt.  peak,  and  still  the  poetic  name  for  the  region. 

The  most  picturesque  period  in  the  history  of  Formosa  was  inaugurated 
by  a  swashbuckling  pirate  chief  known  variously  as  CMng  Kung,  Tei-seiko, 
and  as  Koxinga,  the  son  (born  near  Nagasaki,  Japan,  in  1624)  of  an  equally 
celebrated  corsair,  Cheng  Chi-lung  (or  Iquan),  who  in  time  became  the 
wealthiest  and  most  powerful  man  in  the  Middle  Kingdom,  with  vast  fleets 
of  vessels  and  methods  of  reprisal  so  dreaded  that  even  the  Emperor  feared 
to  oppose  him.  In  1657,  he  attacked  the  Dutch  with  such  shrewdness  and 
impetuosity  that  those  who  were  not  slaughtered  surrendered  and  were  per- 
mitted to  depart  for  Batavia,  with  their  missionaries  and  their  reduced  pos- 
sessions. In  1662,  Dutch  authority  in  Formosa  ceased  (after  30  yrs.  continu- 
ance), and  in  1668  the  last  Dutchman  retired  from  Keelung.  Koxinga  mean- 
while established  himself  as  the  sovereign  of  the  island,  over  which  he  ruled 
in  a  barbarically  opulent  style.  He  died  within  a  year  after  his  invasion  and 
was  ennobled  by  the  Chinese  Emperor,  as  Hai-ching  kung,  or  'Sea-quelling 
Duke',  —  one  of  the  two  perpetual  titles  among  the  Chinese.  His  rule  was 
continued  by  his  son. 

Imperial  Chinese  sway  was  finally  established  in  1683;  the  island  was 
made  a  part  of  Fokien  Province;  and  the  capital  was  called  Taiwan Fu.  Such 


Population. 


FORMOSA 


769 


was  the  misgovernment  that  it  soon  became  a  refractory  region,  and  the 
plundered  and  exasperated  natives,  after  killing  and  eating  many  of  their 
conquerors,  retired  to  the  mt.  fastnesses  and  started  a  race-war  which  still 
rages.  For  many  years  the  island  was  notorious  among  sailors  for  its  treach- 
erous coast  and  fierce  peoples  —  the  semi-barbarous  Chinese  being  almost  as 
much  dreaded  as  the  head-hunting  aboriginals.  English,  American,  and 
Japanese  vessels  were  from  time  to  time  wrecked  on  the  coast,  and  the  unfor- 
tunate passengers  and  crews  that  were  not  massacred  were  enslaved  and  tor- 
tured. Several  punitive  expeditions  were  landed  by  the  English  and  Ameri- 
cans (one  of  the  latter  under  Captain  Belknap  in  the  ships  Hartford,  and 
Wyoming,  in  June,  1867),  and  the  Japanese  Gov't,  exasperated  by  the  murder 
of  54  wrecked  Loochooans  in  1871,  after  futile  attempts  to  obtain  redress  of 
Peking,  took  the  matter  into  its  own  hands  and  war  was  narrowly  averted. 
The  Japanese  invasion  (and  occupation  of  the  southern  part  of  the  island) 
in  1874  sobered  both  the  Chinese  and  aboriginals,  It  was  followed  in  1884 
by  the  French  campaign,  during  which  France  seized  the  island  as  a  material 
guaranty  for  the  payment  of  an  indemnity  imposed  upon  China  at  the  close 
of  the  Franco-Chinese  War. 

China  attempted  to  make  radical  changes  in  the  administration  of  the 
region  during  the  yrs.  that  followed,  but  when  the  Japanese  stormed  and 
took  Taihoku  (the  capital)  on  June  8,  1895,  and  scattered  the  adherents  of 
the  recently  established Formosan  Republic,  the  island  was  but  slightly  more 
advanced  than  it  was  when  ruled  by  Koxinga  in  the  17th  cent.  It  was  a 
red-letter  day  for  Formosa  and  its  inhabitants  when  China  ceded  the  island 
(Shimonoseki  Treaty,  April  17,  1895)  to  Japan  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
Japan-China  War,  although  the  campaign  which  followed  cost  the  conquer- 
ors millions  of  treasure  and  4642  soldiers,  while  21,000  had  to  be  sent  back 
to  Japan  for  treatment.  It  was  also  an  important  day  for  Japan,  for  on  that 
day  it  rose  to  the  rank  of  a  colonial  power,  and  for  the  first  time  in  its  2500 
yrs.  of  history  the  people  and  territory  of  another  nation  were  transferred  to  its 
protection.  Included  in  the  cession  were  all  the  adjacent  islands  lying  in  the 
sea  from  119°  to  120°  E.  long,  and  from  23°  to  24°  N.  lat.  (which  included 
the  Pescadores).  By  patience,  tact,  and  the  liberal  expenditure  of  lives, 
time,  and  money,  the  progressive  Japanese  have  civilized  a  large  part  of  the 
island,  and  they  are  still  engaged  in  the  apparently  insurmountable  task  of 
rescuing  a  savage  race  from  moral,  commercial,  and  intellectual  oblivion. 

Population.  Ethnologically  Formosa  is  highly  interesting; 
many  of  the  wild  tribes  (which  still  hold  considerable  of  the 
island  territory)  are  bloodthirsty  head-hunters  who  make  it 
their  business  and  pleasure  to  lie  in  wait,  slay,  and  decapitate 
the  domesticated  savages,  the  Japanese,  and  the  Chinese  who 
work  near  the  Guard-Line.  Many  of  the  semi-barbarous 
Chinese  themselves  are  said  to  be  murderous  as  well  as  hominiv- 
orous;  exhibiting  their  cannibalistic  tendencies  by  eating  por- 
tions of  the  bushmen  they  succeed  in  killing.  To  save  them- 
selves and  their  subjects  from  being  slaughtered  and  beheaded, 
the  Japanese  must  either  civilize  or  destroy  the  wild  tribes,  and 
the  war  of  regeneration  or  extermination  is  being  conducted 
with  characteristic  Japanese  vigor.  At  present  the  extended 
Guard-Line,  maintained  by  a  thousand  or  more  hardy  Nip- 
ponese fighters,  tightens  and  grows  steadily  smaller,  while  the 
obstinate  natives  within  the  gigantic  mesh  fight,  surrender, 
recede,  or  die  in  defense  of  their  wretched  huts  and  their  sin- 
gular mental  inheritance. 

The  Guard-Line  (Aiyu-seri)  is  established  by  cutting  a  path  (ai-ro)  along 
the  side  of  the  mts.,  then  clearing  the  jungle  in  front  for  sufficient  distance 
for  the  guards  to  note  the  approach  of  an  enemy.  The  bamboo  houses  are 
loopholed,  surrounded  by  barbed-wire  fences,  and  supplied  with  firearms, 


770 


FORMOSA  Head-Hunting. 


grenades,  field-guns,  telephones,  etc.  In  very  risky  districts  the  wire  entan- 
glements are  electrically  charged,  and  sunken  mines  are  laid  for  the  savages. 
When  rivers  are  spanned  by  the  lines,  a  peculiarly  constructed  bridge  of  rat- 
tan and  piano-wire  is  made,  sometimes  400  ft.  or  more  long.  Five  or  more 
guard-houses,  with  2-4  men  in  each  house,  are  placed  at  intervals  in  a  mile, 
and  in  localities  where  barter  is  permitted  with  the  savages,  a  barter-house 
is  erected  near  the  superintendent's  cabin,  and  interpreters  are  employed. 
While  one  guard  sleeps,  the  other  watches,  for  the  duty  of  the  guard  is  not 
only  to  preserve  his  own  life,  but  also  to  protect  the  villages  and  fields  in  his 
district.  The  savages  frequently  attack  the  men,  who  are;  in  constant  dan- 
ger. Sometimes  whole  parties  are  ambushed  and  massacred.  As  the  natives 
are  subdued  or  convinced  of  the  futility  of  resistance,  the  guard-line  is  ad- 
vanced, not  always  without  disaster  or  hardships  to  the  workers.  When  the 
line  is  advanced  over  the  tremendous  cliffs  which  are  a  feature  of  the  E. 
coast,  steps  must  be  cut  in  them  and  progress  is  much  like  Alpine  climbing. 
Field-guns  are  often  dragged  up  almost  inaccessible  places;  provisions  are 
carried  on  the  backs  of  coolies;  patrol  detachments  guard  the  workmen;  and 
a  regular  army  field  equipment  is  necessary.  In  cases  where  the  natives 
make  a  stout  resistance,  to  capture  a  tribe  and  its  few  scattered  villages  re- 
quires a  force  of  a  thousand  or  more  men,  a  hundred  or  more  days'  work,  and 
an  expenditure  of  perhaps  125,000  yen.  Two  or  three  hundred  men  are  usu- 
ally killed  in  such  campaigns.  Punitive  expeditions  are  being  almost  con- 
stantly sent  to  some  district.  The  authorities  hope  to  have  the  entire  sav- 
age district  under  control  in  due  course,  as  upward  of  3  million  yen  a  year  are 
being  spent  in  the  civilizing  campaign.  Before  this  was  undertaken,  the 
head-hunters  raided  the  lowland  frequently  and  carried  off  from  500  to  600 
heads  annually.  Every  humane  effort  is  made  to  induce  the  savages  to  re- 
nounce their  cruel  ways.  A  thousand  children  are  being  taught  at  45  schools 
established  in  the  guard  stations,  and,  whenever  possible,  the  authorities  take 
batches  of  natives  on  a  junket  to  Japan,  to  show  them  how  intelligent  people 
live. 

The  origin  of  the  Formosan  aborigines  is  unknown;  some  au- 
thorities believe  them  to  be  of  the  same  race  with  the  Philippine 
Tagalogs;  others  think  them  of  Polynesian  origin;  others  that 
they,  in  the  East,  and  the  people  of  Madagascar,  in  the  West, 
are  both  of  the  same  pure  Malayan  stock  that  spread  itself  out 
in  opposite  directions;  and  still  others  that  they  are  descended 
from  the  same  root  as  the  Miaho  hill-tribes,  the  aborigines  of 
Kweichau  in  China.  The  Japanese  judge  from  their  houses  and 
their  physical  characteristics  that  they  were  stragglers  from  the 
wave  of  migration  which,  following  the  warm  Kuro-shiwo, 
eventually  settled  in  Japan.  The  natives  themselves  are  prac- 
tically without  traditions  as  to  their  origin.  They  call  their 
country  Pak-an,  or  Pak-ande.  Those  that  remain  uncon- 
taminated  by  admixture  with  the  Chinese  settlers  are  a  much 
finer-looking  race  than  the  Mongolians,  of  medium  stature, 
with  clear  olive  complexions,  stiff  straight  hair  on  the  head,  pro- 
jecting cheek-bones,  black  eyes,  broad,  flat  noses,  and  scanty 
beards.  They  are  well-built,  bold,  wiry,  and,  like  wild  people 
the  world  over,  devoted  to  hunting.  With  many  of  them  their 
neighbors'  heads  are  the  objects  most  desired,  and  much  of  the 
spare  time  of  the  inhabitants  is  spent  in  preventing  this  useful 
member  from  being  decentralized. 

Head-hunting  (a  distinguishing  trait  of  the  Malayan  race) 
is  practiced  only  by  certain  of  the  tribes,  notably  the  Atayal, 
Puyuma,  and  the  Vonums  —  who  have  a  passion  for  it.  The 


Head-Hunters.  FORMOSA 


771 


former  make  the  acquisition  of  a  number  of  heads  their  first 
aim  in  life,  inasmuch  as  at  least  one  human  head  is  required  on 
almost  every  important  occasion,  and  always  in  religious  rites 
or  Geremonies.  When  a  savage  youth  attains  his  majority  he 
is  not  permitted  to  join  a  company  of  adults  until  he  gets  a  hu- 
man head,  and  when  a  dispute  arises  between  members  of  a 
tribe  the  decision  is  given  in  favor  of  the  one  who  first  secures 
a  head.  No  savage  is  esteemed  who  has  not  beheaded  a  China- 
man, while  the  greater  number  of  heads  brought  home  from  a 
fray,  the  higher  the  position  of  a  brave  in  the  community,  and 
the  easier  it  is  for  him  to  marry  the  woman  of  his  choice.  The 
practice  is  said  to  have  had  its  origin  in  the  display  of  courage, 
it  being  considered  essential  in  order  to  qualify  youths  to  be 
ranked  with  men  of  ripe  age.  Because  of  the  head-hunting 
mania  the  women  are  said  to  outnumber  the  men  3  or  4  to  1. 

Head-hunters  on  the  war-path  usually  travel  in  squads; 
equipping  themselves  with  rifles  and  provisions  they  approach 
as  near  as  convenient  to  the  frontier  or  guard-line,  and  hide 
themselves  in  the  jungle  near  some  frequented  path.  Here, 
whenever  the  opportunity  arises,  they  shoot  unsuspecting 
travelers,  or,  emerging  from  their  lurking-place,  they  make  a 
sudden  and  swift  descent  on  some  field  or  outlying  house,  mur- 
dering whomsoever  they  meet.  The  savage  tracks  lie  only 
through  the  dense  forests,  thick  with  underbrush,  where  hiding 
is  easy.  The  decapitated  heads  are  boiled,  to  separate  the 
flesh;  then  the  skull  is  adorned  with  various  rude  ornaments, 
and  either  hung  up  in  the  warrior's  hut  as  an  evidence  of  his 
skill  (or  treachery),  or  is  placed  in  a  niche  in  the  wall,  as  a  sort 
of  Chinese  curio.  The  bodies  are  left  where  they  fall.  Mon- 
golian heads  are  preferred,  but  those  of  other  tribesmen,  of 
domesticated  natives,  or  of  Japanese,  are  esteemed.  Owing 
to  the  difficulty  attending  the  securing  of  human  heads,  certain 
tribes  content  themselves  with  those  of  monkeys. 

For  purposes  of  racial  distinction  the  inhabitants  of  For- 
mosa (barring  the  Japanese  and  other  foreigners)  are  divided 
into  Mongolians  and  Malayans;  the  former  —  who  have  been 
migrating  into  the  island  during  the  last  400  yrs.  —  are  placed, 
according  to  their  .original  home  in  China,  in  two  general 
classes,  the  Haklos  and  the  Hakkas.  The  first  are  the  older  im- 
migrants and  are  subdivided  into  four  groups:  Amoy,  Tsweng- 
choo,  Changchoo,  and  Changpoo,  according  to  their  dialects  and 
the  districts  in  Fokien  Province  whence  they  came.  They  num- 
ber about  2,400,000  and  by  some  are  called  the  Mm  Caste. 
The  women  bind  their  feet,  while  the  Hakkas  do  not.  The 
latter,  called  the  Yuen  Caste  (also  'visitors,'  or  'strangers '), 
number  upward  of  400,000;  their  ancestors  emigrated  from 
Canton.  They  are  a  hard-working  race,  courageous  and  cruel, 
militant  toward  their  neighbors  and  the  aborigines,  and  hostile 
to  any  form  of  gov't.  Their  women  work  in  the  fields.  Both 


772 


FORMOSA 


Customs. 


of  these  castes  began  pouring  into  Formosa  toward  the  end  of 
the  Ming  Dynasty,  and  afterward,  when  in  the  Tsing  Dynasty 
the  Chinese  took  possession  of  the  island  and  allowed  perma- 
nent settlement  there,  the  Chinese  came  in  such  numbers  that 
they  soon  spread  themselves  over  the  plains  along  the  S.  and 
W.  coasts.  Advancing  northward,  they  occupied  the  entire  W. 
portion  of  the  island,  dominating  the  weaker  native  tribes,  and 
driving  the  prouder  and  more  independent  ones  (known  as 
'hill  barbarians')  to  the  mt.  fastnesses  for  safety.  Perhaps  at 
that  remote  period  was  engendered  the  ineradicable  hatred 
which  the  aboriginals  feel  toward  the  Mongolians,  and  which 
not  even  blood-requital  seems  to  appease.  The  Chinese  re- 
turned the  compliment  with  true  Mongolian  barbarity.  When 
an  unfortunate  savage  was  captured,  his  head  was  cut  off  and 
displayed  to  all  comers  with  ghoulish  glee;  '  the  body  was  then 
either  divided  among  his  captors  and  eaten,  or  sold  to  wealthy 
Chinese,  and  even  to  high  officials,  who  disposed  of  it  in  a  like 
manner.  The  kidneys,  liver,  heart,  and  soles  of  the  feet  were 
considered  the  most  desirable  portions,  and  were  ordinarily 
cut  up  into  very  small  pieces,  boiled,  and  eaten  somewhat  in 
the  form  of  soup.  The  flesh  and  bones  were  boiled,  and  the 
former  made  into  a  sort  of  jelly.  The  Chinese  profess  to  believe, 
in  accordance  with  an  old  superstition,  that  the  eating  of  sav- 
age flesh  will  give  them  strength  and  courage.  During  the  out- 
break of  1891  savage  flesh  was  brought  in,  in  baskets,  the  same 
as  pork,  and  sold  like  pork  in  the  open  markets  of  Tokoham 
before  the  eyes  of  all,  foreigners  included;  some  of  the  flesh 
was  even  sent  to  Amoy  to  be  placed  on  sale  there.  It  was  fre- 
quently on  sale  in  the  small  Chinese  villages  near  the  border, 
and  often  before  the  eyes  of  peaceful  groups  of  savages  who 
happened  to  be  in  the  place.'  (J.  W.  Davidson,  The  Island  of 
Formosa,  p.  254.) 

Other  customs  among  the  semi-savage  idolatrous  Formosan 
Chinese  are  but  little  less  reprehensible.  One  is  the  livin'g  on 
the  earnings  of  the  wife's  immorality;  in  such  cases  the  house 
is  known  to  the  neighbors  as  the  '  Half-closed  Gate,'  and  the 
man  who  hires  the  woman  as  the  '  Guest  Husband.'  Concu- 
bines are  kept  by  many,  although  class  distinction  is  strong. 
Prostitutes,  servants,  barbers,  chiropodists,  butchers,  actors, 
and  funeral  musicians  are  regarded  with  contempt  and  as  out- 
casts whom  no  respectable  person  will  marry.  Pigs  are  more 
carefully  tended  than  children.  The  Chinese  are  the  duck- 
breeders  of  the  island;  one  man  usually  attends  to  about  200 
birds;  drakes  lay  no  eggs  and  are  therefore  killed.  To  the  for- 
eigner the  natives  seem  to  spend  most  of  their  time  on  the 
street,  picking  earwigs  out  of  the  dirty  ears  of  their  compatri- 
ots, or  engaged  in  some  equally  disgusting  practice.  The 
opium-smoking  habit  is  referred  to  hereinafter.  Foot-binding 
is  practiced. 


Aborigines. 


FORMOSA 


773 


Footbinding  (tensoku)  was  brought  from  the  Fokien  Province  to  Formosa, 
where  it  is  practiced  by  800,616  Chinese  and  Formosans  (more  than  56%  of 
the  island  inhabs.).  There  seems  to  be  no  authentic  record  of  the  origin  of 
compressing  women's  feet  in  China.  Tradition  says  the  practice  was  started 
by  a  lady  called  Yow,  a  delicate  figure  and  an  expert  dancer  at  the  Court  of 
the  Empress  Li.  The  latter  took  so  much  pleasure  in  seeing  her  dance  that 
she  had  made  for  her  a  golden  lotus  flower  6  ft.  in  diameter  and  decked  with 
jewels.  With  her  feet  bound  in  silk  the  lady  Yow  danced  upon  this,  and  her 
bending,  reeling,  swaying  figure  on  the  gold  lotus  was  so  entrancing  that 
poets  referred  to  it  as  'Lotus  steps  and  tottering  plight;  willowy  figure  and 
captivating  sight.'  From  that  remote  time  coquettish  girls  have  imitated 
her  by  binding  their  feet,  in  the  hope  of  more  quickly  obtaining  a  husband. 
Those  with  unbound  feet  are  looked  upon  as  rustic  and  unrefined.  Crushed 
feet  are  termed  'Golden  Lilies'  (Kin  lien),  and  as  soon  as  a  girl  reaches  her 
4th  or  5th  yr.  the  four  toes  are  curled  forcibly  toward  the  soles  and  are  kept 
compressed  in  small  pointed  shoes.  By  the  7th  or  8th  yr.  the  metatarsal 
bones  are  crushed  and  the  scaphoids  disjointed,  a  state  preserved  by  firmly 
binding  with  pieces  of  white  cloth,  and  forcing  the  feet  into  yet  smaller 
shoes.  Every  day  they  are  unbound,  washed,  and  bound  again.  As  the 
skin  and  flesh  become  putrified  from  stoppage  of  the  circulation,  the 
worst  cases  end  in  the  complete  loss  of  the  toes  from  gangrene.  The  lower 
legs  are  often  paralyzed,  and  physical  development  retarded.  Many  women 
die  of  the  infectious  diseases  contracted.  Young  women  are  often  so  crippled 
that  they  cannot  walk  and  have  to  be  carried  on  men's  shoulders. 

The  Aborigines  are  divided  into  two  general  classes:  the 
'raw7  (or  wild),  and  the  'ripe'  (or  tame),  savages  —  which 
includes  many  well  advanced  in  the  process  of  sinification. 
Not  a  few  of  the  latter  are  cross-breeds,  who  have  adopted  the 
language  and  customs  of  the  Chinese  and  are  known  by  them 
as  '  domesticated  barbarians.7  Originally  most  of  these  were 
Pehoans  (or  Peipohuans) ,  or  '  savages  of  the  plain/  —  lees  of  a 
once  powerful  tribe  that  dwelt  in  the  W.  part  of  the  island  and 
rose  to  prominence  before  the  Dutch  occupied  the  island  and 
the  Chinese  began  to  people  it.  The  'raw'  savages  are  scat- 
tered over  the  whole  region  of  the  central  mt.  range  and  lateral 
ranges  up  to  a  height  of  5000  ft.,  and  over  a  strip  of  land  in  the 
East.  Classified  by  their  bodily  features,  customs,  language, 
etc.,  there  are  9  groups  or  tribes,  divided  into  671  villages,  with 
an  estimated  pop.  as  follows:  — 


People 

Tribes 

Population 

Ami 

84 

31,576 

Atayal  (or  Taiyal) 

182 

28,242 

Paiwan 

110 

21,093 

Vonum  (or  Bunum) 

144 

15,807 

Tsalisen  (or  Tsarisen)  • 

105 

13,995 

Puyuma  (or  Piyuma) 

14 

6,522 

Tsou  (or  Tsuou) 

39 

2,322 

Yami 

8 

1,667 

Saisett  • 

2 

757 

Total, 

688 

121,981 

Each  tribe  differs  from  the  others  in  language,  habits,  and 
physical  characteristics,  and  all  are  hostile  toward  one  another. 
Most  of  them  have  hunting  dogs,  and  carry  spears  of  bamboo 
6-7  ft.  long  with  metal  tips  8-9  in.  long.  All  have  Malay 
krises,  which  they  never  put  aside  for  a  moment,  and  many 
possess  rifles.  Jewels  and  iron  vessels  are  sometimes  used  as 


774   Route  50.  KEELUNG 


Kiirun. 


currency  in  bartering.  Men  and  women  pull  out  the  two  lateral . 
incisors  from  the  upper  jaw,  to  improve  their  personal  appear- 
ance. The  women  wear  dresses;  adultery  is  punished  by  death. 
The  Atayals  tattoo  their  faces,  and  because  of  this  are  known 
as  the  tattooed  savages.  They  are  the  fiercest  of  all  the  head- 
hunters,  and  few  are  the  braves  who  have  not  assembled  10  or 
more  skulls;  some  of  their  villages  possess  several  hundred 
heads.  The  Amis  of  the  N.  are  said  to  boil  the  heads  of  vic- 
tims and  eat  the  flesh,  besides  indulging  in  horrid  festivities 
when  a  head  is  brought  into  camp.  —  Of  the  3,400,000  in- 
habs.  of  Formosa,  upward  of  100,000  are  Japanese,  and  (150) 
foreigners  of  different  nationalities.  The  official  language  is 
Japanese,  but  many  of  the  places  and  things  are  known  by 
their  Chinese  names.  The  Formosan  vernacular  includes  Fok- 
ienese  (spoken  by  the  Haklos),  Cantonese  (the  speech  of  the 
Hakkas),  and  many  Chinese  and  native  dialects.  Fokienese, 
the  language  of  84%  of  the  population,  is  the  most  widely 
used.  One  per  cent  of  the  population  is  deaf  and  dumb. 

Bibliography.  For  additional  data  relating  to  the  island  consult:  The 
Island  of  Formosa,  by  J.  M.  Davidson  (Yokohama,  1903).  —  The  Aborigines 
of  Formosa  and  the  Liu-Kiu  Islands,  by  A.  Wirth  (New  York,  1898).  —  For- 
mosa under  the  Dutch,  by  W.  Campbell  (Edinburgh,  1896).  —  From  Far 
Formosa,  by  G.  L.  Mackay  (London,  1900).  —  Japanese  Rule  in  Formosa, 
by  Yosaburo  Takekoshi  (London,  1907).  —  Report  of  the  Control  of  the  Abo- 
rigines in  Formosa,  printed  by  the  Bureau  of  Aboriginal  Affairs  (Bumum 
Honsho),  Taihoku,  1911. 

50.  Keelung  (Kiirun). 

Keelung  (Jap.  Kiirun),  northernmost  and  best  of  the  island 
ports  (pop.  30,000),  18  M.  from  Taihoku,  the  capital,  is  the 
point  at  which  most  travelers  to  Formosa  disembark,  and  is 
in  lat.  25°  6'  N.  and  long.  121°  47'  E.  of  Greenwich,  on  the 
shore  of  a  strikingly  picturesque  bay  that  is  being  converted 
rapidly  (at  a  cost  of  6  million  yen)  into  a  deep  and  safe  harbor. 
The  quay  is  within  3  min.  walk  of  the  rly.  station.  Trunks 
from  the  Custom-House  to  the  station  or  dock,  25-50  sen; 
hand-bags,  10  sen;  jinriki  10  sen;  the  latter  in  the  town,  50  sen 
the  hour.  Distances  are  short.  The  traveler  will  do  well  to 
remember  that  the  port  and  the  surrounding  country,  within 
a  6|  M.  radius  (including  Kinpori  and  Suihenkyaku;  comp. 
the  accompanying  map) ,  are  in  the  strategic  zone,  and  that 
photographing,  sketching,  the  making  of  notes,  etc.,  are  for- 
bidden. Cameras  are  regarded  with  suspicion.  The  bizarre 
sandstone  rock  close  off  the  W.  entrance  to  the  harbor  is  Ban- 
jintaibi.  The  bald  conical  island  is  Keelung-to.  The  tide  rises 
about  4 J  ft.  Attractive  knolls,  richly  wooded  and  green  to 
their  serrated  tips,  surround  the  harbor  on  three  sides,  and 
from  their  summits  long,  grim  steel  guns  look  seaward  with 
wicked  intent.  Among  the  numerous  fruit-sellers  on  the 
wharves  are  picturesquely  clad  Loochoo  Islands  women,  who 


Keelung  River.    KEELUNG  TO  TAIHOKU    51.  Rte.  775 


offer  island-made  trinkets,  etc.,  for  sale.  Hundreds  of  baskets 
of  pomelos  (jabon  or  zabon),  a  variety  of  shaddock,  await  ship- 
ment to  Japan.  Numerous  canals  wind  inward  through  the 
nondescript  town,  and  are  crossed  here  and  there  by  arched 
bridges.  Many  of  the  houses  resemble  Chinese  yamens,  the 
dragons  and  other  mythological  animals  on  their  roofs  being 
supposed  by  the  artful  Chinese  to  keep  out  vagrant  goblins. 
Considerable  coal  and  gold  are  mined  in  the  neighborhood,  the 
Three  Gold  Mines  of  Keelung  (discovered  in  1890  by  a  Chinese 
miner  from  California)  being  the  most  productive  (about  5 
million  yen  a  year)  on  the  island.  Originally  a  Spanish  settle- 
ment, Keelung  was  bombarded  and  captured  by  the  Dutch, 
who  in  turn  were  expelled  by  the  corsair  Koxinga.  It  was  held 
by  the  French  from  Aug.  1884,  to  June,  1885,  and  taken  by  the 
Japanese  June  3,  1895.  To  facilitate  landing,  the  manager  of 
the  Taihoku  Hotel  sends  English-speaking  runners  (small  fee 
customary)  to  meet  incoming  ships.  They  are  useful  in  assist- 
ing strangers  through  the  custom-house  and  in  dealing  with  the 
horde  of  screeching  Chinese  coolies  who  essay  to  carry  the 
traveler's  luggage  to  the  station. 

51.  From  Keelung  to  Taihoku. 

Taiwan  Government  Railway. 

18  M.  Several  through  trains  daily  in  about  1  hr.  Fare,  ¥1.10,  1st  cl. 
One  can  get  an  indifferent,  pick-up  luncheon  at  one  of  the  several  small  Jap- 
anese restaurants  near  the  station,  and  a  much  better  one  at  the  hotel  in 
Taihoku.  Fruit-stands  abound.  The  Chinese  eatables  and  beverages  should 
be  avoided.  Few  if  any  of  the  people  speak  English.  Prices  are  higher  than 
in  Japan. 

From  Keelung  the  rly.  passes  through  the  scrawny  suburbs 
direct  into  the  hills,  threading  first  the  Chikushirei  Tunnel 
(1818  ft.  long),  then  crossing  the  Keelung  River,  a  broad, 
placid  arm  of  the  Tamsui.  Picturesque  features  are  the  many 
hybrid  junks,  with  dragon-wing  sails  and  pig-tailed,  rat-eyed 
Chinese  crews,  that  bring  merchandise  down  from  Tamsui 
Port.  Lofty  green  hills  that  reflect  their  fine  contours  in  the 
water  rise  here  and  there  along  the  bank,  and  far  up  their  sides 
nimble  natives  are  seen  at  work  on  small  patches  of  land 
snatched  from  the  jungle  and  subjected  to  cultivation.  After 
leaving  2  M.  Hatto,  tall  bamboos  with  feathery  tops  become 
prominent  features  in  the  landscape,  which  at  all  seasons  is 
flecked  with  countless  flowers.  From  this  point  onward  the 
river  parallels  the  rly.  and  fine  glimpses  are  had  of  it  almost  to 
Taihoku.  4  M.  Shichito.  Many  large  handsome  red  blooms  of 
Hibiscus  Rosa  Sinensis  flank  the  rly.,  and  while  idealizing  the 
poor  stations  impart  a  brighter  aspect  to  the  odd,  semi-savage 
country.  As  the  valley  broadens,  knob-like  tea-bushes  are  seen 
to  dot  the  hill-slopes,  and  snow-white  cranes  to  step  gingerly 
through,  and  sentinel,  the  paddy-fields.  Dense  jungles  studded 


776   Route  52.  TAIHOKU  Practical  Notes. 


here  and  there  with  ripening  bananas,  and  lumbering  water- 
buffaloes,  apprise  the  traveler  that  he  is  in  a  Chinese  commu- 
nity of  the  upper  tropics.  The  straw-thatched  houses  behind 
bamboo  fences  and  embowered  in  bizarre  flowers  are  distinc- 
tively Chinese.  An  occasional  red-brick  structure  is  seen,  like 
a  y 'amen ,  with  plaster  dragons  astride  the  ridge.  The  high- 
pitched  roofs  of  red  tiles  are  like  those  of  old  castles,  and  the 
blue  vitrified  gateways  with  penthouse  roofs  and  uptilted  cor- 
ners are  decidedly  picturesque.  They  are  the  outposts  of  many 
such  houses  scattered  through  the  island,  and  usually  are  the 
homes  of  Mongol  aristocrats.  Along  the  raised  paths  that  de- 
limn  the  rice-fields  trot  Cantonese  coolies  entirely  naked  save 
a  restricted  loin-cloth  and  a  wide,  home-made  bamboo  hat, 
carrying  shoulder-poles,  on  each  end  of  which  is  slung  a  bucket 
of  water,  a  shallow  basket  with  an  expostulating  black  pig  in 
it,  a  string  of  fish,  a  bunch  of  bananas,  or  enrichment  for  the 
fields. 

The  Rokuto  Tunnel  (454  ft.  long)  and  the  Goto  (597  ft.)  are 
passed,  and  a  green  but  rough  region  traversed  before  8  M. 
Goto  is  reached.  9  M.  Suihenkyaku  is  a  nondescript  town  sur- 
rounded by  curious  trees,  unusual  flowers,  and  wide  tea  planta- 
tions. Beyond  the  Nanko  Tunnel  (316  ft.  long),  the  rly.  tra- 
verses a  region  of  hills  and  valleys  with  fine  blue  mts.  on  the 
sky-line.  12  M.  Nanko,  in  a  rice-growing  district.  The  river 
now  bends  broadly  to  the  right.  Beyond  14  M.  Shakko,  we 
enter  the  wide  and  beautiful  Twatutia  Valley,  near  the  center 
of  which,  encircled  by  a  diadem  of  green  mts.,  stands  (18  M.) 
Taihoku  (120  ft.).  See  below. 

52.  Taihoku  and  its  Environs. 

Arrival.  The  Rly.  Station  (completed  in  1901;  cost,  72,000  yen)  stands 
near  the  N.E.  end  of  Fugo-gai,  on  the  dividing  line  between  Jonai  and  Dai- 
dotei  (comp.  the  accompanying  plan).  The  Manka  and  Daidotei  Stations  are 
used  chiefly  by  residents  in  the  respective  quarters.  The  statue  in  the 
station  yard  stands  to  the  memory  of  Kinsuke  Hasegawa,  a  Japanese  engi- 
neer who  planned  the  Formosan  Rly.  System. 

Jinrikis  (p.  lxxxviii)  meet  all  trains.  Rates,  20  sen  an  hr.  with  an  upward 
tendency;  10%  extra  in  bad  weather,  and  20%  at  night.  Similar  rates  apply 
throughout  the  island,  although  foreigners  are  usually  expected  to  pay  a 
trifle  more.  Kagos  from  ¥2  to  ¥2.50  a  day.  Not  a  few  of  the  jinriki-men 
are  reclaimed  savages  (dohi)  who  not  long  since  were  seeking  whom  they 
might  decapitate.  There  are  no  cabs  nor  omnibuses.  Distances  are  relatively 
short.  While  the  city  roads  are  good  for  automobiles,  those  in  the  interior 
of  the  island  are  not. 

Hotels.  The  Taiwan  Gov't  Rly.  Bureau  maintains  at  considerable  ex- 
pense an  excellent,  comfortable,  modern,  foreign-style  *  Railway  Hotel  for 
the  convenience  of  foreign  visitors,  and  the  traveler  can  do  no  better  than  to 
make  it  his  headquarters.  There  are  no  others  so  good.  The  equipment  and 
food  are  superior  to  those  of  many  of  the  hotels  on  the  Chinese  mainland. 
There  are  wide  cool  halls,  electric  lights  and  fans,  broad  balconies  with  ex- 
tensive views  over  the  valley  to  the  near-by  mts.,  an  Information  Bureau, 
free  baths,  etc.  Rates  from  ¥6  to  ¥15  a  day,  Am.  pi.  Less  for  2  pers.  in  1 
room,  or  for  a  prolonged  stay.  Rooms  only,  from  ¥1.50  and  upward.  Those 
just  beneath  the  metal  roof  are  apt  to  be  hot.  Breakfast,  ¥1;  Tiffin,  ¥1.50; 


Taipeh. 


TAIHOKU  52.  Route.  777 


Dinner,  ¥2.  Luggage-checks  can  be  delivered  to  the  hotel  manager.  Truck 
holding  4  or  more  trunks  and  several  hand-bags,  ¥1.  Laundry  in  the  hotel 
from  5  to  15  sen  per  piece.  The  drinking-water  is  from  a  deep  artesian  well, 
and  is  supposed  to  be  good.  In  planning  country  trips  the  traveler  will  save 
time,  money,  and  trouble  by  seeking  the  advice  of  the  hotel  manager  (Eng- 
lish spoken),  who  will  procure  guides,  etc. 

Banks,  where  letters  of  credit,  drafts,  etc.,  may  be  cashed  and  money  ex- 
changed: The  Taiwan  Bank  (B.  of  Formosa),  a  gov't  institution  (founded  in 
1899),  Hokumon-gai  (PI.  C,  2-3).  —  The  34th  Bank  is  near  by.  Japanese 
money  is  current  in  the  island,  and  is  interchangeable  with  the  special  notes 
issued  by  the  Taiwan  Gov't  Bank.  —  The  Post-Office  is  in_H  okumon-gai 
(PI.  D,  2)  near  the Hokumon  (N.  Gate).  The  Office  of  the  Osaka  Shosen 
Kaisha  Steamship  Co.  is  near  the  rly.  station. 

Shops.  The  best  are  poor  and  contain  nothing  to  interest  f  oreigners^  The 
Japanese  shops  are  generally  branches  of  larger  establishments  in  Osaka, 
with  mixed  stocks.  One  will  search  in  vain  for  desirable  curios.  The  imita- 
tion Chinese  porcelains  are  made  in  Japan  and  are  of  the  trashiest  order. 
Native  weapons  and  the  like  may  sometimes  be  bought  at  the  hotel  —  where 
there  is  a  case  of  foreign  toilet  requisites.  Attractive  wood  souvenirs  of  vari- 
ous kinds  can  be  bought  at  the  local  prison  referred  to  hereinafter.  The  old 
Chinese  matchlocks  (jing-galls)  to  be  found  occasionally  are  about  9  ft.  long 
and  are  unprepossessing  relics  of  early  days.  The  postage-stamps  of  the  early 
Taiwan  Republic  are  apt  to  be  forgeries.  The  so-called  Panama  Hats  (rintd- 
bo)  are  made  in  the  prison  workshops  and  at  various'  places  on  the  island. 
The  brown  ones  (¥2-3)  are  called  Taiko-bo  (from*  Taiko,  the  region  whence 
they  come) ;  and  the  white  ones  (¥2  to  ¥8)  Shiroi-boshi  ('white  hat').  They 
are  made  from  the  fiber  of  the  Screw  Pine  (Pandanus  odoratissimus  —  the 
bright  orange-colored  fruit  of  which  is  called  breadfruit,  and  the  richly 
scented  male  flowers  of  which  are  the  source  of  the  keora-oil  of  perfumers) ; 
and  from  the  Taika  Rush  (species  undefined)  from  which  the  fine,  soft,  flex- 
ible Taika  mats  are  made.  Hats  to  the  value  of  |  million  yen  are  manufac- 
tured yearly. 

Taihoku  (tie-ho'-koo),  the  Japanese  name  for  the  old  Chi- 
nese Taipeh  (tie-peh')  or  North  Capital,  the  present  adminis- 
trative seat  (Sotoku-fu)  of  the  Governor-General  (Sotoku)  of 
the  island,  is  a  picturesque  semi-Asiatic  city  with  clean  wide 
streets,  a  good  hotel,  banks,  museums,  colleges,  a  fine  park  and 
botanical  garden,  and  a  growing  population  of  85,000,  one 
third  of  which  are  Japanese.  It  stands  near  the  northernmost 
edge  of  Formosa  in  lat.  25°  4'  N.  and  long.  121°  28'  E.  of 
Greenwich,  on  a  broad,  level  plain  that  sweeps  up  from  the 
Tamsui  (Chinese, ' Sweet,  or  Fresh  water')  River  to  tumbled 
masses  of  verdure-covered  mts.  which  from  time  immemorial 
have  been  the  stronghold  of  ferocious  head-hunting  savages. 
By  tact  and  patience  many  of  these  have  been  induced  to  leave 
their  aerie  villages  and  live  among  the  civilized  folks  on  the 
plain,  where  they  serve  as  servants,  jinriki-pullers,  and  general 
utility  men.  So  many  of  them  wear  queues,  and  bear  such  a 
strong  likeness  to  Chinese,  that  although  the  visitor  may  see 
them  often  in  the  streets  he  is  not  always  able  to  distinguish 
them.  The  city  shows  the  refining  and  colonizing  influence  of 
the  Japanese  in  various  ways,  perhaps  most  of  all  in  the 
thoughtful  preparation  for  future  expansion.  Its  mt.  environ- 
ment and  its  broad  streets  and  parks  remind  one  of  the  hand- 
some Yezo  city  of  Sapporo.  Many  of  the  modern  aspects  of  the 
metropolis  are  due  to  the  genius  of  the  first  (1897  to  1906)  civil 
governor,  Baron  Shimpei  Goto,  sl  bronze  statue  to  whom  stands 


778    Route  52.  DAIDOTEI 


Oolong  Tea. 


in  the  Shinko-en  (PL  C-D,  2-3).  The  Tamsui  River  flows  past 
the  city  on  the  W.  and  the  Keelung-gawa  (which  intersects  it 
near  by)  on  the  E. 

The  city  is  divided  into  the  districts  of  Jonai,  or  that  quar- 
ter once  encircled  by  the  old  wall;  Manka  (or  Banka),  the 
original  extramural  settlement  at  the  W.;  and  Daidotei  (die- 
doh-tay')  at  the  N.,  where  the  Chinese  now  dwell  along  with  the 
foreigners  in  the  original  Foreign  Concession.  The  ponderous 
walls  which  inclosed  the  inner  city  were  12-15  ft.  high  and 
9-12  ft.  thick,  and  with  the  great  gates  that  gave  ingress  to  this 
fortified  spot  were  constructed  by  the  acting  Chinese  Prefect 
in  1879  —  from  which  time  Jonai  dates.  Though  the  Japanese 
have  destroyed  the  wall,  the  picturesque  old  gateways  still 
stand  as  mute  reminders  of  a  period  when  heavily  armed 
guards  were  needed  to  protect  the  pursy  Chinese  rulers  from 
the  invading  head-hunters  who  swarmed  in  the  near-by  mts. 
The  hotel,  the  administrative  buildings,  and  most  of  the  mod- 
ern structures  are'in  Jonai,  everything  outside  of  which  is  re- 
ferred to  as  Jogai  (suburbs).  The  district  just  outside  the  S. 
Gate  (Na-mon)  is  called  Na-mon  gai-gai  (pronounced  guy); 
the  W.  Gate  (Sei-mon),  Sei-mon  gai-gai;  the  N.  Gate  (Hoku- 
mon),  Hoku-mon  gai-gai;  and  the  E.  Gate  (To-mon),  To-mon 
gai-gai.  The  main  street,  Hoku-mon  gai,  is  50-60  ft.  wide,  and 
like  many  of  the  others  has  a  deep  cemented  drain  at  its  edge 
to  carry  off  the  great  downpours  of  rain.  The  best  streets  run 
N.  and  S.;  those  devoted  to  the  Chinese  have  arcades  or  clois- 
ters to  protect  pedestrians  from  the  elements.  The  city  is  em- 
bowered in  flowering  trees,  chief  among  them  acacias  and  the 
flaming  red  Hibiscus  Rosa  Sinensis.  The  military  air  is  pleas- 
ing to  foreigners ;  the  barracks  are  filled  with  soldiers,  and  the 
sound  of  bugles  is  heard  often. 

Daidotei  (or  Taitotei,  or  Twatutia;  lit., ' a  large  yard  covered 
with  bundles  of  rice  spread  to  dry'),  forms  the  N.E.  suburb 
(see  the  plan)  and  stands  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Tamsui  River 
about  10  M.  from  its  mouth.  Here  a  number  of  British  and 
American  merchants  have  offices  and  warerooms,  and  hither 
comes  for  preparation  and  shipment  most  of  the  tea  grown  on 
the  island.  The  greater  part  of  the  district  is  covered  with  two- 
story  brick  houses  in  the  Chinese  style,  with  tile  insets,  iri- 
descent porcelain  ideographs,  dragons,  and  what-not,  and  with 
arcades  beneath  which  many  women  and  girls  sit  and  sort  and 
pack  the  odoriferous  Formosa  tea  (Taiwan  cha)  for  which  the 
island  is  famous.  The  entire  district  is  redolent  of  the  aromatic 
herbs  with  which  much  of  the  tea  is  scented.  Besides  the  tea- 
firing  godowns  there  is  nothing  to  detain  the  traveler.  The 
white  church  at  the  N.  border  is  Roman  Catholic. 

Formosa  Oolong  Tea  was  produced  in  imitation  of  the  Chinese  Oolong  of 
Fokien  to  satisfy  the  taste  of  the  many  Fokienese  who  migrated  thence  and 
settled  in  Taiwan.  It  has  a  peculiarly  fine  flavor,  and  a  taste  quite  different 


Museum. 


TAIHOKU  52.  Route.  779 


from  the  Chinese,  which  is  a  black  tea  with  a  green-tea  flavor,  and  which  ac- 
quired its  name  Oolong  ('black  dragon')  from  the  circumstance  that  a  Chin- 
ese tea-grower  was  once  struck  with  the  delicate  fragrance  of  the  leaf  from  a 
plant  where  a  black  snake  was  found  coiled.  The  annual  production  in  For- 
mosa is  about  20  million  lbs.  (valued  at  about  5  million  yen),  a  limit  said  to 
be  maintained  by  the  growers  to  prevent  a  lowering  of  the  price.  The  Oolong 
is  in  great  demand  in  the  United  States,  whither  about  9  million  lbs.  go  each 
year.  About  6  million  lbs.  of  Powchong  (a  name  which  refers  to  the  mode  of 
packing)  are  also  produced.  Its  best  market  is  in  Java,  Hawaii,  and  coun- 
tries where  Chinese  are  found.  Jasmine,  tuberoses,  and  other  flowers  are 
mixed  with  the  tea  to  impart  an  aromatic  flavor  to  it  —  a  process  popular 
with  the  Celestials.  It  is  packed  in  boxes  of  about  25  catties  (approx.  30  lbs.), 
and  is  exported  chiefly  through  Keelung. 

One  of  the  prettiest  sights  of  Twatutia  is  the  gay,  laughing  crowd  of  Chi- 
nese girls  who  come  each  morning  during  the  summer  from  Taihoku  to  work 
in  the  big  tea-firing  and  sorting  godowns.  With  their  fresh  young  faces  be- 
daubed with  white  paint  and  rouge,  their  sloe-black  hair  combed  in  a  shining 
mass  to  one  side  of  the  head  and  adorned  with  a  sprig  of  jasmine  or  a  mag- 
nolia bloom,  and  their  chubby  faces  and  snapping  black  eyes  radiant  with 
provocative  piquancy,  they  step  blithely  along  and  add  a  quaint  and  interest- 
ing note  to  the  town.  The  eyes  are  customarily  the  only  index  of  emotion, 
and  the  brows  are  often  blackened  with  charred  sticks  or  narrowed  to  re- 
semble a  nascent  willow  leaf,  or  the  moon  when  first  seen.  The  following 
ballad  pictures  them  well:  — 

'  Eyebrows  shaped  like  leaves  of  willows 
Drooping  over  "  autumn  billows"; 
Almond-shaped,  of  liquid  brightness, 
Were  the  eyes  of  Yang-kuei-fei.' 

Many  1  tottering  lilies '  teeter  with  the  throng,  the  tiny  crippled  feet  en- 
cased in  brilliantly  embroidered  shoes,  and  the  legs  in  light  blue  or  laven- 
der silk  trousers.  If  (says  an  authority)  a  Chinese  lady  ever  breaks  through 
the  prohibition  against  displaying  her  person,  she  presents  her  feet  as  the 
surest  darts  with  which  a  lover's  heart  can  be  assailed!  —  Some  of  these  tea- 
sorters  are  as  much  addicted  to  maternity  as  the  cigarette-makers  of  Seville, 
and  not  a  few  carry  young  bead-eyed  Mongolians  slung  in  wide  black  bands 
over  one  hip.  These  pig-tailed  little  toddlers  do  not  always  heighten  one's 
relish  for  the  finished  tea,  as  the  big  piles  of  leaves  ready  for  sorting  and  per- 
fuming are  oftentimes  their  playgrounds,  and  through  and  over  them  they 
tumble  and  waddle  with  infantile  disregard  for  consequences.  The  white  blos- 
soms which  the  visitor  will  note  scattered  through  the  piles  of  leaves  are  not 
tea  blossoms,  but  are  jasmine  flowers,  orange  blooms,  etc.,  put  in  to  impart 
aroma.  The  women  earn  from  10  to  15  sen  a  day;  5000  or  more  Chinese  are 
brought  over  each  year  from  Amoy  to  assist  in  the  preparation  of  the  vast 
crop.  The  finest  leaves  bring  from  ¥4  to  ¥5  a  lb.  Choice  tea  is  put  up  in 
attractive  1-lb.  packages  and  sold  at  the  hotel  at  ¥1  each. 

The  Taihoku  Museum  ( Hakubutsukwan)  is  open  daily  from 
9  to 4  (admission,  5  sen),  and  is  housed  in  a  commodious  struc- 
ture 10  min.  walk  from  the  hotel,  in  the  Hokumon-gai  (PI.  C,  2). 
Though  small  it  is  complete,  and  a  visit  to  it  is  in  a  way  like  a 
trip  through  the  island.  A  big  cannon  and  a  curious  old  For- 
mosanship  stand  in  the  yard.  On  the  Ground  Floor  is  a  collec- 
tion of  segments  of  the  splendid  native  trees  from  the  Arisan 
forest,  many  of  the  flawless  planks  being  3  ft.  wide.  Numerous 
cases  are  devoted  to  specimens  of  native  handiwork,  and  to 
objects  used  by  the  head-hunters.  The  models  of  the  camphor- 
distillery,  sugar-mills,  ore-crushing  mills,  and  salt-pits  show 
the  processes  of  working  up  the  native  products.  The  samples 
of  paper  are  made  from  the  pith  of  the  paper-mulberry  ( Papy- 
rius  papyrifera).  On  the  Upper  Floor  is  an  admirable  collec- 


780    Route  52. 


TAIHOKU 


Botanical  Garden. 


tion  of  island  snakes,  wonderful  butterflies,  birds,  tropical 
moths,  and  jewel-like  insects.  Those  which  resort  to  protec- 
tive mimicry  for  safety  are  the  most  interesting.  The  marine 
specimens  are  noteworthy  only  for  the  huge  sea-turtles.  One~ 
of  the  rooms  is  filled  with  boats,  clothing,  ornaments,  knives, 
krises,  etc.,  of  the  head-hunters,  along  with  numerous  gruesome 
skulls.  The  bead-work  is  singularly  like  that  of  the  American 
Indians,  particularly  the  wampum.  The  excellent  collection 
of  minerals  should  not  be  overlooked.  —  The  big  building  adja- 
cent to  the  museum  is  the  Bureau  of  Engineering  (Dobokubu- 
kyoku). 

The  Botanical  Garden  (Byoho),  in  the  S.  suburb  (PI.  C,  4), 
a  beautiful  spot  well  worth  visiting,  contains  pretty  lakelets, 
summer-houses,  conservatories,  wide  avenues,  and  many  speci- 
mens of  the  trees  and  flowers  for  which  Formosa  is  noted. 
While  it  is  particularly  attractive  during  the  dew-drenched 
hours  of  the  early  morning,  late  twilight  is  perhaps  the  best 
time  for  a  visit,  as  night  brings  out  the  perfume  of  many  of  the 
rarest  flowers,  and  adds  a  charm  which  even  the  tropical  sun 
does  not  give.  Occidentals  will  be  interested  in  the  splendid 
camphor  trees ;  the  tallow  tree  (Stillingia  sebifera) ;  the  Thuya 
Formosana;  the  Murray  a  exotica  (valuable  for  its  perfume) ;  the 
sacred  Champak  (Michelia  champaka)  of  India;  the  Indian 
Lilac  (Melia  Azedarach),  or  the  Pride  of  India,  cultivated  for 
its  fine  wood,  its  flowers  and  medicinal  products;  and  in  other 
bizarre  and  beautiful  specimens.  The  Podocarpus  nageia  is 
grown  for  its  valuable  gum.  The  Liquidambar  exudes  a  gum 
referred  to  as  copal-balsam.  The  fine  acacias  are  representa- 
tives of  a  tree  widely  disseminated  throughout  the  island,  and 
are  beautiful  because  of  their  flowers.  This  also  applies  to  the 
Allamanda  (Apocynacece) ,  whose  bright  yellow  blooms  are 
seen  everywhere.  Flower-lovers  will  find  much  to  interest 
them.  The  most  popular  with  the  Chinese  is  the  Saffron 
Flower  (Crocus  satibas;  the  Korankwa  of  the  Japanese),  and 
the  exquisitely  fragrant  Jasmine,  much  prized  by  the  native 
women,  who  put  a  spray  in  their  hair  every  morning,  and  who 
may  be  detected  some  distance  off  at  night  by  its  penetrating 
odor.  The  Chinese  are  also  passionately  fond  of  tuberoses 
(Gekkako  = '  fragrance  under  the  moonlight '),  and  of  the  omni- 
present Rose  of  Sharon  (Hibiscus  syriacus),  with  its  numerous 
odorless  bluish-pink  blooms.  Many  of  the  150  known  species 
of  hibiscus  grow  wild  in  Formosa,  one  of  the  most  common  be- 
ing the  Rose  Mallow,  which  furnishes  the  okra  or  gumbo. 
Hibiscus  cannabinus  has  been  introduced  from  India  and  is 
used  as  an  ornamental  plant.  From  H.  Tilaceus  the  Paiwan 
savages  obtain  a  fiber  from  which  they  make  twine;  and  the 
astringent  petals  of  H.  Rosa-Sinensis  are  used  by  the  Chinese 
women  as  a  black  dye  for  the  hair  and  eyes.  It  is  well  to  remem- 
ber that  the  handsome  leaves  (green  on  top  and  maroon 


Camphor. 


TAIHOKU  52.  Route.  781 


underneath)  of  Exccecaria  Bicolor  exude  a  juice  which  is  said  to 
be  blinding  and  poisonous.  Near  a  hedge  of  these  plants  the 
visitor  will  note  numerous  specimens  of  the  shy  Mimosa  pudica 
with  leaves  so  sensitive  that  whole  rows  close  up  at  the  slight- 
est touch.  The  bizarre  Bougainvillaea,  which  travelers  to  Brit- 
ish India,  Mexico,  and  California  know  so  well,  is  represented 
in  various  shades.  Most  conspicuous  among  the  superb  orchi- 
daceous plants  is  the  splendid  Butterfly  Orchid,  so  called  from 
its  resemblance  to  a  butterfly,  and  prized  not  only  for  its 
strange  beauty  but  for  the  lasting  quality  of  the  flower.  —  The 
Taiwan  Gov't  maintains  an  Agricultural  Experiment  Station 
(Noji  Shikenjo)  in  the  outskirts  of  Taihoku  (78  acres),  and  a 
card  of  admission  can  be  obtained  from  the  hotel  manager. 

The  Monopoly  Bureau  (PI.  C,  4),  where  the  bulk  of  the 
world's  supply  of  camphor  is  refined,  and  where  all  the  opium 
smoked  on  the  island  is  elaborated,  is  highly  interesting.  A 
card  of  admission  (necessary)  can  be  obtained  from  the  hotel 
manager.  Visitors  are  welcome,  and  English  is  spoken.  Fees 
are  neither  expected  nor  accepted.  The  big,  factory-like  build- 
ings stand  near  the  S.  Gate  (the  Lycee  Mon  of  the  Chinese),  10 
min.  walk  from  the  hotel  (5  min.  by  jinriki,  10  sen).  The  visitor 
is  shown  the  complicated  processes  of  refining  the  camphor 
(attractive  souvenir  packages  on  sale  at  the  hotel  at  40-80  sen, 
according  to  size)  and  of  treating  the  crude  opium.  The  hotel 
manager  will  plan  a  visit  to  one  of  the  camphor  stations  in  the 
Savage  Territory  for  whosoever  is  willing  to  run  the  risk  of 
leaving  his  head  there! 

Camphor  (Henno;  shono)  has  been  manufactured  by  the  Japanese  and 
Chinese  for  centuries,  and  its  introduction  into  Formosa  is  due  to  the  Hak- 
kas.  The  Camphor  Tree,  or  Camphor  Laurel  (Laurus  camphora,  a  represen- 
tative of  the  evergreen  genus  Cinnamomum  of  the  laurel  family;  Jap.  Kusu- 
no-ki),  is  the  giant  among  foliaceous  trees  in  Japan  and  Formosa,  where  it 
grows  chiefly  in  the  Savage  Territory,  or  on  its  borders.  Because  of  its  great 
height  (sometimes  130  ft.)  and  girth  (30-40  ft.),  it  is  called  the  lord  of  the 
forest.  The  trees  which  produce  the  best  camphor  grow  at  an  elevation  not 
exceeding  4000  ft.  (practically  the  altitude  which  suits  coffee  best) ;  cover 
an  area  of  approximately  1500  sq.  M.,  and  are  said  to  contain  enough  of  the 
drug  to  supply  the  world's  requirements  for  100  yrs.  A  big  tree  will  yield 
camphor  worth  ¥5000  or  more,  while  comparatively  small  ones  are  worth 
from  ¥150  to  ¥300.  A  medium-sized  tree  12  ft.  or  more  in  circumference 
will  yield  about  50  piculs  of  crystallized  camphor  worth  about  ¥1500.  Ex- 
periments conducted  in  the  South  of  the  United  States  show  that  in  10  yrs. 
seedlings  develop  into  trees  30  or  more  ft.  high  and  30  in.  in  circumference. 
They  mature  and  produce  much  quicker  in  Formosa  than  in  Japan,  where 
from  30  to  40  yrs.  elapse  before  a  tree  is  large  enough  to  net  a  profitable  re- 
turn. The  latter  are  not  so  rich  in  gum  as  the  former.  Trees  which  grow  in 
shaded  valleys  in  a  moist,  heavy  soil  are  not  as  productive  as  those  exposed 
constantly  to  the  sun.  The  volatile  oils  are  developed  in  various  parts  of 
the  tree,  even  in  the  long-stemmed,  quickly-warping,  even-edged,  leathery, 
brilliant,  dark-green  leaves. 

The  young  branches  break  off  easily,  and  after  every  heavy  wind  a  large 
number  of  them  are  usually  found  on  the  ground.  From  this  circumstance 
the  tree  rarely  develops  a  symmetrical  crown.  But  what  it  loses  in  beauty 
it  makes  up  in  its  mighty  form.  Apart  from  the  difference  of  foliage,  and  in 
the  production  of  blossom  and  fruit,  an  old  camphor  tree  resembles  nothing 
so  much  as  a  stately  oak,  in  its  thickness  of  trunk,  the  want  of  symmetry  in 


782    Route  52. 


TAIHOKU 


Opium. 


its  crown,  its  mighty  gnarled  and  twisted-  boughs,  and  its  rough,  torn  bark. 
The  wood  is  fragrant,  and  when  old  is  of  a  rich  brown  color,  well  veined, 
with  a  silky  sheen.  Because  of  its  freedom  from  the  attacks  of  insects,  it  is 
very  desirable  where  termites  and  small  red  ants  are  a  plague,  and  is  there- 
fore in  great  demand  with  the  Chinese,  who  make  sea-chests,  cabinets,  moth- 
proof boxes,  and  what-not  from  it.  Until  the  advent  of  the  Japanese  the 
natives  ruthlessly  destroyed  the  trees  without  replacing  them,  but  the  pre- 
sent system  of  afforestation  regulates  this.  Before  the  production  of  cam- 
phor became  (in  1898)  a  gov't  monopoly,  37  persons  held  manufacturing 
licenses,  and  in  the  7000  or  more  crude  stoves  in  which  the  drug  was  refined,. 
3£  million  lbs.  of  gum  and  2\  million  lbs.  of  oil  were  produced  annually  and 
shipped  abroad  through  Hongkong.  The  present  output  (about  8  million 
lbs.  valued  at  3  million  yen)  goes  to  Japan. 

As  the  camphor  forests  lie  chiefly  in  the  territory  of  the  head-hunters,  many 
men  lose  their  lives  in  the  adventurous  undertaking  of  securing  the  camphor 
chips  for  distillation.  These  are  cut  from  the  tree  at  a  certain  point  until  it 
falls,  then  the  entire  tree  is  cut  up  into  small  pieces  and  put  in  crude  distil- 
ling stoves.  Steam  passing  through  a  receptacle  containing  the  chips  and 
leaves  volatilizes  the  camphor  in  the  form  of  vapor,  which  is  condensed  into 
a  semi-solid  gum  and  a  pale  volatile  oil,  both  of  which  float  on  the  water. 
The  oil  is  distilled  repeatedly  until  most  of  the  crystallized  product  is  ex- 
tracted, then  both  are  sent  to  the  gov't  factory  for  further  treatment.  When 
the  coarse  crystals  and  oil  come  into  the  refinery,  the  former  looking  like 
dirty  snow,  and  the  latter  like  yellow  spindle-oil,  both  are  impure,  the  crys- 
tals being  saturated  with  water,  and  the  oil  with  various  organic  stuff.  The 
crystals  are  shoveled  into  a  huge  iron  hopper  leading  to  a  tightly  closed 
retort  under  which  a  fierce  fire  burns.  To  hasten  evaporation,  air  is  forced 
in,  and  the  camphor  fumes,  cooled  by  running  water,  crystallize  in  a  big 
room  the  sight  of  which  the  traveler  does  not  soon  forget.  It  is  oftentimes 
piled  high  with  fluffy  crystals  as  white  as  driven  snow,  which  sparkle  in  the 
light  and  throw  off  an  almost  overpowering  odor.  This  product  is  called 
Flower  of  Camphor,  and  is  97%  pure  (the  'Improved  Crude'  of  commerce). 
After  being  pressed  into  hard,  firm  bricks,  and  packed  in  zinc-lined  boxes,  it 
is  ready  for  shipment.  Considerable  camphor  is  sent  to  Europe  and  America 
in  a  semi-refined  state,  in  tubs  weighing  250  lbs.  each.  —  The  visitor  is  asked 
to  sign  his  name  in  a  register  before  he  leaves  the  building.  Those  who  wish 
are  conducted  through  the  opium  department. 

Opium  (ahen;  afuyd)  is  the  inspissated  juice  of  Papaver  somniferum,  a 
poppy  cultivated  from  early  antiquity  for  the  sake  of  this  product.  Opium- 
smoking  (called  by  the  Japanese  ahen-en,  or  ahen-tabako)  is  the  favorite  vice 
of  the  Chinese,  who  call  the  plant  afuyung,  a  transliteration  of  the  Arabic 
name  A  fyun.  It  was  brought  from  Arabia  in  the  9th  cent.  Other  names  are 
'great  smoke,'  'black  commodity,'  'black  earth,'  and  'foreign  medicine'  — 
by  which  term  it  is  known  in  the  tariff.  The  Japanese  call  the  tincture  ahen- 
chinki,  but  they  are  forbidden  to  smoke  it.  The  chief  active  principle  of 
opium  (which  is  a  powerful  narcotic  poison)  is  morphia,  but  it  also  contains 
about  16  other  alkaloids,  some  of  which  have  similar  properties.  The  raw 
materials  are  imported  from  India,  Persia,  Turkey,  and  China.  The  Indian 
product  resembles  black-currant  jam;  the  Persian  is  like  reddish-brown  in- 
cense-sticks. The  process  of  crushing  it,  then  steaming  it  in  huge  vats,  and 
adding  wine  and  other  relishes  to  impart  a  piquant  taste,  is  interesting.  The 
rooms  are  filled  with  the  disagreeable  odor  of  burning  medicine.  None  of  the 
300  or  more  employees  smoke.  The  finished  product  is  packed  in  1-lb. 
tins  in  3  grades;  the  best  quality  retailing  for  about  ¥21,  the  2d  at  ¥17,  and 
the  3d  at  ¥13.  The  Bureau  pays  out  about  5  million  yen  a  year  for  mate- 
rials and  for  expenses,  and  nets  about  1  million  yen  —  a  considerable  item  of 
the  island  revenue. 

There  are  upward  of  100,000  smokers  in  Formosa,  each  of  whom  uses 
about  37  grains  a  day,  for  which  6  sen  are  paid.  The  death-rate  among  them 
is  high.  The  first  efforts  of  the  Japanese  to  stamp  out  the  evil  by  prohibit- 
ing the  importation  of  opium  (a  ruling  strictly  enforced  in  Japan)  failed 
•  utterly,  and  it  was  soon  discovered  that  no  amount  of  punishment  would 
~  stop  devotees  from  smoking  it  or  smugglers  from  importing  it.  To  drive  the 
best  Chinese  from  the  island  was  at  variance  with  the  colonial  policy  of  the 
conquerors,  who  were  forced  to  capitulate  to  necessity.  While  it  is  regarded 


Maruyama  Park.  TAIHOKU  52.  Route.  783 


as  impossible  to  lessen  materially  the  number  of  confirmed  smokers,  the 
monopoly  (established  in  1897)  aims  to  restrict  the  consumption,  and,  by 
educating  the  children,  ultimately  to  stamp  out  the  evil.  The  principle  of 
limiting  the  supply  to  smokers  is  adhered  to.  Each  must  have  a  special 
license,  and  any  one  who  imports,  sells,  gives,  or  exchanges  opium  without 
the  consent  of  the  authorities  risks  5  yrs.  in  prison  and  a  5000  yen  fine.  De- 
spite its  disastrous  aftermath,  the  Chinese  believe  in  the  medicinal  qualities 
of  the  drug,  and  they  blow  smoke  in  the  faces  of  new-born  children  to  make 
them  utter  the  first  cry.  Smokers  are  in  misery  until  they  procure  opium, 
and  if  thwarted  will  become  frantic  and  commit  excesses.  Formerly  keepers 
of  opium-dens  offered  the  drug  free  to  young  men  to  induce  them  to  acquire 
the  habit,  and  about  seven  per  cent  of  the  populace  court  an  early  death  by 
its  use. 

The  Taipeh  Prison  (PL  D,  4)  5  min.  walk  to  the  left  (E.)  of 
the  Monopoly  Bureau,  stands  at  the  back  of  a  large  compound 
entered  through  a  big  gate,  and  is  interesting  chiefly  for  the 
Salesroom  wherein  are  displayed  many  articles  made  by  the 
prisoners.  The  inlaid  wood  trays,  small  pieces  of  furniture 
showing  the  beautiful  grain  of  the  camphor  wood,  soft  mats 
and  chair-cushions  made  from  Taiko  fiber,  Formosan-Panama 
hats  and  other  articles  are  cheap,  and  some  of  them  make 
pretty  and  desirable  souvenirs.  Visitors  are  welcome,  and  Eng- 
lish is  spoken.  Card  of  admission  from  the  hotel  manager. 

Maruyama  Park  (PL  E,  1),  2  M.  N.E.  of  the  hotel,  with  its 
greatly  revered  shrine  (Taiwan  J insha),  is  one' of  the  prettiest 
spots  in  the  environs.  The  highroad  is  good  (delightful  walk 
in  the  early  morning)  and  frequent  trains  on  the  Tamsui  Line 
stop  at  the  Maruyama  Station.  From  this  we  cross  the  track 
and  bear  to  the  left.  The  temple  at  the  base  of  the  hill,  over- 
looking the  station  and  a  big  lotus-pond,  is  the  property  of 
the  Rinzai-shu,  a  branch  of  the  Zen  sect  of  Buddhists.  On  the 
crest  of  the  first  hill  beyond  the  bridge  over  the  Keelung  River 
is  a  handsome  bronze  shaft  on  a  gray  granite  pedestal,  with 
4  bronze  tablets  3  ft.  sq.  let  into  its  sides,  and  depicting  in  a 
spirited  manner  certain  episodes  in  the  Japanese  campaign  on 
the  island.  The  pretty  view  from  the  summit  is  surpassed  by 
the  one  at  the  shrine  farther  on.  The  fine  avenue  which  leads 
up  to  this  is  flanked  by  junipers,  acacias,  and  other  flowering 
trees,  and  (near  the  foot  of  the  steps)  by  big  machine-guns, 
stone  lanterns,  Dogs  of  Fo,  and  a  handsome  big  bronze  torii. 
The  copper-roofed  Shinto  shrines  stand  on  rising  terraces 
reached  by  60  stone  steps,  and  are  dedicated  to  His  Imperial 
Highness  Prince  Kitashirakawa,  Commander-in-Chief  of  the 
Imperial  Japanese  Army  at  the  time  of  the  occupation,  who 
died  of  fever  at  Tainan,  Oct.  28,  1895,  aged  49  yrs.  The  view 
from  the  terrace  over  the  broad  plain  is  magnificent.  The  city 
spreads  away  at  the  left,  and  many  picturesque  junks  float 
languidly  on  the  smooth  waters  of  the  Keelung  and  Tamsui 
Rivers  winding  gracefully  round  the  foot  of  the  hill. 

An  Excursion  to  a  Village  of  Reclaimed  Savages  can 
be  made  by  conferring  with  the  hotel  manager  and  obtaining 


784   Routes  53-54.    TAIHOKU  TO  TAKAO  Hokutd. 


a  police  escort.  The  nearest  to  Taihoku  is  Fushaku,  about  5  M. 
distant;  reached  by  hand-car  to  (4  M.)  Shinten,  and  kago  the 
rest  of  the  way.  Car  for  2  pers.,  62  sen;  kago,  ¥2  a  day. 
The  road  is  bad,  and  is  apt  to  be  impassable  in  rainy  weather. 
The  villagers  call  themselves  Urai.  They  are  a  dirty  lot,  with 
but  little  to  show  the  traveler. 

53.  From  Taihoku  via  Hokuto  to  Tamsui. 

Taiwan  Government  Railway. 

14  M.  Several  trains  daily  in  1  hr.  Fare,  60  sen.  From 
Taihoku  the  line  runs  out  through  the  N.  suburb,  passes 
Maruyama  Park  (right),  crosses  the  Tamsui  River,  and  beyond 
4  M.  Shirin,  enters  a  semi-tropical  region  devoted  to  the  culti- 
vation of  sugar-cane.  At  7  M.  Hokutd  (Chinese,  Paktau)  there 
is  a  locally  celebrated  Hot  Spring  often  made  the  objective 
point  of  an  excursion  from  Taihoku,  and  which  the  traveler  so 
inclined  may  see  between  trains. 

Following  the  main  st.  through  the  unkempt  town  one  soon  sees  steam  ris- 
ing from  the  spring  at  the  far  left.  At  5  min.  from  the  station  the  road  forks, 
and  by  continuing  to  the  right  (5  min.)  one  comes  to  the  small  semi-foreign 
Shoto-en  Inn  (¥3  and  upward,  Am.  pi.),  where  a  local  guide  can  be  had  for 
25  sen  to  conduct  one  out  through  the  town  (left)  to  the  edge  of  the  gulch 
(35  min.)  and  to  a  bath-house  overlooking  a  deep  depression  whence  steam 
rises,  and  about  which  there  are  often  naked  bathers.  The  place  is  called 
Yumoto,  and  about  2  M.  beyond  it  (slippery  trail  in  wet  weather),  in  a 
burned-out  cone  in  the  Daiton  Range,  are  insignificant  mud  springs  and  some 
volcanic  activity.  The  Hokuto  Tansan  mineral  water  (comp.  p.lxxiv)  sold  in 
Taihoku  comes  from  hereabout,  along  with  many  pineapples.  —  A  peculiar 
stone  found  in  the  vicinity  and  called  Hokuto-seki  is  said  to  contain  radium. 

From  Hokutd  the  rly.  continues  across  rice-paddies  to  9  M. 
Kantau,  beyond  which  a  tunnel  is  threaded  before  the  line 
parallels  the  Tamsui  River,  which  here  is  almost  as  broad  as 
the  Ohio  at  Cincinnati. 

14  M.  Tamsui  (or  Hobe),  a  wretched  Chinese  town  (Inn: 
Kawaguchi-ya,  ¥3)  sprawling  along  the  hillside  overlooking  the 
river  and  the  sea,  contains  the  ruins  of  some  Dutch  and  Span- 
ish fortresses  built  during  the  17th  cent.,  and  is  a  favorite  port 
of  Chinese  junks  from  the  mainland.  The  Spaniards  erected 
a  trading-station  here  in  1629,  and  a  church  dedicated  to 
Nuestra  Senora  del  Rosario  (Our  Lady  of  the  Rosary),  but 
were  ousted  from  both  by  the  Dutch  in  1642.  Considerable  tea 
is  grown  on  the  adjacent  hills,  and  before  the  Japanese  took 
Tamsui  in  1895  it  was  one  of  the  most  important  shipping- 
points  in  the  island.  It  is  unpicturesque  and  not  over-healthy. 

54.  From  Taihoku  via  Toyen,  Shinchiku,  Byoritsu,  Taichu 
(Rokko),  Kagi,  and  Tainan  (Anping)  to  Takao. 
Taiwan  Government  Railways. 

229  M.  One  through  train  daily  in  about  12  hrs.  Fare,  1st  cl.  ¥11.94. 
In  the  buffet-car  one  can  get  hot  tea,  sandwiches,  tinned  (the  canned  pine- 


PANKYO  GARDEN      54.  Route.  785 


apple  is  delicious)  and  bottled  goods  at  reasonable  prices.  Fruit  in  great 
variety  is  sold  at  the  chief  stations,  along  with  passable  bento  (p.  lxxxiv),  and 
native  dishes  which  the  non-immune  will  do  well  to  avoid.  The  rly.  equip- 
ment and  most  of  the  train  employees  are  Japanese,  and  the  service  is 
prompt  and  efficient.  Electric  fans  are  installed  in  the  1st  cl.  cars.  Many 
of  the  station-men  are  Chinese  or  half-castes  who  wear  their  queues  coiled 
like  black  snakes  round  their  heads  beneath  the  regulation  caps.  Japanese 
are  in  charge  of  the  important  stations  and  they  will  always  direct  the  trav- 
eler to  the  best  inn  in  the  town  or  be  of  service  in  other  ways.  Numerous 
push-car  lines  branch  away  from  the  main  line  of  the  rly.,  and  go  usually  to 
small  places  of  no  interest  to  foreigners.  The  most  important  branches  are 
mentioned  in  their  proper  places. 

From  Taihoku  the  rly.  half-circles  the  capital,  and  after 
passing  the  Manka  Station  runs  out  through  the  tawdry  sub- 
urbs toward  the  S.W.  The  broad  Tamsui  is  crossed  on  the 
Shintenkei  Bridge  (1280  ft.  long),  and  then  a  region  so  Chinese 
in  all  its  outer  aspects  that  the  occasional  Japanese  house  one 
sees  seems  out  of  place.  Many  blue-bloused  Celestials,  and 
blue-black  water-buffaloes  are  descried  at  work  in  the  fields  of 
sugar-cane  or  rice  or  grain,  for  hereabout  the  land  is  intensively 
cultivated  and  almost  every  foot  is  made  to  produce  something. 
Brightly  clad  Chinese  damsels  trip  across  the  country  paths, 
and  the  women  who  wash  the  family  linen  in  pools  and  streams 
add  color  and  picturesqueness.  Not  a  few  of  the  red-brick 
houses  sit  back  in  spacious,  flower-embowered  yards,  and  are 
marked  by  an  air  of  prosperity  and  homely  comfort  curiously 
at  variance  with  the  squalor  prevalent  in  China.  5  M.  Pankyo 
(pank-yo'),  a  Chinese  town  with  many  quaint  peaked-roofed 
nouses,  is  celebrated  locally  for  a  handsome  garden,  the  prop- 
erty of  a- Chinese  millionaire,  Mr.  Ling  Hong  Gen. 

The  traveler  unacquainted  with  formal  Chinese  landscape  gardening  in  its 
different  phases  may  feel  repaid  for  a  trip  hither.  Fare  from  Taihoku  (and 
back) ,  60  sen.  Card  of  admission  can  be  obtained  of  the  hotel  manager  who 
will  send  along  one  of  the  hotel-boys  as  interpreter  and  guide.  By  boarding 
an  early  morning  train  one  can  inspect  the  garden  and  be  back  at  the  hotel 
by  noon.  Visitors  who  apply  beforehand  for  permission  are  welcome,  and 
fees  are  unnecessary.  Within  the  garden  (a  few  min.  walk  from  the  rly.  sta- 
tion) is  a  pretty  lakelet,  half-moon  bridges,  boats,  flowers,  fantastic  rocks, 
miniature  pagodas,  winding  paths,  beautiful  dwarf  trees,  stunted  shrubs, 
and  the  usual  accompaniments.  Aromatic  tea  is  served  to  favored  guests. 
There  is  nothing  to  see  in  the  town  proper,  beyond  the  single  street  with  its 
native  women,  sometimes  dressed  smartly  in  mauve  silk  jackets,  pale-blue 
silk  trousers,  and  embroidered  shoes  that  impart  a  pleasing  air  of  cleanliness 
and  comeliness.  The  better  classes  wear  considerable  rich  yellow  gold  fili- 
gree jewelry,  seed  pearls,  and  jade  as  hair  ornaments.  The  slender  jade 
bracelets  worn  by  the  well-to-do  are  put  on  in  youth  and  are  never  re- 
moved. 

From  Pankyo  the  rly.  traverses  a  rich  and  productive  region 
crossed  and  re-crossed  by  numerous  streams.  Considerable 
fruit  is  grown,  with  bananas  and  luscious  pineapples  predom- 
inating. 7  M.  Jurin.  10  M.  Sanshikyaku.  Beyond  the  Chazan 
Tunnel  (1439  ft.  long),  and  13  M.  Okaseki,  the  country  is  ideal- 
ized by  a  wealth  of  flaming  flowers,  prominent  among  them  the 
popular  hibiscus.  The  rough  country  beyond  the  green  hills 
at  the  left  was  once  the  resort  of  head-hunters. 


786    Route  54.  BYORITSU 


Taichu. 


17  M.  Toy  en,  capital  of  the  prefecture  of  the  same  name, 
stands  on  a  wide,  tree-dotted  plain  flecked  with  lakelets.  8  M. 
to  the  S.E.  is  the  old  town  of  Taikokan  (Tokoham)  amid  pretty 
scenery.  20  M.  Kanshikyaku.  23  M.  Chureki.  28  M.  An- 
peichin,  with  a  big  tea  factory.  Beyond  43  M.  Komoden,  the 
Hozan  River  is  crossed  on  a  bridge  1130  ft.  long.  The  soil  here- 
about is  a  reddish  brown,  and  impregnated  with  iron  which  is 
thought  to  give  a  certain  flavor  to  the  tea  that  thrives  so  vigor- 
ously. The  sea  is  visible  at  the  far  right.  Many  camphor  trees 
grow  on  the  slopes  of  the  mts.  at  the  far  left.  Stretches  of  the 
country  recall  the  mesa-lands  of  New  Mexico.  45  M.  Shin- 
chiku  (Chinese,  Teck-cham),  seat  of  the  Shinchiku  prefectural 
government,  is  one  of  the  oldest  towns  on  the  island.  A  branch 
rly.  runs  E.  to  the  near-by  town  of  Jukirin,  and  another  W.  to 
Kyukd,  a  port  at  the  mouth  of  the  Hozan  River.  —  The  rly. 
now  follows  the  sea  for  some  distance.  In  the  high  mts.  visible 
at  the  left  are  the  strongholds  of  the  head-hunting  Atayal 
savages.  Beyond  56  M.  Chuko  the  line  crosses  the  Chukd 
River,  a  mere  trickle  in  the  dry  season,  but  a  dangerous  tor- 
rent after  the  summer  rains. 

66  M.  Byoritsu  (Chinese:  Maoli),  a  prefectural  town  and 
the  end  of  a  rly.  division,  is  the  startmg-point  for  (10  M.,  light 
rly.)  Shikkoko,  where  there  are  numerous  petroleum  wells. 
Good  bento  is  sold  at  the  station,  along  with  excellent  persim- 
mons packed  in  plaited  baskets.  The  rly.  now  runs  upward 
between  hills  covered  with  acacias,  graceful  bamboos,  pal- 
mettoes,  and  pampas  grass.  72  M.  Dorawan.  Beyond  77  M. 
Sansaho,  in  a  mountainous  region,  we  cross  the  Naisha-gawa 
on  a  bridge  114  ft.  above  the  stream  (the  highest  on  the  line). 
A  Government  Experimental  Farm  for  the  cultivation  of 
camphor  and  tea  is  located  near  here.  Hence  to  92  M.  Koroton 
the  construction  work  was  very  costly ;  nine  tunnels  pierce  the 
hills  and  3  rivers  are  crossed,  the  widest,  the  Taian,  on  a 
bridge  1663  ft.  long.  The  highest  point  (1220  ft.)  is  marked  by 
a  signal-station.  Five  yrs.  were  necessary  to  complete  the 
work,  which  was  concluded  in  1907.  As  the  train  emerges 
from  No.  7  Tunnel  (4126  ft.  long)  it  crosses  the  dirty,  slate- 
colored  Taian,  which  flows  past  a  strikingly  picturesque  prom- 
ontory at  the  far  right.  Beyond  87  M.  Korisho,  Tunnel  No. 
9  (4166  ft.  long)  is  threaded,  and  the  gray-black  Taiko  River 
is  crossed  on  a  steel  bridge  1245  ft.  long. 

92  M.  Koroton  (811  ft.),  embowered  in  tropical  trees,  pos- 
sesses the  largest  rice-market  in  Formosa.  The  graceful  Areca- 
palms  make  pleasing  figures  in  the  landscape.  A  small  rly.  runs 
hence  to  Toseikaku  at  the  E.,  and  to  Shako  at  the  W.  —  As  the 
train  proceeds  southward  the  great  barrier  range  is  seen  to  fine 
advantage  at  the  left.  Numerous  swift  streams  course  from  it 
to  the  sea.  101  M.  Taichu  (314  ft.;  pop.  8000),  a  busy  pre- 
fectural town  with  a  pronounced  military  aspect,  was  known 


Shoka. 


LAKE  CANDIDIUS      64.  Route.  787 


formerly  as  Taiwan-fu  and  from  1877  to  1895  was  the  capital 
of  Central  Formosa.  The  two  passable  inns,  the  Haruta-kwan 
(with  a  branch  at  Takao)  and  the  Maruyama-kwan  (i  M. 
from  the  station;  jinriki,  10  sen),  are  in  the  Japanese  style; 
rates  from  ¥3  and  upward.  Luncheon  in  the  station  dining- 
room,  ¥1.50.  The  bento  at  35  sen  is  only  tolerable.  Broad 
paddy-fields  and  a  lazy  river  flank  the  town,  which  is  a  pleas- 
ing blend  of  Chinese  and  Japanese  architecture  and  the  center 
for  a  considerable  trade  in  camphor,  indigo,  tobacco,  and  China 
grass  (for  making  fine  cloth).  The  Bank  of  Taiwan  has  a 
branch  here,  and  the  governmental  administrative  offices  are 
near  the  station.  The  small  park  at  the  S.E.  edge  of  the  town 
contains  a  pretty  lakelet,  summer-houses,  etc.  Conspicuous 
features  of  the  environs  are  the  silk-cotton  trees  (BQmbax 
ceiba),  the  seeds  of  which  are  covered  with  a  silky  fiber  too 
short  for  textile  uses,  but  which  are  used  by  the  Chinese  for 
stuffing  pillows,  etc.  Here  thrive  also  several  paper-produc- 
ing plants,  and  the  curious  Candleberry  (Aleurites  cordata  — 
Jap.  abura-giri),  or  Chinese  varnish  tree,  the  oil  from  the 
nuts  of  which  is  used  in  Polynesia  for  candles,  and  in  China  for 
painting. 

A  branch  rly.  runs  due  S.  from  Taichu  through  wild  and 
primitive  country.  By  following  it  the  traveler  with  time,  a 
willingness  to  rough  it,  and  to  risk  his  head,  may  visit  the  most 
important  of  the  very  few  Formosan  lakes,  Jitsugetsutan  (or 
Suishako),  referred  to  usually  as  Lake  Candidius,  from  Geor- 
giusCandidius,  the  first  missionary  to  visit  the  island  (in  1627). 

A  guide  (necessary)  can  be  obtained  of  the  Japanese  authorities  (who' 
should  be  advised  of  one's  plans)  at  about  ¥4  a  day.  Unless  one  can  eat 
Japanese  food  other  provisions  should  be  taken  along.  Fruit  is  plentiful 
everywhere,  and  the  hunter  will  find  game  in  variety.  By  starting  from  Tai- 
chu early  in  the  morning  (12  M.)  Soaton  can  be  reached  in  the  afternoon. 
The  stopping-place  on  the  2d  evening  is  (25  M.)  Horisha,  a  melancholy  set- 
tlement on  the  edge  of  the  Savage  Territory,  where  considerable  camphor  is 
produced.  The  next  10  M.  is  through  a  hilly  region  with  lofty  mts.  at  the 
left.  The  lake,  which  is  about  10  M.  in  circumference,  and  2400  ft.  above 
sea-level,  near  the  foot  of  Mt.  Suisha,  is  picturesquely  situated  and  recalls 
Yumoto  in  the  Nikko  highlands.  A  few  reclaimed  Peipohan  savages  live  on 
its  border,  and  from  its  unsounded,  pellucid  depths  draw  a  species  of  almost 
transparent  sardine,  and  a  spiny  little  fish  with  dark  meat.  The  native 
boats  are  crude  dug-outs  made  from  forest  trees.  The  pretty  but  lonely  is- 
land in  the  center  of  the  lake  is  Shujisan.  Unless  one  is  prepared  to  camp,  it 
is  necessary  to  push  on  to  (6  M.)  Shushu,  from  which  place  Nihachisui  (12 
M.  distant)  is  reached  (on  the  afternoon  of  the  4th  day).  Northbound  trav- 
elers may  reverse  the  trip  and  join  the  rly.  at  Taichu.  Under  no  considera- 
tion should  the  journey  be  undertaken  without  consulting  the  Japanese 
authorities,  as  head-hunters  not  infrequently  stray  down  from  the  mts.  on 
bloody  forays,  and  foreign  life  is  held  as  cheaply  by  them  as  Chinese.  Fur- 
thermore, foreign  heads  are  novelties! 

From  Taichu  the  main  line  proceeds  S.W.  toward  the  sea, 
passing  the  unimportant  stations  of  105  M.  Ujitsu,  and  108  M. 
Daito,  before  traversing  the  wide  valley  of  the  Daito  (or  Taito) 
River  to  112  M.  Shoka  (Chinese,  Chang-wha),  a  dreary  and  de- 
pressing town  of  18,000  inhabs.  founded  in  1723.  Most  of  the 


788   Route  54.         MT.  MORRISON 


Kagi. 


original  stenches  remain.  Tolerable  accommodations  can  be 
had  at  the  Shoka  Hotel  (a  small  inn)  at  ¥3  a  day  (Japanese 
style).  The  town  lies  in  a  sort  of  basin  into  which  everything 
from  roundabout  drains,  and  until  quite  recently  was  noted  for 
its  insalubrity.  The  bizarre  and  parlous  inhabitants  are  Amoy 
and  Tswengchoo  Haklos  who  still  practice  many  peculiar  cus- 
toms —  the  most  prominent  being  uncleanliness.  The  narrow 
streets  are  as  odoriferous  as  some  in  old  Shanghai.  Over  many 
of  them  are  stretched  flimsy  temporary  roofs  which  protect 
pedestrians  from  the  sun  and  impart  the  tunnel-like  aspect  of 
Syrian  bazaars.  Head-hunters  have  raided  the  town  on  many 
occasions,  and  the  Japanese  bombarded  and  took  it  (com- 
memorating monument  on  Hakkei  Hill)  Sept.  3,  1895.  The 
only  curios  worth  taking  away  are  the  quaint  fans  made  of 
Areca  leaves.  —  Rokko  (Lokiang),  &  sometime  prominent  ship- 
ping-port 7  M.  to  the  W.  (light  rly.)  was  founded  in  the  10th 
cent,  and  seems  not  to  have  changed  much.  From  Takatsu- 
kutsu,  83  M.  S.  of  Tamsui,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Daito  River, 
many  piratical-looking  junks,  laden  with  rattan,  pineapple, 
fiber,  pith-paper,  peanut  oil,  and  other  native  products,  sail 
for  the  mainland  of  China. 

From  Shoka  the  rly.  goes  due  S.  over  a  level,  attractive  re- 
gion flecked  here  and  there  with  cane-  and  paddy-fields,  wild 
lilies  and  plumed  pampas  grass.  The  cloud-piercing  giants  of 
the  Central  Range  rise  grandly  at  the  left.  Poor  stations  and 
an  occasional  Chinese  village  break  the  regularity  of  the  scene. 
Beyond  131  M.  Nihachisui  the  rly.  crosses  the  Dakusu  River 
on  a  14-span  iron  bridge  2917  ft.  long  (longest  on  the  line) .  The 
floating  logs  which  come  down  from  (20  M.)  Mt.  Randai  are 
caught  at  various  points  by  Chinese  loggers  and  poled  up  con- 
verging streams  to  primitive  sawmills.  The  water  of  the 
main  stream  is  a  repulsive  slate  color,  with  the  dense,  tragic 
leaden  pallor  of  death.  —  137  M.  Rinnai. 

Mt.  Morrison  (13,075  ft.),  in  the  Savage  Territory,  under  the  Tropic  of 
Cancer,  the  highest  point  in  the  Japanese  Empire,  is  now  visible  at  the  left. 
Kagi  is  the  nearest  station  to  it.  It  was  named  by  Mr.  R.  Swinhoe  for  the 
captain  of  the  British  steamship  Alexander,  the  first  to  enter  the  port  of  An- 
ping.  When  Formosa  was  made  a  colonial  possession,  the  Mikado  changed 
the  name  to  Niitaka-yama  (New  High  Mt.).  The  Chinese  call  it  Gyokusan 
(jade;  precious  gem,  etc.).  Some  of  the  finest  camphor-wood  forests  of  the 
island  belt  its  symmetrical  sides.  The  ascent  can  be  made  only  under  a  heavy 
guard,  as  the  region  swarms  with  head-hunters.  Permit  and  armed  escorts 
can  sometimes  be  obtained  from  the  Japanese  authorities. 

162  M.  Kagi  (Inn:  Kagi  Hotel,  facing  the  station;  ¥3  and 
upward ;  native  style) .  Next  to  Tainan  this  is  the  oldest  settle- 
ment (pop.  21,000)  in  S.  Formosa.  The  Japanese  have  con- 
verted it  into  a  busy  prefectural  town,  and,  despite  the  de- 
structive earthquake  of  1905,  have  erected  several  substantial 
buildings.  Indigo  is  grown  in  the  vicinity,  which  is  known  for 
its  natural-gas  wells  and  petroleum  springs.  Considerable 
bamboo-work  is  made  here,  along  with  paper  from  the  bamboo 


Anping. 


TAINAN  54.  Route.  789 


pith.  A  Chinese  specialty  is  a  sort  of  jelly  made  from  the  fruit 
of  the  Aigyo  (Ficus  pumila).  Numerous  light  rlys.  branch  out 
from  Kagi,  the  most  important  one  being  the  Mt.  Ari  Line 
to  42  M.  Arisan. 

Between  Kagi  and  Mt.  Ari  (or  Nimandaira)  the  rly.  crosses  70  bridges, 
threads  73  tunnels  and  innumerable  cuts,  and  in  order  to  reach  the  7000  ft. 
level  at  Ari  Station  zigzags  in  a  sinuous  way  up  stiff  mt.  grades  and  occasion- 
ally circles  obstructive  peaks  by  means  of  spiral  track.  From  (9  M.)  Chiku- 
tokx  the  grade  in  places  is  1  in  20.  From  the  slanting  cars  one  looks  down  at 
times  into  magnificent  gorges  choked  with  splendid  primeval  forest  trees  hun- 
dreds of  yrs.  old  and  immensely  tall.  The  trunks  of  some  are  60  ft.  in  circum- 
ference, and  not  a  few  rise  50  ft.  straight  before  putting  out  a  single  branch. 
The  country  is  too  crude  yet  to  be  comfortable,  and  the  traveler  who  pene- 
trates it  to  the  lumber-camps  (American  machinery)  must  be  prepared  to 
rough  it. 

From  Kagi  southward  the  rly.  runs  through  a  vast  sugar- 
growing  country  watered  by  mt.  streams.  The  numerous  sta- 
tions are  small  and  call  for  no  particular  mention.  As  we 
approach  Tainan  the  sea  is  visible  at  the  far  right,  and  numerous 
vessels  are  descried  anchored  in  Anping  Harbor. 

200  M.  Tainan  (pop.  53,000),  the  one-time  capital  {Tainan- 
fu)  of  S.  Formosa,  now  the  administrative  seat  of  Tainan  Pre- 
fecture, stands  in  lat.  23°  6'.N.  and  long.  129°  5'  E.  of  Green- 
wich, and  is  one  of  the  most  important  ports  of  the  island. 

Of  the  two  Japanese  inns  (the  Hotel  Shishun-en,  and  the  Asahi-kwan),  the 
former  (in  the  Kokokoshi-gai,  |  M.  from  the  station;  jinriki,  10  sen)  is  per- 
haps the  best  (¥3  a  day  and  upward),  as  tolerably  good  meat,  eggs,  cray- 
fish, etc.,  can  be  had,  along  with  a  foreign  table  and  knives,  forks,  etc.  Jap- 
anese beds.  Demand  a  mosquito-net,  as  this  light  militia  of  the  air  is  a  pest. 
—  The  Climate  is  moist,  hot,  and  unhealthy  in  summer,  but  cool,  dry,  and 
bracing  in  winter.  Non-immune  travelers  should  be  careful  of  the  drinking- 
water,  and  should  never  touch  milk  that  has  not  been  boiled.  A  good  bottled 
mineral  water  (the  Takaradzuka  Tansan,  of  Japan,  is  recommended)  is  the 
safest  beverage. 

To  the  Chinese  (who  form  three  fourths  of  the  population) 
Tainan  (or  Taokien)  is  of  great  historical  interest,  for  the  old 
city  walls  (quadrangular,  20  ft.  high,  5  M.  long)  and  the  medi- 
aeval gates  which  pierce  them  were  built  by  their  progenitors 
(in  1723)  as  defensive  measures  against  head-hunters  from  the 
near-by  mts.,  and  the  no  less  bloodthirsty  pirates  from  the  sea. 
Hither  in  1622  came  the  marauding  Dutch  under  Cornelius 
Reyersz  to  build  their  twin  forts  which  the  great  Koxinga  and 
his  tailed  corsairs  captured  in  1662.  The  ruins  of  the  first, 
Fort  Zelandia,  erected  in  1630,  stand  at  Anping,  while  the 
more  sturdy  Provintia  still  does  good  service  in  Tainan  as  a 
military  hospital.  For  nearly  200  yrs.  the  town  (known  for- 
merly as  Anping- Chin,  or  'City  of  Peace')  was  the  capital  of 
Formosa,  and  its  narrow  streets  and  smoke-begrimed  hongs 
bear  all  the  ear-marks  of.  a  Chinese  settlement.  A  light  rly.  ex- 
tends from  the  station  to  the  (2J  at  the  W.)  port  of  Anping, 
now  but  a  simulacrum  of  its  former  self.  Passengers  who  land 
here  should  endeavor  to  come  ashore  in  the  ship's  boat  rather 
than  employ  the  clumsy  catamaran  used  by  the  natives  in  pref- 


790   Route  54. 


TAINAN 


Native  Types. 


erence  to  the  more  comfortable  sampan.  They  are  often  noth- 
ing but  big  rafts  of  bamboo  lashed  together  and  propelled 
either  by  a  sail  of  woven  matting  or  by  a  paddle.  A  light  rail 
runs  clear  round  them,  and  the  passenger  sits  in  a  big  tub  near 
the  center.  —  Harbor  works  are  in  progress,  but  until  the  dan- 
gerous bar  can  be  removed,  ships  that  anchor  in  the  roadstead 
in  the  typhoon  season  are  kept  in  instant  readiness  to  slip  their 
cables  and  run  for  shelter  to  the  Pescadores.  The  coast  shoals 
rapidly,  and  during  the  S.W.  monsoon  (which  blows  during 
June-Sept.)  there  is  such  a  heavy  swell  that  the  staun chest 
boats  have  difficulty  in  reaching  the  boat-camber  near  the 
lighthouse.  The  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  (see  p.  607)  maintains 
a  frequent  service  to  Amoy,  Swatow,  and  Hongkong,  and  to 
Yokohama. 

The  Tainan  Museum  (Hakubutsukwari),  in  Yoshirin-gai,  contains  a  col- 
lection of  Formosan  products,  etc.,  inferior  to  that  in  the  Taihoku  Museum. 
Hard  by  is  a  shrine  dedicated  to  Prince  Kitashirakawa.  The  Kaizan  Jinsha 
stands  to  the  memory  of  Koxinga. 

One  notes  many  racial  differences  between  the  Chinese  of  this  old  S.  strong- 
hold and  the  present  capital  of  Taihoku.  Here,  as  in  S.  China,  the  familiar 
black  Cantonese  turban  is  more  in  evidence  than  the  distinctive  Ningpo, 
Peking,  or  Shanghai  skull-cap.  Beneath  the  wound  turbans  lie  the  shiny, 
snugly  coiled  queues,  often  thrust  through  with  a  long-stemmed  pipe  which 
slants  beside  the  wearer's  face.  The  men  possess  the  true  Cantonese  intoler- 
ance for,  and  hatred  of  the  '  foreign  devil '  iwai-i'  or  fan-kwei  —  'external 
barbarian'),  and  they  blink  at  them  somewhat  as  an  owl  blinks  at  the  light. 
Many  of  the  native  women  wear  complicated  head-dresses  interwoven  with 
silver  coins,  seed  pearls,  jade  pins,  and  ornaments  of  fine  gold.  Cross-breeds 
are  common,  and  in  their  staring  eyes  one  sees  the  half-wild  look  inseparably 
associated  with  savages  of  low  mentality.  True  Formosans  chew  the  betel- 
nut  as  incessantly  as  their  Malayan  prototypes,  and  some  of  them  could  be 
mistaken  easily  for  Singapore  folks.  —  The  older  streets  of  Tainan  are  cov- 
ered with  matting  awnings,  to  exclude  the  sun.  At  night  they  are  thronged 
with  a  medley  of  Southern  types  plentifully  besprinkled  with  reclaimed 
head-hunters.  All  seem  to  enjoy  the  infernal  din  caused  by  exploding  fire- 
crackers and  musicless  Chinese  music.  The  7000  Japanese  dwell  in  a  section 
with  wider  streets,  where  the  houses  have  porticoes  that  reach  to  the  curb. 
The  Joss-Houses  of  Tainan  compare  unfavorably  with  the  dignified  Bud- 
dhist temples  of  Nippon. 

Southward  from  Tainan  the  rly.  goes  for  miles  through  cane- 
fields  that  recall  the  wide  cornfields  of  Kansas.  Luscious  tropi- 
cal fruits  grow  in  great  profusion,  prominent  among  them 
globular  pumelos  ( Citrus  decumana)  almost  as  big  as  pumpkins. 
Among  the  fruits  best  liked  by  the  natives  is  the  parami,  or 
Breadfruit  of  Asia  (Artocarpus  integrifolia) .  The  delicious 
Manila  mango  of  this  region  has  the  true' turpentine  flavor, 
and  the  small,  sweet  pineapples  are  as  good  as  those  of  Java. 
Pomegranates,  lichis,  guavas,  figs,  oranges,  bananas,  splendid 
persimmons,  and  a  host  of  minor  fruits  thrive  luxuriantly  and 
impart  a  material  interest  to  the  views.  At  certain  of  these 
southern  stations  various  interesting  racial  types  assemble  to 
see  the  1  fire-spitting'  engine  of  the  1  foreign  devil,'  and  here 
the  hybrid  Chinese  seem  to  take  on  a  languorous,  lackadaisical 
air,  as  if  in  tune  with  the  lush  tropics.  Gay  young  silken-clad 


Saracen  Head. 


TAKAO 


54.  Route.  791 


Lotharios  with  glossy  black  pig-tails,  in  which  dainty  ribbons 
are  entwined  and  at  the  nether  end  of  which  an  adorable  true- 
love  knot  of  baby-blue  ribbon  is  tied,  are  conspicuous  features 
in  the  crowds,  as  are  also  greasy  paterfamilias  who  view  the 
world  through  huge  tortoise-shell  goggles  and  go  laden  with 
baskets  of  fruit,  or  shiny,  well-browned  roasted  ducks  in  split 
bamboo  wickers.  The  men  elbow  the  women  aside  in  the  most 
ruthless  manner,  with  a  keen  eye  for  number  one,  and  a  large 
disdain  for  the  hindermost.  At  all  the  big  stations  one  sees  the 
silent  power  behind  the  throne  in  the  shape  of  spruce,  hel- 
meted,  beleggined,  gloved,  dignified,  ceremonious,  but  un- 
failingly helpful  Japanese  military  men.  Compared  to  the  be- 
nighted islanders  they  seem  like  beings  from  another  and 
brighter  world  —  as  in  truth  they  are.  As  a  rule  they  are  as 
restless  as  a  bug-professor  in  July  —  mapping  the  country, 
classifying  the  plants,  climbing  unexplored  mts.,  building 
waterworks,  railways,  and  school-houses,  and  pushing  their 
drag-nets  closer  and  closer  about  the  murderous  savage  tribes. 
On  one's  travels  through  the  island  one  is  scarcely  ever  out  of 
hearing  of  be-spectacled  and  Panama-hatted  entomologists, 
mineralogists,  arborealogists,  and  others,  who  to-day  are  doing 
for  Formosa  what  men  like  Kaempfer,  Thunberg,  Von  Siebold, 
and  others  did  for  Japan.  They  seem  to  exercise  the  British 
qualities  of  tact,  patience,  and  firmness  in  their  dealings  with 
the  natives. 

229  M.  Takao  (Inns:  Haruta-kwan,  opposite  the  station; 
Takao  Hotel,  both  in  Japanese  style,  ¥3  and  upward),  a  great 
shipping-port  for  Formosan  products,  has  a  well-sheltered  har- 
bor with  breakwaters  (cost  5  million  yen)  completed  in  1913. 
The  administrative  buildings  and  the  Foreign  Concession  are 
on  the  N.  side;  the  native  quarter  and  shops  at  the  foot  of 
the  hill  called  Saracen  Head.  An  old  Chinese  fort  anciently 
crowned  the  summit  of  this,  and  the  town  records  teem  with 
stories  of  the  valor  exhibited  by  the  Chinese  in  its  defense.  A 
curious  (and  highly  improbable)  one  relates  that  once  when 
Japanese  pirates  attacked  the  port,  the  astute  Mongolian  com- 
mander filled  a  host  of  bamboo  tubes  with  live  wasps  and  set 
them  afloat.  The  credulous  Nipponese  opened  them  in  the  be- 
lief that  they  were  torpedoes,  and  were  so  badly  stung  that  the 
Chinese  captured  them  all!  In  later  times  (1895)  the  Japanese 
returned  this  compliment  by  taking  the  town,  bag  and  baggage! 
—  The  odd  weed  which  grows  on  the  surface  of  the  sea  here- 
about is  called  katanchu.  The  Bank  of  Taiwan  has  a  branch 
here.  The  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha  maintains  a  frequent  and 
efficient  steamer  service  with  Shanghai  (fare,  ¥75),  Yokohama, 
etc.  —  The  Branch  Rly.  to  14  M.  Ako  is  a  link  in  the  line 
which  eventually  will  connect  all  the  large  towns  of  the  E. 
coast. 


INDEX 


Consult  the  Index  at  pages  vi,  1,  2,  242,  327,  365-66,  647,  693,  and  761. 
Note  in  the  Index  below,  that  the  chief  points  of  interest  in  Tokyo  come 
under  that  head.  This  system  applies  also  to  the  other  principal  cities, 
and  to  Yezo,  Korea,  and  Formosa. 


Abacus  xxvi. 
Abe  River  373. 
Abiko  Jet.  306. 
Abukuma    River  321 
322. 

Adam's,  Will  38,  135. 
Afuri-jinsha  368. 
Agatsuma  River  96. 
Agematsu  387. 
Agriculture  exxxviii. 
Aichi  Ken  381. 
Aikawa  85,  313. 
Ainoma  169. 
Aioi-no-matsu  633. 
Aizen  Myo-6  220. 
Akagi-san  89. 
Akashi  633. 
Akiha  374. 
Akita  325. 
Ako  634. 
Amagi-san  370. 
Amanohashidate  533, 
539. 

Amaterasu  cclxii. 
Ame  65. 
Amida  ccii. 
Andon  126. 
Antimony  638. 
Aomori  318. 
Arakawa  81. 
Arayu  320. 
Architecture  clxxii, 

clxxxi. 
Arima  628. 

Arisugawa  (Prince)  159. 
Arita  656. 
Art  cexxii. 
Arzobispo  Is.  105. 
Asakawa  394. 
Asama-yama  71,  73. 
Asamushi  318. 
Asegata  Pass  301. 
Ashikaga  eclxviii. 
Ashinoyu  61. 
Ashio  Copper  Mines  300. 
Atami  54,  61,  64. 
Atsuta  375. 
Automobiles  lxxxvi. 
Awaji  Island  632. 
Awata-yaki  ecliv. 
Ayabe  Jet.  535. 
Azaleas  120. 
Azuma-yama  323. 


I  Baggage' (luggage)  lxxxiii 
Baku  172. 
Bandai-san  321. 
Banko-ware  599. 
Banks  xxiii. 
Bantan  Rly.  634. 
Banzai  146. 
Basha  xci. 
Beer  lxxiv. 
Beggars  clxiii. 
Benkei  315. 
Benten  ccviii. 
Bento  lxxxiv. 
Beppu  687. 

Besshi  Copper  Mine  638 
Bessho  Hot  Springs  77. 
Betto  70. 

Bibliography  eclxxxii. 
Binzuru  ccviii. 
Birds  86,  88. 
Biwa  Canal  505. 
Biwa  Lake  506. 
Bodaiju  cciii,  282. 
Boju  686. 
Bonin  Islands  105. 
Bon  Matsuri  662. 
Bosatsu  ccix. 
Boshu  241. 

Bridges    clxxxvi,  146, 

386,  399. 
Bronze-work  ccxlix. 
Buckwheat  97. 
Buddha  clxxxix,  cciii. 
Buddhism  clxxxix. 
Buddhist  architecture 

clxxii. 

—  Divinities  excix. 

—  Sects  excix. 

—  Temples  ccix. 
Bushido  cexxii. 

Cablegrams  xcvii. 
Camellias  120. 
Camphor  781. 
Canadian  Pacific  Rly.  & 

S.S.  Line  xii. 
Castles  clxxxiv. 
Ceramics  ecli. 
Chadai  system  xli. 
Chamsecyparis  243. 
Changchun  757. 
Cha-no-yu  cix,  415. 
Chemulpo  751. 


Cherry  Trees  118. 
Chiba  236. 
Chichibu  Range  95. 
Chigai  dana  460. 
Chigasaki  368. 
Chikuma-gawa  76. 
Chinda  Fall  686. 
Chinhai  Bay  729. 
Chinnampo  755. 
Chit  xxi. 
Cho  Densu  436. 
Chokai-zan  324. 
Choshi  240. 
Chop-sticks  cxii. 
Christian  Religion  ccxx, 

667,  670. 
Chronological  Table 

eclxxviii. 
Chrysanthemum  120. 
Chudan  455. 
Chiido  Meguri  51. 
Chugoku  Rly.  635. 
Chusonji  315. 
Chuzenji  298. 
Cicada  civ. 
Climate  lxvi. 
Cloisonne"  Enamel,  cel. 
Coal  cxlix. 
Color- Prints  cexxxi. 
Colors  117. 

Commercial  Travelers 

xxiv. 
Constitution  cl. 
Copper  cxlix. 
Coral  649. 

Cormorant  Fishing  396. 
Cormorant  Tail  308. 
Cranes  137. 
Cryptomeria  243. 
Curios  cxiii. 
Custom-House  xxiv. 

Dagelet  Island  702. 
Daikoku  ccviii. 
Daikon  xliv. 
Daimyo  eclxv. 
Dainichi-Nyorai  ccvi , 
240. 

Daira-botchi  clxxvi. 
Dairen  757. 
Daisen  541. 
Daishoji  547. 
Damascening  ccxlvii. 


INDEX 


793 


Dan-no-ura  645. 
Daruma  cxcix,  108. 
Date  Masamune  310. 
Dazaifu  654. 
Dengyo-Daishi  501. 
Deshima  663. 
Ddban  442. 

Dogs  377.  ^ 
Dog  of  Fo  clxxvii. 
Dogo  638. 
Dragon  clxxix,  177. 
Dwarfing  clxxxviii. 
Dzushi  37.  . 

Earthquakes  195. 
Ebisu  ccviii. 
Echigo  Province  83. 
Eitoho  731. 
Ejiri  372. 
Emma-6  cciii. 
Ena-san  385. 
En-no-Shokaku  239 . 
Enoshima  34,  367. 
Enoura  65. 
Eta  333. 

Etchu  Province  549. 
Exchange  xxi. 

Fireflies  552. 
Fish  21, 65,  146,507,549. 
Fishing  civ,  358. 
Flowers,  59,  86. 
Food  xxxii,  xlii. 
Formosa  761. 

Aborigines  773. 

Anping  789. 

Arisan  789. 

Bibliography  774. 

Botel  Tobago  Is.  766. 

Byoritsu  786. 

Climate  763. 

Daidotei  (Twatutia) 
778. 

Fauna  767. 

Footbinding  773. 

Guard-line  769. 

Head-hunting  720. 

History  768. 

Hokuto  784. 

Kagi  788. 

Keelung  (Kiirun)  774. 
Lake  Candidius  787. 
Mt.  Morrison  788. 
Oolong  tea  778. 
Panama  hats  777. 
Pankyo  785. 
Pescadores  765. 
Population  769. 
Shinchiku  786. 
Shoka  787. 
Taichu  786. 
Taihoku  (Taipeh)  776. 
Tainan  789. 
Takao  791. 
Tamsui  784. 


Formosa: 

Topography  764. 

Toyen  786. 
Fu-Daishi  ccix. 
Fudo  ccvi. 
Fugen  cciii,  220. 
Fuji  River  44,  371,  393 
fuji-san  (yama;  mt.)  45 
Fujisawa  36,  367. 
Fuji  Station  371. 
Fujiwara  Clan  cclxiv. 
Fukaya  66. 
Fukiage  66. 
Fukuchiyama  539. 
Fukue  (Goto)  649. 
Fukui  547. 
Fukuoka  651. 
Fukushima  322. 
Fukuyama  638. 
Funatsu  42. 
Furniture  ccxlii. 
Furumachi  320. 
Fusan  694. 
Fushimi  550. 
Futagawa  374. 
Futami  605. 

Gampishi  65,  532. 
Garden  Party  118,  120, 

188. 
Gedan  455. 
Geisha  clxi,  131. 
Genji  Monogatari  cclix. 
Genkai  Nada  651. 
Geography  cxxxvii. 
Geology  cxxxix. 
Geta  216. 
Gifu  396. 
Ginseng  320,  699. 
Goddess  of  Cereals  437. 
Godowns  lii. 
Gods  of  Good  Luck  ccviii. 
Goldfish  civ,  584. 
Gongen,  280. 
Goriki  46. 
Gorin-no-to  528. 
Gotemba  48,  369. 
Goto  Islands  649. 
Gourds  94. 
Government  cli. 
Guides  xxvi. 
Gumbai-uchiwa  60. 
Gwassan  324. 
Gyogi-bosatsu  219. 

Habutae  547. 
Hachiman  30,  510. 
Hachinohe  317. 
Hachioji  394. 
Hachiro  Lagoon  326. 
Haiden  169. 
Hakata  651. 
Hakone  54,  62. 
Hakozaki  651. 
Hakure  66. 


Hakusan  547. 
Hamamatsu  374. 
Hamana  Ko  374. 
Hanamaki  315. 
Hanamichi  116. 
Hanare-yama  72. 
Haneda  109. 
Haniwa  550. 
Harakiri  clxx. 
Haragama  308. 
Harbin  757. 
Harima  Meguri  633. 
Haruna  85,  91,  92,  95. 
Hase-dera  (Nara)  591. 
Hashimoto  533. 
Hataori  326. 
Hayachine  316. 
Haya-gawa  58,  62. 
Hayama  37. 
Health  lxxiii. 
Heian  Epoch  cclxiv. 
Hemp  315. 
Hibachi  xlix. 
Hidari  Jingoro  259. 
Hiei-zan  499. 
Higashi  Ogfiwa  305. 
Higoshige  497. 
Hikone  399. 
Himegami-dake  317. 
Himeji  633. 
Hino  394. 
Hinoki  243. 

Hints  to  Travelers  lxxvii. 
Hirado  649. 
Hiraizumi  315. 
Hirosaki  326. 
Hirose-gawa  308. 
Hiroshima  640. 
Historical  Sketch  cclxii. 
Hizen-ware  657. 
Hoden  633. 
Hodogaya  367. 
Hoei-zan  47. 
Hojo  Era  cclxviii. 
Hokeizan  385. 
Hokkaido  (Yezo)  327. 
Hokke-Shii  cci. 
Hokkei-ji  (Nara)  578. 
Hokuroku-do  545. 
Honden  169. 
Honen  Shonin  417. 
Honolulu  xi. 
Horaiji  375. 
Horses  xc. 

Horyu-ji  (Nara)  584. 
Hoshakuji  320. 
Hoshu-no-tama  ccxii. 
Hotei  ccviii. 
Hotels  xxix. 
Houses  xlvii,  129. 
Hozu-gawa  498,  535. 
Hunting  cii,  358. 

Ibuki-yama  506. 
Ice  Cave  43. 


794 


INDEX 


i 


Ichinohe  317. 
Ichinomiya  395. 
Ichinoseki  314. 
Icho  Tree  471. 
Ieyasu  ccxxiii,  372,  375. 
Ihai  168. 

Ii  Naosuke  22,  307. 
Ikao  67,  85. 
Ikegami  108. 
Imaichi  243. 
Imari-ware  656. 
Inari  399,  437. 
Inasa  Bay  544. 
Inawashiro  321. 
Inland  Sea  cxliv. 
nnai  325. 
Inns  xxix. 
Inro  165. 
Irises  120. 
Iriyama  Pass  73. 
Ise  600. 
Ishinden  600. 
Ishi-yama  507. 
Isobe  67. 
Ivory  ccxxxvii. 
Iwabuchi  37  i,  393. 
Iwakiri  311. 
Iwaki-san  326. 
Iwakuni  642. 
Iwanuma  308. 
Iwate-yama  316. 
Izumo-Imaichi  543. 
Izu  Peninsula  370. 


Jade  cxxii. 
Jakotsu-gawa  58. 
Japan  cclxiii. 
Japanese  civs  cclxii,  133. 
Japan  Sea  81. 
Jie-Dauhi  199. 
Jigen-Daishi  198,  287. 
Jikaku-Daishi  cci,  219. 
Jimmu-tenno  cclxii,  591 
Jindai-boku  309. 
Jinrikisha  lxxxviii. 
Jizo  cciv. 
Jocho  445. 
Jodan  455. 
Jodo-Shinshu  cxcix. 
Joga-shima  40. 
Jujutsu  clxiv,  132. 


665. 


Kado  326. 

Kaempfer,  E. 

Kago  xci. 

Kagoshima  676. 

Kaijo  753. 
^Kakemono  ccxi. 
"  Kamakura  28.  O 

—  Epoch  cclxv. 

Kamata  108. 

Kameoka  535. 

Kameyama  599. 

Kamiide  45. 

Kaminoyama  324. 


Kamisuwa  390. 
Kamiya  518. 
Kami-yama  63. 
Kami  Yoshida  41. 
Kamuro  532. 
Kanagawa  23. 
Kanazawa  (Kaga)  548. 
Kanazawa  (Sagami)  27 
Kaneyeki  532. 
Kang-hoa  705. 
Kano-san  241. 
Kano  School  of  Paua4flng 

ccxvii. 
Kanuma  243. 
Kanzaki  618. 
Karasaki  504. 
Karatsu  655. 
Kare-sansui  460. 
Karuizawa  65,  68. 
Kashinoki  190. 
Kashiwabara  80,  596. 
Kashiwazaki  82. 
Kasuga  no  miya  (Nara) 

556. 
Kataichi  640. 
Katase  34. 
Katashina-gawa  305. 
Kato  Kiyomasa  424,  673. 
Katsuura  241. 
Kawagoe  394. 
Kawaguchi  Lake  42. 
Kawasaki  107. 
Kechimyaku  79. 
Keicho-zan  320. 
Remap  442. 
Kengamine  45. 
Kerria  Japonica  19,  415. 
Kichijoji  395. 
Kiga  57. 
Kinkazan  312. 
Kinkozan  Pottery  ccliv. 
Kinosaki  540. 
Kintoki-zan  58. 
Kirin  clxxviii. 
Kirishima  675. 
Kisarazu  241. 
Kishi-Bojin  ccix. 
Kiso-Fukushima  388. 
Kiso-kaid5  388. 
Kiso  River  385,  395. 
Kitakami  River  314. 
Kitaura  306. 
Kites  117. 

Kiyomizu-Ware  cclvi. 
Kizuki  543. 
Kobe  (Hyogo)  618. 
Kobo-Daishi  cxxvi,  511 
Kobori  Enshu  415,  476. 
Kochi  638. 
Kodzu  Farm  73. 
Koenchi  221. 
Kofu  392. 

K6fuku-ji  (Nara)  569. 
Koganai  394. 
Kogoda  324. 


Koizawa  96. 
Kojiki  cclxiv. 
Kokura  Jet.  650. 
Komagatake  (Shinano) 
387 

Kominato  241,  318. 
Komochi-yama  89. 
Kompira  637. 
Konashi  71. 
Konsei  Pass  304. 
Korea  693,  731. 

Agriculture  699. 

Characteristics  718. 

Climate  705. 

Diamond  Mt.  Monas- 
teries 750. 

Flag  726. 

Flora  700. 

Food  724. 

Geography  695. 

Health  706. 

History  708. 

Hunting  and  Fishing 
707. 

Pony  737. 

Language  725. 

Literature  726. 

Mines  702,  708,  755. 

Money  706. 

Provinces  701. 

Railway  System  727. 

River    System  704, 
755. 

Time '727. 

Women  722. 
Koriyama  (Yamato) 

584. 

Koriyama  (Iwashiro)  321. 
Koromo  River  315. 
Kose  Hot  Springs  70. 
Koshirazu  549. 
Koshu-kaido  394. 
Kotatsu  126. 
Kotohira  635. 
Kotsuke  68,  96. 
Koyaguchi  516. 
K6ya*san  511. 
Kowakidani  57. 
Kozu  55,  56,  368. 
Kubota  307,  655. 
Kuchinotsu  670. 
Kudatama  209. 
Kugenuma  368. 
Kumagaya  66. 
—  Naozane  441. 
Kumamoto  672. 
Kunozan  373. 
Kunsan  730. 
Kurakake-yama  63. 
Kure  640. 
Kurihama  39. 
Kurile  Islands  358. 
Kuroiso  321. 
Kurosawajiri  315. 
Kuro-shiwo  cxlv. 


Kurume  671. 
Kururi  241. 
KuryQ  Pass  305. 
-Kusatsu  70,  75,  96,  99. 
Kutani  cclvii,  547. 
Kutsukake  72. 
Kuwana  599. 
Kwannon  ccv. 
Kwansei  cxlviii. 
Kwanto  cxliii,  68. 
Kyokatabira  79. 
"  .yoto  400,  499.  / 
Anrakuji  447.  ' 
Arashi-yama  497. 
Awata  Palace  413. 
Big  Bell  430. 
Bridges  409. 
Butoku-den  478. 
Chion-in  416. 
Chishaku-in  433. 
Daibutsu  429. 
Daigo-ji  507. 
Daitoku-ji  486. 
Doshisha  479. 
Ear  Mound  430. 
Eikwan-do  447. 
Festivals  403. 
Ginkaku-ji  444. 
Gion  no  Yashiro  421. 
Hachiman  Shrine  509 
Heian  Jingii  478. 
Higashi  Hongwanji 
463. 

Higashi  Otani  422. 
History  410. 
Honen-in  447. 
Hotels  400. 
Imperial  University 
479. 

Kami-Gamo  479. 
Katsura  Palace  475. 
Kenkun-Jinsha  488. 
Kinkaku-ji  483. 
Kitano  Tenjin  481. 
Kiyomizu-dera  425. 
Kodai-ji  423. 
Kurodani  440. 
Maruyama  Park  421. 
Mikado's  Palace  450. 
Miyoshin-ji  492. 


Myoho-in  434. 
Museum,  Art  430. 
— ,  Commercial  478. 
Nanzen-ji  448. 
Nijo  Castle  456. 
Nishi  Hongwanji  466. 
Nishi  Otani  428. 
Nursery  496. 
Nyakuo-ji  447. 
Omuro  Gosho  491. 
Public  Library  478. 
Saga-no-Shaka-do  496. 
San  -  ju  -  san  -  gen  -  do 

434. 
Senyu-jl  437. 


INDEX 

Kyoto : 

Shimo-Gamo  479. 
Shinny o-do  444. 
Shogun-zuka  477. 
Shops  402. 
Shugaku-in  480. 
Sparrow-House  439. 
Streets  408. 
Takao-san  491. 
T6fuku-ji  436. 
Toji  474. 
T6ji-in  489. 
Topography  405. 
Wasure-gasa  418. 
Yasaka  Pagoda  425. 
Yoshida-jinja  444.  ( 
Zoo  478. 
Kyushu  647. 

Lacquer  ccxliii,  164,  165 
321. 

Landscape  Gardens 

clxxxvii. 
Language  cxxiii. 
Laundry  liv. 
Lava  Stream  74. 
Leprosy  369,  370. 
Literature  cclviii.  /"^^ 
Lotus  ccxiii,  120,  511. 
Loochoo  Islands  648. 

Maiko  631. 
Mabechi  River  317. 
Maebashi  67,  87. 
Magatama  209. 
Maibara  398,  545. 
Makemono  ccxi. 
Maki  Tree  190. 
Maizuru  533,  535. 
Manchuria  756. 
Maples  120. 
Maru  139. 
Marumero  104. 
Marunouchi  135,  153. 
Masanpo  729. 
Matsue  542. 
Matsuida  67,  94. 
Matsukawa  322. 
Matsumoto  389. 
Matsuri  cxcviii. 
Matsushima  311. 
Mausolea  clxxxi. 
Mayumi  72. 
Measures  xcviii. 
Meibutsu  541. 
Meiji-tenno  550. 
Messageries  Maritimes 
xvii. 

Metal  Work  ccxlvi. 
Mi  Chodai  460. 
Midono  386. 
Midzuame  xlvii,  316. 
Mihara  236. 
Miidera  504. 
Mikawa  Province  375. 


795 

Mikawachi  658. 
Milk  lxxxv',  82. 
Minamoto  cclxiv,  645. 
Mines  cxlviii. 
Minobu  393. 
Mino  Park  631. 
Mio-no-Matsubara  372. 
Misaki  40. 
Mishima  370. 
Misumi  674. 
Mitake  392. 
Mistletoe  121. 
Mito  306. 
Miwa  591. 

Miyaji  (Kyushu)  686. 
Miyajima  641.r*^ 
Miyagino  57. 
.  Miyako  Islands  6491 2-} 
•Miyanoshita  54.  ^  ^ 
Miyazaki  676. 
Miyazu  533,  537. 
Miyoda  76. 
Mizudokei  259. 
Mizusawa  315. 
Mogami  River  324. 
Mogi  669. 
Moji  650. 
Momo-yama  550. 
Money  xviii. 
Mongol  Invasion  652. 
Monju  cciii. 
Monsoons  lxvi. 
Morioka  316. 
Motosu  Lake  44. 
Mountains  cxxxix,  398. 
Mugi  89. 
Mugiyu  89. 
Mukden  757. 
Mushiyokan  307. 
Mushroom  439. 
Mutsu  Province  315. 
Myogi-san  67,  94. 
Myojingatake  59. 
Myojin-yama  44. 
Myokwaku-do  59. 
Mythology  ccxiv,  cclxii, 
375,  675. 

Nagahama  42,  506. 
Nagano  65,  78. 
Nagao  Pass  58. 
Nagaoka  83. 
Nagasaki  659. 
Nagashino  375.       / .  \ 
Nagoya  375.»—  — ' \\  J 
Naguidake  317. 
Naha  649. 
Nakamura  308. 
Nakanojo  97. 
Nakasend5  77,  384. 
Nakatsu  385. 
Nakayama  317,  630. 
Nakoso  307. 
Namu  Amida  Butsu 


796 


INDEX 


Nanao  548. 

Nanen-do  (Nara)  569. 
Nansei  Islands  649. 
Nantai-zan  299. 
9  Naoetsu  65,  81. 
Nara  554.  1 
S     Diabutsu  560. 

Epoch  cclxiv. 

Excursions  578. 

Museum  571. 

Pagoda  570. 

Shoso-in  562. 

Temples  556-9,  569- 
70-78,580-2-4,591. 
Nariaki  306. 
Narita  236. 
Naruto  240. 
Naruto  Whirlpool  632. 
Nasu  321. 
Nasuno  320. 
National  Flag  cliv. 
—  Hymn  civ. 
Natsui  River  322. 
Nemba  42. 
Netsuke  165. 
Newspapers  clvii. 
Nezame-no-toko  387. 
Nichiren  cci,  241. 
Nightingale  Floors  clxxx. 
Nigori  cxxviii. 
Nigwatsudo  (Nara)  559. 
Nihonbashi  145. 
Nihongi  cclxiv. 
Nihonmatsu  322. 
Niigata  65,  83,  321. 
Niitsu  83.  ^ 
,f  Nikko  243. 
r       Climate  246. 

Daiya-gawa  246-49. 

Excursions  288. 

Flowers  247. 

Futamiya  297. 

Hachi-ishi  244. 

History  245. 

Iri-machi  244. 

Kegon  Fall  298. 

Kinu-gawa  246. 

Kirifuri-taki  289. 

Makkura-daki  289. 

Mausolea  258,  280. 

Mountains  246,  296, 
299. 

Nana  Fall  290. 

Nyoho-zan  244,  296. 

Red  Bridge  248. 

Ryuzu-no-taki  301. 

Senjo-ga-hara  301. 

Shdbu-no*hama  301. 

Taro-zan  302. 

Temples  250,  289,  290. 

Trout  Hatchery  301. 

Yu-no-taki  302. 
Nio  ccvii. 

Nippon   Yusen  Kaisha 
xiv,  xv,  xvi,  139. 


Nirvana  437. 
Nishi  Lake  42. 
Nishinomiya  618. 
Niwazaka  323. 
Noheji  318. 
Nojiri  Lake  80. 
Nonai  318. 
North    German  Lloyd 

SS.  Co.  xiii,  xv. 
Noshi  459. 
Noshiro  326. 
Noto  548. 
Numasaki  318. 
Numata  96,  305. 
Numazu  370. 
Numerals  cxxxv. 
Nuttari  83. 

Oami  241. 
Oarai  307. 
Obama  536,  669. 
Obu  375. 

Oda  Nobunaga  cclxxi. 
Odate  326. 
Ofuna  367. 
Ogaki  398. 
Ogara  318.  # 
Ogasawara-jima  105. 
Qginohama  313. 
Ogori  643. 
Ohito  370. 
Oigawa  373. 
Oil  cxlix,  83. 
Oirase  River  316. 
Oiso  368. 
Oita  687. 
Oiwake  325. 
Ojigoku  (Sagami)  57. 
Okayama  634. 
Okazaki  375. 
Oki  Islands  541. 
Okinawa  649. 
Okitsu  672. 
Okkai  305. 
Omi  Province  506. 
Omika  307. 
Ominato  318. 
Omine  644. 

Omiya  45,  66,  320,  371 
Omiyaguchi  371. 
Omori  109. 

Omura  (Kyushu)  659. 
Omuta  671. 
Onigawara  488. 
Onna-zaka  185. 
Onoda  Mines  307. 
Ono  Komachi  325. 
Onoko-yama  89. 
Onomichi  639. 
Ontake  388. 
Opium  782. 
Orenge-yama  549. 
Osaka    Shosen  Kaisha 
_  xiv,  139,  607. 
Osaka  607. 


Oshu-Kaido  320. 
Ota  307. 
Otodome  45. 
Otoko-zaka  185. 
Otome-toge  57. 
Otsu  399. 
Otsuki  394. 
Otsutomo  318. 
Owari  376. 
Oya  77. 

Oyama  67,  320,  369. 
Oyashirazu  549. 
Ozu  679. 

Pacific   Mail  S.S.  Co. 
xiv. 

Pagodas  clxxxiii. 
Painters  ccxxiv. 
Painting  ccxxiv. 
Passports  xxiv. 
Peach  118,  368. 
Pear  119. 

Pearls,  Culture,  etc.  cxix. 
Peninsula    &  Oriental 

Steam  Navigation  Co. 

xiii,  xv. 
Peony  119. 

Perry,  M.  C.  cclxxiv,  10, 
39 

Persimmon  397,  533. 
Pheasants  86. 
Phoenix  clxxviii. 
Photography  c. 
Phrases  cxxxiv. 
Ping  Yang  754. 
Plains  of  Heaven  27. 
Plan  of  Tour  lv. 
Plum  Trees  118. 
Political  Divisions  cxli. 
Pook  Han  749. 
Porcelain  cclii,  658. 
Postage    Stamps  xciv, 
232. 

Post-offices  xcii,  132. 
Potato  648. 
Praying-Wheel  216. 
Provinces  cxli. 
Puttees  49. 
Pyrus  Japonica  59. 

Raikoji  82. 
Railways  lxxix. 
Rakan  ccix. 
Raku-yaki  ccliii. 
Ramma  (panel)  468. 
Religions  clxxxix,  xxciv, 

ccxx. 
Restaurants  xli. 
Retinosporas  243. 
Revolving  Library  ccix. 
Rice  cv,  438. 
River  System  cxliii. 
Rock-crystals  cxxii,  165. 
Rokkakuushi  316. 
Rokkosan  628. 


INDEX 


797 


Romaji  cxxvii. 
Ronin  cclxv. 
Rosaries  515. 
Ryobu-Shinto  ccxvi. 
RyQzan  731. 

Sado  Island  85. 
Saga  (Kyushu)  655. 
Sagami  Bay  368. 
Saghalien  361. 
Saidai-ji  (Nara)  580. 
Saigo  541. 

Saigo  Takamori  198. 
SaijSji  59. 
Saiko  42. 

Sai-no-Kawara  cciv,  52. 

103. 
Saitozaki  651. 

Sakai  541,  617.        ,  >jSh: 

Sakamoto  503. 
Sakata  324. 
Sakawa  River  368. 
Sake  cxi. 

Sakura  (cherry)  118. 
Sakura  Jet.  236. 
Sakurai  595. 
Sakurajima  678. 
Samurai  cclxv. 
Sandwich  Islands  xi. 
San  Francisco  xi. 
Sangwatsudo  (Nara) 559 
Sanjo  83. 

San-jQ-roku-kasen  422. 
Sannohe  317. 
Sano  370. 
Sanroshin  729. 
Saru-hashi  394. 
Sasago  393. 
Sasebo  658. 
Satsuma  ecliv,  676. 
Sawara  240. 
Sazankwa  446. 
Sculptors  ccxli. 
Seasons  lxvii. 
Seattle  xiv. 
Seaweed  xliv,  330. 
Sekigahara  398. 
Sekimoto  59,  307. 
Sendai  308. 
Sengen  Sama  49. 
Seoul  (Keijo)  731. 

Big  Bell  742. 

Botanical  Garden  745. 

East  Palace  743. 

Imperial  Palace  747. 

Independence  Arch 
747. 

Marble  Pagoda  742. 

Museum  745. 

North  Palace  740. 

Queen's  Tomb  746. 

White  Buddha  747. 

Zoo  745. 
Servants  lii. 
Sessho-gawara  104. 


Seta  506. 

Seto  Potteries  383. 
Shakudo  272. 
Shakunage  304. 
Shiba  River  45. 
Shibaishi  691. 
Shibuichi  ccxlviii. 
Shibukawa  67,  87. 
Shibu-toge  104. 
Shide  516. 
Shikamachi  297. 
Shikoku  635. 
Shimabara  670. 
Shimekazari  117. 
Shimenawa  117. 
Shimizu  372. 
Shimoda  370. 
Shimonita  67. 

imonoseki  644. 
Shimosuwa  391. 
Shimo  Yoshida  42. 
Shinagawa  109,  186.  . 
Shinano-gawa  77,  83. 
Shinano  Province  68. 
Shingishu  756. 
Shingon-shu  cc. 
Shinjo  324. 
Shinonoi  78. 
Shinto  ccxiv. 
Shinto  Architecture 

clxxxi. 
Shinto  Shrines  cexvii. 
Shin-zaka  185. 
Shiobara  320. 
Shiogama  311,  314. 
Shiojiri  389. 
Shioya  631. 
Shiraito  45. 
Shirakawa  321,  499. 
Shirako  600. 
Shirane-San  89,  104,  304. 
Shiriuchi  317. 
Shishimai  83. 
Shitamachi  135. 
Shi-Tenno  ccvii. 
Shiwokawa  321. 
Shizuoka  372. 
Shizuura  370. 
Shodo  Island  635. 
Shodo-Shonin  248. 
Shogun  cclxv. 
Shoji  40. 
Shops  cxii. 
Shotoku-taishi  587. 
Shufurei  730. 
Shumisen  78. 
Shumondake  82. 
Shuzenji  370. 
Siebold,  P.  F.  von  665. 
Silver  and  Gold-work 

ccxlviii. 
Singing  Frog  498. 
Soami  445. 
Soga  Brothers  62. 
Soga  Jet.,  241. 


Sohei  433. 
Sojiji  107. 
Soma-yama  95. 
Sonobe  535. 
Springs  cxlvii. 
Stamps  (postage)  xciv. 
Stupa  ccx. 
Subashiri  51. 
Sudare  168. 

Sue-no-matsuyama  317. 
Suganuma  304. 
Sugaruga  681. 
Sugawara  Michizane 

654. 
Sugi  243. 
Suigen  731. 
Suma  631. 
Sumiyoshi  616. 
Sumoto  632. 
Suribachi  199. 
Sushi  368. 
Sutra  (scroll)  exevi. 
Suwa  Lake  390. 
Suzukawa45,  371. 

Tachibana-hime  68. 
Tacoma  xiv. 
Tadotsu  635. 
Taga  Fort  333. 
Tagonoura  371. 
Taiden  730. 

Taira  eclxiv,  307,  322, 

645. 
Takada  81. 
Takahama  638. 
Takahara-yama  320. 
Takahira  305. 
Takamatsu  635. 
Takaoka  548. 
Takao-zan  394. 
Takaradzuka  629. 
Takasaki  67,  87,  320. 
Takatori-vaki  652. 
Takeda  (Kyushu)  686. 
Takeda  Shingen  392. 
Takeo  656. 
Tallow  Tree  656. 
Tamagawa  108, 132,  394. 
Tambara  44. 
Tango  Province  535. 
Tanjo-ji  241. 
Tansan  Water  lxxiv,  630. 
Tansu  309. 
TarSbo  50. 
Taro  Plant  320. 
Tatami  xlviii. 
Tateyama  549. 
Tattooing  clxxii,  335. 
Tatsuishi  96,  98. 
Taya-no-ana  367. 
Tea  cvi,  118. 
Tea-houses  xli. 
Teak  ccxli. 
Telegraph-office  xcvi. 
Telephones  xcvii. 


798 


INDEX 


Temple     (tera)  clxxii, 

ccix. 
Tendai-shu  cc. 
Tengai  418. 
Tengu  59. 
Tenjin  Pass  92. 
Tennin  clvxxii. 
Ten  Province  Pass  63. 
Tenryu  River  374,  387, 

391. 

Tetori-gawa  548. 
Thieves  clxiii. 
Thlaspi  arvense  60. 
Thunberg,  K.  P.  665. 
Thunder  God  ccvii. 
Tiffin  xxi. 
Time  xcviii,  cxxxv. 
Tips  liv. 
Toba  605. 
Tobacco  cv. 
Tochigi  243. 
Tochinoki  244. 
Tochinoki-shinyu  680. 
Togo-ike  540. 
Tokaido  367,  374. 
Tokimata  391. 
Toko  174. 

Tokon-do  (Nara)  570. 
Tokonoma  xlix,  460. 
Tokubetsu  69. 
Tokuyama  643. 
Tokugawa  cclxiv,  ccxxiii, 
171. 

Tokyo  109,  120. 
Aioibashi  229. 
Anjin-cho  147. 
Ankoku-den  184. 
Asakusa  215. 
Atago-yama  185. 
Banks  115,  137,  147. 
Bay  234. 
Bell  199. 

Benten  shrine  185. 
Canals  124. 
Cemetery,  Aoyama 

188.  \ 
— ,  Zoshigaya  190. 
Churches    114,  140. 

148,  160. 
Climate  115. 
Daibutsu  200. 
Daijingu  137. 
Dangozaka  197. 
Disposition   of  Time 

121. 
Edobashi  146. 
Eko-in  231. 
Embassies  115. 
Environs  234. 
Festivals  116. 
Fire-Walking  119. 
Fish  Warerooms  146. 
Flower  Displays  116, 

230,  231. 
Foreign  Office  159. 


Tokyo: 

Fukiage  151. 
Ginza  140. 
Gofukubashi  146. 
Gokakuji  189. 
Gov't  Depts.  136,  140 

160,  233. 
Hearn,  Lafcadio 

190. 
Hei-jinja  187. 
Higashi  Hongwanji 

214. 
Hori  Kiri  231. 
Hotels  110,  185. 
Jujutsu  School  197. 
Kameido  229. 
Koishikawa  Arsenal 
188 

Kudan  Hill  155. 
Legations  115. 
Library,  Hibiya  137. 
— ,  Imperial  201. 
Manseibashi  148. 
Meguro  234. 
Mita  185. 

Mortuary  Temples  21. 
Mukojima  229. 
^  Museum,  Arms  157. 

— ,  Commercial  233. 
() — ,  Imperial  201. 
— ,  Mineral  232. 
— ,  Naval  233. 
— ,  Okura  160. 
Newspapers  115,  139. 
Observatories  151, 194. 
Palace,  Imperial  149. 
— ,  Aoyama  188. 
— ,  Crown  Prince  154. 
Park,  Fukagawa  229, 
— ,  Hibiya  136. 
— ,  Hoshigaoka  187. 
— ,  Shiba  168. 
— ,  Shimizudani  188. 
Parliament  136. 
Post-Office  112. 
Race  Course  234. 
Railway  Stations  109, 

139,  148. 
Ryogoku  Bridge  228. 
School,  Art  201 . 
— ,  Music  201. 
Shiba  Mausolea  169. 
Shinobazu  200. 
Shin-Ohashi  228. 
Shoheibashi  148. 
Shops  113,  147. 
Stock  Exchange  146. 
Streets  135. 
Sumidagawa  227. 
Sukiyabashi  140. 
Surugadai  148. 
Theaters  116,137,232, 
T5sh5gu  200. 
Transpontine  228. 
Tsukiji  232. 


Tokyo: 

University,  Imperial 

191. 
— ,  Keio  185. 
— ,  Waseda  197. 
Uyeno  197. 
Yasukuni-jinja  155. 
Yoshiwara  221. 
Zoo  201. 
Tomari  549. 
Tombs  clxxxi. 
Tomobe  306,  320. 
Tomogashima  632. 
Tomotsu  639. 
Tone  River  89. 
To-no-mine  596. 
Tonosawa  56. 
Torii  clxxxii. 
Torii-toge  388. 
Tortoise  clxxx,  660. 
Tosa  638. 
,  Fowls  207. 
,  School  of  Painting 
ccxxvi. 
Toshima-gawa  325. 
Toshita  679. 
T5shodai-ji  (Nara)  580. 
Tosu  655. 

Totomi  Province  374. 
Tottori  540. 
Tourist  Societies  lxv. 
Towada  Lake  318. 
Toyama  (Etchu)  549. 
Toyohara  321. 
Toyohashi  374. 
Toyo  Kisen  Kaisha  xi, 

139. 
Toyosawa  315. 
Toyotomi  Hideyoshi 

cclxxii. 
Toys  131. 

Trampling-Boards  209. 
Tramways  lxxxvii. 
Trans-Siberian  Rly.  757. 
Traveling  Expenses  xviii. 
Traveler's  Checks  xvi. 
Tripitaka  cxcv. 
Tsu  600. 
Tsubata  548. 
Tsuchi-gumo  66. 
Tsuchiura  306. 
Tsuchizaki  325. 
Tsugaru-Strait  319. 
Tsukuba  89. 
Tsunami  195. 
Tsuruga  546. 
Tsurumi  107. 
Tsuyama  635. 
Tuscarora  Deep  313. 
Typhoons  lxviii. 

Ueki  672. 
Uesugi  323. 
Uji  551. 
Ujina  640. 


INDEX 


799 


Uma-gaeshi  51,  297. 
Unebi  595. 
Unkei  ccxii. 
Uno  635. 
Unzen  659,  669. 
Uozumi  Fall,  688. 
Uraga  39. 
Urakami  659. 
Uramachi  318. 
Ushibuse  370. 
Usui-toge  67,  72. 
Utsunomiya  243,  320. 
Uyeda  77. 

Vegetable-wax  655. 
Vladivostok  546. 
Vocabulary  cxxx. 
Volcano  Is.  106. 
Vries  Island  235. 

Wada-toge  389. 
Wadayama  539. 
Wakamatsu  (Iwashiro) 
321. 

Wakamatsu  (Kyushu) 
651. 

Waka-no-ura  618. 
Wakayama  617. 
Walnuts  518. 
Waraji  49. 

Wares  of  Kyoto  ccliii. 
Washizuka-gawa  375. 
Water  lxxiv. 
Weights  xcviii. 
What  to  Wear  lxxv. 
Wind  God  ccvii. 
Wistaria  119,  230. 
Won-san  701. 
Wood-carving  ccxl. 
Wrestling  clxvii,  231. 

Yabekawa  671. 
Yaeyama  Islands  649. 
Yagasaki-yama  73. 
Yagi  83. 

Yakushi-ji  (Nara)  582. 
Yakushi-Nyorai  cciii. 
,  Yalu  River  756. 
/^Y amada  600.  Jf-J 
Yama-dera  324. 
Yamagata  324. 


Yamaguchi  643. 
Yamakita  368. 
Yamanaka  Lake  42. 
Yamanaka  Spa  547. 
Yama-no-te  135. 
Yamashina  399. 
Yamashiro  547. 
Y^amato  Dake  68. 
Yama-zakura  71. 
Yarigatake  92. 
Yashiki  125. 
Yatake  674. 
Yatsugatake  77. 
Yatsushiro  674. 
Yedamitsu  651. 
Yedo's  Flower  126. 
Yezo  (Hokkaido)  327. 

Abashiri  357. 

Ainu  (Aino)  332,  353. 

Asahigawa  357. 

Atosanobori  358. 

Atsunai  358. 

Climate  331. 

Ebisu  327,  332. 

Esan  356. 

Forests  330. 

Fukagawa  357. 

Hakodate  319,  345. 

Horobetsu  356. 

Hunting  328,  331. 

Ikeda  357. 

Ishikari-san  357. 

Iwamizawa  353. 

Kushiro  358. 

Kutsuchian  350. 

Magnolias  330. 

Matsumae  327. 

Meakan  357. 

Muroran  319,  349,356 

Nemuro  358. 

Noboribetsu  354. 

Oiwake  353. 

Onuma  349. 

Oshima  Fuji  349. 

Oshiyamambe  350. 

Otaru  351. 

Rivers  329. 

Rumoi  357. 

Salmon  329,  348. 

Sapporo  351. 

Shiraoi  353. 


Yezo  (Hokkaido) : 

Shiribeshi-yama  350. 

Sulphur  Mt.  358. 

Tarumae  354. 

Teshio  357. 

Tokachi-san  329,  357. 

Trappist  Monks  331. 

Volcano  Bay  356. 

Wakkanai  357. 

Yubari  353. 

Zenibako  351. 
Yodo-gawa  510. 
Yokaichiba  44,  240. 
Yokan  236. 
Yokkaichi  599. 
Yokobori  325. 
Yokogawa  67.  > 
Yokohama  3«-H~ """ 

Bluff,  18,  27. 

Excursions  23. 

History  10. 

Hommoku  23. 

Makuzu  Pottery  6. 
OMississippi  Bay  23. 

Negishi  23. 

Sugita  27. 

Tomioka  27. 
Yokosuka  37. 
Yronago  541. 
Yonezawa  323. 
Yoro  398. 
Yoroi  540. 
Yose  394. 
Yoshigahira  83. 
Yoshimatsu  676. 
Yoshimimura  66. 
Yoshino  (Nara)  597. 
Yoshitsune  315. 
,  Yoshizuka  651. 
Yubuki  321. 
Yugashima  370. 
Yumoto  56,  301. 
Yura  536. 
Yuzawa  325. 

Zenkoji  78.  _ 
Zen-shu  cxcix. 
Ze-ze  506. 
Zoioji  168. 
Zuiganji  313. 
Zuijin  187. 


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The  P.  &  O.  Fleet  comprises  over  100  perfectly  ap- 
pointed ships,  known  to  travelers  for  their  luxury,  comfort, 
speed,  and  safety.  Modern  in  every  detail,  stanchly  built  in 
British  shipyards  and  fitted  with  every  known  appliance  that 
tends  to  make  them  more  seaworthy  and  desirable  for  travel 
in  tropical  latitudes,  they  are  in  reality  luxurious  floating 
hotels  that  not  only  supply  the  traveler  with  all  the  enjoy- 
ment the  word  implies,  but  transport  him  at  no  extra  cost  to 
the  brilliant,  sunlit  ports  of  the  Eastern  World.  The  electric- 
ally-cooled cabins  of  the  speedy  P.  &  O.  Liners  are  the 
acme  of  comfortableness,  and  are  on  a  par  with  the  excellent 
service  and  the  proverbially  delicious  and  bountiful  food 
served  on  the  ships.  The  unusually  broad  lounging  decks, 
the  spacious  smoking-rooms,  the  internationally  famous  sports 
and  masked  balls,  and  the  score  of  unlisted  refinements  char- 
acteristic of  the  P.  &  O.  service  are  too  well  known  to  re- 
quire detailed  reference. 

The  P.  &  O.  Pocket  Book  is  a  compact  and  condensed 
guidebook  of  the  routes  traveled,  containing  many  charmingly 
colored  photographs,  and  illuminating  facts  planned  to  fit  in 
with  the  traveler's  personal  observations.  The  completed 
record  is  one  which  will  illumine  many  a  contemplative  hour 
at  the  home  fireside,  and  prove  of  endless  interest  and  value 
to  less  fortunate,  stay-at-home  friends. 

P.  &  O.  Handbooks  of  Information  are  free  on 
request  of  any  P.  &  O.  Agent. 


TOYO  RISEN  W 
KAISHA  Agf 

(Imperial  Japanese  Mail  Service) 
SAN  FRANCISCO-HONGKONG  LINE 

TONS  SPEED 

S.S.  TENYO  MARU,  triple  screw  turbine  21,000  21 

S.S.  CHIYO  MARU,  "  "  "  " 
S.S.  SHINYO  MARU     "       "         "  " 

Intermediate  Service  at  reduced  rates 

S.S.  NIPPON  MARU,  twin  screw  11,000  18 

SOUTH  AMERICAN  LINE 

TONS 

S.S.  KIYO  MARU,  17,200 
S.S.  BUYO  MARU,  10,500 
S.S.  HONGKONG  MARU,  twin  screw  11,000 

Agencies  in  all  Ports  of  Call  &  in  all  the  principal  cities  of  the  world 
Round-the- World  Tickets  issued  in  all  directions 

HEAD  OFFICE  TOKYO,  JAPAN 


ROUTE'S  OF  COMPANY'S  STEAMERS 


THE  SPLENDID  TRIPLE-SCREW,  TURBINE  STEAMERS  OF  THE 

TOTO  KISEN  KAISHA 

are  the  largest,  finest  and  swiftest  on  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  are  the 
most  popular  with  experienced  travelers.  They  are  equipped  with  all 
the  luxuries  and  improvements  which  have  made  transatlantic  ships  so 
famous,  and  usually  they  are  a  delightful  revelation  to  comfort-loving 
people.  The  special  appliances  that  reduce  the  motion  at  sea  to  a  min- 
imum are  particularly  appreciated  by  tourists  subject  to  sea-sickness. 

Broad  promenade  decks;  large,  roomy,  electrically-cooled  cabins 
high  above  the  water-line  (thus  making  the  ventilation  perfect);  lux- 
urious libraries  and  lounging-rooms;  magnificent  dining-saloons  in  the 
highest  and  steadiest  part  of  the  ship;  excellent  and  bounteous  food 
prepared  savorily  and  served  at  all  times;  well-equipped  laundries 
where  the  passenger's  linen  is  washed  better,  quicker,  and  cheaper  than 
on  shore;  courteous  and  efficient  service  in  all  departments;  attractive 
entertainments  for  the  tourist's  enjoyment;  orchestra  at  meals,  etc., 
are  but  a  few  of  the  comforts  known  to,  and  appreciated  by,  discern- 
ing and  experienced  travelers. 

BEGIN  YOUR  VOYAGE  TO  JAPAN  ON  A 

TOYO  KISEN  KAISHA 

steamer  and  thus  increase  and  prolong  the  charm  of  a  trip  to  the  Land 
of  the  Rising  Sun.  The  ships  are  a  pleasing  blend  of  the  Orient  and 
the  Occident,  with  all  the  graces  of  the  one  and  the  creature-comforts 
of  the  other,  and  are  luxurious  floating  hotels  that  link  the  gorgeous 
East  with  the  wonderful  West. 


Travelers  to  Japan 

Should  include  in  their  itinerary  the  wonderful 
Mountain  and  Canon  Attractions  of  the  Rockies  and 
Sierras  and  compare  this  picture  of  "  Rugged  Grand- 
eur "  with  the  quieter  scenes  of  fair  Japan. 

DENVER  firPIO  ftRANPR 
WESTERN  PACIFIC, 

"  The  Royal  Gorge-Feather  River  Canon  Route  " 

Between  Denver  and  San  Francisco  passes  through 
the  grandest  scenery  on  the  American  Continent  and 
operates  in  connection  with  the  palatial  steamships  of 

Toyo  Risen  KaisHa 

(Oriental  Steamship  Company) 


Through  Pullman  Standard  and  Tourist  Sleepers 
daily  between  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City,  Chicago  and 
Omaha  and  San  Francisco  by  way  of  Denver,  Colo- 
rado Springs,  Pueblo  and  Salt  Lake  City  in  connec- 
tion with  Missouri  Pacific,  Burlington  and  Rock 
Island. 


Illustrated,  descriptive  literature  free  on  request  to 
any  Eastern  Representative  or: 


E.  L.  LOMAX 

Asst.  Pass.  Traffic  Mgr. 
SAN  FRANCISCO,  CAL. 


FRANK  A.  WADLEIGH 
Passenger  Traffic  Manager 
DENVER,  COLO. 


Marvelous  Attractions 

along  the  line  of 

DENVER  J*piO  ftRXNDE 

WESTERN.  PACIFIC 

As  seen  from  the  Train,  requiring  no  additional  expense 

for  side  trips : 

DENVER  CgL  RIO  GRANDE 

Denver  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  Ogden 

Main  Line 

Denver 

Canon  of  the  Grand  River 

Colorado  Springs 

Glenwood  Springs 

Pike's  Peak 

Grand  River  Valley 

Pueblo 

Grand  Junction 

Royal  Gorge,  Grand  Canon    Ruby  Canon 

of  the  Arkansas 

Castle  Gate 

Brown's  Canon 

Soldier  Summit 

Mount  Massive 

Utah  Lake 

Tennessee  Pass 

Salt  Lake  City 

Eagle  River  Canon 

Ogden 

Marshall  Pass  Line 

Marshall  Pass 

Black  Canon  of  the  Gunni- 

Gunnison River 

son 

Uncompahgre  Valley 

WESTERN  PACIFIC 

Salt  Lake  City  to  San  Francisco 

Great  Salt  Lake 

Marysville 

Glistening  Salt  Beds 

Sacramento 

Pilot  Mountain 

Stockton 

Grand  Canon  of  the 

San  Joaquin  Valley 

Feather  River 

Oakland 

Oroville 

San  Francisco  Bay 

Gold  Dredges 

San  Francisco 

FLEET  f— ^wj  TONNAGE 

100  Vessels  350,000  tons  Gross 

Nippon  Yusen  Kaisha 

(Japan  Mail  Steamship  Co.) 
HEAD  ^OFFICE: 

TOKYO,  JAPAN 
Telegraphic  Address :  "  MORIOKA  99 

LONDON  OFFICE: 

4  Lloyds  Avenue, 
LONDON,  E.  C. 
Telegraphic  Address:  "YUSENKAI" 

Regular  Services  of 
Imperial  Japanese  Mail  Steamship  Lines 

European  Line  Fortnightly 

American  Line  Fortnightly 

Australian  Line  Four- Weekly 

Bombay  Line  Fortnightly 

Calcutta  Line   Fortnightly 

Yokohama- Shanghai  Line.  Twice  a  Week 

kobe-v ladivostock  llne  three- weekly 

Kobe-North  China  (Direct  Service)  Line.  .Every  6  Days 
Yokohama-North  China  Line  Thrice  Five  Weeks 

Kobe-Keelung  Line  Four  Times  a  Month 

Kobe-Otaru  Line  Thrice  a  Week 

Yokohama-Formosa  Line  Four  Times  a  Month 

Yokohama- Bonin  Islands  (Via  Hachijo  Is.) 

Line  Monthly 

YOKOHAMA-BONIN  ISLANDS  LlNE  (DIRECT)  SlX  TlMES  A  YEAR 

awomori-muroran  llne  every  day 

Hakodate- Karaeuto  Line.  Five  Times  a  Month 

Hakodate-Yetorofu  Line.  Three  Times  a  Month 

Hakodate-Abashiri  Line  Three  Times  a  Month 

Otaru-Wakkanai  Line  Five  Times  a  Month 

Otaru-Abashiri  Line  Seven  Times  a  Month 


Branches  and  Agencies  in  Principal  Ports  of  the  W orld 


The  hundred  or  more  big  ships  of  the  NIPPON  YUSEN 
KAISHA  FLEET  are  speedy,  commodious,  safe,  and 
modern  to  the  smallest  detail.  The  cabins  are  large  and 
perfectly  appointed.  The  food  is  proverbially  excellent. 
The  special  laundry  facilities  are  of  great  convenience  to 
passengers  who  wish  to  travel  with  a  minimum  of  luggage. 
If  you  will  specify  N.Y.K.  ships  when  you  travel,  or  when 
you  ship  curios  or  other  merchandize,  you  will  be  sure  of 
getting  the  lowest  rates  and  the  most  trustworthy  service. 

The  EUROPEAN  SERVICE  is  justly  famous  and  is 
immeasurably  superior  to  that  of  many  competing  lines. 
The  splendid  large,  new  ships  that  ply  between  Japan  and 
England  via  ports  are  equipped  with  every  refinement 
known  to  marine  science,  and  they  rank  among  the  most 
palatial  and  comfortable  afloat.  This  service,  coupled  with 
that  between  Japan  and  Seattle,  and  the  one  mentioned 
below,  is  deservedly  popular  with  foreigners. 

The  AUSTRALIAN  SERVICE  from  Yokohama  via 
Kobe,  Nagasaki,  Hongkong,  Manila,  Thursday  Is- 
land, Townsville,  Brisbane,  and  Sydney  to  Melbourne 
is  maintained  by  fine  new  ships  built  especially  for  travel 
in  equatorial  latitudes,  with  electrically-cooled  cabins  and 
a  host  of  conveniences  not  to  be  found  on  other  ships. 

ROUND-THE-WORLD-TOURS  at  prices  ranging 
from  $525  (U.  S.  money)  upward,  and  with  tickets  carrying 
stop-over  privileges  and  valid  for  2  years,  are  conducted  on 
our  own  ships  and  in  connection  with  those  of  the  chief  lines  of 
the  world,  and  are  usually  the  choice  of  the  traveling  public. 

HANDBOOKS  OF  INFORMATION  relating  to  all 
our  varied  lines  may  be  had  free  on  application  to  any  of 
the  N.Y.K.  agents  throughout  the  world. 


The  North  German  Lloyd's 
Traveler's  Checks 


Are  good  all  over  the  world,  and  they  are  unequivocally  the  best,  safest, 
and  most  convenient  way  of  carrying  funds  needed  for  a  journey.  They 
are  issued  in  denominations  of  $10,  $20,  $50,  $100  and  $200,  and  when 
properly  countersigned  are  payable  in  the  money  of  whatever  country  the 
traveler  finds  himself.  The  exact  equivalent  of  the  face  value  of  each 
check  is  stamped  in  the  currency  of  Great  Britain,  France,  Germany, 
Belgium,  Switzerland,  Italy,  Norway,  Sweden,  Denmark,  Holland, 
Austria-Hungary  and  Russia,  and  in  other  countries  payments  are  made 
at  the  current  rate  of  exchange. 

Not  only  are  the  checks  redeemable  on  the  North  German  Lloyd  ships, 
and  at  the  company's  numerous  agencies  throughout  the  world,  they  also 
are  accepted  by  banks,  hotels,  railways,  shopkeepers,  etc.  They  are  par- 
ticularly useful  in  the  Far  East,  where  numerous  Bank  Holidays  often 
interfere  seriously  with  the  traveler's  plans.  By  being  able  to  cash  the 
checks  at  hotels  and  the  like,  one  is  often  saved  hours,  and  even  days, 
waiting  for  banks  to  open.  In  remote  towns  where  the  customary  banks 
for  the  cashing  of  letters  of  credit,  ordinary  drafts,  etc.,  do  not  exist,  the 
Norddeutscher  Lloyd  Checks  will  be  found  to  be  cashable  in  various 
places.  Banks  often  require  identification  when  travelers  present  ordinary 
drafts  or  their  personal  checks,  and  in  ports  where  ships  touch  once  a  week 
or  a  fortnight  the  delay  caused  thereby  may  mean  considerable  in  lost 
time  and  hotel  bills. 

The  North  German  Lloyd  Checks  are  unreservedly  recommended  on 
the  score  of  safety,  convenience  and  economy.  Special  precautions  have 
been  taken  against  forgery,  and  the  system  of  cashing  the  checks  is  simpli- 
fied by  the  addition  of  thousands  of  names  of  persons  throughout  the 
world  who  will  accept  them  as  ready  money. 

For  additional  information  address 

OELRIGHS  &  CO.,  General  Agents 

5  Broadway  (Bowling  Green  Offices)  NEW  YORK 

or  THE  NORDDEUTSCHER  LLOYD 

No.  29,  Yokohama,  JAPAN 


The  North  German  Lloyd's 

Imperial  Mail  Steamers  to  Europe,  Eastern  Asia  and  Australia  are  the 
acme  of  Comfort,  Luxury  and  Safety,  and  are  always  the  choice  of  experi- 
enced travelers. 

All  of  the  Twin-Screw  Express  and  Passenger  Steamships  of  the  North 
German  Lloyd  are  either  entirely  new  or  of  recent  construction.  They 
embody  the  latest  improvements  and  safeguards  that  the  modern  science 
of  shipbuilding  has  devised,  such  as  watertight  bulkheads,  forming  many 
compartments  in  the  steamers'  hulls;  full  complements  of  lifeboats,  col- 
lapsible boats  and  rafts,  with  the  latest  devices  for  lowering;  bilge  keels, 
insuring  a  large  degree  of  steadiness  in  a  seaway,  and  a  balance  system 
in  the  construction  of  the  engine  which  greatly  reduces  the  vibration  and 
movement  in  the  body  of  the  vessel.  The  other  general  features  of  these 
modern  steamships  are  extensive  promenade  decks,  fine  staterooms  and 
good  ventilation.  All  steamers  are  equipped  with  wireless  telegraphy, 
submarine  signals  and  every  possible  safeguard.  The  extensive  Libraries 
contain  the  best  books  in  the  English,  German,  and  French  languages, 
and  the  food  and  service  are  faultless. 

The  Company's  Steamships  are  unexcelled,  and  for  more  than  half  a 
century  the  services  of  the  North  German  Lloyd  have  been  the  recognized 
and  unapproached  standard  of  the  maritime  world. 


NORTH  GERMAN  LLOYD 
INDEPENDENT 

Around  the  World  Tours 

carry  the  traveler  quickly  and  safely  to  any  part  of  the  world  and  back, 
and  range  in  cost  from  $625.85  and  up.  Our  tours  are  subject  to  whatso- 
ever alteration  or  addition  the  tourist  may  suggest,  as  the  Company's 
services  and  connections  encircle  the  globe  and  reach  the  principal  ports 
of  every  country. 

Our  extensive  literature  contains  many  valuable  hints  to  travelers,  and 
is  sent  free  on  application,  along  with  rate-sheets,  sailing-lists,  and  beauti- 
fully illustrated  descriptive  booklets. 

OELRICHS  &  CO.,  General  Agents 

5  Broadway,  New  York  City 

H.  AHRENS  &  CO.,  NACHF.,  General  Agents  for  Japan 
Yokohama.'No.  29.      Kobe,  No.  10.      Nagasaki,  the  Bund 

HEAD  OFFICE :  NORDDEUTSCHER  LLOYD 

BREMEN 


Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha,  Ltd. 


REGULAR  MAIL  AND  PASSENGER  SERVICES 

Manila-Hongkong-Tacoma  Line,  via  Japan  and  China  ports.  Fortnightly. 

Connecting  at  Tacoma  with  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  Puget  Sound  R'y  Co. 
Tsuruga-Vladivostock  Line.  Weekly, 

Connecting  at  Vladivostock  with  the  Trans-Siberian  Railway. 
Osaka-Kobe-Moji-Dairen  Line.    Semi-  Weekly. 

Connecting  at  Dairen  with  the  South  Manchurian  Railway. 
Osaka-Kobe-Moji-Tientsin  Line.    4-times  a  month. 
Kobe-Moji-Keelung  Line.    4-times  a  month. 

Connecting  at  Keelung  with  Formosan  Government  Railway. 
Yokohama-Takao  Line,  via  ports.    8-ti7nes  a  ?nonth. 
Formosa  Coasting  Lines,    q-times  a  month. 
Osaka-Kobe-Jinsen  Line,  via  ports.    Semi- Weekly. 
Osaka-Kobe-Antoken  Line,  via  ports.    4-times  a  month. 
Osaka-Kobe-Seishin  Line,  via  ports.  Weekly. 
Nagasaki-Jinsen-Dairen  Line,  via  ports.    4-times  a  month. 
Otaru-Vladivostock  Line,  via  ports.    3-ti7nes  a  month. 
Otaru-Karafuto  Line,  via  ports.    3-times  a  month. 
Canton-Hongkong-Swatow-Amoy-Anping-Takao-Line.  Fortnightly. 
Hongkong-Swatow-Amoy-Foochow  Line.  Fortnightly. 
Hongkong-Swatow-Amoy-Tamsui  Line.  Weekly. 

Dairen-Tientsin-Shanghai-Foochow-Keelung-Takao  Line.    2-times  a  month. 

BESIDES 

Daily  Services  are  operated  in  over  20  Regular  Mail  and  Passenger  Services, 
reaching  all  important  coast  ports  in  Central  and  Western  Japan,  including  the 
world-famed  "  Inland  Sea  of  Japan." 

Through  Rail  and  Steamship  Tickets 

are  sold  at  and  to  the  important  stations  of  the  Imperial  Japanese  Government 
Railways,  Korea  and  Formosan  Government  Railways,  South  Manchurian  Rail- 
way, Chinese  Eastern  Railway,  and  Imperial  Russian  State  Railways. 

For  particulars  apply  to  Main  Office,  Osaka  Shosen  Kaisha,  Osaka,  Japan. 


HELM  BROS.,  Limited 

Established  1879 


STEVEDORES 
LANDING,  SHIPPING,  FORWARDING 
AND  EXPRESS  AGENTS 
CUSTOMS  BROKERS 


We  assemble,  store,  pack,  and  ship  curios,  luggage,  etc.,  for  tour- 
ists, attend  to  the  custom-house  formalities,  insuring,  etc. 

We  can  save  you  time,  trouble,  and  money. 

We  employ  only  expert  packers,  and  our  shipping-clerks  know 
the  best,  cheapest,  and  safest  shipping  routes. 

FORWARDING  AGENTS  FOR  THE  NORTH  GERMAN 
LLOYD  STEAMSHIP  CO. 

Turn  your  trunks  or  curios  over  to  us  and  we  will  guard  them  and 
deliver  them  safely  to  you  in  any  part  of  the  world. 

We  have  trustworthy  agents  everywhere. 

Small  shipments  accorded  the  same  intelligent  care  as  big  ones. 

Our  service  is  prompt  and  safe ;  our  charges  reasonable,  and  our 
reputation  of  the  best. 


YOKOHAMA  OFFICE 

No.  43,  Settlement 

Cable  Address  :  "  Helm,  Yokohama  " 

Telephone  :  Nos.  524,  3159 

KOBE  BRANCH 

No.  14,  Naniwa  Machi 
Tel.  No.  3489 

SHIMONOSEKI  BRANCH 

No.  19,  Kwannonzaki-cho 
Tel.  No.  551 


TOKYO  BRANCH 

Nihonbashi,  Koami-cho,  1  Chome 
Tel.  No.  2581,  Naniwa 

OSAKA  BRANCH 

No.  178,  Tomijima-cho,  Kitaku 
Tel.  No.  2554,  Nishi 

MOJI  BRANCH 

Sotohama-cho 
Tel.  No.  212 


IMPERIAL  GOVERNMENT  RAILWAYS 
OF  JAPAN 


5,000  MILES 
REACHING  EVERY  PART  OF  THE  EMPIRE 
THROUGH  THE 
MOST    BEAUTIFUL.    AND    DIVERSIFIED  SCENERY 


FREQUENT  EXPRESS  &  THROUGH  TRAIN 
SERVICES  Shimbashi  (Tokyo)  —  Kobe — Shimonoseki, 
Ueno  (Tokyo)  —  Aomori,  Moji  —  Nagasaki  &  Kagoshima, 
Hakodate  —  Asahigawa — Kushiro,  etc. 
English  Speaking  Conductors 
Dining  &  Sleeping  Cars 

REDUCED  RATES  FOR  TOURISTS,  singly  or  in 

parties.  Tourists*  Special  Coupon-Books 
PRIVATE  CARS  for  hire 

SPECIAL  ARRANGEMENTS  with  principal  steamship 
companies 

THROUGH  BOOKINGS  to  &  from  Formosa,  Chosen 

(Korea),  Manchuria,  China  &  Europe 
STEAMER  SERVICES  between  Shimonoseki  &  Fusan, 

Aomori  &  Hakodate,  etc. 
"SANYO  HOTEL"  at  Shimonoseki  under  direct  management 
EFFICIENT  LUGGAGE  &  PARCEL  SERVICE 
STOP-OVERS  allowed  at  tourists'  points  &  principal  cities 
TICKET  AGENTS  International  Sleeping  Car  Co.,Thomas 

Cook  &  Son,  etc. 


For  particulars  please  apply  to  the 
TRAFFIC  DEPARTMENT, 

IMPERIAL  GOVERNMENT  RAILWAYS, 

Gofukubashi- Within,  Kojimachiku,  Tokyo. 


THE  KOREAN  RAILWAYS 

are  under  the  careful  management  of  the  Railway  Bureau  of 
the  Government-General  of  Chosen  (Korea),  and  connect  all 
the  chief  cities  and  towns  in  the  Peninsula. 

The  Main  Line,  from  Fusan,  on  the  Korea  Channel,  to 
Antung,  on  the  Yalu  River,  in  Manchuria,  is  an  important 
link  in  the  round-the-world  route  via  Siberia,  and  is  the 
shortest  overland  route  to  Europe. 

Luxurious  Pullman  Trains  carrying  sleeping  and  dining  cars 
(excellent  food  at  moderate  prices),  and  equipped  with  all  the 
refinements  of  the  splendid  fast  trains'  of  America,  are  fea- 
tures of  the  line.  Every  known  convenience  compatible  with 
safety  is  offered  to  travelers  over  the  Korean  Government 
Railways. 

The  Company's  magnificent  station  hotels  at  Fusan  and 
Shingishu  are  furnished  commodiously  in  foreign  style  and 
are  under  the  personal  and  vigilant  supervision  of  men  skilled 
in  the  management  of  popular  and  successful  American  and 
European  hotels.  English  is  spoken  by  railway  and  hotel 
employees. 

Korea  is  one  of  the  quaintest  of  the  yet  unspoiled  countries 
of  the  Far  East,  and  it  should  be  visited  by  every  lover  of  the 
unique  and  picturesque.  Its  matchless  climate,  its  two-thou- 
sand-year-old civilization  (quite  different  from  every  other), 
and  its  unexcelled  hunting  (huge  striped  tigers,  bears,  and  a 
host  of  smaller  fur-bearing  and  feathered  game)  render  it 
peculiarly  attractive  to  foreigners.  Its  unexplored  mineral 
wealth  is  just  now  attracting  the  attention  of  miners  every- 
where. Its  good  hotels  enable  tourists  to  enjoy  Korea  at  a 
moderate  outlay. 

The  Railway  Bureau  issues  free  booklets,  handsomely  il- 
lustrated and  with  maps,  descriptive  of  Korea  and  its  progress 
and  resources,  and  will  gladly  send  them  for  the  asking.  Ad- 
dress :  The  Railway  Bureau  of  the  Government-General  of 
Chosen,  Ryuzan,  Seoul,  Korea. 

Ticket  Agents:  The  Imperial  Government  Railways  of 
Japan;  Thos.  Cook  &  Sons,  etc. 


SOUTH  MANCHURIA  RAILWAY 


Shortest,  QuicKest  and  Cheapest  Route  between 
The  Far  East  and  Europe  via  Dairen 

THRICE-WEEKLY  EXPRESS  TRAINS 

Composed  of  excellently  equipped  SLEEPING,  DINING,  and  ist  CLASS 
CARS,  are  operated  between  DAIREN  and  CHANGCHUN  in  connection  with 
the  TRANS-SIBERIAN  TRAINS  and  SHANGHAI  MAIL  STEAMERS. 

CONNECTIONS  AT  MUKDEN 

These  Express  Trains  connect  at  MUKDEN  with  the  PEKING-MUKDEN 
RAILWAY  running  via  TIENTSIN,  the  MUKDEN-ANTUNG  LINE,  and 
with  the  CHOSEN  (KOREAN)  RAILWAY,  thus  bringing  London  and  Tokyo 
one  and  a  quarter  days  nearer. 

OTHER  STEAMER  CONNECTIONS 
AT  DAIREN 

Regular  Steamship  Services  are  maintained  between  DAIREN  and  MOJI, 
KOBE,  CHEMULPO,  TIENTSIN,  CHEFOO,  TSINGTAO,  and  other  ports 
in  Japan  and  China. 

RAILWAY  HOTELS 

YAMATO  HOTELS  at  DAIREN,  PORT  ARTHUR,  MUKDEN,  FU- 
SHUN,  and  CHANGCHUN,  all  managed  by  the  Company  and  furnished  in 
European  style,  provide  comfortable  accommodation. 

TICKET  AGENTS  IN  EUROPE  AND  THE 
FAR  EAST 

The  INTERNATIONAL  SLEEPING  CAR  and  EXPRESS  TRAINS  CO.; 
the  NIPPON  YUSEN  KAISHA,  SHANGHAI ;  Messrs.  THOS.  COOK  and 
SON;  and  the  REISEBUREAU  der  HAMBURG  AMERIKA  LINE. 

From  DAIREN  (Time  occupied) 

To  TOKYO  or  YOKOHAMA    zh  Days 

"  MOJI  or  SHIMONOSEKI   2 

"   CHANGCHUN    14I  Hours 

"  HARBIN    27 

M  ST.  PETERSBURG  (vi&  VIATKA)   10  Days 

"  BERLIN    11 

"  PARIS    12  " 

"  LONDON   " 

SOUTH  MANCHURIA  RAILWAY  CO.,  DAIREN,  MANCHURIA 

Tel.  Add. :  "MANTETSU  "  Codes:  A.B.C.  5th  Ed.,  A  1.  &  Ueber's 


IMPERIAL  TAIWAN  (Formosan)  RAILWAYS 


TRUNK  RAILWAY  LINE  (Trans-Formosan  Railway) 

The  main  thoroughfare  between  the  two  important  open  ports,  Keeking 
in  the  north,  and  Takaw  in  the  south,  reaching  all  the  busiest  cities  and  towns 
in  the  Island,  such  as  Taipeh,  Shinchiku,  Taichu,  Shoka,  Kagi,  Tainan, 
etc.    Through  day  and  night  trains.    Buffet  service.    Good  food. 

BRANCH  RAILWAY  LINES:  — 

TAMSUI  LINE  —  ForTamsui,  a  flourishing  open  port  with  charming 
views  in  the  vicinity,  13  m.  from  Taipeh  junction. 

Hokuto,  a  station  on  this  line,  is  noted  for  its  hot  sulphur  springs  and  its 
beautiful  gardens.   Lovely  flowers  throughout  the  year. 
AKO  LINE  —  For  Ako,  a  local  business  centre  situated  in  the  sugar-cane 
district,  1 1  m.  from  Takaw  junction. 

REGULAR  STEAMSHIP  SERVICES:  — 

Keelung-Kobe  line  via  Moji  ....  Eight  times  a  month 

^akaw-Shanghai  line   Uhrice  a  month 

^akaw-Canton  line   cCWce  a  month 

^amsui-Hongkong  line   Four  times  a  month 

THE  TAIWAN  RAILWAY  HOTEL 

(under  the  control  of  the  Railway  Department)  is  the  only  first 
class  hotel  in  European  style  in  Formosa.  Up-to-date  accommodations. 
Excellent  cuisine.  Charges  moderate.  Rates  from  ¥6.  to  ¥i5.  per  day 
including  meals. 

Cable  Address: " Hotel Taihoku,"  Taipeh.  Code  A.B.C. 5th Edition. 
Telephone  Nos.  556-563 

LIGHT  RAILWAYS  owned  and  operated  by  the  Sugar  Refining  Cos. 

connect  with  the  Government  lines,  and  afford  local  transportation  facil- 
ities {linking  up  the  refineries  and  smaller  towns  in  the  neighborhood). 
For  Information  pertaining  to  Formosa,  its  people,  and  its  products,  address : 

Department  of  Imperial  Taiwan  Railways 

Taipeh,  Formosa 

Cable  Address :  "TETSUVO  "  TELEPHONE  Nos.  97-132 


illiliiiiinii  SAN  FRANCISCO  imiuiiiiiiin 


:     THE  FAIRMONT  HOTEL — As  Shown  above,  covers  an- 

■  entire  city  block,  crowning  Nob  Hill,  practically  in  the ; 
;  heart  of  the  city — yet  away  from  the  dust  and  noise  of : 
;  the  busier  downtown  streets  Its  superb  location  thus  in-  : 
;  sures  pure  air  and  perfect  quiet  It  is  one  of  the  very  ■ 
I  few  metropolitan  hotels  standing  in  its  own  gardens,  with  ; 
:  green  lawns  and  terraces.  From  its  windows,  as  well  as  ■ 
;  from  its  grounds  a  magnificent  panorama  of  the  city,  ■ 
;  the  bay,  and  the  mountains  is  obtained.  THE  FAIRMONT: 
S  has  five  hundred  and  fifty  guest  rooms,  every  one  of  which  : 
j  has  attached  bath  i 

RATES.  j 

:  THE  FAIRMONT  is  operated  on  the  European  Plan  only. : 
I     Outside  Room  with  bath  in  annexes,  per  day,  $2.50,  .$3.00. ; 

Outside  Room  with  bath  facing  Open  Court,  per  day,  $3.00,  ■ 
\  $3.50,  $4.00.  : 
:  Outside  Room  with  bath  facing  Street  and  City,  per  day,  ■ 
:  $5.00,  $6.00.  : 

■  Outside  Rooms  with  bath,  en  suite,  per  day,  $10.00  to  : 
:  $25.00.  : 
I  NOTE. — The  above  rates  are  for  one  person.  If  two  jj 
;  persons  occupy  the  same  room  add  $2.00  per  day  for  : 
j  additional  person.  ■ 

:  Under  the  management  of 

j   PALACE  HOTEL  COMPANY  j 

San  Francisco,  California  J 

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Grand  Sun  Court.  Palace  Hotel.  E 

THE  PALACE  HOTEL  presents  the  traveler  the  most  E 
striking  interior  arrangement  of  any  large  metropolitan  ho-  = 
tel  in  the  world.  The  central  motif  is  the  great  Sun  Court  E 
which  is  shown  in  the  engraving  above.  This  court  is  ™ 
eighty-five  feet  wide  by  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long.  S= 
All  public  rooms  such  as  restaurants,  grills,  corridors,  of-  ~ 
fice,  news  and  flower  stands,  telephone  and  telegraph  offices,  = 
information  bureau,  banquet  and  reception  rooms,  ladies'  — 
parlors,  concert  and  ball  rooms,  etc.,  are  arranged  about  =: 
this  superb  lounge.  In  construction  of  the  Palace,  the  best  E 
materials  were  used,  making  it  as  absolutely  proof  against  zz 
fire  and  other  action  of  the  elements  as  human  ingenuity  — 
and  skill  can  devise.  = 
RATES  E 

The  Palace  Hotel  is  operated  on  the  European  plan  only.  — 
Restaurant  service  a  la  carte.  E 

Rooms  without  bath,  per  day,  $2.00,  $2.50  and  $3.00  for  = 
1  person;  $3.50,  $4.00,  $5.00  for  2  people.  = 

Rooms  with  bath,  Der  day,  $3.00,  $3.50,  $4.00,  $5.00,  $6.00  E 
for  1  person,  $£00,  $6.00.  $7.00,  $8.00,  $9.00,  $10.00  = 
for  2  people.  = 

Bedroom,  parlor  and  bath,  two  persons  per  day,  $10.00,  = 
$12.00,  $15.00,  $18.00,  $20.00.  '  = 

Suites  of  three  or  more  rooms,  two  or  three  persons  = 
per  day,  from  $19.00  upwards  = 

Under  the  management  of  ZZj 

PALACE  HOTEL  COMPANY  = 

San  Francisco.  California.  H 

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 II  Ml,,,»IJl»,1,"M  j  1 11'  ''ill  N1**1' HH1'  ■>«  J^I^|,,|MlI^|,  ••Ulli11    j       |tt»  »ti||iit»  tM  ijpiw,,,!!,,.  .mjii,,.  •,,||,,1».ll|||gI,,,,,|  | ,,,  <rt| .  j  ,„| 

^ — ^^ttirljlllllt.lllflllJMlll  Illi  .Illlllli  illlllll.<ull[li<.illllu>iilltllli  illtl  till  .lllllll.  til !  tl  ll.til  1 1  tilt  Mlllllt*  .ill  ItUi  tllllilliiilllni.  .tlllllti  .lllll  IliiilL— 

THE  GRAND  HOTEL  I 

'  OKOHAMA  f 

H.  E.  Manwaring  | 

Manager  f 

T\}6  Hotel  with  a  World-Wide  Reputation  b 

|_ 

/-  'Rnest  location  in  Yokohama.    On  the  Bund,  over-  | 

looking  Tokyo  Bay.   Ideal  Situation.  Omnibus  meets  f 

ajl  express  trains.    Power  Launch  and  English-speak-  L 

ng  porter  meet  all  incoming  ships  and  relieve  the  1 

assenger  of  all  trouble  and  delay  at  the  custom-house,  f 

Accommodations  for  500  guests.     Spacious  Ball  ¥ 

Rooms.  Beautiful  Dining  Rooms.    Reception  Rooms.  | 

Orchestra  at  Meals.   Dances  and  Special  Entertain-  I 
ents  for  Guests.    Matchless  views. 

Notable  for  the  beauty  of  its  location,  the  attractive-  | 

rness  of  its  surroundings,  the  perfection  of  its  system,  f 

and  for  its  wholesome  and  delicious  food.    The  latter  | 

is  prepared  with  scrupulous  attention  to  cleanliness.  | 

Pure  drinking  water.  Private  Garage.  Livery.  f 
Laundry. 

=-J       Rooms  single  or  en  suite,  with  or  without  baths.  | 

I  j    Moderate  Rates.   American  Plan.  I 

I  j       Single  Rooms  from  ¥7  to  ¥12  per  day  ($3-5°  to  $6  | 

I  1    American  money).  Double  Rooms,  ¥14  to  ¥18.  With  | 

f-^    bath  attached,  ¥18  for  1  person;  ¥22  for  2  persons.  = 

|_J     Suites  comprising  bedroom,  parlor  and  . private  bath,  L 

I  j    ¥18  to  ¥22  per  day  for  1  person,  and  ¥22  to  ¥25  per  | 

|~=    day  for  2  persons.    ¥5  per  day  extra  for  each  addi-  p 

L  j    tional  person  occupying  a  suite.    A  discount  of  10  per  L 

I  I    cent  on  all  the  above  prices  for  a  stay  of  30  days  or  more.  | 

I  J       Numerous  desirable  rooms  and  suites  at  modest  I 

W~~%    rates  for  a  long  stay.  f 

Afternoon  tea  served  free  to  guests.   The  hotel  con-  J 

f-i    tains  many  refinements  not  mentioned  above,  but  =~ 

k  I    there  are  no  extra  charges.  |_ 

^ — *  •'Il|M|Tt,»IJP,*,,'I|I",*,,J||I»,,,,I||III»»ll|||11»"T||J|11i»II|||IirilI||||l»«II|J||tilII||III-iII|||  l||||l'M|||||IM|||||||ii|||||||ii||||||i.l|||l|||ili||7: 

|Inllll!l..lllllll.llllllllMllllllll.lllllllMlll!lll..lllll  lIllMlllllllHlllIll  llllllllllllli.ltllllltMlllllllllllllillMllllll  Illllllllllllllllllllllllllll 


i^iiiiiiilllaiiiillliiiiiilllihiillliiiiiillliiiitill^   ilfe-i 

P  THE  GRAND  HOTEL  fc! 

=Hf  The  "  Grand"  is  a  Hotel  of  Distinction  with  all  the  |~| 

|~|  superlative  excellence  of  American  ideals,  and  much  |~J 

l_  J  of  the  Japanesy  charm  of  the  opulent  East,  yet  with  t_  J 

|  1  moderate  charges.   It  is  as  famous  for  its  hospitality  j  j 

T~%  as  for  its  perfect  service  and  unrivalled  cuisine.   It  is  T% 

H  one  of  the  most  inviting  and  homelike  hotels  of  the  H 

world,  and  one  of  the  best  liked.  .  |_J 

To  world-travelers  the  "Grand"  is  as  much  a  w~% 

s-1  feature  of  Japan  as  Fuji-yama  itself,  and  those  who  i~| 

k  J  would  get  the  most  enjoyment  out  of  their  trip  to  k_A 

I  J  Japan  make  it  their  headquarters  while  there.  I  J 

^4  *ts  Sav  an(*  brilliant  lobby  is  a  celebrated  rendez-  |_J 

I  J  vous  for  the  surging  tides  of  travel  that  sweep  cease-  LJ 

I  J  lessly  round  the  world  to  and  from  the  Orient  and  the  f  J 

f~%  Occident,  as  well  as  the  centre  of  the  joyous  social  life  fl 

f"i  of  Yokohama.  f-f 

n  Though  located  midway  between  the  business  and  F 1 

i~i  residential  sections  of  the  port,  the  "  Grand  "  stands 

i-i  in  a  cherry-embowered  garden  of  its  own,  flanked  on  |^-| 

L A  two  sides  by  the  sea.   From  the  famous  Dining  Room  LJ 

I  J  and  the  broad,  glassed-in  verandas  one  looks  over  |  j 

F  I  hundreds  of  square  miles  of  junk-flecked  sea  so  ten-  f  1 

T~%  derly  blue,  so  drowsy  and  so  tranquil  that  the  view  p^l 

|-1  alone  would  take  the  nerve  strain  out  of  the  most  i-i 

|_J  overworked  person.  L| 

i-S  The  airy,  commodious  rooms  are  lighted  throughout  jMf 

|- j  by  mellow  sunshine,  and  warmed  in  winter  by  steam 

I  J  heat  and  attractive  open  fire-places.  They  are  equipped  jLJ 

I  1  with  everything  necessary  for  the  traveler's  comfort,  j  J 

F"l  The  room-boys  speak  English,  and  are  expert  valets  —  T~% 

|-(  waiting  upon  the  tourist  with  the  tireless  care  and  f^f 

|hJ  minuteness  characteristic  of  the  best  Japanese  ser-  §«| 

L  J  vants. 

p-^|iiiMT|||ii»ii|j|inMi|||U'ni|j|iPiii|j|iiiiuu|iini|j|iiiMi|||iiiiim 

ll.UllllllnlllllllnlllllliKllllllliUllllllnlllilllnlllllllnlllllllnlllll   llln..llllllliiIllllllHlS 


THE 

ORIENTAL  PALACE 
HOTEL 

No.  II.  The  Bund,  Yokohama. 

THE  MOST  MODERN  AND  UP  TO  DATE 
HOTEL  IN  THE  FAR  EAST 

Strictly  First  Class 


Cable  Address : 
ORIENTAL 
YOKOHAMA 


Cable  Used: 
A.  B.  C.  5th  Ed'n 
Western  Union 
Private  Code 


Telephone  No. 
846 

Long  Distance 


Post  Office  Box 
No.  16T 


The  Oriental  Palace  Hotel  has  been  established  for  the  last  eight 
years,  and  its  reputation  as  the  leading  first-class  Hotel  of  this  port 
has  never  been  questioned. 

Accommodation  is  suited  to  all  classes  of  visitors  :  Suites 
de  Luxe,  with  Sitting  and  Bath  Rooms  attached,  are  in 
the  forefront  of  the  Hotel  with  private  Verandah,  over- 
looking the  beautiful  Harbor  of  Yokohama. 

The  Steam-Launch  "  Mascotte  "  meets  all  incoming  and  outgoing 
steamers. 

Hotel  Omnibus  meets  all  principal  trains. 

Motor  cars  are  available  for  the  convenience  of  Visitors. 

The  Cuisine  is  unexcelled  and  under  the  management  of 
a  French  Chef ;  its  reputation  has  not  been  surpassed  by 
any  Hotel  in  the  Far  East. 
Under  the  sole  Proprietorship  and  Management  of 

L.  MURAOUR 


HOTEL  BELMONT 

80,  MAIN  STREET,  YOKOHAMA,  JAPAN 

TELEGRAPH  ADDRESS:  "BELMONT,  YOKOHAMA" 


The  Belmont  is  a  new,  clean,  modern,  comfortable,  and  strictly  first- 
class  hotel  under  American  management,  with  electric  lights,  sanitary  hot 
and  cold  baths,  a  delightful  summer  garden,  and  a  cuisine  noted  for  its 
excellence. 

If  you  are  looking  for  a  moderate  priced  hotel  where  large,  airy  rooms, 
cleanliness  and  good  food  are  prominent  features,  come  to  the  Belmont. 
It  is  the  most  popular  family  hotel  in  Yokohama,  and  is  patronized  by 
local  residents,  army  and  navy  men,  commercial  travelers,  and  tourists 
who  know. 

Rates  from  5  to  6  yen  a  day  ($2.50  to  $3  American  money)  for  room 
and  board  inclusive.  No  extras.  Special  reduction  for  a  long  stay.  Table- 
board  by  the  week  or  month,  at  reasonable  prices. 

Our  English-speaking  porter  meets  all  incoming  trains  and  ships,  and 
takes  charge  (free)  of  travelers'  luggage. 


THE  CLUB  HOTEL 

Ltd. 

THE  BUND,  YOKOHAMA 


I 


A  homelike,  family  hotel,  popular  with 
tourists  because  of  its  large,  clean,  well-ventilated 

J»  and  well-warmed  rooms ;  its  good  food,  excellent 

J  service,  and  moderate  rates.  It  is  deservedly  liked  by 

#  Americans,  English  and  Australians,  and  is  much  pat- 

<%>  ronized  by  Army  and  Navy  officers  and  their  families. 

J  Its  splendid  location  on  the  Bund  adjacent 

J  to  the  Yokohama  United  Club,  and  within  a  few 

|>  minutes'  walk  of  the  Post  Office,  the  chief  banks  and 

^  business  houses,  makes  it  an  ideal  hotel  for  commer- 

^  cial  travelers.    Many  of  its  sunny  rooms  have  open 

^  fireplaces,  private  baths,  and  verandas,  and  nearly  all 

<$>  afford  magnificent  sea  views. 


Though  one  of  the  oldest  of  the  Yokohama 


# 

J  hotels,  "THE  CLUB"  is  modern  throughout,  with 

#  all  the  up-to-date  features  and  conveniences  of  a  f  ash- 

#  ionable,  high-priced  hotel. 

%        Rates  from  ¥5  a  day  ($2.50  U.S.  money),  Amer- 

J  ican  plan.    Special  reductions  for  a  long  stay  and 

J  for  families. 

<$>         Our  porters  meet  incoming  trains  and  steamers  and  relieve 

J  the  traveler  of  all  worry  about  luggage. 

Write  us  in  advance  and  we  will  reserve 
^     apartments  for  you. 

Table-board  at  low  prices,  quoted  on  application. 


THE 

KAIHIN-IN 

HOTEL 


KAMAKURA 
JAPAN 


commodious  and  excellently  appointed  hotel  under  foreign  super- 


vision, delightfully  situated  in  the  sometime  capital  of  Old  Japan, 


in  a  vast  park  amid  beautiful  surroundings.  Overlooking  the 
sea,  with  magnificent  views.  Splendid  pine-fringed  beach,  where  the  surf 
thunders  ceaselessly  and  sings  its  diapason  melodies  through  the  long 
restful  days  and  sleepful  nights.  Unexcelled  sea-bathing,  boating,  and 
fishing.  Three  miles  from  charming  ENOSHIMA  (tram-cars)  and  within 
a  few  minute's  walk  of  the  KAMAKURA  DIABUTSU,  one  of  the  most 
famous  and  unforgettable  sights  in  Japan. 

KAMAKURA  is  only  40  min.  by  railway  from  Yokohama  (35  more 
from  Tokyo),  and  there  are  frequent  trains.  It  is  an  ideally  restful  place 
for  the  tourist,  just  far  enough  from  the  city  to  give  one  an  entire  change 
of  environment,  yet  near  enough  to  enable  the  business  man  to  go  and 
come  leisurely.    The  region  abounds  in  lovely  walks  and  charming  views. 

The  Best  Bathing  in  Japan.  A  Paradise  for  Children. 


The  KAIHIN-IN  HOTEL  is  a  popular  rendezvous  for  motorists, 
and  is  the  centre  of  an  attractive  social  life.  The  broad,  wind-swept 
balconies,  the  large,  clean,  airy  rooms,  and  the  good  food  and  fine  ser- 
vice, coupled  with  the  fragrant  gardens  and  pine  groves  in  which  the 
hotel  is  embowered,  impart  an  enduring  charm.  No  tourist  should  leave 
Japan  before  spending  a  few  days  in  beautiful  and  historic  Kamakura. 

Although  the  hotel  caters  to  the  best  patronage,  its  rates  are  very 
reasonable.      For  terms  apply  to  W.  AOYAMA,  Manager. 


Sweett  Clean,  and  Healthful. 


TOKIO 


EUROPEAN  AND  AMERICAN  PLAN 

Leading  Hotel  in  the  Capital 

EVERY  MODERN  CONVENIENCE 
HOTEL  ORCHESTRA  EVERY  EVENING 


ROOMS  SINGLE  OR  EN  SUITE,  WITH  OR  WITHOUT  BATH 

S.  Kitamura 

Proprietor 

Cable  Address:  "SEIYOKEN."  Code:  A.  B.  C.  5th  Edition 
BRANCHES 

(Uyeno  Park) 
(Parisian  Cafe) 

(American  Bar  and  Quick  Lunch) 
(Main  Line  of  Imperial  Government  Rail- 
way,  between   T6ki5,  Kyoto,  Osaka, 
Kobe,  and  Shimonoseki) 


Telephone  Numbers  : 
"  Shimbashi "  462-463-464-1569-2293 


Uyeno  Seiyoken  Hotel 
Cafe  Lion,  Ginza 
Cafe  Shimbashi,  Shimbashi 
Dining  Car  Service 


IMPERIAL  HOTEL 
TOKYO 


WESTERN 
UNION, 

A.  B.  C. 
5th  Edition 


IS  THE  HOME  FOR  TOURISTS 

AND 

SOCIAL  CENTER  OF  THE  CAPITAL 

ROOMS  EN  SUITE  OR  SINGLE 
WITH  OR  WITHOUT  BATH 


AISAKU  HAYASHI 
MANAGING  DIRECTOR 


THE  PARK  HOTEL 

/    Matsushima,  Japan 


The  Park  Hotel  is  new  and  absolutely  up-to-date,  with  every 
comfort  and  luxury  desired  by  foreign  travelers.  English 
spoken. 

Superbly  situated  on  the  shore  of  the  matchless  Matsushima 
Bay,  the  most  beautiful  and  celebrated  of  the  Sankei,  or  Three 
Great  Sights  of  Japan. 

No  foreigner  should  leave  Japan  without  seeing  Matsushima 
and  its  wonderful  island-studded  bay,  noted  alike  for  its  charm, 
its  restfulness,  and  its  fine  fishing.  Fishing  and  boating  ex- 
cursions planned  by  the  hotel  management. 

The  hotel  is  under  the  management  of  the  well-known  Sei- 
yoken  Hotel,  of  Tokyo,  and  the  special  supervision  of  the  Miyagi 
Prefectural  Government. 

Noted  for  its  excellent  food  and  faultless  service. 

Our  accommodations  are  unsurpassed,  and  our  rates  are 
moderate  enough  to  permit  the  most  economically  disposed 
traveler  to  make  a  long  stay  in  this  Japanese  paradise. 


Rooms  can  be  engaged  of  the  Seiyoken  Hotel,  in  Tokyo 


Kanaya  Hotel 

NIKKO,  JAPAN 

Telegraphic  address  :  "Kanaya,  Nikko" 

Favorably  known  to  the  traveling  public  for 
the  beauty  of  its  environment,  the  excellence 
of  its  appointments;  for  its  attractive  rooms, 
low  rates,  and  perfect  service.  Good  food 
cooked  in  foreign  style  and  served  by  English- 
speaking  servants. 

'The  Kanaya  Hotel  is  newly  built,  and  furnished  in  Euro- 
pean style,  with  large,  airy,  comfortable  rooms  and  balconies, 
clean  and  modern  bath-rooms,  and  all  the  up-to-date  re- 
quirements of  a  first-class  hotel.  Its  surroundings  are  among 
the  most  beautiful  and  classical  in  Japan.  The  Nikko 
Temples  and  Mausolea  (a  few  minutes'  walk  from  the  hotel) 
rank  with  the  most  magnificent  extant,  and  are  to  Japan  what 
the  Taj  Mahal  and  the  Delhi  Palaces  are  to  British  India. 

No  traveler  thinks  of  leaving  Japan  before  seeing  Nikko, 
and  the  best  classes  patronize  the  Kanaya  Hotel.  Open  the 
year  round  for  permanent  and  transient  guests.  The  hotel 
provides  guides  and  horses  at  reasonable  rates.  Garage. 
Japanese  wing  where  tourists  may  enjoy  the  charm  of  a  Jap- 
anese inn  with  the  comfort  and  good  food  of  a  foreign  hotel. 


Rates  from  6  yen  and  upward  per  day,  American  plan 

Special  reduction  for  a  long  stay 


Don't  fail  to  see  Nikko,  and  when  you  are 
there,  stop  at  the  Kanaya  Hotel. 


MIYAKO  MS?  HOTEL 


Telegraph  address:  <  *  icvc\TC%    iapaw  Telephone 

"Miyako,  Kyoto"        /  JA^AIN  Kami  421-338 


The  Miyako  is  one'  of  the  most  unique  and  charming  hotels  in 
Japan,  and  is  situated  in  a  stately,  25-acre  park  on  the  sloping  side 
of  the  classical,  temple-studded  Higashi-yama,  high  above  the  city 
floor  and  out  of  reach  of  fires.  The  magnificent  views  from  its 
glassed-in  verandas  are  unequalled  in  extent  and  beauty.  Many 
of  the  150  newly  furnished  rooms  have  attractive  open  fireplaces 
and  private  baths.  All  are  furnished  in  foreign  style  and  are  known 
for  their  comfort  and  splendid  vistas. 

The  Miyako  is  close  to  the  most  celebrated  of  the  Kyoto  tem- 
ples, and  is  within  a  few  minutes  ride  by  jinriki  or  tramway  of  the 
Mikado's  Palace,  f  he  Museum,  Nijo  Castle,  and  all  the  chief  sights 
of  the  Old  Capital.  The  tramway  to  Lake  Biwa  goes  past  the  foot 
of  the  hill.  B/eautiful  walks  radiate  to  groves  of  pine  and  maple 
trees,  and  the/environs  are  restful,  tranquil,  and  soothing. 

The  Miyako  is  the  most  homelike  hotel  in  Japan,  with  a  cuisine 
admittedly  the  best,  and  with  unexcelled  service.  Our  rates  are 
not  higher  than  those  of  inferior  hotels.  Our  free  Information  Bu- 
reau supplies  guides  at  reasonable  prices  and  is  a  great  convenience 
to  travelers. 

The  Miyako  was  twice  patronized  by  H.  I.  H.  Prince  Arthur 
of  Connaught,  and  is  the  headquarters  in  Kyoto  for  the  best  class 
of  travel  always. 

Miyako  Products  Bureau 

(MIYAKO  HOTEL) 

All  the  products  of  Kyoto  and  other  districts  likely  to  interest  the  trav- 
eller are  displayed  plainly  marked  at  fixed  prices.  No  imitation  goods,  and  no  bar- 
gaining.   Everything  direct  from  producers  and  guaranteed  to  be  as  represented. 

M.  Hamaguchi,  Manager 
THE  DAIBUTSU  HOTEL 

is  run  in  connection  with  the  Miyako,  and  caters  to  the  economically 
disposed.  Every  comfort  and  convenience  at  a  low  price.  Excellent 
food  and  service. 


ORIENTAL  HOTEL,  Limited 

THE  BUND,  KOBE,  JAPAN 
The  most  popular  hotel  in  the  Far  East  for  Comfort,  Location,  Reputation,  and 
REASONABLE  RATES.     EXCELLENT  CUISINE 

Homelike,  Exclusive,  Refined,  and  with  ideal  accommodations  for  both  per- 
manent and  transient  guests 

BEAUTIFULLY  SITUATED  NEAR  THE  SEA 

With  far-reaching  views.     Extensive  Roof  Garden.      Elevators.  Fireplaces. 
All  the  requirements  of  comfort  and  luxury. 

Planned  on  the  lines  of  the  best  London  and  New  York  hotels,  with  faultless 
service  and  sumptuous  appointments.    Fine  connecting  bath-rooms.  Abso- 
lutely fireproof.    Largest  and  most  attractive  hotel  in  Japan. 

English-speaking  runners  meet  all  trains  and  incoming  ships. 
PRIVATE  POWER  LAUNCH  AND  MOTOR  CARS 
Patronized  by  the  First  Class  Tourists  of  the  World. 
Rates  from  ¥7  a  day  and  upward  ($3.50  American  money)  for  room  and  board. 
Near  Sannomiya  Station.  English  Management. 

TELEGRAPHIC  ADDRESS:  "ORIENTAL"  KOBE 


TOR  HOTEL.  Ltd. 

robe:,  japan 
THE  FIWEST  HOTEL  IN  THE  EAST 

Thoroughly  up-to-date  Under  Swiss  Management 


Electric  Fans  and  G      -  Bathrooms  attached 

Steam  Heating  parage  t0  au  Bedrooms 


The  Tor  Hotel  stands  in  its  own  beautiful  gar- 
dens overlooking  the  Town  and  Inland  Sea. 

Healthy,  quiet  situation  free  from  dust. 

Rates  from  ¥7  a  day  and  upward,  American  plan. 

Spacious  open  and  enclosed  verandahs. 

The  steam  launch  "  TOR  "  and  the  private  auto- 
mobile meet  all  boats  and  trains. 


Cable  Address  u  Tor,"  Kobe, 


H.  LUTZ,  Manager 


THE  SONTAG  HOTEL 

(Formerly  IMPERIAL  HOUSEHOLD  private  hotel) 


Is  the  Leading  Hotel  in  Korea 


Is /centrally  located  in  Legation  Street,  and  has 
the  benefit  of  being  in  the  midst  of  the  various 
Consulates  and  in  close  proximity  to  both  (Nan- 
jflaimon  and  Seidaimon)  Railway  stations,  thus 
affording  every  facility  to  travelers. 

Fitted  throughout  with  Hot  and  Cold  Water,  Electric 
Lights  and  latest  Sanitary  Arrangements.  25  Bedrooms, 
and  private  bathrooms  attached  in  each.  Reputed  for  its 
excellent  Cuisine  Francaise  (under  supervision  of  a  French 
Chef). 

Attendance  ol  the  best  Large  Garden 

Interpreters,  Guides, 
Carriages  and  Riding  Horses  Supplied 

Bar  and  large  Billiard-room  apart  from  the  Hotel 

French,  Italian,  Spanish  and  English  spoken 

Telephone  No.  739        Telegraphic  Address:  "SONT AG-SEOUL* 9 

J.  BOHER 

Proprietor  and  Manager 

SEOUL,  -  KOREA 


TANSAN 

What  is  TANSAN?    Why!   The  Famous  Japanese  Natural  Mineral  Water. 

"THE  CHOICEST  OF  ALL  CHOICE  WATERS " 

TANSAN  is  a  NATURAL  TONIC. 

TANSAN  is  a  DELICIOUS  DRINK. 

TANSAN  is  ABSOLUTELY  PURE. 

TANSAN  is  an  AID  TO  DIGESTION. 

TANSAN  does  NOT  LOWER  THE  SYSTEM. 

TANSAN  is  a  PICK  ME  UP. 

TANSAN  has  NO  EQUAL. 

TANSAN  is  FREE  FROM  BACTERIA. 
If  you  have  never  tried  TANSAN,  do  so  at  once.    Taste  it  alone,  mix 
it  with  your  whisky,  try  it  with  milk  and  remember  you  are  drinking 

♦'THE  CHOICEST  OF  ALL  CHOICE  WATERS" 

TANSAN 

Beware  of  unpalatable  and  dangerous  imitations.  mmmma^ 
See  that  the  label  bears  the  name  of  J.  CLIFFORD-WILKINSON. 
Tansan  can  be  obtained  at  all  First-Class  Hotels  in  the  Far  East. 

Tansan  won  the  Gold  Medal,  the  highest  award  at 
the  Anglo = Japanese  Exhibition  1910. 

BOTTLED  ONLY  BY 

The  Clifford- Wilkinson  Tansan  Mineral  Water  Co.,  Ltd. 
KOBE,  JAPAN 


TANSAN  MINERAL  WATER 
IS  UNIQUE 

It  is  an  incomparable  table-water  absolutely  free 
from  impurities,  with  a  delicious  tang  possessed 
only  by  waters  of  the  highest  quality.  It  is  bot- 
tled as  it  gushes  direct  from  the  deep,  hidden, 
and  uncontaminated  heart  of  a  lofty  mountain  at 
Takaradzuka,  Japan,  and  its  wonderful  limpidity 
and  invaluable  tonic  properties  have  made  it 
famous  throughout  the  world.  There  are  posi- 
tively none  better  at  any  price,  and  very  few  in- 
deed one-half  as  good. 

The  J.  Clifford- Wilkinson  Tansan  is  so  noted 
among  mineral  waters  that  in  1909,  at  the  First 
Session  of  the  61st  Congress,  a  petition  signed 
by  250  of  the  most  distinguished  medical  practi- 
tioners of  North  America  prayed  Congress,  on 
the  broad  principle  of  humanity,  to  remove  the 
custom  duties  on  Tansan  water,  and,  because  of 
its  "exceptional  purity  and  unrivalled  and  unique 
medicinal  quaiities,''to  allow  it  to  enter  the  United 
States  free  of  duty !  (See  the  Congressional 
Record  of  that  date.)  wmim 

No  thoughtful  traveler  unaccustomed  to  the 
changeable  Japanese  climate  will  drink  freely  of 
the  river  water  supplied  to  the  cities  and  towns. 

To  Keep  Well  on  Your  Trip 

do  not  run  risks  with  unknown  waters.  By  drinking  Tansan  you  can  for- 
get about  your  health,  for  it  will  take  care  of  itself.  Tansan  is  not  only  a 
gustatory  delight,  it  represents  the  very  highest  form  of  intelligent  econ- 
omy, for  one  bottle  at  15  sen  may  save  you  typhoid  and  six  weeks  in  the 
hospital — with  all  that  implies  in  expense,  loss  of  time,  etc.  Hard  water, 
and  water  carrying  bacteria,  harden  the  arteries,  while  soft,  pure  water 
keeps  them  pliant  and  their  owners  young.  Tansan  is  the  softest  and 
most  easily  digested  water  known  to  science,  as  well  as  the  most  refresh- 
ing, invigorating  and  stimulating.  Its  appeal  to  persons  of  taste  and 
refinement  is  direct  and  positive.  Yet  it  costs  no  more  than  injurious 
imitations. 

Tansan  is  the  Champagne  of  Mineral  Waters 

It  is  for  sale  everywhere,  and  because  of  its  excellence  it  is  copied 
widely.  Demand  the  J.  Clifford-Wilkinson  Tansan,  and  you  will  get 
the  original  and  best,  while  showing  your  disapproval  of  conscienceless 
counterfeiters. 

Visit  the  Tansan  Mineral  Springs  and  you  will  be  convinced. 
The  Real  Tansan  is  bottled  only  by 

The  Clifford -Wilkinson  Tansan  Mineral 
Water  Co.,  Ltd.,  Kobe,  Japan 


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London  Joint  Stock  Bank,  Ltd. 

Interest  allowed  on  Current  Accounts  and  Fixed  Deposits  on 
terms  to  be  ascertained  on  application. 

Every  description  of  Banking  business  transacted. 
For  particulars,  apply  to  the  managers. 

Certified  cheques  on  this  Bank  will  be  taken  by  the  Custom 
House  at  Yokohama  as  cash  in  payment  of  duty. 


Established  Half  a  Century 

LANE,  CRAWFORD  &  CO.,  Ltd. 

^he  Largest  Foreign  Department  Store 
in  Japan 


DEPA(H.cCMENcUS 

Biscuits  and  Cakes 
Boots  and  Shoes 
Brushware 
Chinaware 
Cigars  and 
Tobacco 
Corsets 
Drapery 
Furnishings 
Glassware 
Groceries 
Haberdashery 


TOURISTS 
WILL  FIND 
EVERYTHING 
THEY 
REQUIRE 
HERE 


DEPA^'CMEN'CS 

Hats  and  Caps 
Hosiery  and  Neck- 
wear 
Lingerie 
Millinery 
Raincoats 
Ribbons 
Tailoring 
Tapestries 
Trunks  and  Bags 

Wallpapers 
Wines  and  Spirits 


Our  Tailoring  Department  is  under  the  super- 
Vision  of  First  Class  London  Cutters 


Sole  Agents  for 
Messrs.  Burberry's  Waterproof  Garments 


36  Nakamachi, 

KOBE 


59  Main  St., 

YOKOHAMA 


BRETT'S  PHARMACY 


60  MAIN  STREET,  YOKOHAMA 


Headquarters  in  Japan  for  American,  English,  and 
French  Medicines  and  Toilet  Specialties 

Everything  in  this  line  of  which  the  traveler  may  stand  in  need 

Tooth-powder  and  brushes.  Dental  Cream.  Listerine.  Absorbent 
Cotton.  Vaseline.  Talc  and  Sachet  Powders.  Cold  Cream. 
Bromo  Seltzer.  Liver  Pills,  etc.,  etc. 

PRESCRIPTIONS  FILLED  BY  EXPERT  CHEMISTS 
WE  MAKE  NO  MISTAKES 

EXTENSIVE    ASSORTMENTS    OF    FINE    ENGLISH,    AMERICAN,  AND 
FRENCH   PERFUMES  AND  TOILET  WATERS 

SPECIALTIES 

from  Wyetb  (Philadelphia);  Stearns  (Detroit);  Parke  Davis  &  Co.; 
Johnson  &  Johnson;  Colgate  &  Co.,  etc. 

American  Soda  Fountain.     Delicious  American  Soft  Drinks. 
Aerated  Waters 

We  carry  what  you  want,  and  do  not  stock  second-grade  or  spurious 
goods.  Our  aim  is  to  give  you  what  you  wish,  and  not  to  palm  off 
something  "  just  as  good." 

THE  FRESHEST  AND  BEST  GOODS  AT  THE    LOWEST  PRICES 

A.  Marsh9  Manager. 


THE 

YOKOHAMA 
NURSERY 

BRANCH  OFFICES:  COMPANY 

31  Barclay  St.,  New  York,  ■  Tn 

U.S.A.  LIU" 

—  .  21-35,  Nakamura,  Bluff,  Yokohama 

Craven  House,  Kingsway,   


London,  W.C.  LARGEST  ESTABLISHMENT 

„  ^  ~77„  OF  THE  KIND 

Cable  Address:   

Uyekigumi,  Yokohama. 

Tigrinum,  London.  Silver  Cups  awarded  by  the  Royal  Horti- 

Suzuki,  New  York.  cultural  Society  and  Diploma  of  the 

Codes  Used  :  Anglo-Japanese  Exhibition,  1910 


A.  B.  C.  4th,  5th  Editions  and 
Western  Union. 


Landscape  Garden  Architects, 
Telephony.  509  F,oristS)  and  Genera, 

P.  0.  Box  72  Horticulturists 


Bouquets,  Baskets,  Wreaths,   and  Other  Artistic  Decorations 

LARGE  STOCK  OF 

Shrubs,  Trees,  Bulbs,  Fern  Balls,  Dwarfed  Trees,  and  Seeds 

ALWAYS  ON  HAND 
Fine  Collection  of  Orchids 


IRIS  AND  PEONY  GARDENS  AT  KAMATA 


Specialty,  LILY-BULBS  AND  NURSERY  STOCKS 


Handsome  illustrated  Catalogue  in  English,  free  on  application. 


K.  TAMAMURA  and  SOn 

PHOTOGRAPHIC  GARDEN 

NO.  1498,  NAKAMURA,  BLUFF,  YOKOHAMA 

Japan  s  Most  Celebrated 
Photographer 


TOURIST  TRADE  A  SPECIALTY 
English  Spoken 


Portraits  and  all  kinds  of  photographic  work  done  skil- 
fully and  in  the  latest  style. 

Varied  assortment  of  costumes  for  travelers  who  wish 
to  be  pictured  in  Japanese  clothing. 

Developing,  printing,  enlarging,  and  coloring  done 
quickly,  cheaply,  and  satisfactorily. 

Beautiful  lantern  slides  made  from  the  traveler  s  own 
pictures. 

The  finest  assortment  in  Japan  of  colored  bromide 
pictures,  post  cards,  albums,  hand-colored  lantern-slides, 
picture-frames  in  quaint  and  beautiful  native  woods,  gold 
lacquered  photographs,  etc. 

Hand-colored  views  from  every  part  of  the  Japanese 
Empire  at  very  reasonable  prices. 

We  do  the  best  and  finest  work  at  the  most  moderate 
price. 

We  photograph  patrons  in  garden  or  house,  against 
natural  backgrounds,  amidst  the  foliage  and  flowers  of 
the  season.  Such  pictures  make  unique  and  desirable 
souvenirs  of  Japan. 


*• ,  c    &r/«HSJ£ 


By  Special  Appointment 
to  the  Imperial  Household 


*     IIDA  &  CO. 

"TAKASHIMAYA" 

(Established  1837) 

SILK  MERCHANTS  tjtjg 

^         Silks,  Crepes,  Scarfs,  Brocades  ^i* 

Mandarin  Coats,  Wrappers,  Blouses 
mfe        Dress-patterns,  Velvet-Pictures 
Art-Embroideries,  Screens 
Emb.  Hanging  Pictures 
fXQ        Silk  Underwear,  Hosiery,  Etc. 


JT^'^  STORES      Kyoto      Karasumaru  Takatsuji 

Tokyo     Nishikonyacho  Kyobashi 
^pdj^^  Yokohama       8 1 ,  Yamashitacho 


MAKUZU 
KOZAN 

1631,  Minami  Otamachi, 
YOKOHAMA 


Miyagawa  Kozan 

Proprietor 

and  Member  of  the  Board  of  the 
Imperial  Japanese  Household  Artists 

Manufacturer  of,  and 
Dealer  in,  the 

Celebrated  Makuzu  Kozan 
Pottery  and  Porcelain 

The  beautiful  "Makuzu"  is  famous  among  the  exquisite 
wares  of  Old  Japan.  Made  in  many  lovely  shapes  and 
colors,  from  dainty  tea-pots  to  big  vases. 

Travelers  are  welcome  to  the 
potteries  and  are  shown  the 
processes  of  making,  burning, 
and  decorating  the  wares.  No 
fees  are  expected,  and  no  one 
is  urged  to  buy  anything.  Eng- 
lish spoken.  The  potteries  con- 
stitute one  of  the  "sights"  of 
Yokohama,  and  should  not  be 
missed. 

The  showrooms  contain  a  su- 
perb collection  of  newly  finished 
wares  ranging  in  price  from 
fifty  sen  to  one  hundred  yen. 

Purchases  packed  with  great 
care  and  delivered  anywhere. 


*^msi  S.  I.  YAMATOYA 

Shirt  Manufacturer 

No.  6,  BENTEN-DORI,  YOKOHAMA 


Cable  Address,  "  Yamatoya" 
Western  Union  Telegraphic 
Code  used. 
Telephone  No.  183 


BRANCH  STORES 
342,  Motomachi  Itchome,  Kobe 

3,  Ginza  Sanchome,  Tokyo 
1,  Ogawamachi,  Kanda,  Tokyo 
The  Grand  Hotel,  Yokohama 


The  Leading  Shirt  Manufacturers  of  Japan 

OUR  SPECIALTIES  ARE 

SHIRTS,  COLLARS,  PYJAMAS,  TIES,  UNDERWEAR,  ETC. 

In  Silk,  Linen,  and  Cotton  Crape 

MEN'S  AND  WOMEN'S  WEAR 

The  best  Japanese  Cotton  Crape  will  wear  three  times  as  long  as 
other  similar  materials,  and  will  look  well  as  long  as  it  holds  to- 
gether. Our  Special  Silks  and  Crapes  are  made  in  our  own  exten- 
sive mills,  and  are  superior  to  all  others.  Beautiful  color  designs 
that  won't  fade. 

Our  incomparable  Dress  Shirts  and  Collars  are  made  in  the 
latest  London  and  New  York  styles,  of  the  finest  and  strongest 
Irish  Linen  imported  by  us  direct  from  the  mills  in  Ireland.  They 
are  superior  and  considerably  cheaper  than  anything  the  traveler 
can  buy. 

We  make  all  our  shirts,  etc.,  to  measure,  promptly  and  satisfac- 
torily. The  highest  grade  cotton-crape  shirts  cost  but  $1.50 
American  money  each,  made  to  fit  you  according  to  your  own  wishes. 

Our  outing  shirts  of  soft,  fine  Japanese  silks  are  beautiful,  inex- 
pensive, and  durable. 

In  buying  of  us  you  buy  at  headquarters,  for  we  supply  many  of 
the  leading  haberdashers  of  the  world.  Special  attention  to  Tourist 
Trade.  English  spoken  in  all  departments.  Mail  orders  to  any 
parts  of  the  world  a  specialty. 

Read  the  following  Splendid  Endorsements 

11  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  say  that  Mr.  Yamatoya  has  made  a  great  number  of 
shirts  for  me  and  they  all  have  been  satisfactory."    Signed,  Wm.  H.  Taft. 

Oct.  2,  1907. 

"  I  am  much  pleased  with  the  shirts."    Signed,  Kitchener. 


THE  YAMATO 


Wholesale  —  Silk  Store  Retail 


34-35  Benten-dori,  Yokohama 
JAPAN 


Embroidered 

Night-gowns 

Hand-painted 

and 

Chemises 

Novelties : 

Drawn-work: 

Corset  covers 

Jewel  boxes 

Silk  blouses 

Shawls  &  scarfs 

Hat-pin  cases 

Linen  " 

Parasols 

Glove  cases 

Crepe  " 

Linen  handkfs. 

Hdkf.  cases 

Silk  dress  lengths 

Silk  stockings 

Needle  books 

Linen  "  " 

Men's  socks 

Picture  frames 

Crepe  "  " 

Emb.  bags 

Opera  bags 

Gauze "  " 

Table-centers 

Pin  boxes 

Dressing  jackets 

Doilies  &  napkins 

Basket  bags 

Japanese  kimonos 

Tea  &  tray  cloths 

Card  cases 

Mandarin  coats 

Silk  fans 

Pin-cushions 

Evening  coats 

Irish  lace 

Place  cards 

Wadded  gowns 

Bed  spreads 

Menu  cards 

Smoking  jackets 

Cut-velvet 

Writing  papers 

Baby's  jackets 

pictures 

etc.,  etc. 

Wadded  vests 

etc.,  etc. 

Prices  marked  in  plain  figures 

We  have  been  in  business  since  1899,  and  are  known  the 
world  over  as  Dealers  in  Reliable  Goods  at  Honest  Prices. 
We  have  thousands  of  customers  in  every  country  on  the 
globe.  Each  one  of  these  thousands  of  customers  has  had  a 
square  deal  every  time  they  have  bought  from  us.  Our  Stand- 
ing is  High  and  Our  Credit  Good. 

OUR  MAIL  ORDER  DEPARTMENT  will  attend  to  your 
mail  orders  most  accurately  and  promptly.    English  spoken. 

Write  for  our  illustrated  catalog  in  English,  to-day. 


When  you  visit 
the  Land  of  the 
Rising  Sun,  do 
not  fail  to  see 

NOZAWAYA'S  SILK  STORE 
AT  YOKOHAMA 

FOR  IT  CONTAINS  THE 

Greatest  Variety  of  Beautiful  Silks 
in  the  Empire 

The  Nozawaya  products  are  known  round  the  world  for 
their  up-to-date  styles,  splendid  durability,  and  reasonable 
cost. 

We  carry  a  full  line  of  superb  Mandarin  Coats,  Stylish 
Theatre  Wraps  and  Gowns,  Kimonos,  Dressing  Gowns, 
Smoking  Jackets,  Drawn  Linen,  Underwear,  Infants'  Wear, 
Silk  Novelties,  and  a  wide  selection  of  various  articles  made 
of  fine  Japanese  silk  and  cotton-crape. 

We  make  a  specialty  of  Parisian  Gowns.  Our  skilled  de- 
signers visit  Paris  and  London  each  season,  and  thus  enable 
us  to  offer  our  patrons  advance  styles  in  fashionable  creations 
not  to  be  obtained  elsewhere  in  Japan.  Our  prices  are  con- 
siderably below  those  asked  by  others,  and  our  dress-making 
department  is  patronized  extensively  by  foreign  ladies  resid- 
ing in  Yokohama  and  Tokyo. 

English  is  spoken  in  all  our  departments.  The  quality  of 
our  goods  is  unexcelled,  and  our  prices  are  right. 

NOZAWAYA*  S  SILK  STORE 
29-30  BENTEN-DORI,  YOKOHAMA 

Stores  in  New  York,  Lyons,  Paris,  and  London 


TOYAMA  & 
COMPANY 

IVORISTS 

Ginza  Nichome,  Kyobashiku 
TOKYO,  JAPAN 

Designers  of  and 
Dealers  in 
FINE  IVORY 
CARVINGS 

THE  GODDESS  KWANNON 

We  employ  the  best  artists  in  Japan  and  we  use  only  the  highest  grades  of  fine 
Siamese  and  African  ivory.    We  use  no  walrus  tusks,  bone,  or  other  substitutes. 

We  supply  art  collectors  and  the  great  museums  of  the  world,  and  our  products 
are  known  everywhere  as  the  finest  of  the  fine.  We  are  recognized  headquarters 
for  everything  in  the  way  of  ivory  carvings,  from  the  smallest  and  daintiest  netsukes 
to  magnificent  groups  costing  ten  thousand  yen. 

A  superb  collection  of  finished  pieces  is  on  display  in  our  Tokyo  store,  to  which 
visitors  are  cordially  invited.  We  take  pleasure  in  having  tourists  visit  our  ateliers, 
and  in  showing  them  the  highly  interesting  process  of  carving  the  ivory  from  ele- 
phant tusks. 

The  Toyama  stamp  on  a  piece  of  ivory  is  a  guarantee  of  quality  and  work- 
manship. Our  products  are  seasoned  and  do  not  warp  or  crack.  Our  prices 
are  no  higher  than  those  demanded  by  irresponsible  dealers  for  cheap  imitations. 

We  guarantee  every  piece  we  sell,  and  stand  back  of  the  guaran- 
tee. When  you  buy  Toyama  ivories  you  get  the  real  goods,  not  skilfully  stained 
counterfeits.    Make  your  purchases  of  us  and  we  will  treat  you  fairly. 


YAMANAKA  &  CO. 

AWATA,    KYOTO,  JAPAN 

DEALERS   IN  OBJECTS 

OF  ART 
ANTIQUE  AND  MODERN 

Goods  Purchased  will  be 
packed  and  sent  if  desired 
through  our  American  and 
European  Houses 

YAMANAKA  &  CO. 

254  Fifth  Ave.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

YAMANAKA  &  CO. 

456  Boylston  St.,  Boston,  Mass. 

YAMANAKA  &  CO. 

127  New  Bond  St.,  London,  W. 


K.  I.  KURODA 

19,  Teramachi  Shijo  Minami,  Kyoto,  Japan 

Telephone,  Shimo  No.  1714 

ARTISTIC  BRONZE  WARES 

Gold \  Silver,  and  Copper  Bronze  Articles 
.    in  great  variety 

Tourists  are  cordially  invited  to  inspect  our  show- 
rooms (English  spoken)  and  our  superb  collection 
of  fine  bronze  objects.  Also  to  visit  our  workshop 
and  see  the  processes  of  making  and  finishing  gold 
and  silver  bronze. 

Our  bronzes  have  a  world-wide  reputation  for  refined 
beauty  and  excellence.  Much  of  our  gold  bronze 
contains  forty  per  cent  of  pure  gold,  and  articles 
made  from  it  are  marvels  of  beauty  and  real  worth. 

No  metal  is  so  lasting  as  fine  bronze,  and  no  art  wares 
are  so  indestructible  and  so  satisfactory  to  own. 
Good  bronze  increases  in  beauty  and  value  with 
age.  We  use  no  antimony  or  cheap  substitutes  in 
the  preparation  of  our  bronzes,  and  they  are  prac- 
tically imperishable. 

The  finest  and  most  artistic  bronzes  you  will  see  in 
Japan  and  in  museum  collections  abroad  bear  the 
famous  Kuroda  stamp.  Demand  our  products  and 
you  will  always  be  sure  of  getting  the  best. 

Every  piece  with  our  name  is  guaranteed.  Our  ate- 
liers constitute  one  of  the  chief  "sights"  of  Kyoto, 
and  no  one  should  leave  the  old  capital  without 
visiting  them.  Visitors  welcome  whether  they  buy 
anything  or  not. 

Ask  any  art  connoisseur  who  is  the  maker  of  best 
bronze  in  Japan,  and  he  will  say  K.  I.  Kuroda. 


S.  HAYASHI 

39,  Furumonzen,  Kyoto,  Japan 
DEALER  IN 

ANCIENT  AND  MODERN 
WORKS  OF  ART 
GOLD  LACQUER  AND  CURIOS 


adquarters  in  Kyoto  for  the  beautiful 
for  which  Japan  is  world  famed. 


Okr^ftlHLacquer  Ware  is  celebrated.  Tourists 
are  specially  invited  to  inspect  our  Avorkshops  and 
see  the  intricate  and  delicate  proJbsses  of  manu- 
facturinj^one  of  Japan's  most  nanonal  products. 
We  emaBy  only  the  most  skilled  acists.  English 
wbkenX^!  ft      |  r 

Our  Showrooms  contairj  a  vfrie^l  and  beautiful 
assortment  of  unique  art   objects  from  Japan, 
-;vG/iin^and  Korea,  and  our.motto  is^ reliable  goods 
^3[t  mod^*at^Jprices.  We  p^j^urcj^yes  with  scru- 
pulous care  and  will  delivfciUfeem  anywhere. 

\* Visitors  to  our  showJcofipB — " 
not. importuned  to  buy.^T^Sect 
prices/then  see  those  ot  oj 
J^kHo  us. 

 ^  


shops  are 
oods  and 
ou  will  come 


Rermmber\he  name,  S.  HAYASHI,  as  it  is  known  to 
experienced  art  collectors  the  world  over. 


S.  KOMAI 

Shinmonzen,  Kyoto,  Japan 

Telephone,  Kami  No.  546 

FINE  DAMASCENE  WORK 

We  are  the  originators  of  the  beautiful  Zogan,  or  Inlaid  Metal 
Work,  that  has  made  Japan  as  famous  as  Damascus  for  Damascene 
products. 

WE  LEAD  OTHERS  IMITATE 

The  latest  and  choicest  designs,  the  finest  material,  and  the  most 
expert  and  trustworthy  workmanship  characterize  our  productions. 
We  do  special  work  quickly  and  satisfactorily.  Suggest  the  design 
you  wish  carried  out  and  our  artists  will  make  the  article  exactly 
as  you  wish  it  at  no  extra  charge  beyond  our  customary  prices  — 
which  are  extremely  moderate. 

We  never  duplicate  designs  left  with  us,  and  when  you  have 
special  work  made  no  one  ever  has  anything  just  like  it. 

We  carry  in  stock  a  fine  collection  of  handsome 


Cigar  Cases 

Jewelry  Boxes 

Napkin-rings 

Toilet-Sets 

Cigarette  " 

Scarf  Pins 

Incense  Burners 

Bangles 

Card 

Hat  " 

Hanging  Plates 

Combs 

Match 

Hair  " 

Card  Trays 

Lockets 

Watch 

Umbrella  Handles 

Watch  Fobs 

Brooches 

Pencil 

Parasol  " 

Tie-Clips 

Studs 

Coin 

Cane  " 

Necklaces 

Charms 

Cigar  Boxes 

Coat  Buttons 

Bracelets 

Knives 

Cigarette  " 

Cuff  Links 

Cabinets 

Spoons 

Shoe-Buckles 

Flower  Vases 

Belts  and  Belt  Buckles 

Desk-Sets,etc. 

Remember  that  our  work  is  intrinsically  finer  than  other  work 
and  that  it  lasts  much  longer.  We  use  the  best  quality  gold  and 
gold-bronze  and  our  product  is  practically  indestructible. 

Visit  our  workshop  and  we  will  not  only  show  you  the  interest- 
ing process  of  making  damascene  work,  but  we  will  explain  to  you 
the  difference  between  the  real  and  the  spurious,  so  that  you  may 
not  be  deceived  into  buying  cheap  imitations  of  the  faultless 


S.  KOMAI  WORK 


Established  1645 

SATSUMA  WARE 
AWATA  WARE 



Gran  Premio  1911 

Grand  Prize  London  1910 

Grand  Prize  Seattle  1909 

Gran  Premio  Milano  1906 

Grand  Prix  Liege  1905 

Grand  Prize  St.  Louis  1904 

Gold  Medal  Paris  1900 


i 

KYOTO,  JAPAN 

Manufacturers  of  the  crinkly  Satsuma  Ware  which 
has  made  Japan  famous  throughout  the  world 

Travelers  are  cordially  invited  to  visit  our  interesting 
showrooms,  and  inspect  one  of  the  finest  collections  of 
Satsuma  Ware  extant.  Also  to  go  through  our  extensive 
potteries  and  see  the  processes  of  making,  firing,  de- 
corating and  finishing  the  various  pieces.  This  is  an  ex- 
perience which  one  will  not  forget. 

Our  exquisite  porcelains  cover  a  wide  variety  of  designs 
and  subjects. 

Our  prices  are  moderate,  and  our  expert  packers  will 
pack  and  ship  purchases  anywhere. 

Remember  that  the  Kinkozan  Satsuma  Ware  is  the 
legitimate  and  original  ware,  and  is  not  to  be  confounded 
with  the  host  of  imitations  made  in  many  places  in  Japan. 
The  real  costs  no  moj'e  than  the  spurious. 


I  MIYAMOTO  SHOKO 

jjj  NO.  2.   YAZAEMONCHO,  CINZA,  TOKYO,  JAPAN 

ifj  Near  Imperial  Hotel  Telephone,  Kyobashi  2097 

a?   ;  

If!  PURVEYORS  OF  FINE  ART  CURIOS  TO 

jjj  THE  IMPERIAL  JAPANESE  HOUSEHOLD 

jjj  GOLDSMITHS  SILVERSMITHS 

m 

jjj  Our  collection  of  Ancient  and  Modern  Curios  is  unsur- 

Sfi  passed  and  should  be  seen  by  every  art  connoisseur. 
SR 

m 


Our  specialty  is  beautiful  gold  and  silver  work,  and  in 
jfj  these  we  are 

i 

S  THE  LEADERS  IN  JAPAN 


3j  Our  reputation  among  art  collectors  is  of  the  best,  as  our 

jjj  motto  is  Quality  at  Moderate  Prices.    We  speak  English 

ifi  and  we  cater  particularly  to  the  discerning  foreign  traveler 

jjj  who  wants  beautiful  and  trustworthy  art  wares  at  their  right 

Si  values. 
Sfi 

jjj  We  make 

jjj  Silver  Punch  Bowls,  Tea  Sets,  etc. 

jjj  to  order  at  short  notice,  and  we  guarantee  satisfaction.  We 

W  employ  the  most  expert  workmen  in  Japan. 

■ft 

uc 

Eg  We  have  a  fine  collection  of 

§j  Jade  and  Antique  Cold  Jewelery, 

Ivory  Carvings,  Quaint  Bronzes, 

w  Cold  Lacquer,  and  Silverware 

jjj  of  almost  every  description, 
ir* 

Tokyo  is  headquarters  in  Japan  for  wrought  silver,  and 

|jj  we  are  the  leaders  in  the  art.    Call  and  be  convinced. 

m 

if;  We  know  values  and  we  give  the  stranger  the  benefit  of 

jjj  expert  advice  without  price. 

|  NO  TROUBLE  TO  SHOW  GOODS 


ARTHUR  (a  BOND'S 

Costuming  Department  is  Unique  in  the  Far  East 

and  is  of  abiding  interest  to  stylish  men  and  women 
who  want  distinctive  and  distinguished  outfits  at 
reasonable  prices.  High  class  Parisian  designers  and 
London  cutters  imported  by  us  superintend  our  vari- 
ous workshops,  where  expert  Japanese  needlewomen 
work  painstakingly  on  the  rich  Oriental  fabrics  woven 
specially  for  us  on  celebrated  Kyoto  looms.  The 
heavy,  opulent,  and  exquisitely  beautiful  silk  brocades 
which  we  make  up  into  fashionable  and  aristocratic 
wraps,  are  wonderful  in  color  combinations  and  are  of 
the  special  kind  that  become  heirlooms  and  are  treas- 
ured by  one's  grandchildren.  Exact  reproductions  of 
effective  Paris  and  London  styles  are  made  by  us  of 
the  highest  grade  and  most  dependable  native  silks  and 
satins,  at  astonishingly  moderate  prices — values  much 
lower  than  those  asked  in  Europe  or  America  and  which 
appeal  even  to  the  most  economically  disposed.  Every 
traveler  to  Japan  should  see  our  luxuriously  beautiful 
and  splendidly  varied  assortment  of  seasonable  and 
advance  styles.  We  carry  in  stock  for  immediate  de- 
livery: 

GORGEOUS  MANDARIN  COATS,  OPERA  WRAPS,  KIMONOS,  Etc., 

almost  covered  with  fine  hand-embroidery  in  pleasing  tones.  Our  Japanese  workers  are 
past  masters  in  the  art  of  delicate  embroidery,  and  our  special  confections  are  without  a 
peer.  Every  inch  of  their  decorative  needlework  is  as  valuable  as  rare  old  lace  to  the 
woman  who  knows  how  to  "make  things  over,"  and  it  will  serve,  in  a  host  of  ways,  and 
pay  for  itself  many  times  over  during  its  long  life. 

CLINGING  GOWNS  that  are  veritable  dreams  of  filmy  beauty  are  in  our  collection, 
and  they  are  characterized  by  complicated  handwork  that  modistes  in  the  Occident  have 
neither  the  patience  nor  the  time  to  accomplish.  Though  some  of  this  dainty  work  is 
hidden  from  the  casual  glance,  it  makes  an  irresistible  appeal  to  refined  women,  and  places 
their  gowns  in  an  easily  recognized  class  apart. 

DRAWN  LINEN  —  tea-cloths,  doilies,  pillow-shams,  handkerchiefs,  shirt-waists,  etc. 

SHAWLS.    SCARFS.    Automobile  veils.  Silk  and  cotton-crape  underwear. 

EMBROIDERED  SCREENS.  Embroidered  Silk  Parasols,  and  Silver  Mounted 
hand-bags. 

OUR  MEN'S  DEPARTMENT  SPECIALIZES  IN 

Dress  and  Business  Shirts  &  Collars,  Pyjamas,  Embroidered  Smoking- Jackets,  Silk  Outing- 
Shirts,  Underwear,  etc.  We  make  all  these  to  measure  promptly,  and  practically  at  the 
price  you  pay  for  bargain-counter  goods  at  home.    Fit  and  quality  guaranteed. 

Our  Dress  Shirts  and  Collars  are  made  of  the  highest  grade  Irish  Linen  imported  by  us 
direct  from  the  mills.  The  best  quality  Japanese  cotton -crape,  though  beautifully  soft,  is 
almost  indestructible  —  outwearing  any  similar  fabric  about  three  to  one.  It  comes  in 
many  pleasing  colors  and  is  the  most  popular  cloth  known  for  business  and  negligee  shirts 
v'ties  and  collars  to  match),  pyjamas,  etc.  We  keep  your  measurements  and  supply  you  at 
any  time  by  mail.  .  _T 

We  are  importers  of  the  finest  English  and  Continental  Hats,  Gloves,  Hosiery,  Neck- 
wear, Touring  Outfits,  etc.,  and  of  Hanan's  American  Shoes. 

The  quality  of  all  our  goods  is  unsurpassed.  The  prices  are  right,  and  our  guarantee  is 
behind  everything  we  sell.  We  want  your  patronage  and  we  strive  to  please  you. 

ARTHUR  (SL  BOND 

OPPOSITE  THE  GRAND  HOTEL  38,  WATER  STREET,  YOKOHAMA 

See  our  other  advertisement  on  the  last  page  of  this  book 


rrrr 


mm  hi  rut* 

® 

K.AIKIAOTO 


Culture  Pearls 
Oriental  Pearls 
Pearl  Mounted  ; 
Jewelery 


GINZA 
TOKYO 


r 


3  3125  00888  4054 


ARTHUR  BOND 

Fine  Art  Dealers.  Silversmiths.  Goldsmiths. 
Jewelers.  Costumiers.  Designers.  Embroiderers. 
Shirt-makers  and  Haberdashers 

THE  HOUSE  OF  QUALITY 

NO.  38,  WATER  STREET,  Opposite  the  Grand  Hotel,  YOKOHAMA,  JAPAN 

Our  magnificent  collection  of  Fine  Art  Objects  is  second  only  in  im- 
portance to  that  of  the  Imperial  Museum,  and  is  superior  to  any  similar 
display  in  the  Far  East. 

We  have  assembled  at  great  cost  a  faultless  collection  of  ancient  and 
modern  wares,  every  piece  of  which  is  marked  in  plain  figures,  and  guar- 
anteed as  represented.  Antiquarians  and  art-connoisseurs  recognize  us 
as  headquarters  for  beautiful  and  meritorious  art  objects,  and  we  supply 
the  great  museums  of  the  world. 

Our  establishment  is  known  throughout  the  Orient  as  The  House  of 
Quality,  and  our  name  as  an  Unquestioned  Guarantee  of  Excellence. 

Conspicuous  among  the  desirable  souvenirs  in  our  Art  Department  are: 

Hand-carved  Furniture. 
Korean  Brass-trimmed  Furni- 
ture. 

Wonderful  Embroidered  Tapes- 
tries. 

Medieval  Arms  &  Inlaid  Weap- 
ons. 

Splendid  old  Brocades.  Rare 
Rugs. 

Cloisonne  Ware.  Painted  Fans. 
Rare  Prints.   Sacerdotal  Vest- 
ments. 

Chinese  curios  dating  from  the 
Ming  Dynasty.  ^ 
And  a  host  of  beautiful  and  ar- 
tistic  East  Indian  and  Asiatic 
Art  Objects. 

We  carefully  pack,  insure,  and  ship  goods  to  all  parts  of  the  world. 
Charges  moderate. 

Make  your  purchases  of  us  and  you  will  get  fair  treatment  and  the 
best  quality  at  the  lowest  price. 

ARTHUR  CSL  BOND 

OPPOSITE  THE  GRAND  HOTEL  38,  WATER  STREET,  YOKOHAMA 

See  our  advertisement  on  the  preceding  page 


Chinese  Jade  Jewelery. 

Antique  jewelery  and  gems. 

Paintings  by  Old  Masters,  and  by 
famous  contemporary  artists. 

Hammered  silver  in  unique  and 
beautiful  designs,  —  Punch 
Bowls,  Flower- Vases,  etc. 

Gold,  Silver,  and  Pewter  Plate. 

Silver-mounted  leather  goods. 

Ivory  Carvings.  Snuff  Boxes. 

Damascene,  and  Bronze  Wares. 

Gold  Lacquer.  Imperial  Deco- 
rations. 

Ivory  Miniatures.  Medallions. 
Candlesticks.  Temple  Fitments. 
Exquisite  Japanese  &  Chinese 
Porcelains. 


"  One  of  the  most  valuable  little  companions  that  any 
tourist  can  possibly  have."' — Travel 'Magazine,  N.  Y. 

A  SATCHEL  GUIDE 

For  the  Vacation  Tourist 
in  Europe 

Covering  the  Portions  of  Europe  Commonly 
Visited  by  Tourists 

By  W.  J.  ROLFE 

"  Itineraries  and  time  schedules,  maps,  diagrams  and 
statistical  tables  give  the  book  an  importance  for  con- 
stant consultation  that  cannot  be  exaggerated,  and  its 
heavy  leather-boarded  covers  make  it  durable  and  ser- 
viceable even  beyond  the  wont  of  books  of  its  kind." 

Boston  lYanscript. 

"  It  has  established  a  reputation  for  accuracy." — Nash- 
vjlle  Banner. 

"  This  handy  little  guide-book  retains  its  popularity 
and  increases  it  from  year  to  year  on  accoui\t  of  the 
care  in  its  annual  revision;  it  is  always  strictly  UP-TO- 
DATE."— iV^  York  Mail. 

"  The  book  is  '  a  compact  itinerary  of  the  British  Isles, 
Belgium  and  Holland,  Germany  and  the  Rhine,  Switzer-" 
land,  France,  Austria,  and  Italy/ as  is  announced  in  the 
sub-title,  but  the  fact  should  not  be  overlooked  tnat 
eighteen  full  pages  of  introduction  are  devoted  to  advice 
to  the  tyro  globe-trotter  which  is  most  valuable  and 
suggestive.  These  pages  deal  with  money,  clothing, 
and  baggage  for  the  trip,  the  convenience  or  necessity 
of  passports,  books  to  read,  languages  to  learn  and 
foreign  customs." — New  York  limes. 

Flexible  Leather  Cover.  $1.7 J  net,  postpaid. 
At  all  Bookstores 


Boston       HOUGHTON  MIFFLIN  CO.       New  York 


